Messages

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Turbo Gouging on Ebay ( r.i.p. - gouging much )]

twenty buck is twenty bucks, haha

Esadajr, is that an ultra-obscure reference to the MTV commercial for their short-lived show, "The Idiot Box"? The one where the clown was going to run over Alex Winter's head?

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: FS: TurboGrafx 16 Case label Stickers… Large, Small & NOW Duo/CD sets...]

Apropos of nothing:
These labels are great! I bought my set nearly five years ago, and I'm so glad I did. They look fantastic; you can't even tell they weren't part of the original releases.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: What Turbo game are you currently playing?]

I'd just like to say that I know I'm getting old because I have gone from "I'll never buy the two golf games for TurboGrafx" to "I want to play Jack Nicklaus more than any other game right now because I find it so relaxing."

Sigh.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: TG-CD: Total capacitor replacement chart + useful info]

I have had great results and excellent communication from Chris at cheapnicecomputers. If you can transcend all the bull***t and drama and speculation about his methods and motives, you'll discover a fast, solid repair at a reasonable* price.




*for some, nothing more than like $20 shipped would be considered reasonable. These people will never be happy.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: What causes the occasional crunch from the CD drive?]

Ninj,
I've often wondered the same thing! It happens to all three of my TG-CD's!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Turbo Gouging on Ebay ( r.i.p. - gouging much )]

Oh, I remember this thing...
The guy who was selling it originally (maybe the same guy now, I don't know) used to put a long backstory on why it was so rare....basically, he said that in Japan there was a limited edition of Darius that was being sold in certain game stores in very limited quantities. Then, if you were lucky enough to get a copy, you'd be entered into a raffle to win a super-rare, never-to-be-sold-in-stores game: Darius Alpha (or whatever it's called).

The game in the auction was ostensibly won in the ensuing raffle...that's why it says "Not for sale".

Of course, the story could be completely bogus.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Turbo Gouging on Ebay ( r.i.p. - gouging much )]

Jee, Zuss....Christ.
This surprises even me.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

Yeah, see Chris? I was afraid this was gonna become an unnecessarily heated discussion. Don't pay no mind.
Chop, nothing against you, but don't you think it's possible that two or more people could have conceived the same relatively simple fix for the same problem independently of each other?

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

akaViolence,
Rather than open it up to take a pic of it, and then try to figure out how posting photos on this forum works (seriously, I have the damnedest time figuring it out...l33t I am not), I'll just post the link that Chris sent to me while he was working on it:

/cimg5885.jpg

I hope you can open/view that no problem...it's not password protected.
Not that you would necessarily care, but he's already indicated he has no problems with pics of his fix going up here.

One unfortunate thing, which was in no way Chris's fault, is that it looks like someone actually punted the return shipping box before I got it. Seriously...huge dent on one of the corners. When I opened the CD lid, I noticed the sled was all the way to the outer limit...even beyond, since I had to use a pen to pull the thing back into moving range to make it work. I think it was just dropped or otherwise manhandled.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

Success!

Ok guys, I got my TG-CD back from Chris at CheapNiceComputers on ebay. Aside from sounding a little different mechanically (due to different gears/configuration being used), it works as good as it ever did. Actually, it might even work a little better! It's very responsive, and seems to have no trouble loading or finding tracks. I still plan to run more tests (like playing an audio CD in the dock, playing an audio CD as a standalone, etc.), but first impressions are completely positive.

As for the "doing business" aspect, I again give Chris highest marks. He responded promptly to any questions or concerns I had, and was polite and professional. Finally, he did in fact, refund $15 of my $75 payment because the problem was isolated to the gearing system (with no laser issues).

So, for $70.95 ($60 + $10.95 shipping) I have a TG-CD unit that, barring any unforeseen explosions or meltdowns, performs as good as or better than new. If you need the service, and can afford the cost, and you have no philosophical or moral objections to using it, then I recommend it highly.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

Update:
Repairs are almost complete, he's sent me a pic of my repaired gearing mechanism, and communication continues to be excellent.
I should have it back by the middle of next week, I would think.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

Chop,
Looks good, and I'm a little surprised that I didn't know about your fix earlier. I love that we're getting our ideas and solutions pooled. Eventually, we will find a solution.
In the meantime, we'll see what happens with cheapnicecomputers. I'll let you know if his setup is the same as yours.
I see what you mean about switching the pink and blue wires on the sled motor...that solves the problem of going to an even number of gears causing a reversal of direction...you just reverse the reversal!

