Null 2 Kit

Name: Null 2 Kit
SKU: 12140
Price: 49.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.57 (47 reviews)

(47 Reviews)

A kit for a handheld games console with a 3.2" screen and all the buttons needed for some retro gaming

Designed by Ampersand in United Kingdom

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A kit for a handheld games console with a 3.2" screen and all the buttons needed for some retro gaming

This is a kit for the Null 2. What is a Null 2? A fully made Null 2 has a 3.2" ili9341 screen, speakers and a headphone socket, TP4056 charger, all the buttons needed to play SNES games, and a Raspbe…

What is a Null 2?

A fully made Null 2 has a 3.2" ili9341 screen, speakers and a headphone socket, TP4056 charger, all the buttons needed to play SNES games, and a Raspberry Pi Zero W, all enclosed in a clear acrylic case. Its dimensions are 154 x 62 x 19 mm.

The Null 2 now features a headphone socket, speakers (with a mute switch), test pads (to make assembly even easier), rubber buttons (less soldering, quieter, softer), and a larger 3.2" screen. All while maintaining the clean design of the original.

This kit includes:

The Null 2 PCB
The buttons
The rubber membranes
The screen
The switches
The TP4056 charger
The resistor
The plastic bolts
The PCM5102A
The PAM8403
The speakers
A build guide
A download link to a working Pi image

Not included in this kit:

Raspberry Pi Zero W / Pi Zero 2 W
The battery (1000mAh)
The laser cut case
The micro SD card (at least 4GB)

The build guide, user guide, Pi image, and case design files can be found at www.null2.co.uk.

Important: Do not use a high voltage fast charger (like the one the Google Pixel uses) with the Null 2, you will damage the TP4056 module. Check your charger before using it, 5V and 2A should be safe to use.

This kit does not include the acrylic case. The case design files are to be cut from 3mm and 5mm clear acrylic (the file names tell you which is which), get the design files here.

Small print:

The PCB, design files, and Pi image provided are identical to those used to make the device shown here. Please check that each component works properly before building the device. I can't provide any guarantees for something that you build. For legal reasons, the Pi image does not include any games. Refer to the RetroPie documentation for details about connecting to a WiFi network and adding games.

I am not responsible for any duty or import fees and the delivery charge does not cover these charges as I cannot predict their amount.

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Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (4.64)

Documentation: (4.51)

Shipping: (4.66)

Communication: (4.47)

Gilles | Oct. 2, 2023

My bad for not reading carefully

I purchased this kit, and while it is pretty much what is stated, DO READ CAREFULY as the pictures are deceptive, pictures do show the finished product, but the clear laser cut acrylic case is NOT included. Unboxing, my kit didn't have any instructions, but they are linked in the product page, so that's ok. I then realized I was also[p missing the USB-C board. Being a EE myslef, I am not impressed by the execution. The way the Pi is soldered onto the back of the PCBA is not a strong bond for a board that size. I certainly would not do a drop test on this, or expect the Pi to rip off the pads on the PCB. Overall, I am disappointed, but my bad for not reading carefully. I expected a complete kit (without the Pi of course), but you'll find yourself hunting a lot of the missing parts, unless you do what I did: throw it in the circular bin.

Idree | Aug. 7, 2023

Made the kit in a single day, everything went well :)

The documentation on your site is perfectly documented for anyone with a soldering iron to create this handheld :)
After soldering it worked like charm.

A multimeter is nice to have just to check for continuity, only gripe is the lack of a battery indicator xD. But i'll probably manage without.

Glad there is still community support, so i managed to 3d Print an alternative case i found on printables which suited me better :)

Joshua | March 19, 2023

Absolutely great product and awesome communication!

This kit is absolutely fantastic. I bought this as a complete beginner and I was still able to assemble this kit. A great way to learn and practice. Ampersand is also great at responding to questions on his Discord server created for this project. All in all a really quality project. I definitely recommend this to anyone interested!

Kristian | Jan. 13, 2023

It's the NULL 2 kit - who isn't in love with it?

They sell out fast, get 'em while you can. The Null 2 is really one of the coolest tiny makes you can buy. The shipping was fast, and package came exactly as advertised,

Rich | May 27, 2022

As a beginner - great little kit, fiddly but rewarding

I had actually tried another much simpler solderless Zero 2 W based handheld before picking up this kit, because the prospect of all that soldering was a bit daunting and I have all the grace and dexterity of a dumptruck.

