Messages

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo Express total cap replacement chart]

NICE frigging chart!!!!
I suggest a sticky for this, if possible.
Also need somebody to update the Duo version of this, version I have from Duo_R only has uF, not voltages....

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: PC Engine Duo and it's (ahem!) hot date with the dishwasher....help, please!]

There we go...the voice of experience.  Thanks!  Will get this done sometime this week, see what's what, report findings.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: PC Engine Duo and it's (ahem!) hot date with the dishwasher....help, please!]

How about settings for the dishwasher?  [Not something I ordinarily use, or I wouldn't be asking..]  Hot water, I assume....cycle length?  7th Generation soap?

I'm gonna pull the caps on the general 'maybe something is cross-wired' principle, not to mention getting any electrolytic crap out from underneath the soldering job....a fresh set of caps are on the way to reinstall as well...

Further thoughts?

[Console Repair/Mod Center / PC Engine Duo and it's (ahem!) hot date with the dishwasher....help, please!]

OK, got a PC Engine Duo whose board is about to go in the dishwasher.  I've replaced most of the caps on it and still have no audio-related Redbook or ADPCM love...had to refund my buyer for it this morning due to failure during post-switch install testing, and now I'm mega pissed.

To whomever has done this before, please suggest settings.....water temp, cycle length, etc.

From reading previous posts that mention this as a potential fix, I've gleaned the following:

1)  Don't run the dry cycle [excessive heat can turn your board into a 360-like nightmare [funny how the RRoD terminology/analogy has crept into our vocabulary!]]
2)  Use a certain bit of soap....7th Generation, due to it's apparent lack-o-crap ingredients...
3)  Remove laser (duh)
4)  Remove all previously reinstalled caps and try again
5)  Insure that all saves are backed up onto a Tennokoe, if desired...washing MAY equal loss.

Any other thoughts?  Any help appreciated....thanks!

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: TURBO DUO SOUND FIX!! (56k beware)]

Wow, have spent literally ALL DAY trying to repair this thing.  Here's what I tried:
1)  switched lasers between my US and Jap units.  No dice, wouldn't read the CD, as wiring in middle connection isn't the same between the two, didn't feel like pulling and rewiring the pins.
2)  Pulled/installed fresh/tested caps all day, testing for both Redbook (CD Audio) and ADPCM (system generated snippets like the voice in Gate Of Thunder (J) ).  Installed fresh caps in all spots but:  C961, 962 (near power switch), C512, 515, 517, 519, 523 (above and near HuCard slot), C105, 110, 122, 133, 164, 200, 201, 202 (in between CDROM unit and front of machine).  All other caps I replaced, tested with GOT, got nowhere except severely irritated with the loud buzzing where the voice in GOT is supposed to be.  Sort of like having the buzzer from Family Feud go off like 3000 times today...
3)  Discovered that Pin 29 grounding for Japanese switch install is indeed required.  WSOD without it when trying to play USA games.  [tried pulling this, as it was the only thing that had electrically changed since I got the thing to play audio the other day....]

Now I'm literally out of caps, gonna get some more from PE...this project is HUNG for a couple of days while they're in transit, then.....urgh.

Next project is prolly gonna be to tear down my fully working USA Duo cap by cap, try to isolate what caps are responsible for which audio...pull cap, test, record comments, continue...that'll be fun too.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: PCE GT - Earphone Sound Issue]

Replace all four of them, don't bother mucking about with one or two....I substituted 47uF for the two 33s (Nat mentioned this results in louder sound), and straight replaced the two 100s.  I haven't found subminis that will mount in that location yet...RRR...had to mount them down the side.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: TURBO DUO SOUND FIX!! (56k beware)]

Wow, nothing.  Pulled all previously installed per Nat's suggestion (I too enjoy the notion of a clean slate...), reinstalled all to no avail.  Did the 47s up by the LED, did the 47 that somebody said isn't part of the audio circuit, C312.  Ran the thing with the top off, used eraser at end of pencil to manually shake all installed caps to test for crappy joints (in theory, this should sound porpoise up and down if you've got a crappy joint, right?)  Audio is there, it's just painfully faint.  HuCards work fine, in game button mashing sounds are there as well, it's just the CD audio.

Nat, where is this mystery capacitor mentioned a couple times by Erik and I?  Could this be my issue?  I was supposed to ship this thing today after installing region switch, and as luck would have it, audio has disappeared.....frigging switch install was easier than sorting this &^%^%$ audio issue!!!!!!  HAHAHA!!!

