Help my dreampi isn't working

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RoguePilgrim
shadow
Posts: 14
Dreamcast Games you play Online: Phantasy Star Online
Quake 3 Arena

Re: Help my dreampi isn't working

Post by RoguePilgrim »

I just bought new batteries and when I remove them from the adapter it says it can't make connect but when the batteries are in it says the line is busy (even with only one battery) and I got a guy called William M. Nash to make the cable for me from the dreamcast online Facebook group, he makes them for other people and they work for him so I really have no clue what's went wrong :c

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Xiden
Developer
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Dreamcast Games you play Online: All the DC games!!

Re: Help my dreampi isn't working

Post by Xiden »

Id ask for a replacement. Im certain its your cable. I had the same issues as you. I tried new batteries and yook them out and got exactly the same messages. Those cables can short out. You could take it apart and use a voltameter on it to check. Or see if something got disconnected.

My cable randomly shorted out on me. So im thinking that happened to you.

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DR TEAMCAST
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Location: New Jersey
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Re: Help my dreampi isn't working

Post by DR TEAMCAST »

OP, this might sound silly, but did you try re-installing the DreamPi image?

Sometimes, because there is no power button on the Pi, the image can become corrupt from unplugging it. Which could obviously make the software behave erratically. Occasionally I need to re-install because I'll get the error "Unable to contact host: Could not look up it's name", usually restoring router to factory settings fixes this, but it's been once or twice that I needed to re-install the image

I'm not sure if the DreamPi ever worked for you yet and you've just setup, I just skimmed through the thread. So if that's the case TL;DR lol
ImageImage
Forum for Dreamcast and Saturn browsers http://bb.dreampipe.net
Media, News, Events and more for your Sega Dreamcast internet browser at http://dreampipe.net

RoguePilgrim
shadow
Posts: 14
Dreamcast Games you play Online: Phantasy Star Online
Quake 3 Arena

Re: Help my dreampi isn't working

Post by RoguePilgrim »

DR TEAMCAST wrote:OP, this might sound silly, but did you try re-installing the DreamPi image?

Sometimes, because there is no power button on the Pi, the image can become corrupt from unplugging it. Which could obviously make the software behave erratically. Occasionally I need to re-install because I'll get the error "Unable to contact host: Could not look up it's name", usually restoring router to factory settings fixes this, but it's been once or twice that I needed to re-install the image

I'm not sure if the DreamPi ever worked for you yet and you've just setup, I just skimmed through the thread. So if that's the case TL;DR lol
See I thought that was the case so o tried it three times but nothing changed :c also it hasn't worked for me yet I just got it :c

RoguePilgrim
shadow
Posts: 14
Dreamcast Games you play Online: Phantasy Star Online
Quake 3 Arena

Re: Help my dreampi isn't working

Post by RoguePilgrim »

Xiden wrote:Id ask for a replacement. Im certain its your cable. I had the same issues as you. I tried new batteries and yook them out and got exactly the same messages. Those cables can short out. You could take it apart and use a voltameter on it to check. Or see if something got disconnected.

My cable randomly shorted out on me. So im thinking that happened to you.
Yeah I'm starting to fix the same thing too, tbh. I'll ask for a replacement cable, hopefully I get one.

RoguePilgrim
shadow
Posts: 14
Dreamcast Games you play Online: Phantasy Star Online
Quake 3 Arena

Re: Help my dreampi isn't working

Post by RoguePilgrim »

Xiden wrote:Id ask for a replacement. Im certain its your cable. I had the same issues as you. I tried new batteries and yook them out and got exactly the same messages. Those cables can short out. You could take it apart and use a voltameter on it to check. Or see if something got disconnected.

My cable randomly shorted out on me. So im thinking that happened to you.
If my cable has shorted out on me, what would I replace in the cable or do I need to get a new one all over again?

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Xiden
Developer
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Dreamcast Games you play Online: All the DC games!!

Re: Help my dreampi isn't working

Post by Xiden »

It could be the capacitor or the resistor unless you have a voltage meter its hard to know what's bad in the connection. You can swap it with another .47uf Capacitor, and replace the resistor with another 380 Ohm resistor.

You should be able to easily desolder and replace the parts. Just make sure you have enough solder on there to make a good connection. (I'm assuming of course the original person actually soldered them together)

Its possible the phone cable itself could be old which could cause problems too.
Have you took off the tape or whatever is holding it together to see if one of the connections game loose?

PCWizard has a good video on how to create a voltage inducer, in case you take it apart and forget where things go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPvNQAi-yeM

I'd still highly recommend using a phone line simulator over a phone line inducer, but that's just me lol. Sometimes they come up reasonably priced on ebay. Search Viking DLE-200B, sometimes you can snag one for $40.

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Xiden
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Dreamcast Games you play Online: All the DC games!!

Re: Help my dreampi isn't working

Post by Xiden »

Hey RoguePilgrim, any luck getting your pi to work?

dave_van_damn
Graffiti Grind
Posts: 312

Re: Help my dreampi isn't working

Post by dave_van_damn »

I've had a similar problem. I can connect but takes a few attempts and then eventually the line will disconnect after 5-10 mins. Strangely PSO works fine, though! But Quake 3, Toy Racer etc all disconnect.
aka DavidHK on DC games.

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Xiden
Developer
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Dreamcast Games you play Online: All the DC games!!

Re: Help my dreampi isn't working

Post by Xiden »

dave_van_damn wrote:I've had a similar problem. I can connect but takes a few attempts and then eventually the line will disconnect after 5-10 mins. Strangely PSO works fine, though! But Quake 3, Toy Racer etc all disconnect.
I'm guessing for you its also a phone line issue. When mine was starting to go out I'd get dropped in games as well as having horrible lag. Make sure you aren't using an old phone line and make sure you Voltage Line Inducer isnt shorted out.

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