NESRGB board available now

[mvsfan]

take the caps off of the nesrgb that way you can use any snes cable or even replace the cable if it goes bad without having to remove parts from each one.

[sazyario]

I'll be charging $375 out the door.

Uhh that's a bit steep don't you think?

These are my out of pocket costs

$75 US Top Loader
$95 NESRGB Board
$8 Cap Kit + Rectifier + 7805
$45 3D Printed MultiOut
$25 retro_console_accesories SNES Scart Cable
= $248

So, I guess I am charging a bit much.
I can drop it to $325. That's shipped.
----
Jason quoted me "$275-$300" for a fully modded unit using his Sega Genesis Model 2 connector. This was at the end of January. He also doesn't supply a Scart cord either. (I looked into commissioning Jason due to my lack of free time.)

[sazyario]

200 connections? Desoldering and socketing it takes about a good 20 minutes taking your time with the right tools. Aside from the overpriced 3D printed mutli av out, all the other items he's replaced don't cost a lot nor do they take a long time to install. The bridge rectifier is less than a dollar, and takes about a minute to desolder the old one and place the new one in. There's very few aluninum caps on the board as well. It's just a creative way to make a long list to justify a steep price.

More power to him if someone buys it, I remember fools paying $400 for RGB NES's with arcade PPU's. But trying to justify the price by saying its a lot of work is silly. The entire install is about an hour job when taking your time, and those parts replaced are all under $1.

Yea, because a top loader, nesrgb kit, 3d printed panel and scart cable are SOOoOoOoOoOo cheap >.>

[ApolloBoy]

Can anyone comment on using a SCART cable with 220uF caps with this NES mod? I've been told that since the RGB board already has the filtering caps in it that you need a cable without them. I was going to use the same cable I use with my SNES and N64, but now I'm wondering if that's not a good idea.

Take the caps off the nesrgb board, or off the cable.

I actually didn't take the caps off my top loader's NESRGB (mainly because I'm out of desoldering braid) and so far I haven't noticed any issues. I can imagine it would cause a problem with certain setups though.

[Pasky]

200 connections? Desoldering and socketing it takes about a good 20 minutes taking your time with the right tools. Aside from the overpriced 3D printed mutli av out, all the other items he's replaced don't cost a lot nor do they take a long time to install. The bridge rectifier is less than a dollar, and takes about a minute to desolder the old one and place the new one in. There's very few aluninum caps on the board as well. It's just a creative way to make a long list to justify a steep price.

More power to him if someone buys it, I remember fools paying $400 for RGB NES's with arcade PPU's. But trying to justify the price by saying its a lot of work is silly. The entire install is about an hour job when taking your time, and those parts replaced are all under $1.

Yea, because a top loader, nesrgb kit, 3d printed panel and scart cable are SOOoOoOoOoOo cheap >.>

Where did I imply that? I already mentioned the multi av out is expensive, so I guess you just lack reading comprehension. Most people here charge within the range of $40-$60 for an installation.

I actually didn't take the caps off my top loader's NESRGB (mainly because I'm out of desoldering braid) and so far I haven't noticed any issues. I can imagine it would cause a problem with certain setups though.

If the caps are already in the cable, there's no harm in taking the video output caps off the NESRGB since it's redundant, assuming he continues to use that cable for his NES RGB. There'd be more problems with taking the caps out of the cable, because then it wouldn't work with his Genesis or SNES. But the choice is his, either one will solve the issue

As far as removing them, you don't need solder braid, you can simply apply some heat to the side of the tant caps and lift them gently with tweezers.

[mickcris]

I'll be charging $375 out the door.

Uhh that's a bit steep don't you think?

These are my out of pocket costs

$75 US Top Loader
$95 NESRGB Board
$8 Cap Kit + Rectifier + 7805
$45 3D Printed MultiOut
$25 retro_console_accesories SNES Scart Cable
= $248

So, I guess I am charging a bit much.
I can drop it to $325. That's shipped.
----
Jason quoted me "$275-$300" for a fully modded unit using his Sega Genesis Model 2 connector. This was at the end of January. He also doesn't supply a Scart cord either. (I looked into commissioning Jason due to my lack of free time.)

If you are going to list it on ebay, I would just shoot for your original number of $375 or so. I wouldn't drop your price just cause someone on here said it was too much (they aren't the person that is going to be buying it). There was a front loader that sold with a scart cord included for $400 last month. You can always drop the price if it doesn't sell.

[game-tech.us]

Can anyone comment on using a SCART cable with 220uF caps with this NES mod? I've been told that since the RGB board already has the filtering caps in it that you need a cable without them. I was going to use the same cable I use with my SNES and N64, but now I'm wondering if that's not a good idea.

