Question Noob here, looking for some forums that can get me started on wii portables.

[Timo43]

Hey! So I checked out the wii trimming guide and have a general idea of how to make a wii portable (looked at a work log) but some forums about the specifics of certain parts of the process (mainly wiring and where everything connects to) would be useful as I have very little electronic experience. I’ve looked around BitBuilt some but I couldn’t find any. Does anyone have some forums that could help? Also, if you have made a wii portable, about how much should I expect it to cost? (Ballpark, I know it might vary massively) Finally, are PMS board and GC+ board needed? Is there a way to make a portable without them? Sorry for the newbie questions, and thanks for reading/answering this!

 

[wudopecker]

https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/the-definitive-wii-trimming-guide.198/ this pretty much contains all the information of where all the wires go to so not sure what kind of different forum you are looking for.

As for costs it depends on what you already have / are willing to spend i would say. do you already have a soldering iron and what not?
https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/portablizing-bom.367/ the bitbuilt BOM has some stuff listed so you can ballpark it a little. Still working on my portable but i think i spend around 300+ euros already but had to get a new iron too.

You could technically use PTH's instead of the PMS but the PMS seems to be to easier and go to way.

 

[Timo43]

https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/the-definitive-wii-trimming-guide.198/ this pretty much contains all the information of where all the wires go to so not sure what kind of different forum you are looking for.

As for costs it depends on what you already have / are willing to spend i would say. do you already have a soldering iron and what not?
https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/portablizing-bom.367/ the bitbuilt BOM has some stuff listed so you can ballpark it a little. Still working on my portable but i think i spend around 300+ euros already but had to get a new iron too.

You could technically use PTH's instead of the PMS but the PMS seems to be to easier and go to way.

Thank you! I, being a curious fellow, went to the 6 layer expansion, since I have a 6 layer, after only looking over the general trim. I completely overlooked the rest of the guide.
I also don’t really want to buy a $65 part for some features that I don’t need and PTH doesn’t seem too hard so I am probably going to go with that.

 

[jefflongo]

Keep in mind, the PMS contains a battery management system. So you will need to find a solution for that if you decide to go with the PTH regulators. In addition, a 6 layer board will have around half the battery life and produce around twice as much heat compared to a 4 layer, so they are not really recommended for a portable.

 

[Timo43]

I do have a BMS picked out here (https://www.amazon.com/Anmbest-Enha...ection+board&qid=1575756173&sr=8-7&th=1&psc=1 charging and playing isn’t a big deal to me so I’m just using a BMS) and I might get a 4 layer wii since I do plan to use this portable but I probably won’t use it for more than an hour at a time. So yeah, not sure on that. Thanks for the reply though! I really appreciate all comments.

 

[jefflongo]

That bms is intended for use with a 4s pack. If you intend to use pth regulars you will need a bms designed for a 2s pack.

EDIT: a popular option: https://www.ebay.com/itm/311721987212

 

[wudopecker]

The pms is also a good option to save space inside your portable as the bms is smaller than the red board jefflongo linked.

Do keep in mind tho that you also need some resistors and capacitors for the PTH but it's indeed a little cheaper than a PMS, woudnt say it's worth it tho

 

[Timo43]

That bms is intended for use with a 4s pack. If you intend to use pth regulars you will need a bms designed for a 2s pack.

EDIT: a popular option: https://www.ebay.com/itm/311721987212

Wow! Thanks! That would’ve been bad if I had missed that! Thought I was making a 4s1p for some reason.

 

[Timo43]

The pms is also a good option to save space inside your portable as the bms is smaller than the red board jefflongo linked.

Do keep in mind tho that you also need some resistors and capacitors for the PTH but it's indeed a little cheaper than a PMS, woudnt say it's worth it tho

What are the capacitors used in? I thought it was just 1v, 1.15v, 3.3v, and 5v regulators. Edit: and 1.5v

 

[jefflongo]

The pth regulators require a feedback resistor to set the voltage and output capacitors to clean the output

 

[Timo43]

The pth regulators require a feedback resistor to set the voltage and output capacitors to clean the output

Thanks!

 

[Stitches]

Thanks!

Custom regulators, an explanation and guide | BitBuilt - Giving Life to Old Consoles This thread has the info you need if you're set on using PTH regs