Messages

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: FS: Home Grown Inserts... (200post count members)]

Got mine today, they look awesome man, thanks!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: So, another Magical Chase on eBay...]

I guess ~$1800 is the cap for most folks.  Wonder if we'll see it re-listed with a lower reserve.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Magical-Chase-TurboGrafx-16-Complete-nice-RARE-/230596770354

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Turbo Gouging on Ebay ( r.i.p. - gouging much )]

Not sure if this joke of an auctions been posted but:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Turbo-Duo-NEC-Complete-Collection-/290509473689?pt=Video_Games&hash=item43a3b6c799

I'd imagine the guy is looking for offers from resellers.

I looked at that a while back too, heh.  Neutopia II is a super cd apparently.

I couldn't figure out how it was complete until I got to the bottom, where he's counting JP releases of MC, DEII, Terraforming, Godzilla, DH and Cotton toward it's "completeness".

FFS. =/

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Looking for/WTB a bare bones TG-16 deck/console]

$20 I think is probably fair.  There anything else ya want/need?

I have duos, pads, TG-CD's, kisado-style region adapters, power adapters, a few games, etc.  Can also region mod it (+$60) or add TurboBooster style RCA Audio/Video ports to the back of it. (+$50)  ;-)  (I say this somewhat jokingly, given the reason you're after it in the first place!  heh.)

Cheers.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: WTB turbo duo dust cover (for over hucard slot)]

I'll trade you your '85 z28 for the one on my duo.  ;-)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Looking for/WTB a bare bones TG-16 deck/console]

Ya ever in Corvallis?  I have a couple.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: TGCD Mechanism Replacement (KSS-220A)]

Yeah, after doing it once I decided it wasn't worth additional attempts, even though the end product is probably fairly robust going forward.

I have a stash of the NEC 35D SCSI units with the matching mechanisms, and while they all currently work, they all have the same aging problem with the gear.  So that solution is out long-term.

I like that solution they're playing with on the other thread, with pulling the middle "crumble" gear and connecting 'em up with a band.  I think that or molding new gears is probably going to end up being the best options.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo duo or pc engine duo]

Posted pix of one I did last year here:

https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9394.0

It is possibly Charlie.  The mechanism that you sometimes get with the KSS-220A lasers has a sled motor / mechanism and everything.  It could be wired in pretty easily, the trouble lies in fitment etc.  One could make a crude setup that might actually work using one of those mechanisms.

PM me charlie and tell me what kind of pictures you want and I'll scan you some good ones.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / TGCD Mechanism Replacement (KSS-220A)]

I saw a bunch of posts recently about the TGCD repair attempts.  (This is for you Charlie.  ;-)

It reminded me that a year or so ago I'd promised to post pics of a repair I did where I replaced the entire mechanism:

Sorry about the size of 'em...










If I remember correctly, it went more or less like this:

- File, dremmel, etc, the inside of the top of the case, making room for the different shape of the KSS-220A.
- Secure the KSS-220A in place with screws.  (Had to pre-drill some new holes if I remember right.)
- Reverse the polarity to the mechanism motor.  Heh, it was working in reverse of what it needed to.
- Make room on the board for the mechanism motor.  As you can see in the pics, it's in a much different place than it is on the mechanism in the TGCD.  This took a bit of work.
     - Had to remove the line-out and power-in jacks. (thus, this unit would never be used outside of the TG base again...)
     - Had to move a lot of the caps, you can see I used some small wires and some small metal pins to extend them away from where the base of the motor needed to sit.
- Made some slight adjustments to the pots, nothing major tho.


I don't still have the unit.  After a bunch of testing I put it up on ebay where I made ~$20 for ~10 hrs work.  ;-)

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Game to test Turbo Duo systems with?]

I use the gate of thunder 3 in 1 disc.  The intro covers just about everything, (I suspect the applause may even be redbook) and if something is questionable, you just hit start a few times and you're in gate of thunder, which also covers everything in just a few seconds of play.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Rag-time4's Duo repair project]

nice work chop.  ;-)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Kattare's WTB / WTT / WTS Thread]

Absolutely.  Just lemme know.  :-)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Kattare's WTB / WTT / WTS Thread]

Awesome, congrats man, it's a good system!

