gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thread

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Taiyaki
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Taiyaki »

vraskin wrote:Unfortunately I got rid of my consumer set for space reasons when I got the PVM so I can't compare, but if the same thing was happening it was minor enough that I never noticed. Did you ever find a solution for BVM/ PVM? Thanks for mentioning the centering settings in the consoles - I hadn't considered that. Should make it easier to standardize everything. The annoying thing about all this is I can't figure out if this is something specific to my setup or if it's something people just deal with. I jut have a standard Console -> SCART -> gscartsw -> SCART-to-BNC -> PVM setup, so short of something being up with the monitor not sure what could be causing this.
Those are some strongly varying numbers. :shock:
Unfortunately I never found a solution for the varying position shifts on the BVM/PVM's and I no longer have any of them to test with. On a BVM I was able to label each console for a different channel allowing me to set the proper H shift for the system on each channel, but this isn't possible on PVM's sadly. I used to think the problem was with my gscartsw but now I'm thinking it might be with these pro monitors if the same thing is happening to you too.

These days I now only run games on consumer crt's as I prefer the image on these. I'm not as used to using RGB on them since S-video and Component works so well in providing such a pleasant picture, but I'm the process of going back to RGB again for most systems and so far I haven't experienced the same issues I had on the pro monitors. I haven't tried the PS1/2 consoles yet but otherwise as I mentioned the shift seems to be consistently to the right with all the systems (with much less variation if any).
DJ Kevgeez wrote:I'm wondering why the Sega and SNES have these black lines in the tv when the screen goes all black.
What does this look like, any picture? Black lines on an all black screen? If it's only on an all black screen this doesn't sound like much of a problem. It might be something with your tv model meaning probably not much you can do, it might be a problem with your tv as in some component could use some repair or replacement. Crt's are known to have various odd behaviors because they're analog tv's after all so it could be either way and unless you have a second tv of the same model it's hard to say.
Nosgothy
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Nosgothy »

Finally got to pick up my gscartw from the post office today. Ordered back in August last year so I was thrilled! Had to pay €31.49 euro for customs, though. :wink:

Anyone else from the Netherlands who got pwned at the airport? 8)
Dekkia
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Dekkia »

I just wrote superg a PM about this and he told me to post it here too:

Customs in Germany (and probably other EU-countries*) gets pretty annoying when importing a gscartsw.
This is mainly because it has no CE-certification sticker (or print) on it but also because it's missing a manual in the right language (or any manual at all).

Today when I went to pick up the parcel from the local customs-office they told me those things. (They also gave me shit for the power-supply)
I had to sign something for them to send it off to get it tested if it's CE-compliant. If it is I can pick it up in about a week or so.
If it's not they'll let me pick if I want them to send it back or destroy it.

I'll update you as soon as I know the outcome of the compliance-testing next Week.

*Sidenote: In my experience German customs can be extremely picky, so this might also be a german-only problem.
Dopefish
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Dopefish »

Got my Gscartsw some weeks back, and it arrived fine without any other hassle beyond the normal ones when importing packages. Paid some import toll, and it probably got delayed a week due to customs, but otherwise all cool.
Dazdigo
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Dazdigo »

Mind updating the gcompsw ETA so people don't get confused and think they missed the preorder?

This is my indirect way of asking for an update.
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superg
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by superg »

Dazdigo wrote:Mind updating the gcompsw ETA so people don't get confused and think they missed the preorder?

This is my indirect way of asking for an update.
I think it's stated clear enough in the first post.
coderkind
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by coderkind »

@superg hi. Is it possible to power both the previous gscartsw_lite and the current/latest model via the same power plug/brick, and if so, can you recommend an adapter that might split the power to do this?

I know they've different power plugs (2.1 DC jack vs MicroUSB), but it also looks like there's a voltage requirement difference between the models (7-12V vs 5V)?

Sorry for being difficult in the question, but power sockets are at a premium in my setup.
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superg
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by superg »

coderkind wrote:@superg hi. Is it possible to power both the previous gscartsw_lite and the current/latest model via the same power plug/brick, and if so, can you recommend an adapter that might split the power to do this?

I know they've different power plugs (2.1 DC jack vs MicroUSB), but it also looks like there's a voltage requirement difference between the models (7-12V vs 5V)?

Sorry for being difficult in the question, but power sockets are at a premium in my setup.
Unfortunately this is not possible. lite voltage requirement is higher.
coderkind
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by coderkind »

superg wrote:
coderkind wrote:@superg hi. Is it possible to power both the previous gscartsw_lite and the current/latest model via the same power plug/brick, and if so, can you recommend an adapter that might split the power to do this?

I know they've different power plugs (2.1 DC jack vs MicroUSB), but it also looks like there's a voltage requirement difference between the models (7-12V vs 5V)?

