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Slightly OT: any success with Adaptoid and modded Rumble Packs (w/o batteries)?

Corak

Nintendo gamer
any success with Adaptoid and modded Rumble Packs (w/o batteries)?

Sorry for putting up 3 posts that quickly but I figured it would make sense to split them since they cover completely different topics.

This question is slighly off topic as mentioned above but I don't know any better place to ask this. This forum is just filled with Adaptoid users (gee what surprise) who might just know the answer I'm looking for. :)
[Moderator: If there is a better forum for this question feel free to move the post. Sorry for any inconvenience]

I'm still waiting for my Adaptoid. In anticipation of it I already bought a shiny new N64 Controller together with a Nintendo brand Rumble-Pack today.

I used these once but it's too far back to still remember that the Rumble-Pack relies on batteries.

Oh I hate batteries in computer components which need constant exchange and replacement! :(

I now read fortunately that there are some easy modifications out there which will remove that battery requirement.

See
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=rumble+pack+modification+batteries&hl=en&meta=

USB does provide up to 5V to it's components AFAIK. The rumble pack comes with 2 1.5V AAA batteries. So I think it should work fine with the Adaptoid. But maybe someone has tested this already here and noticed complications of some sort?
If it worked fine which mod did you try? Cable or Component-replacement?
 
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Smiff

Emutalk Member
power usage is measured in watts or more commonly mA (milliamps), i think that would be the important thing.. i haven't tried to work it out, but i'm fairly sure USB would not be stressed by the power drain of a rumble pack.

edit. soz, mAh is capacity
 

flow``

flow``
i dont think it will work due to the rumble pack running off its own power source..

now quit being stingy and buy some batteries =p (j/k)
 
OP
Corak

Corak

Nintendo gamer
flow`` said:
i dont think it will work due to the rumble pack running off its own power source..

now quit being stingy and buy some batteries =p (j/k)

Well normally it does run off it's own power source = batteries. If you do the mod it will run off the power of the Nintendo64 console if plugged into a console. So far I have read many positive reports on this. Although it might be a problem if you do this with 4 rumblepacks at the same time.

But I will use this rumblepack only with the Adaptoid so USB will supply the power which should be more than sufficient I suspect. I have not yet found the exact USB wattage output and exact rumble pack wattage requirement but I assume:

USB wattage output >> Rumble Pack wattage requirement
 

Tk64

The Other Village Idiot
Watt?

USB port: 5v @ 500 mA max = 2.5 W

... My Logi rumblepad is rated 5v 500mA (and it's usb) so the N64 rumblepack should work.

[added] The dextrose rumblepack mod is neat, gotta try that.

/me heats up Weller 40W soldering iron and digs for that Kester #66... :p
 
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OP
Corak

Corak

Nintendo gamer
Yeah I think it should work.
Interestingly enough this company sells already premodified el-cheapo rumble packs:
http://www.baysoftgames.com/n64batfrerum.html

But NAKI themselves don't know they produced this pack:
http://www.nakiusa.com/n64.html
o Or they discontinued it
o Or they are the wrong NAKI company

I just emailed them to see what's going on here.

I just tried to verify the data you gave Tk64. Thanks! They seem to be correct according to http://www.usb.org/developers/data/usbspec.zip
A "high-power unit" is allowed to consume up to 5 unit loads whereas one unit load equals 100mA. A "low-power unit" only consumes one unit load. (p. 134)
See chapter 4.2.1 for the 5V specification.

I wish Nintendo would release detailed specifications for their components like USB.org. :)

Oh one short very dumb question. Is it possible to calculate the power drawn from the rumble pack just by looking at the batteries it uses? I'm no expert but I guess the only way to find out for sure would be to see maybe how long it works until it's drained?

The rumblepack uses 2 AAA batteries specced at 1.5V. If the rumblepack e.g. drains 200mA the required wattage would be

1.5 x 200 x 2 = 600 = 0.6W

if I understand this correctly.
Is there a speced limit of how many mA you can drain from a AAA battery? I guess not...
If this above easy formula is correct the rumble pack would have to drain more than 833mA to exceed the USB "high-power device" specification.

I don't think it would draw that much now would it? :D

Oh well I will just go for it I guess. I just have to decide which dextrose mod to use. The cable one or the replacing one hmmm. I guess the replacing one is more professional but I have zero soldering experience d'oh. But then again this shouldn't be soo hard.

I wanted to buy soldering stuff anyway because I want to solder some neat little amp for the new Sennheiser HD600 I bought very recently. :D

The official rumble-pack has some very annoying screws however. I have read that you need a 3.8mm security screwdriver to open this without breaking all apart.

But oh first I will wait for the Adaptoid to test if this thing works ok with batteries before screwing everything up. :happy:
But I refuse to buy any new batteries for this thing if I can't help it.

I will update this thread sometime in the future with a report of success/failure.
 
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Slougi

New member
Well, from some little research I just did it should work, however you might want to use the adaptoid on an usb port of it's own just in case.
 
OP
Corak

Corak

Nintendo gamer
Yeah of course. Additionally you probably won't have the full 2.5W for the rumble pack alone in either case though. Wishtech wrote all over their website that the Adaptoid works without an external powersupply which implies that the basic controller itself allows draws some...

Ok got an el-cheapo soldering iron and some solder with it today. But no luck yet in finding a screwdriver to open the rumblepack...

At least not locally. :)

As far as research goes these 2 should work:

http://www.mcmelectronics.com Order# 22-1145
and
or Order# 22-1476 in a kit with all included.

http://www1.rswww.com ProductID# 248387
 
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