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charcole / LCDZapper

Device for making light gun games playable on LCD TVs
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General Discussion #1

Open muramasatheninja opened 7 years ago

muramasatheninja commented 7 years ago

Hi,

Very excited to see this project. I wasn't sure the best way to contact you so I figured I would post an issue here.

I started on converting your hand drawn schematic. wip

The goal is to make a self contained board that would fit in a small enclosure.

Thanks

Splosion commented 6 years ago

ZappAdapter? It's probably (again) too specific, but it's difficult to make some kind of portamanteau that sounds catchy, Perhaps something like LCDTarget, as it is somewhat pretending to be one. That said, you aren't even strictly going to LCD displays, as this device can work on any display, right? Even CRTs, though that would be somewhat convoluted.

WingMantis commented 6 years ago

@Splosion

The HD CRTs aren't light gun compatible, so even those would benefit from the light gun adapter. Even if you had an SD tv for the real old retro systems, it could still come in handy if you just want to use the Wiimote for everything instead of having an original gun for every system.

charcole commented 6 years ago

Really quick update time before heading to work: First apologies to everyone waiting for replies to messages. They are appreciated. It's been a busy week but I will get to them in the next couple days. Despite this I did manage to do a little bit of work on the project. I pushed a new board layout yesterday, just fixing some minor bugs and adding in the new programable white level feature I discussed last time. These are ordered so should have them in a week or two. Other than that I've been starting to think about the user interface. Currently every button on the Wiimote has a fixed function. This just about works but am considering making a menu system to make things easier to use. Show/Hide Cursor, Coop/Duel mode for two player, Start/Cancel Calibration, Tune Response Delay, Tune White Level, Set IO Type ideally all need to be accessible. Without a menu system I also need to leave enough controls for playing Wiimote-only (only A + B are currently free). Having a menu should free up every button bar one.

zombichad commented 6 years ago

Love the project! Iwas wondering, is there a less cumbersome way to get the wiimote's functionality without using the wiimote/using a stripped down version of it? I feel like if there were a smaller item that could attach to various lightguns, that'd be the most ideal rathen than trying to strap on a wiimote to all the oddshaped light guns there are.

WingMantis commented 6 years ago

@zombichad You could just get a Wiimote gun accessory (The Nyko Perfect Shot seems to be popular from what I've found) and use that along with system specific controller port patch cables connected to the LCDZapper.

Then you don't need to have and store a (potentially expensive) gun for every system No need to come up with unique wiimote mounting devices for each gun No need to run an LED to the gun and mount it in the barrel to trick the gun/system No wire to your console to trip over

(I would like to have a power cable for the Wiimote that could be plugged in close to where I'm standing though. Batteries are the devil)

wilhouse55 commented 6 years ago

I like the idea of using a wiimote gun. Here's one for $21.

https://www.amazon.com/Rifle-Wii-Remote-Nunchuk-Controllers-Nintendo/dp/B0031PVIFW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1509548247&sr=8-4&keywords=wiimote+gun

wilhouse

On Wed, Nov 1, 2017 at 12:29 AM, WingMantis notifications@github.com wrote:

@zombichad https://github.com/zombichad You could just get a Wiimote gun accessory (The Nyko Perfect Shot seems to be popular from what I've found) and use that along with system specific controller port patch cables connected to the LCDZapper.

Then you don't need to have and store a (potentially expensive) gun for every system No need to come up with unique wiimote mounting devices for each gun No need to run an LED to the gun and mount it in the barrel to trick the gun/system No wire to your console to trip over

(I would like to have a power cable for the Wiimote that could be plugged in close to where I'm standing though. Batteries are the devil)

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WingMantis commented 6 years ago

@wilhouse55 there aren't any reviews on that accessory you linked so I would be wary. The Wiimote trigger is all the way up front. Not an issue if inputs are configurable in games or software so you can set nunchuck as main trigger.

@charcole Don't most light bars have the IR LEDs spread out as far as possible. Will being clustered like they are on the LCDZapper be an issue? Won't the console controller cables interfere with the IR or be difficult to manage? Or are those just status LEDs?

