Duo-R - Disc read issues, yellow HuCard screens, corrupt graphics

[CkRtech]

Hey all -

Lots of irony here. Scored a Duo-R to replace my re-capped, lens-adjusted, otherwise-perfectly-fine Duo due to the Duo-R's "reliability." I figured I would go ahead and make that move before bothering to RGB mod a machine.

The Duo-R arrived from Japan yesterday, and here are the current issues. I just wanted to list them all and what I plan to do & see if you guys have anything to chime in about -

1: Moody lens. Mostly doesn't want to read discs - be they games or audio discs. "Set disc" and "load error" have popped up. Managed to get one audio disc to spin...and that resulted in tons of static during playback and eventual failure. Perhaps a little rail clean/re-grease will do it.

Caps aren't really an issue in the Duo-R like the Duo, right?

2: Most of the Hucard games that came with it boot to a solid yellow screen. I pulled out my copy of Legend of Valkyrie and it worked...however corrupted graphics started to display after awhile. Clean the HuCard port...or worry about more than just that?

The plastic sleeves on the HuCards that came with the unit are VERY sticky. I think perhaps this sat in a hot warehouse for 1+ week before it shipped to me.

I hope to get to it later today. Thought I would drop this message on the pcenginefx guys here and see what you thought. Hopefully it is just a case of some standard maintenance. The Duo I recapped also required some trace repair. I hope none of that is awaiting me inside the Duo-R.

Thanks!

[bozo55]

Sticky Hucards are a pain in the ass.  It took me 10 minutes of cleaning with a Qtip and rubbing alcohol to get fully clean.  Sounds like your Hucard connector has some goop in it.  You can use the coffee filter trick to try to clean it (wrap a coffee filter soaked in alcohol around a hucard and plug it in and out of the console).

If this is a Doujin Dance Duo-R, I suspect he tunes his lenses to use as little power as possible to read the disc, so if you are using CD-Rs or scratched discs you may have issues.  You can either use better discs or add lens power on VR 102 I believe.

[mickcris]

IMO its a myth that the Duo-Rs are more reliable.  I think this is just due to them not using the bad caps on it.  The Duo has a higher quality PCB than the Duo-r so after a recap and board cleaning, I would think the normal Duo would be the better system in terms of reliability.

[CkRtech]

Sticky Hucards are a pain in the ass.  It took me 10 minutes of cleaning with a Qtip and rubbing alcohol to get fully clean.  Sounds like your Hucard connector has some goop in it.  You can use the coffee filter trick to try to clean it (wrap a coffee filter soaked in alcohol around a hucard and plug it in and out of the console).

Yeah. Probably a "first stop" as far as that goes. May have to goo gone them first and then use some rubbing alcohol. We'll see how bad it is.

It wasn't a Doujin Dance. It was just a random seller.

IMO its a myth that the Duo-Rs are more reliable.  I think this is just due to them not using the bad caps on it.  The Duo has a higher quality PCB than the Duo-r so after a recap and board cleaning, I would think the normal Duo would be the better system in terms of reliability.

Interesting. I used to think both always needed a recap. Then I read (in multiple places/forums) that "No. No. Just the regular Duo is bad and needs a recap." I can't help but wonder if you're right and it is just a myth.

I'll start with the obligatory cleaning and see how it goes...

[pnauts]

for the Huc glitches, I'll go for reflowing Hu ic's, ram and connection port

[CkRtech]

for the Huc glitches, I'll go for reflowing Hu ic's, ram and connection port

Tried the same game that was glitching inside another console with the same results.

Haven't had to open a card before. I'll give the connectors one last scrub before desperate measures.

[pnauts]

So, it's not your connector but a dying Huc.

[CkRtech]

So, it's not your connector but a dying Huc.

At least for Legend of Valkyrie. Guess it was a coincidence that the HuCard I grabbed to test and "knew it worked" after the cards that arrived with the system had problems...didn't technically work, itself.

[thesteve]

recheck your cards on another system (hapefully the system isnt damaging them)
if good, start with the card system as the cd wont work right without it

[ToyMachine78]

My experience with the yellow screen usually indicates a pin connection problem.  If I insert the card fully then ease it out until the power latch just squeezes by, it always fixes the issue.