NESRGB board available now

[Guspaz]

leonk, do you sell the NESRGB kit, or is my best bet to order it from Tim's US shop? Or do you know of any other Canadian distributor, to avoid the $10 CBSA fee on imports?

[Gered]

You know, in the last 10 years I think I've had to pay an import fee once. And, no, I don't get packages labeled as gifts or with an incorrect (low) value on the package labeling/declarations or anything like that (majority of retailers won't do that anyway). This is assuming Canada Post is doing delivery, Fedex/UPS/DHL/etc never miss import/brokerage fees. Last time I bought something from Tim (N64RGB) it arrived via Canada Post.

[Guspaz]

Hmm, I generally have terrible luck: 75+% of packages over $20 CAD and delivered via USPS to Canada Post get slapped with the $10 import fee and 15% GST/QST, and then delivered to the third or fourth closest post office (never the one across the street from me). Happens once or twice a year on average, so rarely only because I take pains to buy domestic, or keep US purchases under $20, or buy from somebody who does the customs clearance (like Amazon US or eBay's global shipper program).

If there's no Canadian distributor, I'd just have to take a risk, but I thought I'd ask.

BTW, did you buy that from Tim's AU shop, or his US one?

[Gered]

Oh wow, that's incredibly unlucky. Anyone I've ever talked to about this in person always has a similar story about never getting charged import fees. Not evidence of anything of course being all anecdotal, but anyway.

I ordered from his AU shop, about a year ago now. I'm sure leonk has a much larger sample size to draw on for ordering from Tim though and how often there are import fees involved.

[leonk]

leonk, do you sell the NESRGB kit, or is my best bet to order it from Tim's US shop? Or do you know of any other Canadian distributor, to avoid the $10 CBSA fee on imports?

Todd (USA seller) is a good guy. I get my kits from him.

About the import fee. WOW. Canada Post must really have raped you good!!! I get on average about 30 packages per week from customers from all over the world. Some mark item value @ $10 / GIFT as I suggest, but most mark $100, $200 .. etc. In the past 12 months, I had to pay customs only 2 times! That's 2 times on THOUSANDS of dollars declared (1 of them was DHL from China - $200USD worth of EPROM chips)

Who did you piss off at Canada Post!??

[leonk]

I ordered from his AU shop, about a year ago now. I'm sure leonk has a much larger sample size to draw on for ordering from Tim though and how often there are import fees involved.

I avoid buying from Tim as much as I can. Canada Post has become as reliable as the Russian mail system (As Tim mildly put it). A couple years ago, I would get stuff from him in 2 weeks. Now it's up to 5 weeks. My last AV-Driver order was LOST!!! Tim was kind enough to send a replacement (it arrived today.. 4 weeks later!)

In February, my regular IC shipment from China was shipped via Air Mail. I posted pictures on FB as proof of how HORRIBLE the postal service has become. It took 8 weeks for the package to arrive via AIR MAIL!!! The package clearly shows that it was shipped 8 weeks earlier!!!

That's why I only order from USA or China (DHL) and pay the extra fee.

[Guspaz]

Man, I wish I knew. Even more mind boggling than the customs fee is where they deliver my package. I literally live across the street from a post office, but they don't deliver packages to that one, or the next closest one, or the next closest one after that... But to the fourth closest one...

I get that the packages really just end up wherever the last post office in the truck's route is, but in my particular case, it's taken to a bit of an extreme.

For the customs duties, maybe it's just the case of bad luck from a small sample set: as I said, only one or two packages fall into that category per year, because I try to avoid the scenario in the first place, so it doesn't take many instances getting hit with customs to make a high percentage. Anyhow, at least I've never had a package lost in the mail, as far as I know.

I'll grab the kit from the US seller, then. Is it intended, though, that when I try to buy the US kit, it wants to charge me the $26 shipping for Australia Post? It automatically selects that shipping no matter what I do. I would have thought it would be cheaper to ship US->CAN than AUS->CAN.

[system11]

I have altered the thread, pray I don't alter it any further.

[leonk]

FYI .. in case anyone doesn't follow the buy/sell forum here, I posted my spare NES IGR PCB's for sale at cost. It's a great add-on for front loader and top loader installs.

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=57308

[Ripthorn]

Can anyone tell the best option to use the famicom expansion audio on a Top Loader NES + NESRGB?

[leonk]

Can anyone tell the best option to use the famicom expansion audio on a Top Loader NES + NESRGB?

Tim posted schematics a few pages back on what he suggests (to have best cart + Everdrive support). Personally, I'm not a fan of EXP audio support on Everdrive/Powerpak and only play EXP audio on original famicom carts. So here's how I will do it:

- EXP6 / pin 54 on connector is the output from cart for expanded audio
- this pin does not exist on top loader! But pin 51 / EXP9 does and isn't used
- install 47k ohm resistor on EXP input on NESRGB
- run a wire from pin 51 to this resistor
- modify your 60 to 72 pin converter - add wire from pin 54 to pin 51

Done!

[Guspaz]

Link to the schematics post:

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 5#p1115605

[Ripthorn]

Can anyone tell the best option to use the famicom expansion audio on a Top Loader NES + NESRGB?

Tim posted schematics a few pages back on what he suggests (to have best cart + Everdrive support). Personally, I'm not a fan of EXP audio support on Everdrive/Powerpak and only play EXP audio on original famicom carts. So here's how I will do it:

- EXP6 / pin 54 on connector is the output from cart for expanded audio
- this pin does not exist on top loader! But pin 51 / EXP9 does and isn't used
- install 47k ohm resistor on EXP input on NESRGB
- run a wire from pin 51 to this resistor
- modify your 60 to 72 pin converter - add wire from pin 54 to pin 51

Done!

