Questions that do not deserve a thread

[Fudoh]

Bonanza Bros isn't far from off other 24khz boards (Model 2/3 for example). It just runs slightly under 58Hz compared to 60Hz on the Model2/3 boards. Makes me wonder why the NEC is that picky ?

EDIT, oh, ok, you meant your NEC doesn't accept 24khz at all ? The cheapest way is to convert to 480i60. Alsmost all of the Extron VSC scan converters accept RGBs starting at 24khz and output 15khz 480i60 instead. Upconversion is considerably more expensive.

[Sixfortyfive]

Bonanza Bros isn't far from off other 24khz boards (Model 2/3 for example). It just runs slightly under 58Hz compared to 60Hz on the Model2/3 boards. Makes me wonder why the NEC is that picky ?

FWIW, I think that at least some Model 2 boards are also 57.5Hz. Virtual On PS2 has a 57.5/60 toggle option for that reason.

[NightSprinter]

It's not the refresh rate, Fudoh, it's the fact that my variant of the XM2960 is the digital version. The version with digital adjustments cannot accept 25KHz horizontal scan. It can officially do 15.75KHz on the low end (and unofficially 16.25), and 31.5-65KHz for the high-end spectrum. It's just the stuff between 16.25 and 31.5 that is where my problem lies.

[Fudoh]

Just look for "Extron VSC" at ebay. You should be able to find something for $50. Check on Extron's websitet to confirm that the one you see does accept 24khz. The quality is excellent. RGB 384p input, RGB 480i output.

[bobrocks95]

What are some recommended ways of dealing with corrosion on cartridge pins? And does corrosion actually eat away the metal, or does it just built up on top of it?

Also looks like the brass polish I tried using to get the game to work may have removed the gold plating on top of the pins? The bottom halves of them now appear more silver than gold...

[Ed Oscuro]

does corrosion actually eat away the metal

Sort of. It's still there, but it's changed. Corrosion is basically the formation of a new material from the base metal and something else (moisture, air, another metal - rusting vs. galvanic corrosion - these look different, and each depends on a particular combination of materials; gold doesn't corrode at all, but of course it is much more prone to wearing off than other metals). It's kind of a complicated topic, but basically just keep things dry and don't use replacement cartridge connectors of unknown metal. In consoles, I'd expect that most cartridges and connectors are paired so that there won't be galvanic corrosion, but gold was rarely used for cost-saving reasons...

Brass polishes typically work by stripping a layer of material off the top. Don't use any metal cleaners on your games, unless there is severe corrosion and the game simply won't work without a cleaning (and even then I wouldn't use brass polish, but something better suited to electrical work / a gentle abrasive). You might look into a kind of contact replenishment stuff in that case.

Busywork contact cleaning (to "make it look pretty") is worse than a waste of time. Not only does it remove material, but the formerly protective top layer of oxidized metal is now gone, so now the exposed metal will have to oxidize as well. The operating voltage of the device is enough to punch through the protective oxidation layer, so having the oxidized layer on top is no problem.

[bobrocks95]

Sort of. It's still there, but it's changed. Corrosion is basically the formation of a new material from the base metal and something else (moisture, air, another metal - rusting vs. galvanic corrosion - these look different, and each depends on a particular combination of materials; gold doesn't corrode at all, but of course it is much more prone to wearing off than other metals). It's kind of a complicated topic, but basically just keep things dry and don't use replacement cartridge connectors of unknown metal. In consoles, I'd expect that most cartridges and connectors are paired so that there won't be galvanic corrosion, but gold was rarely used for cost-saving reasons...

Brass polishes typically work by stripping a layer of material off the top. Don't use any metal cleaners on your games, unless there is severe corrosion and the game simply won't work without a cleaning (and even then I wouldn't use brass polish, but something better suited to electrical work / a gentle abrasive). You might look into a kind of contact replenishment stuff in that case.

Busywork contact cleaning (to "make it look pretty") is worse than a waste of time. Not only does it remove material, but the formerly protective top layer of oxidized metal is now gone, so now the exposed metal will have to oxidize as well. The operating voltage of the device is enough to punch through the protective oxidation layer, so having the oxidized layer on top is no problem.

Only resorted to metal polish because the game wouldn't start at all after a good cleaning with alcohol. It's a $4 copy of The Guardian Legend, so it's not the biggest loss in the world seeing as how it was non-working anyway. I'll be putting away the polish though.

