PC engine LT owners where are you?

[stevenhill321]

Hi just wanted to tell everyone that I am now the proud owner of a PC engine LT, 2nd hand of course and boxed. bought it last week. It is in absolutely mint condition but the box is a bit battered but still in acceptable condition taking into account it is nearly 20 years old. The instructions are still present as well. I paid a fortune for it. All the plugs are still in place and it doesnt have one scratch on it. I have never haggled so much as I did to buy that LT. The guy from Raven games was a real star. It was his own personal LT and he has really looked after it. Not sure if he ever used it as there is no evidence that it has been used at all. Paid a fortune for it but once you own one of these you should never ever ever sell it. A interesting fact though that I read is that these LT's are not as rare in the high street shops of Hong Kong / Japan as they are outside of Japan. There isnt an ambundance of them but they are nowhere near as rare. I have waited for one of these for the last 16 years. Would love to hear from other GT/LT users.

[ikobo]

From raven games? Oh dear, how much did you pay?

[stevenhill321]

well thats between me and him but I am very happy with the purchase, Why the "oh dear part"?

[NecroPhile]

well that's between me and him.....

..... and anyone who reads your post in the other thread (£650.00).  That's a lot of dough, yet there's nothing to be ashamed of; it's your money and you've a smile on your face, so who cares?

[stevenhill321]

ha ha yes ok, I forgot about that other thread, well yes it is a lot but it was something that I had to have.

[ikobo]

Well, Raven games are an absolute joke as far as prices are concerned. (as are most uk import shops) If you're happy to pay £650 thats good, but personally i think thats a price you should have paid maybe 8-10 years ago. In the last couple of years i've bought and sold several *mint* LT's for between £280-370 which i would say is a realistic price point in the uk.

[stevenhill321]

well I see where you are coming from and yes I do agree that import stuff is on the dear side, The main reason is that this stuff is becoming more and more collectible and the importers know that collectors in general have a higher disposal income than most and exploit this. They know that collectors who want something particularly rare will pay for it and therefore they charge the earth for it.

Nothing has changed really. I remember my first GT that I got through Microbyte (where I used to work incidentally) in the very early 1990's. It cost me £350.00 and that was at trade price. Microbyte and Gametech in Manchester were the only 2 real importers that had shop outlets on the highstreet and boy were our prices high, but we knew that people would pay £50.00 for a PC engine game or £35.00 for a jap gameboy game even then. so nothing has changed. The import scene depending on availability has always been very up and down, like anything I suppose.

 I mean I am 38 years old and have been keeping my eye on the retro scene for the past 20 plus years so I am familar with what things are going for. The LT is a strange fish though. It was certainly worth less in its heyday that what it is worth now like most things classic. however even then it was pricey for some bizarre reason. I had to prize the LT from this lad at Raven and to be fair he knew and I knew that he would never get £650.00 for it again. You would certainly pay around this price in dollars but it comes down to the fact that he wanted to keep it and I really wanted it. I dont blame him for hanging out for the highest offer. He could take it or leave it so in that case you have to offer above the odds failing which you wait forever for a mint one to come along on ebay perhaps and your collection doesnt grow. Chances of a mint LT for around £300 - £400.00 quid though is very very slim indeed.

Funny though because I thought I had quite a decent retro collection but when you see some pce collections on you tube it puts your mere collection in perspective, check out

this guy's collection is shameless.

Anyone who worked at Microbyte in the 90's or who shopped their particularly at the Manchester branch I would love to hear from you!

[ikobo]

This is the problem though, pricing for items such as LT's has changed significantly. I personally paid £650 for a minter as well, but that was nearly ten years ago from videogameimports. I'm not having a dig at you in any way, but to say you can't pick one up for between £300-400 in the condition you describe simply isn't true. As stated before, i've sold three in fantastic condition in the last few years in that price bracket. People DON'T have more disposable income these days, and people selling items like LT's get brought back to earth with a bump when they go for the prices i've stated, but that the fact is that things like these aren't good investments in the current financial climate.