What about poking the IR LEDs out from the ends of the long side of the case to get separation. That would direct the cables sideways and down behind the TV nicely for those using the LCDZaper for their lightbar. It would make it easier to mount on a flatscreen as well.

Another name idea "Light Gun Reloader" or Light Guns Reloaded" / "Light GunZ Reloaded" lol the Z makes it cool you know? Someone probably has a trademark on GunZ though...

WingMantis commented 6 years ago

This is the name: "Flashback" "THE universal light gun adapter"

charcole commented 6 years ago

Hey everyone. Sorry for being absent for the conversation lately. Been reading everything but haven't found much time to do decent replies. To keep everyone up to date, my new board revision (v4.1) turned up on Friday so spent yesterday building one. It's getting very time consuming to do now they are getting more complex. Ran it through my usual range of tests today and found no issues. I'll merge over the new revision to the master branch shortly.

I changed the branding to LightGunVerter (LGV) on the new boards but am going off that name myself too. I'm keeping a list of everyone's name ideas and I'll try them out on a few people. Thanks to everyone that's put forward a suggestion.

@WingMantis The LEDs on the front are IR LEDs for the Wiimote. They are clustered to appear as a single spot for the Wiimote to track. Normally a sensor bar has bunches of 4 or 5 LEDs on either end. Because I don't track rotations a single spot is OK. The one to one mapping would be broken, if the Wiimote wasn't perfectly aligned with the barrel, if the user rotated the gun so didn't seem worth supporting. A single spot keeps the case small and neat too.

Cables getting in the way is a fair comment. So far I haven't noticed it being a problem. They tend to be trailing down and so only the RJ45 plugs themselves get in the way. It still gives a decent field of view despite this. Sideways could make sense, I think it'd make it look a bit odd though. I'll think on it.

WingMantis commented 6 years ago

So gangsta style is supported? Another "feature" for marketing LOL

I've got an idea or two for a "Flashback" logo. I'll try to do some sketching and then make a rough up in inkscape (hopefully later today)

WingMantis commented 6 years ago

@MacAddict81

Are you on Dreamcast-Talk?

That Wii gun shell is pretty sweet. Are you going to try and market it?

Maybe you could make the handle section smooth but recessed some with holes for mounting replaceable grips so people can customize the grip style to their hand size / comfort preference.

Not sure if there is rubberized 3D printing material? Would be even nicer.

An adjustable stock would be great too. Do you have a project page?

MacAddict81 commented 6 years ago

Sent with GitHawk

WingMantis commented 6 years ago

@MacAddict81 You don't have to sign up there, it's just the best Dreamcast forum I know of so far. And I know nothing about GitHub and Fusion 360 lol.

@charcole I think having the IR LEDs mounted on the side could work better for people with wall mounted TVs. Having the cables run out the sides like they already are would be fairly tidy as well.

Are the IR bulbs socketed so you can change them without opening the casing? I can see the advantage there, and it puts them further out for clearance of the RJ45s.

But, if you had holes for the LEDs in the side that were only big enough to pass the bulbs through from inside, and would catch the flange at the base, that would give a very clean look. The LEDs would have to be on wires long enough that the casing can be removed and the IR LED cable detached. The bulbs could all be on a circuit board with sockets for the legs for easy replacement and alignment.

You could even mount them internally if you can make a space for it, and use a dark shield like the wiimote and most other IR devices do. I think a remote pod or light bar would be the most flexible and keep video and controller cable lengths to a minimum though.

Whatever you do, I think you should use the diamond shape, or a triangle if you were to cut it down to 3 LEDs for some reason. It could become part of the product/brand identity.

I really do like "Flash-Back" or "FlashBack" or "Flash|Back" or maybe "Flash\Back" for the name.

It is about old memories, and it literally describes the way the system works with original light guns. Even the word "Flash" is associated with light. I'm sure I had thought of more meanings but I've forgotten lol.

charcole commented 6 years ago

Hey. Quick weekly update for you all. As focus is going to be on firmware for a little bit I asked a friend to cut a slot in the metal casing so I could reprogram without opening the case. Turns out I forgot all about the programming buttons, d'oh! Therefore I had to drill some holes and use match sticks to make the buttons accessible. Bit crude but it made developing firmware easier without having to mess around with the casing. Wrote a text renderer and put in a place holder menu (it's not functional yet, it just draws when I press Home). It can be hard to read when overlaid so might have to have a think about what I can do to improve that. Let me know what you think.

