Hacking AceKard 2i contacts question...

[cowboycoder77]

Hi,

I just received a new AceKard 2i having previously only used a CycloDS cart.

I noticed that the gold contacts are patchy - with dark spots where the gold appears to be missed or rubbed off. Is that normal? The cart seems to operate just fine but I'm concerned that if the gold is coming off the contacts then the cart may stop working properly. Just wondered if other owners carts look the same?

Many thanks.

 

[Spartan117H3]

Your contacts should look like this:

If not, not sure. It certainly should not be "rubbing off" though.

 

[tk_saturn]

It will be fine, just give them a clean with some alcohol

There's a few photo's of mine in this thread http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=218103#contacts

 

[cowboycoder77]

Thanks guys - mine look more like this (not an actual photo of mine)...

... except on mine the board that the contacts are attached to is black instead of green. I think it must be legit though as it runs the latest AKAIO just fine.

 

[Spartan117H3]

If it's not a photo of yours and it looks like that, then what's the problem?

 

[tk_saturn]

The board where the contacts are is normally transparent green/yellow, and black above the contacts. Perhaps you should post an actual photo of your cart?

 

[cowboycoder77]

Good point. Let me apologise for the quality of these in advance (I'm stuck with an iPhone camera):

See, the quality is junk. But you can see the contacts board is black rather than the standard green/yellow. You can't see the speckled bits of missing gold on these pics - I just don't have access to a good enough camera.

I think I should stop worrying and just enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Runs AKAIO just fine so I don't think it is a clone. Thanks again.

 

[tk_saturn]

I think I should stop worrying and just enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Runs AKAIO just fine so I don't think it is a clone. Thanks again.

Perhaps you have a new batch? I've not seen any photo's of a where the PCB underneath the contacts is black. Might help if you post the HWID, you can get this by going to the AKAIO start menu >> More >> Help. Are you using it on a DS Lite or DSi?

 

[doeo]

Acekards dont have teeth... :/

 

[cowboycoder77]

I'm actually using it in my old phat DS - just while I test it out.

I have: AKAIO v1.6 RC2 HW:44 SVN: 824

I think it might actually be an older one.

 

[DeMoN]

That's very weird. Only the older Acekards have teeth over all the contacts.
Or like tk_saturn said, you might have a new batch that no one knows about yet.

Where did you buy your card? And does AKAIO work on it (if it doesn't then your AK is fake).

 

[tk_saturn]

I'm actually using it in my old phat DS - just while I test it out.

I have: AKAIO v1.6 RC2 HW:44 SVN: 824

I think it might actually be an older one.

HW:44 and teeth are consistant with the older Acekard's, or it could be a new not seen clone. Either way it should work. The easiest way is normally to open it and see what brand the flash chip is on the side of the MicroSD slot, should be SST if it's genuine.

CannonFoddr's HWID:44 AK2i still has a black/green PCB http://normmatt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=410

 

[cowboycoder77]

I got it from a UK online store that seems to have a decent rep.

AKAIO 1.6 RC2 is running on it without complaint and I have read that this is the sure-fire test for it being genuine. Thanks for all the comments/help. I appreciate it.

I think it is older since it has square chip and also is spring loaded (which surprisingly feels less flimsy that I'd feared).

 

[spark1223]

You should post this on that thread that another world made. I've never seen teeth on these. As for the black dots that's probably just dirt. Mine has black lines, but that's normal from the ds card reader. I wouldn't sweat it if it's working though.

 

[tk_saturn]

AKAIO 1.6 RC2 is running on it without complaint and I have read that this is the sure-fire test for it being genuine.

Not at all.

The HW80 AK2i clones will run AKAIO 1.6, but only on a DS Lite or DS Phat. It's easy to identify them because of the HWID:80 which should only be on an Acekard 2.1.

Now if those clone makers changed the HWID to 44 and added teeth, it would be very difficult to identify those clones... I've no idea if either the Flash Memory chip or the processor determines the HWID, but i'm guessing they can change the HWID at will.

If the site was R4i.co.uk, they are known for selling clones.

 

[cowboycoder77]

It also runs on my DSi.

I got mine from hanger.org.uk.

 

[Djay187]

I just had to bring this topic up again, I received my card the other day and it looks exactly the same as the pictures above, with the black PCB and the grill over the contacts. When I go to the Start/Help it also says HW 44/SVN 824, it runs the latest AKAIO 1.62c fine and seems to work the way the real cards work with roms such as using Xenophobia's patch on the ind release of Dementium II and holding X to make Blue Dragon work.
I've had a few no card inserted and games freezing but apart from that it seems to act normally, so do we know what the consensus is, clone or real.
I got it from Console Repair/wii-chip.co.uk who I've ordered a few cards from and got the real thing, plus they're really quick, you normally get your order within two days, so I have nothing but good things to say about them.

 

[tk_saturn]

There's no way to tell.

On one hand we know there were genuine Acekard's like that, on the otherhand that was quite a while ago, you wouldn't expect stores to still have stock of them.

The HW80 clones seem to have disappeared, Logically they could easily have changed them to they appear as the HW44's instead.

If lots of HW44's start showing up, i'd assume they are clones. The problem you have is that most won't notice they are clones and so won't post on here about them. Otherwise it's probably an original but older cart.

SVN is to do with the AKAIO build, not the Acekard.

 

[Djay187]

Ok, thanks, the thing that worries me is this contact issue, obviously because of the grill I can't do the paper trick and as I said I've already had a few no card inserted come up.
But apart from that it does act normally so I suppose I'll enjoy while it lasts.

 

[tk_saturn]

Yeah, that's my paper trick wher you slide it under the PCB. But on your Acekard, you should have 2 clips on either side of the shell. You should be able to undo them, you can then place a strip of tape underneath the contacts.

Before you do any of that though, try cleaning the contacts with pure Alcohol.

You can also try the paper behind the cart, but instead of paper i'd use a piece of thin plastic.