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NEC TG-16/TE/TurboDuo => TG-16/TE/TurboDuo Discussion => Topic started by: Waverider on October 21, 2017, 11:23:20 AM

Title: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Waverider on October 21, 2017, 11:23:20 AM
Hello all, I had this account for a while now and now and now just posting. I'm currently stationed at Guantanomo Bay, Cuba and here we have a lot of time to kill if not working. During my time here I was reentering the very deep rabbit hole of PC-E/TG-16 and accquired a few CD and HuCard games that I didn't have. I had them mailed home so I have something to look forward to when I return.

Now here is the delema. I have two Turbo Duo's. My original Duo back in the early 90s and one new unopened that I bought on eBay back in 2001. The reason I bought the other Duo was to have a back up in case my original dies on me.

I'm going to send my original Duo to get the caps replaced when I return home next month. Should I also send the new Duo also or should I keep it in the box?

Thanks for any suggestions.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: HuMan on October 21, 2017, 11:30:28 AM
Send both. All Turbo Duo and black PC Engine Duo consoles need their capacitors replaced now.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: turboswimbz on October 21, 2017, 11:33:17 AM
If you want to keep it sealed, feel free to.  But those caps are probably going to leak whether played or not. and definitely will fail soon after powering it up if you ever do.   

If your going to play it, recap it

if it is going to continue to sit, then ehhhh probably not required. but you might be rolling your changes if when you do open it up if it's good.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: HuMan on October 21, 2017, 01:12:12 PM
The leaky caps are gonna destroy the board, he'll end up with a junk boxed Duo that way.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: gex on October 21, 2017, 03:12:38 PM
From what I've seen, sealed Duo's don't auction that much higher than non sealed consoles. Probably revolving around what TurboSwim just mentioned, about the caps leaking through the console. So I wouldn't worry about opening it up and loosing a fortune, because precedent sales (from what I've seen) have only sold for 1.5K'ish USD. While regular complete boxed consoles sell for 1K USD ish? So it's unlikely some idiot will bid it up to something insane like 4K, where u could then just buy a Duo modded to the nines and a nice steak dinner.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Green on October 22, 2017, 02:07:02 PM
Keep the sealed one sealed. Its not like someone will buy it and open it. Chances are it will stay sealed forever.
Recap the other and enjoy!
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Keith Courage on October 22, 2017, 07:10:44 PM


I would only keep the other one sealed if you are thinking about selling it. if you plan on keeping it yourself forever then definitely open it and get it recapped.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Necromancer on October 23, 2017, 03:00:13 AM
I'd get it recapped.  You bought it as a backup system for future use (not for future flip value like a$$hole green suggests), and it'll likely be dead and beyond repair if you wait.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Punch on October 23, 2017, 03:53:56 AM
Now here is the delema. I have two Turbo Duo's. My original Duo back in the early 90s and one new unopened that I bought on eBay back in 2001.

Congratulations for accidentally avoiding post-wii turbografx prices on your 2nd DUO purchase... to paraphrase the Stratovox bonus point screen: LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Green on October 23, 2017, 04:41:58 AM
I'd get it recapped.  You bought it as a backup system for future use (not for future flip value like a$$hole green suggests), and it'll likely be dead and beyond repair if you wait.

Why get it recapped when he has another to recap?
Isn’t one console enough? Put the sealed one on a shelf if you have another one. Only makes sense.

Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: HuMan on October 23, 2017, 04:59:21 AM
Why get it recapped when he has another to recap?
Isn’t one console enough? Put the sealed one on a shelf if you have another one. Only makes sense.

Did you even read the OP?

The reason I bought the other Duo was to have a back up in case my original dies on me.

Nowhere in his post did he say "I'm holding this sealed duo to flip later", or "I want to keep it sealed forever".

If meant as a backup system, it has to be recapped. Have you seen all the broken Turbo Duo and PCE Duo threads in the repairs section? Going by failure rate alone, it's safe to say that ALL black Duos must be recapped now, no matter how used they are. A sealed Duo, left untreated, will be destroyed from leaking capacitors, eventually it won't be repairable.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Green on October 23, 2017, 05:50:49 AM
Why get it recapped when he has another to recap?
Isn’t one console enough? Put the sealed one on a shelf if you have another one. Only makes sense.

Did you even read the OP?

The reason I bought the other Duo was to have a back up in case my original dies on me.

Nowhere in his post did he say "I'm holding this sealed duo to flip later", or "I want to keep it sealed forever".

If meant as a backup system, it has to be recapped. Have you seen all the broken Turbo Duo and PCE Duo threads in the repairs section? Going by failure rate alone, it's safe to say that ALL black Duos must be recapped now, no matter how used they are. A sealed Duo, left untreated, will be destroyed from leaking capacitors, eventually it won't be repairable.

