Worklog GCp Worklog - MiseriesChild's GameCube Proto Ver. 1

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Well, it seems that I have missed the bandwagon by a few years when it comes to making portable console systems and such. Even though people have moved on to bigger and better things I decided to try my hand at a GameCube Portable I’ve named “GameCube Proto Ver. 1”.

Since this is my first portable project I decided to keep it really simple so no trimming of the Motherboard, OEM power regulator along with finding as many inventive ways as possible to reuse OEM parts. I have a TON of physical games I want to play sitting on my entertainment center, (and due to the fact I haven’t been able to find a good place to buy a DD Replacement) I figured I would keep the original DD in the machine.

My motivation, (other than just the love of puzzles, electronics and makings things small) is the fact that as a musician with a fulltime job and a husband/father so I don’t have a lot of time to just sit and enjoy games anymore. When I am home and want to play I don’t want to be stuck in my music studio, (where I have all my gaming systems stashed) and stay locked away from my family. With a good portable/semi-portable I can at least be with my family, (while my son watches cartoons or my wife watches soaps) play a few games and any help needed from me is just a Pause Button away.

Thus the real reason why I am keeping as much OEM as possible, so it’s not so time consuming to build my first basic portable/semi-portable. I already have plans and some parts for a second GCp, something to take more time/liberties with, (Mother Board trimming, custom power regulators, possible DD replacement if I can find one, etc.) and make it smaller. After that the sky is the limit!!

Sorry, I’ve went on a lot longer that I intended but I do want to say thanks to everyone here on the BitBuilt forums along with the all the great posts from GC-Forever, ModRetro, BenHeck and all the other great forums out there, (along with Google for getting me to the right places, lol).

It's not going to be the most beautiful thing but so far I haven't fried anything so that's a plus. Any suggestions anyone has feel free to let me know!! :)
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And so it Starts...

So I guess since I started this back on June 15th I will have to post quite a few "along the way" pictures... hopefully that's ok to do. I can say that I've been having a blast doing this project and so far I totally agree with Ashen on one point... case work is a pain, lol!!

And so it starts... getting all the pieces in place. I know a lot of you don't care for the PSOne Screen and after getting some nicer one's off eBay for other projects I can see why. Too bad I didn't find that out until later, lol!! I plan on making a much smaller GameCube Proto, (Maybe a "ProtoCube") using some nicer parts though so I figured this would be a good starting point. :)


Everything taken apart, removed some useless ports, (although I'm still thinking of adding a GBA Player since I have a big case... you'll see later ;)) and installing the built in memory card. :D


Starting to cut up the plastic parts and getting them ready to meld them together into one unit!!


And the first look at the face of the beast!! I actually didn't mean to place the start button on the left hand side but figured I would just roll with it, (didn't realize I was cutting upside down). It's not too bad and I can always move it before paint if it gets annoying.


I have more pictures that I will post in a bit to get my post up to speed. :D
 
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Here I have all the controls epoxied into place and I started trying to wrangle all the wiring into a nicer looking and as short as possible path. I added some more structure to the later that I still need to take a picture of but this is where it began. :)


Scary enough I bought two original OEM Nintendo controllers off eBay for like $30 and the "C" stick on one didn't work, (to which the seller gave me $10 back for). When I opened the controller up where you see the board split in half was actually, well... where it cracked in half making the "C" stick not work. Lucky "Break", (sorry, pun totally intended) for me... made my job a lot more simple.

A special shout out to the portable God that is Ashen for the awesome pinout locations to get this puppy wired up correctly, tedious but a lot of fun personally!!



Sticking with the theme of simple for my first project I went with the OEM power regulator and a TON of wiring, (one 18AWG for each connection... I know, over kill but just to be safe) and using the OEM shielding. I plan on trying my hand at Zenloc's Custom Power regulators once I've got a good list of the best parts to order. If anyone has a list already and don't mind sharing I would be grateful, there are a couple of variations on which regs to use but not sure of what tested out to be the best and most efficient.

A special shout to Kasar and everyone that helped write his Portable GameCube Guide!!




Finally starting to put all the pieces into the Lexan acrylic "Made by Hand" case. Everything went pretty smoothly getting everything to fit into place, it was working with and cutting the acrylic that SUCKED!! I knew it was going to be big with using OEM parts and the OEM fan so I decided a custom case would work best. It has been an interesting experience let me tell ya... the dust get EVERYWHERE. Note: Eye protection and a dust mask were a must for this. :)




That's all for now but one more post with pictures should bring it up to speed and show how everything has worked out so far. There have been many redesigns on the case over the time I've been building it due to one thing or another but I think I have the final "look" down. Hopefully it will come out as nice as it is in my head... if not, at least it is comfortable, albeit a bit heavy, to play!! :)
 
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Ok, here is the last post to bring everything up to speed as it sits today. :)

The "Alpha" Stage:
Ok, so the original plan had everything planned to be set into the case 180 degrees from how it ended up. This is so that the disc drive would fit under the "disc" sized PSOne screen but it just didn't work out that way. It was originally set to be totally squared off but I ditched that for the 45 degree angles and eventually completely rounded, (last two pics).

