PC Engine Duo issue

[bonaccorsi2]

Hello,

 

I just bought a PC Engine Duo console for myself, with original NEC AC adapter, original RCA cable and no controller / no games.

 

When I turn the console on, with no Japanese cards / no disc / no controller, I can only see a white screen. Is it normal?

 

This is a refurbished console, the seller informed me that he replaced the capacitors and also the lens.

 

Additional information:

 

- I also tested it with an US Turbo Chip. I know it's not compatible. I was expecting some kind of screen with an error message, but I can only see the white screen.

 

- I have here also a Turbo Everdrive version 2.5 (I just bought it, to use with this console). I formatted it in FAT 32 and I put some ROMS in the root. I selected the Everdrive switch to PC Engine. I inserted it on the console, and when I turn it on, the Everdrive flashes in red for a brief moment, and I can only see the same white screen.

 

Do you think I am doing anything wrong when testing this console? Do you think it's defective?

 

The seller accepted the return of the console. I only want to make sure that I am not doing something wrong.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

Luiz Bonaccorsi

[CatPix]

It isn't normal.

At boot without a CD or card inserted, a Duo should display the Bios 3.00 "press start" screen :

 

 

As far as I know, a lack of gamepad shouldn't cause any issue with video. A white screen can happen when a dirty card is inserted. maybe the seller damaged the card port when he refurbished it.

 

Non-CD systems also display a white or colored screen if no card is inserted. Which could mean that your Duo doesn't boot on the CD BIOS but think there is a card inserted. Either way, it sound like there is an issue with your card port. It might not be a big deal, but you bought a working system, so if the seller accept return or accept to exchange this one for a working one, then return or exchange it.

Edited February 24, 2019 by CatPix

[Black_Tiger]

With no games inserted, the system should display the Super CD System card screen. Since it was white and not just a lack of picture, then it is defective.

 

If the region mod screwed up the HuCard port or if the port had bent connectors, you would also see a solid color screen, which is usually white, while a game is inserted.

[bonaccorsi2]

CatPix and Black_Tiger, thanks for the help! I was really expecting the cd starting screen, not a white screen.

 

I will return the console.

[Tanooki]

It's likely got some damaged or entirely blown caps inside because NEC used the worst quality capacitors possible much like Sega with their Game Gear. Basically if you own a Duo (any region) or a Turbo Express/PCE GT if they're not dead yet, you'll see the suffering in most cases. If you know someone or can do it yourself, get it fixed, or just return it if the expense is over the cost of repair instead of just buying one that has been corrected already.

 

Big reason why I did not buy a Duo again when I got back into the stuff, and still haven't grabbed the GT handheld either as they're expensive as it is, even uglier with the mod work done, and the screen either way is crap so that's even more to get a modern LCD put there too.

[CatPix]

Well apparently the seller said it was recapped. Maybe he lied or botched the job.

Those caps are another reason I went the suitcase way... the first one being also cost... If you're patient, you can get a complete suitcase for under 100$.

[derFunkenstein]

I've seen enough horror stories about "refurbished" Duos on eBay to know that it's probably a hack job. Gobs of glue holding down poorly-soldered connectors. The seller probably saw it "worked" after his butchering and then in shipping it got jostled enough that one of those cold solder joints came loose and now it's hosed.

 

If you want to keep it, send it to someone like https://mobiusstriptechnologies.com/- it might take a little while, but it'll be worth it. Here's an example of his work and what it looked like before: https://twitter.com/Mobiusstriptech/status/1098807246748815360

Edited February 25, 2019 by derFunkenstein

[HoshiChiri]

If you're looking to another Ebay seller for another go, may I recommend Nihonretro? Tanooki suggested them to me over on the TG-16 thread. I got my RGB/Region modded/refurbed PC Engine Duo-R just a few days ago, and it's a damn fine machine. I don't have the means to test the RGB mod, but the stock composite cable still works (important thing for me with mods), and it's the clearest picture of any of my composite systems. No units currently available, but they seem to get new turbos in every few weeks, so it shouldn't be a long wait.

Edited February 26, 2019 by HoshiChiri

[+GoldenWheels]

I really recommend (as always) Keith Courage over at the PCenginefx forums. Dude has a huge thread of positive feedback over there spanning multiple years, and his work is top notch. My region modded, laser adjusted, caps replaced, s-video modded PC-Engine duo cost me about $330 bucks. He does component and RGB mods as well.

 

Of course, dealing on ebay, they got your back. That's always nice.

[+thegoldenband]

I really recommend (as always) Keith Courage over at the PCenginefx forums. Dude has a huge thread of positive feedback over there spanning multiple years, and his work is top notch.

