So my Duo that I got a few months ago died. Good news bad news situation here. The guy that sold it to me said he’d buy it back. So I think I’m going to get a core graphx and buy the SSd3.
Or I can just enjoy the time i had with the PC Engine and move on.
You should read some of the discussion had on shmups forum last month in regards to the SSDS3. I’m not bothering getting one anymore.
I thought with the RGB bypass and the audio fix from firebrand x that it’s good now. Got a link for me to read up?
https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=61381&start=1020
I would start from there and read FBX’s posts. I don’t know about modding hardware, maybe this is easy for someone else, but that seems like a lot of work to fix a $300~ device that appears to be worse off in its second revision than the recalled v1.
Yeah, the scenario to get a SSDS3 working again sounds like a lot of work. The thing about this is, these guys invited a lot of people to dissect their device. I can imagine someone might be reverse engineering it on some level now.
I really liked the PC Engine. I am not sure I liked it enough to jump through those hoops. I will probably just finish Rondo on my Wii and call it a day.
This all leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
It does work – the video signal just looks like noisy crap and can be somewhat cleaned up by the OSSC’s video LPF.
My advice is to pick up a PC Engine/Coregrafx with a Turbo Everdrive until this SSDS3 thing is figured out (a simpler bypass solution?) or until hardware revision v3 (very unlikely). The HuCard side is still a very good game library that’ll keep you busy a long time. If you want to play CD games, get a Duo R or use Retroarch – the input latency improvements in emulation this past year have been amazing.
I wouldn’t move on for good just because of one piece of hardware failing.
Failing hardware can do that unfortunately.
Thinks longingly about Virtual Boy *
I probably could have this thing fixed for less than the cost to get another everdrive, base unit and rgb mod. I am sure its a bad cap in the chain. It was working fine and then it didn’t. I am going to talk to the previous owner today. He and I might not have a total agreement going on so I want to see what he says before I make my choice. The investment to go the route you suggested (on the hardware side) would be worth it unless, its better in the end to put the RGB amp in whatever the SSDS3 becomes.
I liked the idea of the SSDS3 more than going the route you suggested because it kept me from RGB modding the core graphx, buying an everdrive. I figured, I would probably have to recap whatever I got to replace my duo.
I am 99% sure a recap would fix my machine. The recap was done in 2010 so who knows if it was done correctly.
I contacted Doujindance because I have one of his Duo-Rs from a few years ago… the kind with really shoddy mod work. The console technically works okay, but I wasn’t happy knowing the thing was a mess on the inside. Who knows how long it would hold up? Plus there was the annoyance of visible jailbars and it needed a small mod done locally to get an Everdrive working on it.
Anyway, he was quick to respond and offered to fix it for free with the much improved mod work he has been doing these days, as long as I don’t mind paying for shipping. I’m taking him up on that offer and sending the console back soon. Not bad at all. I said I was willing to give some payment for his trouble but Doujindance just seems intent on fixing his past work and improving his reputation. I’m glad that rather than be stubborn and deflect blame when called out a while back, he instead strove to offer a better product and do right by the retro community. 
Good to hear.
I bought a Duo off him like 6-7 years ago, it was DOA after a couple of months, I sent it back at his expense and he found it had another mainboard flaw. After discussion he sent me a Duo RX as a replacement, all free.
When this furore started up I opened mine and had a look inside, and saw perfectly acceptable work, certainly better than I would have done, a bit of epoxy. It’s lasted all these years without a hitch.
Yeah modding has improved a lot in that time with all these custom made PCBs. I’ve been slowly re-doing all my own work with new parts, did the N64 again, and I have a new amp for my Super Fami Jr to replace my home made one.
Doujindance been posting a few comments on some of my pc engine YT vids. I think he’s impressed with the packapunch cables. Maybe it’s giving an incentive to do their own super pc engine RGB cable 
I think I’m back on board with getting the SSDS3. Been talking to Ben @ ifixretro and he’s been doing some solid work getting it up to snuff. Fixing my duo would cost me a lot more so I think this is the direction I’m heading. I will let you guys know my thoughts as soon as i get the work done.
Edit: The seller of my PC Engine gave me almost a full refund. We are friends and we made a trade plus some cash. I offered to eat the tax (of the switch I traded him to him) if he gave me the other $50 he owed me in store credit. I think it was the best possible solution all things considered.
Rayxanber II is some stupid bullshit. Fuck this game. Any pc engine shmups to recommend that aren’t stupidly punishing and not crazy expensive? Been eyeing 1943 kai.
(By stupidly punishing i mean 1 hit and you die and go back to the start of the stage, no shield or health. Screw that.)
I got a copy of Gunhed that wont play 
Just gets a pink image. Is this normal with hucards?
I’ve had hucards die.
Try cleaning it though.
definitely try cleaning the contacts before giving up
Yeah, a pink screen doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dead but it could be if cleaning doesn’t fix it.
Yeah I already cleaned it a bit before posting, but will clean it more throughtly tonight. Didnt know Hucards had a chance of dying. Never had that happen on carts.
For all the talk of Famicom disks being ‘fragile’ mostly by youtube guys who never played one, all of mine have worked without issues for 20 years. Only some pirate ones that had been left in the sun for years I bought at a flea market ever had issues.
I’ve had several Hucards die, one Sega card, and the odd Famicom cart.
Doesnt the data on the disk technically get corrupted slightly every time it’s used?