Hopeless PCE Duo problem

HoocasLenkels · 11/12/2013, 03:13 PM

Hello all.

First off, I'm excited to be a part of this forum. I've been an NEC fan for years, and It's nice to see so many fans in one place.

Anywho, I have a PCE Duo, with (you guessed it) sound problems. EDIT: I'm willing to pay someone to try and repair this. I've reached the conclusion that this is beyond my realm of skills. Please message me or reply here if you're willing to help! Thanks!

I've replaced every single capacitor (even the large ones) on the entire board, and after a few minutes, the sound crackles and fades away.

What could be the cause? All the solder points are good, and I've checked for broken traces. Could it be the OP amps? If so, where would I find replacements?

Any help at all is appreciated!

pnauts · 11/12/2013, 04:58 PM

sound on both channels disappear ?
try to reflow solder on your opamp

HoocasLenkels · 11/12/2013, 05:06 PM

The sound dies on the tv set, and the headphone jack. I'll try reflowing the solder again, but I did before, and it still isn't working. Thanks for the advice though!

thesteve · 11/13/2013, 01:57 AM

Sound fades is often duo to open connections on the ref voltages
Each amp uses a ref voltage formed by 2 resistors and a cap 2

turbokon · 11/13/2013, 08:02 AM

Also check via's near caps or opt amps for continuity.

Fidde_se · 11/14/2013, 12:31 PM

Hold the board against the light and look for those vias that don't let light shine threw.
they are usually the ones closest to the capacitors that are clogged, clean them with a small stick
and test them for continuity, some might have to be repaired.

Large

HoocasLenkels · 11/17/2013, 10:20 PM

So I cleaned out all the via holes very carefully. I also replace 3 different OP amps. The first one, between the capacitors on top. I tested it afterwards and the sound seemed to be a little better. When it started going out, It would fluctuate more, and almost sounded like it was fighting to stay on.

Then, I replaced the two on the underside, and now I have no sound at all! I thought maybe one of them was bad, so I swapped both out for 2 more brand new ones, and still nothing but quiet buzzing. I'm afraid I've killed my duo!

Is there any way to fix this? I'm willing to pay someone to try their hand at it. I just want to play Bomberman '94, and this unit is givine me nothing but trouble.

thesteve · 12/14/2013, 11:09 PM

The amps rarely fail
The via's you cleaned may need wires soldered through them (common)
2