[stevenhill321]

Yes I think you have raised several good points there. The LT that I bought certainly wasnt worth £650 by any stretch but I wanted it and there wasnt any other LT knocking on my door. You are right though about them not being great investments but as I am a collector I would never sell any of my stuff anyway. I dont buy these things to sell on for a profit I buy them for the love of the hobby. I referred to collectors who will pay anything (including myself) tend to have more of a disposable income rather than the average and sensible human being, but not in every case of course. Lets face it if you are prepared to pay silly money for something that your really want (and not neccessarily to profit from) then of course you are wasting your money.These machines and software are simply not worth what you pay for them, if you are not going to sell them on for a profit (if you can actually make a profit in the first place).

What you are paying for is the right to own them which (in my opinion and in the case of the LT) far outweighed what I spent on it. Its a good feeling owing a rare item. I no its not the rarest thing in the world but they are few and far between unless you live in Japan where Im sure they are easier to find. I have seen a few over the last 6 months but they werent great.

Tell you what though. If you can sell me an LT for £300.00 - £400.00 then I would definitley consider buying one from you, not to sell but to use as this mint one is now showcased.

[ikobo]

I understand what you're saying, it just hacks me off that i kind of feel raven games have ripped you off a bit. I know for a fact that a friend of mine traded a really nice one in to them and they gave him £220. But they then think it's ok to charge someone £650????? LT's are great, i've owned several. If i pick up another i'll give you a shout! 

[SuperDeadite]

A interesting fact though that I read is that these LT's are not as rare in the high street shops of Japan as they are outside of Japan. There isnt an ambundance of them but they are nowhere near as rare. I have waited for one of these for the last 16 years. Would love to hear from other GT/LT users.

The LT was never released outside of Japan.  Of course it's easier to find one here..  Typical Japanese price is about 60,000yen for a complete unit.

[stevenhill321]

'hi superdeadite, I think NEC made a bad move never releasing the engine outside of Japan. The Turbo grafx and express are an abomination though. As mentioned of course its going to be easier getting an LT in Japan but even so they are still quite a rarity nonetheless especially mint ones.

Ikobo - I agree Raven are expensive! please let me know if you ever come across another LT I'm deadly serious. nice talking to you!

[PCEngineSales]

Hi,

I'm one of Raven's suppliers (from time to time.)

FOR GOD'S SAKE THOUGH YOU CAN BUY DIRECTLY FROM ME!

Seriously I can get hold of most anything and Raven pay me only a little less than I sell them for to customers. This is the internet, wholesale prices should be for everyone.

[stevenhill321]

Hi PCENGINESALES, thanks for joining. well now that I know of you, what is your website? I must have been on it I think at some time or another, the name is vaguely familiar or maybe not. I think im going to have to send some business your way. Im interested in another LT. Let me know if you hear anything.

I keep seeing all this engine software but they still want bloody £40.00 plus for the likes of Jackie Chan, its ridiculous. You right wholesale should be for everyone but sadly they are not.

[tlaloc]

Hi everyone

This is my first post, and I have been in the background just reading all the forum posts to do with repairs and hardware mods (I would still like to see someone pull off a Turbo Express to SUPER-CD-ROM2 mod, if that is even possible). I used to be subscribed to the 'Turbo List' Digest 'way back when', I even made a contribution to their cheat file:

wayback.mindrec.com/cheats.htm

I was credited for adding Shinobi stage select to their cheat file [my old email is at the very bottom of the link].