Again, thanks for sharing this!

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

Chop,
Can you put up some better pics? I'd be curious to see it from different angles.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

Ninj,
Yeah, the only functionally wrong thing with it was that the middle gear got stuck sometime back in 2000 or so. At the time, I assumed it was a laser issue or "it's just old" and couldn't be fixed.
Of course, back in those days, TZD was selling BRAND NEW TG-CD UNITS FOR $25.00 EACH!!!
I know hindsight is 20/20, but I would have bought like five of those if I had known how things would turn out.
In any case, I bought a new unit, and when it arrived I had Turbo again and didn't put much thought into fixing the old one...I thought it broke prematurely because I had knocked it off tables on more than one occasion.

Flash forward to 2007. Armed with the knowledge that comes from being a member of these forums, I took apart my broken unit to see if anything obvious was wrong. There was! The dreaded middle gear had two teeth missing! Just for kicks I turned the large gear to observe the rotation of the whole assembly, and one by one, all the remaining teeth broke off from the middle gear.

Figuring I couldn't make things worse, I applied DC voltage from a 9V battery to the CD motor and the sled motor (I know that isn't a popular way to test them) just to make sure they worked, and sure enough they did.

So, I'm hoping that he can put his improved gearing in there and I'll be good to go. The only other broken thing is the Line Out jack. It used to be the headphone jack, but I switched them so I could enjoy semi-portable CD music again. I don't care if he fixes that, and I would be very surprised if he did.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

Only if I get ripped off!   Thanks though!

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

OK, I bit.
I've sent him my broken TG-CD.
So far, communication has been good and quick. I'll update as appropriate.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: RGB to HDMI?]

The things you guys are capable of....it never ceases to amaze me. I'm really proud to be part of these forums.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

I feel like I'm gonna be the one who ends up trying this service out...I have one CD unit that works most of the time (but needs a little prodding if dormant for a while), one that seems to only work when it feels like it, and my original unit that has no middle gear and that I've dropped a dozen times as a clumsy teenager.

If/when I do, I'll report back on how it performs, provide pics, etc.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

True, but the auction says he replaces the drive with a more reliable, two-gear system. I don't know what design he uses (probably just an existing, compatible setup), but if it really is more reliable, this may be a one-time fix. Whereas even if we fix the dreaded gear problem, there may be other drive train problems down the line.
I really don't want to sound pessimistic, though...nor do I want to sound overly faithful in a repair service that hasn't been personally vetted by someone on these forums (that I know of).
I'm just sayin', that I have three TG-CD's, and I would totally pay the ~$100 each for several years of trouble-free operation and Turbo gaming that would get me.

As a matter of interest, I emailed him asking him if he warranties his work at all, and if so, how long. He said "60 days unless a cap dies immediately afterward, but that kind of thing is hard to predict." (paraphrased)

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

I saw that too...I gotta admit, it looks tempting. If that's legit, it sure seems like a viable option.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Turbo Gouging on Ebay ( r.i.p. - gouging much )]

I'm going to pop the Duo bubble by putting a U.S. Duo up on eBay for $150 BIN and letting it sit there. If someone buys it I'll just feign some sort of mix-up and re-list it for the same price.

I'd be down with that. This is getting a little ridiculous.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

Very nice!
I just looked for one of those online...naturally no one has one for sale that I could find.

With our collective intelligence in this, I'm sure we will eventually solve the problems we face. It's inevitable!

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Grafx CD drive motor]

...I found one supplier but they require at least $100 minimum order. Motor is FF-050SH

How many motors would you get for that price? I'm sure there's enough repair enthusiasts here to chip in for such a purchase...I know I would.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: The Search for the turbo cd gear]

There's one on eBay now for $35. They sure look like they could be the same internally.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Turbo Gouging on Ebay ( r.i.p. - gouging much )]

I've bought 3 or 4 things from that ASE guy as well, but they were honestly very standard transactions...no creepy phone calls, and I felt the prices were fair.

But that was like five years ago. Maybe he's changed.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Corrupted TG-CD memory?]