That is the ideia, I just want play my lagrange point and madara repro carts.
I saw Tim's schematics, but I did not understand too much and I thought it was only for AV Famicom and NES Front Loader.
Is 47k resistor is enough? I always see people complaining about the audio volume.
If I take this route, I have to use the NES RGB audio input and output, right? I think I'm blind but I've never seen instructions on how to do this
Also, is the EXP input is the small hole next to J5?

Link to the schematics post:

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 5#p1115605

Like I said, I did not understand Tim's schematics and I thought it was only for AV Famicom and NES Front Loader

[leonk]

My post above is what I do, and I play Lagrange point, and it sounds perfect.

Yes, you will need to do the full audio in/out. The NESRGB mixes the EXP in from that hole next to J5. 47K ohm is the correct size for real famicom carts.

[leonk]

An FYI for those of you that want to use a single SCART cable between NESRGB, SNES and N64 with an XRGB Mini.

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=57322

Some info here on how to configure the NESRGB for this.

[Ripthorn]

So, regarding the NES RGB audio input, diagram says I need to use CPU pin 1 and 2.
The question is I have to lift both pins just like the AV mod or just tap a wire on each pin?

[leonk]

So, regarding the NES RGB audio input, diagram says I need to use CPU pin 1 and 2.
The question is I have to lift both pins just like the AV mod or just tap a wire on each pin?

dont lift. just tap.

[Ripthorn]

So, regarding the NES RGB audio input, diagram says I need to use CPU pin 1 and 2.
The question is I have to lift both pins just like the AV mod or just tap a wire on each pin?

dont lift. just tap.

Thanks, that was my last question, I think I'm ready now.

[mvsfan]

easiest thing to do is to solder the 2 audio wires to the top side of the cpu. then you only need about 3 inches of wire to connect to the nesrgb.

[leonk]

easiest thing to do is to solder the 2 audio wires to the top side of the cpu. then you only need about 3 inches of wire to connect to the nesrgb.

I wouldnt do that. always think about future proofing; what happens if you ever need to remove cpu??

i always tap to tge 2 resistors that connect to pin 1/2 of CPU.

[Ripthorn]

easiest thing to do is to solder the 2 audio wires to the top side of the cpu. then you only need about 3 inches of wire to connect to the nesrgb.

I wouldnt do that. always think about future proofing; what happens if you ever need to remove cpu??

i always tap to tge 2 resistors that connect to pin 1/2 of CPU.

Well, I thought to do what mvsfan said
Can you tell where is located the two resistors?

[leonk]

Just look at the board. You can see the wires from pin 1/2 go to them. They're right next to the CPU.

[mvsfan]

right under the two audio pins. you want to attach to the end of the resistor closest to the cpu.

[jd213]

Not sure if I should post this in this thread, a PVM thread, or make a new thread, but I'll make a post here for now.

Just hooked up my NESRGB modded AV Famicom to my PVM-20L5, and all the blacks are green for some reason.




Changing the palette switch doesn't help, although the person that installed the NESRGB used the "Example 2" version, so no Garish palette for me.

The problem doesn't occur when the AV Famicom is hooked up using the same cable to a Framemeister. The problem also doesn't occur when a Super Famicom is hooked up to the PVM using the same cable.

I'm guessing the problem might be because the only way I can get RGBs signals working on my PVM is to combine the G and sync using a BNC T-adapter (see last few posts in this thread: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=45707 ). But this problem only occurs with the AV Famicom. All other systems I've hooked up to my PVM via RGB with a T-adapter work fine.

Not sure what I can do. Thankfully I discovered that my SNES "S-VHS" cable I got 25 years ago works with the NESRGB, but I would of course prefer to use RGB.

[thebeautifulones]

Not sure what I can do. Thankfully I discovered that my SNES "S-VHS" cable I got 25 years ago works with the NESRGB, but I would of course prefer to use RGB.

And you've set your monitor to RGB?

Nevermind, I see that your SFC works on your PVM via RGB.

[mvsfan]

so you have to run your sync over the green to even get a picture on that pvm? something isnt right.

IF your scart cable isnt properly grounded on each pin that needs it, your picture WILL roll like that on external sync.

The first RGB Nes (playchoice ppu and amp) I built, i got basically the same thing you are there. the picture would just roll on external sync.

It turned out that i hadnt grounded the composite video/sync ground pin in the scart port on the nes and that was the cause.

[jd213]

Yeah, it seems likely that the problem is with my breakout cable (which is actually for JP21 and not SCART since I live in Japan and have been using JP21 with consoles long before I got my PVM). But even if it's the case, I don't know why it's affecting the FC and not SFC.

I got my breakout cable from wookiewin on eBay, and he says he tested it before sending. I'm not good enough with electronics to take it apart and test all the wiring myself, though. I want to try another breakout cable, but the only other place I know that sells JP21 breakout cables is retrogamingcables.co.uk, and they haven't had the JP21 version of their breakout cable or responded to any of my e-mails for months.

[Einzelherz]

If the isolation testing points to the famicom being the only one with the problem, it's probably not the cable.

[Einzelherz]

I'm considering an Everdrive N8 but I've got a question about expansion audio. When I installed my NESRGB, I setup the audio with a 100k resistor (iirc) and it sounds great on the one cartridge I have that uses it, Just Breed. I've read in this thread that the Everdrive expansion audio volume is lower.

Will I have to choose between real carts and the flash cart for resistor size or is there a way to get them both to play well?

[mvsfan]

you need 2 different resistors and a Dpst toggle switch.

when you flip the switch, it changes which resistor the expansion audio passes through.