recycledgamer
02-25-2010, 03:32 PM
I made a batch of homebrew Vectrex lightpens to help raise some scratch for my CGE trip. I'm offering them here to DP members for a substantial discount from what I will be selling them for on eBay/GameGavel.
About my homebrew lightpen:
It's based on a schematic posted to the Vectrex Usenet forum by Tony Duell in 1995 as well as a revised schematic from PlayVectrex.com
Uses a custom printed circuit board that I designed and produced
Pen itself is a re-purposed marker shell.
Cord is re-purposed from a Sega Genesis controller and modified for the Vectrex controller ports.
Laminated label with custom Vectrex art
Behaves just like the original Vectrex light pen
I have put many hours into producing these lightpens over the past few weeks. Despite the recycled case and cord they are very solid and well built. I will warrant them against defects for a year.
The lightpen requires a lightpen-compatible Vectrex game cartridge: Art Master, Melody Master or AnimAction. There are also a couple of prototype/homebrew games on some of the various multicarts out there. I have the 1.0 version of the Sean Kelly cart and it includes a lightpen-compatible prototype called Engine Analyzer (which doesn't really do much).
The lightpen should be plugged into port two and a standard controller into port one for most lightpen games. (Lightpen goes in port 1 for Engine Analyzer)
You can see the lightpen in action as well as the process I went through to make them in this YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6On2AFPx6pc). Even if you are not interested in buying one, I hope you will find the video interesting and entertaining.
$35 shipped anywhere in the US. I'll ship internationally as well for a bit extra. I can do PayPal and USPS money orders. PM me for payment details.
I have more than 10 available at this point. I'll follow up in this thread if I run out.
Chuck
RecycledGamer
About my homebrew lightpen:
It's based on a schematic posted to the Vectrex Usenet forum by Tony Duell in 1995 as well as a revised schematic from PlayVectrex.com
Uses a custom printed circuit board that I designed and produced
Pen itself is a re-purposed marker shell.
Cord is re-purposed from a Sega Genesis controller and modified for the Vectrex controller ports.
Laminated label with custom Vectrex art
Behaves just like the original Vectrex light pen
I have put many hours into producing these lightpens over the past few weeks. Despite the recycled case and cord they are very solid and well built. I will warrant them against defects for a year.
The lightpen requires a lightpen-compatible Vectrex game cartridge: Art Master, Melody Master or AnimAction. There are also a couple of prototype/homebrew games on some of the various multicarts out there. I have the 1.0 version of the Sean Kelly cart and it includes a lightpen-compatible prototype called Engine Analyzer (which doesn't really do much).
The lightpen should be plugged into port two and a standard controller into port one for most lightpen games. (Lightpen goes in port 1 for Engine Analyzer)
You can see the lightpen in action as well as the process I went through to make them in this YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6On2AFPx6pc). Even if you are not interested in buying one, I hope you will find the video interesting and entertaining.
$35 shipped anywhere in the US. I'll ship internationally as well for a bit extra. I can do PayPal and USPS money orders. PM me for payment details.
I have more than 10 available at this point. I'll follow up in this thread if I run out.
Chuck
RecycledGamer