Dreamcast-Talk.com

Sketcz wrote:

fraggle200 wrote:

exawatt wrote:please, any working link of DC-X !?

http://www.dc-swat.ru/page/download/ should find a few import boot discs in here. I've used the DC Import Enabler (DC-IE) with no problems in the past.

Thanks for the link. That site is handy.

Does DC Import Enabler allow one to force a game to boot in 60Hz in the same way that DC-X allows one to forcibly boot in 60Hz? Or does it just allow region free gaming? (I ask because I made a topic on DC-X, but am happy to use alternatives if they fix my Hz problems).

Sadly it doesn't allow you to force 60/50Hz. Not sure what it's outputting though to even know if it's forcing whatever you load to load into the native Hz. Only time I used it was when I was testing some CDDA issues I was having and had to boot a retail Jpn Sega Rally 2 in a Pal system that had been modded to run in NTSC.

If you're feeling handy and want to force the system into just outputting NTSC then https://mmmonkey.co.uk/dreamcast-region-change/ thats what i followed to mod my system. It's about as simple a mod as you'll ever get if you're halfway decent with a soldering iron. It won't change the region of your GDROM drive, it'll just alter the video output. In my case the GDRom was still Pal but video output was NTSC.

fraggle200 wrote:If you're feeling handy and want to force the system into just outputting NTSC then https://mmmonkey.co.uk/dreamcast-region-change/ thats what i followed to mod my system. It's about as simple a mod as you'll ever get if you're halfway decent with a soldering iron. It won't change the region of your GDROM drive, it'll just alter the video output. In my case the GDRom was still Pal but video output was NTSC.

Cheers. I had seen that, and was eyeing it up, but the controller board resistor and the timekeeper battery are about the limit of my soldering. Quite large solder points, and I ended up melting the hole on the timekeeper, so a bit of circuit board layer started peeling.

I might just pay someone to do that region mod you linked to. Maybe put a pole switch in, so I can alter it as needed (if I understood correctly, that wire allows you to use some region change software which... Reflashes the bios? Because the guide says to cut the wire after doing it).

I was hoping someone knew where to get DC-X. Although a hassle to disc swap every time, it's still easier than kynar wire modding.

Sketcz wrote:

fraggle200 wrote:If you're feeling handy and want to force the system into just outputting NTSC then https://mmmonkey.co.uk/dreamcast-region-change/ thats what i followed to mod my system. It's about as simple a mod as you'll ever get if you're halfway decent with a soldering iron. It won't change the region of your GDROM drive, it'll just alter the video output. In my case the GDRom was still Pal but video output was NTSC.

Cheers. I had seen that, and was eyeing it up, but the controller board resistor and the timekeeper battery are about the limit of my soldering. Quite large solder points, and I ended up melting the hole on the timekeeper, so a bit of circuit board layer started peeling.

I might just pay someone to do that region mod you linked to. Maybe put a pole switch in, so I can alter it as needed (if I understood correctly, that wire allows you to use some region change software which... Reflashes the bios? Because the guide says to cut the wire after doing it).

I was hoping someone knew where to get DC-X. Although a hassle to disc swap every time, it's still easier than kynar wire modding.

You're right. The disc just gets the bios to behave differently. I have seen a few people keep the wire connected and they all ended up with problems further down the line so best just to remove it once done. A switch would get around that though i think.

As for the soldering, i think you could do it. If you can keep a few things in mind you'll get a better result than your previous attempt.
* if you can control the temp of your iron, have it about 320 degrees. If not, don't worry. Just be mindful of the amount of time you have it in contact with anything. A few seconds is enough.
* use leaded solder, it melts a lower temp than unleaded solder.
* put a little bit of solder onto the pad you're going to solder to. This will help soften up the old solder and it'll melt easier.
* when soldering anything, use flux. Paste or liquid, it doesn't matter but it'll help the solder flow. Doesnt need to be drowning in flux but you can't really have too much as long as you clean it when you're done. Clean it with ipa.
* have the right sized tip for the job you're doing. Too big with too much solder can make life difficult. Too big a tip with just a little solder can still work though.
* when attaching the wire, hold it over the pad. Put some solder on your iron and hold it on the wire and pad. Wait a couple of seconds and it should all become 1 then lift the iron. Done!

Voultar has some great vids on YT that are worth watching to get a feel for soldering technique, even if they're not what you're going to be soldering. Best of luck.

Thanks for the soldering tips. I've done some tricky mods before, notably the thin wire-lift on a SNES region/Hz mod. The problem is more psychological when it gets tricky - I could never do bomb disposal or surgery for example.

Anyway, I finally found a solution. Code Breaker for Dreamcast. It's a small file, easy to find through Googling, and as long as you queue the game images correctly in USB-GD, it will boot games in 60Hz.

I tested Grandia II and Armada last night.

The weird thing is, while other bootloaders like Action Replay and Gameshark boot into the swirly DC logo, Code Breaker goes straight into the game. I wonder if that's why it works.

Anyway, I am now happy to have a solution. Though if anyone still wants DC-X, it can be found here:
https://mega.nz/folder/q7oxzDga#JfJulP8EX1-poB0nkgy2ZA

fraggle200 wrote:
If you're feeling handy and want to force the system into just outputting NTSC then https://mmmonkey.co.uk/dreamcast-region-change/ thats what i followed to mod my system. It's about as simple a mod as you'll ever get if you're halfway decent with a soldering iron. It won't change the region of your GDROM drive, it'll just alter the video output. In my case the GDRom was still Pal but video output was NTSC.

That is most interesting, but are there any issues expected after the mod is performed?

I mean, what happens to PAL games if they are booted in a PAL DC with NTSC video output?

Or is there a way to force the DC back to PAL by means of a boot/cheat disc?