Yeah I know. I’ve never been one to hold onto boxes for consoles when I come across them but I have a soft spot for the Duo. Kinda cool to see a sealed one. I never have.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Necromancer on October 23, 2017, 06:58:56 AM
Not everyone is a collectard a$$hole, more interested in having neat looking things on their shelves than things that actually work.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Green on October 23, 2017, 08:31:55 AM
Not everyone is a collectard a$$hole, more interested in having neat looking things on their shelves than things that actually work.

Exactly. I totally agree
Everyone can’t be TRUE gamers like us!
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Waverider on October 23, 2017, 12:07:10 PM
Thanks all for the suggestions. I'll send the boxed one in to have the caps replaced after the other one done. I'll just leave a note to be careful with the box.

One thing that surprise me is that many boxed Turbo Duo's does not have the sleeve that wrapped around the side of the box. Then again, I do save everything on any of my big purchases.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Lost Monkey on October 23, 2017, 01:18:57 PM
Thanks all for the suggestions. I'll send the boxed one in to have the caps replaced after the other one done. I'll just leave a note to be careful with the box.

One thing that surprise me is that many boxed Turbo Duo's does not have the sleeve that wrapped around the side of the box. Then again, I do save everything on any of my big purchases.

Do you remember who or where you bought it from?
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Waverider on October 23, 2017, 01:34:48 PM
Do you remember who or where you bought it from?

My first Duo I bought at a video game shop in the late 90s in San Diego. I traded my old TG-16 w/CD-ROM and extra cash for it.

The second was from eBay in 2001. I remember it because it took forever for it to be delivered. Back then eBay was a different beast. No PayPal back then. Most of the time you mailed a check to the seller that took a few day. Then the seller didn't mail the item for about two weeks. The reason? The check to be cleared. Ah the good old days.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: xelement5x on October 26, 2017, 08:01:53 AM
Do you remember who or where you bought it from?

My first Duo I bought at a video game shop in the late 90s in San Diego. I traded my old TG-16 w/CD-ROM and extra cash for it.

The second was from eBay in 2001. I remember it because it took forever for it to be delivered. Back then eBay was a different beast. No PayPal back then. Most of the time you mailed a check to the seller that took a few day. Then the seller didn't mail the item for about two weeks. The reason? The check to be cleared. Ah the good old days.

Lol I remember those days.  I didn't have a checking account when I was younger so I needed to take cash to the Post Office to get a money order and send that instead.  Then like wait patiently and hope you weren't getting screwed over.  Man it was the wild west back then, as much as people bitch about PayPal it's a lot better than money orders or checks (which basically have all your account info on it anyway).
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: majors on October 27, 2017, 01:29:21 AM
I'll send the boxed one in to have the caps replaced after the other one done. I'll just leave a note to be careful with the box.

Um, just a thought but take the Duo OUT OF THE BOX before sending it to be fixed? It'll save on shipping and you'll know no harm will come to your cardboard.

As for being sealed, isn't the US Duo box just a flap or did the retailer put a sticker over the opening? I could swear, when working Babbages, we manually opened the box to put in the bonus bundle game we had in stock before we put the sleeve around it (when they started the $299 promotion). But that was many beers ago...
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: schweaty on October 27, 2017, 02:05:19 AM
I'll send the boxed one in to have the caps replaced after the other one done. I'll just leave a note to be careful with the box.

Um, just a thought but take the Duo OUT OF THE BOX before sending it to be fixed? It'll save on shipping and you'll know no harm will come to your cardboard.

As for being sealed, isn't the US Duo box just a flap or did the retailer put a sticker over the opening? I could swear, when working Babbages, we manually opened the box to put in the bonus bundle game we had in stock before we put the sleeve around it (when they started the $299 promotion). But that was many beers ago...
Agreed.  Take it out of the box for shipping.  You're just asking for that box to get eff'ed up in shipping.  The shipping will probably be a little less as well in a smaller box.

Just wanted to add:  any perceived "value" lost by un-sealing the box will be made up for value gained by having a re-capped unit.  More importantly, you will also be preserving a working console for the future.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Lost Monkey on October 27, 2017, 03:17:14 AM
I feel like we've had this conversation before - but wasn't the duo with the sash shrinkwrapped in cellophane?

That is how I remember it and I had several of them pass through my hands in the late 90's.
Title: Re: Need suggestion on my Turbo Duo.
Post by: Nec.Game.head on November 20, 2017, 05:02:26 AM
Get an both re capped bro and save your self the trouble of your potential boxed sealed back up unit to be ruined beyond repair one day.  Get er done and put it back in her minty gorgeous looking box I'm assuming from TZD !! Lol God damn it why did I not just buy then in 2001 !! Would order from TZD and failed on myself !! You did great bro snatching one up then, take care of her !!