Best Equipment/Supplies for Mega Drive, SNES and N64 modding?

[Link83]

Hi everyone,
I hope its ok to ask all this here - I couldnt think where else I could ask.

I have just recently decided I want to modify my Mega Drive, SNES and N64 consoles. I am hoping to add 50/60hz switches, Japanese/English Switches and an RGB mod on the NTSC N64. I have bought almost all of the equipment but am having trouble deciding on the correct materials/supplies to use for the mods themselves So I was hoping anyone who has modded before could give me some advice.

SOLDER
What type of solder is recommended? There seems to be so many types, sizes and and compositions that I am left totally confused!
I know standard solder is 60/40 tin/lead with a rosin core....
but then there is lead free solder, and silver solder, and tin and silver solder etc - all with and without flux - and all with different diamaters!

Alot of people seem to use the standard 60/40 solder, but I have also read that the lead is quite dangerous for your health.

So whats the best/safest to use when modding?

SWITCHES
All the guides say to use 'SPDT' (Single Pole Double Throw) and 'break before make' switches - but when I read descriptions on Maplin etc they dont specify if they are 'break before make' switches or not. How do you tell?
There are so many different types of switch:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switch

What sort of switch is most recommended/commonly for these sort of mods, and where do you buy them from for a reasonable price?

WIRE
I have read that 30awg Kynar wire is best for modding - and I went out and bought some - but it 'seems' far too thin, although I have never bought any before so I have nothing to compare it to.

When I recently bought a Dreamcast Modchip the wires that come on it were much thicker, which makes me think I have bought the wrong size. Here some pics (click for larger image):-
Compared with a DC mochip wires and a cocktail stick (the only thing I had handy for comparison!)

The spool

Its so thin it fits in the seam gap of an N64 controller!


Also, some guides like here:-

http://soldering.tehskeen.com/

Suggest that you use 26awg wire Kynar when connecting to power or ground points, whilst others make no mention of this. If 26awg wire is better/safer why isnt it used for all connections? (Not just power and ground)

Also, I have tried to find 26 awg wire but it doesnt seem to be as easily/readily available to buy as 30 awg wire - where does everyone get it from?

Also, it seems strange to me that people use such a constrictive/thin wire for an N64 RGB mod to get the best picture. Surely a thicker wire would be better suited? The wire inside the AV/Scart cables is certainly thicker than 30awg so it seems strange to use such a thin one for part of the connection - if you see what I mean!

GLUE
Alot of guides suggest sticking down the wires with hot glue (or Electrical Insulation Tape) - is there a specific type of glue/glue gun that is recommended to be used when modding/sticking to PCB's?

[chaoticjelly]

SOLDER

Just use regular 60/40, sticks better and melts at a lower temperature when compared to lead free solder. Any solder containing silver is definitely overkill.. you won't need to use anything like that, it's far too expensive.

Diameter wise probably go for 22AWG, the higher the number the smaller the diameter, smaller the number the larger the diameter, if you get a larger size you might end up making mistakes by using too much solder.. if you get a smaller size you can always add more solder to the joint as you go along.

Wouldn't worry much about the lead content, it only leads to occupational asthema and potential cancer if you get prolonged exposure. Just avoid any flux smoke from getting in your eyes, make sure your work area is well ventilated and you take a break (good advice anyway).

SWITCHES

Any of the ultra/sub miniature SPST toggle switches that Maplin have should work just fine. You don't need to use SPDT unless you need to switch more than one input with the middle terminal, some guides simply put you need "SPDT" because that's what they had available to use..

WIRE

It depends what kind of modding you're doing, Kynar wire is good for more modern stuff, but for the older stuff you should just use regular multi-strand equipment wire. Maplin sell it in little bags.

You can use Kynar OK, but keep in mind it's single core so if you get a nick in it somewhere along it's length, could break the connection completely.. also whilst it's bendable etc, the flexibility of multi-strand equipment wire is desirable.


Use thicker wire where it really matters.. e.g. if you were doing a consolised MVS, there's a fair few amps go through the +5V, thicker wire is generally for higher amperages.. the kind of amps you'll be dealing with the consoles mentioned you can just use regular multi-strand equipment wire.

It's more important with modern electronics, older stuff is a lot less sensitive in this way.

GLUE

Just a cheap glue gun at the local cheap shop will do.. make sure everything is working before you glue it though, removing hot glue can be a pain. It's probably cheaper to buy spare sticks at a tool shop, make sure you know what diameter your glue gun takes. Mine uses standard 20mm sticks. There's two types, opaque which is general purpose that is what you want, and brown which is for glueing wood.