That particular kit turned out to be a piece of junk so I gutted the pi back out of it and went ahead with the Null 2 on a whim when I got the notification they were back in stock, and I’m very happy that I did!

Like the guide itself and many other reviews have stated, make sure you read all the way through the build instructions before you get started. As a very nervous and absolutely shocking solderer I made sure to go through it end to and and refer back to it after pretty much every single step just to be sure I hadn’t missed anything. And like it also says, if something isn’t working out make sure you ask on the discord before you start trying to dig your way out of the hole!

It can’t be overstated how poor a solderer I am, having done maybe a handful of hobby jobs with a soldering iron since I learned to use one in school, but as long as you take it slow, follow the guide and watch a few YouTube videos to get the method down I feel like this kit is doable for a beginner - as long as you’ve handled a soldering iron once or twice before without burning anything down or blowing anything up.

The only reasons documentation isn’t getting 5 stars are a couple of minor nitpicks that may be specific to me, but I could see others tripping over them.

1) It doesn’t specify the exact size of the buttons required if you’re going to buy the additional buttons required to make all 8 face buttons tactile, the link provided goes to an aliexpress page with a variety to choose from. This isn’t so bad if you already have the kit in hand and can see that you need the 1.5mm options, but is a minor irritation if you’re buying the parts in advance.

I’d suggest maybe adding an “optional parts” section to the top and listing these 8x 4x4x1.5mm SMD buttons so that people know exactly what to look for.

2) I’d also suggest adding something to sections where continuity of connections for adjacent soldering points is expected such as between out+ and b+ on the charger board, as I had to jump into the (very friendly and very quick to answer) discord to check that this was correct. I’m not sure if this is something that would be blindingly obvious to someone who already knows their way around electronics but as a super-green amateur I was baffled, and after having to check every connection on the pi along the way for bridges under the device perhaps I was being overly paranoid doing the same with the other components.

On that topic, communication-wise Ampersand and the community on discord are great. I jumped onto discord to ask a few questions along the way including the above and there was always a fast answer and even some above-and-beyond stuff (where I definitely deserved to be told to go away and Google it instead) being met with a straightforward answer and a link to the thing I needed.

Overall very happy and a great little bit of kit, it’s not my first retropie pi-based system but it’s been a very fun one to bring together and get up and running.

David | May 9, 2022

Love it!

I have had a blast with the null2 brings me back to my childhood. Take your time and follow the build guide.

Philippe | May 1, 2022

Nice handheld ... IF you can get it to work

A nice piece of hardware for a "high" price (with some extra costs).

Just thinking that the components just cost just a few dollars and the kit is sold for 50 pounds and then in Europe you have to pay additional 10-15% custom duty, as the sender is not paying them in acdvance like any chinese seller do. So the final kit cost me around 55 pounds, okay.
As I printed myself the case I doesnt have to order the very expensive acrylic case and I can change color as often as I want easy and quick. So I think about to make the buttons A, B, X, Y in colors of Nintendos controller.

Then the first really hard step is to "cup-solder" the pi onto the board. As the most will end, my first solder was a nope too. So i testet round an round and was close to throw all in the trash bin, due to the really bad construction of the pcb. I would have made pin holes through so that soldering could done properly from both sides and then 1-2mm distance for the screen - tada!
Also the solderpin header on my delivery was not as described in the guide. I havent got the shown header at one piece so I couldnt cut them in a 3-piece and the rest for the 11-block, I had to combine two shorter parts for the long side at the audio component.
Next, the holes for the displaypins are missing. I saw in a video what was linked in the guide, that there was a pcb with excactly the holes for the pins on the backside of the screen. But missing somehow on my pcb, instead the guide say very professional "Make a loop with some kapton tape and press the screen down ..." Also that you have to holt back the audio jack with capton tape, so that it does not reach too far to the screen, instead offering distance pieces and double sided tape strips, could be included at this price I think.

Anyway. I now try to desolder my pcb as I tried to presolder the pads on the pcb to better connect the pi with the pcb as the cup-soldering is the most painful a**-f*ck I had ever to do!
I soldered all other parts now (except the Pi) with the method, that I sticked the solder wire into the cups, choped the wire with a cutter directly over the board I have to solder on, put the solder iron deep into the hole melting the short piece of solder and voila. Nearly all connections worked at first try. Sadly my 1,0mm solder wire slightly does not fit into the Pi holes, so that I have to buy a thinner wire or think about stretching it slightly to thinner it a little.