407d627b-d200-4adb-bf3a-26a9a446f39e

@WingMantis Not sure I want to make the IR LEDs detachable. I'm very keen on making the construction as simple as possible, so drilling holes in the side of the case is also out I'm afraid. The IR LEDs are really just a nicety so the buyer doesn't have to source their own sensor bar. It might be easier just to buy a battery powered sensor bar if it doesn't work for a particular use case.

Flash\Back is very cool. I do like that name. In fact Flashback is my favourite retro game :) I'd be concerned it isn't obvious what it does though. My other concern would be the Atari Flashback line of retro machines, I would be nervous of using a name so close to a current retro gaming related trademark from a big company.

MacAddict81 commented 6 years ago

@charcole Would it be possible to outline the menu text in black? An outline 1/2 the width of the text would provide plenty of contrast, and wouldn't clash with an all black background. Or, another option would be to dim the video you're overlaying 50% when the menu is triggered to make the text more visible, and restore its brightness to 100% when you exit the menu. Maybe a combination of both would make the text more visible. Just some thoughts...

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charcole commented 6 years ago

Dimming the screen should be possible. Good idea! I'd have to be careful about affecting the sync though. I'll see if I can come up with a simple mod to make it work. Adding outlines around text would be quite taxing. The video overlay (and triggering) is done by abusing the "remote control" peripheral which is really meant for use with infrared transmitters. Having outlines might be pushing it a bit too far.

charcole commented 6 years ago

Small update: I've pushed the functional configuration menu. Not too exciting but has made me think about a few things. Only thing I didn't hook up was IO Type (configuring what the two GPIO lines per RJ45 do) but it's not a big job. I've designed a simple hardware mod that should make the menu more visible and allow having a couple different brightnesses of the overlay but run out of time to test this weekend. Might start adding issues on github to keep track of the things left to do.

mnbrian commented 6 years ago

How can I get one of these? Or the plans and files to build one?

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 26, 2017, at 10:53, charcole notifications@github.com wrote:

Small update: I've pushed the functional configuration menu. Not too exciting but has made me think about a few things. Only thing I didn't hook up was IO Type (configuring what the two GPIO lines per RJ45 do) but it's not a big job. I've designed a simple hardware mod that should make the menu more visible and allow having a couple different brightnesses of the overlay but run out of time to test this weekend. Might start adding issues on github to keep track of the things left to do.

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charcole commented 6 years ago

@mnbrian Sorry, it's not available to buy yet. Will probably be a Kickstarter sometime next year. Almost everything you need to make one is in this github repository but I would suggest you don't just yet as I'm still developing the idea (although is close to final).

hotd34me commented 6 years ago

@charcole I literally was just going to ask if you were going to do a kickstarter or not. Did you ever get a light gun for your jamma board to test this thoroughly for arcade shooters? I remember you saying you used just the wiimote to shoot at the screen. I have a 3-person jamma arcade shooter called 'Evil Night'. I would lovvveee to be able to play on my 50" 4k instead of my little cruddy 19" crt ;) You have created something truly amazing. Let me know if you need a tester before you start producing units haha Feel free to take a look at the game footage. I used an rgb 5-pin arcade to composite video card to hook my arcade up to a capture card to get the footage. Video codecs and compression were a whole other ballpark, so the footage doesn't look beautiful. When I play with the rgb to composite card, playing on my 19" crt television works just fine using the composite input, so I imagine your device would work just fine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXkGdhKC6SM

charcole commented 6 years ago

@hotd34me Hi thanks for your interest in the project. I have tested on an JAMMA arcade board (Lethal Enforcers). I don't have a gun for it but it was super straight forward to interface with (as I'm sure 99% of lightgun boards are) and played it just with Wiimotes. Your RGB to composite video adapter sounds like it'd work. When I was testing I was tapping off the composite sync and green channel and that worked nicely (makes the overlay green but you keep an RGB signal). Footage looks cool. If you have the service manual (or schematics) I could check if the gun interface would be compatible for you.

