Question Gamecube portable need help. First build

[Ploy]

Shutout to The Mod Shop on Youtube for referring me to here
(His channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRmjSpXJO4eVu5Pt2oKEadQ)

Hello world, I am new to BitBuild and I came here to get help on my first build. I am looking to make a portable GameCube. I was looking to have it in almost like a retro lunchbox case style with the screen on the part that folds open. I also wanted to have it so that I can plug in controllers in the front so that I can bring it places and play smash melee and other games with friends. I wanted to fit a battery inside of the case that can be charged through a port in the case encase there isn't an outlet nearby. I'm not looking to make this a handheld. The major issue I am having is the case. I want to have the actual GameCube components inside the large part of the case along with everything else besides the screen which would be on the part that folds open, but also have a protective cover on top of it that exposes only the reader, on/off and reset button so none of the parts get damaged by dust or anything else and so it also looks nice.. I was looking to have a cover for the disk reader and disk (when in it) to be a type that just slides over it like the PS3 ultra-slim but have it thin enough to have the device be closed without damaging the screen. If anybody could help me with this I would be very grateful. If 3D printing is needed as some people have told, I can negotiate a price if need be.

lunchbox example:
http://www.retroplanet.com/mm5/graphics/00000006/49649_main.jpg

possible screen:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...tft_backup_monitor-_-0PD-001A-00030-_-Product

 

[cheese]

What you may want to do is wire a Wii disc drive up to the gamecube and use that as a slot loading drive instead. Then you could also have your power and other buttons on the side as well. That looks like a decent screen, you will probably have a decent quality picture with it. As for batteries, you will probably want to stick some 18650 lipo cells in there. Since you are doing a laptop design, you can probably get a decent play time by having more batteries, since the additional weight and size won't be an issue as it's not intended to be handheld.

EDIT: see Aurelio's post

 

[Aurelio]

Don't get that screen! I bought one that looks identical (the external shell is the same, but I can't be sure that the guts are the same) and it sucks! The viewing angle is very low and the colors are kinda blurry (no, that's not only due to the composite video signal, that's even worse than that).
If you want an higher picture quality get a monitor with a driver board that can handle vga and use a gcvideo. Since you are doing a laptop you could try using an lcd panel from an old laptop (in my opinion a 9" from an eepc 900 would be awesome) along with a driver board configured for that particular screen.

 

[fibbef]

My 2 cents on the screen: I had one that looked just like it as well and first thing I noticed was that the resolution made GC/Wii graphics look less than amazing (I tried out a little Twilight Princess on it). Other thing I noticed was that unlike smaller screens that are happy to run off of 7.4v, this one wouldn't turn on for less than 9v. Not a deal breaker for some, but I wanted to use this in a project without worrying about step-up regulators. Later in the game I found that I could bypass a reg on the board to power it from a lower voltage, but I accidentally fried that screen before it found its way into a project...

Here's a voltage test I did of the screen in question:

 

[Ploy]

Wii disc drive up to the gamecube

I will keep that in mind. Is it difficult to do? Since this is my first build I am not sure how to do internal electronics mods. I also attached some pictures of the case I am putting it in to my original post in case you wanted to see.

 

[Ploy]

here are some pictures of my case. It is 7 5/8 inches long, 6 5/8 inches wide, 4 inches deep. I'm not sure what it is made of, possible stainless steel but it is metal.

 

[cheese]

To be honest, wiring a Wii drive will most likely be easier than trying to re-wire a gamecube drive (as you will need to re-wire it if you want to move it anywhere from it's current position on the board). There are some directions on how to do this over on gc-forever, make sure you read it carefully, there are some specifics you need to make sure to follow.

As for your case, it looks to be a good size, just make sure you're careful, as metal cases are hard to work with. The metal can be sharp when you cut it, and it can also short out electronics inside, so be sure to insulate it from the gamecube and stuff inside, and wear gloves or something to protect your hands from the sharp edges.

 

[Ploy]

What you may want to do is wire a Wii disc drive up to the gamecube and use that as a slot loading drive instead. Then you could also have your power and other buttons on the side as well. That looks like a decent screen, you will probably have a decent quality picture with it. As for batteries, you will probably want to stick some 18650 lipo cells in there. Since you are doing a laptop design, you can probably get a decent play time by having more batteries, since the additional weight and size won't be an issue as it's not intended to be handheld.