Shipping was horrible, as the box is very thin and not very robust. It already had bend marks but my luck all components seems to keep good (especially the screen).

@Ampersand: Save commenting my review, as we already had enough email communication. Better see my constructive criticism as possibility to improove your promissing product.

Regards,
Phil

Response from Ampersand | May 2, 2022

Philippe likely doesn’t want me to reply because he tried to blackmail me, asking me for money in return for a positive review. I clearly didn’t pay him.

Sam | April 23, 2022

Good kit, but not for beginners.

The kit is as described. It does not include a case, a battery, an SD card, or a Pi Zero; those need to be sourced seperately. The linked website includes the relevant files, and suggestions on where to get the case made.

The construction process is very well-documented; there is a comprehensive build guide on the website.
Using it is less obviously documented. The Null 2 uses RetroPie, so their docs apply to this. The Null 2 user guide details the custom key combinations set up in the provided image, and points to the retropie documentation

Shipping took a long time, but that was during more or less the height of the covid lockdowns, so that was more or less par for the course at the time. The shipping company had gotten the package wet somewhere along the line, but that has not affected its function, and no parts were missing regardless.

Ampersand has a discord server, where troubleshooting can be fairly quickly obtained. Still be prepared to be a bit patient; it has its active and inactive times, but you will almost certainly be able to get support with building the Null, should you need it.

My advice, based on my experience building a Null 2, and from conversations I've seen in the Discord:
- I recommend getting a Zero 2 W instead of a Zero W. The Zero 2 is capable of emulating up to PSX and some N64 games. The Zero 1 is a little less powerful, but uses less power, so it lasts longer. You want the W version so that you can load roms onto it easily. It becomes significantly harder to do this without wireless capability, unless you have a Linux install available that can read SD cards.
- Go slowly, and make sure to read the instructions carefully. I didn't insulate the back of the Pi before I soldered it down, and that is necessary. I had to slide a piece of paper in between the Pi and the board to get mine to boot. This was my own fault; I got ahead of the instructions.
- If you go for the acrylic case, you really need solvent cement to put it together. I did some small tests with scrap acrylic, and that produces the strongest and best-looking bond by far. In addition, if you use masking tape to hold the parts together, make certain the tape does not come into contact with the joint you're bonding, or with the cement. It will cause the acrylic to become textured and less clear if the cement gets into the tape.
- THIS IS NOT A BEGINNER KIT. The kind of soldering that this kit requires really needs you to know what you're doing in order to succeed at it. You really only get one shot at it, especially with the Pi. It's not worth even trying to take it off once you've put it down; the odds of wrecking the board are too great.

Jeff | Oct. 29, 2021

Not a quick build, but a rewarding one

To be honest, I bought this kit prior to reading through the (very detailed) build guide, because I thought it looked great. I was in for a bit of a journey!

There are a few soldering techniques that are a little unorthodox (like filling through-hole GPIO pins with solder to make a blind joint with the surface of the PCB), and you do end up soldering one SMD component, so if you're brand new to soldering, you may want to follow the author's advice and practice on a little practice board.

Even so, I found one joint was bad and couldn't be easily fixed, so I had to 'bodge' a wire for the ground pin. Luckily, support via the community in Discord helped debug the issues and I ended up fixing that and a botched solder job on the start button.

If you don't want to spend some money on getting the case laser cut out of acrylic (and 'welding' those case parts together—a process that's a little daunting for a first-timer but is actually not too bad), there are STL files for a 3d printed case that's slightly easier to put together (IMO) but looks slightly less polished.

This is not a kit you'd buy and hand to your 5 year old nephew for Christmas. But it is a kit that will be as fun putting together (well, most of the time anyways) as it is using it for many years to come!

Shahid | Oct. 16, 2021

Does not include case, you make/get made/purchase separately

As good as this product can be, it does not come with case.
So expect yourself downloading files and finding laser cutter service online
and be prepared to answer questions like 'what mil thickness you want' etc.
there is a massive side to making it what you want - as to complete it.
don't expect a quick assembly and gifting to your child, that is not what this
is.

