Bunch of Dreamcast questions - can you help? (modding/online help)

[Link83]

Hi everyone, I have just registered in the hope that someone will be able to help - as I have tried asking these questions on other forums and no-one seems to know! - so I really hope someone here can help I appreciate any help you could give me, and sorry if any of these questions have been asked before.

I have been out of the Dreamcast scene for quite a while, but have just started getting into the great machine again I only have a PAL Dreamcast at present, but have decided I am going to start importing and have been told that I should get an NTSC console and chip it so that I can get the best out of all my games (NTSC machines boot all games in 60Hz apparently - unless i'm mistaken?) However I have a number of questions:-
<Apologies in advance for the length of this post!>

(1)Where is the best place to get the latest revision of the Dreamcast modchip?


(2)I have a broadband connection at home, but no landline(phone line) I know the Dreamcast had a broadband adaptor released for it, but it is very rare and expensive I have heard it is still possible to get the Dreamcast online using a PC modem, and have found a link to a website detailing how to do it, but I am finding it very confusing. Can anyone explain how to do it in simple terms? Heres a link to the site:-
http://consolevision.com/members/mterlouw/
What parts do I need? I only have my PC set up using DSL broadband from ntl, and my PC doesnt have a modem installed...


(3) Also, my PAL Dreamcasts internal battery has died, and i'm beginnning to find it alittle annoying having the "enter date and time" menu pop up every time I turn it on. I know the DC uses a rechargeable internal battery which "takes two hours to fully charge and then should last about two weeks" but mine has completely had it. I know there is a mod to replace the internal battery, here is a link:-
http://devcast.dcemulation.com/mods/...ce/battery.php
According to the link it is soldered onto the controller board, so I would need to unsolder it first, then replace it with two AA/AAA's. I'm going to use two AA's at 2500mah so that I will probably never need to enter the date and time again!
...However i'm alittle unsure on how to do it, or where to get the parts? has anyone here had experience of doing this mod? If so could they please explain where you put the batteries internally, and how to 'wrap them up'/insulate them?


(4) Lastly, i'm also tired of my VMU's letting out there little 'yelp' for help whenever I turn the DC on. I was just going to remove the batteries, but I was thinking there must be a way to fit some rechargeable batteries into the VMU unit. I found these available on ebay:-
http://cgi.ebay.com/5-Rechargeable-3...QQcmdZViewItem
Is the VMU unit capable of recharging its battery whilst the DC is on?
If it isnt, I may attempt to mod it somehow using the rechargeable LIR2032's (rechargeable CR2032) and add a recharge port to the VMU where I could use a charger to 'charge' the VMU (like a Nokia phone charger or similar) has anyone attempted to do something like this and have any advice/info?

Thanks to everyone who reads this essay and for any help you can give me!

[semicolo]

1) no real need for a modchip, find a bootdisc instead

2) well if you don't understand what's explained there, I don't know what I could explain more.

3) only thing I know for battery replacement is you should get a 3 battery pack with wire already spot soldered, because if you try to solder wire by heating the batteries, you'll destroy them (or use some battery socket)

4) The vmu mussn't recharche its batteries since it wasn't engineered so ( the non rechargeable batteries could explode, leak... if charged ).

[Link83]

1)Well, id prefer a modchip if possible (I hate swapping disks)

2)The guide I link to is about 4-5 years old and doesnt have any instructions for Windows XP SP2 users. It also expects that the PC has a 56k modem built in (which mine doesnt) and there are 128k external modems available nowadays...

3) Where would I get the correct parts though for the mod?

4) OK thanks!

[vazel]

can someone help me with modding too? where would i buy a boot disc/ mod chip? a site that ships to california, usa. i assume the boot disc has to be a stamped disc so i can't just download and burn an iso.

[Darksaviour69]

http://www.consolevision.com/members..._imports.shtml

[vazel]

thanx. does anyone know where i can get a dreamcast mod chip though? i'd like to have one handy just in case.

also, does a sega saturn require a modchip or swap disc to play backups? i know you can play games backed up to cd-r on the sega cd without modding.

[Darksaviour69]

dreamcast with modchips built in

[Tomlo]

Unfortunately the sega saturn would need a mod chip but until you can get your hands on a chip, use disk swaping. I still use it even though it extremely annoying, but I have a gameshark and that makes it easy. This might help http://www.segaxtreme.net/misc/faqs_...saturnswap.txt
Im sure there are better guides around, I just did a quick google

[vazel]

1)Well, id prefer a modchip if possible (I hate swapping disks)

i finally found a site that has dreamcast modchips for sell. http://videogameimports.com/hw_index.htm


and in case anyone is interested here is where you can get a sega saturn modchip. http://www.jandaman.com/games.mvc?c=SAT