How to make the N64 RGB mod display brighter???

[Lettuce]

I have recently purchased a second hand JAP N64 console with the RGB mod done to it! I was informed by the person that i bought it of that the display had a kind of ghosting effect to it, kind of like interference!!, where you could see a ghosting bar going across the middle of the screen!, you could only notice it on bright/light colours, but with dark/dull colours you couldnt see it was there!!!, he said it never used to have this ghosting effect on the screen!!

When i recieved the console from him, i opened it up to see if there was anything noticable wrong with the mod. All the wires and solder points were fine! But i did notice on the U4 VDC chip, were the modded wires go to, Pins 22 and 23 were joined together by solder!! I though this looked out of place, so i unsoldered them, and put the 64 back together! When i turned it on again there was no sign of this ghosting/interference, and the display was clear!! but there was one side effect, the contrast was really low!!!

Now i only found out a day or so ago that this contrast problem is a common thing!! But what i want to know is why when these 2 pins on the U4 VDC chip were soldered together was the contrast normal, but was getting this ghosting image? The guy i bought the system of said that it hadnt always had the ghosting effect and was fine up until xmas last year!!!

Is there a way to get correct contrast level with this RGB mod?, it seems that it has something to do with these 2 pins on the U4 VDC chip being soldered together!!! but what is now causing this ghosting/interference that wasnt there before!!???

Any help would be much appreciated  

[benzaldehyde]

Hi! You need to amplify the signals! There is a nice one by Waltarzar in here somewhere! The ghosting is caused by turning the brightness or contrast too high on your monitor! It's easily alleviated with an amp! Also, you shouldn't use so many exclamation points! People may think you are shouting! Like now!

!

[Lettuce]

Haha, thanks for replying, sorry about the exclamation    Theres a guide by Waltarzar on these forums? or the site?

Just that the guy i bought it of said that it didnt use to have the ghosting effect, maybe it did have a amp fitted but came off, and i didnt notice it laying in the case maybe Is it a hard mod to add the amp?

thanks

[Lettuce]

So its just the scart cable you need to mod then? I think there must be a 3rd party Scart lead about that works with it!!! I know i have a none RGB scart cable, which when i use on the 64, its in black and white, but you can tell that the brightness and contrast levels are the right level and not dark

[benzaldehyde]

Actually, it can be built into an external case with a SCART cable. As for the circuit, it's here.

[Lettuce]

Ok thanks for your help benzaldehyde, ill give it ago, even though im a bit at a lose with the circuit diagram   , well at least i dont have to open up the N64 again to change anything    

[Lettuce]

Is it best to have the wires for this mod going to the underside of the board or going straight to the chip, like it does in the guide on this site?? Cos at the moment i have my N64 wired up like it is in the guide, but i am thinking that if i wired it the other way, then i should get a stronger picture, as i have taken the resistors out of my scart lead so it works on my PAL snes, this combined with modding the n64 the other way (underside of the PCB) will give a stronger picture (brighter contrast), am i right in thinking this??

[benzaldehyde]

I took my signals from the chip to the AV out, then put the circuit in a aluminum-shielded project case along the SCART cable. It blocks most (though not all) of the interference to which these circuits seem so vulnerable. It also gave me room for an sync separator, which is pleasant.

[NFG]

I just received a pile of old game hacking books, and in there is an RGB amp for the N64.  If anyone wants it I'll scan it up.  It's not for the technically illiterate, you'll need to solder and recognize parts in a schematic - but that's not hard, right kids?

[davidleeroth]

I want.

[benzaldehyde]

Hey Lettuce,

This may help; it's a slightly clearer picture of the N64 amp.

[Lettuce]

Thanks for the diagram benzaldehyde, but im still none the wiser, thats inside the 64 right? have you this amp fitted to your n64?

[Mr Dante]

Check this:

http://people.freenet.de/rgb/