I used to own a PC-Engine LT and had modified/shaved plastic off of a SUPER-CDROM2 unit to 'accept' the PC Engine LT. It was so nice being able to play Arcade Card games on an LT screen, and it was also a nice thing being able to use as it as an external moniter. I bought it off of a guy from Corpus Christi, Texas who used to be a seller on the old 'Turbo List' back in '98. If you're still around 'the Turbo scene' [and happen to read this], I regret to have to tell you that the PC-Engine LT I had purchased from you had been stolen from my home a couple years later and it was devastating to me (saved up for weeks to have $850 for a PC-Engine LT and it was a big deal to me at the time). I still have the instruction manual for it as well as the box. Is there anything I can do to get this back if I have the serial number? Please tell me there is a way to get it back, help me find a way to get this back.

Thank you for reading my first post here on the pcengine-fx.com forums.

Bye, for now!

wayback.mindrec.com/cheats.htm

[RR1980]

man sorry to hear that your LT was stolen from you. I know how much joy my LT brings me whenever I turn it on so I can imagine how crushed I would be if it's taken from me! On a side note if you ever want to get rid of your box and manual I would be interested since I got mine loose!

[Windy]

Oh man I hope there is a way you get this back. I would check local pawn shops and keep an eye on the ebay. This is a horrible story

[NecroPhile]

Is there anything I can do to get this back if I have the serial number?

Only if you find it and buy it.  I don't know where you live, but generally the statute of limitations for recovering stolen goods is just a few years.

[c0ldb33r]

I've never seen an LT in real life. How does the screen compare to a GT screen?

[RR1980]

I've never seen an LT in real life. How does the screen compare to a GT screen?

The screen is bigger and also has better resolution than the GT. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that basically the GT's resolution can only show 65% of what the pc engine is actually capable of and the LT is at 90%?

[c0ldb33r]

but does it look good? is the picture quality as good as a TV or closer to a GT?

[RR1980]

the picture quality is much closer to a tv than the gt!

[henrycsc]

It's still an early LCD, but much larger than the GT/Express.  Amazing for its time.

It's a real bummer to hear that yours got stolen tlaloc!

They're pretty hard to find boxed.

[c0ldb33r]

Does the screen blur or look washed out?

Sorry for all the questions but I've only ever seen it on YouTube, so it's hard to make out any details.

The person that stole the LT should rot.

[henrycsc]

Here's a pic of the LT on IFU setup.  No mods to either system are needed, but you do have to have AC adapters connected to both.

You can either use just the LT monitor or you can have a Dual Screen setup:
/pb104011.jpg

For those that have asked, here are some hirez shots of the screen.  Zoom them til they measure 4" diagonally across the LCD portion of the pic (18% on my monitor).  This will give you a pretty good idea of what the actual screen will look like.

/pb104076.jpg
/pb104086.jpg
/pb104094.jpg
/pb104101.jpg
/pb104107.jpg

It's interesting that the developers of the IFU-30 didn't send enough juice to power the LT, yet they did think to send the video signal back into the LT through the bus.  The LT is the only unit that I know of that can take the video signal out of this connection - are there any others?

By the way, the LT actually has 2 power connections. 
- The one on the right of the unit is used when connected to the CDRom2.  It powers just the monitor, so the power coming through the IFU powers the rest of the unit.
- The one on the left is used with the LT alone - this juices the entire unit, but it is still the same AC adapter.

[Flare65]

I just saw this on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PC-ENGINE-LT-CONSOLE-POWER-BUT-NO-PICTURE-/180754442890?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a15cdea8a

A LT for sale.  It powers on, but the screen does not work and he still wants $555.00 for it!!

[BigusSchmuck]

I have a brother that lives in Japan, I can ask him to keep a lookout for one.

[BigusSchmuck]

Found this for ya:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/L-K-PC-ENGINE-LT-CONSOLE-VERY-VERY-RARE-/250400946058

[futurematt]

Ha ha, I did that mod too. Am very fond of my PC Engine LT. Great looking machine. Done several videos on it, can't help myself. Good to see some of you folk talking LT.

[Samurai Ghost]

I have a brother that lives in Japan, I can ask him to keep a lookout for one.

FYI working LTs in good shape go for about $340 in Japan (26,000 yen). Obviously you'd be paying more for a boxed one.

