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Post by Syntesis on Nov 23, 2011 13:55:28 GMT
 I really need to get one of those helping hands devices with the crocodile clips... to hold the chip in place I used bits of electrical tape stuck to each other and that wasn't at all stable. Buying a pair of pliers so I could bend the legs flat might also have been a good idea. But it works.  I still need to do the LED: There's some solder stuck in the hole I want to poke the LED leg through. Any ideas? Also although there are two holes for the LED legs, I think I only use the left-most one. Once I have the LED sorted and everything is finished I will wrap the chip up in electrical tape and tape it down somewhere sensible although the levitating trick is kind of cute. Some of the wires are a bit short so I might re-do those.  Alex Kidd in 60hz (much smaller borders than 50hz). Thanks to Metalhead for programming my chips for me. Once I finish this I will do a Mega Drive. |
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Post by buckoa51 on Nov 23, 2011 14:09:57 GMT
Ever thought of selling your modding services Syn?
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Post by Syntesis on Nov 23, 2011 14:23:50 GMT
Not really, I am too much of a novice to advertise this. I still need to learn to lift pins from boards and that's needed for a few mods (Saturn and SNES IIRC). I also won't drill holes because... I don't have a drill.  So switchless mods only. |
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metalhead
Saturn Player
Joined: January 2011
Posts: 76
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Post by metalhead on Nov 23, 2011 16:54:00 GMT
Awesome! Glad the chips worked okay. When I do mods I always put the components on Veroboard (if there's room) and also use a socket for the PIC as this makes replacing them easier if they ever go wrong. If you need to remove solder I always recommend solder braid. It's easier to use than a solder sucker. Awesome work on getting it done, though. |
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Post by Syntesis on Nov 23, 2011 17:18:23 GMT
Thank you. I have some braid but threading a few strands through the hole and being able to apply heat to melt the solder that's inside isn't obvious. I might have to file down the LED leg until it is thin enough to go through. I can't use stripboard because I don't have a saw to cut it to size. That is probably the professional way to go but I am used to soldering to chips now. |
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Post by prabmire on Nov 23, 2011 17:19:30 GMT
Syntesis, get yourself a dremel! it will do all your drilling sawing etc to precision! perfect for console modding |
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Post by Syntesis on Nov 23, 2011 17:25:14 GMT
Syntesis, get yourself a dremel! it will do all your drilling sawing etc to precision! perfect for console modding I'd like one for funsies but I can't really justify the cost as I just do my own consoles. For a pro, yep, I imagine it's essential. Also if anyone has a good brand of desoldering braid to recommend then let me know. Either I am really bad at it or this braid sucks. Simple stuff takes me a lot longer than it should as this thing sucks at absorbing solder. |
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Post by Willja on Nov 23, 2011 17:49:48 GMT
A solder sucker would be far easier Synt.
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Post by Syntesis on Nov 23, 2011 17:57:49 GMT
You can't suck if the solder isn't melted first. I could maybe try poking my iron in but then I risk destroying traces.
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Post by Willja on Nov 23, 2011 18:06:23 GMT
Ah, of course, didn't consider that fact!
Trying hard not to offend, but, with you being a girlie and all that, when you mentioned "poking my iron in", I had visions of you trying to solder with a clothes iron!!! ;D
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Post by Syntesis on Nov 23, 2011 18:26:20 GMT
lol, that would be quite an achievement. |
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metalhead
Saturn Player
Joined: January 2011
Posts: 76
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Post by metalhead on Nov 23, 2011 21:33:26 GMT
Have you tried heating the solder joint from the opposite side of the board whilst pushing the LED through from the other side? That usually works for me.
Another thing to try (although it may sound counter-intuitive) is to apply fresh solder to the joint you are trying to remove the solder from. Newer solder has a much lower melting point than that used on old consoles. The new solder will melt and in turn melt the old solder much easier.
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Post by Syntesis on Nov 23, 2011 23:35:35 GMT
Have you tried heating the solder joint from the opposite side of the board whilst pushing the LED through from the other side? That usually works for me. Now that sounds ideal! I'll give it a whirl on friday. |
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ameisenmann
Saturn Gamer
Joined: November 2009
Posts: 150 
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Post by ameisenmann on Nov 24, 2011 16:12:45 GMT
Why do you want to stick the legs of the LED through a hole? I suppose where the old LED was?
May I ask which tutorial you are using?
I bend the legs of the LED that the LED stands straight and then I fasten it with double sided foam tape (cheap on ebay).
If I want to remove some solder I use solder braid. Just stretch the braid a little bit to the sides, hold in on the solder you want to remove and then press on it with the side of your soldering iron's cone end. the side is hotter than then the end...
Lifting up a leg is not really necessary for the saturn mod. You can also cut a track and scratch the track free. Then just solder to it. I think I will do it that way the next time because I am always scared to break off the leg when I lift it.
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Post by Syntesis on Nov 25, 2011 18:40:37 GMT
Have you tried heating the solder joint from the opposite side of the board whilst pushing the LED through from the other side? That usually works for me. That worked, thank you. There's still a bit of leg in the negative hole that I need to fish out somehow. It's not relevant to the mod as I don't need to use that hole but it might be completing a circuit that is stopping the LED from being powered. It's like this: -----|---- a little bit of leg poking out either end and getting a grip of it so I can pull it out while heating it up at the same time is proving difficult. If I had known the old LED was so brittle I would have been more careful.  |
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I still need to do the LED: There's some solder stuck in the hole I want to poke the LED leg through. Any ideas? Also although there are two holes for the LED legs, I think I only use the left-most one. Once I have the LED sorted and everything is finished I will wrap the chip up in electrical tape and tape it down somewhere sensible although the levitating trick is kind of cute. Some of the wires are a bit short so I might re-do those.
So switchless mods only.