Blair | Sept. 7, 2021

Awesome project, great service

The Null 2 caught my attention when going down a YouTube rabbit hole that started from me just trying to fix an old gameboy.
I was instantly in love with it and had to have it.
I watched a few more videos on the null, the assembly, software etc and decided I’d have a go at it.
Purchasing was easy and straight forward and the kit actually arrived in Australia quicker than the other components that I ordered from Amazon.
Apart from waiting for the glue to dry I finished the total build over the course of a weekend at a very leisurely pace. The documentation and instructions are fantastic with links to YouTube videos as well.
The discord is also awesome with really fast support, my question was answered within ten minutes.
Whilst overall I found some parts of the build challenging it was also very rewarding, great fun to make and play. 11/10 Highly recommend buying this kit!

Guillaume | May 12, 2021

Lots of fun

Great little product, relatively easy to put together if you have experience soldering, well designed.

Brandon | Sept. 24, 2020

Best Kit ever!!

This was the best kit i have ever purchased... and now I am getting a second one! -- Just make sure you follow the order of the instructions and go slow... no need to rush to get the awesome thing going... oh and if/when help is needed... the discord group Is awesome! Very helpful!

Looking forward to any improvements... if there can be?!? not sure, it is so good as is!

Thanks again for a great product!

Matthew | Jan. 25, 2020

Great and well thought out product

The Null 2 kit is well put together with great documentation for assembly and testing prior use. It's obvious that the creator of this kit has put the time into refining it fully. I had no issues assembling it following the guide provided and it just works. It ticks a lot of boxes if your looking for a compact handheld retro gaming device that still gives you the freedom to further customise it to your own liking.

James | Jan. 25, 2020

Highly recommended!!!

This is my favorite PI Zero W handheld project ever! Highly recommend you pay attention to the directions. They make the project go smooth and without issues. All the games I have tested so far (GB, GBC, NES, SNES, Master System, Megadrive/Genesis) all work flawlessly and at full speed without sound issues. Ampersand really put together a great kit and image.

Kevin | Aug. 5, 2019

Great for Beginners

I looked around for a while to find a raspberry pi based handheld that I could hack together myself. This one not only looks good and works well but it was also easy for a n00b like me to do with very little soldering experience. I had only one issue with the sound which the creator immediately helped me to rectify via QA on his discord server. Can't wait to see what he makes next!

James | July 27, 2019

Would recommend

Great quality product strongly recommend. This product is great everyone should buy it. You can find a bigger sized battery 2000 mah with the XL design case and it works great.

Maverick | July 17, 2019

Excellent product. But the Seller left me sour.

The product itself is top quality. I had never done an electronic project before- even against the recommendations I started my first with the Null pi 2. And even as a beginner, I was able to solder and assemble the project with hardly any troubles. I spent a full Saturday about 8 hours assembling the kit and another day to print and assemble the 3D case. The OS works out of the box and it plays 2D games very smoothly. Most N64 games are just too much for the Pi Zero W.

The documentation was good most of the way through but I did have some difficulty so I hopped onto the recommended discord channel for more questions and assistance. Unfortunately the seller has no sense of public relations and kept his answers short to assembling the kit. Which would be fine but he became aggressive towards me asking further questions about customization and grew hostile over engaging with the community. It's a shame because I was so happy the product I had planned on being a part of that community and buying the next round of null kits indefinitely.

The whole ordeal was upsetting so I'll leave anyone with this advice: stick to questions about the build steps only. Luckily I did make some friends from the channel who were able to help finish the case assembly steps with (For those in the US: those 3m x 8mm screws are a little elusive! You may have to ship some to you from amazon) and I'm thankful for that.

Adrian | July 11, 2019

Great bit of fun

I bought this to finally use my Pi Zero W for something 'practical'. The kit arrived in good time and was very well packaged. The Main PCB is a thick, durable design, considering I don't solder for a living and have only been getting back into electronics assembly and repair recently it was fantastic to work with.

The kit comes with the key components, leaving the case, the battery and equipment for assembly for the owner to source. No drama, batteries are easy to get hold of and I only needed to get some Kapton tape to be able to get on. The case, however, whilst easy to purchase was a little pricier than I'd taken into account, making the overall cost of the build higher, but it'll be worth it.

