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Arcade & Retro Repairs & Mods, all new recipe, with no added MSG...

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  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    On another note. any ideas why a megadrive game would load the first bit of txt re liscence etc and then screen go blank?

    is it a connection problem or a problem with game. Megadrive tunes in and power light stays on so persume its not the megadrive itself.

    Al.

    Sounds like there's some dirt in there. If the console is booting up and showing the licensing screen the then console is okay. I'd imagine it's a dirty cart. Give the connector on the cart a clean with some Q tips. Or if you can get the case open one of those crumbly school rubbers.


  • Registered Users Posts: 553 ✭✭✭Alter Egotist


    Trying to fix a german NES I acquired online. Does anyone know if the console constantly blinks and shows static on screen when turned on (as aposed to grey or orange screen (orange is typical of the Australia Nes) ) does that definately mean the 72 pin connector needs to be replaced or is it possible I have further graphics issues? Was there a separate graphics chip back then and could it be injured :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Trying to fix a german NES I acquired online. Does anyone know if the console constantly blinks and shows static on screen when turned on (as appsed to grey or orange screen (orange is typical of the Australia Nes) ) does that definately mean the 72 pin connector needs to be replaced or is it possible I have further graphics issues? Was there a separate graphics chip back then and could it be injured :)

    70% of any NES problems I've had over the years are down to the 72pin connector. The other 30% is down to dirty cart connectors. Those machines, usually, are bulletproof otherwise.


  • Registered Users Posts: 730 ✭✭✭Hygro


    What about arcade cabinet and PCB repairs? I've got a 6 button cabinet in which all of the buttons do not work, so no point in plaing Street Fighter, plus a Double Dragon jamma pcb which I can only play single dragon on cos there's a problem with the board, which has player 2 constantly walking into the top right hand corner.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Hygro wrote: »
    What about arcade cabinet and PCB repairs? I've got a 6 button cabinet in which all of the buttons do not work, so no point in plaing Street Fighter, plus a Double Dragon jamma pcb which I can only play single dragon on cos there's a problem with the board, which has player 2 constantly walking into the top right hand corner.

    Very odd that none of the buttons in your cab are working, I wonder if there's a break in the jamma loom somewhere. Possibly even a block connector extension is disconnected? It's likely something simple, as eash button has it's own switch & seperate wire running to the pcb (jamma plug).

    Regards the pcb, look for bent pins shorting on each other etc.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 730 ✭✭✭Hygro


    Sorry, should have made it more clear. Most of the buttons do work, there are a few that do not :)

    With regards the pcb board I've no experience with fixing these, or cabinet wiring (no electrical knowledge) , I'm only good at the games, not repairing them :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Hygro wrote: »
    Sorry, should have made it more clear. Most of the buttons do work, there are a few that do not :)

    With regards the pcb board I've no experience with fixing these, or cabinet wiring (no electrical knowledge) , I'm only good at the games, not repairing them :)

    Ah, that makes more sense. In that case it's likely either you have some bad microswitches or broken connections (wires broken away from switches). Quite fixable :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    I thought my Megadrive 2 was broken last night. Was disconnecting scarts, reconnecting scarts, trying other consoles to see if the tv was broken. It really had me baffled. There was no picture and really low quality sound.

    After about 20 minutes I figured it out - the 32X wasn't plugged in. I am a fool! I don't think it's the first time that's happened either.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,162 ✭✭✭Augmerson


    My Laptop was acting up a bit - overheating, so bought a can of compressed air, also an external fan, in town today. Decided to test the can of compressed air out on my PS2, the fan on the back was so dust covered it looked like a relic off the Titantic. Worked very well, despite my initial freakout when the can blew liquid drops out first, these quickly dry. The fan is as good as it possibly can be now.


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Have you ever thought something seemed like it would be a quick fix and then turned out to be a nightmare? The below is a lot longer than it needed to be..but it was a pain and I feel like ranting :D

    This evening I was going through some stuff and found my original Megadrive pad. It's the one that came with my high definition graphics model 1. Unfortunately that console broke within the year, but I held onto the pad.

    It has a white start button and red ABC buttons..rather than the usual ones you see over here that have a red start button and white ABC buttons. I'm also pretty sure the cable is longer too.

