seastalker

Ah, I remember that thread well. You may want to try to get exact replacement micro-switches. Have you tried Best Electronics? You have to have a minimum order but you should be able to find some other fun things there. Now that I am getting good with my desoldering gun, I may attempt an upgrade to it like another U1MB ram project or dvi/hdmi.

I read that about CPS1 too. Strider!!!

In my stack of burned CDRs, many play just fine, some stutter on FMV and some spit out as if to say "No thank you." I may experiment with the discs I heard were best for Playstation 1. Look up Taiyo yuden, and the SPECIFIC ones suggested were their generic named ones (same discs though). Here's the info: CMC pro Powered by TY Technology Part# T-CDR-ZZ-SB UPC code: 678621011127 100 pack DESCRIPTION: CDR Lacquer Made in Taiwan I will try at lowest speed and fastest.

I'm finding stutter issues with FMV but the games play ok. I have heard MANY techniques for burning games.. many say to burn a disc as slow as possible, yet on Playstation 1 (PSX) Some say (and I can confirm) that faster speed burns on specific media have yielded better results.

So I have a 32x now and personally replaced all capacitors on it here in January of 2020... When I got it months ago it didn't work. Then I got it to work by opening it, cleaning it and adjusting he TWO WHITE CABLES I've learned are the leading cause of failure. I got Star Wars to load but with some odd gfx artifacts. I've had the typical problems of Genesis games load but 32x ones do not. Right before re-capping I've had were both Genesis and 32x games show as an odd refresh video flicker I've seen is quite common. After recapping, I now toggle between sometimes NO picture and sometimes the odd refresh flicker, all based on precise white ribbon cable adjusting. I have 12 internet tabs open about 32x issues including funny banter Joe Redifer had over a decade ago. I will try checking my cables for continuity both bent and straightened, and I will look into this metal bracket thing (I don't have them) for my non TMSS Model 1. So far I have minor experiences with the 32x back in the day when a friend had the whole tower of power. I played Brutal - Paws of Fury, and maybe a firefighting game. In recent years I really enjoyed playing Blackthorne to completion in an emulator. When Analogue announced 32x support when you plug a 32x into a Mega SG and use the DAC, I bought my 32x and the 3d printed riser. I even have a new M3 all in one 'tower of power' power supply which has been reduced to two by selling my Sega Cd for the Mega SD (and I have a Mister), and I wonder if the M3 will lose another port to be an expensive Genesis only PSU if I don't get the 32x to work. One guy in my open tabs bought a brand new old stock 32x and didn't sort out the same problems. A 32x FPGA solution is becoming my most wanted core because I want to play the 32x library but the look of the mushroom, the cable swapping, and the unreliability of the hardware really is justifying a core to replace said hardware. Has no one made a 20 pin cable set for "awm 2896 80c vw 1" yet?

What's the latest with the IO boards? I have one that included the 32mb ram so I can't use it with my newer 128mb ram for neogeo that takes up the GPIO pins. Should I get a replacement now, or will I kick myself again when a newer board revision gets released?

