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guy767

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  1. I uploaded the manual to the Internet Archive. Here's a link to it... https://archive.org/details/TycoPowerPlugForSegaGenesis1993
  2. I haven’t tried removing the RF modulator yet but I was able to de-solder the metal case that surrounds the motherboard pretty easily by adding more solder to the soldered tabs of the metal shielding. I then pried the tabs apart with a small precision screwdriver while still heating the soldered joint. I did this just to access the RF modulators' fine-tuning points only to discover that the metal shielding has 2 small holes on the back to accommodate adjustments without removing it. I'm not a smart man
  3. Yeah, I strongly suspect that either the ram or the sound chip is the culprit as the RF signal for video is excellent and the sound is clear but distorted. You seem experienced with Sears INTV repairs; can you tell me what I need to purchase to replace the sound chip? Are they expensive? Is ram easily attainable and what's the cost? Could you recommend a guide for ram and sound chip replacement? Sorry for the newb questions but that's what I am and any help would be appreciated; thanks.
  4. I'm having the exact same issue. In fact, I posted a Youtube video that demonstrates the problem... Here's what I've done without success to fix the issue... 1 - Cleaned the power switch. I took it apart, polished the back of the switch and the three little metal thingies with Brasso and rinsed them with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. 2 - Adjusted the RF Modulator. I fiddled with both audio and video adjustment points. 3 - Tried unplugging the controllers. I heard that the sound is somehow tied with the controller chip so I tried turning the system on with no controllers, 1 controller, 2 controllers ECT. 4 - Checked for leaking/damaged capacitors and loose/disconnected cables. Everything looked good to my eye at least. I guess the RF modulator is bad on the console but why would the picture be good and not the sound? Also, notice in the video that Thunder Castle's title screen is not the right color? Perhaps this is a ram or sound chip issue? The sound is clear but distorted and without static/ RF interference when no music/sound is played. This leads me to believe that getting a new RF Modulator or installing an AV mod won't fix the sound as one of the chips or ram is bad. Any advice I can get would be appreciated. I especially want to know if the console is worth fixing and if it would be an easy/cheap or difficult/expensive repair.
  5. Yeah; I shiver to think how many pads I might detach trying to remove those SN74LS541N chips again. Not installing sockets when I had the chance was a big mistake for sure. It's my first time removing/installing ICs though so that's my lame excuse Will do and thanks for your time and for the assistance; it's appreciated. I'm going to check the voltages on my confirmed working Colecovision as well to compare the readings; I'm a bit embarrassed that I just thought of doing this. I plan to post pictures of both consoles with the pins labeled for voltage. It's looking however that this problem is going to be beyond me. If my luck was good replacing the SN74LS541N chips should have done the trick and my half-ars repair skills would have been adequate. I suspect there's a more serious issue at cause here; perhaps a corroded trace that's hidden behind the solder mask or something more devious that would make my head explode learning the horrible truth. The Factory Serviced sticker on the box should have been my clue to run away... Ugh, truly the Colecovision is an evil and cunning beast. Just opening the darn thing is an exercise in frustration that has to be done in a very awkward manner. Colecovision you're a SOB!
  6. Super Hydlide - The more you play the more it grows on you;. must be the killer music. Fatal Labyrinth - Mediocre and downright boring rogue-like game that is strangely addictive. Air Diver - Unremarkable flight game that seems to get more enjoyable the longer you play
  7. I'm getting 5v for U18 and U19 on the pins indicated in the picture attached to this message; is that normal? The other pins on the SN74LS541N chips have varying voltages... U25 & U26 I get 2.5v on all pins; is that good or does it indicate the coming of the Pasta Apocalypse and The Great Noodling is at hand??? Seriously though, I have no idea what to do next. I've replaced the SN74LS541N chips, checked continuity in all traces and scrubbed down the motherboard. I've even removed both joystick ports on the assumption that they may be defective but no joy. I still get auto start and constant right input entered on player 1 even with the joystick ports unsoldered and detached... I suspect this Colecovision has some seriously funky issues that are beyond my comprehension; the huge Factory Serviced sticker on the box was a warning I shouldn't have ignored. Damn you Colecovision! You win this round but there will be a reckoning!
  8. Yeah I agree, Deoxit is superb for simple audio and video connections but have you tried using it on game cartridges? There's a lubricant in it that will interfere in complex, tightly jammed together circuit board connections. I actually had to clean my NES carts with isopropyl alcohol to remove the Deoxit just to get them working again. I wouldn't recommend Deoxit for cleaning games due to it be outrageously expensive and the reading errors it can cause. if you insist on using it though make sure you use the smallest amount possible. I spray a little in a small bottle and rub a cotton swab on the walls of the container; never directly in the fluid. This will prevent over-saturation of the cotton swab and use the least amount of Deoxit. Make sure you try that $3 CRC 2-26 5 oz. Multi-Purpose Lubricant spray too as it's just as good as Deoxit IMO. The legends are true; you don't need to get a second mortgage to clean your contacts any more! Also OP, if your Colecovision is having trouble reading games make sure you clean the power jack. Spray some contact cleaner in the jack, remove and insert the cord a few times and repeat again. You might be surprised that your games now work. The Colecovision is dastardly and cunning adversary fond of playing mind games. You wouldn't think that a slightly dirty power jack would affect games from loading but that's what the Colecovision wants you to believe; don't be fooled by it's twisted devious tactics!
  9. I've seen original CIB Magnavox Odyssey consoles sell easily for $300 and loose consoles for about $100. It's definitely one of the most difficult consoles to find CIB; I've been trying to score one under $100 for years now with no luck whatsoever. Vectrex will also give you a hard time and rape your wallet as well. You don't want to meet those overpriced thugs in a dark alley that's for certain!
  10. Darn Colecovision is giving me a hard time with dead controls. Tried replacing the SN74LS541N chips and still no joy. Without a doubt the Colecovision is the most problematic console I've ever encountered...