Nat, thanks again for your input.
I don't know what the B in BRAM means...nor can I find any reference to it in a 20-second Google/Wikipedia search...but as I've said before I know just a little more than diddly squat about how anything saves a file anywhere.

I also wanted to clarify that I never once, even for a second, thought that bad save memory/RAM was causing the graphical glitches. In fact, the glitching was very much a secondary concern that I only noted because it was seen concurrently with my save issues.

When I eventually do open the case, I will look for an obvious visual defect (a leaking cap, as you've suggested) in that neighborhood. Do you know where this DRAM might be? Could it be in Nikdog's pictures?

As always, further comments/advice are welcome, and I'll keep you all posted on my findings.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Corrupted TG-CD memory?]

Hey guys, to address your thoughts:
-I don't lose my save files with the system off. I actually just tested it now, and the save files I made on 11/30 are still there. I haven't used it since then.
-The memory's not full...I've formatted it several times.
-I don't think the SSC 3.0 is at fault; the save issues and graphical screw-ups still happen with the regular System Card 2.0 and the Arcade Card Pro.

Another thing I wanted to try is a CD game with automatic saving after each level (like Valis III). As I expected, the game loads OK, then all the cut scenes play, but the game locks up before the last cut scene that precedes the first playable level.

Hopefully when I finally have time to open the dock and poke around something obvious will pop out, but probably not. I'll start with replacing the supercap (which I would give only a 10-15% chance of fixing the problem) since it's a cheap and easy solution. But not until after the holidays...I'm swamped!

Thanks again for all your suggestions, thoughts and perspectives. I welcome them. If this is "a thing", then I'm probably not the only one who's had or will have this problem. It would be nice to have some data about it.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Corrupted TG-CD memory?]

That's correct. I can save on chip games that allow you to save your progress (like Neutopia or Dragon's Curse), as well as chip games that automatically save your high score (like Soldier Blade). I can also play CD games with no save feature (like LoT). The problem, as I've experienced it, only comes with "save-at-will" CD games.

FWIW, on any CD game I play on that dock, there tend to be very minor graphical glitches. For example, during the armor selection screen on LoT, the flames on the torches in the background are all garbage-y. In all other ways the game plays fine though.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Corrupted TG-CD memory?]

Thanks for the info Charlie!

It's tough to explain my problem with the memory. It's not like it can't save files...it can, so long as it's a chip game. The problem is only with CD games that allow you to save/load files at will (like Ys, or Dynastic Hero). Those games start OK, but once you get to a point where you'd normally be able to save the first time, the screen will not load at all.

Maybe that supercap's got something to do with it, and maybe it doesn't. All the same, I think I'll take a look inside my malfunctioning TG-CD for anything obvious in that neighborhood. If not, I might just swap it out for practice. It couldn't make things any worse!

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Corrupted TG-CD memory?]

Whoa! Awesome! Thanks guys!

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Corrupted TG-CD memory?]

Ok, the links are there...but they just go to some Japanese Yahoo! error page... what does it say?

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Corrupted TG-CD memory?]

hmm...no picture/link supplied.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: IC Region Chips for TG16/PCE/DUO's $17 shipped]

Zeta,
What are those shrouds around the wires connected to the Hu slot? Is it heat shrink? I'm guessing it was to reduce the possibility of a short... do tell!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / TurboExpress Dreams...]

So....
Last night I dreamt that I configured my TE to run Windows Mobile when not playing a game. I also developed a screen saver.

Anyone else have theoretical system mod dreams? Discuss.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: The Search for the turbo cd gear]

Blue,
Yes, my spare is fully functional except for that if it's been idle for more than a week or two it needs to have the sled motor "jolted" with a 9V battery and the gears cleaned and lubed. Otherwise it kind of "sticks", and the sled motor can't move, so it gives the false impression that the CD player itself doesn't work.

I jolted and cleaned this one less than two weeks ago.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: The Search for the turbo cd gear]

All right, hell...
I have a spare TG-CD I'm not using, and the gear is definitely not shredded. Since I want to see this go ahead, I'm willing to offer up my spare so you can extract/mold the offending gear. I believe your method could work.

PM me if you're serious about this and we'll talk.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: The Search for the turbo cd gear]

Yeah, I'm with Zeta...this could be huge!!

