A Nintendo famiclone keyboard? I document the fail/win process of buying junk in the hope of an easy fix. This time I got myself a very unusual famiclone system on ebay for £7.50 including shipping. Can it be fixed?
I buy a lot of gameboys on ebay and 90% of the time it's the power button that needs taken apart and cleaned, otherwise it's usually corroded battery terminals. Most other electronics i buy tend to work after a good cleaning as well.
If you want some more info about keyboard famicoms, l ook up "Subor Famiclone Keyboard", that's the most common brand of these, and there are at least a few articles about them. There's even a more extensive model from them (SUBOR), that had a floppy disk drive, and some kind of OS. EDIT: almost 100% of famiclones use 9-12v inputs (most use 7805 voltage regulator, so it has some leeway) with center negative barrel plugs, since that was the configuration of the original famicom. EDIT2: (yes, I am writting this as I watch through the video) Famiclones that have DE-9 connectors ("megadrive controller plug") ARE NOT compatible with ATARI/SEGA type controllers, they still use the original famicom serial communication protocol but with this connector. Some famiclones used DA-15 socket, 1 or 2 plugs, which is the same as the OG Famicom Ext. Port, or more rarely the NES specfic port.
I bought a faulty one Boxed from the flea market and it claims to have the latest Windows OS, I made a video about it you can check it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I81Zw_W1srw.html
I found the actual machine! www.ebay.com/itm/Keyboard-Famiclone-For-Repair-With-Famicom-36-in-1-Multicart-English-NTSC-Typing/272985647636?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D44040%26meid%3Dcbe0931381ff4b5b9f9af8afc1844fb4%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D9%26sd%3D222024751702%26itm%3D272985647636&_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850
For anyone interested in repairs like this one : If the device doesn't display it's accepted max voltage and polarity on the back, then you should be extra careful and not try random power bricks. There are variables you are missing and you're risking damaging your device in pretty bad ways.The worst that could happen is burning some irreplaceable IC's that are under those black blobs. Electronics, especially transistor based ones, operate on DC so your device should have some way to convert AC from the wall to DC. Usually, the power supply does this conversion with a bridge rectifier ( 2 or 4 large diodes) coupled with a capacitor. So if you find those in your device, around the power jack then you can assume the device has some minimal protection agains't reverse polarity or the usage of AC instead of DC ( the NES uses 9V AC). So, no diodes = only try DC. In this video, there doesn't seem to be any diodes but that black chip near the power jack looks like a voltage regulator. This chip is your key to find the required voltage. Check it's datasheet and you're gold. That Blue capacitor behind it can also give you a hint. It's rated for a maximum voltage so take a look at what's written. I'd guess it's 10v. You can also use it to determine the polarity of the power jack by following the traces. In this case, you were very lucky as it is center negative ( black stripe on the cap connected to pin 1 on the DC jack). That being said, you should check twice your variable voltage power supply as it might be powering the console in an unexpected way which might lead to damage (that tansistor (power reg) might not be operating the way it was designed to, plus, the original power supply might be rated to feed more or less amps that your variable one which might not bee ideal in some cases.)
Wow, nice going, I have to say! You now got a working Famiclone, I was convinced this thing had no chance of being repaired due to what looked like moisture damage. I like the odd Apple-inspired hybrid keyboard design, makes it look like a home computer from the early 90s.
That keyboard is actually imitating the style of the one that shipped with the iMac G3 in 1998/1999 (Apple USB Keyboard - M2452) though you can sorta see the resemblance to its successor too (Apple Pro Keyboard - M7803).
Model M2452, I have two of them (The Mac keyboards). They originally came with the iMac G3 and were used for some G4 setups. Most G4's came with the later M7803, or Apple Pro Keyboard, which had a more "standard" keyboard layout.
It's amazing on how much "non-functioning" stuff you find. All is needed is a good cleaning. Too much stuff is tossed because no one thinks of it or is willing to do it.. Glad that you're back as well!
I'm glad to see you're finding the time (or energy?) to start making videos again. I started watching some of your videos during your hiatus before the move, and enjoyed them.
The reason for the keyboard is because China had a ban on gaming consoles for many many years, and they put cheap famiclones in cases like this to pass them off as an educational computer, which was used with some bundled crappy education software titles. In fact Jackie Chan was even on the boxart for one of these clones that was sold in both Hong Kong, and mainland China. lastly I could be wrong, but I think you can also use these clones to program in Family Basic which supported an add on keyboard for the original Famicom, and saved program data on a cassette tape for use with the very much forgotten Famicom's branded cassette recorder.
Not exactly. This kind of thing is popular in China in about 80s' or 90s' , when a computer was really a "hot thing" that almost every family wanna to get one , and most of the people think that it was important to get the basic skills of the computer operating such as typing, but it was much too expensive for an ordinary family to afford a computer in China back then. So this kind of thing came out, which provide basic computer functions such as typing practice, BASIC programming and so on. The ban on gaming consoles have not been set at this time, but at about the PS2 ages. Besides there is just no need to fake a Famicom as a computer to sell it "legally" in China back then since the manufactors of those Famicom clones didn't even care. I remember back in the 2008, you could buy a Famicom clone at the price of less than 4 bucks , or a Genesis clone for 16 bucks in almost every toy shop in China, even in rural areas.