I'll see if I can find some contact cleaner locally, but I was hoping to not have to buy anything to clean 3 pins on a single game. I was thinking of trying a baking soda/water paste-like mixture next, but since I've already screwed up once it'd be safer to wait and hear if it's a safe solution first.

[CkRtech]

It's a $4 copy of The Guardian Legend

<sniff>. What a fun game.

[bobrocks95]

<sniff>. What a fun game.

It's the game I was most excited to play out of all the ones I bought yesterday, and of course it was the one that didn't work

[CkRtech]

It's the game I was most excited to play out of all the ones I bought yesterday, and of course it was the one that didn't work

I should keep extra copies on hand JUST for situations like this one. Sorry about your troubles with it!

[Zets13]

As far as cleaning cartridge pins, I've had some luck using Weiman Glass Cooktop cleaner. I put some on the pins, get a Q-tip and rub the length of the pin in one direction. Then I use the dry end of the Q-tip to go back over the pins in a similar manner. After that I take some high percentage isopropyl alcohol on a Q-tip to wipe off the remaining residue.

[EmperorZelos]

I heard using an erasor works well

A question of mine
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/wordpress/wp- ... 00x333.jpg
this tool, what is it aclled again?

[blizzz]

A question of mine
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/wordpress/wp- ... 00x333.jpg
this tool, what is it aclled again?

It's called a 404 error

Edit: Found the pic, you can't hotlink apparently. Looks like tweezers to me.

[BazookaBen]

So, are there any negative side effects to running a 480p signal on a PVM for short periods of time? For example, I generally keep my Wii in 480p mode, which I play on my computer monitor, but when I want to play some Virtual Console stuff, I switch to 480i. So before I'm able to switch, I have the 480p image on my PVM, which looks like two 480i images squished onto the screen.

[cicada88]

I just ordered my first soldering station. What should I do once I get it?

[bobrocks95]

So, are there any negative side effects to running a 480p signal on a PVM for short periods of time? For example, I generally keep my Wii in 480p mode, which I play on my computer monitor, but when I want to play some Virtual Console stuff, I switch to 480i. So before I'm able to switch, I have the 480p image on my PVM, which looks like two 480i images squished onto the screen.

It's never negatively affected my consumer Trinitron. It doesn't seem that short periods of it would cause any long-term damage.

[BlackStealth08]

.

[EmperorZelos]

A question about mini-dins, I know some are square holes, some are round holes, does it matter? Do the cables work in either case or?

[Einzelherz]

A question about mini-dins, I know some are square holes, some are round holes, does it matter? Do the cables work in either case or?

I've not had problems with either, I think they're just manufacturing differences. The pins on every cable are round.

[EmperorZelos]

A question about mini-dins, I know some are square holes, some are round holes, does it matter? Do the cables work in either case or?

I've not had problems with either, I think they're just manufacturing differences. The pins on every cable are round.

Thank you!

Another questions about ICs, if a pin shall have low, aka near 0 voltage, do I need to connect it to ground or can I leave it unconnected so it always have 0V?

[DoomsDave]

I'm probably going to get laughed at for this but has anyone had any experience using a keyboard to control shmups on the Xbox 360? I know of the Max Shooter Plus, XIM and XFPS but they are all pretty pricey and was wondering if anyone has any experience using them.

[Unseen]

Another questions about ICs, if a pin shall have low, aka near 0 voltage, do I need to connect it to ground or can I leave it unconnected so it always have 0V?

No - if the data sheet (or circuit diagram) tells you to connect a pin to ground, you really should connect the pin to ground. Leaving it open (aka floating) is a completely different condition which may not result in 0V on the pin - and even if happens to do so, an unconnected input pin is a great way to inject noise into the chip, which may result in long debugging sessions because it "sometimes" doesn't work.

[okerlo]

Hello community,
I'm currently getting into PS2 gaming, I'm planning to buy a Japanese model or at least something multinorm in order to play Japanese (especially 2D Beatem ups, shmups and sega ages) games. The problem is: I've only got a mediocre Full-HD Television LG 32LW4500 and no tube TV or plasma in order to play the 480p/480i material. What would you do if you were in my situation?

Sure, there are some really nice TVs suggested in various threads in the forum, but money is an important factor, so I can't just order an PDP-V402EU for example with horrendous shipping costs.