[Tatsujin]

Lol, where do you find working LTs for about $340 in Japan (26,000 yen). Not that there couldn't be one somewhere buried in a Hardoff out in the pampa for that price, but if you look for one in regular retro shops they selling 'em, you have to come up with bit more than that for sure (unless it's abused to a near fubar condition).

Sure, asking 1,099 pounds for a loose one (up in your ebay auction) is the pure opposite of that laugh.

[mrjingles75]

Hi folks. Does anyone here know of a good place or person that can repair an LT screen? Is it possible to replace them? I have an LT that's perfect except the screen is on it's last legs. I'd like to be playing it for another 10 years

[tlaloc]

Hi folks. Does anyone here know of a good place or person that can repair an LT screen? Is it possible to replace them? I have an LT that's perfect except the screen is on it's last legs. I'd like to be playing it for another 10 years

Hi,

Best place to look to repair anything is yourself, of course. At least, look into what it would take to repair it, then decide what to do.
Here is a link to a PCEGT LCD replacement project page (not an LT, i know, but I imagine it wouldn't be too different of a process from a PCE GT screen repair/replacement):
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9334.msg162149#msg162149

I would recommend you buy the replacement screen yourself (LT takes 4inch screens, i think):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/270921128941

Test it to see if it works, then find someone willing to repair it for you, if you do not feel capable of handling it yourself.

Is it possible? yes.

If you don't feel that it's possible to do it yourself, then I feel that referring you to this page might be of some help (someone else asked a similar question in regard to repair, and got answers):
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=8798.0

Hope this helps.

[mrjingles75]

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction tlaloc! A really helpful answer 

I'm definately up for having a tinker myself so long as there isn't any soldering involved. I thought there might be something special about the stock NEC screen but it's great news if you think a generic 4" LCD can do the job.

The unit is in good condition apart from the screen. I wonder, would one of these new 4" screens give better picture quality? I'm assuming that the image persistence you get on a regular LT screen must be down to the more primitive LCD tech of the time?

So many questions 

[PunkCryborg]

Hi folks. Does anyone here know of a good place or person that can repair an LT screen? Is it possible to replace them? I have an LT that's perfect except the screen is on it's last legs. I'd like to be playing it for another 10 years

I saw an ad on YJA for LT repairs when I did a search for PCエンジンLT

[mrjingles75]

Was it http://www.suruga-ya.jp?

It would make sense there are some JP repair shops that have a service for swapping out LT screens.

[tlaloc]

I wonder, would one of these new 4" screens give better picture quality? I'm assuming that the image persistence you get on a regular LT screen must be down to the more primitive LCD tech of the time?

So many questions 

Better picture quality out of the new 4" LCD, as opposed to the stock NEC LCD? If you feel like doing it yourself, first, ask yourself the following three (3) questions:
1.) "Do I know what the difference between composite and RGB video is?"
2.) "Are my hands steady?"
3.) "Do I know how to use a soldering iron?"

If you answered 'no' to any of the above questions, then I would kindly advise you to consider looking into what PunkCryborg suggested and follow up on that, making sure to note the difference between RGB out as opposed to composite out going to the 4" screen before asking what you need of the prospective PC-Engine LT repair specialist. Here is a link to a video that provides a visual example of what I am referring to:

If you absolutely want the best picture quality, and you feel comfortable tinkering around with a rare PC-Engine LT, you're probably going to have to read this doc:
http://www.gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=hu6260_netlist

Then re-visit the PCEGT LCD replacement project page, read it and see if you can do better than that. According to my perception of how it was done on the PCEGT LCD replacement project page, the poster, woshizyt, used the replacement LCDs' stock driver board to convert the HU6260 chips video signals to what would appear as a composite video signal on the new screen. I could be wrong but that is what appears to have happened to me. My guess is that it is possible to get true RGB out to the replacement LCD screen.

Safe Care and Take Travels,
Tlaloc