 

I can vouch for Keith Courage too -- he fixed an incompatibility with a region-modded CoreGrafx I bought, allowing me to use the Arcade Card Pro (it wasn't working before the fix).

 

The PCEngineFX forums have actually closed, but they've got a successor here:

 

http://pcengine.proboards.com/

 

Keith is a member of the new forum, and though he doesn't have an official sales/repair thread over there yet, he participated in this thread:

 

http://pcengine.proboards.com/thread/679/wtb-new-pce-contd

[+GoldenWheels]

 

I can vouch for Keith Courage too -- he fixed an incompatibility with a region-modded CoreGrafx I bought, allowing me to use the Arcade Card Pro (it wasn't working before the fix).

 

The PCEngineFX forums have actually closed, but they've got a successor here:

 

http://pcengine.proboards.com/

 

Keith is a member of the new forum, and though he doesn't have an official sales/repair thread over there yet, he participated in this thread:

 

http://pcengine.proboards.com/thread/679/wtb-new-pce-contd

 

Jeez that is too bad. I stopped going once NightWolve or whomever he is really took things over, and everyone bailed for the proboards one. Was cliquey and dramatic at times, but it was the best TG/PCE site there was.

[SiberianSpForces]

Man, I need to start recapping more caps on mine. I seem to have come down with a severe case of the procrastinations.

[DJ Clae]

the stock composite cable still works (important thing for me with mods),

Such is not always the case with modded Duos, since a lot of people opt to replace the composite video with CSYNC. Make sure to buy the cable with the sync stripper inside when you go RGB.

Edited March 5, 2019 by DJ Clae

[Austin]

I can vouch for Keith Courage too -- he fixed an incompatibility with a region-modded CoreGrafx I bought, allowing me to use the Arcade Card Pro (it wasn't working before the fix).

Third vote for Keith Courage (Turbografxfan) here as well. On my DUO he cleaned up after a previous individual's botched cap replacement and RGB mod job. I opened up the system after getting it back and his work was lightyears better than the previous guy I had sent it to, and more importantly, the system worked.

 

He's got a store set up on Facebook. People looking to deal with him (and that have FB), send him a message through his page and he will coordinate the rest: https://www.facebook.com/turbografxfan/

[ColecoGamer]

As a longtime owner of PC-Engine hardware, I can say with some degree of confidence that a white screen usually indicates that the Hucard port (where you plug your Hucard games into) is failing on startup. There’s a ribbon cable that connects the Hucard port to the motherboard, and sometimes that cable will fail due to age.

 

A defective CD-Rom drive and/or bad solder joints can also cause a white screen on startup.

 

Returning the defective system to the seller is probably your best option at this point.

 

The PC-Engine Duo I purchased a few years ago was recapped; had the ribbon cable replaced; a new cd-rom drive installed; and modded with a Region Switch. It can play Hucards and CD games from any region. It was an expensive purchase, but it was well worth the price in the long term. I believe the seller is still active on eBay, too.

[Tanooki]

I'll second that about the HuCard port. That ribbon cable is a real solitary fail point on the PCE-CG1-CG2 model systems. It's this overly thick ribbon cable with some thicker gauge wire for each section of the hucard slot and it's already flatly folded over as is in a crunched S shape. All it takes it unbending it just enough or hitting the system with enough force from above to pop a solder point but more likely crack the metal wiring within that long cable somewhere and it's finished. It'll start with you getting some bad graphics glitches like a dirty NES game might do if it didn't flicker, and then it's the white out he said. My CG2 took a hit on accident and did this, ended up having to get a beater from a kind soul and swapping some guts out to revive mine which really sucked.

[CatPix]

I never though about that, but it's true.

So maybe it's what happened here; I can even see how the seller would have done this on accident. Like I would do : after doing his recap job, he tested the console and it was fine. But when he reassembled it (at which point he had no reason to restest it) the cable was folded once more, and one wire might have broke.

That would explain why he shipped it. He though the console was perfectly fine, because he tested it... but he didn't tested it after assembling it, and it's at that point it failed.

Edited March 7, 2019 by CatPix

[Tanooki]

That's why I shared my misfortune with the pop my system took on top that popped a wire somewhere in the cable because the exposed bits on the motherboard or the back of the hucard slot I could have just resoldered fine but it was just done. It's a shame, I mean I get why they did it so during assembly or repair it's easy to get to, but they could have used a IDE style flimsy cable, shorter too, and on one end or the other been a plug but no, they went thick, high gauge easily snapped wiring instead which is a shame.

 

A good lesson at least, don't open one up unless you have to, then be very careful to not straighten the cable at all or as little as possible to get to what you need to.