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Navarone Widget * the FinalGROM 99


Omega-TI

The Navarone "widget" -vs- FinalGrom99  

28 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you own a Navarone Widget?

    • Yes
      17
    • No
      11
  2. 2. Do you own a FinalGROM 99

    • Yes
      26
    • No
      2
  3. 3. If owned, did you use REGULARLY use the Navarone 'widget' before buying a FinalGROM 99?

    • Yes
      6
    • No
      14
    • N/A (Not applicable)
      8
  4. 4. After purchasing the FinalGROM 99 how often do you use your Navarone 'widget'?

    • All the time (at least once a week or more).
      1
    • Once in a while (less than twice a month).
      0
    • Hardly ever (less than once in three months).
      3
    • No clue (probably less than twice a year).
      4
    • Never (as in never).
      11
    • N/A (not applicable)
      9

This poll is closed to new votes

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  • Poll closed on 07/26/2019 at 08:00 AM

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Yeah, that's what stopped the Widgit use here, too(the wearing out, not the Geneve). It just ain't robust enough sor the task at hand.

The multi-base modification seems like a good idea, but I never worked up the ambition to try it.

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I got the Navarone after the fg99. Want to use it to learn from and someday complete my 4 cart port version of it which, if all goes to plan, will be FG99 and FR99 compatible. With Dragon's Lair out and some other carts that aren't FG99 compatible, I think there is still a use for this. Just need time to learn PCB software because using jumper cables has proved too complex for me. I recently purchase a caliper so I can accurately measure everything on the Navarone then recreate a board with the new wiring.

Edited by Sinphaltimus
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2 hours ago, mizapf said:

... [x] Took a few weeks until the slide switch wore out ...

 

2 hours ago, JB said:

Yeah, that's what stopped the Widgit use here, too(the wearing out, not the Geneve). It just ain't robust enough sor the task at hand. ...

 

I have one of the original Widgits [sic] with the bulky rotary switch and it still works quite well, even after 35(?) years of sometimes heavy use. I use it nowadays perhaps more than I did in the 80s. My only problem with it is that I need to re-affix the base to the PCB with something better than its original hot glue, which failed shortly after I got it.

 

...lee

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5 hours ago, Lee Stewart said:

The poll will not let me participate because #4 is required but is missing “N/A”.  Perhaps, my vote is undesired anyway, considering that I own a Navarone Widgit [sic] rather than a Navarone Widget.

 

...lee

Oh well, however it's spelled, I'm not going to get hung up on it, as you can see << HERE >> I'm not the first!

 

As for number 4, yeah, an adjustment is in order.  Thanks, you've been quite adept at pointing out mistakes in my polls.

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4 hours ago, --- Ω --- said:

Oh well, however it's spelled, I'm not going to get hung up on it, as you can see << HERE >> I'm not the first!

 

As for number 4, yeah, an adjustment is in order.  Thanks, you've been quite adept at pointing out mistakes in my polls.

No matter, as I couldn't find any word similar to "Widgit" or "Widget" on mine, just NAVARONE.  Believe it or not, on the back side they call it a cartridge expander, so I guess we can call it anything we wish.  My wish came true.  It's a FG99 module or cartridge or what ever you wish to call it.

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Ha! Actually bought a Navarone NOS in box not too long ago just because I wanted to have it in my collection. Never had one or possibly ever saw one back when I first got my TI in the 80's, so when one popped up for a good price I bought it.

 

...and no the FG99 does not work in the Navarone. First thing I tried...

Edited by NISMOPC
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1 hour ago, NISMOPC said:

...and no the FG99 does not work in the Navarone. First thing I tried... 

 

Well, the FG99 works in the Navarone (at least for me it does).  It's just that almost nothing else does in combination with it. 

 

The exception, in my testing (and I don't know the technical particulars of why, but would be interested) is my 1987-1989 Databiotics carts.  All of them can be switch selected successfully even with the FG99 plugged in to another slot.  FG99 still appears as option 2 at startup even when not switch-selected (and if not in the correct switch position for it, will fail upon menu selection).  But both the Databiotics cart and the FG99 cart function correctly if either one is switch-selected on the Navarone (and subsequently menu-selected).  But for all earlier carts, garbled graphics result if played while FG99 is plugged in. 

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19 minutes ago, pixelpedant said:

 

Well, the FG99 works in the Navarone (at least for me it does).  It's just that almost nothing else does in combination with it. 

 

Aha! I did not think to try it alone, but then defeats the purpose of the Navarone, right? ;-)

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9 hours ago, FDOS said:

No matter, as I couldn't find any word similar to "Widgit" or "Widget" on mine, just NAVARONE.  Believe it or not, on the back side they call it a cartridge expander, so I guess we can call it anything we wish.  My wish came true.  It's a FG99 module or cartridge or what ever you wish to call it.

 

Just so you know I did not make up the name “Widgit” for Navarone’s original cartridge expander:

 

                         WidgitTop_2.thumb.gif.01383d7f17e1e66f38f4efc737e525ea.gif

 

...lee

 

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On 6/25/2019 at 2:51 AM, Sinphaltimus said:

With Dragon's Lair out and some other carts that aren't FG99 compatible, I think there is still a use for this. 

Dragon's Lair should not be used in a Widget. It has the same issue as the UberGROM does - the GROM emulation does not use the -5v line, and that's the line that the widget switches. So the GROM is never disabled. 

 

I guess the FG99 and such would have the same issue, and maybe that's why you were talking about your project. I just wanted to restate that for others! :)

 

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