Hey thanks Cmherndon79! I do feel very proud of having the Genesis done how I'd like it. I did put Arctic Silver 5 on the black surfaces of the voltage regulators and ensured they hugged the metal plate well. I did forget to put the plate on when I used the bare board to test just for the photo but I had it on for maybe 3 minutes. I did see on reassembly that the shield in this scenario would be wise to keep as a large heatsink. I did the 32x the same day, and the next day I powered through my PC Engine and Panasonic 3DO with surprising ease. All of you helped me to look at the big picture and it just clicked. I plan to get more cap kits. If I could, I'd rename this thread title more positively: "Desoldering WHOA!s with a Hakko FR-301" If I may offer, I found the re-capping method that works best for little old me is this: 1. lay out and organize all your caps from most quantity to least (a strip of 8 or so vs the 4's and 3's, then the specialty caps you only have 1 or 2 of) 2. Confirm your caps match your motherboard revision, and do a brief overview of cap locations and if they match your reference sheet to CHECK OFF as you go. 3. It is now safe to remove old caps WHEN CLEARLY MARKED FOR POLARITY to save from looking it up later. Boards may differ as to which method is best: a. Method 1 (preferred)- take a flux pen and dab all points you wish to desolder, usually on the bottom of the board. Put your finger on top of the cap, and as you use your desoldering gun on the reverse side in a circular motion, wiggle your finger slightly on the cap as if TESTING if your tooth was loose. This will let you know if the leg on the desolder side is free, and if the leg wiggles, it will help keep it from re-adhering to the solder pad as it cools. This also may help minimize your heat on the board and hopefully help you not lift a trace or solder pad. Repeat for the other leg and remove the pin. NOTE: if the solder isn't coming out, good thing you added a dab of flux! Just add a dab of new solder to the old and try again. Remove the cap when both legs are loose. b. Method 2 (more time consuming)- cut the capacitors off, leaving the legs and solder for desoldering afterward, using mostly the method above. 4. Clean all solder pads with isoprop. 5. Using your cheat sheet of uf and voltages, insert all the new caps in one at a time WITHOUT trimming any legs: each being mindful of negative polarity markings both with the stripe on the cap and (hopefully) on the motherboard silkscreen indicators. With each cap placed in, on the reverse side, bend the legs in opposite directions to loosely keep the cap in place no more than a wiggle. Leaving the legs is a grand reminder for your checklist, confirming they are indeed new ones. Repeat with all caps but DO NOT SOLDER YET! 6. Confirm all caps are where they need to be and in the correct polarity, AND ensure no cap legs are in the path of something where solder might fuse to it accidentally, then hit your solder pad/legs with another dab of flux and use your soldering iron and solder on each point. 7. Confirm all joints look good on BOTH sides of the board. If top side solder joints looks good, thank the bottom side solder fairy. If a needed topside solder joint needs more, resist soldering there so you don't burn the bottom of the capacitor. Instead, find its leg underneath and add a dab of flux and allow your solderer to rest on the solder just long enough where the density of it "feels" like it seeped below to topside, and check topside to confirm. 8. Clean each solder point with a cotton swab of isoprop and now is good to clean any old residue, being CAREFUL not to dislodge any surface mounted components, then trim the capacitor legs using a fingernail clipper if not a specialty tool. Lift each leg out of the way and trim as close as you can without taking a chunk out of your round solder on the joint. You may want to do a final isoprop cleaning (or suggested electronics cleaner) to ensure you don't have bits of solder or a capacitor leg still laying on the board in waiting to short it out. DONE!!

For reference to others, mine are 20-pin cables, marked "awm 2896 80c vw 1" and the width (without a caliper) via tape measure is 13/16ths of an inch, or 26/32 of an inch. I run the math later to find the pitch - too fried at the moment. I did see some cables on ebay that match the description in quotes, so maybe I will find one that matches the pitch and hope they aren't too long.

Once again ChildOfCv, THANK YOU! I will look into making my own spare set of pads. In the mean time, here are some pics as a victory run. - Top and bottom of the finished VA3 revision Model 1 Sega Genesis, - All put back together, perhaps the first recapped of it's kind in 2020, complimented by a Mega SD, brand new audio cable, an brand new M3-trio 'tower of power' all in one power supply. - Proof via Budokan game playing! The camera can't do justice to the HD Retrovision cables running here. - BONUS Picture - I also managed now to recap my 32x!!!!!! - The 32x had pre-existing screen flicker issues, so I will look for replacement ribbons to complete this awesome all in one Sega power so I can fully Blast Process myself into the next 30 years! P.s. Does anyone know a good place to get new white ribbon cables?

SUCCESS!! I will post a victory photo when all is back together. I opted to put the caps in without new solder pads. If it lasts me another 30 years, I'm happy. Even if in 15 years one of the 7 one-legged dancing capacitors dislodge, hopefully by then I'll be a pro at reworking by then. I will skip the audio mod option since I have a MegaSG and a Mister too. I'd probably opt for a triple bypass mod if I ever got too crazy. As I wrap this baby up, Is there any testing that would be wise (heat or otherwise)? Is the metal RF shield required or just suggested to prevent noise, etc.?

THANK YOU ChildOfCv!! JP did indeed have a 47uf 16v cap there, to be replaced by a 47uf 25v. Road mapping traces is where I have traditionally tapped out, so I was trying to see how you determined your findings. I think I found your formula, which may be helpful to others that someday find this page. In all cases, the lost pads are surrounded by 'a dark green island or field' and not on the light green 'copper road beneath' parts. I questioned if C30's bottom followed the rule at first, and that pads would connect to the field, but I am reaffirmed by the small circles of green that were obviously intended by design to not conduct with the surrounding copper field. You did not mention C72. I assume you meant it for the OK list with the rest? It follows the same pattern. C71 Bottom Positive - If that touches the copper beyond its dark green circle, is that a potential short? I can trim the leg a bit. My guess is no, assuming all copper roads are still beneath a layer of soldermask and only have to worry about if it were near bare metal (like the tiny dot just north of it). I debate just putting the final caps in or to attempt pad repair. This is my intended personal Genesis that will sit on a shelf and play games - not to sell. I've heard of ChipQuik adhesive products but am still looking where to buy pads. Do people ever DIY hack it by mounting the cap through the board, then push tiny bits of foil on the leg and using gorilla glue to hold it down (let dry before adding solder). My instincts say glue and solder merged may be a bad mix over time.