Hakurei Cirno I got some homework for ya Jackie Chan's fake Nintendo ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WUvPxbx-UMc.html Gaming BANNED in China for 15 years! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HDdvY35Av3M.html
Wow, those components look pretty crunchy. That is a neat item. Glad to see you got it working. I know some of the other clones have controllers that use that port, but I never cracked one open to look at it.
Yes. It is used for a NS-HUBASIC clone. (I have a GLK-2002 famiclone that also has a keyboard and the keyboard is used for a clone of NS-HUBASIC that on my system is named "G-Basic". )
I had to pick my jaw off the floor when I got notification that you posted! great video too! besides looking like it has seen better days the famiclone keyboard hybrid looks like it could be so cool!
Yesss! I was flipping through my subscriptions today earlier today and came across yours to find that you had posted a video earlier this week, so glad that you're posting more often again! Notification'd!
I had this exact same unit a few years back. It came with a white multi cartridge with educational software on it, as well as a simplistic Family BASIC language. Mine had rust in exactly the same places too!
I just looked up this rom and it looks super interesting anything with basic is worth a try and that ddr clone looks cool. Do you know if you need a keyboard and mouse to interface with the rom cause i want to try it out on my nes with everdrive?
Yes, you need. As far as I know, keyboard on this thing works exactly like Famicom keyboard for Family Basic. Mouse is another story. On my clone if you connect controller in this port, you can control cursor in down and right directions, but after few seconds everything can crash.
I used to have the same famiclone keyboard which i played for about 7 years and exchanged with friend for some books. Yes It came with a special cartridge for the keyboard typing and other keyboard/mouse related games. Mine had double epoxied chip which would be the main nes and the keyboard controller chip. Package included two controllers(playstation alike), Zapper gun, Mouse, 9v power supply , RF jack, AV Composite cable, Special Typing cartride( 48 in 1) and the device itself. It only cost me about 11dollars(converted) at that time. It was about 14 years ago.
The joystick that these things use are regular nes cotrollers, just a different connector, but there are adaptors so you wont need to modify it. The "original" controllers are pretty cheap (like less than a dollar a pair) but the quality is just above shit
Lovely eBay junk there is so much to choose from and you found a unusual one that's for sure LOL this thing looks like it survived a flood haha great video man
Have you tried using another bootleg controller with it? I have a few Super Joy IIIs that I bought to turn into portables, I could send you one of their controllers if you just cover the shipping. No charge, they're just taking up space in my shop, and you've been a huge inspiration over the years.
I've found one of these almost four years ago in the trash, totally broken. It is in my big "to do" list. Btw just checked mine and the psu is 9V 500ma +(o-
I love to colect famiclones^^,) Also have similar keyboard clones. And yes, You are right - they comes with own software cartridge, some kind of bassic programing. Allso mouse, 2x kontrollers and gun included.
I have one of these. Will have to redo the video section. There were some of these that had a parallel port so you could use a printer. The original cart has a text editor with the print option
You most likely need either a nes or famicom gamepad. Most classic 9 pin joysticks/gamepads have a direct line to each individual switch, while the nes/famicom gamepads use a chip to serialize the data. 9 pin connectors are commonly used on famiclones since the original famicom directly wired the gamepads into the system. You should be able to find the likely pinouts online, but like I said, it probably needs to be a nes/famicom gamepad which will have the proper chip in it.
Famiclone controllers use a completely different pin configuration from the Genesis/Atari pins. Your best bet would be to use controllers from another Famiclone, since everywhere I've read has said that all Famiclones that use that style of controller have the same pin configuration.
those 9pin ports are for 9pin famiclone controllers, they are electrically the same as a NES controller just another cheaper connector. there are diagrams on ow to wire in NES connectors. also i have a few of those famiclone controllers if you are in "need" of them.
Already sub'd got the bell on and also changed my notifcation settings so I get alerted on email, text push, as well as on my front page whenever you upload dude, epic as always :D
This kinda stuff (famiclone in keyboard formfactor) was popular in Poland like in early 2000's. I remember having one couple years back. Build quality was horrendous, cheap as hell. Nice video as always.
yea, these were very popular in places were MSX and other personal computers were a thing! I made a video about the Arabic version of this keyboard you can watch it here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I81Zw_W1srw.html also I've seen a russian version too
Yeah i know :D Like bootlegs are like an art form. We need to study them, because there are so many things to discover and share the knowledge. Thanks my dude :DD
8:28 Yes. They don't control the game. I have a GLK-2002 (a famiclone with a keyboard) and the keyboard is used for a clone of NS-HUBASIC that comes with these. The GLK-2002 I have was supposed to come with G-Basic, but I don't have the original cartridge.
