TurboGrafx-16 Region Mod US/Japanese Selection LED

[DarkOnus]

I started installing some region mods into a couple of my US TG-16 units and just wanted to share a couple pics of the result of a second unit I converted.

So rather than just labeling or color coding the actual switch, or simply remembering which way the switch had to be set for which region was active, I thought it might be kind of cool to have an LED light also show whether US or Japanese region was currently selected.

When the Japanese rom region is selected, the LED glows red, and when US region is selected, the LED glow is purple.

I didn't want an LED to have a blinding glow all the time while I was playing a game, especially if the room was very dark while playing. I had thought about doing a mod I've seen a number of people do, lighting up the TurboGrafx-16 label on the top of the unit, but decided against that method. I had several thoughts and areas where I thought I would try, but ultimately I decided to light up the Hucard insertion bay.

I think it turned out pretty good, the light wasn't distracting to me at all while playing in the dark, take a look at the below images. In a very dark room, without a card in the slot the LED is unmistakably bright and distracting, but when a card is inserted there is really just a limited glow of each color visible reflecting off the card and bay unless you get very low and look directly into the slot at eye level.








Of course power to the unit has to be turned On to power the LED for you to see which region is selected, so the added benefit is that it acts as a power On LED indicator for the unit as well ...

~ Craig ~

[Ergot_Cholera]

You might forget which colour corresponds to which region setting though 

[DarkOnus]

You might forget which colour corresponds to which region setting though 

I figured someone would bring that up eventually, but not with the very first and only reply . . . sigh 

Actually I won't ever forget which color corresponds to US or Japanese regions because I associate red with Japan's national Nisshōki flag, and is why I chose the color red for that region.   

I wanted to use blue for US, but I'm using a single 4-wired RBG tri-colored LED lamp, and the way the switch, voltage, and ground had to be connected to the LED, I had to settle for purple for US region because of the mixing of the red and blue being lit at the same time for the US region while only the red lights with the switch in the Japanese region setting.

[DarkOnus]

So no interest or other comments about this multi-colored LED lighting of the card port, tough crowd, lol.

I've been wanting a Turbo Everdrive for a while now, and after a few hiccups with trying to order direct from Krikzz's own website, I eventually got it done. Low and behold, 12 days later, (today), the unit arrived at my door step. I was stoked!

Formatted a 2GB SD card in FAT32, extracted the files from the latest 3.4.7 EverDrive Pack to the card, installed the SD card, made sure the switch was set to US on the Everdrive and my region modded TG-16, inserted the card into the slot . . .  BLISSFUL PERFECTION !!!

What a hoot, can't be more pleased with the Everdrive, works flawlessly (so far with all the games and tools I tried to this point) with the Obey v3 region mod installed in my system.

[nopepper]

I like how the Turbo looks with that purple LED and I would love to see something like this done in a Coregrafx.

Having said that, won't you need to power on the system in order for the LED light to signal the selected region? If so, then this mod is not very practical, but still cool aesthetically.

[DarkOnus]

I like how the Turbo looks with that purple LED and I would love to see something like this done in a Coregrafx.

Having said that, won't you need to power on the system in order for the LED light to signal the selected region? If so, then this mod is not very practical, but still cool aesthetically.

I did mention it at the end of my first post, and you're correct, it has to be powered on first to see the LED . . . but at least it will always act as a power On indicator light for the console. 

True though, with the current state it's not practical as a region indicator prior to the unit being turned on for at least a second. However, even if it can't in any way harm the console itself or a Hucard if the card is already inserted and the system is then powered up with the wrong region selected, for whatever reason, I just don't like doing it, lol.

So before inserting the Hucard, if I can't remember which region is selected, I'll just flip the power switch On then Off again to see the LED color, then make the necessary change to the region selector switch if I need to for the Hucard game I'm about to insert and play. I know, I could just use a colored Sharpie or make a mark on the console above or below the actual switch to indicate region selection too, then all of this is moot . . .  but as you said, the LED is more aesthetically pleasing!