Like I said, a lot of changes went on as I worked around the OEM parts I used. Almost everything on this is modular and designed to come apart if repairs are needed and that was what made it so tricky. If something were to fail I could open it up, connect a standard controller and AV hookup to it to backup memory card data or just play it. This is the reason that it has all the extra wiring hanging out of it on the sides, testing and tweaking to make sure it is comfortable and working properly. :)

Anyway, the case is made from an .093in thick acrylic sheet with wooden supports and a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I plan on covering all the holes that aren't used to open the case with filler, sanding it down and painting it smooth. Just extra support to make the case more ridged. Please don't be too harsh, it is my first portable after all, lol!! :D

Top:


Bottom Edge: (Air Intake)


Left Side Edge:


Top Edge: (Air Exhaust w/ OEM Fan)


Right Side Edge:


Back:

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Beta Stage:

Here are the last two pics that will bring the project to it's current state. Here I have finalized most of the wiring, curved the sides and used my heat gun to shape the sides. Now is time to finalize switch positions, finish the Top and Bottom edges for air venting, sand/patch holes, finish the disc drive cover, smooth out the bumps and burses and paint it up!! :D

The one thing that I'm trying to figure out is the best way to have the case open up to get to the inside. I could leave the screws on the top face exposed so only the top comes off but I'm leaning toward physically cutting the case in half, sealing all the screws and making it "Clam Shell" open with screws holding it together on the sides. I think that the second option would give it a cleaner look and an easier way to work on anything if something breaks. :)

Current Status as of 09/2016:



Let me know what you guys think or if there are any ideas so far. I'm open to suggestions on anything and constructive criticism. :)
 

ShockSlayer

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I like all the screws. Are you going to paint it?
 
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Thanks!! Yeah, I'm actually planning to cut the case in half, (got everything taken apart now), cover all the screw holes and then have it clamshell open. Since it's all hand made that was the best way I figured to go. I'm hoping to get a vacuum former built soon... or have my buddy that does custom plastic work and engraving make me a case for my next project. :)

Once all the imperfections and screw holes have been filled in I plan on painting it... thinking about going with as close to the original GC Purple as possible with a satin or Simi gloss paint. Hoping that will come out looking good, lol!! :D
 
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Looking back I guess I could have used some Hex screws, that would've looked pretty sweet but killer on the hands while playing. :)

Got the controller wiring managed a bit better, here is a pic of the back of the top.


Since I plugged the better screen into the external A/V out and played with both side by side I think I'm going to take this PSOne screen out and swap it for the cheaper, better one looking eBay screen. I hate it since it will be a lot more case work but... I just looks soooo much better!! Save this PSOne screen for my PSOne portable that I have on the list to do. :)

Also, been building the disc drive cover. Got the supports done but waiting on the Lexan to get here to finish it up. Doesn't look like much but should come out looking ok if it turns out like it looks in my head... only time will tell, lol!!


If anyone has any opinions on swapping out the PSOne screen for the one from eBay let me know. I just think it might be better suited for a PSOne portable since the resolution matches... and I won't be playing the PSOne as much. :)
 
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Do you think I should keep some of the screws open SS? Originally I was going to leave the case where the bottom and sides would be one piece and then the top would just unscrew to take it apart. I redesigned it because I wasn't sure how the screws on the top would look and hold up under sweaty hands. They are stainless steel though...
 

cheese

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It'll probably be easiest to get at the stuff inside if you leave the screws open, or you could opt for having the screws recessed and then glue a cover on top to hide them.
 
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That philosophy by Ben Heck is actually what inspired the design. Everything can be taken out/replaced with pretty much OEM parts for the most part... didn't want to get too crazy with my first build. :)

The full plan I came up with was to cut the case in half around the edges so the top and bottom would clamshell wide open for full access to everything. Cover all the current screw holes that are there now and make plastic supports on the inside that would screw together to keep the two halves closed unless it needed to be opened up. Basically all the screws except the ones to open the case would be covered giving it a more streamline look... at least in my head, lol!!

Hopefully that explanation makes more since... I really should draw the plans and everything up but have been kinda winging it due to ever changing design of the case due to the internal parts/comfort. I plan on being more organized with my next project now that I got a feel for it. :)
 

Noah

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I think benheck once said something about building something that you can take apart again.
nah hang on let me just use JB weld to close my case since I can't get it to shut just right lmao @tchay oh wait he's not here LOL

On topic things look pretty good so far @MiseriesChild and I can't wait to see how this one ends up!
 
