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View Full Version : A Pirate looks at WiiKey - a wiikey blog


soulfoot
04-03-2007, 09:44 PM
Disclaimer: the word Pirate in the title is only used loosely in reference to a certain coral reefer's song. I am in no way a pirate of any sort, and if i was i wouldnt tell you :).

This is a place for me to share my wiikey experience, from selection to install to gameplay.


First of all as of today april 2nd i consider all the major wii dvd mod chips equal on most lvls and only chose the wiikey because a few weeks ago it offered a few features that the others did not. the only reason i would choose it today is because it offers updates via dvd without the use of an extra switch

having read about the chips and chosen my chip i then proceded to the official wiikey site. Chose an official retailer (sorry divineo you didnt make the cut) and purchased my chip along with a wire kit and a tri winged screwdriver.

Let me first state that this will be the first console i have modded and have zero soldering experience. Rest assured I have read enough to know that it should be professionally done.

My chip arrived along with the LG drive and i made a backup of Zelda along with the Wiikey DVD, burned them both using Nero at 2x on a liteon burner with Maxell 8x media. I then found an electronics repair shop in my hometown and called. The conversation went like this:
Me: Do you make repairs on Game systems
Him: Yes
Me: How much
Him: Depends on the project, bring it in let me look at it and i can give you an estimate
Me: its a wii mod chip
Him: 65 dollars
Me: Ok thanks

I thought if he knew what a wii mod chip was and knew how much he would charge i would be fine. Well i show up a few days later with everything and he holds the wii like he has never seen one before and holds the mod chip like it is radioactive. he then asks a bunch of questions like who makes this and who makes that, is it the same company. Really scaring me. I showed him the specs and told him that i think even i could do it if i had his soldering expertise, he looked at the instructions and said he could probably do it and that it would be ready by friday

So here i am, with a stranger taking care of my wii, oh well at least he is Asian looking. I feel better leaving it with him than some red neck like me :)

BTW /deleted/ if anyone near here can share some advice in case something happens or can help me out if this doesnt work, feel free to pm me. I would think a professional if he botched the job would at least know enough not to screw up the wii, so if the worst happens hopefully it is salvageable

Edit

Lesson 1. Post in forums on the off chance that there is someone nearby that is more experienced than some random overpriced professional.

I will be picking the wii up from the tech store tonight and going with Mysterious Local Guy.

Edit

Local Guy = dipswitch see replies below and pm him he is good

Local guy did an awesomely professional job, he took some pictures as well so if he does post them i'll copy them here. Thanks alot i will be sending more people your way and anyone living near America's Heartland you may want to try him first, it was really worth the trip. he even hooked me up with a copy of his Nes/Snes/Sega etc boot disk.

Dipswitch tested out his Nes boot disk and everything went flawlessly over at his house
I got home and put in a backup of Elebits and it did not work, i took it out and put it back in and reset a few times like i saw him do at his house for a fishing game before i realized i was putting the darn thing in backwards lol, everything seems to work better when you put it in correctly, in my defense it was late and i was trying to get things going with the lights off cause my wife was asleep on the couch waiting for me to arrive home. The game woke her up which was my intention and we played multiplayer elebits - i'm such a looser- but we had a good time :)

Lesson 2: Put games in the correct way.

Dipswitch posted a pic of the awesome job he did but i thought i would link it here to keep things tidy

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/1198/mattsmod1vc5.jpg

Well day 2 or 3 depending on how you count em, and i'm happily traveling down memory lane with emukidd(not sure on spelling) program copied for me by dipswitch. But why oh why did you not include Kid icarus in your list of NES games on your DVD. there is a missing hole in my life now as i breifly contemplate burning a new dvd with it on it. I know i'm being greedy but i also wonder if anyone is working on a mame/daphne homebrew for gamecube. Dragon's Lair and Space Ace would make my life complete.

Lesson 3: Not everyone thinks Kid Icarus should be on an NES Emulator disk

brywalker
04-03-2007, 10:26 PM
You're boned.

soulfoot
04-03-2007, 10:42 PM
You're boned.

you think, i sure hope everything goes ok

it has to be better than me doing it myself

crumpster
04-03-2007, 11:02 PM
Its actually pretty easy to install it yourself. But i guess its better safe than sorry. 65 bucks seems very steep imho.