Sorry for being difficult in the question, but power sockets are at a premium in my setup.
Unfortunately this is not possible. lite voltage requirement is higher.
Ok, never mind, thanks once again.
Niro starship
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Niro starship »

I got my gscartw too. The parcel arrived undamaged, in excellent condition (I paid 37€ for the custom duties).

The switcher looks very good, nice robust design.

I have to say, I don't have clear sound on my CRT TV and I get a humming sound on my sony trinitron when I connect the gscartw.
And I use a good quality Packapunch EuroSCART male to male 1.5m from retrogamingcables.co.uk. I had purchased this cable back in October 2017 along with some other consoles video cables.

What SCART video cable do you guys use to get from the gscartw output? I really need a recommendation here.

Is there a manual for the gscartw that describes the jumber dip function settings or other gscartw specifications too? Is it safe to enable any of these jumbers for my consumer sony trinitron CRT TV?
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superg
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by superg »

Niro starship wrote: Is there a manual for the gscartw that describes the jumber dip function settings or other gscartw specifications too? Is it safe to enable any of these jumbers for my consumer sony trinitron CRT TV?
It's all explained on the order page (gretrostuff.com). It's safe to use it, you don't even have to turn the switch off.
Niro starship
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Niro starship »

Got it, Superg, any good quality scart recommendation to get image from gscartsw output, without hissing sounds and interferences?
DJ Kevgeez
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by DJ Kevgeez »

noir wrote:Mine showed up today and I couldn’t be more thrilled to finally replace my Bandridge switch.

I was curious what exactly dip switch 3 does. I had to turn it on for my XM29 to work with my SNES (haven’t tried other systems yet.) My XM29 has been way pickier about sync signals than my other monitors in the past. But since the Bandridge wasn’t causing sync issues before I swapped in the gscartsw, I was just curious what dipswitch 3 turns on (or off) that would cause or resolve sync problems. With dip 3 on, will I cause any issues with other monitors connected to the second output if they don’t experience sync issues when 3 is off?
Was that an Auto Bandridge you replaced?
What have you noticed that’s better besides the 3 extra ports?
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superg
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by superg »

Niro starship wrote:Got it, Superg, any good quality scart recommendation to get image from gscartsw output, without hissing sounds and interferences?
retrogamingcables or retro-access are the two manufacturers. It's not only your switch->TV cable, it's also your console cable, you're extending it to a greater length with the switch.
Niro starship
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Niro starship »

superg wrote:
Niro starship wrote:Got it, Superg, any good quality scart recommendation to get image from gscartsw output, without hissing sounds and interferences?
retrogamingcables or retro-access are the two manufacturers. It's not only your switch->TV cable, it's also your console cable, you're extending it to a greater length with the switch.

I disconnected all my consoles from the gscartsw_lite leaving only the switch -> Tv SCART cable, and it has a lot of dirty humming sound on my sony trinitron TV. I will try again with my Philips CRT this time.

I have an additional extra RGB TV SCART cable somewhere, but not adequate good quality, I will give it a try too.
Taiyaki
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Taiyaki »

Have you tried a direct connection to the tv to see if the humming goes away with that same cable?
Niro starship
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Niro starship »

^Nope, I didn't, I will try that TV cable directly on TV using a dvd player or a media player that are SCART compatible. That's what I was thinking to do in the first place. My packapunch cable was literally unused cable.
DJ Kevgeez
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by DJ Kevgeez »

I see the link to the mounting brackets on gretrostuff but i don't see where or how to buy them.
What am i missing?
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the Goat
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by the Goat »

DJ Kevgeez wrote:I see the link to the mounting brackets on gretrostuff but i don't see where or how to buy them.
What am i missing?
You can download the design files from that site. Then you print the brackets yourself. try google'ing for a Makerspace in your area.
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Heliopause Heavy Industries :: video game console repairs and modifications
DJ Kevgeez
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by DJ Kevgeez »

the Goat wrote:
DJ Kevgeez wrote:I see the link to the mounting brackets on gretrostuff but i don't see where or how to buy them.
What am i missing?
You can download the design files from that site. Then you print the brackets yourself. try google'ing for a Makerspace in your area.
Thanks.
I just put my order in for the Gscartsw and i was figuring it would look cleaner screwed to the wall instead of schlepped on the floor.
I've never even heard of a Makerspace.
Niro starship
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Niro starship »

Taiyaki wrote:Have you tried a direct connection to the tv to see if the humming goes away with that same cable?
I figured out that it was my sony trinitron tv that it was causing the humming sound noise, sorry guys, false positive. I haven't noticed so much dirty sound, until recently.
I can hear the humming sound from a very close distance only, 10cm - 20cm from the TV's speakers.
For a strange reason I get this dirty sound without plugging in any scart cable to the TV's inputs. And it appears only when I switch the TV's source to video inputs, on the TV's channels the dirty sound completely disappears.

