PS2 - extension cable for multitap?

Richard Harnwell

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I sit some distance away from my PS2 (used with projector), and frequently have 3 friends over for some multiplayer fun.

I can't afford 4 cordless controllers (and I prefer the standard PS2 ones anyway). I was going to buy 4 extension leads, but I then thought it might make more sense (and be less messy) just to use one extension cable connected between the console & the multitap. The downside to this would be that I would lose the ability to use the 4 memory card sockets, as I guess I'm unlikely to find an extension lead that includes the memory port.

Does anyone know if this will work?

Cheers,

Richard

PS - no such problem with the gamecube - thank heavens for wavebirds
 
Why not get extension cables for power and video and move the PS2 closer to the players ;)? Surely the cheaper option...

Andrew
 
I may end up going with that option, but I was rather hoping to be able to put my consoles in a rack & leave them there.

I have bought an joypad extension cable this lunchtime. I'll give it a go and report back.

Mind you, I can't believe that extending the power, TOSlink and component video cables will be less than the cost of one extension cable (about £7), in fact it might still be cheaper to buy four of them.......
 
I've only seen controller extension leads, not a multitap extension lead.

In case you're wondering why you can't use the controller extension lead with the multitap, the PS2's multitap connects to the memory card slot as well as the controller slot. It's not physically possible to connect the controller extension to the multitap lead.

What's strange though, the PSX\PSOne multitap only connected to the controller port, yet certain games (such as V Rally 2) could read the 4 memory cards.

If you do see a multitap extension, please let us know where you sourced it from!

Dunedin397
 
Well, I tried it tonight.

There's no problem physically connecting an extension cable between the PS2 and the multitap, it is just that it obviously only extends the controller port, not the memory card port.

I plugged in a controller to the multitap & turned on.

It worked!

Unfortunately, any further controllers are not recognised, so it seems that it somehow uses the memory card connection to be recognised as a multitap. Oh well.............

If I could create a "memory card extension cable" I guess it would work, but I think I'm resigned to buying three more joypad extensions.

I guess it was worth a try!
 
That's a shame as it would have been really useful to have the controllers plugging into the multitap near to the users & then a single cable running to the console.

Dunedin397
 
Yeah, that's what I thought.

It must be possible to make such a lead. Half of it is already available in the form of a joypad extension, it is just (!) a case of extending the memory socket as well.

I guess this requires the following:

  1. Memory card "plug"
  2. Memory card "socket"
  3. Multistrand cable
  4. Soldering stuff
    [/list=1]

    The memory card plug could be constructed by hacking a cheap memory card (PS1 maybe ?)

    The memory card socket is a tricky one. THe only thing I can think of is using a "memory card expander", but this would push the price up.....

    Even given parts, I guess there is a risk of the cable reducing the voltage to a point where it causes problems.....


    Any thoughts?
 
I wouldn't be too sure it's down to the card connections not being there.

I have a couple of controller extensions and have found weird combinations that don't work.

i.e. multitap + extension + Dualshock 2 - doesn't recognise controller

multitap + extension + Dualshock 1 - works OK

I've tried various combinations and it looks to me like there's enough voltage drop when using a multitap + extension that the console doesn't think there's anything connected.

Have a play with the various combinations before spending money and time making a new lead.
 

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