    1. S1500

      S1500

      I have 3 of them. I feel your pain.

    2. DoctorTom

      DoctorTom

      I'm sure Yurkie can help.

  11. I've tried Deoxit and I found that the lubricant in it causes NES carts not to read properly. Besides it's ridiculously expensive; $15 for a 5 ounce can, ouch! It does work extremely well for simple connections like RCA and 3.5 headphones jacks though. I would recommend CRC Electronic Cleaner It won't damage plastics, doesn't interfere with connections because of funky additives like Deoxit has and is dirt cheap; about $5 for a 11 ounce can at Wall-mart. For stubborn carts that refuse to work even after cleaning then its time to break out the Brasso Metal Polish. Only use it as a last resort though as it will destroy the gold plating of contacts if you are not careful. I've resurrected many dead carts though with Brasso so I would definitely recommend it before giving up on a cart. Just be gentle and use Brasso very sparingly and you should be fine. Also for those cheap basterds like me who refuse to pay $15 for a 5 ounce can of Deoxit there's good news! CRC makes an equivalent $3 product called CRC 2-26 Multi-Purpose Lubricant. It's highly rated and does the job. Just keep in mind that just like with Deoxit, CRC 2-26 contains a lubricant that will most likely interfere with complex circuit board connections and it's best used for the simple video and audio jacks or cleaning potentiometers.
  12. Well, I've checked the voltage for U26 and U25 and I get 2.534 for both. Also I checked U18 and U19 (The infamous SN74LS541N chips) and I get 1.64 each. Er, just to confirm; I check voltage properly by placing the negative tip of the Multimeter on the ground of the motherboard and the positive tip at the pin where the dot is located correct? (Such a newb ). I'm not sure where the G1 and G2 pins are located though. Are you referring to one of the 9 pins on the joystick port? Or perhaps one of the pins on the SN74LS541N chip?
  13. Thank you for the reply. After reading several posts about control issues on the Colecovision I'm assuming it's the SN74LS541N chips to blame. Apparently it's a very common problem and it seemed like an easy fix so I decided to replace them. Here's a few discussions I found about the issue... auto-select a level, and player #2 automatically runs to the left Auto Start Problem gameplay is always moving left Also here's a few pertinent facts about the dilemma I'm having... 1 - Games will auto start (Can't select options) and the right input is always activated. (IE Donkey Kong will auto start and Mario will move to the right on his own) 2 - The problem appears regardless if the controls are inserted or not. 3 - Tried 2 pairs of controllers that are both verified working on a different console. 4 - No response from Player 1 or 2 from controller input when they're connected; ports appear completely dead. 5 - There's continuity for all connections along their respected traces. 6 - Besides the control issue the system functions normally and loads games great. In fact, It will read carts very easily without any graphic corruption whatsoever; a very treasured thing indeed. (Owners of the console know what I'm talking about ) 7 - The system has been Factory Serviced (Huge sticker on the box stating this) in the past possibly indicating that the system has had this problem before. 8 - Serial numbers for the replacement ICs match the old so I'm assuming I got the right part. Here's the lot that I bought on Ebay; can anyone confirm if the part is compatible with the Colecovision? I hate to admit this but I'm a newb when it comes to electronic repair; this is my fist time replacing IC chips in fact. I can do basic fixes like replacing caps, repairing traces and checking for continuity but that's about it. I was hoping someone who has had experience with Colecovision repair would see an obvious problem in the pics I provided... Well, I'll try checking for voltage; I don't know what to do if the values are incorrect though. Perhaps I bit off more than I can chew here; I need my trusty The Half-Assed Approach to Colecovision Repair guide for this one
  14. I have a Colecovision that has severe control issues. Games will auto start (Can't select options) and the right input is always activated. (IE Donkey Kong will auto start and Mario will move to the right on his own) There's no response from 1 or 2 player inputs either; the ports seem to be completely dead. I purchased a few SN74LS541N chips hoping to make the repair but there's no change after installing them. Being a newb I detached a few pads trying to desolder the old ICs on the top side of the board. I needed to connect some traces to the pins of the new ICs with solder. However the connections seem stable and I get continuity for every pin on the ICs along their respected traces plus there aren’t any bridged connections. I'm not sure what I should try next. Did I purchase the right part? Perhaps I ruined the board by detaching some pads? One thing of note is that Colecovision has a Factory Serviced sticker on the box indicating that the console had trouble in the past. I'm attaching a few photos of the board to help others diagnose the problem. Any advice would greatly be appreciated; thank you.
  15. Yeah I've noticed the huge influx of sealed Intellivision and 2600 games on Ebay the past few years from Brazilian sellers as well. A lot of sealed games that were considered rare are quite common now as a result. I think I'm going to make the purchase though as I've been searching for a CIB Impossible Mission for quite awhile now and I grow weary. I just want the darn game so I can move on… Hopefully Blanka and his pals will be selling sealed copies of Midnight Mutants, Alien Brigade and Water Ski soon Well, thanks for the info; it's appreciated. At least I can say I did all I could to determine if the sealed copy was a USA release; I can hold my head high
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