Best Place to Purchase Best A/V mod?

[CPUWIZ]

2 hours ago, darryl1970 said:

I looked for a different post, but I couldn't find anything else. Is this THE post, with more info to come at a later date?

 

Intriguing!

 

Against my better judgement, I am working on 3 different 7800 projects.  Unfortunately, my work has been nuts all month again, no 7800 power button touched.  I got packages to ship that are months late.

 

 

[+darryl1970]

15 minutes ago, CPUWIZ said:

Against my better judgement, I am working on 3 different 7800 projects. 

Thanks for sharing your talent!

15 minutes ago, CPUWIZ said:

Unfortunately, my work has been nuts all month again, no 7800 power button touched.  I got packages to ship that are months late.

I hope things balance out for you. It seems to all hit at once.

[RayTari]

23 hours ago, darryl1970 said:

Intriguing!

He had me looking too!

 

[CPUWIZ]

 

[CPUWIZ]

I'll explain the idea behind it another time.

[Dopy25]

It came! Now for installation (after work).

[RayTari]

On 4/29/2021 at 6:48 PM, Dopy25 said:

It came! Now for installation (after work).

You have had a whole weekend now, how'd it go? ?

[Dopy25]

2 hours ago, RayTari said:

You have had a whole weekend now, how'd it go? ?

haha. It looks beautiful on screen, but I don't like the wiring I used so I bought more and will be redoing the mod. I used solid core wire the first time and it's brittle as hell. It was left over from the 2600 jr mod. I bough some 28 gauge wire for the data lines. I have some thicker wire for 5v & ground but the wire I used for the data and color looked like butts and I hated it. It wasn't clean enough even though the solder looked good.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Dopy25

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I use 26awg solid core on my data lines but I've used 30awg before. But that is pretty brittle stuff so I mainly use it for trace repairs where I can then use some nail polish to hold it in place. But I've done quite a few UAV installs using it as well. However, I would never use it for the output wiring as that has to be flexibly stuff.

 

[Dopy25]

9 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

I use 26awg solid core on my data lines but I've used 30awg before. But that is pretty brittle stuff so I mainly use it for trace repairs where I can then use some nail polish to hold it in place. But I've done quite a few UAV installs using it as well. However, I would never use it for the output wiring as that has to be flexibly stuff.

 

I think I do well with soldering but I guess I'm not sure what I'm talking about with core on the wire. It was literally solid copper wire. It came with the av mod I bought on ebay for my 2600 but was extra. The wire is very sturdy and didn't have much give in it so it broke off at the top when I went to bend it into place. I bought some pretty flexible wire and although it may seem brittle I don't think it will snap like the other.

 

Edit:

 

This is the wire I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KQ2LHFI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_CABT4MARCTS3FXPK1ZCF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Edited May 3, 2021 by Dopy25

[RayTari]

35 minutes ago, Dopy25 said:

I think I do well with soldering but I guess I'm not sure what I'm talking about with core on the wire. It was literally solid copper wire. It came with the av mod I bought on ebay for my 2600 but was extra. The wire is very sturdy and didn't have much give in it so it broke off at the top when I went to bend it into place. I bought some pretty flexible wire and although it may seem brittle I don't think it will snap like the other.

 

Edit:

 

This is the wire I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KQ2LHFI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_CABT4MARCTS3FXPK1ZCF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

@-^CrossBow^-'s advice trumps mine, me having done a single mod  For what it's worth, I used wire wrap wire (very thin - sold as 30 gauge but it was cheap Chinese stuff so I think it's more like 31 or 32). Very flexible pre-tinned solid core. But that was only for the signal wires. Like @-^CrossBow^-, I mainly use that for fixing traces - but it seemed adequate in this case since it should only bend once (famous last words). For the external connections I just used my standard 22 gauge hookup wire - the stranded variety. To be honest, it's a little thick and only barely passes through the UAV board... but there is a ton of room in the 7800, even with the RF shield back in place, so I wasn't worried about big service loops. I also know all my crimp connectors work well with that gauge, and I wanted to have quick connects on everything. (Didn't I say it would only bend once? Then why did I use quick connects?)

