HuCard slot cleaning

Bernie · 07/06/2011, 02:09 PM

Sorry if this has been talked about. A search of the forums turned up nothing for me. So, here is my question.

The NES, SNES, and Sega machines that used carts, all had some sort of device one could purchase to clean the contacts in the system itself. Now, my question is this. Does anyone have an idea on how we could do this with our HuCard slots? I dont think I have ever seen something that was meant for this. If anyone remembers, the device would be in the shape of the cart for whichever machine you were attempting to clean. Here is one I used to have for my NES.

/nes_cleaner1.jpg

So, any ideas

:

hoobs88 · 07/06/2011, 02:17 PM

There was a thread somewhere that discussed this...

You could always apply cleaning solution or alcohol to an extra hu card that you have and insert it, remove, and repeat.

Bernie · 07/06/2011, 02:22 PM

Quote from: hoobs88 on 07/06/2011, 02:17 PMThere was a thread somewhere that discussed this...

You could always apply cleaning solution or alcohol to an extra hu card that you have and insert it, remove, and repeat.

Yeah, I kinda figured somewhere here, its been discussed but lost in the mix. I have actually considered just using an extra HuCard, but was wondering if anyone had come up with anything else. Be cool to have something made in the shape of a Hu, and used for just this purpose.

NecroPhile · 07/06/2011, 02:23 PM

I've never needed to clean the slot (just the huey itself), but a thin lint free cloth soaked in alcohol and wrapped over an old credit card (trimmed as needed) would do the trick.

Quote from: hoobs88 on 07/06/2011, 02:17 PMThere was a thread somewhere that discussed this...

This one?

Keith Courage · 07/06/2011, 03:19 PM

I have one hu game that is broken and I apply rubbing alcohol to the pins of it. Then just insert over and over again until finished. (That's what she said)

VestCunt · 07/06/2011, 11:23 PM

This is the only NEC-approved kit I know of: http://s667.photobucket.com/albums/vv33/royvegas/?action=view&current=TheEliminatorTurbografxCleaningKit.jpg&sort=ascending

(Thanks Roy!)

Doc's, Performance, and High Frequency each made one or more multi-system kits that including cards for the Grafx/Express. There's even one on ebay right now, but all of those hard plastic cards for console cleaning are really just the same thing cut to different sizes. Most any card from an old Genesis/SNES/SMS cleaning kit will work as long as it's straight and doesn't have some damn handle attached.

That said, NecroPhile is right - your console probably doesn't need cleaning. Everything else may die on our systems, but we Turbo owners are lucky in that one respect. Clean your Hueys on your pants' leg, or, if you really want to go balls out, with q-tips and the highest percent isopropyl you can find and you should be good. I've only ever needed to clean the hucard slots on those crappy converters that tarnish easily. One time I cleaned my Supergrafx because that thing acts as a dust funnel and it wasn't loading one time in ten. Otherwise, hucard slots are golden.

Here's a pic. Look at these stupid things. The Genesis one fits the TG16 perfectly and the Turbogrfax one is too small!

SignOfZeta · 07/07/2011, 12:37 AM

I use a piece of sheet styrene (get it at a good hobby store) with 2000 grit sanding film (also from a hobby store, not traditional sand paper (the grit will fall off) but sanding film which is really durable plastic) wrapped around it so that total thickness is as close to that of a HuCard. Soaked in contact cleaner, in and out about a million times. It helped the reliability of my white PCE quite a bit.

DragonmasterDan · 07/07/2011, 07:13 AM

Quote from: guest on 07/06/2011, 11:23 PMThat said, NecroPhile is right - your console probably doesn't need cleaning. Everything else may die on our systems, but we Turbo owners are lucky in that one respect. Clean your Hueys on your pants' leg, or, if you really want to go balls out, with q-tips and the highest percent isopropyl you can find and you should be good.

Agreed,
I own two Duos, 3 expresses and one TG16, I've never ever ever had to clean the slot of any of them. I've had to clean individual cards.

I've also never really heard of anyone having a dirty HuCard slot either. Now I have heard of people using converters and bending the pins on the inside of the slot (ala the Saturn who's cartridge slot pins get bent easily, or the Toaster NES). But that's a different problem entirely from having to clean it.

SignOfZeta · 07/07/2011, 10:52 AM

Btw, the method I described helped my Saturn quite a bit too. It didn't bring it back to new or anything, but it helped.

DragonmasterDan · 07/07/2011, 01:46 PM

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 07/07/2011, 10:52 AMBtw, the method I described helped my Saturn quite a bit too. It didn't bring it back to new or anything, but it helped.

I own five working Saturns (and a dead one). Why five, because I played lots of imports and used lots of accessories and the cartridge slots started giving me problems to where I would go and buy another one. Every one of them has problems reading cartridges. Eventually I came up with the solution of get the cartridge to work, and never ever ever remove it. Those pins are sooooooooo tiny that bending them back into place is a near impossibilty. With that said, I am willing to try your method out because some of them clearly can't get any worse.