Tape will do you just fine as long as your not stingy with it.

[Link83]

Hi Chaoticjelly, thanks for your replies

SOLDER
So use regular solder, ok thats one sorted!
The smallest I have been able to find is .032 diameter, is that close to 22awg?

SWITCHES
I guess the top two on this page are the ones you suggest?:-

http://www.maplin.co.uk/search.aspx?MenuNo=12885&FromMenu=y&doy=6m5

Is either the ultra, or sub miniature better than the other? (For fitting in the cases and reliability)
Also, do you know of any cheaper sources for these toggle switches if I wanted to buy say, 10 of them?
...and I thought SPDT was need as the extra point is for ground (Im going by mmmonkeys guides here) Is that not necessary?

WIRE
OK well im alittle confused about which type of wire now. I was kind of hoping that it would be a case of "one type for all" but I guess its not

So is 26 awg the standard type used for ground etc, because I now have even heard mention of 24 awg being used!

What type of wire is used in standard scart cables? (and so would be best used for the N64 RGB mod)

and is multi-core wire better then? As I guessed it was not usually recommended due to the possibility of stray strands causing a short circuit?

There also seems to be alot of types/sizes of equipment wire on the maplin website:-
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=equipment%20wire&source=15&SD =Y
What ones are right?

...and RS seem to have a large range of wire aswell:-

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=browseSection&Ne=4294957561&Ntt=equipment+wire&Nr=AND%28avl%3auk%2csearchDiscon_uk%3aN%29&Ntk=I18NAll&Ntx=mode%2bmatchallpartial&N=4294964268&Nty=1

I just wish there was a sort of wire that you can say "Yep, you can use this for everything with no worries"

GLUE
So any standard glue gun would be fine? I thought it might need a specific type of non-conducting glue, but I guess thats not the case. I would use electrical tape but I have read it can become loose?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Now if only I could think of a use for one of these:-

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=37319&doy=6m5

[MattyD]

I know it's environmentally unsound and all that but don't use lead-free solder. The joints will be very weak especially if your technique is poor from inexperience etc.

As for wire, the standard equipment wire Chaoticjelly mentioned is fine for the innards of older stuff. Anything 8 or 16 bit should be fine with this. It's like a quid a bag in Maplin. Maplin switches are fine too. I've done a couple of mods using these parts.

Also Re- the glue, I'm very reluctant to go putting hot anything on my machines so I haven't glued the cables in any of them. Some may prefer to do this for the sake of neatness or whatever but provided you measure up the lengths of wire before you start soldering them in you won't leave much slack around and you can usually just route it around mounts, pegs etc inside the case to keep it fairly tidy and away from any parts that get hot during use.

Now if only I could think of a use for one of these:-

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=37319&doy=6m5

LOL! I've got a half-finished Mega Drive on the go so I might invest in one of those

[chaoticjelly]

Hi Chaoticjelly, thanks for your replies

SOLDER
So use regular solder, ok thats one sorted!
The smallest I have been able to find is .032 diameter, is that close to 22awg?

NP.
Not sure dude. I said AWG, I meant SWG, lol.
I think 22SWG is 0.7mm.

Some decent deals on eBay lately on 40/60, cheaper than I've seen anywhere else that I can remember.

SWITCHES
I guess the top two on this page are the ones you suggest?:-

http://www.maplin.co.uk/search.aspx?MenuNo=12885&FromMenu=y&doy=6m5

Is either the ultra, or sub miniature better than the other? (For fitting in the cases and reliability)
Also, do you know of any cheaper sources for these toggle switches if I wanted to buy say, 10 of them?
...and I thought SPDT was need as the extra point is for ground (Im going by mmmonkeys guides here) Is that not necessary?

Not sure, I don't buy my switches off Maplin any more. Ultra obviously smaller than sub, sub prolly more "clicky" and robust due to the bigger size.

Switch type depends on the mod. Something like a Megadrive only needs SPST. You have the thing you wanna apply either +5v or ground to, in the middle, then +5v and ground either side.. so only three terminals required and thus SPST.

WIRE
OK well im alittle confused about which type of wire now. I was kind of hoping that it would be a case of "one type for all" but I guess its not

So is 26 awg the standard type used for ground etc, because I now have even heard mention of 24 awg being used!

What type of wire is used in standard scart cables? (and so would be best used for the N64 RGB mod)

and is multi-core wire better then? As I guessed it was not usually recommended due to the possibility of stray strands causing a short circuit?