Take the caps off the nesrgb board, or off the cable.

I actually didn't take the caps off my top loader's NESRGB (mainly because I'm out of desoldering braid) and so far I haven't noticed any issues. I can imagine it would cause a problem with certain setups though.

I haven't had any problems leaving them in yet, but if you take them out Tim's scart cord won't work.

[sazyario]

If you are going to list it on ebay, I would just shoot for your original number of $375 or so. I wouldn't drop your price just cause someone on here said it was too much (they aren't the person that is going to be buying it). There was a front loader that sold with a scart cord included for $400 last month. You can always drop the price if it doesn't sell.

If I can't sell it here or on NintendoAge then yes, it'll go on eBay higher than the price here. eBay fees are getting crazy high.

[sean49938]

If you are going to list it on ebay, I would just shoot for your original number of $375 or so. I wouldn't drop your price just cause someone on here said it was too much (they aren't the person that is going to be buying it). There was a front loader that sold with a scart cord included for $400 last month. You can always drop the price if it doesn't sell.

If I can't sell it here or on NintendoAge then yes, it'll go on eBay higher than the price here. eBay fees are getting crazy high.

Price it for whatever you think is fair... It's great that people offer advice in these threads, but sometimes it's not great advice. Saying that this install takes an hour implies that if one were to make this their full-time job that they could hammer out 40 of these installs in a standard work week (and that's ridiculous!). The only tool that is going to allow one to accomplish that is slave labor. There's alot of time associated with these installs other than the time one is actually holding a soldering/desoldering iron in hand. There is nothing wrong with expecting some compensation for saving somebody else the leg work involved and assuring that they will receive a console that is working right from the start.

[sazyario]

If you are going to list it on ebay, I would just shoot for your original number of $375 or so. I wouldn't drop your price just cause someone on here said it was too much (they aren't the person that is going to be buying it). There was a front loader that sold with a scart cord included for $400 last month. You can always drop the price if it doesn't sell.

If I can't sell it here or on NintendoAge then yes, it'll go on eBay higher than the price here. eBay fees are getting crazy high.

Price it for whatever you think is fair... It's great that people offer advice in these threads, but sometimes it's not great advice. Saying that this install takes an hour implies that if one were to make this their full-time job that they could hammer out 40 of these installs in a standard work week (and that's ridiculous!). The only tool that is going to allow one to accomplish that is slave labor. There's alot of time associated with these installs other than the time one is actually holding a soldering/desoldering iron in hand. There is nothing wrong with expecting some compensation for saving somebody else the leg work involved and assuring that they will receive a console that is working right from the start.

It takes way longer than an hour depending on the tools you have.

It took me 20 minutes alone to get the ppu out. I use one of the radio shack desoldering irons.
Took another 15 to get the RF modulator off the board.
Now I'm more experience with the kit I'm sure I could assemble it in 30-45 minutes.
Then the A/V jack situation is up in the air. The 3D printed panel is the quickest.

I can't justify the cost of something like a Hakko 808. Although I am looking into either a Weller WS51 or a Hakko FX888D. Haven't made up my mind.

I don't plan on making this an income source. My goal is to offer 1 or 2 completes units a month at as low of a cost as possible. (Based on availability of kits) I mainly want to do it for fun, and for building relationships in retro communities. Maybe after I sell a few units get and get a reputation I'll take on modding 1 or 2 consoles a month also.

[Ed Oscuro]

Not to pile on here, but one of the advantages of the Hakko 808 is that thermal stress - let alone thermal shock - to the PPU and traces is much reduced. I guess the importance of this depends on whether salvaging the PPU is important to your customers or not, and even a bunch of burned-up NES boards still won't make a Hakko 808 cost-effective.

But that doesn't really seem to be the source of the problem. Realistically, your inability to buy better tools doesn't matter to prospective customers...you might find yourself in a situation where you've priced your own time out of the market, which is OK if it means valuing your time properly...but if you want to compete, you have to find some way of making it work.

Maybe I should desolder boards to ready them for NESRGBs?

[sazyario]

Not to pile on here, but one of the advantages of the Hakko 808 is that thermal stress - let alone thermal shock - to the PPU and traces is much reduced. I guess the importance of this depends on whether salvaging the PPU is important to your customers or not, and even a bunch of burned-up NES boards still won't make a Hakko 808 cost-effective.

But that doesn't really seem to be the source of the problem. Realistically, your inability to buy better tools doesn't matter to prospective customers...you might find yourself in a situation where you've priced your own time out of the market, which is OK if it means valuing your time properly...but if you want to compete, you have to find some way of making it work.