Project has slowed down because of Christmas but hopefully in the New Year I'll make the final tweaks and start thinking more seriously about how to make Kickstarter etc happen. If I don't update before then, I hope everyone enjoys the holidays.

robibennobi commented 6 years ago

Ever thought about the aim trek light gun? Strapping a wii remote to a light gun is not great getting some way to get an aim trek to work with the blow back that would be killer. Also you should check out these guys on youtube.

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DR5o6HciXaiI&ved=0ahUKEwiZ_KTCtIjYAhUjCcAKHc7YCmUQwqsBCCkwAQ&usg=AOvVaw2wyS8prWMcHFpAb4ORCbGi

zombichad commented 6 years ago

@robibennobi It'd be cool to be able to use this - http://www.ultimarc.com/aimtrak_module.html to modify any light gun to be compatible with a device like the LCDZapper.

WingMantis commented 6 years ago

@robibennobi @zombichad The Aim trak gun registers as a standard USB HID mouse in Windows so @charcole might be able to support that option as well?

Also, @charcole I have been looking into building an arcade/fight stick and came across the PS360+ encoder (discontinued) that uses RJ45 console controller cables. This pdf shows the wiring they used for each cable: http://akishop-customs.com/assets/img/bg/Files/PDF/PS360HardwareOverview.pdf

You may want to homogenize your wiring to match or make a disclaimer in the final documentation if they aren't compatible.

It would be great if you could support using the LCDZapper as a universal fight stick / custom controller interface as well. Those things are just ridiculously priced. That would add a lot of value and would also be helpful for people with disabilities that need custom controls to play games.

bmccord commented 6 years ago

I will definitely buy one and most likely more than one for NTSC when they are ready. Really looking forward to this!

hotd34me commented 6 years ago

The plug for the light gun is a 5 pin interface. White: trigger, red:5v power, yellow: optic, black: ground, :green, special(note: special is where you physically tilt the light gun up to power up a stronger bullet). If you would like the actual schematic manual, just let m know :) and happy holidays to you as well!

On Dec 10, 2017 4:42 PM, "charcole" notifications@github.com wrote:

@hotd34me https://github.com/hotd34me Hi thanks for your interest in the project. I have tested on an JAMMA arcade board (Lethal Enforcers). I don't have a gun for it but it was super straight forward to interface with (as I'm sure 99% of lightgun boards are) and played it just with Wiimotes. Your RGB to composite video adapter sounds like it'd work. When I was testing I was tapping off the composite sync and green channel and that worked nicely (makes the overlay green but you keep an RGB signal). Footage looks cool. If you have the service manual (or schematics) I could check if the gun interface would be compatible for you.

Project has slowed down because of Christmas but hopefully in the New Year I'll make the final tweaks and start thinking more seriously about how to make Kickstarter etc happen. If I don't update before then, I hope everyone enjoys the holidays.

— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/charcole/LCDZapper/issues/1#issuecomment-350583841, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AcMW9vjHUOaUfEyoXnsDkMBxJanzIpPUks5s_FArgaJpZM4Jx2MQ .

fd69 commented 6 years ago

Hi everybody I'm very excited about this project and am new to this discussion. First off some name suggestions The Lazer Gun Caddy and catch phrase could be ( no matter what console, no matter what region the lazer gun caddy is by your side). or maybe Lazer Zapper Caddy or LA ZAP Caddy with same catch phrase. Also Charcole there's plenty of intrest for your product in Australia so please get into market Cheers fd69

ultramecha commented 6 years ago

Hey Charcole! Excited for what you are doing here. I wanted to point out that if you are looking for help with manufacturing GameTechUS can help out with that. His email is game.tech.us@gmail.com. Its something he says he loves to do , so something to consider :)

Erchitu commented 6 years ago

If it will support Dreamcast too, i definitely want at least one. I hope I can buy it as soon as possible in Europe. Please don't give up :) Thanks!

charcole commented 6 years ago

Hey everyone. Sorry for the silence of late. I ended up taking a bit of a longer break than I originally intended but I haven't given up and I'm still going with it. I've got a new revision of the board with TVS diodes to protect the output and with the variable brightness reticules. Just need to get on and build it so I can do the programming work on it. Things are just slower at the moment due to work/personal commitments.