    Anyway, I plugged it in and it had a lot of issues. The B button worked as if it was new. I remembered that I changed that a few years ago. Everything else was knackared though - the ABC buttons required a lot of force. Up and down wouldn't work at all.

    Right, I thought..this controller has a hell of a lot of nostalgia attached to it - it must be fixed to work like new.

    The buttons can be put aside for a moment as the main issue was the D pad. I have a crap load of Megadrive pads..really really loads. So I thought it was just going to be a matter of switching the D pad rubber out. I tried another pad rubber and it had the same issue - ****e, must be the PCB. Here's where I ran into even more trouble. See all of my other multiple pads are the ones with red start buttons. I though the button colour was the only difference - apparantly not. The PCB in the controller is a different shape.

    Then I remembered I had a Generation 1 NTSC Sega Genesis pad - again, different shaped PCB. But success! The button rubber under the D pad in this is much thicker than the PAL one. So I tried this with the original PAL PCB and it worked perfectly. Seems the PCB was fine, just as the PAL D pad rubber is thinner, they seem to go quicker.

    Sadly, a thicker D pad rubber meant the controller wouldn't screw closed. So back to the start :(.

    After some head scratching, I figured out that another issue was actually causing the D pad problem. The D pad plastic has some little pins coming out of it that I hadn't originally paid any notice to as the D pad was still in the controller shell - I only took the rubber out. I noticed that they were a little bent out of shape. Straightened them back out and it worked! yay. Thank **** for that!

    Now, on to the buttons.

    Unfortunately unlike the Snes, Megadrive pad buttons did not last the test of time..I'm sure you're all familiar with this. A handy fix is to open it up and switch the start button rubber for whatever main button you use on the pad (I usually use B). As people don't press the start button nearly as much as all the others, the rubber is in good condition.

    This lets you play most games, but obviously it would be nice to have all the buttons working perfectly.

    Loads of pads = loads of start button rubbers - 'this'll be an easy fix!'

    Lots of them worked, but you had to still apply a tiny bit more force than a normal button push. This wasn't good enough!

    What followed was me sitting there for an hour, surrounded by open pad and their rubbers, replacing one button at a time and jumping in Sonic.

    Eventually I actually managed to find 4 button rubbers that worked like they were new. Couldn't believe it!

    So anyway, just though I'd ramble. In the end, I now have my original pad with a perfect D pad and perfect buttons. I usually use one of the smaller 6 button pads (and everyone should really use these, the buttons are great) but it's nice to have this up to scratch again.

    Anyway, TLDR version -
    • Megadrive 1 & 2 pads have different shaped PCBs..they're not compatible.
    (I'm just talking about the physical shape here, electronically it would all be the same)
    • The controller shells aren't compatible either. You can't screw a MD 1 pad top half to a MD 2 pad bottom, even though they look identical as the screw holes are in different places to accommodate the different PCBs.
    • Sega Genesis pads have a better rubber under the D pad. In the long run, it means that if you want the classic 'Batman' shaped pad, you're probably better off getting a Genesis one. You'll have to replace the button rubbers like I did above...but at least you won't have all that D pad hassle ****e.
    • If you're fixing pads, the only things that are compatible between the different types is the button rubbers. And it's a lot harder to find ones that are up to a good standard than I had originally thought. The D pad rubber is also the same for the two different PAL pads.

    I've been using those style of controllers so long in a broken state that I just assume that's how they always were...when in fact when they were new they were very responsive. In the end, you should just get one of the later, small 6 button pads. But if you do want to fix an original, then heed the above.

    Oh and another thing, use a decent screwdriver! the screws in a good few of the pads were rusted and crumbly. After all that above opening and closing it was inevitable that they would be stripped a bit.


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  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 5,380 Mod ✭✭✭✭Optimus Prime


    was messing around with megadrive pads last week too, i bought a megadrive off adverts with 3 controls, you should have seen the state of them. 1 was ok just filthy dirty, the other was covered and i mean covered in stickers, it actually had one of those old transformer stickers from years ago that changes colour when you heat it with your finger!

    anyways took them apart and managed to clean two of them, got all the stickers off (well the girlfriend did!) and they look brand new, one of them has 3 extra buttons, small, over the top of the normal ones and says S-b or something on it instead of "SEGA".