On a humorous note, the timestamp on my mod of that switch document says 04-19-03....been a while since I've done that mod, but it still works famously... (and yes, Twin Peaks STILL rules!)  For whatever it's worth, that document is directly applicable to the JAPANESE consoles, as the pins are simply a mirror image of one another...[not sure whether this Pin 29 business is required or not, but I did it anyway....reminded me of the PSX days...]

Anybody know how to test caps in the circuit / while the thing is powered?  A brief outline, if anybody does, might be helpful....gonna Google, see what it says, I've had it up to HERE with this (*&&^% audio issue.  I WILL fix this thing.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: BIG NEWS: Turbo Express SOUND FIX!!!!]

Did this yesterday to two Express units, both work famously now.  Used Nat's idea for the 47 (as opposed to the 33) as well, and the thing is quite loud.  Disappointed to post, however, that the subminis I used from Parts Express (47uF 10V Sub Mini Radial Capacitor, 020-1604, and 100uF 10V Sub Mini Radial Capacitor, 020-1606) were actually LARGER than the original NEC caps, and I was forced to remote mount down the sides of the PCB.  Ordered/bought subminis in an express attempt to avoid remote mount, but these didn't fit, just a bit too tall.  Commented them as such on their site.  If you're looking for parts grab the physical dimensions of these from their site and see if Digi-Key or Mouser has smaller pieces....

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Breaking News! TURBOEXPRESS / PC ENGINE GT VIDEO FIX!]

Correction:  Parts Express 50V submini is 020-1634.  Fits in space provided without having to bend the bejesus out of anything...hope the higher voltage doesn't screw anything up...

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: TURBO DUO SOUND FIX!! (56k beware)]

RRRRR....lost sound again, right back to where I started (CD sound is VERY VERY faint).  Gonna pull C615, replace with 47uF instead of the 100uF, HOPE that this 100uF has freaked out it's neighbors and they don't want to work anymore.  Will pull/replace all previously installed audio-related caps, hoping again that somebody has blown...makes a bit of sense, really, but I think I'm grasping at straws...we'll see, will post findings.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: CD-ROM2, Ripped ribbon T.T .:¡Need Sony Discman!:.]

What is this unit you're working on (it's white)?  Laser assembly looks very much like that of a PlayStation (which is also a Sony product, mind you!)....get some better pics out here, I'll be happy to assist with PSX parts if it'll work...I'm sure I've got a laser here that doesn't work...Chops is right, though, this ribbon is part of the assembly itself, and is gonna require SKILLS to deal with.

Ripping ribbons SUCKS.  First iPod I opened for this HOT chick at where I used to work, ripped the ribbon, had to replace.  That sucked.  Wish she did as payment, but...no.

Chopsado, good luck with yours.  Selling those bowties?  I assume this works itself into an Express....got a connector you can use in the middle instead of the orange wire?  This would allow you to region switch by flipping the ribbon cable over 180 degrees and re-plugging...

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: TURBO DUO SOUND FIX!! (56k beware)]

OK, success!  Caps finally showed up today from Parts Express, so I went to town on the thing.  First pull:  22uF, 16V at C323.  Result:  no audio love.  In looking to pull the next victim, noticed that there was an important difference between all the pics and my board:  C615 was MISSING!  (Duh, first rule of TG16 repair, insure all the shit is THERE!!!  Cap did NOT fall out when I opened it like reply 83, though, so it didn't occur to me to look..)  So, off I went to my bag-o-caps, only to discover that the 47uF, 16V was NOT a size I ordered.  Soooo, I threw in a 100uF, and lo and behold, some audio showed up, albeit very faint.  Encouraged, I replaced C604, C610, C614 and C613 as original post suggests, and WHAM! out rolls some nice Lords Of Thunder!!!  Woohoo!!!
Questions for anybody:  I've heard different types of audio terms being bandied about:  ADPCM, Redbook, etc....how do they all pertain here?  Is PCM generated by the game code / Redbook is pulled off CD?  Haven't I heard a third term used?
Haven't seen any ill effects from using the 100 as opposed to the 47....anybody tracing these circuits?  Are we gonna end up with LOUDER audio like Agt. Nat did using 47uF caps instead of 33uF caps in his TG16 Express audio fix?  Thoughts, anyone?  [Doesn't sound any different than my working USA Duo, but I suppose it's possible....may try altering the post op amps with higher uF units]
Methodology used:
1)  Pull caps using needlenose and back-and-forth rocking motion.  Don't really pull, you don't want to lift the pads these things are sitting on...just trying to snap the existing joint.  Also, there are fuses attached to the bottom of the board at these points, don't really want to use excess heat.
2)  Buy caps from Parts Express.  Pray that USPS delivers them quicker than they did mine.  Thanks again PCEH for a great supplier...much easier to look through than Mouser or Digi-Key, IMO.  Pictures are worth their weight in gold when replacing stuff.
3)  Prep pads by tinning, using flux pen beforehand if you've got one.
4)  Bend leads of caps into ][ style shape, where top is inside cap, length of vertical = length of horizontal foot.
5)  Tin ends of caps
6)  Use tweezers to hold cap in rough position, use end of soldering iron to link tinning on pads to tinning on caps.  If well tinned, should flow right together.