In the meantime I did a quick project (really an update to an old project) to get back into the swing of things which was a SuperGun (device for playing JAMMA arcade board on a TV) using Wii Classic Controllers. It's at https://github.com/charcole/MiniGun if anyone's interested. Will have to do a video on it at sometime.

Trying to catch up on some of the replies I missed... @WingMantis Probably won't do USB HID, I'm afraid. Only way I could do it would be to add parts which would increase the cost. The ports are going to output Wiimote position etc via serial though so should be relatively easy to make little peripherals that interface to other systems. That PS360+ looks interesting. What a cool thing. Won't be able to make the wiring consistent unfortunately but I will add a note to say they aren't compatible. @bmccord Thanks. It'll be done as soon as I can do it. @hotd34me Sounds very easy to interface, I'd be pretty confident it'd work with almost no external components (maybe a resistor). @fd69 Thanks for the name suggestion! I like it but I think I'm settled on LightGunVerter, sorry. @ultramecha Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look him up. @Erchitu Dreamcast should work, it's a universal solution.

fd69 commented 6 years ago

Thankyou for reply, don't be sorry I just thought I would throw my hat in the ring with name suggestion. I could just imagine picture of cartoon/pixel cowboy standing on a picture of world map accessing his next move on PACKAGING with light gun in hand. It's good to hear from you as like many others I pray for you to get your product on commercial scale. If you do succeed to get product on market how will people know where and how to buy. And I'm hoping it will not be a limited product, where people who want product will miss out (Boo Nintendo Mini Classic).For example I'm in Australia would I know ASAP when product avail for purchase and will you distribute to Aus. If not would shipping be expensive, (Aus to Pounds exchange rate hurts pocket enough as it is). Hope your holiday was heaps of RnR for you and you smash this project out the commercial ball park

     Cheers Justin
Erchitu commented 6 years ago

@charcole Consider me on the waiting list to buy at least one :) I have NES, SNES an Dreamcast games to be used with the gun, so I definitely need this :) Can't wait to try it :D

reynoirjr commented 6 years ago

Oh put me on the list for 2 of these bad boys at least!

On Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 7:37 AM, Erchitu notifications@github.com wrote:

@charcole https://github.com/charcole Consider me on the waiting list to buy at least one :) I have NES, SNES an Dreamcast games to be used with the gun, so I definitely need this :) Can't wait to try it :D

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fd69 commented 6 years ago

Hi again people, I didn't know there was a list, if so Charlie may I also be put on list. No Way I'm missing out on this invention ( better than sliced bread )

    Cheers Justin

Sent from my iPhone

On 22 Feb 2018, at 9:41 pm, reynoirjr notifications@github.com wrote:

Oh put me on the list for 2 of these bad boys at least!

On Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 7:37 AM, Erchitu notifications@github.com wrote:

@charcole https://github.com/charcole Consider me on the waiting list to buy at least one :) I have NES, SNES an Dreamcast games to be used with the gun, so I definitely need this :) Can't wait to try it :D

— You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/charcole/LCDZapper/issues/1#issuecomment-367667519, or mute the thread https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AfVIG3T7mRS9T-vYMvfhy1TcbeWgVlFwks5tXV97gaJpZM4Jx2MQ .

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Creatively Yours,

Reynoir "DJ Scoop" Lewis www.collectivevision.co Twitter & Instagram - @thecollectivev

http://www.collectivevision.co

DJ | VJ | Photographer | Film Editor/Cinematographer | Graphic Designer

Cell phone: (551)587-3124 | Skype: reynoirjr

djscoopmp3@gmail.com

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boomchaU2 commented 6 years ago

Ditto, please add me on the list for an NTSC version.

Jorge

On February 22, 2018 at 8:59:34 AM, fd69 (notifications@github.com) wrote:

Hi again people, I didn't know there was a list, if so Charlie may I also be put on list. No Way I'm missing out on this invention ( better than sliced bread )

Cheers Justin

Sent from my iPhone

On 22 Feb 2018, at 9:41 pm, reynoirjr notifications@github.com wrote:

Oh put me on the list for 2 of these bad boys at least!

On Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 7:37 AM, Erchitu notifications@github.com wrote:

@charcole https://github.com/charcole Consider me on the waiting list to buy at least one :) I have NES, SNES an Dreamcast games to be used with the gun, so I definitely need this :) Can't wait to try it :D

— You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/charcole/LCDZapper/issues/1#issuecomment-367667519, or mute the thread < https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AfVIG3T7mRS9T-vYMvfhy1TcbeWgVlFwks5tXV97gaJpZM4Jx2MQ

.

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Creatively Yours,

Reynoir "DJ Scoop" Lewis www.collectivevision.co Twitter & Instagram - @thecollectivev

http://www.collectivevision.co

DJ | VJ | Photographer | Film Editor/Cinematographer | Graphic Designer

Cell phone: (551)587-3124 | Skype: reynoirjr

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charcole commented 6 years ago

I should point out there isn't a list but it's been nice hearing people want one so thanks all :) Everyone on this thread will be the first to know when it's ready.

@fd69 I would like to sell it worldwide. Problem would be all the different certification regimes for EMI testing making it prohibitively expensive to do so. I'm not a lawyer but I think I could still legally sell you an uncertified product but you might be breaking a law importing it (and customs could stop it). Probably no worse than buying random uncertified electronics direct from China though.

Erchitu commented 6 years ago

@charcole "Probably no worse than buying random uncertified electronics direct from China though" Exactly... It's years I'm buying things from China, USA, Australia, and the most of them ( from China especially ) are non certified. No one in the customs cares about what it's in it, they only care about the taxes. Here in Italy at least. As far as I know they only stop containers full of uncertified things, but not the single package of a private user.

fd69 commented 6 years ago

Certified or uncertified sign me up. Charlie have you kept total unit wieght down for purpose of shipping expenses?. Also how much do you approximate unit would cost in AUS Dollars Cheers Justin

Sent from my iPhone

On 23 Feb 2018, at 7:02 am, charcole notifications@github.com wrote:

I should point out there isn't a list but it's been nice hearing people want one so thanks all :) Everyone on this thread will be the first to know when it's ready.

@fd69 I would like to sell it worldwide. Problem would be all the different certification regimes for EMI testing making it prohibitively expensive to do so. I'm not a lawyer but I think I could still legally sell you an uncertified product but you might be breaking a law importing it (and customs could stop it). Probably no worse than buying random uncertified electronics direct from China though.

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fd69 commented 6 years ago

Yes would it not be the same if I was to purchase a framemiester from japan to Aus or if I purchased a OSSC from UK or HI-DEF mod boards from USA??? can anyone confirm Cheers Justin

Sent from my iPhone

On 23 Feb 2018, at 7:31 am, Erchitu notifications@github.com wrote:

@charcole "Probably no worse than buying random uncertified electronics direct from China though" Exactly... It's years I'm buying things from China, USA, Australia, and the most of them ( from China especially ) are non certified. No one in the customs cares about what it's in it, they only care about the taxes. Here in Italy at least. As far as I know they only stop containers full of uncertified things, but not the single package of a private user.

— You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or mute the thread.

reynoirjr commented 6 years ago

So i asked my cousin who is a lawyer about how one would handle international shipping of electronics.

Her response was that if its a demo product of lets say new speakers, as long as it passed physical customs scans and looked presentable if they were to open the box for review then you wouldnt have an issue. She said if you started moving over 150 units in a short time span then you might get flagged.

Her advice was to create a list of who would intially be buying the product. Ship out those units unofficially locally and test an international shipment with 1 or 2 people in different countries and if it cleared then send the rest. She said RF products usually dont have an issue and with the advent of kickstarter many designers have skipped certification altogether.

She also said to check out emcfastpass.com for more info.

On Feb 23, 2018 8:48 AM, "fd69" notifications@github.com wrote:

Yes would it not be the same if I was to purchase a framemiester from japan to Aus or if I purchased a OSSC from UK or HI-DEF mod boards from USA??? can anyone confirm Cheers Justin

Sent from my iPhone

On 23 Feb 2018, at 7:31 am, Erchitu notifications@github.com wrote:

@charcole "Probably no worse than buying random uncertified electronics direct from China though" Exactly... It's years I'm buying things from China, USA, Australia, and the most of them ( from China especially ) are non certified. No one in the customs cares about what it's in it, they only care about the taxes. Here in Italy at least. As far as I know they only stop containers full of uncertified things, but not the single package of a private user.