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Corrupted TG-CD memory?]

Oh! Do we know which cap? Would it be obvious in any way? Large, or otherwise?

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Is $60 US a good price for a turbo?]

There's a shop near me in Worcester, MA that has/had a TG16 with power supply, two pads w/tap, a TurboBooster w/AV cables, and two chips (I think Keith Courage and Vigilante) for $120. I seriously thought about buying it, but I just didn't need anything in that bundle.

That said, I also think $60 is a fair (but slightly high) price for the TG16, if it's as you described and actually works. Make sure there's no bent/broken pins behind that expansion port cover. And the benefit to buying from a store is that if something doesn't work, there's someone you can bring it back to, unless they're unprofessional so-and-sos.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Corrupted TG-CD memory?]

UPDATE:
It isn't just DH that causes this problem...it's any CD game where there's a save option. As soon as the game progresses to a point where you'd normally be able to save, all loading stops. Very strange.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Corrupted TG-CD memory?]

Has anyone ever had a situation like this?

I started a new Dynastic Hero quest, as I do every year around this time. But for some reason, when I try to make the transition from the first calypso/water area to the first town (the one that's infested with walking mushrooms), the screen goes black, the CD spins, loads, and then does nothing. I've waited five minutes, ten minutes...it makes no difference.

Being a reasonably scientific and logical person, as well as a collector of TG and TG-CD systems, I had the freedom to play around with various system components until I found the guilty party...

TG16: OK
TG-CD: OK
Super System Card 3.0: OK
TG-CD Dock: NG

Of course, the game itself could have been part of the problem, but I only have one copy of DH.

So....the dock was the weak link! I asked myself what about the dock was special in any way, and that's kind of where my already tenuous knowledge of data storage becomes even more deficient. The save files are stored somewhere in the TG-CD dock itself, right? Anyone know where? Is it possible for this to become corrupted? I tried formatting my system several times, but this didn't solve the problem.

I guess it wouldn't be that hard to swap out the mainboard from my "good" dock (which only has composite out) and put it into my wonky dock (which I've modded with S-Video). Has anyone ever tried this?

Any thoughts, input or suggestions are welcome!

[General Gaming / Re: Games you beat ONCE, and dread to try again.]

HUDSON'S ADVENTURE ISLAND (NES).

I wanted to take a nailgun to this piece of crap when I finally beat it. The chick you save at the end of that game is supposed to be named Lelani or some such, but it turns out her name is actually Tina.

What happened to Lelani? Did she choose to stay with the Witch Doctor in some Stockholm Syndrome-esque turn of events??

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Express - Mystery solved! Now screen issue!]

Oh, Blue....that's a real drag!
Well, it's good that you found the problem anyway. You're right: it does look like those would be a pain to fix. Good luck in whatever you end up doing.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: What Turbo game are you currently playing?]

Hey Blue,
Every LoT fan should be familiar with this video...most of us got it in the mail. I still have the VHS somewhere, I believe.

But for the line I was quoting, go to 2:47.

You're welcome!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: What Turbo game are you currently playing?]

Just got Lords of Thunder.  Never played it before.  Im sucking at it but still loving it!

"You need practice, alright? Practice, practice, prac-pratice."

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Finicky turbo taps]

It seems to stem from the large controller chip inside the Tap going out of sync, and unfortunately it seems to be an unrepairable fatal flaw.

For real? I never knew this! I wonder if a drop-in replacement is available anywhere.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Finicky turbo taps]

Yeah, I used to have this problem on my first TurboTap...all of my friends knew the phrase "I have no right and 2."

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Lords of Thunder]

Thanks!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Lords of Thunder]

Hoobs,
Definitely not bragging here (as I'm sure I'm not the only one), but I've beaten the game on Super without using the cheat code, and using only the Wind armor for every stage.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Lords of Thunder]

Obfuscate, how close do your armor preferences align with mine?:

Dezant: Fire
Auzal: Earth
Llamarada: Water
Bosque: Wind
Helado: Earth
Cielom: Water

Mistral: Earth (70% of the time) or Water (30% of the time)

Zaggart: whatever I'm feeling like at the time.

I wanted to use yellow for Wind, but it was illegible on the white background, as was beige.