Thanks - I am looking for schematics now. In the mean time, here is some dirty laundry of the board. Hopefully someone looks at them with the energy one puts into solving a crossword puzzle or riddle and might have a simple solution for some. I have 7 capacitors left with a bad pad or iffy connection. The pics are in order for each Odds are topside, and evens are their respective bottom view. (Oops - 3 and 4 are in reverse order). On pic 3, you might see a dodgy pad next to positive that is half on. That good side still has a good solder bond though.

I got all the other caps installed and legs trimmed and am down to the problem children. I have about 5 where a leg would be in without a solder pad on just one side. Can anyone confirm if the Sega Genesis VA3 board is 'plated' as DrVenkman mentioned? Cmherndon79's mention of repair work makes me think I may have to do the same. Are there any good guides on how to roadmap a pcb? I know green is the mask and copper are the 'roads' to follow from point A to B. Some paths aren't so easy to determine like these capacitor legs that seem to be 'detached' from any copper roads. I am looking now online for some guides.

Whoa. That is a shame. I thought he was very funny too! Out of respect, I don't want to speculate too much. I do hope he is otherwise happy and healthy in whatever interests he chooses to do. I also hope some of the MiSTer gang he did live chats with will check in with him.

All these handy guides with a sense of humor are all gone. BlisSTer for MiSTer: use original controllers with MiSTer FPGA, MiSTer FPGA - Messing around with "Scripts" a Guide + Arcade ... MiSTer FPGA - Minimig Guide - Easy Setup for Amiga Core ... I hope at the very least it was his own doing and not from Youtube shenanigans. Maybe he is updating his channel? All the same, along with Smokemonster, his was my favorite new MiSTer focused channel. If Pezz is calling it a day, I hope for what it's worth he knows his videos were greatly enjoyed and appreciated by me. Thank you Pezz82!

Hang On! I was watching that! What's going on? Pezz, if you are here and see this, please pm me so I know why I can't find you anymore!

Dr Venkman, thank you for the "Don't be too hard on yourself" quote. I may print it out to look at while I work. I'm hoping my posts of successes and failures will inspire others to join the hardware preservation club. If Bob at RetroRGB can laugh at himself for bad soldering or de-soldering, so can I. :) Thanks everyone for not calling me a Genesis killer as I learn. Being fair, to answer CrossBow, I had it set to 2.5 after reading what little I had for when to use which temp and ideas I found on youtube. I never knew what temp to put my crappy soldering pen on for the task at hand either. I will dial back to 2 from 2.5 for now. Some may be proud of me that I at least have learned enough in soldering that I knew times when I lifted traced that were clearly my fault being a soldering infant with no experience vs. THIS experience. Here, these VA3 board pads I really suspect being not my fault this time. They seemed too easy to have been lifted as if manufacturing shortcuts were made, or more likely just got tired with age like we all do. I do have a decent multi-meter and have tested continuity before but always had questions because my testing felt ambiguous at times. Some points on motherboards have a clear start and end, though others seem isolated in a tiny island or lawn of green unmarked solder-mask. I don't know where to point the other end to test continuity. Dr Venkman said "So long as there are pads on both sides of the board and the through-hole is plated". Plated? I looked it up and found this. I can't tell by looking at the motherboard if a VA3 Genesis is plated or not. I would LOVE to find out all is well and to just solder in the new caps, but instead I will solder in all but these I damaged: BOTTOM SIDE of JP1/C71 and TOP SIDE of C72, C31, and C61 And to Cmherndon79, I hear you on the amount of caps to replace. This Genesis is my first re-cap because for me it is not as rare or expensive to replace as my other projects: I have to do a 32x, a Panasonic 3DO, and my PC-Engine which should be a dream job in comparison to the 30+ Genesis capacitors. I want to re-cap my Genesis 1 because it is what I had. I am not liking that my MegaSD is being held back by setup TMSS model 1. It bugs me because my original release Genesis could play Populous and Budokan without issue, and the TMSS screen is a reminder I can't play them on every other game.

Though I really got the hang of it today with a Model 1 Sega Genesis VA3 board, even being careful, some solder pads were injured in the making of this post. I can label them here if need be, but since there are solder pads on BOTH sides of each hole, is there ever an instance where capacitors might be ok as long as you have contact on say the topside of the board and not the bottom? Otherwise, for the ones that came off, is a patch wire the way to go forward and how do I determine a point from that capacitor leg to connect to? I hit a stopping point with all the caps out and the pads cleaned. Tomorrow I was going to put the new caps in.

