hot knife through console - learning to solder?

[buddha]

last time I put a soldering iron to a console was to 'fix' my Jap DC to 60Hz.


I had got my JAP DC chiipped (a week before the boot disc revolution) but the guy who had chipped the machine hadn't soldered the points on the back of the motherboard to force the DC into 60Hz for good.

I really didn't want to lug the machine all the way back to get him to fix it so in a rush confidence I was convinced although I had never used a soldering iron before I could do it...

first up I got the kit I thought I needed, smallest soldering iron I could find, solder and a dug out an ancient video card with which to practice on.

Nervously I took my (?399) DC apart to have a look at the points which were as tiny as i had imagined. So off I go practicing, simply soldering points on the video card together, getting a nice rhythm with the idea that I would get into the 'zone' at which point I would switch the video card for the DC board, fuse the two tiny pins together. I go to make the switch RING, RING. (phone goes) WHA! power off the soldering iron, answer phone, WRONG NUMBER!!

start all over again.

half an hour of more practicing on a ruined video card finally have the nuts to switch the boards over, a split second later.. its done..

put the DC back together

power on.

IT WORKED! [ran around room being "the daddy"]

basically, I think there must be a better way of learning to solder.

any REAL "soldering daddies" out there care to offer any tips?


buddha

[John Beaulieu]

to counter your tale of joy

Bought a NTSC-J Gamecube on release - cost me top dollar from NCSX. played Japanese games waiting patiently for US release date .... got a nice shiny Rogue Squadron ready for US release date and 'modding' details to be released.

US Release date came and went - and then finally details of the US mod method surfaced ---- hmmmmmm seems very dodgy me thinks so speak to my mate who is supposedly a solder master if he could do the job, "of course i can" he replies.

Go into town, buy a Gamebit (after mucho hunting), wire and switch - then goto mates house to do the 'deed' so to speak

Open up the GC and finally gets a look at the solder points - "Oh their tiny" does not give me feelings of optimism.

1 hour later after mucho swearing and sweat breaking out I finally plug the GC into the tv - power comes on (first result of the day) - start up sequence is in English (2nd result) - Rogue Squadron boots up first time (3rd result of the day - its all good)

then the real test - turn off the GC, flick the switch and insert Japanese game --- PLEASE INSERT CORRECT REGION GAME etc etc - noooooooooo I now have a US GC and no use for my (for the time) large collection of Japanese GC software --- go home, log onto net and order a premodded console from NCSX

camps

[Saurian]

I'll buy that Cube off you Camps!

Soldering is very easy - you just need to get used to the tools and materials (much like getting used to pencils and brushes in art)

Good equipment, solder and wire is VITAL.

99% of console mods I see are done with very poor quality wire and solder (even import sites like NCSX - Infact THE WORST Gamecube mod I have even seen came from them *congratulations, your engineer is a barbarian!* . For Gamecubes etc you should use NOTHING but Kynar (available from RS components), Kynar is perfect for soldering onto small points like the jumpers on the Gamecube motherboard - in fact it's childsplay. Get yourself an Antex Soldering iron from www.rapidelectronics.co.uk with a 1mm tip and you're in business.

[Treble]

Practised a 60hz mod on a PAL MD1 that didn't work properly anyway. It worked, but the sound was gone >_<
I resoldered all the points and tried it again. Basically, it was ok, but the audio was gone for good.

Tried a (much harder) 60hz mod on a SNES next. It was fine, although it took about 3 hours to do first time. I then did exactly yhe same mod on a mate's SNES but tried to cut the region detection pin. Mistake. It didn't work, and I had to send it off to Saur to fix. >_<

I did a 60hz AND region mod on an MD1, which went superbly, then fitted the debug chip to my Neo Geo which, although it's my most treasured machine, I was never worried about. Odd, huh? It involved cutting pins from the board and everything.

Anyway, upshot is: get a cheap, old console that's easy to mod and practice your soldering on it. Make sure you get good, clear modding instructions off the net and check on here to make sure they're correct, and that it's a simple mod at first - preferably one that doesn't require case-cutting or gamebits or massive, awkward internal assemblies and heat shields.

I'm still only getting there myself, but it gives you a great deal of satisfaction when you power on and it works.