    Unfortunatly the third controller didnt survive.. ;) Get this, the guy, prob when he was younger, had painted the controller in Tip ex, it was white! not just the case but the buttons, pad everything.. tried to remove it with some scrubbing but it was beyond saving, tried nail remover on it as a last resort but it just took the black paint off the controller too. kept all the rubber bits, buttons and the board and just threw out the case.


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    keithgeo wrote: »

    anyways took them apart and managed to clean two of them, got all the stickers off (well the girlfriend did!) and they look brand new, one of them has 3 extra buttons, small, over the top of the normal ones and says S-b or something on it instead of "SEGA".

    Sounds like a third party controller. Does it look like the official Sega 6 button pad ?

    MegaDrive_6ButtonPad.jpg

    Everyone should be using a pad like this. They really lasted and should be 100% functional (within reason). On the other hand the 3 button ones really won't work well today...unless you had the patience and multiple sacraficial controllers like I did above.
    keithgeo wrote: »
    Unfortunatly the third controller didnt survive.. ;) Get this, the guy, prob when he was younger, had painted the controller in Tip ex, it was white! not just the case but the buttons, pad everything.. tried to remove it with some scrubbing but it was beyond saving, tried nail remover on it as a last resort but it just took the black paint off the controller too. kept all the rubber bits, buttons and the board and just threw out the case.

    That's crazy...I wouldn't even try to save that. Hang onto those button rubbers (especially the start one) and use them to fix another pad if it ever comes along :)


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 5,380 Mod ✭✭✭✭Optimus Prime


    Its not the official 6 button pad anyways, it looks exactly like a normal controller except over the buttons abc each one has another button on top, the button is shapped like the start button on the controllers. Instead of SEGA in the middle it has S-B or something i cant remember, i tried google'n it there but cant find a pic of it.

    It does look like an official controller but i cant be sure about that now! ill check later on when i got home from work.


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Found out something else interesting about Megadrive pads (oh for gods sake, shut up about Megadrive pads! :pac:) Apologies if my descriptions are are a bit confusing, I forgot to take photos yet again.

    I thought I'd try out the two pads that were boxed away with that MD2 I was going to sell. They looked pretty newish so I thought there might be some good button rubbers to steal. I'm pretty sure this is a end of life cycle Megadrive 2 as it came with two pads. Something that's not normally standard.

    Plugged them in and they were absolutely perfect. Like new. They totally put my other scavanged pad to shame.

    So I thought I'd steal the innards and put them in my other original nostalgia (!) pad.

    Opened it up, and to my suprise, yet ANOTHER alternative pad. This one is even further removed from all my other ones.

    The ABC and start buttons are all the same - button rubbers (The ones that wear out)

    The D pad is radically different. There's no rubber here at all. In fact I'm pretty sure that unless you abuse the hell out of these pads, they'll work perfectly forever.

    The up, down, left, right direction pad on the other controllers just sat on a rubber underneath it. This then pressed the corresponding sections of the PCB. These rubbers wear out, leaving the controller useless.

    On these controllers, the up, down, left, right direction pad has a semi spherical back (Could almost describe it as an analog shape). This fits into a corresponding negative inverted spherical shape in the controller body. There's a piece of plastic on the underside with a screw going through which holds in in place.

    So as a result, there's no hard up, down, left right like normal digital. The buttons presses would be, as the PCB only has four sections where it makes contact in these positions, but as far as tactility and use goes, the spherical shape results in much easier street fighter type semi circular motions.

    By far, the best 3 button Megadrive pad to get. In fact I tried out my 6 button pad after these and the 3 button one was much more comfortable. So the best Megadrive pad in general!


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 5,380 Mod ✭✭✭✭Optimus Prime


    Anyone know what sort of batterys are needed in snes carts to allow game saves? are they easy\hard to replace?


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    CR2032 batteries are what you need. Buy them on ebay...I don't know if you saw my post about them in another thread here, but Maplin wanted 5.50 each and Peats wanted 3.99 each!