As I said, the main PCB is durable and is very forgiving, so the overall assembly went well. Only had a couple of issues getting through-hole soldering for the Pi itself to test out. I found that a bit of flux and good solder and in one case a bodge wire through the hole that ensured a good joint and was later removed got the job done! The Screen ribbon cable was surprisingly easy as was the tiny surface mount resistor (once it stopped slipping about).

So after a couple of hours, I had it assembled and configured with Null2's OS. This is based on EmulationStation/RetroPi, which I am fairly familiar with so it wasn't long and I was able to play Alex Kidd in Miracle World on the go!

My only feedback to potential purchasers is that since the display outputs via the GPIO interface there is a little latency/frameskip but, to be honest, this is the case with many projects of this scope and was expected, as such the experience as a whole is still super fun!

Pascal | July 11, 2019

a perfect set

A super set, fast delivery to Switzerland. With the good detailed instructions relatively easy to assemble, handling soldering iron should be present. Top...:-)

Only problem, the backlight of the display doesn't work. Is there a possibility to test?

Response from Ampersand | July 11, 2019

Sounds like you might have a problem with the resistor on the back. Feel free to message me through tindie or the discord so we can fix it.

George | June 27, 2019

Excellent kit

When I saw this kit I knew I had to get one. Ampersand has done all the heavy lifting here, the PCB design is great, everything fits, correct components are included, detailed build instructions online, pre-configured software image for it, and a discord channel that's actually helpful. Short of buying a 'game hat' or such that you just pop on a pi, this is definitely the cleanest kit I've encountered yet. Kit was packaged safely, showed up quickly after ordering.

I wasn't creative with the case, just went with clear like the images on the product page, and no regrets, it looks fantastic. :)

Tejashwi | June 13, 2019

One of best build

Ampersand is really active in the discord server/group and always tries to help which is one of the best parts, the creator will be there to guide you and help you fix things when you need help.
The kit arrived in India within 7 working days, packaging was great, all the required components were in the package except Raspberry zero, battery, case and SD card. Build guide contains all the detailed explanation about how to assemble it.
I am a total beginner in soldering, but with the help of flux, canonical soldering tip I managed to solder all the parts in the first go, no issues and the kit turned on :)
Totally recommend this

Martin | May 30, 2019

great!

Great product, much easier if you have the right tools.
Get a flux pen, life safer!
Multimeter is indispensable.

Mine did not power up, could not find the solution, bought a multimeter and found out de power was not soldered on correctly.

Would prefer different buttons (soft), might get them 3d printed if i find the right 3d files. To make these buttons is a bit fiddly.

Response from Ampersand | May 30, 2019

Glad you liked it!
The buttons in the Null 2 STLs should fit both Nulls. https://1drv.ms/u/s!AqMvwiYIMMtmuxPdQUkjy_zNo4ny
The files are called "Null2 Dpad Click V1.STL" and "Null2 Face Buttons Click V1.STL"
Shoot me a message on here if you need anything else.

Basil | Feb. 20, 2019

Thank you Ampersand

Excellent product.

The PCB is very well made. The documentation is simply perfect and explains thoroughly what you need to do. There is also a video on Youtube that follows the seller's documentation. This is a pretty good project for soldering beginners - plus you get a handheld emulator with pretty great form factor.

As for the lack of audio, I have found a variety of solutions online to connect bluetooth headphones to the pi - which seem pretty easy (I haven't had the time to try them). I've also seen a few videos that show how to connect a headphone jack, but you might need to print a bigger case.

The seller is also very communicative and helpful. He usually responds within a few hours.

All in all, great package for a pretty good price.

Thank you Ampersand.

Katie | Feb. 1, 2019

Really great kit and really, really great seller.

TL;DR: Really great kit and really, really great seller. I had a lot of fun building this, despite the problems I caused myself. If you’re thinking about building a project like this, you can’t go wrong with the Game Boy Null.

This kit is high quality and very well-designed. This was my first adventure in soldering and Raspberry Pi. To say I learned a lot in the process is an understatement. I also made some mistakes along the way, and the seller was amazingly helpful, way above and beyond what I would expect. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy from him again—in fact, I’m thinking about building some Game Boy Nulls (Game Boys Null?) for gifts.

