Engineering/Electronics Vectrex projects

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.vectrex (More info?)

Hi

I live near Cairns, Queensland Australia. I would like to hook up with
people with electronics or engineering skills, the closer the better.

I have had in my mind to do a few projects on the vectrex for years, I can
name some, but won't be able to research the techs in detail till I get
back from my trip.

Will probably do these three myself:

- Simple color vectrex mod (converts mono vectrex screen to colour).
- Simple Vectrex projecion mod (converts mono vectrex screen to
propjection device).
- Large colour Vectrex screen (a combination of the two above).

The tricky ones:

- External coprocessor (currently trying to find out about a really cool
processor).
- Small lowcost laser based projector.
- SuperTrex game system (combination of the two above).

- handheld and watch vectrex??

I have one guy that would like to help, but he is not a Vectrex owner and
is often too busy.

What do you think?


Wayne.

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[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.vectrex (More info?)

Wayne wrote:

> I have had in my mind to do a few projects on the vectrex for years, I
> can name some, but won't be able to research the techs in detail till I
> get back from my trip.
>
> Will probably do these three myself:
>
> - Simple color vectrex mod (converts mono vectrex screen to colour).
> - Simple Vectrex projecion mod (converts mono vectrex screen to
> propjection device).
> - Large colour Vectrex screen (a combination of the two above).

[snipped out the "tricky" ones]

> What do you think?

Any progress on any of these would be great. However...

As a long time lurker on this group, I notice a lot of projects that
have been proposed and beared fruit but also quite a few that haven't,
which isn't surprising of course. However, I think it is true to say
(someone will correct me if I'm wrong I'm sure!) that the hardware
projects that have been successful have been ones that you add to the
vectrex: controller conversions, cartridges of various forms,etc.
Although there has often been talk of new types of veccies or of major
conversions of them, I can't think of any examples, except maybe the zektor.

So... if you've got some good solid ideas on how to convert a vectrex to
colour (what about the software though?!) or a vector projector I think
you'll be very popular

Roberto/.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.vectrex (More info?)

I am realising I have too many projects going at the moment. But still I
am looking for people to help with the projects, as I am too swamped to do
them all myself.

Now zector, tell me more?

About the projects, they are very simple stuff and in fact the whole three
hardware ones can be based on the same processor, the same software
(though there will be differences in screen drawing for each of them) even
the same I/O and download. If you were really lazy you would use a GBA
(if I can dare say it) as the coprocessor. 16Mhz ARM 512K ram is all we
need for Vectrex stuff. But now I have anoher thought, some of those Game
Boys don't they have IR, if it's fast that might be enough to send vecor
commands to the vectrex to display, the GB becoming a control pad. All
that would be needed is a drawing/sound program for the Vecy and an IR
tranceiver in a cartridge or controller ports. There is a simple methord
to fill the GB memory with a propgram through the link port, from there it
can even load a client program in the vecy by the IR device. Anything
with IR will do, even a PSP (if it has one).

So there's another one, but back to the origional ones, when you use the
same platform for all devices most of he work rolls up into selecting and
readying the first platform, and programming for it. I have a list of
interesting processors, but very few can go into a watch.

As far as the Vectrex screen enlarger goes, I have done more research and
have struck out on two of the simpler cheap methords to enlarge the
screen, still a couple left to go though.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.vectrex (More info?)

Wayne wrote:

> Now zector, tell me more?

A picture tells a thousand words they say, so:
http://www.zektor.com/zvg/zvg_vpics.htm

It looks very cool. Not sure how many people have got one, but probably
quite a few would like to!

Roberto/.