PC-Engine HuCARD that failed to work

[SAM]

I have got a PC-Engine HuCARD which refuses to work.

It boots to a white screen and then do nothing. I think it might suffers from bad contact problem. so I try...

1. Cleaning its contacts with Isoprophy Alcohol 75%;

2. Rubbing a rubber over its contacts, trying to clean it.

Both method won't works.

I contacted the seller, and he ssid he had tested it and found it working right before putting it up online for sale.

Anything that I should try before turning the HuCARD back to the seller for refund?

[Sumez]

I've had some HuCards be incredibly stubborn... But outside of cleaning them, I'm not sure what you can really do. Maybe soak it in isopropyl, and quickly pull it in an out several times to try cleaning the connector inside the console as well?

Some games I've had to readjust several times after inserting them. One thing that's worked some times is pulling them out as far as I can while the power switch is still blocking them from being removed, and then reset the consol.

[ldeveraux]

Are you trying to play a JP game in a stock JP system? I've run into this problem, but it was trying to play US or JP games on a US TG16 with a region switch and RGB mod. I chalked it up to something with the mod, but if your system is stock , that's a different story.

[jd213]

I've got a Super Star Soldier card that's in the same condition. Haven't yet tried opening it yet, but I believe all that's needed is to peel back the black cover (where the ROM chip is located). But there's also some black epoxy or something above the ROM chip, don't know if that will be easy to get off:
https://ameblo.jp/meijin16shot/entry-12507282155.html

Not sure if cleaning under the cover would be enough to bring it back to life though. Maybe replacing the resistor (or whatever that component is next to the epoxy) would help?

Not confident that I could put the black cover back on again neatly, either.

OTOH, replacing the battery in Tennokoe Bank looks a bit easier as long as you can get the new battery to fit: https://ameblo.jp/kanrisha-blog/entry-12580601868.html
Maybe a 3D printed card that could hold a larger battery+holder would be possible.

[ldeveraux]

But there's also some black epoxy or something above the ROM chip, don't know if that will be easy to get off:
https://ameblo.jp/meijin16shot/entry-12507282155.html

I'd be extremely careful if that's the route you take. It's probably epoxy and depending how well it was applied, you can rip the chip right off the board!

[SAM]

Are you trying to play a JP game in a stock JP system? I've run into this problem, but it was trying to play US or JP games on a US TG16 with a region switch and RGB mod. I chalked it up to something with the mod, but if your system is stock , that's a different story.

It's a Japanese HuCARD, and I have a re-Caped Japanese DUO and a re-Caped Japanese DUO-R, both are RGB moded. The HuCARD won't work on both systems. But I assume re-Caped nor RGB moded would prevent some HuCARD from working.

[ldeveraux]

Are you trying to play a JP game in a stock JP system? I've run into this problem, but it was trying to play US or JP games on a US TG16 with a region switch and RGB mod. I chalked it up to something with the mod, but if your system is stock , that's a different story.

It's a Japanese HuCARD, and I have a re-Caped Japanese DUO and a re-Caped Japanese DUO-R, both are RGB moded. The HuCARD won't work on both systems. But I assume re-Caped nor RGB moded would prevent some HuCARD from working.

Conversely I assumed that the RBG mod is what was causing the intermittent white screen!

[Dochartaigh]

I think like any medium some can just go bad. I had one that only boots to the white screen as well. Stock white PCE. Never found out what it was.

I ended ripping out the contacts and using it as a placeholder/dust-cover in the slot since the SSDS3 is plugged in the back and I wanted a card showing up front for aesthetics.

[matt]

Try DeoxIt contact cleaner. That stuff has made cartridges work for me when nothing else would. It's also great for cleaning a/v plugs, controller ports and so on, so it's a good investment even if your HuCard ends up being a dud.

[SAM]

Try DeoxIt contact cleaner. That stuff has made cartridges work for me when nothing else would. It's also great for cleaning a/v plugs, controller ports and so on, so it's a good investment even if your HuCard ends up being a dud.

Which type of DeoxIT I should try? I had applied some DeoxIT D-series D100L to the contacts of the HuCARD, but it don't seem to works....

[SamIAm MkII]

It isn't PC Genjin 2, is it? IIRC, that particular HuCard has a reputation for problems.

But even if it's not, HuCards do go bad from time to time.

[matt]

Which type of DeoxIT I should try? I had applied some DeoxIT D-series D100L to the contacts of the HuCARD, but it don't seem to works....

I use D5, but I think yours would work just as well.

[XtraSmiley]

Try DeoxIt contact cleaner. That stuff has made cartridges work for me when nothing else would. It's also great for cleaning a/v plugs, controller ports and so on, so it's a good investment even if your HuCard ends up being a dud.

Which type of DeoxIT I should try? I had applied some DeoxIT D-series D100L to the contacts of the HuCARD, but it don't seem to works....

John Linneman from Digital Foundry had a similar problem.

https://twitter.com/dark1x/status/1259049485977649153

He was able to get it working with Deoxit Gold G5.

https://mobile.twitter.com/dark1x/statu ... 5859286016

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I'm using an older v1.2 Turbo Everdrive flash cart setup with an RGB modded (and re-capped as well) SuperGrafx & upon initially powering it up, the dreaded "white screen" issue would pop up. It takes several tries to adjust the TE flash cart by pulling it outwards towards the power switch & rebooting from a "cold start". Then it works properly as it should.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Sumez]

He was able to get it working with Deoxit Gold G5.

https://mobile.twitter.com/dark1x/statu ... 5859286016

Sounds too good to be true! Are there any known equivalent to that product that's more easily available? I don't think I can find any store that carries that in my country, let alone my continent.