I started out by soldering a dead Pi to my PCB. I was too green to know that I could have easily tested the Pi beforehand to make sure all was in order. Before I knew the Pi was dead, I tried to isolate the problem by re-soldering the power switch, and I broke it. I thought it would be no big deal to remove the switch and solder on a new one, but I ripped a pad off the board. That’s when I contacted the seller for help. He told me that the missing pad was nonessential, and walked me through troubleshooting until I realized the Pi was dead. At that point, I decided to try my luck at desoldering the Pi. First, I thought I should remove the screen to prevent damage, but I destroyed the ribbon cable and the PCB in the process. Back to square one.

Armed with my new knowledge of all the things not to do, I ordered a new kit and successfully (although not without further troubleshooting and help from the seller) assembled it. It looks and works great. I ordered the case through ponoko.com, and I opted for opaque white for the thicker parts and green tint for the thinner parts.

Some pointers:
-Test the Pi first, because it’s impossible (for me, anyway) to swap it out after you solder it to the PCB. Prep your SD card and buy an HDMI adapter and any necessary micro USB adapters when you order your Pi. Plug it into a monitor, USB keyboard (or wireless dongle) and power, and make sure it’s working before you begin on the PCB.
-Get a 503450 battery—the one I got was too thick.
-Unless your soldering skills are strong, have a magnifying glass or similar handy to check and correct your work.
-Acrylic solvent doesn’t feel that great on your skin.

Joe | Jan. 30, 2019

got kit together but cant find how to get the roms added

The kit was easy to put together and arrived decently quick for the distance it had to travel the sellar was quick to answear my questions and i will be ordering more in the futer would highly recomend

Response from Ampersand | Jan. 30, 2019

Hi, there's a Discord where I can help you here: https://discord.gg/r9xekuP
This article will tell you how to add roms: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Transferring-Roms/

Matthew | Jan. 28, 2019

Awesome kit!

Ampersand's kit is a nice little build for people that would like to tackle a moderate project. Yes you do need to source some of the extra parts but to me, it's just part of the experience. As long as you keep with the guide, you should be fine. If you do have any problems, you can contact Ampersand here on Tindie and he will help out as much as he can or if you join his Discord server, there are a few people there including Ampersand to help you.

I would highly suggest a multimeter with continuity checker. It will help you solve most of your problems. Also, solder flux will help with your soldering. Especially on the ribbon cable. And DO NOT skip the kapton tape behind the pi. It really does make a difference!

PCB looks awesome in black and paired with the acrylic case just makes it 10x better. Everything is outlined so it is easy to figure out where everything goes while following the guide. It especially helps out when aligning the screen.

I have built 2 of these so far and both have not had any problems. I highly suggest this product if you are looking for a handheld retro console!

Jared | Jan. 25, 2019

Big let down....

My original order never arrived and when a replacement was sent it didn't work right. The pads for the screen fell off and the board does not work when powered by a battery. I feel like I wasted $50.

Response from Ampersand | Jan. 25, 2019

Your order was lost by your local postal service and I sent a replacement kit as soon as I heard. I can't hand deliver these and I also can't monitor the tracking for 100+ orders at once. It sounds like you attempted to remove the screen and failed to apply enough heat to the pads, they did not just 'fall off'. If you had issues with putting it together, you could have contacted me through here for troubleshooting.

Hasan | Jan. 25, 2019

Best purchase ever.

Ampersand is honestly the best dude ever. Don't listen to these other guys. They don't understand that this isn't a beginners project. You need to know how to solder, and you need to understand, you need other stuff! He isn't selling a ready made product, It's pieces. While not as simple as Lego, If you put enough time into it, you'll get it done. I went in as a beginner, awful at it. It wouldn't boot, so I joined his discord and within one minute, I had a reply. He stayed on with me and troubleshooted, and within 15 minutes, the issue was resolved. It would've taken me hours. Ampersand really cares for his patrons, and will go through any lengths to make sure his buyers are satisfied. Honestly, all these people leaving negative reviews don't seem to understand what this project is. If you buy it, Good Luck!

George | Jan. 23, 2019

Perfect

Awsome product.

The instructions have a lot of depth.

I had some issues while putting it together, and the seller helped me out on the discord. He replied extremely fast and was really helpful.

I’m really satisfied.

