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NEC PC-Engine/SuperGrafx => PC Engine/SuperGrafx Discussion => Topic started by: offsidewing on April 25, 2007, 09:33:28 AM

Title: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: offsidewing on April 25, 2007, 09:33:28 AM
Ok, so the too good to be true Boxed PCE Duo I picked up off of ePay may turn out to be to good to be true.

The system came packed with a crusty MONO A/V cable.  Mono.  I didn't even know the PCE had mono mono A/V cables but oh well.  No big deal right, WRONG.  No sound comes through the TV.  I've ordered the $12 Duo AV cable from TZD hoping that will be a fix.  I do get sound from the Head phone jack, so I remain optimistic.

Anyways, does anyone else know of this issue?  Not the melting-heat-sink-sound-melting-soldering-thing thread, but about using a mono A/V cable and it being crusty.

Hopefully my Duo A/V cable fixes the problem.  If not, look for a boxed PCE Duo (matchig numbers) to appear for sale shortly.

In the mean time, it's Dracula X, CF2, and DE2 till I drop!!  Wearing headphones of course...
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: offsidewing on April 25, 2007, 09:50:00 AM
phuck.  After 5 minutes, the head phone audio got staticy and cut out.  I have a bad PCE Duo.

Christmas is stolen from me.  phucking ePay.  My Duo doesn't play sound, D-Lite doesn't answer emails, my wife thinks I'm a dork, and I broke my James Brown tape.

Does anyone have a dog I can kick?

$250 for an RX, here I come...
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: gundarN on April 25, 2007, 09:53:58 AM
Does anyone have a dog I can kick?
Mine died last week.

I feel your pain.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: Necromancer on April 25, 2007, 09:56:55 AM
That's a real swift kick to the ol' bean bag, but don't cry - somebody might be able to get her fixed up.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: FM-77 on April 25, 2007, 10:10:21 AM
I've heard that cold solder joints are common in PCE systems. Easy to fix.

Don't buy an RX. Never buy an RX.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: offsidewing on April 25, 2007, 10:13:40 AM
In the opening scene of Cosmic Fantasy 2, Van was a giant white box.  I thought he might be practicing shield training with Duncan.  Then I remembered it was the shitty duo.

The console is in great shape and the CD drive is naughty whisper quiet.  But the sound doesn't work.

Oh look, it's the opening to Bonk 3 CD and bonk is a giant white box.  Maybe he's into Dune as well.

Op, no.  It's a crappy Duo.

Hey, it's the opening to Ys 4.  It sounds like a phonograph is getting sodomized in prison and a giant white block is returning to earth.


I think I'm going to ground my son.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: offsidewing on April 25, 2007, 10:34:30 AM
I've heard that cold solder joints are common in PCE systems. Easy to fix.

Don't buy an RX. Never buy an RX.

$130-ish for a Duo-R??

The Video and Audio are suspect.  Is it fixable??  The AV port wiggles a bit too.

I emailed the ePay seller.  He said he tested it and it worked fine before he sold it.  And he only marked the value as 5,000 yen.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: FM-77 on April 25, 2007, 11:00:38 AM
Yeah, Duo-R systems are much cheaper. They are identical to RX systems.

If the AV port wiggles, it most definitely is broken. Open it up, resolder it (it's HUGE, very easy to do even if you're inexperienced) and it ought to work fine. That's probably what's causing the graphical errors as well.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: Soviet Conscript on April 25, 2007, 11:06:29 AM
if you don't want to fix it yourself i belive Old School Gamer fixes duo sound problems. though it make take a few weeks
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: offsidewing on April 25, 2007, 11:25:45 AM
Yeah, Duo-R systems are much cheaper. They are identical to RX systems.

If the AV port wiggles, it most definitely is broken. Open it up, resolder it (it's HUGE, very easy to do even if you're inexperienced) and it ought to work fine. That's probably what's causing the graphical errors as well.

Yeah, resolder it.  I fix broken companies, not so much PCE Hardware.  I have zero soldering skills.  I can rewire lighting fixtures, igition switches on fairway mowers, and stero speakers.  I don't even know how to hold a soldering iron.  Is it like using a 9-iron??

I just got an email from the seller.  He's willing to work something out, we'll see what pans out.

Update.  Ah, what a great ebayer.  The seller is going to ship a newer unit and I'll return the old one to a state side address.  This guy has gone out of his way to make things right and my turbo-grief has subsided!
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: Ninja Spirit on April 26, 2007, 08:29:20 AM
I had a case juuuuust like offsidewing's when I got a black PCE Duo 3 years ago. I don't trust the black Duos anymore.

But I still hope things work out for you nonetheless.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: esteban on April 29, 2007, 03:30:38 PM
But I still hope things work out for you nonetheless.
Absolutely.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: offsidewing on May 02, 2007, 07:47:59 AM
The seller made the world right again by swapping a crisply boxed Duo-R.  Outstanding.  It's a tad mis colored, but functions flawlessly.  Now I need to acquire the odd star shaped Duo/R/RX bit to unscrew the case and soak it in some bleach.

Multimods.com, where are you!  I have money and need a region mod and possibly S-Video. . . .
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: FM-77 on May 02, 2007, 09:19:27 AM
Does the bleach thing work right? Sounds interesting.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: offsidewing on May 03, 2007, 01:13:17 AM
Does the bleach thing work right? Sounds interesting.

A lot of people tried slightly different combinations with much success.  I tried it on a white PCE 10 years ago and it seemed to work.

I just want to find that Freaking PCE Duo/R/RX bit to take the screws out of my system!
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: FM-77 on May 03, 2007, 02:12:46 AM
I actually used a regular small flathead screwdriver to open my Duo-R. It was certainly not easy, but I did it.... after 40 minutes. :)

Also consider this (although it may just be happening to me)... Every time I've opened up the console, the SRAM has gone corrupt. I don't know why, as I'm very careful to make sure there's no power left in the system when I do it, etc. Damn that SRAM, hehehe.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: GUTS on May 03, 2007, 08:47:15 AM
Its probably just because you unplug it for awhile, mine dies if i leave the system unplugged for barely a few days.  Hell it might even be shorter now, all I know is I have to back everything I want up in the tennoke bank or else run the risk of losing it when my system is unplugged.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: FM-77 on May 03, 2007, 10:56:00 AM
That's probably not it, as I mostly keep it unplugged whenever I don't use it (and I don't use it that much nowadays). Been unplugged for months without the SRAM going corrupt. The unplugging issue is probably because of bad capacitors in your system though.
Title: Re: I'm happy... and ANGRY!
Post by: GUTS on May 03, 2007, 03:55:02 PM
Yeah I recently sold off my old one that had that problem (to some guy locally, I hope he doesn't notice the SRAM issue), the Duo R I got from D-lite a while back seems to be fine for weeks at a time with no power.  My old Duo had every problem in the book it seemed like.