EDIT: see Aurelio's post

I have started to make my portable, but I have run into a few issues. I haven't been able to figure out the type of battery that I need. the game cube draws 12V and 3.5A. The screen I have takes between 12-24V 6.5W. I cannot find a battery that is small enough and able to output 12V and also have it be able to be recharged from a wall socket. If you have any input I would be great full.

 

[Shank]

I would advise you build a Wii portable. There is essentially no reason to to make a gamecube portable over a wii one. Here is a copy paste of a post I made on modretro:

My best advice is ditch the gamecube and go with a Wii. You are so early into the project that it won't be difficult to change over. The information in guides on Modretro is very, very outdated. GameCube portables are obsolete, and the only people making them now are only doing so because they are not properly informed.

Here are a few of the reasons why everybody makes wii portables instead

-WIIS DO NOT NEED REMOTES TO BOOT GAMES. PortablizeMii makes that easy.
-Wiis have essentially perfect compatibility with gamecube games
-Wiis can be trimmed smaller with less effort
-Wii portables cost less to make
-Wii portables are much easier to wire up
-Wii portables do not require you to wire a wiikey fusion or a memory card
-Emulators run better on wii
-Wiis play Wii games, virtual console, wiiware, emulators, and homebrew
-Wiis use MUCH less power, so the battery lasts longer
-Wiis create less heat, making cooling them easier with smaller fans/heatsinks
-Wiis use usb drives, and are not limited to 32gb sd cards like gamecube portables
-Wiis have more documentation than gamecubes for portablizing

There are many more reasons to build a wii. The only 2 reasons to build a gamecube portable are bing misinformed, or "because I want to." Yes, GameCubes have the BBA adapter and GameBoy player, but the utility of those in a portable is negligible.

Here's a guide to get you started

As for the screen, this is a much better 7 inch screen for about the same price. It will accept component video too.

In terms of batteries, most non-reputable sources (most ebay sellers, aliexpress, and so on) flat out LIE about their capacity. Your best bet is to build one yourself using cells like these from a reputable seller or buy a premade battery pack from batteryspace. If you want to build one yourself, The cells I linked are Panasonic NCR18650B cells, which are the densest consumer cells on the market, and the best bang for your buck. That seller is real, but many others sell counterfeits. You will need to wire up a protection circuit yourself as well. NEVER wire up a lithium battery without protection. If this all is too complicated, you should probably buy a premade battery pack and charger from BatterySpace instead.

 

[cheese]

I would suggest a smart charger and a premade pack batteryspace since they are guaranteed to work properly (and you won't have issues with things coming undone ). The stock gamecube regulators can take anywhere from 10.2v to around 20v or so, pulling just under 2A max throughout all those voltages (so get yourself a 14.8v pack if you want the gamecube to work through the whole charge). However, I would recommend custom regulators, since they are more efficient on battery, and can take lower voltages (all the way down to around 5v!).

Also, as shank has said, a Wii portable may be easier than a gamecube. I would, however, still recommend you try to finish this one as well, since you've got the gamecube and such (while it is a little harder and less practical for handheld portables, in your case it will be relatively simple).

 

[Ploy]

14.8v

like this one?: http://www.batteryspace.com/limnni-26650-battery-14-8v-4ah-59-2wh-4a-rate-battery-module.aspx

 

[cheese]

That one looks pretty good

 

[Ploy]

I would suggest a smart charger and a premade pack batteryspace since they are guaranteed to work properly (and you won't have issues with things coming undone ). The stock gamecube regulators can take anywhere from 10.2v to around 20v or so, pulling just under 2A max throughout all those voltages (so get yourself a 14.8v pack if you want the gamecube to work through the whole charge). However, I would recommend custom regulators, since they are more efficient on battery, and can take lower voltages (all the way down to around 5v!).

Also, as shank has said, a Wii portable may be easier than a gamecube. I would, however, still recommend you try to finish this one as well, since you've got the gamecube and such (while it is a little harder and less practical for handheld portables, in your case it will be relatively simple).

Thanks for the input. Also I have gotten to the point where I need to find adiquit speekers. I have been looking over various options and wasn't able to find one that worked with a sound cable that the game cube uses. Any ideas?