Barrett | Dec. 13, 2018

A seriously fun kit

This kit is fun to put together and learn some small soldering techniques.
The board is incredibly high quality and easy to work on. The documentation is similarly great.
Communication with @Ampersand is very easy.
Seriously, one of the greatest experiences - get this kit

Andrew | Nov. 26, 2018

Definitely recommend

One of the most fun DIY projects I've ever done. Ampersand's documentation and willingness to help troubleshoot on the product Discord helped get the project working properly. I am not a soldering expert by any means, but I strongly recommend getting a practice kit before tackling this. All in all I would definitely do this project again.

Troy | Nov. 23, 2018

Not simple

I finally got around to assembling this today, I had to get through my backlog, and I was really looking forward to this kit.
Unfortunately, it appears I have a dud unit. My Raspberry Pi0 is brand new, and I put on a stock image of RetroPi prior to starting this build and it works fine.
I assembled according to the instructions, and a few videos that I found on youtube with no effort, and took probably 90 minutes. I had no problems with any overheating pads, or bridged joints. I've done plenty of SMD components prior to this. Plus having only one surface mount 3R9 resistor doesn't make it hard to assemble.

Metering around all the joints after putting the Pi0 in place seemed ok. I would like to mention that it would be beneficial to add pads to the bottom of this board so you can test the actual connectivity of the joints, instead of guessing that the solder has taken. The instructions would be better if they ditched the color coded schematic, and instead had a proper diagram, so you can test all soldered points, without confusing the slight variations in colors.

I believe my screen is faulty, it only shows a white background. Nothing flashes or flickers even slightly. I have reflashed the image twice, thinking it was the problem, then went over the joints and tested the Pi0 again with a RetroPi images SD card, which displays perfectly over HDMI. The little switch plastic nub has now broken off the power switch, since troubleshooting this device is less than ideal. The power down button at the bottom right initiates the shutdown command to my PI, and i can see when to turn it off as the LED extinguishes.

To date, in my 30+ years of soldering, this is the first device that has ever failed. Again, I believe it's the LCD, but since I don't have one spare it's pretty hard to confirm. Putting it back in the pile of "I'll get around to it" again. Assuming it's just these cheap LCD's from aliexpress? (https://de.aliexpress_dot_com/item/NoEnName-Null-2-8-inch-LCD-screen-touch-screen-ILI9341-SPI-serial-port-18pin-Z280IT010/32825958698.html)

Response from Ampersand | Dec. 28, 2018

Hi, send me a message on here when you pick up the build again and we'll troubleshoot it?

Tyler | Nov. 17, 2018

Great service

Project came quick and was all in one piece. Would have been amazing but sadly I burnt through the pads when I attempted to solder the resistor, and ended up ruining the board. In terms of the product was wonderful quality.

Thomas | Nov. 16, 2018

Product

I didn't manage to make it work and end up damaging the PCB , i contact the seller send me a new one very kind !

Freddy | Nov. 8, 2018

Awesome product that takes out most of the hard work.

This kit is easy to assemble and the provided source file works flawless. I don't know how often there will be an update ( raspbian jessie is being phased out). You do need some soldering skills and a half decent soldering iron, the hardest part to solder was the smd resistor and that was because i dropped it and spend 10 minutes trying to find it. I used the 3D printable files found on thingiverse and used the bigger case to be able to put in a bigger battery and sound. Wich is the one drawback to this kit, no sound out of the box. It is however very easy to get the pwm sound working (only on one PWM channel) and tough not great, the sound is good enough for retrogaming. The further the battery is depleted, the more pwm static is present. On my 2000mAh battery i get about 7 hours runtime, your mileage may vary.

Thank you for making a great kit that my kids enjoy very much. I truly love the look and feel of the pcb wich is obviously decent quality. I hope you keep making these and maybe also make a version to punt in a standard GBC case.

Andrea | Oct. 21, 2018

Fun project

I decided to buy this kit as I wanted to improve my soldering skills with a significant challenge. The kit provides all the necessary electonics, leaving space for the final user to choose a case (I went for a 3D printed one). The assembly process is straightforward and the instructions are really good. I recommend using a multimeter throughout the whole procedure.

Christoph | Oct. 18, 2018

Perfect

Very nice Little Thing, makes fun to Play with it. I managed to get Mono-Sound into as well. The shipping was ver fast, the Documentation was perfect for a beginner and the Seller was very Helpful when i had Questions. Two Thumbs up!!

