My first UniBIOS install:

FBX

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I started getting serious about learning how to mod and solder on my own about a month or so ago. I wanted to work up to tackling my own UniBIOS install on my AES, so I began with a few less expensive and easier console mods:

Sega Genesis model 1 rear stereo RCA jacks.
Sega Genesis VA2 & VA3 jail bar fix.
Upgraded palette toggle switch for the NESRGB.

Then I moved up to a little more difficult mods:

Sega Genesis VA3 audio filter cap upgrade (gives it the same fidelity as the VA2).
NESRGB JTAG port on my NES front-loader (with help from Ste Kulov on the adapter board).
SNES 1CHIP-03 proper csync restoration (SMD kit).
SNES 1CHIP-03 digital audio TOSLINK mod.
SNES junior RGB + S-Video bypass board install.

After doing all that and collecting a nice set of various tools for modding, I decided it was time to knock out that UnibIOS install. I'm happy to report it went quite smoothly and everything has been working perfect!

Below are pics I took after each step of the process. I wasn't totally satisfied with my solder work, but I felt it was nothing to get too upset about for a first attempt:

NeoGeo-Mods-UNIBIOS-01.jpgNeoGeo-Mods-UNIBIOS-02.jpgNeoGeo-Mods-UNIBIOS-03.jpgNeoGeo-Mods-UNIBIOS-04.jpg

-FBX
 

Heinz

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Very nice work, probably better off in the Tech forum though FYI.
 

FBX

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Very nice work, probably better off in the Tech forum though FYI.

Thanks! I did look for a better forum, but the only 'tech' ones I saw listed were for questions and help. I didn't feel this was appropriate to put there (and I didn't think it really fit homebrew either).
 
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ginoscope

Kuroko's Training Dummy
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Very nice install when I did mine I was lazy and used the piggyback method to install my socketed unibios.
 

Razoola

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Real nice job there.
 

FBX

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What kind of toys are you playing with?

S-993A desoldering gun. I know it's a cheap knockoff and not up to par with the FR-300, but at less than half the cost, it gets the job done quite nicely. I keep it clean and functioning properly, so I've not had any problems with it.

Soldering station is a Weller WES51. Quite happy with it.
 

joala

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Awesome job mate - hope any of my future jobs are that clean


Image_1.jpg


Who...what?
 
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Dochartaigh

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S-993A desoldering gun. I know it's a cheap knockoff and not up to par with the FR-300, but at less than half the cost, it gets the job done quite nicely. I keep it clean and functioning properly, so I've not had any problems with it.

Soldering station is a Weller WES51. Quite happy with it.

I have a feeling you researched this desoldering gun quite a bit, right? I've been looking to pickup one at some point - I'm adding this to my list. Seems to be around $97 for the base model, $130 with extra tips and an extra heating element?
 

FBX

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I have a feeling you researched this desoldering gun quite a bit, right? I've been looking to pickup one at some point - I'm adding this to my list.

A friend of mine uses one and he recommended it as an entry-level device that functions well enough for him. I read several reviews and watched videos, and also the typical problems that come up. One was glogging in the heating shaft. After the UniBIOS install, I found the cleaning rod did hit a clog about an inch into the shaft. So all I did was turn the gun back on, let it heat up, ran the pump for about 10 seconds, and then inserted the rod to check while it was still hot. The rod went clean through immediately, so that was a rather easy fix.

My two minor complaints about the gun:

1. No on-off switch. It's a plug-based power-on, so you'd need to rig up a power strip for it that you can toggle as needed, or end up modding the gun itself with your own throw switch.

2. Designed for 220V. It's sold out here in the States as a universal gun, but really it is designed for 220V and runs more efficiently at that power level.
 

FilthyRear

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Looks clean.

If you want practice, you should try re-capping a Game Gear. It's easy, but it's super-monotonous.
 

Dochartaigh

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2. Designed for 220V. It's sold out here in the States as a universal gun, but really it is designed for 220V and runs more efficiently at that power level.
It's still running fine at 120 volt for you? I'm definitely not going to plug it into my 240v dryer outlet for some more voltage or anything ;)
 

Neo Alec

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Great work! You know what you're doing.
 

FBX

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Added a blue LED to the reset button. I took a photo, but the camera weirdly blows the blue glow way out of proportion. It's nowhere near that bright in person, and is a much deeper blue color.

NeoGeo-Mods-LEDreset-01.jpg
 

xsq

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good job on the UniBIOS install. you were also very wise in practicing first, those traces rip off easily. Not the biggest fan of those LED mods, but I can see why people do it and yours seems well done.

Also thanks for mentioning the other things you did for practice, hadn't known about the JTAG port option for the NES RGB kit. Do you use it a lot? Why would you update the palettes often?



Oh, and here are two threads where you could've posted this, but they're a little old and stale ;)
Clean Mod Work Thread!
Console specific "I finished today" thread

This one would've worked also:
Post a Pic of your CMVS, AES or Neo CD...
But whatever.
 
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FBX

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good job on the UniBIOS install. you were also very wise in practicing first, those traces rip off easily. Not the biggest fan of those LED mods, but I can see why people do it and yours seems well done.

Also thanks for mentioning the other things you did for practice, hadn't known about the JTAG port option for the NES RGB kit. Do you use it a lot? Why would you update the palettes often?

The LED mode was more for practicality in that there's no visible indicator to let you know if you left the machine on. I've read stories of people leaving them on for days at a time without realizing it, and this nifty mod makes it obvious the machine is on. And of course again, it's not anywhere near that bright in person. It's enough to catch your eye that it is on, but nicely subdued.

On the JTAG mod, one of my years-long projects had been making custom palettes for NES emulators, which transitioned into NESRGB firmwares. I made a page of the palette work and some of the mod work I did to my 'test station' NES for checking palettes:

http://www.firebrandx.com/nespalette.html

Keep in mind I focus on NTSC, and from what I understand, the original YUV palette more closely resembles PAL format colors.

Cheers!
 

FBX

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Thanks!

Semi-related: I grabbed up the S-993A again and went to work on my VA3 Genesis. I had previously modded the Genesis sound circuitry by replacing the filtering caps with 4700pF versions. This increases the fidelity in higher frequency notes, making it sound just as good as a VA2, only with the benefit of the VA3's superior pre-amp gain preventing loudness distortion. So my next step was to remove the RF box and do a dedicated RCA-style set of stereo audio jacks in the back of the unit. This was the cleanest most bare-minimal non-cut mod I could come up with, and it works fantastically!

Genesis-Mods-10-cropped.jpgGenesis-Mods-RCAStereo-02.jpgGenesis-Mods-RCAStereo-03.jpgGenesis-Mods-RCAStereo-04.jpgGenesis-Mods-RCAStereo-05.jpg
 

xsq

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On the JTAG mod, one of my years-long projects had been making custom palettes for NES emulators, which transitioned into NESRGB firmwares. I made a page of the palette work and some of the mod work I did to my 'test station' NES for checking palettes:

http://www.firebrandx.com/nespalette.html

Keep in mind I focus on NTSC, and from what I understand, the original YUV palette more closely resembles PAL format colors.
Ha, I found that page while searching for the mod ;) pretty impressive, congrats.
 
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