ToToTEK.COM

manaroo1 · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Posts: 9

Hi guys,
once again I have a problem with a backup station. I bought a Bung Doctor V64 at ebay. The power supply unit was broken so i had to create one by using an old AT unit and a S-Video Cable. The V64 and the N64 are separately connected with Cinch Cables to the TV. My N64 is a PAL unit and the V64 also is set to PAL. So far everything works fine. 256MB RAM seems to work properly. I can power on the V64 and load ROMs. When it tells me everything is ready to play I power on the N64 but nothing happens. The screen becomes black. Both TV channels, the one of the V64 and the N64's one, only have a black screen. When I power off the N64 I get back to the V64 screen which tells me being ready to play. I used Super Mario 64 (PAL) to boot. It should be equipped with CIC-NUS-7101. I pushed it into the adapter which came along with the V64, put that combination into the N64 and put the N64 on the V64. The ROM I tried to load was Mario Kart 64 (E) (V1.0) which should also need CIC-NUS-7101. Loading Rogue Squadron by using Blas Corps as boot cartridge ended without any success, too. Converting the .z64 ROMs to .v64 by using Tool64_v1.11 also did not help.
I put a video which shows the problem on youtube.
Do you have any clue what i am doing wrong? I hope you can help me. Tanks a lot for any idea.

manaroo

CrackLtd · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 239

First of all i would not plug/unplug the console on the Doctor when its turned on. But ok, that is not the problem here. I remember i had the same problem years back when i got the Doc in '97. The problem is the IO Bus on the downside of the N64. Some of the PAL machines have contacting problems due to the bus is not 100% fitting. (short pins or whatever). After i changed my N64 to a US NTSC one (or just any other one) it worked perfectly. Try another N64.

manaroo1 · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Posts: 9

Thanks for your answer. Well I was afraid of owning the wrong model. I am going to try borrowing another one in the next days. I will reply if changing the N64 does or does not solve the problem.

schmake · Joined: 13 Jan 2008 Posts: 29

It sounds to me like the connection between the V64 and the N64 expansion port is not happening.
There is an old document floating around somewhere which outlines how to get a better connection between newer N64's and the V64. What I would suggest is plugging the connection into the N64 first, getting nice tight fit, then plug the N64 into the V64 (while all is off course)

Good luck

madman · Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 598

Yea, it's the connection between the V64 and N64. The early V64s shipped with a white colored connector between the V64 and N64, this connector was too thin for the newer N64 models. They later introduced a thicker connector with a black/grey (I can't remember) plastic case. It works fine on all N64 versions.

There were a few solutions. You can apply solder to all the pins on the N64 side of the connector to make them thicker. Some also had success taking pliers and squeezing together the connector on the bottom of the N64. Some also slightly bent the pins on the N64 so they stuck out more.

manaroo1 · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Posts: 9

I think the V64 recognises some kind of connection because otherswise it would not change the screen to black. I tried connecting the V64 with another N64 (see picture) but there is still the same problem. Bending the pins in the N64's expantion pack did not help, too. I also tried to establish a connection by removing the white plastic case of the V64's connector. The result is still the same.
Maybe I should try to find an older N64. Maybe both N64s are too new. But how do I recognize an older one? Do you know until which serial number (the N64's one) an older V64 does not make any problem?

CrackLtd · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 239

Get an older NTSC unit with a Serialnumber starting with "NS10xxx". These are the ones that also can easily modded to RGB too Smile

One hit two flies Smile

Joe · Joined: 05 May 2009 Posts: 26

try to find a connector with a black color .. because this black color connector is better .. many many white color connector is bad connect so just get black screen when you put on the N64 power ..

Jaz · Joined: 29 Nov 2009 Posts: 7

You need the black connector as stated above. I bought 5 of these units in 1997. Bung then sent me 5 black connectors free of charge some time later as they realised the white ones were crap.

manaroo1 · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Posts: 9

I have ordered one of those black connectors. It will arrive within the next weeks. I hope that thing is going to set an end to my odyssey.

CrackLtd · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 239

I doubt it, but maybe i am wrong.

madman · Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 598

CrackLtd · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 239

The problems i described in my entry #2 (see above) i had with the black adapter. I didn't even know that there is a white one existing. And why the heck you assume that i wasnt in the scene at that time? I am in the frikken scene since end of '82, the year i bought the C64. I have no reason to write jokes or any wrong info into this forum. Thank you very much for your last entry, just keep descrediting yourself.

madman · Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 598

When did I say you weren't in the scene? I'm not discrediting myself at all, I pointed out a very common, known issue and it happens to be the exact same one that he is having so it's very relevant to the conversation.

MottZilla · Joined: 08 Sep 2004 Posts: 765

Madman wasn't trying to say you were wrong, atleast it appeared to me he asked a legitimate question as to why you thought a new connector would not help. Play nice guys. No reason for people to get offended or start offending people.