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Opening up Parker Brothers cartridges


RosenbumThe3rd

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Sorry if something like this has already been posted but, I did a few searches on the forum and couldn't find anything about this.

 

I have a Gyruss cart that I really want to play and the only way I can give it a good cleaning is to to take it apart.

 

The label is already bad so, that part isn't a problem. The problem is that there is a little cover where the screw most likely is but, it wont pop out or maybe it's factory sealed in place and I don't want to risk damaging the pcb by drilling out the screw cover or trying to cut around the cart's seem.

 

Can anyone help me out on what I should do to open it up with as little damage as possible?

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Sorry if something like this has already been posted but, I did a few searches on the forum and couldn't find anything about this.

 

I have a Gyruss cart that I really want to play and the only way I can give it a good cleaning is to to take it apart.

 

The label is already bad so, that part isn't a problem. The problem is that there is a little cover where the screw most likely is but, it wont pop out or maybe it's factory sealed in place and I don't want to risk damaging the pcb by drilling out the screw cover or trying to cut around the cart's seem.

 

Can anyone help me out on what I should do to open it up with as little damage as possible?

 

I'm sorry to have to say that some of you chaps are going to be a bit sore with me.

You see, I made a bit of a booboo whilst trying to figure out how to go about getting that blasted Gyruss cart to come apart and decided to do a bit of drilling which only resulted in a strange and unpleasant smell but, pressing on, I tried cutting it open with my nifty Dremmel tool and that yielded results none too good as well.

Lastly I tried a hacksaw but, in my clumsiness, kept slipping and cutting myself in the process so, I consulted with my brother who

informed me that it looked as though it had been heat-welded closed from the factory so, I asked him "Well, just how in the bloody hell do I open it up without damaging the circuit board?!"

 

He told me that he could pry it open with his hammer but, instead he simply tapped either side of the cart with the hammer and it popped right open with no damage at all.

 

Unfortunatly however, I myself had done all of the damage necasary with my foolish drill bit earlier on and made somewhat of a hole in the main chip which would explain the unpleasant smell.

Even so, I proceeded to clean the contacts and test it out in the hopes that maybe I'd get lucky and get some measure of fuctionality out of it anyway but, alas, it just wasn't to be I'm afraid.

 

Not too much of a loss though as I have checked on ebay and found that there are a few others available at somewhat reasonable prices.

 

On the plus side, I did discover some interesting details that I should like to pass on.

 

The chipless side of the pcb reads "12532 REV C" which I presume to mean that it is the third version of that game.

Also, further down it reads "ETCH SIDE".

The chip reads "TMS4964-45NL", followed by "8419L", followed by "ZA69022", followed by "12601something45" which I can't make out because of the hole.

It goes on to read "198somethingB" it's the hole again, followed by "SINGAPORE".

 

I wonder if it would be possible to simply replace the damaged chip and upload a gyruss rom back in to it.

Does anyone know if that could work?

Edited by RosenbumThe3rd
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Any Atari cartridge can be thoroughly cleaned without taking it apart. If the old standby alcohol and a Q-tip isn't enough, then the contacts are probably oxidized and/or corroded. In such cases I use a thin solution of Bar Keepers Friend and water with a Q-tip (the active ingredient in BFK, oxalic acid, quickly cuts through oxidation/corrosion). Or, you could also use an actual "contact cleaner" product (typically more expensive and harder to find than BFK); which also contains an acid; usually oxalic or oleic, to chemically remove oxidation/corrosion.

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Okay, MaximumRecoil. Thank you for the tips. I did manage to clean one side with one of those wedge-shaped pencil erasers but the other side was just too narrow to get in to.

If I hadn't been so impatient and hasty, this wouldn't have happened. I knew it was a dumb thing to do but, I guess I was bored and really wanting to play that version of Gyruss on actual hardware.

 

Pioneer4x4, the keychain idea sounds like fun. I'll have to try that.

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