There also seems to be alot of types/sizes of equipment wire on the maplin website:-

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=equipment%20wire&source=15&SD=Y

What ones are right?

...and RS seem to have a large range of wire aswell:-

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=browseSection&Ne=4294957561&Ntt=equipment+wire&Nr=AND%28avl%3auk%2csearchDiscon_uk%3aN%29&Ntk=I18NAll&Ntx=mode%2bmatchallpartial&N=4294964268&Nty=1

I just wish there was a sort of wire that you can say "Yep, you can use this for everything with no worries"

I only use 2 types of wire, equipment wire, I think it's about 7 strand or something, overall diameter just over 1mm. Not sure about AWG, normally wire will say something like 7/0.1 which means there are 7 strands, 0.1mm in diameter, so the diameter overall would be around 0.7mm, then you add on the diameter of the PVC jacket. It might say "overall diameter" such and such.. just pick something with a decent amount of strands, but not too thick.

Then if you need thicker wire for ground or voltage, just get something thicker according to the overall diameter.. you know what I mean?

No using multi-strand is better, you tin the wire first obviously before soldering it to anything.. otherwise you might get strands here and there.. its a lot more reliable because if a strand or two breaks internally.. it is still connected. A bit like the Forth Road Bridge is made up of thousands of strands of steel wire, obviously thats an extreme example, but if it was made up of one = disaster.

Crappy SCART cables made in China use the worst cabling ever.. I mean really horrible horrible stuff. For short runs like RGB signals inside an N64, just use regular equipment wire, it's only over longer distances you can get signal degradation, inside a console to an AV port is nothing really. Consoles are RF shielded, it's when the signal goes outside and 2 metres to the TV you need to have a nice quality cable for interference free picture..

GLUE
So any standard glue gun would be fine? I thought it might need a specific type of non-conducting glue, but I guess thats not the case. I would use electrical tape but I have read it can become loose?

Glue is an insulator so no worries. I hot glue everything nowadays.

Tape is fine tbh, it won't really come off, just get something better than the pound shop stuff.

Now if only I could think of a use for one of these:-

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=37319&doy=6m5

Hahahaha excellent.

"Missile switch" wire it up to a WMD or something.............. weapon of mass distraction, lol.

[chaoticjelly]

Link, did you buy an Antex soldering iron BTW?

[Link83]

LOL! I've got a half-finished Mega Drive on the go so I might invest in one of those

"Get ready to arm the Mega Drive 60hz mode!"
...Ahem...

OK well thats solder definitely sorted

May I ask where you buy your switches from Chaoticjelly?

This is looking like the best wire for modding:-
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=29&doy=6m5

Its 10/0.1, and thats seems to be the thinnest multi-stand wire maplin sell?

Is that thick enough for ground and +5v?

Also, once you have stripped the wire do you twist the strands together before tinning them or not? (Probably not important but thought id ask)

Think I will just stick to using electrical tape
------------------------------------------------------------
I have bought a 15w antex soldering iron with some fine bits - I hope thats right!

Here some pics of most of the equipment I now have so far:-





Let me know if anything looks wrong/incorrect

Thanks again for everyones replies - I really do appreciate it

....and good luck with your exams chaoticjelly

[smouty]

If you will be doing a lot of soldering in the future it will be well worth investing in a decent iron.
I use a weller one as it was service issue during my military time.
Link to PIC

You can often find them on ebay for a reasonable amount. The one you have will be fine for starters but I wouldn't want to use it for fitting a PS2 chip or a GCN region switch which are fiddly.

[mmmonkey]

The last few items I've wanted I ended up getting from here - http://bitsbox.co.uk/, I've even mailed him a link to a site with a guide on and asked for help getting the right components (they got some in stock for me even).

For years I used an 18w Antex iron for doing loads including SNES, MD, PS2, Xbox, Cube, DC (also had a 30w one for one the 18w wasn't man enough). Maplin have a digital temperature controlled Soldering Station half price at £30 at the moment, I've now packed away the collection of different irons and use just this http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...tation&doy=6m5 and it's much much easier

Like smouty said, if you're gonna end up doing loads it might be worth investing.

Have fun!

Pete

[Link83]

If you will be doing a lot of soldering in the future it will be well worth investing in a decent iron.
I use a weller one as it was service issue during my military time.
Link to PIC

Thanks for the suggestion. I have actually also got an old 25 watt soldering iron - but it doesnt have a very fine tip and the tip is not replacable

I was going to get a temperature controlled iron but considering I havent properly soldered anything before now I couldnt justify it. I have read alot of soldering guides and have been practicing on an old graphics card (which now looks a total mess!)