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: TG-CD motor problem?]

look around for a kss-220a, eg:

http://www.electronix.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?ELECTRONIX_CATALOG_SESSID=434d9ec5c200e3cfafe87c5dfd25ee43&keywords=KSS-220A&x=0&y=0

there are picto-howtos on the forums here for how to swap it.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Street Fighter II w/ Converter & 2 Avenue Pad 6's & Tap -- Mod'd for TurboGrafx]

Just to be very clear.  It is not my belief that TZD made these.  Only that they distributed them, granting them semi-legitimate status from an import gaming legality standpoint.  ;-)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Street Fighter II w/ Converter & 2 Avenue Pad 6's & Tap -- Mod'd for TurboGrafx]

They're definitely not official NEC.  I classify them as official TZD merchandise because when I bought them I was told they came from TZD, which was granted marketing rights in the US by NEC, if I'm not mistaken?

And yea, It's annoying, I have to put that wayback link in there or the ebay spooks get all excited about "region converting" "video games", as they've been taught by their corporate masters that countries shouldn't share things unless officially allowed to do so.  Has nothing to do with trying to claim these as more official than any others or anything.  It's just the only way to keep my account from getting canceled again.  ;-)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Street Fighter II w/ Kisado & 2 Avenue Pad 6's & Tap -- Mod'd for TurboGrafx]

My bad, I have a habit of calling all of the diving-board ones kisado.  Probably a bad habit when describing a sale.  =/

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Street Fighter II w/ Converter & 2 Avenue Pad 6's & Tap -- Mod'd for TurboGrafx]

A sweet package, sure to make a Street Fighter / Turbografx fan happy.

It's at $49, with a few days left.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230477218438

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Help troubleshooting dead PC Engine (basic old white one)]

Thanks for the info & offer, kattare.  I might go that way, but don't hold that item just for me--if anybody else wants to take you up on your offer, please feel free.

Coolio... it's just in my pile of "random console parts" for now.  Eventually I'll acquire and repair a rom2 and white pce to go with it, but that's a ways down the road.  ;-)

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: TG-CD motor problem?]

Laser could definitely be bad, esp if it worked in the past and just stopped now.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Help troubleshooting dead PC Engine (basic old white one)]

You could run it through an interface unit... It's the equivalent of the TG-CD base unit, and works as a "booster", giving you RCA composite video and stereo audio out.

$34, no ac adapter (shipped w/ their cheapest 4 week shipping) from these guys: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250631007189

I have a spare one I wouldn't mind parting with. it has no cover or ac adapter.  You're welcome to it, (shipped priority 2-3 day anywhere in the US) for $27.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: TG-CD motor problem?]

My vote is laser focus.  I believe the 'thunk' is the laser wacking the disc as it tries to focus.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Extension cable question]

Dungeon Explorer.

Also, at least one of the Bomberman games (maybe all?) doesn't work like this either. It'll appear to work in a test like the one kattare described, but if you press a button then you start controlling someone else's avatar while the button is pressed or something to that effect. Long story short: it doesn't work in any kind of playable fashion.

Has anyone done testing to figure out the cause?

- A flaw in the official NEC extension cables?  (perhaps intentional, forcing the purchase of 5 extensions instead of 1?)
- A limitation of cord/signal length?

How does the problem manifest itself on DE?  Maybe I could do some testing with an official vs. unofficial (homemade) cable and see if the problem persists...

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Extension cable question]

Not to pee on your parade or anything, but they can be had on ebay for about $10 shipped.

Pee away.  I don't exactly enjoy making them, they're a pain in the ass.  Nor is it exactly a big money maker.  More of a offer from one hobbiest to another that if you can't find a cable elsewhere, I'm willing to assist.

edit / add

It occurs to me that there are other benefits to having a custom one made.  Like a cord length improvement... up to about 20' with what I have on hand.  Cheers.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Extension cable question]

One piece of BS, you can't connect the extension to the system to make your turbo tap extended range, so you need to buy 5 if you want 5 long controllers.

Huhwhat?

I didn't believe it, as I had done it before, so I had to put it to a definitive test.  ;-)

Turns out I was able to connect my TG tap (w/ 5 pads) through an extension and play Bomberman me vs me vs me vs me vs me just fine.  Ditto for pads -> tap -> extension -> duo converter -> duo.

Am I missing something?

Rather than ruining two controllers with Arkhan's ghetto solution, I'd go to a place like Digi-Key and buy the connectors (male and female) and make my own extension, but that's just me.  Some people want things neat and orderly and some people would rather MacGyver something together with duct tape and chewing gum.

I have the connectors on hand and can make custom cables if wanted.  Prolly be ~$15/ea plus shipping. ($3?)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Kattare's WTB / WTT / WTS Thread]

I have the Hudson Music Collection but don't need anything on your ebay list. Have been looking for Dead Moon with Instructions or possably Raiden with original case and Instructions that I'd consider fair trade if you have those you can part with.