ASSPOP
04-03-2007, 11:03 PM
$65 to solder it?? thats too much.

soulfoot
04-03-2007, 11:10 PM
$65 to solder it?? thats too much.


well its not too late to call it off, they closed when i dropped it off, but i called a few other places and no one would even touch it, to be honest if someone would guarantee a good solder job i might have even been willing to pay more so i guess from where i'm sitting, it was my best option, sad part is a year ago i worked at a local arcade type buisness and knew several guys i would trust my wii with, but the place had a total turnover twice and i have no real way of getting in touch with them.

so as far as free or cheap help i think i'm screwed

besides 2 weeks ago a gal i worked with offered and paid me 90 bucks to clear out a print que and reset her printer - i did tell her it was free but being a friend of the family she insisted - her son does handy work for my mom so i think she was trying to return the favor. point is it all washes out somewhere

dipswitch
04-03-2007, 11:27 PM
I live in Tulsa. I would have done it for you. Haha... Well good luck!

soulfoot
04-04-2007, 12:47 AM
I live nearby. I would have done it for you. Haha... Well good luck!

my good fortune then, if things do not go as planned i may be in touch

JspOt
04-04-2007, 02:38 AM
I would feel bad to charge $65 for a solder install. But then again this is supposed to be a computer repair guy so he probably has a set price.

soulfoot
04-04-2007, 09:34 AM
I would feel bad to charge $65 for a solder install. But then again this is supposed to be a computer repair guy so he probably has a set price.

thanks, wish i was close to california :)

well, here is a thought, if my man doesnt do a good job, and i have a broken wii for my trouble, i now have a broken wii i can practice on lol

but all truth be told i would be upset if a professional couldnt handle it, i even emailed him the step by step instructions available from one of the posts here with the detailed pictures and pre flux/tinning instructions

oh well:

Always check and see if there is someone on the forums living nearby and willing to do the job. That is the First Lesson.

RSaotome
04-04-2007, 10:13 AM
It is such a easy job, 65 bux for it? no way... you are getting ripped off badly. If it was a PS2 mod job, then i kinda understand (usually PS2 has 24 x 2 solder points all over the PS2 mobo) but 6 x 2 on Wii... just no way in hell.

If you are willing to pay for both Shipping to NY, I'm willing to do for 20 bux. wire/quick you name it, it is quite simple to do Wii modchips.

dohclude
04-04-2007, 10:56 AM
Yaaaaarrrrr! http://i1.tinypic.com/zu02gw.gif

soulfoot
04-04-2007, 11:00 AM
If you are willing to pay for both Shipping to NY, I'm willing to do for 20 bux. wire/quick you name it, it is quite simple to do Wii modchips.

wow i really underappreciated this community, i believe i'm committed since i was silly enough to drop it off before i made a single post, but it is so awesome to know i have some back up both closeby and far away, i will say this in my personal defense but if i include insurance and shipping both ways it would most likely be pretty close to the same total cost.

but seriously thanks to all

evlspcmk
04-04-2007, 11:36 AM
man i feel like i got a ripper of a deal i only paid 25bucks australian so thats like 18 US for my soldering and i could have probably got it for nothing since the guy owns some Pissant TV repair place and the guy speaks about 10 words in english he said just take it home and if it works than come back and pay me so i could have ripped the poor bastard off and said it didnt work but i felt that he deserved the 25 so i just paid him

soulfoot
04-04-2007, 11:39 AM
man i feel like i got a ripper of a deal i only paid 25bucks australian so thats like 18 US for my soldering

the owner of this store is a young guy like me trying to make his way. I really dont mind paying as long as everything turns out ok

dipswitch
04-04-2007, 11:44 AM
Here is photo of mine. I did mine externally for now but of course I could do internal mod. I've only charged $20 too for basic internal mount. I did mine with scsi cable but I've got 30guage wire and all that.

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/8149/dsc00637mediumag4.th.jpg (http://img251.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00637mediumag4.jpg)

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/2392/dsc00649mediumhl5.th.jpg (http://img217.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00649mediumhl5.jpg)

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/5356/dsc00794mediumnv6.th.jpg (http://img251.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00794mediumnv6.jpg)
wiikey

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/7538/dsc00791va0.th.jpg (http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00791va0.jpg)
PIC programmer for wiifree!

soulfoot
04-04-2007, 12:09 PM
Here is photo of mine. I did mine externally for now but of course I could do internal mod. I've only charged $20 too for basic internal mount. I did mine with scsi cable but I've got 30guage wire and all that.



yeah i read about that dongle option and was intrigued but, i think i would just go with the plain wire install

soulfoot
04-05-2007, 08:27 AM
Its actually pretty easy to install it yourself. But i guess its better safe than sorry. 65 bucks seems very steep imho.

well i let local guy dipswitch work on it, he did an awesome job, so if your near the heartland you may want to get in touch with him, well worth the trip

dipswitch
04-05-2007, 11:32 AM
haha, I'm glad you got your disc problem sorted out. Sorry to keep you up too late. You'll have to apologize to the wife for me. :p

Here's your photo:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/1198/mattsmod1vc5.jpg