How to open Imagic cartridge?

[flammingcowz]

I have an Imagic game that needs a thorough cleaning with some sand paper and I want to open it to make it easier. How do you open them without breaking it? It looks like it has 2 clips on each side but it still doesn't want to come apart.

[+intvnut]

There are two screws under the label. If you don't want to damage the label, then you'll have to forego opening the shell.

[Utopia]

Sandpaper sounds drastic. Use Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol on a cotton bud and rub it over the contacts for a great and safe result.

[DZ-Jay]

Sandpaper sounds drastic. Use Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol on a cotton bud and rub it over the contacts for a great and safe result.

 

Hum... I think this comment was meant for a different thread. However, it certainly adds an interesting twist to this one!

[Utopia]

I got the impression that the game cartridge contacts were causing problems during play. Was that not it?

[flammingcowz]

Here's the problem. I decided to clean a game that wasn't working properly. After I cleaned it with a qtip and alcohol the game barely worked at all.

 

Then I did the same to a game that I don't usually play but also works perfectly. After cleaning it the game barely worked also.

 

Is there something about cleaning them that makes it not work? It got off a lot of black that looked like ink, was that stuff necessary for the games to work?

[+intvnut]

Here's the problem. I decided to clean a game that wasn't working properly. After I cleaned it with a qtip and alcohol the game barely worked at all.

 

Then I did the same to a game that I don't usually play but also works perfectly. After cleaning it the game barely worked also.

 

Is there something about cleaning them that makes it not work? It got off a lot of black that looked like ink, was that stuff necessary for the games to work?

 

That sounds about right. That's oxidized metal, dust, dirt and so forth.

 

Rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip usually do a pretty good job, but make sure you use the 91% alcohol, not the 70% stuff. I use rubbing alcohol to clean my own boards and it works great. I sometimes have to clean newly manufactured boards to make them work, since there's sometimes some residue from whatever processes they subject the boards to. (Hasn't been a problem with my current design, but it was a regular issue with the older EPROM-based design.)

 

If you use any cloth to dry the contacts, make sure it doesn't have any fabric softener in it. Fabric softener is basically a light wax, and it could interfere with the contacts. I know I often can't clean my glasses with anything that's been fabric-softened. (It depends a little on the fabric too, I suppose.)

[Utopia]

Here's the problem. I decided to clean a game that wasn't working properly. After I cleaned it with a qtip and alcohol the game barely worked at all.

 

Then I did the same to a game that I don't usually play but also works perfectly. After cleaning it the game barely worked also.

 

Is there something about cleaning them that makes it not work? It got off a lot of black that looked like ink, was that stuff necessary for the games to work?

 

That sounds about right. That's oxidized metal, dust, dirt and so forth.

 

Rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip usually do a pretty good job, but make sure you use the 91% alcohol, not the 70% stuff. I use rubbing alcohol to clean my own boards and it works great. I sometimes have to clean newly manufactured boards to make them work, since there's sometimes some residue from whatever processes they subject the boards to. (Hasn't been a problem with my current design, but it was a regular issue with the older EPROM-based design.)

 

If you use any cloth to dry the contacts, make sure it doesn't have any fabric softener in it. Fabric softener is basically a light wax, and it could interfere with the contacts. I know I often can't clean my glasses with anything that's been fabric-softened. (It depends a little on the fabric too, I suppose.)

Hmm.. Interesting I just looked at my bottle and it is only 64% alcohol. Although it works for me (so far) the search is now on for a more potent brew. Thanks for the tip.