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Dreamcast Dead Controller Port

Wednesday, 27 June 2007 09:21 row1

The other week controllers stopped working on my Dreamcast (possibly due to excessive x-arcade controller usage), luckily it turns out that this is an easy fix and quite a common problem.

After reading this I found out that all I needed was a 4.7 Ohm 1/4 Watt fusible resistor, luck was on my side and I found a local supplier which had some for 60 cents.

I didn't have a decent soldering iron so I got a friend to solder it in (guide 1, guide 2). Five minutes later I was back to playing Street Fighter III - Third Strike.

Points to note:

If your no good with an iron you might bust your Dreamcast, so attempt at your own risk.
If you use a standard carbon resistor instead of a fusible resistor keep an eye out for smoke if the resistor blows again.
The F1 resistor to replace may be in a different place to the position shown in the guides.
Some people have just used a wire instead of a resitor which they claim works like a charm, this may or may not be a good idea...

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 June 2007 09:38

Year of the Robot

Thursday, 14 June 2007 10:59 row1

Homorobitca

Now that robots are common place in the 21st Century it's probably a good idea to hold a robot party and show them that your not a hater.
You'll need some robot friendly music so here are my picks.

Goldie Looking Chain - Half Man, Half Machine
This song about a cyborg is a good way to break the ice, showing that robots and humans aren't that different after all, all they want to do is fit in:
So alone, when people stop and stare
Like C3PO but with pubes and hair.

Kool Keith - I'm Seein' Robots
Kool Keith is a man of the times and this song acknowledges robots and their needs:
Voice mail, pagers, these are the things that robots carry to get their hair done
Eyes made up, difference effects to their bodies
Sometimes, too many to even know
The life of a robot.

Styx - Mr. Roboto
The most famous robot song is most appropriate, thanking robots everywhere:
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo...domo
Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto
For doing the jobs that nobody wants to.

So go out and do the robot.

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Last Updated on Thursday, 14 June 2007 11:33

D-Link DWL-G510 Performance

Sunday, 10 June 2007 10:31 row1

I just got the D-Link DWL-G510 (I have revision C) and was getting crappy performance, such as high ping, lag spikes and connection dropping. D-Link are rubbish and for the last 2 years left their drivers at version 1. Since the DWL-G510 uses the Ralink RT61 chipset and Ralink do upgrade their drivers, you can download and use their drivers PCI/mPCI/CB(RT256x/RT266x).

Using the D-Link drivers I was getting a 4ms ping to the router, and occasionally a 1500-2000ms ping spike.
Using the Ralink drivers I am now getting a <1ms ping to the router and no spikes.
In both cases I was not using Wireless Zero Configuration which apparently improves performance.

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Last Updated on Sunday, 10 June 2007 10:48

MC's Ultra, Magnetic Magnetic

Thursday, 07 June 2007 11:32 row1

TOMC3 and Price Po's new album "Saga of the Simian Samurai's" is due for release very shortly. It features a song with Kool Keith and Motion Man titled 'Apocalytpic Medicine'.

There is a new Ultramagnetic MC's video "We About The Chix".