Bottom line, seems replacing C615 fixed the #1 case, no audio, as I'd only replaced C301, C616 and C323 before realizing C615 was missing, and got no audio out of replacing those three.  Got no audio?  Why not start with C615?  Perhaps this can act as a sight on the 'shotgun'....hee.

[Still waiting for Liar smiley #2 to be replaced by Hot Coffee Drinking Smiley...]
agt_dale_cooper

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Breaking News! TURBOEXPRESS / PC ENGINE GT VIDEO FIX!]

Confirmed working here...Radio Shit P/N 272-1024, 4.7uF, 35V, $1.19.  Can't find anything 35V submini at Parts Express (my new favorite store, thanks again, PCEH), but did find a 50V submini (020-1654) which I think is easier to stash in the CRAMPED space where this thing goes.  [Noting along the way that the white stuff is the vicinity of this cap is space-filling FOAM, and can easily be broken off to provide more real estate...]  Not sure I want to exceed the original voltage spec, though...will find a way to jam the 35V in (NICE pics, folks!), will test the quality of my soldering job by bending the bejesus out of the leads...now I get to do the audio fix on this thing, because the audio sucks.  Yay. [Thrilled smiley omitted]

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: TURBO DUO SOUND FIX!! (56k beware)]

That's curious about the 1000uf cap needing to be replaced. That type of cap isn't prone to leakage or failure.... Are you sure it was necessary in your case, or were you just covering all your bases?

Speaking of the sound issues, I recently discovered a cap elsewhere on the mainboard outside of the op-amp cluster is directly linked to certain sound issues. Specifically, if you are having problems with all of the following: ADPCM sample playback, PSG, and redbook. The cap in question wasn't previously known to be part of the audio circuit at all and I have a feeling is the culprit in the cases where replacing all that caps in that circled area and to the right of the circled area don't fix the problem.

You have to remove the FCC shielding to even see this cap. It's kind of in the middle of the board, out in no man's land by itself. Like the component I discovered to be responsible for video failure on the TurboExpress, this is another innocuous little guy you'd never suspect. I'll post a picture up in the next couple of days that shows where to find the little rascal.

Hello, Diane, agt_dale_cooper here, still waiting to hear the outcome of this post quoted above....meanwhile, enjoying some damn fine coffee here in Twin Peaks.  Waiting for caps to show up from Parts Express, mentioned by PC_ENGINE HELL in reply #40.  SUPER cheap caps, more than reasonable USPS shipping as well.  Bought a Japanese Turbo Duo from George on the Turbo List, NO audio output whatsoever.  Popped the top, C301 (1000uF, 16V) was obviously damaged/leaking, but no other apparent damage.  To date, have replaced C301 (1000uF, 16V, rated to 105'C., Fry's P/N 1005343, NTE VHT1000M16, $1.90) and C616 (22uF, 16V, rated to 105'C., Fry's P/N 1005493, NTE VHT22M16, $0.88), but have no audio-related love from the machine yet.  Have not bothered with pre/post op caps yet, decided to wait for Parts Express rather than pay Radio Shit $1.20/piece.  Will continue posting methodology and part numbers used, will also comment them on the Parts Express site.  Expense report forthcoming, Diane, not to worry!  Looking forward to Agt. Nat's posting...thanks!  [how come there's no coffee-drinking smiley?]