    You can just pop the battery off the connector and tape another one back on. I've been doing that years and it's worked grand.

    However I have another plan in mind :) Got some CR2032 battery holders...Enternow is going to solder them into some of my more expensive carts. So I'll just be able to clip batteries in and then out again when they die.

    You can do the above with tape, but it would be a hell of a lot nicer if they had proper holders.


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 5,380 Mod ✭✭✭✭Optimus Prime


    Cheers, ill get a few of them . I really should start using my soldering iron more, ive only ever used it once. its really handy when it comes to sorting out stuff on old games\consoles. Im going to have a crack at repairing the gamegear i have soon.

    EDIT those batterys are only .99 on rewind-bits!


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    I bought them from this Irish seller -

    http://cgi.ebay.ie/MAXELL-CR2032-MICRO-LITHIUM-CELL-BATTERIES-3V-x5-/260719945255?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item3cb41ea627

    €6.00 for 15 including free delivery!

    The way I replaced snes batteries you don't need a soldering iron at all. In fact I tried to use an iron but it didn't help.

    You'd need an iron if you wanted to remove the battery connectors from the pcb. But the way I was saying you remove the battery from the battery connector with a knife and leave them attached to the pcb. Then you just get some masking tape or duct tape or something and tape the new battery to the old connector. When you are testing it out, just throw the cart around a bit (onto a bed, not the floor!) just to make sure the battery is in securely.

    Or go the other route and solder in some battery holders. The ones I got are these. Super cheap and from what I've read they'll fit in Snes carts -

    http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130420461737

    These ones are even cheaper but I'm not sure if they'll fit.

    http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140396427505&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 5,380 Mod ✭✭✭✭Optimus Prime


    Cheers, i just bought 5 of them off the rewindbits site, i needed to get the capacitors for the gamegear anyways. i think ill use the tape method for now! :)

    They have batterys on there with "solder tags" on them

    http://www.rewind-bits.co.uk/cr2032-tagged-lithium-cell-game-saves.html


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Ah yeah, see the little tag thing there? That's the battery connector I was on about. Rather than remove the battery and the tags from the pcb, only remove the battery from the tags and leave them connected to the pcb.

    The tags can get a bit bent out of shape if you're not really slow and careful. Most carts seem to have a thin stamp that breaks easily..but Super Mario World had a bloody massive one. I ended up snapping a tag off the pcb and having to solder it back on again :pac:


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  • Registered Users Posts: 171 ✭✭dmcdante


    Hi All

    This is not much of a proplom but might as well see if ye guys know if i can fix it it my xbox sometimes when i press the button to close the disk tray it goes in but comes out again this happens 2 or 3 times before it stays in i thought it might not have been lying down right but i put it on the floor and its the same it still works fine just want to see if there is a way of fixing this
    Thanks in advance all


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    A list so far of my current mods/repairs:

    Amiga 1200 Capacitor Replace - Link
    Arcade Cabinet Monitor Chassis Removal & Repair - Link

    Nintendo NES Region Mod - Link
    Nintendo Famicom AV Mod - Link

    Super Nintendo Cart Battery Replacement (PAL) - Link
    Super Nintendo Cart Battery Replacement (NTSC) - Link
    Super Nintendo Region & Display Mod - Link
    Super Nintendo Dual Coloured Power LED Mod - Link
    Super Nintendo Jap Carts on US SNes - Link
    Super Nintendo Game Conversion - Link

    Nintendo Gamecube Modchip Install - Link
    Nintendo Gamecube Region Mod {NTSC} - Link
    Nintendo Wii (info mostly) HBC Mod - Link

    Sega Megadrive Cart Battery Replacement - Link
    Sega Megadrive 1 Region & Display Mod - Link
    Sega Megadrive 2 Region & Display Mod - Link
    Sega Megadrive 2 - Loose AC Input Jack Repair - Link
    Sega Megadrive 1 Overclock Mod - Link

    Sega GameGear Capacitor Change - Link
    Sega Mastersystem 2 50/60Hz Mod - Link

    Sega Nomad Screen Upgrade & Region Mods - Link
    Sega Nomad Battery Box Mod - Link