 

The stranded stuff you bought shouldn't snap... I think you'll be fine.

[CPUWIZ]

Cheap and loads of people have them, I always keep ones where the connector broke off.

 

https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/connectivity/ethernet-ieee-802-3/cables-types-pinout-cat-5-5e-6.php

 

EDIT: USB cables are good too, at least the old ones.

[Dopy25]

22 minutes ago, CPUWIZ said:

Cheap and loads of people have them, I always keep ones where the connector broke off.

 

https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/connectivity/ethernet-ieee-802-3/cables-types-pinout-cat-5-5e-6.php

Never would have thought about that. Mine go in the trash. Kinda feel dumb now.

 

So old ethernet cables work great for internal mods?

[CPUWIZ]

The type of cable is ultra reliable for all kinds of data transmissions, just imagine noise on your ethernet line.  That is also why you don't buy shitty network cables.

[RayTari]

3 minutes ago, Dopy25 said:

Never would have thought about that. Mine go in the trash. Kinda feel dumb now.

 

So old ethernet cables work great for internal mods?

I've definitely used salvaged phone/ethernet cable for stuff. It is solid core, though. It's a little thin to use as hookup wire, at least on a breadboard (CAT6 is 23 or 24, CAT5 is 24). Phone wire is often the usual 22 gauge solid core that makes good hookup wire. The cheap very flexible telephone wire and the handset wire is stranded and can be very thin... not sure of the gauge. The downside is none of the salvaged wire is pre-tinned. My go-to is a box full of little spools just like what you purchased. I like that I can choose whatever color I want based on what makes sense, rather than what I happen to have on hand. 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

See in my company we will only run solid core in the walls and install patch plates with the drops on them etc. Then use stranded wire patch cables from the wall plates to the network devices. I've had some of my customers have to delay installation of their new equipment through my company because I found their stuff attached to terminated solid core wiring and I won't allow it when installing new equipment for reliability reasons. My customers usually thank me in the form that I rarely get network wiring related calls that I have to go out on.

 

And I've seen lots of modders use old cat5 wires inside the console. It isn't as brittle as the cheap stuff, but it will still break with not too much effort.

 

I use 24awg stranded to the output jacks on the wiring I use. I buy in 10ribbon strands of like 10ft at a time and then cut them into 12inch strips to actually use for service work.

 

[RayTari]

1 hour ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

I use 24awg stranded to the output jacks on the wiring I use. I buy in 10ribbon strands of like 10ft at a time and then cut them into 12inch strips to actually use for service work.

Oh, that's cool - so you basically buy ribbon cable and then split it up as needed? I like that... it would keep bundles of wire neat as you can just keep them connected. Often times I've noticed that "Dupont" jumper cables come this way and it can be pretty handy.

[Dopy25]

Still waiting for a friend to bring my 3d printed mount for the UAV itself but I got it in and am using a 7pin S-Video port and adapter. The adapter I bought has 4pin S-Video, comp, and single audio. The audio appears to be intended for digital out, but it is just an RCA jack so it works perfect. Audio has it's own ground but upon installing I can see that it really doesn't matter.

 

I initially installed a header because I was unsure about mounting to the case or the board so my wires are a bit long at this point.

I may take off the header and trim the wires down to look nice because the jack is soldered to the board.

I used @-^CrossBow^- suggestion to remove part of the solder mask and it worked great. I removed the switch and soldered it to channel 3 only because realistically I have never put any RF input on channel 4. My port took it's place. I have a flat piece of shrink tubing between the jack and the board so it does not rest on the solder points of the switch. It also have me enough room in the hole for my S-video adapter to fit. I had enough of a solder blob to hold the jack perfectly so I don't seem to need any adhesive or epoxy to hold it in place.

 

Pics incoming

Edited May 13, 2021 by Dopy25