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--==PulseVU v2 Review==--
First I would like to thank the people over at www.SickMods.net for for the prototype chip to test and review. Thanks!!!
If you always gotta be the one with the brightest flashiest consoles, or just looking for something to make your wii stand out from the rest, the PulseVU v2 by sickmods.net may be just what you are looking for. If you are unfamiliar with the PulseVU you may be in for a surprise.
The PulseVU has pretty much 2 main features, 1st when the console is in standby the disc slot of the wii will gradually fade/pulse in and out. 2nd when the console is turn on, the VU is activated and the disc slot will pulse to any audio produced from the Wii.
The V2 introduces 10 different modes for your leds, with combinations of on, off, fade/pulse, dim, bright, and the VU. When you 1st install the chip you will be in Mode1 which pulses with the audio when the Wii is on, and Fade/pulse in and out when the console is off/standby. To change modes simply hold the eject button for 4 seconds, and your leds will pulse 4 times, keep holding the button until you get to your desired mode. The 4 pulses will be either a short or long pulse, which will tell you what mode you are on. Also the v2 will not only pulse when the console is in standby but now when the console off as well.
If you are familiar with the PulseVU, the install has changed up a little bit, and a few extra points have been added. The most difficult part about the install, is if you want the pulse/fade effect when the console is powered off or if you don’t use WiiConnect24 then you will need to lift one side of a resistor and solder the lifted and to the vcc+ on the opposite side of the motherboard. Other then that the install is a breeze just like its predecessor.
UPDATE: The final version will not require you to lift this resistor as it will be added to the PulseVU chip itself
Now you guys should know I like lots of leds hehehe. The v2 doesn’t supply as much power as the older v1 so I was not able to hook it up to the XCM i-case. That was until Pedro from Sickmods suggested I should swap a resistor and a transistor on the chip. After a Radio Shack visit we were back in business.
What you will need for this is,
1.220 ohm Resistor
2. TIP31 NPN transistor
After the quick swap everything was ready to test. Once back together the PulseVU immediately started pulsing the console to all and audio from the wii. I was able to cycle through the different modes when the console was on or off, The new settings on and dim are great features as well, when I feel like changing up the mood or make it more customized to for the user. In conclusion these chips are worth the price and time to install and will definitely set your Wii apart from all your friends.
There is no official release date or price yet, but they tell me the final version should come in about 2 months or less.
Here are a few various PulseVU videos