New here (Hi!) - Questions Re: Radio Shack & Mini SNES

HawkST · Post by **HawkST** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 2:21 pm

Firstly, Hello! Hopefully I'll be here much more often in the future!

Onto the subject matter though, I received my book the other day, and after reading heavily through pretty much all of it (I didn't read the NES or Atari parts as I never played them as a kid and have at the current time no intentions on making them portable), I have a few questions to ask.

Obviously Ben is from America, and so has leant much more toward NTSC systems rather than PAL, which is understable, but makes things slightly harder for us from the UK.

So, I have a few questions if somone can help me it would be much appreciated!

1.) I can't find a Mini SNES on eBay UK - does anyone know how different it is internally from the UK SNES - of which I have 3? (Image here)

2.) What is a good UK alternative to Radio Shack? Wikipedia tells me it has some stores in Europe but I have never seen one in the UK, is there a good alternative for it?

3.) This is coming from the newbie side in me - how easy is it to mess up these projects? I'm far from made of money, and while I am more than happy to spend some of my hard earned student loan on these, I am extremely worried about messing them up! If I am careful, and follow the instructions, do I have little or nothing to worry about?

4.) While flicking through the book, I noticed a few threads about errors in the book - are there any errors (particularly concerning the PSOne and SNES) that are potential project-ruiners? Or are they mostly spelling errors and the like?

5.) What is a good time-frame for creation of these projects, given that I am new to all of this? (I do make my own computers/laptops and such, so I'm not a complete newbie!) I am expecting to spend probably about 3-4 hours per week on this?

6.) I saw Ben's article on his XBox 360 Laptop, and it was what got me into all this (like many, I would assume?), and my aim is at some point, to create a PS2 Laptop. While I know this is a very long way off, considering all I have so far is a book, but if we were to give the book projects a difficulty rating of 2-3/10, where would a PS2 laptop stand?

7.) Anyone know if Ben has plans for a PS3 laptop? That would be damned impressive (as if he wasn't already!)

Thanks very much to all who reply to my thread, and I hope to be showing off my cool new portables in the near future!

jeroen · Post by **jeroen** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 3:37 pm

There is no pal mini snes. The motherboard is bigger. I'm using it in my portable.

btw. ps2 laptop is definitly 8/10

Rellizate · Post by **Rellizate** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:15 pm

There is a PAL minisnes actually. I got on eof gamestation cheap before. Sold it on ebay for Â£70. To answer your questions...

1)Apparently the boards are not that much bigger in a non-mini snes.

2) Maplin is good, it is what I use.

3) Well you should always be carefull, more carefull then me, just make sure you ground yourself, and only run your portable (when it isn't in its case) on a clean surface, so no solder splashes can short it out.

4) Well most of the errors are with the Hand-Built nes. I've almost finished a ps1p using the first chapter in the psone's section in the book, and I've never had any problems. Don't know about the snes though...

5) Well I've taken around 5 months to do my ps1, but I started from no knowledge at all. Consider 3 months good.

6) 6 or 7/10. Ben said it was a serious pain in the butt, and coming from Ben that means it really is hard.

7) Well I don't think so, but Ben does sometimes keep us in the dark about this kind of thing, a bit like the GCp for Jones, Ben!
:p

Hope I helped.

HawkST · Post by **HawkST** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:40 pm

Thanks for replying!

So do you think I would be better off paying more to import a Mini-SNES from America or using one of the ones I have here? (Bearing in mind I am quite limited financially)

Also, would a UK SNES fit inside the case Ben designed? Or would I have to design a case of my own?

Edit* Ben should be proud - a search on eBay.com for mini SNES has the related search 'heckendorn'

Rellizate · Post by **Rellizate** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:32 am

Well I don't think the UK snes will fit inside Ben's design without perhaps moving some stuff around. Ben designed his case to be as small as possible. So with the slightly bigger motherboard it will not fit. You could just do the same design slightly larger of course.

It depends on your confidence. If you are confident with this, I would buy a UK snes. The only problem is that you will not be able to find very much (if any) info on it. If you import a mini-snes you will have a lot info on the net and in Ben's book, but you better now mess up, or you will have to import another one...

:-/

Also, take note that the US mini-snes only plays NTSC games, so... Yeah.

HawkST · Post by **HawkST** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:48 am

Hmmm... seeing as I have 3 UK SNES's and about 50 SNES games I think I'm going to have to use a UK one.. I'll start it in about 3 weeks when I get home for easter - surely the main components on the motherboard can't be too different?

And I have been reminded recently by a good mate that one of the SNES's doesn't work anyway, so I can cut that one up and label / examine the parts, measure up the motherboard size etc. properly without fear of breaking it, before using a working one. I think that sounds like a viable option.

One more thing though, if it is possible for anyone here to post some lengths, widths etc. concerning the mini SNES for a comparision with my UK ones, that would be fantastic.

Edit* - Rellizate, you said you spent 5 months on your PS1 - if you don't mind me asking, how many hours did you spend per week (roughly) on it?

Again, thanks all for helping!

jeroen · Post by **jeroen** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:50 am

Well if your familair with electronics it shouldn't be that much of a problem. You just have to desolder some extra stuff. And bypass the controller addon board. Wich is pretty easy with the pinout. If theres an apu unit on there to you'll have to rewire it.

HawkST · Post by **HawkST** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:53 am

See, I wouldn't say I am too familiar with electronics. I know more than your average joe but that stuff you just posted seems a bit tough

I might just leave it all there and have a massive case

jeroen · Post by **jeroen** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:55 am

K. heres som tips. It's basicly the same as with the mini snes. Only some xtra things to remove ect. It should be easy to locate everything. Just search the thread for the controller board bypass. An avarage joe should be able to do it.

ShockSlayer · Post by **ShockSlayer** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:57 am

Are you going to buy one of his kits?

SS

HawkST · Post by **HawkST** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:03 pm

I have no plans to, I was thinking of cutting the case myself - is this such a bad idea?

ShockSlayer · Post by **ShockSlayer** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:04 pm

HawkST wrote:I have no plans to, I was thinking of cutting the case myself - is this such a bad idea?

Probaly not, I've heard the cases were a ripoff.

SS

Rellizate · Post by **Rellizate** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 2:03 pm

Hmm not that many hours a week. Around 1.5 per average, as I somtimes did a lot, and sometimes none.