Noob needs help :)

[odrakir]

Hi guys,

I recently acquired a TurboExpress and a PAL Turbografx, both brand new

I had to change a capacitor on the TE following the replacement guide here, it was accessible even for me using my scarce soldering skills, and it's now playing out loud

My problem is with the PAL Tg. I can't stand playing the games in 50hz Is there a way to mod it to 60hz with RGB output?

Thanks!

[soop]

Hello

Yeah, you can mod it to RGB.  I guess you're in the UK because of the posting time, so I'd guess you want to output it in scart.

It's a bit of a mission, not because it's hard, it's just quite involved.  You'll have to make an RGB amp, which is just a bunch of components on a breadboard.  I screwed up my last one, because I didn't realise electrolytic caps had directionality (yeah, I'm an electro-noob too!), but aside from that, it's kind of going alright.

You'll also likely need to make up a scart cable, which shouldn't be too hard.  I've found an actual pre-made cable hard to come across, so I would say get a scart to scart from a pound shop (but make sure it has at least 8 wires inside it) and then get the connector you need from eBay and solder it on one end.

Here's the diagram for the amp http://www.gamesx.com/grafx/pce_rgb.jpg
and here's the guide I'm following: http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/pce/rgb.htm although he cheaps out on the amp side of things.

If you need a hand, let me know.  I might be able to help you out with some of the parts too, as sometimes you get like 100 resistors for £1, and I don't need them all.  some things like the transistors and some caps I only have 10 of though.

But whatever, I can give you a shopping list if you decide to go ahead.  There may also be a cheaty kind of way to put all the bits in a scart cable, but I wouldn't trust it.

[incrediblehark]

I would think you have to swap out the crystal for 60hz, I found some more information on the gamesx boards:

http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=1306.0

from what I read people have said it can be done, but no one actually has yet. you might be better off just acquiring a us TG-16 or a PC engine to rgb and /or region mod, in the long run it will probably save you some trouble.

[soop]

I would think you have to swap out the crystal for 60hz, I found some more information on the gamesx boards:

http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=1306.0

from what I read people have said it can be done, but no one actually has yet. you might be better off just acquiring a us TG-16 or a PC engine to rgb and /or region mod, in the long run it will probably save you some trouble.

The oscillator for the TG16 should be 60hz anyway, there is no true PAL version, they're all modified US versions.  However, having looked at a modified PAL PCE I have, it was missing a couple of resistors, which yours also might.  I have a topic about that further down this forum.

However, I'd imagine that the RF module in yours alters the frequency rather than replacing the (possibly on-chip?) crystal on the console.

[odrakir]

Thanks for the info!

Is it possible to get a 60Hz RGB signal before the signal is converted to PAL?

Cheers!

[soop]

If you look at the 3rd picture down on that second link I gave you, you'll see he mentions that you can get RGB directly from the HuC6260.  Since you can grab an RGB signal from the source, I'd say yes, although it's more fiddly than using the expansion port, so you'd want to be sure of your soldering ability.

Whether or not it's converted to 50Hz at the RF unit or not, I can't tell you.  And also, I don't know why the resistors are missing on my PCE, so I've removed the RF unit and am going to replace the resistors anyway.

Oh, and the good thing about your TG16, is that there's plenty more space for the amp.

[thesteve]

it must be switched at the source, because changing the scan rate would require reproducing the sig from scratch.
that said i would expect a clock circuit for the HU chips, controls it, you just need to find it.
note that one of the china counterfit units has a 50-60 switch on it

[odrakir]

Looks like this mod is too much for my electronic skills Guess I'll have to save for a new PC-Engine Core unit or a Turbografx 16...

Thanks for all the info guys!