Wearing out of consoles

Post by **RCBH928** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:07 pm

Hello

I know this is a retro gaming site and people here are old console enthusiasts ,
so I was wondering how all of you are not worried about their games/consoles not working?

Most systems sold second hand out there, and most of them are not treated well,
due to natural human use. As a matter of fact , a lot of our own consoles stop working
or malfunction after sometime. I recall my ps1 stops reading discs, an xbox that randomly
stops reading the disc after sometime of playing, ps2 that would read a disc side ways but not
horizontally, and the list goes on.

There is also a mentioning that while the CD can be maintained, the cartridge naturally collects
dust and has a lot of problems. I got cartridges from my friend for N64 that won't work even after
treating them with special spray and cotton sweeping. It worked on others,but on some it didn't.

I would like to know how you keep yourself worry free from such problems that might arise, as
places to fix older consoles are almost non-existing, and they are becoming less and less in numbers.

I hear people playing consoles as old as atari 2600 and Snes with genesis, even bought used and they work fine.

is there a secret, or you just not think about it?

Post by **Ack** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:10 pm

Actually, most of us learn how to fix them ourselves...

Post by **xraydash** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:38 pm

Ack wrote:Actually, most of us learn how to fix them ourselves...

Definitely. And for me anyway, that's part of the fun. It's very satisfying to get an old or broken console going again.

Post by **executioner** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:03 pm

This topic reminded me I have to try and fix my sega cd which doesn't wanna read games anymore and a 3DO with a lens that doesn't move when turned on. An atari or snes console will probably last your whole life, but cd consoles if not kept well will probably just break down after a few years. In all I really don't worry about it, my ps2 doesn't read disc anymore for maybe a year now and I just use the hard drive and my xbox is going down the same road. Whatever happens I'll just buy another one or try to fix it myself, that's the whole fun of it.

Post by **andymol21** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:18 pm

I agree, I don't feel like I know a console until I've taken it apart and know what all the bits do, even if it's just moterboard here , cd drive here, power supply etc. My personal favourite is cleaning old controllers. Taking them apart, seeing the inner workings and getting them back to brand new condition is awesome.

Post by **winds** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:24 pm

These messages kind of got me thinking. Maybe there should be a thread with peoples retro console problems and how they fixed it. For example I purchased a PSX a while ago at a flea market and when I came home it wouldn't read any discs. So I took the cd assembly/laser apart and noticed there was tons of dirt and grime built up along the laser track preventing the lens from moving across the track smoothly, hence why it wouldnt read games. So I got some Q-Tips and rubbing alcohol and cleaned out all the grease from the track, let it dry, reassembled and voila! It reads discs perfectly. Of course I would probably need to make my solution more detailed with a step-by-step guide, that way we can all share our knowledge and keep these pieces of history working as long as possible! Anyone up for this?? Or am I a nerd? haha.

Post by **Ack** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:46 pm

We usually either post our advice in the corresponding board, or if somebody asks we share how we fixed our issue. I have a SNES controller that was having issues with its D-Pad. Too much grime had built up, so Fastbilly showed me how to open it up and we cleaned it a bit. It's still not perfect, but that controller's working a lot better now.

Post by **Haoie** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 2:44 am

I collect for PS1.

Which isn't that retro, so there's no danger of not being able to find a replacement.

Having stated that though, I fixed my broken CD spindle with tape a few years ago.

Post by **manillaungol** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:35 am

I've always found it strange how portable cd players and cd based gaming systems go down so fast yet we've got home cd players from the early 80's still going strong, perhaps I just got a high end model for cheap? I'm sure most people aren't willing to pay the extra for something to last forever because they don't think about it but its something to think about,I know someone who bought a ps2 when it came out and its still going strong so maybe there is some kind of secrets.

Post by **nickfil** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:43 am

manillaungol wrote:I've always found it strange how portable cd players and cd based gaming systems go down so fast yet we've got home cd players from the early 80's still going strong, perhaps I just got a high end model for cheap? I'm sure most people aren't willing to pay the extra for something to last forever because they don't think about it but its something to think about,I know someone who bought a ps2 when it came out and its still going strong so maybe there is some kind of secrets.

i think pulling info off of a data cd is more intense on the moving parts of the cd reader. Plus- you have the added heat of the processor. That on top of the fact that i assume people play games about 5x more than they ever listen to cds and you have yourself a recipe for disaster.