GC Xeno chip install

Neodogg

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Alright, I think I've boogered up this easy mod chip install. There was a time I had a solid red LED so I went over thing again and now have a flashing red LED.
I think it's the top middle solder spot. When I had things lined up and filled the hole. Is that correct or should I have just filled one side?
Any guidance or someone wanna fix? I tried desolder but I have a crap one which didn't do much.
 

Westcb

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Alright, I think I've boogered up this easy mod chip install. There was a time I had a solid red LED so I went over thing again and now have a flashing red LED.

I think it's the top middle solder spot. When I had things lined up and filled the hole. Is that correct or should I have just filled one side?

Any guidance or someone wanna fix? I tried desolder but I have a crap one which didn't do much.



I had same problem doing the QSB method, if you can safely remove it just use kynar wire and solder it that way so you won't bridge any points. Even if you lift pads and totally fuck it you can still wire it on the top of the board with alternate points. In that case you will have to use wire.
 

HeavyMachineGoob

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This is a common problem with the XenoGC modchip mainly because flux can get sandwiched between the XenoGC PCB and the Gamecube DVD drive PCB, causing bridging problems. The best way to install is to set the modchip on a solid green section of the drive PCB and use wires. You may want to use tape or glue so the XenoGC doesn't touch the RF shielding.

Solid red or flashing red LED means the chip isn't working properly. You should get a red LED (maybe one or two slow blinks), then it turns off and the green LED turns on. That means the XenoGC chip has successfully injected the patching code.
 

Neodogg

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Where's this diagram for the other side wire spots?
 

HeavyMachineGoob

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What do you mean? Is this about if you rip up any solder pads when removing the XenoGC? He just meant look at the board and follow the traces to any other nearby solder points, or just scrape the green anti-corrosion coating if there's enough trace to do that.
 

Westcb

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Yes that's what I was referring to it's on the top of the board (other side). I was able to get it off the first time, tried QSB again same result. I had a spare GC in the closet so I just pulled that drive and used that one as the first cube was a pal cube. The NTSC drives are compatible in case that was related to your situation. When I tried again using kynar wire I could see each connection and after I tested it I went back and put a dot of glue over each connection and black electrical tape over the chip so it wouldn't ground to anything. Initially I didn't have any kynar wire so I tried using cat 5 cables that I stripped but using that super small kynar wire was so much easier and looks much cleaner as I could bend the wires where I wanted them and didn't have a rats nest of cables coming off that tiny chip. Luckily the drive even with lifted pads will read your games fine so i didn't bother with the alt method for that reason as I had a fresh one to use but if you only have one cube that method worked good for a buddy of mine.
Also not a big deal but on some of these chips instead of flowing green it glows orange when it's working properly but on all the chips red is bad if it it doesn't change.
 

Neodogg

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gave it one more try...and it worked! I'm getting too old for these small ass solder points. Excuse the hot glue also. It's weird, it booted up with a burn fine but the LED was still red? who cares eh?

E39E9477-BE97-4C35-A97F-5AD7178032FC.jpg
 

Westcb

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gave it one more try...and it worked! I'm getting too old for these small ass solder points. Excuse the hot glue also. It's weird, it booted up with a burn fine but the LED was still red? who cares eh?



E39E9477-BE97-4C35-A97F-5AD7178032FC.jpg



Haha nice job! Yeah with that thick wire you gotta glue otherwise when you close it back up the points can get stressed and pop off. Now grab a 3 dollar SD card to GC mem card adapter and have fun.
 

lions3

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Good job man. I just did the same mod myself this last wkend. Soldering those little points is a pain in the ass. Luckily I had some kapton tape from another project that I could use to cover some of those adjacent points.

Now I can use GBI with just a disk. :D
 

DNSDies

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When I did the Xeno GC, I soldered wire to the points, pointed them straight up, and slid the chip onto them, soldered to the wires, and cut them.

Makes for a very clean install.
 

gallo

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Nov 27, 2015
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Some good info in here. It's motivating me to install my Xeno. Forgot why I never did, damn i'm getting old. Could use some hot tea and a nap now that I think about it.
 

bwi

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is there any advantage over the viper or qoob chip with this?
 

ApolloBoy

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It's weird, it booted up with a burn fine but the LED was still red? who cares eh?
Apparently the new XenoGCs have all red LEDs. That threw me off too and it didn't help that my GC's optical drive needed to be adjusted before my GBI disc could boot up LOL.
 

Bagheera369

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Pro Tip: Using a finer wire, even down to like a 24-26 gauge trace repair wire will result in a cleaner finished product. Also, nail polish works as a better adhesive, because it can be carefully dissolved later, with acetone, instead of peeling up hot glue with the possibility of bending pins or pulling pads/traces up off the board.
If you want practice with finer solder points, put out a call for a dead Tekken 2/3 board (there are tons), and start in on the Surface mount stuff with good tools. Using a 15$ iron from walmart on this kinda stuff will kill ya. (Not accusing, just a warning)
 

Neodogg

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good tip on the nail polish trick, yeah I need to upgrade my iron from the Shaq one I have. What is the kynar wire you speak of?
 
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