Modding a PAL SNES RGB SCART cable for NTSC

I think I'm close to solving the audio buzz I'm getting with my Super Nintendos! After getting the better plug converter for my SCART to component converter, I noticed the buzz I had been experiencing with my PAL SNES (hooked up with an official SCART cable) was gone! So I tried plugging that console's cable into the Super Famicom. It was now buzz-free too! There's just one problem. The cable is a PAL cable, so it produces a dark image on the SFC. Since official SFC RGB cables are freakin' expensive, I was thinking I'd mod one of my official PAL cables to turn it into an NTSC cable. As I recall, the only difference between NTSC and PAL cables are the PAL version has resistors to lower the brightness of the image. So I was thinking if I removed these resistors, I'd have an NTSC cable.

Here's the guts of my PAL SCART cable:

From what I can see, there's just the one resistor, would removing it correct the brightness on this cable and make it suitable for use with an NTSC console? I'd probably have to replace it with a wire or something, since it looks like the resistor is part of a circuit. Thoughts?

 

NTSC cables have caps in there.

Also, thats not the resistor you want. The resistors are all together in an array and looks like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Resistor_Array_model_pic_J.PNG

Why dont you just buy a gamecube cable?

 

Don't know if this might help- I have bought an RGB cable from consolemate.com.au Unfortunately they are out of stock but maybe they will get more in. I have contacted them recently, will check in a few weeks.
Anyway what I'm trying to say is that the RGB cable works on PAL Gamecubes and upon opening looks like it's got the 220uF capacitors which is exactly what you need for an NTSC Snes if I'm not mistaken
http://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:nintendomultiav

I want to get one for my PAL Snes but I will need to replace the capacitors with 75ohm resistors according to the gamesx website

Lol Bad_Ad84 already suggested buying a GC SCART cable

 

Ah, so this part then?

Would I need to desolder this component?

Official NTSC gamecube cables are basically as expensive as official NTSC SNES RGB cables, while I can find official PAL RGB cables at quite a reasonable price. That's why I wanna mod the cable

So you're saying I could butcher a gamecube cable for the capacitors I need? I already have a PAL gamecube cable that I had been using for my NTSC SNES, could I use it?

 

I think you misunderstood me.

A PAL gamecube cable is the same as a NTSC snes cable. There is no need to mod the pal snes cable.

 

You think I would have known that, since I've been using a PAL Gamecube cable for that same purpose. Oh the things that slip my mind

Again, even PAL official GameCube cables are quite expensive. Again, it comes back to that fact that official PAL SNES cables are easier to find, and I've already got two of 'em.

 

PAL snes cables and PAL GC cables are a similar price (infact, GC ones are cheaper for me).

I wouldnt mod the snes cables, but thats just me I guess

 

Are these official cables you're talking about? Because on eBay, I can find official PAL SNES RGB cables for AU$14.87, while an official GameCube RGB cable is AU$49.85.

 

got a link to the snes cable for that price?

And I was paying around £12 for either type.

$38 for a GC RGB cable is madness

 

How about we trade? HERE'S THE LINK TO THE SNES CABLE I MENTIONED, you give me a link to the cheap official gamecube cable you mentioned

Also, the cables are actually $49.85, the $38 ones I mentioned turned out to be 3rd party. Can you see now why I want to mod PAL cables instead?

 

Your link failed to include shipping, which adds another 60% to the price lol.

I got all my GC cables via auctions. Buy it nows seem crazy at the moment.

 

What I was trying to say, and someone correct me if I'm wrong is that you can get a Gamecube SCART cable which is compatible with the NTSC Snes, so no modification is necessary
Can't really test my GC SCART cable because I don't have an NTSC Snes
If you have a Gamecube SCART cable yourself, test it

 

You are correct, a PAL GC cable is the same as a NTSC Snes cable.

 

Huh? Postage on those PAL cables are $8.62 to me, that's pretty average.

Okay, we've established the official PAL gamecube RGB cables are pretty mad expensive at the moment. What do I need to do to convert a PAL SNES cable to NTSC? I've got a 3rd party PAL gamecube cable, I'm assuming I'll be able to take parts out of it and put them into the PAL cable? There's not much in them, just a few capacitors, I think I would be better just buying some new capacitors.

 

if a cable is $12 but shipping is an extra $8 - thats an extra 60% or so.

Converting a snes pal cable isnt all that easy. You need to remove that resistor array, then add the caps in series on the RGB lines. Which means you are going to need to cut traces to each of R G and B and then insert the cap between them.

 

Hmmm, assuming it's not a squeeze to fit those three capacitors in there, that doesn't sound too complex. The 3rd party Gamecube cable I have manages to fit them all in there, despite the plug being smaller. Though, it's got the capacitors soldered directly to the pins. Actually, would it be possible to do that instead of soldering them to the board? Like, snip the red, blue and green wires and shove a capacitor between them.

 

Thank you!

 

Yes, you could do that. I am not entirely sure how well that will fit - but you can try it.

 

Oh good, that sounds much quicker and easier than cutting traces on the little board. Okay, so the process is:
1) De-solder the resistor array (do I need to add any wires to bridge the connection or is everything cool with the resistors missing?)
2) Snip the R, G and B wires (I'm thinking I'd snip them right at the pin, that way I could solder directly to the pin instead of to a little bit of wire)
3) Solder a capacitor between the cut (220uF capacitors correct? Any brand recommendations? Does the "stripe" side of the capacitor face towards the SCART pins or the console itself?)

 

stripe toward the scart pins
no need for any connections, just take the array out