Can a Lynx Cart gp Bad?

[T2KFREEKER]

I've never personally had problems with a Lynx card, but I do live in the desert and have a carrying case. I have noticed that a few of my friends who do have the Lynx system have problems with the cards when they get too dusty, and yes, heat kills them too. My friend Jack had his AVP card die because he left it out on his entertainment system for a while and it got dusty. The card died. No matter how clean he gets it, it still won't work.

[Michael David Morsette]

My gauntlet didn't work when I bought it. I did alcohol, erasers, even hydrogen peroxide (suggested by someone) no luck. Then I noticed that when I torgued the card toward the back I could get the initial boot screen (the dungeon door) but then it would freeze. After reading this forum I took the sticker off, nothing (INSERT screen); torque the card with the sticker off and it works great. I wedged an eraser on top of the card so I wouldn't have to hold it and played for a couple hours. It was still a little buggy though. occasionally, for no apparent reason it would glitch the screen and freeze the game.

[GadgetUK]

Ive had problems with a few cards (but all fixed), a couple have had corrosion on the contacts - cleaned with wire brush, alchohol and WD40 to help stop subsequent corrosion.

 

If the contacts look clean, first try rubbing them with pencil eraser and re-test. If that doesnt work use wire brush on contacts.

 

I think corrosion is this biggest killer from what ive seen.

Edited June 10, 2012 by GadgetUK

[GadgetUK]

Also... Regards avp and any other 'after market / home brew game' they suffer from sunlight exposure - EPROM will corrupt / completely erase if left in sunlight. Theres normally a sticker over the EPROM window but they are often not good enough to block strong uv light.

 

Not sure if Lynx has PROM or EPROM chips on proper commercial carts, i expect they arent EPROM due to manufacturing costs.

[Moya Jackie]

A copy of Kung Food I had only had for a few days after buying it brand new in the box stopped working. It would load the title screen and go no further. I also recently picked up a second-hand copy of Blue Lightning and it only works sometimes, I have to insert it a few times before it'll work. I always clean second-hand cartridges when I get them with a pencil erasor, and often in the past it has fixed non-working cartridges. It didn't fix this Blue Lightning one, so I might see if removing part of the bottom of the sticker helps.

[matashen]

If the gamecard is a newer type where there is the slogan "long live the lynx" then maybe the cartridge is from Carl "Songbird".

Ask him for reflashing the chip. I think he has a program adapter.

 

By Games assembled by Lars Baumstark, you can ask him for help.

He produced

Alpine Games

Pokermania

Sokomania

T-Tris

SIMIS

Lynx Reloaded

 

Games produced by Lynxman ask him with PM

 

If a Lynxopoly makes problems - ask me

 

Regards

Matthias

[GadgetUK]

Another 'btw' here:-

 

If you have to bend the card slightly to make it work its 1 of 3 things. Either the ROM chip itself has 'lifted' off the PCB - dry solder joints on the surface mounted package (one or more contacts), or the pcb tracks that lead from ROM pins to PCB connector edge have cracked through warping or temperature extremes or corrosion (yes it can get under the sticker), or its not making good connection with the lynx connector itself (ive seen this happen on other consoles where homebrew PCBs that are thicker than standard game carts 'widen' the grip of the teeth (if you can call them that) in the socket, which results in some games no longer working.

 

Ive recently purchased Raiden demo cart and its around 0.5mm to 1mm thicker - which will after repeated use loosen the grip my lynx socket has on commercial carts.

Edited June 16, 2012 by GadgetUK

[+karri]

One trick to get the re-solder done is to set the cart in an owen heated to at least 183°C or 361.4 °F. The solder will melt at that temperature. I have fixed stuff like Ethernet switches and broken motherboards this way. Usually I put in a small piece of tin in order to see when it starts to melt. 10 to 20 seconds should be enough.

 

The new RoHS solder has a higher melting point 217 ˚C. But the Lynx was made before RoHS solder was invented.

 

It is not a good idea to go above 220 ˚C as you will fry the chips as well. For the Lynx I would use exactly 190 ˚C and check it with a meat thermometer before putting the cart in.

 

--

Karri

[GadgetUK]

One trick to get the re-solder done is to set the cart in an owen heated to at least 183°C or 361.4 °F. The solder will melt at that temperature. I have fixed stuff like Ethernet switches and broken motherboards this way. Usually I put in a small piece of tin in order to see when it starts to melt. 10 to 20 seconds should be enough.

 

The new RoHS solder has a higher melting point 217 ˚C. But the Lynx was made before RoHS solder was invented.

 

It is not a good idea to go above 220 ˚C as you will fry the chips as well. For the Lynx I would use exactly 190 ˚C and check it with a meat thermometer before putting the cart in.

 

--

Karri

 

Yes, i've done the same with laptop boards and xbox 360 (same thing can be done on ps3 also) but youve got to time it carefully and cover up plastic and capacitors etc with foil. Not sure it would be a good idea to put one of the grey curved / flat / ridged carts in as it will melt... Perhaps its possible to take appart those carts and just put pcb in - ive never needed to try and take one appart yet.