Have my cat wrecked a PC Engine Duo?

Macross_VF1 · 12/26/2005, 04:40 PM

I am posting this in the right section now so please, if you've read it already, don't regard it as spam.

My recently purchased PC Engine Duo R just doesn't work as it's supposed to anymore. It all started with me picking it apart to clean it. Since I collect videogameunits this is fairly standard for me and I have probably done this 60 or more times. This time was slightly different though. My crazy ass cat just had to run past my workingplace one time too many and the CD-unit had a close encounter with the floor.

I shrugged and picked it up but now that I've reassembled the unit, the CD wont work. More specifically it doesn't spinn CDs when I activate it. I have checked every part that I can and everything does work, the sled, the laser, the motor that spins the disc, everything works, just not together as they are supposed to. The question is then, have my cat wrecked the entire unit or is it just something simple like the laser being knocked out of alignment? I would really like an answer to this.

Macross_VF1 · 01/09/2006, 07:37 AM

Is there truly not even one person here that has the slightest clue as to what might have happened to my PC Engine? I would really like some help with this.

dj898 · 01/09/2006, 08:00 PM

could it be that the shock of dropping crak the solder point/s some where on the unit?

Macross_VF1 · 01/16/2006, 05:03 PM

Gotta remember to check in here sometimes...

While the thought has occured to me, I still don't think that is the problem. The actual CD unit doesn't have much in the way of soldering points (at least visible to me that is) and as I've already stated, everything works, just not together as it supposed to.

How do I know this? Well I found a small button on the side of the unit and it seems to activate some preset program for the CD-unit to follow. First it moves the lasersled to the outmost position it can reach and then the laser moves up and down in its place a couple of times. Finally the disc spins upp like crazy and after a while the machine states that I need to put in a PC-Engine CD-Rom2.

GUTS · 01/17/2006, 02:53 AM

Maybe the dillio that tells the system the cd door is shut is busted somehow, I had a saturn that had that problem.

Macross_VF1 · 01/21/2006, 05:29 PM

No that's without a doubt not the problem. The switch that detects whether or not the CD door is closed works just fine. In fact, that was the first thing I checked.

Keranu · 01/21/2006, 11:20 PM

If you happen to have any other System Card laying around, you could try putting it in and see if you get the same message, but like you said, it's not a screwed up BIOS thing.

Macross_VF1 · 01/22/2006, 03:13 PM

I've tried to pick it apart and look for any internal cracked solder points but I couldn't find any. I've also tried turning what I believe regulates the voltage to the unit but that doesn't do anything. I do get another message now, after I put in a CD and press the run button it states that I should wait a moment and after a moment has passed the unit complains that I haven't but in any CD. So it looks like I'm in the market for a PC-Engine Duo CD-Unit. Anyone know where I might get one?

Dark Fact · 02/08/2006, 09:35 AM

Does the motor that spins the disc use a rubber band belt? I've had a problem with my entertainment center 5 in 1 CD player unit that wouldn't open up the trays because the belt had been stretched and worn over the years. When I replaced the belt, the trays worked fine. Come to think of it, does the PC Engine Duo R even use a rubber belt?