Console 5 DUO R cap kit has 7 unnessecary caps?

Menegx · 01/10/2015, 07:27 PM

My friend is refurbishing a DUO R using a cap kit bought from console 5 and he found out that there are 7 extra caps, so he asked me to make a thread about it since he hasn't got an account.

So is this normal? Any one else bought a cap kit from that store?
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bust3dstr8 · 01/10/2015, 08:45 PM

So he includes caps that may not be populated on all Duos pcbs....better to be safe than sorry I guess.

NightWolve · 01/10/2015, 09:32 PM

You can buy general $9.99 capacitor kits on eBay that have pretty much everything you need and you'll be left with plenty to spare for other jobs. These type of specific kits seem kind of a rip-off to me, well, unless they picked high quality brands - I guess Nichicon is considered high quality. With the kind of money they're asking though, I'd rather get Panasonic low-ESR models... For the same money, you CAN get those models instead from DigiKey, that's why it's a bit of a rip-off! Anyway, be thankful you got a few extra caps is all there is to say I guess...

We have a helpful replacement chart BTW if he wants, unless he took a photo himself of the PCB or does replacement one by one. Linky:

https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=3249.0

Hm, I guess though there isn't a chart in there for Duo-R specifically. I was thinking of PC Engine Duo.

Menegx · 01/11/2015, 07:09 AM

So any one know if there are different revisions of the Duo R? bust3dstr8's guess makes sense to me

Quote from: NightWolve on 01/10/2015, 09:32 PMWe have a helpful replacement chart BTW if he wants, unless he took a photo himself of the PCB or does replacement one by one. Linky:

https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=3249.0

I saved that chart and sent it to him a few days ago, but I wasn't sure whether he could use it since I thought that Duo and DUO R/RX don't use the same parts. Are there any differences between the two?

PCEngineHell · 01/11/2015, 07:27 AM

Quote from: NightWolve on 01/10/2015, 09:32 PMI guess Nichicon is considered high quality.

Yeah, Nichicon is considered high quality. I guess their caps are ok now, they did go through a big bad phase during the whole bad caps era. If I had the option to choose them over a generic Chinese brand I would, but otherwise, like you said, something like Panasonics would be best.

NightWolve · 01/11/2015, 07:27 AM

Quote from: Menegx on 01/11/2015, 07:09 AMI saved that chart and sent it to him a few days ago, but I wasn't sure whether he could use it since I thought that Duo and DUO R/RX don't use the same parts. Are there any differences between the two?

Looks like we don't have a chart for it, but in today's environment with tablets and phones with good cameras, you can easily just snap a few photos of the PCB and have that for reference if you wanna desolder all old capacitors at once and know what new ones to solder back on, etc.

Menegx · 01/11/2015, 07:53 AM

So is this chart inaccurate then?

NightWolve · 01/11/2015, 08:15 AM

He tells you it's for a Duo-R so you're good. By 'we', I meant the PCEFX mod section - I didn't find one by Red Ghost or someone else. Anyway, I'm sure your modder has experience so I wouldn't worry about this any more.

Keith Courage · 01/11/2015, 01:02 PM

I'm not a big fan of the cap kits console 5 provides. I've had people send me cap kits for turbo Express units for me to change out for them and many of the capacitors are very large. this can make it very difficult to fit some of the caps in very small places. I've also noticed a little bit of the same in their regular duo capacitor kits.

GohanX · 01/11/2015, 01:50 PM

I've had quality issues with their caps too. I did a Game Gear a while back that wouldn't power on because of a bad power cap, put the original back in and it worked again. A couple of weeks later I did another one with good Mouser caps and the video and audio were considerably better.

SephirothTNH · 01/11/2015, 04:05 PM

I've used the console 5 kits a couple of times on genesis systems. I ended up with leftover caps each time. On one of them I did notice before hand that there were unpopulated spots on my stock motherboard that they sent caps for. So yeah I think they are just sending the max capacitors for you system and some board revisions may not need all of them.

But like everyone else is saying either buy a large cap kit for cheap or go to mouser and select your own caps. I do the later now and I don't think I've ever gotten the price to be over console5's price and I've always selected pretty high quality low esr caps.

Nothing against console5 though. Every experience I've had with them has been positive but I think some of their cap kits are overpriced. Surely to make these cap kits they are buying the caps in the hundreds if not thousands so their cost for cap kit is probably pretty low.

FABombjoy · 01/11/2015, 08:15 PM

Hey guys, based on the feedback posted here, I wish you would have sent me an email explaining the problems that you'd observed. I work to make things right in any sale whenever humanly possible. That offer is still open to any of you, just send me an email!

To the OP - I've sent you a reply (if that was you that emailed me) for a little clarification on the differences between your DUO-R and the more common 3339-A revision. We'll get you figured out!

I realize that premade kits aren't for everyone and that's OK. The big difference is if you buy caps from Mouser and things don't go as planned - you get the wrong size or things act oddly - Mouser won't be really help you at all unless they parts were patently defective. If you order them from me, I help you get it working correctly or refund your money!

Some kits will come with extra parts depending on the hardware revision. Usually this is done to simply the assembly & ordering process. Especially Sega hardware where they just couldn't quit messing around with it. At least with NEC it was pretty much one design and done which is what makes the OPs DUO-R revision intriguing.

pdiggitydogg · 01/12/2015, 05:39 AM

I've purchased a couple cap kits from Console5, as well as a handful of misc parts. Although a few of the caps on my recent game gear redo were a bit large and I had 1 extra cap, I was extremely pleased with the service and was able to make every cap fit with some creativity. As far as bad caps go, out of all those made, the price, and the lack of qc from factories, I am surprused there aren't more bad caps from any manufacturer. If one is bad, get another. Easy. Nothing is perfect.
Previously I bothered him about some SCDR2 bits and he was helpful and prompt. Plus, for me, he is local. And always free candy. Although, I am mildly allergic to the cinnamon extract in atomic fireballs...

NightWolve · 01/12/2015, 08:50 PM

Quote from: FABombjoy on 01/11/2015, 08:15 PMI realize that premade kits aren't for everyone and that's OK. ... If you order them from me, I help you get it working correctly or refund your money!

I do appreciate console5 for the tech info like here:

http://console5.com/wiki/SNES

But yeah, I don't buy anything from you at those prices. ;)

Keith Courage · 01/12/2015, 09:07 PM

I do however make plenty of use of the color coded RCA jacks for component mods

FABombjoy · 01/13/2015, 09:47 AM

To help the OP, I need to reference a Duo-RX with PCB code PWA-3365-A.

It'll take too long for me to import one, so if someone here has access to a RX and can send some pics and confirm a few part values, I'll gladly pay you for your time.

OR if you have a Duo-RX for sale (dead or alive) in the US, I might be game for that as well.

Menegx · 01/13/2015, 11:22 AM

I don't have a problem with Console 5. In my experience the service is very good and since I personally rarely buy caps and stuff like that, I really don't care whether or not it's "overpriced" since the difference is in dollars and they've done all the work for you (all the nessecary parts +chart for instructions).

Quote from: FABombjoy on 01/11/2015, 08:15 PMTo the OP - I've sent you a reply (if that was you that emailed me) for a little clarification on the differences between your DUO-R and the more common 3339-A revision. We'll get you figured out!

My friend might've contacted you, either via Facebook or e-mail. He's the one working on this thing, I just made a thread about it