    Sega 32X Region Mod - Link

    Sega Saturn 50/60Hz Switch Install - Link
    Sega Saturn Modchip Install - Link

    Sega Dreamcast Overclock Mod - Link
    Sega Dreamcast Region Change Mod - Link
    Sega Dreamcast Hybrid Bios - Link

    PAL Psu Into NTSC Console [Dreamcast] - Link

    Sony PSone Mod Chip Install - Link
    Sony Playstation 1 LED replace/change - Link
    Sony PSP 1000 Replacement Shell Log - Link
    Sony Playstation 2 FcMB Mod (info mostly) - Link
    Sony Playstation 3 Custom Firmware Installation (it wasn't me) - Link
    Sony Playstation 3 USB Jig Exploit (3.41) - Link

    Xbox Softmod - Link
    Xbox 360 Jtag & internal SATA hdd mod - Link
    Xbox 360 XBR to freeBOOT (jtag only) - Link
    Xbox 360 Freestyle Dash Installation - Link
    Xbox 360 Dashlaunch Installation - Link
    Xbox 360 Freestyle Dash & Dashlaunch Installation v2 - Link


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Quick log of some cart's I'm doing for o1s1n. This one is a PAL Snes cart (you know the ones :rolleyes:), and he has done things the absoloute right way by buying the battery holders & brand new batteries.

    The supplies

    14vmm39.jpg

    Snes cart & Gamebit to open the cart. You can use other methods to open them, the gamebit saves you burning up pens though

    21bt5w7.jpg

    Super Mario World's backside

    1ruas7.jpg

    The business at hand - The dead battery fixed into place.

    r7p11g.jpg

    The old battery holder desoldered & removed.

    muwrbq.jpg

    Now, the new battery holder isn't a direct fit part it seems. So I needed to extend the existing terminals to give me some flexability on where to fit the new holder. Yes, I thought it looks like soldier ants too!

    5vbyvr.jpg

    New holder fitted in place, and connected to the existing terminals via the soldier ant wiring.

    6i43gi.jpg

    As near as makes no difference to 3.3v, measured at the cart. I'd like to thank my hand for a special guest appearence here.

    34hsvtw.jpg

    New battery just slots into place, very nice indeed.

    10fymio.jpg

    The new holder is the perfect height for the cart, exact same height as the roms meaning when the cart is closed it will meet the new holder flush & secure it.

    2isjf6e.jpg

    As can be seen here

    w17n1z.jpg

    One down, a few more to go

    rk24iu.jpg

    That's it, simple as. If there's any differences in the NTSC cart I'll post another log. Expect one for Megadrive too soon.


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Nice work! That really looks the business. The one thing that worried me was finding a holder that was small enough to clear the cart when it's being closed. Fingers crossed the NTSC and Megadrive ones are as straightforward.

    By the way, really must get myself one of those wooden dinner trays :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    o1s1n wrote: »
    By the way, really must get myself one of those wooden dinner trays :pac:

    There's literally nothing they can't be used for :D They're like the MacGyver's of trays :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 362 ✭✭ Aiden Cuddly Tariff


    Seen a modder putting the battery on the opposite side in this mod-

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/astralpancakes/3900072396/in/photostream/


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,275 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Seen a modder putting the battery on the opposite side in this mod-

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/astralpancakes/3900072396/in/photostream/

    Seems he had to put them on the back because he used much bigger battery holders. Should definitely go with those ones I got. They're cheap enough.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 362 ✭✭ Aiden Cuddly Tariff


    Seemed more practical *no offence to mod almighty*,of course don't forget the polarity and taking pics before take it off,you don't want battery exploding!.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    EnterNow wrote: »
    There's literally nothing they can't be used for :D They're like the MacGyver's of trays :pac:

    There's nothing really to say which way is any better than the other, I chose my way because when the cart is closed, it meets right up to the battery holder - and secures it in place. The other side has more free space, so in the event of a fall or something, it's more likely to fall out. It's nit picking on my part, but it's just how I am I suppose :)


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 362 ✭✭ Aiden Cuddly Tariff


    Thought you would would have a FLUKE multi meter being the master :cool:


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