Bridgestone Modem??

[nihonmasa]

Hi all,

Found a Famicom Bridgestone Modem while I was in japan last month. It is missing it's outer box unfortunately.
Will upload a pic later on.

I did find this information online, however I am unsure of its use. Usual trading stuff? Information on it seems to be very scarce...

http://jironosuke.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2014/05/2-f3a6.html

edit: pics of mine; quite different from the ones on the link as you can see

[UglyJoe]

Oh neat!  I've never seen that one.  I have one of the TV-NET ones.  That site you linked was the best reference I could find on the various non-Nintendo modems, but I can't read Japanese

[nihonmasa]

My japanese is "so-so" at best... If there is a valuable info amongst him listing the models he has, then I do not understand it ^^

However, even though they're built by Bridgestone, they're different from mine.
Haven't found any info on my model.
The one I have is the only one I ever saw, so if anyone has any info on it, I'll take it!

[UglyJoe]

His previous article has a picture of your model: http://jironosuke.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2013/12/post-927d.html

[nihonmasa]

thanks, missed it!

he says that it is the Sunline F2; and according to what he found he thinks there was a previous version (F1) but he never saw it.

So this is either the first or second model of modem to reach the famicom?

He thinks that it goes as follow:
1987 => first batch of modem (F1) for tests
early 1988 => F2 (mine), kind of early access
July 1988 => the Nintendo modem as we know it, and wide access

So from what I understand it would be kind of a Beta model before they released the usual modem?

[UglyJoe]

I'm not sure if or how the TV-NET and the official modem are related, if that's what the article is implying.

My TV-NET unit will boot up without a card slotted into it.  The official modem does not.  Also, the cards are of different sizes.  I have hardware specs for both (I think) and I'm pretty sure the TV-NET is the more powerful unit.  (I can look up the specs, if you're interested).

Does your modem boot up without a card?  Do you have a card for it?

[nihonmasa]

nope, came without any card unfortunately 

Nothing shows up on the screen when plugging it on my Twin Fami. Just the usual blank stuff you have when powering it without any game in the slot.

[Raverrevolution]

The card for this unit looks waaaaaaaaaaaay too much like a PC Engine hucard.  Heh, wouldn't it be great if someone could just stick a TG16/PCE Everdrive in there with the necessary files and get it to boot.

It's too bad that these are only for show.

[P]

Hmm 32 pins. Looks like a BeeCard, Hudson's predecessor to the HuCard (which has 38 pins). They where used for various things like MSX games and memory cards, other companies also adopted the design as well.

[80sFREAK]

Very nice. Any chance for PCB photo?

[jpx72]

Awesome, I always think I have seen everything Famicom and then stuff like this appears! Thanks for sharing the photos! Isn't Bridgestone into car tires?

[nihonmasa]

Very nice. Any chance for PCB photo?

I'll try to make some when I have some time