Maybe I should desolder boards to ready them for NESRGBs?

I'm not doing this for the profit. So time spent is time enjoyed.
I doubt that I'm applying that much more heat to the ppu with my shack desoldering iron that the Hakko. Yes the Hakko is a more efficient tool.

It's not my inability to pay for the Hakko 808. It's me not needing it. If I did more kits then yes, if pick one up.

[Ed Oscuro]

It's not my inability to pay for the Hakko 808. It's me not needing it.

But you were asking for a price premium on the extra time send desoldering, as I read it. Apparently not so, but I think it pays to be careful about that because it gives people the perception you're not as price competitive.

Just to be clear, I am on your side about the overall cost of parts limiting price flexibility...don't really know how you can price it lower than it costs!

The Hakko FX-888D has great reviews, it's probably the model I'll end up getting.

[ApolloBoy]

You don't necessarily need an 808, I use a cheap Aoyue 474A for desoldering stuff and it gets the job done just fine.

[sazyario]

It's not my inability to pay for the Hakko 808. It's me not needing it.

But you were asking for a price premium on the extra time send desoldering, as I read it. Apparently not so, but I think it pays to be careful about that because it gives people the perception you're not as price competitive.

Just to be clear, I am on your side about the overall cost of parts limiting price flexibility...don't really know how you can price it lower than it costs!

The Hakko FX-888D has great reviews, it's probably the model I'll end up getting.

Where did I say I was asking for a price premium for desoldering anywhere?
Please don't put words in my mouth. I merely stated how long I spent desoldering.
Heck, half of that time is me flowing a dab of fresh solder on all the pins to make the desoldering iron's work easier.

My price premium would be on eBay, who takes a minimum of 10% of your sale, plus paypal who takes another 4-5%.

How am I not price competitive at $325?
Sure, I could NOT include a scart cable and drop $25 from the overall price tag.
Bring your own cable?

I'm leaning towards the Hakko FX-888D. Just need to spend a few minutes to find out what tip set it uses. I want a fine chisel tip instead of the standard straight pointed tip. The only real reason why I was considering the Weller WS51 is that I've used it a few times at Client sites.

[TheRetromancer]

I've been a dedicated solder monkey for the past six years or so, and I have some damn good equipment. Nothing definitive yet, but I might be interested in doing front loaders, top loaders, and AV Famis (I've done my own AV Fami, and love it to death now). I've modified just about every system I own - NES, SNES, N64, Saturn, Game Gear, 2600, PS2...

I've also been having a wonderful time making repro SNES and NES games (nothing like playing Star Ocean on a real cart!). Again, I'm not promising anything right now, but it is something to consider.

[Ed Oscuro]

Where did I say I was asking for a price premium for desoldering anywhere?
Please don't put words in my mouth. I merely stated how long I spent desoldering.

How am I not price competitive at $325?

I don't know, ask somebody else? Speaking of putting words in peoples' mouths...The point is merely that it's worth thinking about how that looks. "As I read it" means that it gave a certain perception. Clarifying it is good, but please don't misunderstand what I'm saying here. Your response was about how long it took you to desolder, coming right after a post suggesting you price things as you want - which is OK, really, but not going to shush the people who brought the price concerns in the first place. That's unfortunate because you were sharing some good information about your workflow, I know.

I'm leaning towards the Hakko FX-888D. Just need to spend a few minutes to find out what tip set it uses. I want a fine chisel tip instead of the standard straight pointed tip.

The Hakko series all (?) have replaceable tips, and the FX-888D is no exception:

http://www.hakko.com/english/products/h ... productNav

[eightbitminiboss]

The Hakko FX-888D is a solid iron. Worth picking up, and it does go on sale every once in a while. It comes stock with a 1.6mm chisel tip.

[Zer0-2k11]

You don't necessarily need an 808, I use a cheap Aoyue 474A for desoldering stuff and it gets the job done just fine.

I just ordered an Aoyue 474A++ from SRA solder. I have the Aoyue 968A+ hot air rework station which i use to remove Saturn and Dreamcast bios chips and it comes out flawlessly with the help of some good flux. I don't think i'd be disappointed with the Aoyue 474 variant . I have a Hakko 888 which i use for regular soldering work and also have a Hakko 808 but the 808 broke. The 808 was a great tool when it working but the vacuum pump has stopped working (I believe thats what it is..) just after about the 3rd or 4th use and i didn't like the grip to tip ratio. It might be an easy fix but i couldn't be bothered to send it into Hakko and paying shipping there and back (I live in Canada) which is costly. It's under warranty for a few more months i believe too. Hakko customer support was telling me ill have to pay duty and taxes again when shipped back on top of it. I'll have to talk to them again about it but not very pleased as i already paid taxes when i imported it.