Luca | Oct. 16, 2018

Great product

I'm very satisfy for this device. The quality is excellent and work fine.
Great Tindie thank you so much

Stéphane | Oct. 15, 2018

Very disappointed

I was expecting a full kit, that means a lot which would include the plastic case, and everything else. Instead, I got a bare circuit board with an LCD screen. What do I do with that ? Nothing ... I cannot use it given there is no case ...
And also the package was terrible. No box, I was lucky the LCD screen arrived not broken.
I just threw my money... Don't buy this. Not worth the money.

Response from Ampersand | Oct. 17, 2018

The store listing is very clear about what’s included in this kit. There’s an attached guide that details what to do with the parts and where to get the case. If you’re based in the US, you can use ponoko.com to cut the case and get $20 off your first order. The packaging was adequate because the screen arrived intact and unbroken.

Tom | Oct. 10, 2018

Great kit

It was a fun kit to assemble and easy to do so because of the good documentation! I like to sit down with the the GameBoy Null to enjoy some retro games. Only downside to this project is the lack of sound. But if you're handy, you can easily add an i2s audio PCB and a speaker. Just like I did, to complete the retro experience :)

I would recommend the kit after all.

Yusuf | Sept. 22, 2018

Cool product!

Ordered now again 2 pieces. Total 4 build and given them to my family. They loved it. love the easy build! Keep on going!!!

Mike | Aug. 23, 2018

Simple and Elegant

This is one of the best emulator kits I have put together! Overall the simple PCB makes putting it together a lot of fun and the clear acrylic case can show off your work. For a 2.8" screen the resolution is great and games come across crisp. Highly recommend! Thanks Ampersand!

Charles | Aug. 22, 2018

Great seller, fun project

I really enjoyed putting this thing together and am super happy with the results. I was hoping to be able to connect bluetooth audio devices to this, but it seems that isn't super easy to set up at the moment. I have yet to get it working, but I hope to figure it out sometime soon.

Muslum | July 18, 2018

Good

Fast shipping , good product ,good seller , good documentation . The missing sound on this device

Michael | July 10, 2018

Great

Great product, Fast shipping, great communication with seller (he is very reagents), good documentation

Aaron | July 5, 2018

awesome toy

Great lil device for playing some old games. Look techy and geeky enough for me which I love. Only thing missing was sound on this device. Still waiting for my case but very satisfied.

+ Show 42 more

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Ampersand

Bracknell, Berkshire, United Kingdom

Ships from United Kingdom.

63 Reviews | 2,556 Orders

View Store

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Tindie

Null 2 Kit

A kit for a handheld games console with a 3.2" screen and all the buttons needed for some retro gaming

What is a Null 2?

This kit includes:

Not included in this kit:

The build guide, user guide, Pi image, and case design files can be found at www.null2.co.uk.

Small print:

Rates to

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

My bad for not reading carefully

Made the kit in a single day, everything went well :)

Absolutely great product and awesome communication!

It's the NULL 2 kit - who isn't in love with it?

As a beginner - great little kit, fiddly but rewarding

Love it!

Nice handheld ... IF you can get it to work

Response from Ampersand | May 2, 2022

Good kit, but not for beginners.

Not a quick build, but a rewarding one

Does not include case, you make/get made/purchase separately

Awesome project, great service

Lots of fun

Best Kit ever!!

Great and well thought out product

Highly recommended!!!

Great for Beginners

Would recommend

Excellent product. But the Seller left me sour.

Great bit of fun

a perfect set

Response from Ampersand | July 11, 2019

Excellent kit

One of best build

great!

Response from Ampersand | May 30, 2019

Thank you Ampersand

Really great kit and really, really great seller.

got kit together but cant find how to get the roms added

Response from Ampersand | Jan. 30, 2019

Awesome kit!

Big let down....

Response from Ampersand | Jan. 25, 2019

Best purchase ever.

Perfect

A seriously fun kit

Definitely recommend

Not simple

Response from Ampersand | Dec. 28, 2018

Great service

Product

Awesome product that takes out most of the hard work.

Fun project

Perfect

Great product

Very disappointed

Response from Ampersand | Oct. 17, 2018

Great kit

Cool product!

Simple and Elegant

Great seller, fun project

Good

Great

awesome toy

Ampersand

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