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LOL!! Just a ton of JB Weld on the outside and 6lbs of hot glue covering everything on the inside!! :XD:

Thanks man!! It's bigger than most but it's been a really fun build and a great learning experience. Still thinking about adding in a GBA player board since the case is so big... would have to find the pin outs for the serial ports though... :)
 
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Well, after really thinking about how my case and controller is designed I found that I won't be able to cut the case in half and have it "Clamshell" open. With how I mounted the triggers I have to have access from the top to get to the screws that remove the internal parts of the triggers. Not a really big deal, just glad I realized this before I did all the cutting... thus why I tend to intensely analyze each detail before making big decisions, (I.E. I tend to over think things WAY too much sometimes, but it worked in my favor this time).

EDIT:
I did over think the above statement, (as usual) so I should still be able to "Clamshell" my case as originally intended and have access to remove the triggers...

I also decided to use the better quality screen so I have ripped the PSOne screen out of the case, (use that later on my PSOne Portable). Got all the stuff to build a custom audio amp but I do have a general case question.
I'm sure everyone has a different way of doing this but; what is the best way to hold the LCD and Driver board in the case so that it doesn't come loose but would still be removable? I've tried doing a search on the forum but can't seem to find the right search terms to find the answer. If there is a better place to put that question let me know and I will repost it there.

EDIT: Posted below about the move away from the PSOne screen and the LCD mounting question was answered most awesomely by the great and all powerful ShockSlayer here:

https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/case-question-lcd-screen-mounting.666/
 
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Funny enough, I searched forever and all over but couldn't find a DD replacement while planning and getting this far. Now that I have the case and the full design pretty much done I ended up purchasing a lot of stuff from a fellow modder that included 2 WiiKey's and 2 WASPs... Never fails.

I haven't been able to test them yet, (not even 100% how they really work software wise but still researching it) but figured since I planned on building a smaller GCp I would go the with a WiiKey or WASP for that one. I just hated to keep making changes to this one and never actually finish it since there are thinner and lighter pastures ahead, lol!! :D

That and I'm waiting on my GCVideo from BadAssConsoles to get here along with planning out the case for the next one. :)
 
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Well, I actually did suck it up this weekend and "ripped" the PSOne screen out and worked on replacing it with a 5 inch TFT that I got off eBay awhile back. I have everything mounted and epoxied into spot so just got to finish wiring it all up to make it concreate. I ended up making the decision after hooking them up side by side, playing a couple different games and it was a no brainer, lol!!:D

The audio was one of the down sides to losing the PSOne screen. I have small some portable audio stereo amps from Amazon, (Mini 2 x 3W 4ohm PAM8803 Class D Audio Power Amplifier Board 3W+3W) along with stereo 3.5mm headphone jacks from eBay to wire up but am missing speakers, (still waiting on those from China). In the meantime I found a really nice portable speaker setup on Amazon for like $10 that sounds awesome and has separate volume controls so I have ripped it apart and am working on mounting it now... Pics to follow.

I haven't had time so sit down and wire up one of the headphone jacks yet but I will be here soon. I've finally found a semi-decent wiring diagram for the jacks and once I work out all the bugs I will be making a one of my own that I don't mind sharing if anyone needs it after I'm done, (unless someone already has one they'd like to share). :)
 
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cheese

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The story of a portablizer


Sure! We would love to have a diagram that we can reference/link to in the future
This is too true... seems like everyone is always waiting on something from somewhere half way round the world, lol!! And cool!! I will post it up when I get it all mapped out. :)

It's been pretty crazy with band practice to get ready for our show in November and our almost 2 year old starting to get in the "tantrum" phase it has been an... interesting few weeks to say the least. Keep forgetting to take pics but hope to have some more up soon. :)
 
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Well, I finally got everything cut, filed shaped, fit and glued into spot so here is the new face of my "little" GameCube Proto Ver.1:

... Don't know... looks kinda bland now, LOL!! Got to figure out something to do with all that empty space around the bottom that used to be filled with screen bezel from the PSOne screen. Some kind of design, logo or something... or maybe I just got to get used to it. I have been staring at it with the PSOne screen since day one so I guess anything else would look a bit off to me. Still a lot of filling, shaping and sanding to do though. :)

And for the sound system...

Since I have so much room in the case I'm not sure if I want to go with just the salvaged laptop speakers on the left which sound pretty good on their own or add in the mini subs in the middle for some extra low end... I am a music freak after all. :D

Since I switched screens I was able to remove the 12v to 8v step down converter & fan which opened up a ton of space inside. I would love to go with batteries but with all the stock OEM components and regulator along with the size of the actual case itself I think it would cost a ton of $$, rewiring time and weight... :\.

Still thinking about an external battery pack though, something I could use for multiple purposes around the house, (especially around hurricane season). What do you guys think?
 

cheese

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(especially around hurricane season). What do you guys think?
Hurricane season is great if you don't have anything to do (or if you want to get out of doing something lmao)

But for real, you could probably do some cool stuff with a universal battery pack that you can take between different items you've modded a connector onto. Also, you could try to mount the laptop speakers into the center area and have the larger speakers on the outer edge.
 
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