Also: Should I go for an multinorm PS2 or buy an Japanese model? Is there any real difference?

Thanks in advance

Regards

[Xyga]

On the TV topic;

Your LG TV should handle 480i/p content well enough. Should.

I've owned an LG from the same generation but a different series (LD) and couldn't complain about quality when hooking the PS2 through component. Maybe your LW has got a different and inferior internal scaler, maybe it's almost the same, don't know...

A cheap and popular TV among gamers is the LG LN5300 (LN5400 in Europe) that's basically the successor to the LD/LK series.
http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-32 ... s=32ln5300
Available in 32",39",42".

If you have the cash (lots), go for a Sony 'W' series.
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=48662
(check the last pages for updates on models)

A new, 'better' TV will bring improvements that are mainly inherent to common display performance. Depending on the model you'll gain better contrast/black levels, better colors, lower input lag, etc. And that's it.
Ask yourself what's important to you, because you won't get tremendously better 480i/p just by spending a little (well, not even if you spend a lot) for a new set or whatever.

NB: none of the 2013/2014 have a VGA input anymore, if that's important to you.

Purchasing an external scaler will increase quality to a certain degree (depends greatly on the model) but not immensely. If that the way you want to go; be ready to spend a lot for 'a little better'.
Check the various options here: http://retrogaming.hazard-city.de/
IMHO if it's only for the PS2 it might not be worth the investment.

Of course a nice CRT in good condition is awesome, but it's hard to find now, and you'd better take your car and go check it yourself instead of buying it online. If you really want one, check the schools, universities, local gov' facilities and offices, companies stock sales, etc.

[EmperorZelos]

Another questions about ICs, if a pin shall have low, aka near 0 voltage, do I need to connect it to ground or can I leave it unconnected so it always have 0V?

No - if the data sheet (or circuit diagram) tells you to connect a pin to ground, you really should connect the pin to ground. Leaving it open (aka floating) is a completely different condition which may not result in 0V on the pin - and even if happens to do so, an unconnected input pin is a great way to inject noise into the chip, which may result in long debugging sessions because it "sometimes" doesn't work.

It doens't tell me PERSAY to ground it, there is no demand for it but I imagen there has to be components where the pin, when no current passes through them, is as good as not connected to anything at that moment nad as such can take not being connected at all

[bobrocks95]

Hello community,
I'm currently getting into PS2 gaming, I'm planning to buy a Japanese model or at least something multinorm in order to play Japanese (especially 2D Beatem ups, shmups and sega ages) games. The problem is: I've only got a mediocre Full-HD Television LG 32LW4500 and no tube TV or plasma in order to play the 480p/480i material. What would you do if you were in my situation?

Sure, there are some really nice TVs suggested in various threads in the forum, but money is an important factor, so I can't just order an PDP-V402EU for example with horrendous shipping costs.

Also: Should I go for an multinorm PS2 or buy an Japanese model? Is there any real difference?

Thanks in advance

Regards

People are throwing CRTs on the streets these days. Check Craigslist and find a good Trinitron. If you really want 480p, despite 95% of PS2 games not supporting it, try and find an EDTV plasma that's used, here in the states Panasonic ones are probably the most common.

Those are the cheap options, expensive ones would be buy a new HDTV that handles scaling better or buy an external scaler.

[BlackStealth08]

So I finally obtained all of my cables to play my SNES in RGB on my PVM. It's a dream come true!

Spoiler

The Breakout cable is not grounded or shielded so I bought an adapter to bypass the audio and it plugs into external speakers.

Spoiler

So my only question is my PVM doesn't seem to have any Audio IN for RGB. Only for Composite & S-Video. How do you get audio to the monitors built in speaker while using RGB? I am getting audio to the external speakers just fine I am just curious is all.

Spoiler

[ryu]

I'm wondering about how sync on green works with the PS2 again, kind of forgot about it.

Was it a plug and play thing when you got an RGsB compatible device where you could just use a component cable and set the PS2 to RGB? I don't remember much about this and I feel like I'm missing a lot of information here.

[Xan]

Yes, but it only works when setting a game to 480p. So RGBS for 15kHz, RGsB for 31kHz.

Also when I tried it a while ago with a generic component cable there was some nasty ghosting going on, presumably a good quality cable is needed...

[Fudoh]

The problem with using a component cable is that you don't get any picture at all in 15khz mode (with the PS2 set to RGB).