[ZeroRisk]

I've been soldering since PSOne and must say that the main ingredients you need are, a steady hand, planty of time with no distractions, the right equipment and a handful of really loud and abusive phrases with the 'f' word in them! lol

All the old stuff was easy and now I look back to the equipment I used to use and laugh! Big thick wire and a chunky clapped out old Soldrering Iron. Now the equipment is better and I have Saurian to bother for help when I mess things up! lol

Cheers Saur.

Anyway, the cube modding is the easiest so far. US/JAP, where there isn't a jumper, solder the wire to the switch. It's that easy.
Also changed the led at the front from the moody orange to electric blue! Looks much better with a Plat Cube.

[buddha]

great stuff!

I think that this has to be part of import gaming in some ways. taking apart your prized possession, dicing with console death, and living to tell the tale! 8)

after this, I certainly feel 'up' for chipping my other xbox.

Saurian are you sure Rapid still sell those Antex irons and is Bald Bouncer still the place for the chips?

buddha

[MD]

The best way to learn soldering is to practice on something you don't care breaking, buy a cheap Megadrive 2 and practice to turn that into a 50/60Hz switchable machine. If that sounds too hard, then buy a cheap electronics kit and put it together.

I personally use a Gas powered soldering iron, as it's electrically safer then a mains powered soldering iron, plus no stupid lead to get tangled up and you can use it anywhere. Decent 60/40 rosin free solder, microelectronic type (i.e very thin), desoldering braid is good to remove small ammounts of solder too, plus a anti static solder sucker for even smaller ammounts and decent wire (like the stuff saurian recommends).

Tinning wires is probably the best thing you can learn too, tinned wires will attach to points much easier then bare wire.

[Boomah]

Just yesterday I finally built up the courage to mod my US cube as mr driller and ikaruga had been sitting on my desk for months. I took it into work and in my 1/2 hour lunch break did a real botch job. I thought it was never going to work.

I raced home yesterday evening and IT WORKED, both american and jap games. I was really expecting the worse. The problem is I am no where near finishing zelda and I am now addicted to ikaruga. What a game!

oh well, back to it

Boomah,

/* moral of story - if I can do it, it must be easy */

[vertigo]

Also changed the led at the front from the moody orange to electric blue! Looks much better with a Plat Cube.

Just wondering about this, don't blue LEDs need more power?

[charlesr]

Not too hot (sic) on soldering, but you should see the hilarious mod I did to my Jap N64 the other day to let it play my US games. Most people use a soldering iron to melt the tabs, but I used.... pliers. Just squeezed them off (er..). Not tooooo much damage elsewhere from slipping and carving
Just call me Conan.

[iamlost_]

do you guys use a soldering iron with a controllerable temperature or just a fixed temperature one

[vertigo]

How do you remove thick blobs of solder without melting the board/components? I've tried re-melting it but it just won't have it, it's too thick/old.

[Saurian]

How do you remove thick blobs of solder without melting the board/components? I've tried re-melting it but it just won't have it, it's too thick/old.

This is where the de-solder braid MD mentioned comes in. The solder will be drawn onto the braid when heated.

do you guys use a soldering iron with a controllerable temperature or just a fixed temperature one

I use a fixed temp one - but wouldnt mind a PSU with temp control.

Just wondering about this, don't blue LEDs need more power?

A blue LED is fine on a Cube - as soon as my Platinum one arrived I took the lid off and changed the LED - how dare they put an orange one in!?!?!?

[Treble]

I really could do with some better kit. MD: how much is a gas soldering iron, and how much are replacement cartridges (assuming that's what it takes)? Where was yours from, and would you recommend it?

MD and Saur: what are the best places to use for bits of gear? A single place that sells components as well as consumables (wire, solder etc.) would be great (I am nearly out of switches )

Cheers.

[Saurian]

I really could do with some better kit. MD: how much is a gas soldering iron, and how much are replacement cartridges (assuming that's what it takes)? Where was yours from, and would you recommend it?

MD and Saur: what are the best places to use for bits of gear? A single place that sells components as well as consumables (wire, solder etc.) would be great (I am nearly out of switches )

Cheers.

I get everything from www.rapidelectronics.co.uk and RS Components. You NEED Kynar and RS are the ones for that, all switches, LEDs, soldering equipment and consumables I order from Rapid.

Also: BEST switch for Gamecube region mod is Maplins part number FF77.