Suhweet!


Anyone wanna sell me a Dead Moon or Raiden?  ;)

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Kattare's WTB / WTT / WTS Thread]

Bump:

- listed a duo-r at $99
- looking for the hawaiian girlies now

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Mysterious Song Pre-Orders Are Open!]

Regarding paypal... Rover, I feel your pain.  Kattare, INC takes paypal as a payment option for our webhosting clients and about once every couple of months a transaction inexplicably gets held for investigation.

However... Kattare, INC went into the paypal game with eyes wide open.  Everyone who has been on the internet for more than a few years KNOWS that paypal freezes accounts, and transactions, on a regular basis for their own hidden agendas.  My personal belief is that they have some big bank accounts somewhere gathering interest off of everyone's paypal "money" and whenever those bank accounts fall below a certain point, they target an account or two (thousand) for "investigation" so they can hold onto the cash for a while.

My point however, is that when these transactions get put on hold, Kattare, INC still credits the client the funds, provides the service,  and pretends as if Kattare, INC has received the funds.  (in one case even, on a $5,000+ transaction)  Why bully our clients over a payment method that WE chose?  You need to provide for your clients, the gamers, as if they have already paid you.  Because they have, with a payment method you chose, eyes wide open.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Rag-time4's Duo repair project]

Speaking of part sales!  I have a duo for sale, ok, sort of a duo... call it frankenduo... cuz just about every single mechanical part has been swapped out of it as I've been using it to fix other duos.  I'll take a pic of it one of these days.  It's grrrrrreat.  When I'm all done repairing my current batch of duo's I'll take lots of photos, write up a detailed description, and put it on ebay... see if there are any takers.  ;-)

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: PCE Pro help.]

One machine is from 1999, running Windows 98 with an integrated Parallel Port. Easily switches to EPP mode via the BIOS. Gives me a 0MB error.

One machine is from 2005, running Windows XP with an integrated Parallel Port. Switches to EPP mode via the BIOS. Gives 0MB error.

Both are eMachines, but the whole "BIOS is limited on an eMachines" thing isn't a problem as I have a plethora of options on both PCs.

How on earth did you manage to get a win98 install to last this long?  I used to have to re-install that crap every 6 months... the damn fat32 non-journaled crash-happy filesystem always ate itself to death in about that amount of time.  heh.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: New Adventure Island and Soldier Blade For Sale + PCFX controller]

pm'd ya about a potential buyer

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Rag-time4's Duo repair project]

Heh, I gotta give the guy credit for tryin' tho.  How many other folks just throw away stuff like this?

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: what could have been.....]

It's definitely fun to hunt for the remaining one or two widgets you want to round out your collection.  I'm just about satisfied with my pile of NEC loot... probably most of my future ebaying will be repaired/modded hardware.  There are still a few pieces to go tho!  Like that hudson music collection.  heh.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: WTB: LaserActive PAC N-1 and LaserActive PAC N-10]

man, I hope it arrives ok for you.  I shipped a Laseractive to Vegas a few months ago and UPS killed it 'en route somehow.  It wouldn't open the tray anymore.  Dude shipped it back and they'd knocked it really good, the tray was completely off a track internally.  I'm thinking I might try FedEx for round 2.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Turbo CD unit spins but won't stop when push stop, and doesn't seem to read?]

I've seen it on a Duo.  It's laser related I believe.  Focus being lost or something along those lines.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Safe to operate TG-16 without metal casing?]

It's not a safety issue, so if it runs well enough for you with it off, it's fine.

It's there to protect the unit from outside EM interference and to protect other devices from any EM interference the TG might generate.

Usually the EM interference is harmless, but sometimes it'll mess with the picture.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Rag-time4's Duo repair project]

I hate to say it, but you may have to go through and pull out your caps, test 'em, check the board out, and re-install 'em.  Not that I think a bunch of 'em are bad, but I think your board may need an inspection for shorts and/or cuts/breaks.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Soldering issues]

Sometimes I have a rough go at those pins too, I think over time they oxidize or something on the surface, because usually if I kind of scrape back and forth on 'em with the iron while applying rosin/soldier I can usually get it to take pretty well.  Seems like you just have to get past whatever thin layer of crap there is on the outside surface.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: What happened to superpcenginegrafx.com ?]

hey, thanks for the heads up... not sure how that happened, but some quotes had been put into the [ url = ] code somehow.  Should be fixed now.  (Site is just kattare.com btw.  ;-)

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: What happened to superpcenginegrafx.com ?]

