Retro Club Weekender

The best thing about egx yesterday was the retro section. What a delight it was seeing a dreamcast next to a snes, which was next to a nes. We even saw an appearance from the pippin - always wanted to give it a go!

Theres nothing like retro games and i kind of want to try and get a console to run the whole lineup, maybe a wii u to run everything from nes to wii games.

Wonderful collection Devlin!

Cheeky Devlin wrote:

That's a great collection!

What's up with the Spectrum? I've got a plastic key 48k that needs a new keyboard membrane when I get around to it.

Cheers guys!

Dowbocop wrote:

Cheeky Devlin wrote:

That's a great collection!

What's up with the Spectrum? I've got a plastic key 48k that needs a new keyboard membrane when I get around to it.

The video output is horrendous and it's not registering key presses properly.

Once I'm settled in I've got a list of console repairs that need done and that's definitely on there.

Apart from that I want to get my Mega CD and Dreamcast working again. That's partially the reason my DC and Mega CD collections are as thin as they are.

I think it's just a capacitor problem for the MCD, but for the Dreamcast I think the video board is gubbed, which from my little research means I might be better of just getting a "new" one.

I want to recap the Xbox as well as it apparently is a common fault where one of the capacitors leaks all over the place, so the sooner the better on that one.

Cheeky Devlin wrote:

I reckon all that stuff would just stress me out
Looks good and nice that you've got lots of consoles actually connected up.
The Metroid stuff needs separating and putting pride of place on its own shelf though

Cheeky Devlin wrote:Cheers guys!

Dowbocop wrote:

Cheeky Devlin wrote:

That's a great collection!

What's up with the Spectrum? I've got a plastic key 48k that needs a new keyboard membrane when I get around to it.

The video output is horrendous and it's not registering key presses properly.

Once I'm settled in I've got a list of console repairs that need done and that's definitely on there.

Apart from that I want to get my Mega CD and Dreamcast working again. That's partially the reason my DC and Mega CD collections are as thin as they are.

I think it's just a capacitor problem for the MCD, but for the Dreamcast I think the video board is gubbed, which from my little research means I might be better of just getting a "new" one.

I want to recap the Xbox as well as it apparently is a common fault where one of the capacitors leaks all over the place, so the sooner the better on that one.

The keyboard presses may well be the membrane, it's exactly the same problem with mine, and it's all centred around the keys I'd bind everything to so it seems logical. No idea about the video output, although I'd postulate it's always been gooseberry fool but we put up with it in the 80s

Unfortunately capacitors are all produced to a spec of how long they'll accumulatively hold charge until they fail. On the good end this is on the few thousand hours mark. But whatever you do, these things will all die eventually. Try to replace the caps with a good brand like Nichicon, Panasonic, rubycon etc.

I noticed the other day that on a junk 360 motherboard I took out of a skip (massive heat sinks can come in useful), surprisingly considering how much that thing died, it's actually got a whole load of nichicon gold caps on. Those things are expensive, relatively speaking.

Depending on the quantity RS Components will generally send anything out same day on Royal Mail for no charge.. Even for just one part. I suppose they just assume nobody is going to order a single part.

They list all the specs for parts including the actual life of capacitors which is helpful as well of course the right microfarads, voltage and operating temp. You can also try a cap that takes slightly higher voltage if something keeps dying.

Green Gecko wrote:Unfortunately capacitors are all produced to a spec of how long they'll accumulatively hold charge until they fail. On the good end this is on the few thousand hours mark. But whatever you do, these things will all die eventually. Try to replace the caps with a good brand like nicichon, Panasonic, rubycon etc.

I noticed the other day that on a junk 360 motherboard I took out of a skip (massive heat sinks can come in useful), surprisingly considering how much that thing died, it's actually got a whole load of nicichon gold caps on. Those things are expensive, relatively speaking.

Depending on the quantity RS Components will generally send anything out same day on Royal Mail for no charge.. Even for just one part. I suppose they just assume nobody is going to order a single part.

