Gauging interest for a group buy for Neo Flash Cart

[cabbage]

I have a 128Mb+save. So far I have found no use for the save function at all. It doesn't seem to be compatible with the Tennokoe and it does not replace the Backup RAM. I've not had any luck writing homebrew code that saves to the Neo Flash save RAM either (surely it's possible, though). I wonder what the Neo Team was thinking when they added that feature 

The Neo Flash is a nice thing to have, though. It's not nearly as user-friendly as R4 and the like, but with a bit of tinkering most (maybe all?) games can be made to work well. It still has some quirks that I don't understand, but it's good to be able to play homebrew and translations and hu-cards that I'll probably never find or be able to afford (Magical Chase).

If anyone is on the fence about joining a group buy and has some questions about the cart, feel free to ask.

HercTNT- mine came with a linker. I don't know if they can be bought without one. The Neo Flash card actually has pins on both sides--one side has a PCE/TG16 connector and the other has a GBA one. When you want to play, you plug the PCE side into your console and go to town. When you want to flash some new stuff on it, you plug the GBA side into the USB linker and run their flashing software.

[SignOfZeta]

Have we determined that some of these 128M carts are actually DOA and not just suffering from the works-on-some-consoles-but-not-others-because-of-shoddy-power syndrome?

I mean, conceivably someone with only one console who received one of these and had it not work might immediately think the thing was DOA when it fact it just suffers from the same affliction that all of them do.

Which really, is a problem with the consoles themselves and not the carts.

I have a DOA one. It's been tested on a IFU, US Duo, and Duo R.

[Duo_R]

I am interested, but when does the everdrive for PCE come out?

[Mishran]

Regardless, the 64M is my preference. I see no need for the larger one in case the everdrive DOES release. I've never heard anyone mention problems with the 64M either. I was considering taking care of the purchase and dispersal of these as well if nobody objects.

[genetik]

I am interested, but when does the everdrive for PCE come out?

There's no set date really. Krikzz hoped to deliver it in summer. But right now he's not working on it. He's focusing on the mega everdrive also he's helping, if I'm not mistaken, on a new snes flash cart as well.

[nat]

Have we determined that some of these 128M carts are actually DOA and not just suffering from the works-on-some-consoles-but-not-others-because-of-shoddy-power syndrome?

I mean, conceivably someone with only one console who received one of these and had it not work might immediately think the thing was DOA when it fact it just suffers from the same affliction that all of them do.

Which really, is a problem with the consoles themselves and not the carts.

I have a DOA one. It's been tested on a IFU, US Duo, and Duo R.

Fair enough. Anyone else?

[PsychedelicShaman]

Hey guys, I would suggest waiting for the Turbo Everdrive.  It will leave the neoflash version very outdated, and is months away.  This will run off of a sd or microsd card so you can put the entire tg16/pce library on it and forget about it.  There's talks of integrating the Arcade duo card into the Turbo Everdrive, but I'm not sure he's interested in doing that.  He's speccing it out to be more around the pricing of the everdrive md which is $78. So if it's around $100 it's still cheaper than the group buy price for a 128mb + save neoflash cart and better.  Grant it, the price and release date is still speculation.

Here is the forum thread where you can track the progress over at assemblergames.  Admittedly there isn't a whole lot of progress since he's working on the new everdrive md.  http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31764.  Retrocollect article on it, the link to the Turbo Everdrive shows the pcb design.  http://www.retrocollect.com/News/krikzz-to-release-pc-engine-turbografx-16-flash-cartridge-a-updated-ultimate-mega-drive-everdrive.html

tl;dr Why drop more than $100 for a cart that you will be replacing with a better one for around $100 in around 6 months?

[genetik]

For sure the everdrive will be better in every way. No doubts about it. I own all of Krikk's product and I love them.

I myself have no Hucards yet, so I would very much like having a neoflash cart while waiting for the everdrive. The 64M would be cheaper than $100. I see it as a fairly inexpensive way to play what I want while waiting for the evedrive.

[BigusSchmuck]

For sure the everdrive will be better in every way. No doubts about it. I own all of Krikk's product and I love them.

I myself have no Hucards yet, so I would very much like having a neoflash cart while waiting for the everdrive. The 64M would be cheaper than $100. I see it as a fairly inexpensive way to play what I want while waiting for the evedrive.

The problem with the NeoFlash (from what I have heard) is that it doesn't work on every system due to the voltage requirements. So its really a 50/50 chance that it will work at all. See this thread for more details:
https://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=10670.0

[HercTNT]

I thought Steve found a work around to get more voltage to it?

[neoxeno]

I thought Steve found a work around to get more voltage to it?

What is the work around?

[HercTNT]

I have no idea, i remember steve talking to someone about tapping in to the board somewhere to get more voltage to the cart slot. I have shit for memory sometimes. Either he said he found a way, or he said he was pretty sure if he could look at it, he would find a way.

[SignOfZeta]

I would assume that it isn't really more voltage that is required necessarily, but rather more current so that the standard amount of voltage can be maintained under the increased draw of the flash card.

[HercTNT]

Would an ac/dc adapter with a larger milliamp rating be the fix then? or is it still an internal problem?

[nat]

Would an ac/dc adapter with a larger milliamp rating be the fix then? or is it still an internal problem?

It's an internal problem. Using higher-rated AC adapters won't get you anywhere.