I read that a 15w iron would be best suited for a beginner as it gives you more time to 'play around'. I choose the antex one as it has replacable tips of different sizes - I bought a 1mm, 0.5mm and 0.17mm tips with it, which seem to be the finest sizes available.

I hope it will be good enough for the mods I would like to do but if not guess I will have to get a better one aswell!

Thanks for the link hellbelly, I havent come across bitsbox before but it seems to stock quite a large amount of stuff suitable for modding

If I end up doing loads of mods I probably will be buying alot more tools/equipment, but as I am just starting out I didnt think it would be a good idea to buy expensive tools for something that I might not be very good at!

I had been using mmmonkeys 'Equipment' page as a guide, but unfortunately the page seems to have been taken down

I think I will buy some of the SPST and SPDT switches from bitsbox though as there prices seem very reasonable. The one listed as:-
SPDT 1A/240Vac 3A/125Vac Miniature Toggle - 50p
Looks pretty good.

Im still abit unsure on wires though - would the 10/0.1 I linked to on Maplin be suitable for all the power and ground connections?

Or are there any better suited wires?

[mmmonkey]

I was very lucky when it came to buying wire as I had a local shop that I could browse and choose what looked about right, I still sometimes pull the odd network cable or IDE cable apart for a spare bit of wire. mmmonkeys equipment page was taken down ready to do an update on it, but other things have got in the way! it should be back soon.

I've certainly used wire like you've linked to when doing MD, SNES and N64 mods without a problem. I've just checked your picture for the DC mod chip, that's thicker than the wire I used for MD, SNES and N64 mods.

Have fun!!

Pete

[Link83]

Thanks again for the reply hellbelly

mmmonkeys equipment page was taken down ready to do an update on it, but other things have got in the way! it should be back soon.

Thats good to know Do you know mmmonkey? If so please thank him for making such a great site!

I have been having another look at wires on maplin, and there only really seems to be two multicore wires suitable for modding (size wise) the 10/0.1 I linked to previously, and the 7/0.2 which is slightly thicker:-

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=6192&doy=9m5

(The next one up after that would be 16/0.2 which I guess is too thick)

I took another look and according to the specifications the 7/0.2 can actually handle a much higher current than the 10/0.1, so would it be the better choice?

Also, I have been watching loads of soldering videos on Youtube. Is it right to twist the wire before tinning it?

Lastly, all the videos make sure to tell you to apply the heat to the item you want soldering, not the iron (which I already knew) but I wondered how this should be done when performing the N64 RGB mod - should you apply the iron/heat to the video chips pins, or the wire?

Sorry if Im seem over cautious - just want to be sure im doing it right

[mmmonkey]

You definately need to twist the wires before tinning them, otherwise individual strands may stray outwards and not only look messy, but cause havoc when you're trying to solder the wire to something - if the soldering points are close together then you may ending up bridging a gap that really shouldn't be bridged.

The N64 mod, I think I actually added a small bit of solder to the pins on the chip, hold the wire in place and then heat the pin up to join them together.

Depending on the wire, you may find that if you heat it too long then the plastic coating could shrink back or melt exposing more bare wire.

Saying that, too high a temperature for too long could of course damage the chip (or a solder pad - I've done that a few times).

I suppose practice is the key, it won't take long before you can solder the wire on without having to heat it all up for too long, you shouldn't need to hold the iron on there for an age.

After you've practiced soldering a wire to a chip on something else, just touch the chip after you've soldered it into place and check to see if it's hot or not, if it's cool then good job, if it's warm it's probably fine, it it's hot then definately practice again!

You've already read and watched loads of guides, and I'm just a hobbyist but here's another piece of advice which I ignored at first but now find helps me loads is to keep the tip of the iron clean, use that wet sponge to clean it off after every bit you've done. It looks after the iron and forces you to use a fresh bit of solder each time which will give you better, cleaner joins. Don't leave the solder on the end of the iron for too long, put some on there and just watch how it behaves, mine bubbles and the flux comes out, it gets dirty and yucky which will give a terrible solder join. Wipe it on the sponge and apply some fresh solder.

Pete

[Shadow_Zero]

Wow, Google just got me here. Just thought it was fun to read such an old thread with Link83 and mmmonkey going on about XD
(and quite informative for me currently!)