Yes, I may have taken a short break where I turned off the tool for safety on my initial use. I can't think of what else caused it. Thank you for the cardinal rule. Good news though, not only do I have another tip coming, but I got my current one working again! Such a simple thing that experienced people will probably laugh at me for, but as a noob it is a learning experience. While trying to push the cleaner stick through the nozzle tip while heated did NOT work, I pushed on one end and pressed the trigger a few times at the same time and it was enough to clear it. I got some more practice time on a dead C64 board and feel ready for a re-cap project now.

I found a download of the manual in English which is a big help (mine came with Japanese only) I inspected the unit, removed the rear cover and unscrewed the fixing plate and cleaned the diaphragm with isoprop, though that looked pretty clean. Screwing and unscrewing it with that wobbly crank shaft and crank made diaphragm alignment a process, but after putting the fixing plate back, all looks pretty good. I razored the bad part of the filter off and still have it, but opted to replace it outright while troubleshooting. I can push the cleaning rods through the heating element but not the nozzle itself, which is a mixed emotion discovery. I was happy to find out I may just need to unclog the nozzle, but then I reconsidered. If the nozzle is clogged, you would think that heat when powered on and pushing the cleaning pin while pulling the trigger would clean it if there was no vacuum problem. I've tried putting the nozzle tip in a helping hands and use a soldering iron to heat it - manual solder sucker, even push a sewing needle through but no dice. I read that I could clean it by using a small drill bit, but none in my collection are small enough for this one nozzle it came with, marked N61-08 1.0 190619. So I ask, the manual shows several compatible nozzle shapes and sizes. Nozzle tips seems expensive so I don't want to buy ones I won't likely use. If I mostly work on electronics like retro computers and consoles (MAYBE I will try CRT boards), which tips are suggested? Is there a bundle to look into? Also, what drill bits/sizes should I also have on hand for cleaning purposes? Thank you fellow Hakko fans.

I tried the 7800 Baby Pac-Man and it is fun, though challenging as hell. I did find classic ghost mentality a little easier 'Standard' mode could be thought of as '28 Days Later' mode. Geez, it's just a baby! I can only imagine how many parents of 80's children thought the tears of a child losing at Pac-Man's difficulty would be pacified by the pastel, sweet world that BABY Pac-man surely promised - only to bail after two coins and sights of their child's hopes and dreams getting dashed repeated against the jagged rocks of reality. I played the game back then and didn't last long, but loved the ingenuity of combining the two platforms in one game. I keep telling myself I will figure out how to set up that virtual pinball version of Baby Pac-Man. Looks nice though in videos.

Perfect, thank you! I'm wondering if the list authors just didn't cover mid-90s thru 2006 because they haven't gotten to it yet or if there was a genuine time gap before the scene started exploding again.

Wow- you saved me some looking into on that one! I heard it is great and had a great soundtrack, so that is great news it isn't the same game I recently finished.

Speaking of M2, I had heard good things about the documentary that My Life In Gaming did on them, but for whatever reason, I waiting to watch it, I guess knowing little about them before the name popped up with the Sega Genesis Mini. It is WELL WORTH WATCHING! I'd suggest it to anyone, even those with little interest in video games at all but like business. I love documentaries on Amiga, and enjoyed Get Lamp and ones on pinball. The M2 video is one of My Life In Gaming's best ever. I like your zillion 'metroidvania' idea. Zillion always 'got' me as a sega game, and the vhs tapes I was always swayed away from renting at my local video store because I was told they weren't in English. I always wanted to see the tapes and in recent years watched the whole anime and ova. I know some great shots and scenes that would work. Maybe if I figure out how to do it, I might try to make it. I'm looking at Sega peripherals and chuckled at the Sega Sports pad. I remember it well from ads of the day but laughed that it only had three games that support it. I also didn't know that Great Hockey REQUIRED it to play. Maybe that is a good contender for a rom hack that allows for standard control pad play. Maybe other SMS or Genesis games can be hacked to give new life to the peripheral. Marble Madness is on both consoles and would be perhaps the first to prioritize. I may see if my USB Kensington trackball and spinner will work on the MiSTer to play these games. Slightly off topic, but for SMS paddle controllers, would an Atari paddle or driving controller work on real Sega hardware?

dj_convoy, as a Govellius fan, if you have a MiSTer, you may want to fire up the MSX core and play [MSX 2, MSX 2+ TAS Longplay 35] Super Cooks. Though not a sequel, it is a spin-off game withe some of the same sprites like the lady in the cave shops. The game is in English too! I only just discovered this and have yet to play it. It may be different characters and story in the same world, like how Super Mario Brothers 2 was developed from the Japanese game Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic.