Bacteria's portable DreamCast handheld console - IntoDream

[Niode]

Yeah I figured that's why, it's a shame that it's so big. For the amount of hours and money a project like this costs it would seem better to just get a treamcast or something.

I still need to start my Portable N64... Once I've finished building my current project I'll get a start on it and make a worklog.

[bacteria]

Indeed, there are factors beyond my control regards thickness - the major one is the drive unit and the other boards. I can assure you this system can't be thinner, I even relocated the capacitors before to make this slimmer! - if the DreamCast I had didn't have a drive board, could have saved about 5mm or so, but that is about it.

The system looks bigger in the video than it is, it is c.74mm thick; actually comfortable to hold. In fact, my system is about 2mm thicker than an actual unmodded DreamCast - hold that, and you see what I mean. All will be revealed in future videos!

BTW - a Treamcast is thicker, doesn't have built in controls, etc - just designed like a flip-up lid like a very thick laptop design (not a handheld portable).

Hang in there Niode - as mentioned before, I will be making a video start>end log of building an N64 portable (some real time, mostly edited), as promised before.

Costs for making my system? here are the items broadly speaking, all in £.

DreamCast £5
Controller £2
Rumble pack £8 (I think it was)
VMU unit £5
switches, rubber topped tact buttons, wiring, solder, braid, soldering iron, solder sponges about £15
two tupperware 2 litre boxes, filler (if you have some, otherwise add £4), £5
spray paint - prepare, paint, varnish - cost in actual paint £6
batteries, about £7 each = £21 (add £7 if don't have a charger)
empty PSone case £5 (cost of the console, then gut it)
PSOne screen £30
fans, old graphics cards, etc, say £8

Total cost about £110 ... that is all ... and a shed loads of time, would probably take 200 - 250 hours to make one.... (that is the real cost factor, although irrelevant for your own use and pleasure in build). I went through an extra controller (to experiment) and one console (other one died without my help), at cost of £3 extra.

Treamcast you say? Multiply the above cost by several times; and even then, it isn't a portable handheld!!

[Niode]

Some very good points there.

I don't think I will be attempting a portable DC any time soon. I want to stick with the N64 and I'll be satisfied with that. All the other retro systems can be emulated fairly well on a PSP. The N64 is the big one for me. Plus I don't have a CRT TV any more and my N64 looks so bad on my plasma. My NTSC one is a little bit better but it's still pretty shocking.

[Hobie-wan]

Looking good. Hope you get the gremlins sorted.

[spinksy]

Glad you got it working - does look quite big but obviously can't be helped.

[jfe2]

Looking great! Glad to see that you got some of the power issues sorted out.

[bacteria]

Ran the system for about 30 mins without issues, whilst seeing the the VMU adjustment. System running fine now the batteries are hooked up properly.

The VMU is VERY touch sensitive to adjustment. It would have been better in hindsight to have moulded the original case into my case rather than all this hassle however what's done is done.

I was dreading having to remove the guts from the system for this minor adjustment, which may or may not succeed, so prodded with a strong plastic thin tube to press in a couple of places accessible easily - worked. Hot glued the tube into place, will test again tomorrow or Monday, however seems this may (hopefully) have got all the lines on the VMU to work properly. Not sure with any minor flex in the case when closed if that will remain the situation, only one way to know though.

Excuse these two pics, they are rubbish! Rather than manouvering the case top around, being extremely careful, used a mirror to reflect what the VMU was showing - means of course although I can see the image perfectly, the camera can't get a good image from a reflection; so excuse the quality. You can see what I mean anyway:

Before:



After:



If this, or similar adjustments fail when the case is being closed, I will have to open the system up, which would be a setback. Will know tomorrow or Monday and will keep you posted.

[DCsegaDH]

That has to be the coolest Dreamcast mod Ive seen, I can't wait for it be done! You got some serious skills, I know I couldn't do that.

[bacteria]

Thanks!

There have been very few portable DreamCasts made to date, Hailrazer made an excellent one about a year ago which looked excellent (although didn't have the separate drive board to worry about, no VMU screen visible, and had the disc free-spinning not concealed inside), the only others i've seen (after a fair bit of research) are thick boxes types; and only found a couple of such examples of those too. Not many, there again, the DreamCast is harder to work on than many other systems.

I am hoping that this project, when publicised, brings a few extra new members to this forum interested in modding work.

[DNT 2.5]

Bac, My VMU's just started acting strange weird symbols on the screen, sometimes half was black, sometimes half didn't work at all. So i took one apart and thinking it was the ribbon cable, I used a heatgun to heat up the points on the board and used a pencil eraser to push the cable down and seat it more firmly on the VMU board. It might help you.