[sazyario]

I know the Hakko has removable tips.
I needed to find what series of tips it uses. It's t18. Now I need to look at all the offerings to find the tips I want.

[Ed Oscuro]

I know the Hakko has removable tips.
I needed to find what series of tips it uses. It's t18. Now I need to look at all the offerings to find the tips I want.

Follow the link...

[sazyario]

I know the Hakko has removable tips.
I needed to find what series of tips it uses. It's t18. Now I need to look at all the offerings to find the tips I want.

Follow the link...

Much obliged!

[Voultar]

You don't necessarily need an 808, I use a cheap Aoyue 474A for desoldering stuff and it gets the job done just fine.

The Aoyue variant is decent enough, the transformer can be a bit shoddy, but for the most part they're quite solid. I always recommend to anyone using the Aoyue, Black-Jack, or Circuit Specialists 474 equivalent to invest in Hakko filters. They'll make a profound difference in both maintenance and equipment life.

[Pasky]

Hakko is coming out with the Fr-300 this month, which is the replacement for the 808. It can use the 808 tips.

http://www.batterfly.com/shop/hakko-fr-300

[ApolloBoy]

I always recommend to anyone using the Aoyue, Black-Jack, or Circuit Specialists 474 equivalent to invest in Hakko filters. They'll make a profound difference in both maintenance and equipment life.

That's what I do as well, although I wish the tips were of higher quality. It doesn't take too long for the hole in the tip to enlarge and lose suction and unfortunately I can't find Hakko equivalents for those.

[sazyario]

Hakko is coming out with the Fr-300 this month, which is the replacement for the 808. It can use the 808 tips.

http://www.batterfly.com/shop/hakko-fr-300

Looks great.
Ill get this once it hits stateside

[Ed Oscuro]

Hakko is coming out with the Fr-300 this month, which is the replacement for the 808. It can use the 808 tips.

http://www.batterfly.com/shop/hakko-fr-300

Hah, just after I get a used 808, of course

I'm not worried about it though. "Temperature volume" control on the device better than the 808 is a real selling point, but I'm not paying $50 more for that, at least not right away.

It's apparently detailed for lead-free operation - though I didn't hear that the Hakko 808 had trouble working at higher temperatures for lead-free work.

Not sure what this means for prospective users of the 808 - should still hold its value, and of course parts aren't in short supply.

I know the Hakko has removable tips.
I needed to find what series of tips it uses. It's t18. Now I need to look at all the offerings to find the tips I want.

Follow the link...

Much obliged!

That reminds me: I would be interested to hear about your decision and usage cases, since I'll probably be getting an identical station sometime soon-ish.

[Josh128]

Having done the mod only once on a front loader, I can honestly say $375 is not "too steep" for a toploader as some have said here. You can scarcely find a vanilla toploader alone for less than $100-$120 USD. The NESRGB kit w/ SCART cable is approx $129 USD without shipping (I got mine straight from Tim).

With that you are knocking on $230 without another consideration. Granted I didnt have the proper tools, but again, I would love to see one of these "magic" 1 hour installs everyone brags about.

With that said, if you guys want to devalue your work, by all means. Also, for all this talk, if anyone has a NESRGB modded toploader they want to part with for $300 USD, let me know as I will buy it right now.

[TheRetromancer]

Having done the mod only once on a front loader, I can honestly say $375 is not "too steep" for a toploader as some have said here. You can scarcely find a vanilla toploader alone for less than $100-$120 USD. The NESRGB kit w/ SCART cable is approx $129 USD without shipping (I got mine straight from Tim).

With that you are knocking on $230 without another consideration. Granted I didnt have the proper tools, but again, I would love to see one of these "magic" 1 hour installs everyone brags about.

With that said, if you guys want to devalue your work, by all means. Also, for all this talk, if anyone has a NESRGB modded toploader they want to part with for $300 USD, let me know as I will buy it right now.

With years of soldering experience and good equipment, it took me only slightly more than an hour to do the full mod with the expansion audio circuit PLUS a three-colour LED tied on to the different Switch options on an AV Fami. It's not magic - experience really makes a difference. When I did SNES repros a couple years ago, it took me about two hours to wire up a Starfox 2 cart. Now I can bust one out in about 25 minutes, including cleanup and the label.

[coffeyrt]

My kit didn't come with a voltage regulator. I'm not sure if it was supposed to. Will this voltage regulator work: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/e ... ND/2053106 ? Will I need a heat sink attached and if so how would I go about creating this?