As much as I turn the volume up the dirty sound remains at the same levels. It only disappears if I turn the volume completely down or press mute button. I can hear it coming out of both speakers.


I have too many electrical devices on the wall socket, maybe this is causing this issue? Like a ground loop or something?
Taiyaki
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Taiyaki »

You could test that by moving the tv to a different room or even better a different house if you have some friend you can bring it over too (if the tv is over 24 inch probably not a good idea). If the problem is resolved by doing this then you can look into a good power conditioner to clean the power. I've never had that issue but it's probably fixable, worst case scenario the tv has a problem and you have to find a repair person.
Niro starship
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Niro starship »

Thanks, Taiyaki, this helped a lot. :idea:
Yes, I can do this.

Both my sony trinitrons CRT TVs have that issue with humming sound. They are 21 inches, identical models and not very heavy.

I will try moving the tv to another room or better to another house and test if the sound disappears. I will look for a good power conditioner if I need to.
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crieke
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by crieke »

Just picked mine up at german customs. No issue here, after paying the fees (in total about 47 €).
Taiyaki
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Taiyaki »

Niro starship wrote:Thanks, Taiyaki, this helped a lot. :idea:
Yes, I can do this.

Both my sony trinitrons CRT TVs have that issue with humming sound. They are 21 inches, identical models and not very heavy.

I will try moving the tv to another room or better to another house and test if the sound disappears. I will look for a good power conditioner if I need to.
If two of them are doing this it certainly increases the possibility of dirty power. 21 inch is imo the optimal size for a good consumer crt. :)
Niro starship
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Niro starship »

Yes they are both identical sony crt trinitron models 21 inches: kv-21cl10e.

I will do some tests and come back again, I didn't have any free time for today, unfortunately.
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superg
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by superg »

gcompsw update: Yesterday I got new connector samples with reduced height. They are footprint compatible with what I have now!
But the samples I got have RCA colors swapped so right now I'm trying to make sure that connector manufacturer can swap colors they way I need. After the acknowledgement that this is possible potentially I can open the pre-orders.
If color swap is not possible, I will have to change gcompsw PCB according to new RCA colors (unlikely).
Stendal
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by Stendal »

superg wrote:gcompsw update: Yesterday I got new connector samples with reduced height. They are footprint compatible with what I have now!
But the samples I got have RCA colors swapped so right now I'm trying to make sure that connector manufacturer can swap colors they way I need. After the acknowledgement that this is possible potentially I can open the pre-orders.
If color swap is not possible, I will have to change gcompsw PCB according to new RCA colors (unlikely).
Can't wait to finally get one, it's gonna be a key part of my gaming setup.
fernan1234
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by fernan1234 »

Does anyone have experience chaining a gscart with a non-gscart switch? Right now I'm having to chain a gscart lite to another switch that has a sync stripper so that the gscart can work with my Extron rxi interface (since apparently the gscart's sync regeneration does not do any good at all to work with an Extron interface). But when the gscart is in the chain I've noticed faint noise waves in the picture. Perhaps the powered nature of the gscart makes it vulnerable to interference?

I don't notice this noise when the gscart is connected directly through the monitor via BNC breakout, but I need it to coexist with the Extron interface as the features of the latter are more important to me than the gscart's lovely automatic switching. I'm hoping that chaining the two switches is the problem here, and that I can solve it with a Dsub cable with an integrated sync stripper I'm receiving next week. If this doesn't work I'll sadly have to say goodbye to the gscart and go back to the other mechanical switch + Extron rxi setup.
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superg
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Re: gscartsw / gscartsw_lite / gcompsw switches support thre

Post by superg »

fernan1234 wrote:Perhaps the powered nature of the gscart makes it vulnerable to interference?
gscartsw has nothing to do with it. It's as standard as I could get it. If you get visible interference, something is wrong with your other devices.
fernan1234 wrote: I don't notice this noise when the gscart is connected directly through the monitor via BNC breakout, but I need it to coexist with the Extron interface as the features of the latter are more important to me than the gscart's lovely automatic switching. I'm hoping that chaining the two switches is the problem here, and that I can solve it with a Dsub cable with an integrated sync stripper I'm receiving next week. If this doesn't work I'll sadly have to say goodbye to the gscart and go back to the other mechanical switch + Extron rxi setup.
How do you think Dsub cable with an integrated sync stripper can help you? I just don't see any logic behind that. In my experience, the most dramatic thing the switch does is limiting RGBS voltage range to -2.5V..+2.5V (v3.4) and -5V..+5V (lite and later). If your input is up to the spec and sync regeneration is disabled, you will get on the output exactly what is on input. Can you get it on scope and post some captures?
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