The Blog

Sega Saturn Sophia SH-2 CPU Cards: 171-6692B vs 171-6692D

Nix McRetro // 30th March 2013 // Hacks, Repairs, Sega

You heard correctly. These are 171-6692B SH-2 CPU boards, not the better-documented 171-6692D. The boards use SH7095 SH-2 processors, but there are some obvious physical differences compared with the 171-6692D boards I had been expecting. Most noticeably, these 171-6692B boards lack the second power header and the two jumper blocks... Continue reading

XRGB-mini on Sega Mega Drive 2 Without an LM1881 Sync Stripper

Nix McRetro // 29th March 2013 // Hacks, Sega

Interesting result from the Mega Drive 2 and Framemeister experiments. With this particular cable setup, everything works beautifully once the LM1881N sync stripper is removed. Leave the LM1881 in place and the XRGB-mini really does not seem happy. That does not mean the Framemeister universally dislikes sync strippers. The Mega... Continue reading

Southern Leaf-tailed Gecko - Wizard Lizards!

Nix McRetro // 28th March 2013 // YouTube

This is the second one of these leaf-tailed geckos that has come into my home over the years. Possibly the same one! Southern leaf-tailed geckos are nocturnal, so wandering around and hunting at night is perfectly normal behaviour for the species. Smart gecko! :) Sources Australian Museum - Southern Leaf-tailed... Continue reading

Roadside Core 2 Quad: Initial Test and Donation

Nix McRetro // 28th March 2013 // IBM PC, Repairs, YouTube

As promised, here is the roadside Core 2 Quad machine in action during its initial testing. Considering it had spent the night outside in the rain, the useful hardware came through remarkably well. The contaminated power supply had already gone straight into the rubbish after the cockroach-and-lizard surprise, so this... Continue reading

Final Cut Pro X vs iMovie 9.0.8 vs Lizard

Nix McRetro // 19th March 2013 // News, YouTube

I’ve decided my videos need background music. At the time I came across Freeplay Music and thought I had found the answer. No more iMovie music! Final Cut Pro X still doesn’t quite cut it for me. iMovie 9.0.8 is buggy, including the strange Cmd-H behaviour where it disappears and... Continue reading