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Erchitu commented 6 years ago

@charcole @reynoirjr I can be a candidate for Italy if you wish :D

TommyLindh2 commented 6 years ago

@charcole I just want to say that I am also very interested of being part of that list that doesn't exist 😉 Awesome that you are interested in selling this amazing creation!

fd69 commented 6 years ago

Hello Charlie, Justin here again how did you like my packaging idea you can use my product character motto aswell if so desire No probs. Anyhoo to more pressing issues will we see and recieve final product this year????????

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On 27 Feb 2018, at 1:22 am, Tommy Lindh notifications@github.com wrote:

@charcole I just want to say that I am also very interested of being part of that list that doesn't exist 😉 Awesome that you are interested in selling this amazing creation!

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charcole commented 6 years ago

@reynoirjr Thanks for the advice!

@fd69 Not sure there'll be any packaging. Not going to be sold at retail so will probably just be a plain box for shipping. No promises on release dates but I think the design is almost done. I mainly need to work out all the legals, tax implications and logistics (which I'm not looking forward to) or find a partner that'd want to work with me.

fd69 commented 6 years ago

What about working with the RGB Retro Guy or GameTech USA surely those guys have been down that road in some capacity, just a sugestion Justin

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On 27 Feb 2018, at 7:05 am, charcole notifications@github.com wrote:

@reynoirjr Thanks for the advice!

@fd69 Not sure there'll be any packaging. Not going to be sold at retail so will probably just be a plain box for shipping. No promises on release dates but I think the design is almost done. I mainly need to work out all the legals, tax implications and logistics (which I'm not looking forward to) or find a partner that'd want to work with me.

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MarcGee commented 6 years ago

Fantastic project and one that should make me keep my Dreamcast/Saturn!

So just registering on here so that I hear about availability/kickstarter campaign as I'll never have the time/ability to build my own and unless the price is silly I'll be buying at least one.

@charcole are you UK based? (just thinking customs/shipping).

So, if I'm dusting off my Dreamcast/Saturn how should I be looking to connect them to my HDTV? RGB SCART? (just had to google that I had a SCART on my current Tv and I assume I used RGB output from my Saturn but it's been a long time...)

maepis01 commented 6 years ago

Hello everyone. I'm in no way smart enough to have input or create anything like this, however if anything of this nature is or will be coming up for sale I'd be most interested in buying at least one. Is anyone close to having a fully operational prototype?

Roet-Ivar commented 6 years ago

@charcole amazing project man, I've missed light gun gaming for so long! I own a pair of EMS Topgun 3, but their usage are very limited.

Do you sell or plan to sell a DIY kit with PCB and loose components?

hotd34me commented 6 years ago

I absolutely could not be any more excited for anything else in the tech scene other than this amazing piece of hardware this man took he time to create! It is absolutely amazing @charcole , buddy, you really have done something quite amazing. If & when you do mass produce, I'll be buying 3, one for each purple Konami Light gun on My Konami M2 arcade machine I was telling you about, "Evil Night" :) Very excited and congratulations!!!

charcole commented 6 years ago

Thanks for the comments everyone. Finally found some time to make some progress on this the other day. I built up one of the new boards and put it through its paces. Added a dark background to the menu so it's a lot easier to read now. The circuitry needed for this also let me provide an option for three different cursor brightnesses too. I've attached a picture below. (The stripy logo isn't intended for final but was a quick way to test the new brightness levels on the overlay.)

Next step, I'd like to do a follow up video to my original as it's just surpassed 100K views (making it my most popular video). Was also planning on sending a couple to some YouTubers to see what they think. I have someone in mind but if anyone wants to suggest people I'll check them out.

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@Roet-Ivar It's intended to be a completed product but there are some hurdles to that. Would be a pain of a kit as it takes me several hours still to build each one and I've built quite a few of them now.

@MarcGee Yep, I'm based in the UK. RGB SCART is still a good way of hooking things up although yeah, newer 4K TVs seem to have mostly dropped the connector :(