They list all the specs for parts including the actual life of capacitors which is helpful as well of course the right microfarads, voltage and operating temp. You can also try a cap that takes slightly higher voltage if something keeps dying.

To be honest I'll probably get get my dad to do it. He was a broadcast engineer for years repairing TV production and editing equipment so this is the kind of stuff he did in his sleep. He's got a garage full of tools, components and other stuff for just this kind of thing.

I'm not above a bit of basic soldering myself though.

I'll tell you one thing, no matter how much time you spend building electronics or repairing stuff, capacitors are still an absolute banana split to remove because you're usually trying to solder/heat a joint while using a solder wick or vacuum pump to clear it, while pulling out the part upside down, all at the same time.

Replaced 5 caps and two resistors in a power supply for my dab radio yesterday night. It still doesn't work.

Cheaper to have a go then buying a replacement though, usually.

I really need to get around to some mods on my retro consoles. Mostly region free but also the jailbar mod on MD 1. Barely noticeable on my 9" CRT but will probably show up when I bother getting component RGB. Honestly the composite picture is really really good with the retrogamecables one and I kinda like the dithering blending which was an intentional part of the graphic design.

I hooked up the PS1 I found in a bin yesterday as well to the PVM. Looks great, and it works. Original memory card and dual shock 1 in almost new condition too. I think I have 3 memory cards plus my old one.. And you need them.

So this happened:

Drumstick wrote:And the answer to the obvious question...

Are you now homeless?

I remember getting Fire Emblem for £40 back in 2008, I'd never buy a PAL copy now. I'm happy with the American replacement I picked up for £52 a few years back.

I recently made the decision to sell off a lot of my retro games and systems, and today I have been cataloguing my collection (as i can't remember half of what I have), with today's progress being my SEGA collection (which took all day ):



(warning, big images)

The complete collection:


Megadrive (some gems in here )






Mega CD:



32X:



Dreamcast (which I wont be selling):



Next up will be my playstation collection.

What a strawberry floating fantastic 32x and DC collection you've got there. Mental to think that you've got over a third of all the 32x games released in the PAL format there.

Corazon de Leon wrote:What a strawberry floating fantastic 32x and DC collection you've got there. Mental to think that you've got over a third of all the 32x games released in the PAL format there.

Damn, that really brings home what a small library it had

Victor Mildew wrote:

Corazon de Leon wrote:What a strawberry floating fantastic 32x and DC collection you've got there. Mental to think that you've got over a third of all the 32x games released in the PAL format there.

Damn, that really brings home what a small library it had

A few of the ones you don't have sound utterly guff as well:

"Golf Magazine: 36 Holes Starring Fred Couples"
"Slam City with Scottie Pippen"

Gimmie your stuff ad. for free. I'll pay you in the future when I win the lotto.

Corazon de Leon wrote:What a strawberry floating fantastic 32x and DC collection you've got there. Mental to think that you've got over a third of all the 32x games released in the PAL format there.

That 32X collection is impressive considering the pitifully short lifespan it had.

Aside from Samba de Amigo and the fairly rare DC keyboard I'd have to say my own DC collection is on a par with that.

Corazon de Leon wrote:

Victor Mildew wrote:

Corazon de Leon wrote:What a strawberry floating fantastic 32x and DC collection you've got there. Mental to think that you've got over a third of all the 32x games released in the PAL format there.

Damn, that really brings home what a small library it had

A few of the ones you don't have sound utterly guff as well:

"Golf Magazine: 36 Holes Starring Fred Couples"
"Slam City with Scottie Pippen"

Top right, that one is there. And it's actually a really good golf game

Interested in some of the md games, like fantasy zone, sonic 3 and if you are willing boxes for knuckles and sonic 2. And maybe micro machines and dessert strike, not that I can afford all them.

You will get a lot for Gunstar heroes in that condition.