Thought I'd add that my company doesn't re-direct your domain to advertising when you stop paying the bills... we just turn the DNS off and the site goes dark.  (Cannot find www.yourdomain.com error in the browser.)  We try to treat our customers with respect, even when they don't pay the bills...  I think it's way better than putting up cheesy advertising (which, if a legit customer of yours sees, they may never return) or some really dumb message like "we're sorry, these dudes didn't pay" ... When our customers are disconnected a customer trying to view your page gets the browser error and frequently will just think there's a problem with the internet or something, make note, and come back later.  Hopefully by then you've paid and we've turned you back on.  ;-)

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: What happened to superpcenginegrafx.com ?]

As a host myself, I can attest to the fact that domain loss is far more frequently an issue with either the customer (not paying the bills) or the domain registrar.

The domain registrars in many cases make more money if they're not diligent about reminding you to submit your annual renewal, etc.  It's sickening.  A domain registration might cost ~$20 (or less) per year, but most registrars have side businesses where they auction off domains that haven't been renewed to new registrants.  Thus they stand to make a lot more $$ if you don't renew than if you do.  I think the process is something like this:

30 days before it expires:
  - they email you.  maybe you get it, maybe your spam software gets it.
it expires:
  - they email you.  if you didn't get the first one, you're not going to get the second.
30 days after it expires:
  - they change it from pointing at your host to pointing at their servers (cha-ching, advertising $$ with what was your audience)
  - at this point you can usually get it back by paying some kind of "recovery" fee.  (cha-ching: $50 - $150)
60 days after it expires:
  - they check their subsidiary "domain auction" site's database to see if anyone's put in an auction bid to try to snag it.  (cha-ching: $$hundreds - $$thousands)
  - they check their subsidiary "domain watch service" database to see if anyone's paid them to watch for that domain expiring.  (cha-ching: $$someone paid a subscription + now they get a renewal fee.)
  - if there are no matches on either of the above, they'll look at the traffic the domain has actually been receiving since they took it over.  if it's significant, it becomes a permanent advertising destination, operated by yet another subsidiary.  (cha-ching, $$ indefinite ad revenue as people try to find your old content)
  - if the domain can't make $3/year in advertising (enough for them to cover the registration to the organization managing the registry overall) then AND ONLY THEN will it go back into the pool of generally available domains for registration.

    It used to be that even if you forgot to renew a domain, it'd go back into the pool in 30 days or so and you could just pick it back up.  Now registrations are so cheap that the registration company makes almost nothing on the actual registration fees... instead they make way more on the side businesses.

    Domain registrations need to go back to the old days of $100/yr ... or maybe $50/yr or so... something significant enough that people are going to think twice about snagging your domain just to put up ads.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Awesome Duo auction, great price with great games]

I hate how that works... BIN should stay available until the auction hits the BIN price.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: WTS Turbo Duo RX and more *Cheap* $135 Shipped* Today only! Then its evilbay]

Payment sent... ebay carnage staved off for now...

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: WTS Turbo Duo RX and more *Cheap*]

Is it an RX 6-button pad, or is it a 2-button pad from another system?

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: WTS Turbo Duo RX and more]

Gotcha, cool, just clarifying.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: WTS Turbo Duo RX and more]

Are you including a pad with the RX?

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Duo giving corrupted graphics on power up]

D-Lite, if you plug the same power supply (ac adapter) into another duo and test at the input side of the 7805 what do you get?

I'm still thinkin' I'd replace out the 7805's, but if the voltages at the inputs are different on a working system with this same adapter, maybe there's a cap leak induced short somewhere along the line causing random behavior?  Or maybe a broken solder joint on something that should be causing a voltage drop?  kinda like the DIN solder points that crack and are impossible to see, but video doesn't work until ya fix 'em...


Blueraven, I'm really curious too, whatever came of your RAM swapping project?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Turbo Express Link]

You WHAT!?

If I could only keep three PCE games, Bomberman '94 would be one of them. That game is magic.

I know... it was pretty short-sighted... I miss it already.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Re: Duo giving corrupted graphics on power up]

Is there any pattern to the 1/2/3 events at boot?

eg, always 1 after it's been sitting an hour, always 3 after it's been on for 5 mins, etc, etc, or does it appear to be completely random?

I think my next step would be to replace the 7805's, but that's mostly a stab in the dark.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Turbo Express Link]

That's a good question... I just recently sold my copy of Bomberman '94 too.  =/  doh.

My strong suspicion though is that it's probably not any better than the others.