Famicom Disk System serial numbers

Started by fredJ, December 31, 2011, 02:54:43 pm

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fredJ

December 31, 2011, 02:54:43 pm Last Edit: January 01, 2012, 02:42:02 am by fredJ
I would like to make a sticky topic of serial numbers, both famicom and disk system.

But first, does anyone have info on FDS serial numbers? I have a drive with nr D0040874 which seems like a very low number to me. Is it something special? Anything special to consider when replacing belt?


Edit: Yes it looked a bit different in several ways.... and the read head was very hard to move, so I'll throw it to trash for now.
Selling  Japanese games in Sweden since 2011 (as "japanspel").
blog: http://japanspel.blogspot.com

Xious

So, you found an unusual variation, and you are junking it? If you don't want it, and plan to toss it, I'll pay the freight to import it.  :bomb:

Da Bear

Fred, give it to me. I could use it for spares. If you haven't trashed it yet I'll pick it up next time I visit you :)

Xious

Maybe he means he's putting it with non-salvageable units? I would appreciate photographs of the mechanism so that I might deduce what is different (if anything) from other early units, including the undercarriage and the analogue board.

Did it come with a RAM-Adapter?  :bomb:

fredJ

Yes I did mean throw to junk , haha  ;D

Yes it has a RAM-adapter.
I can send you photos, if you have reason to think that something is different. For one thing, it has a couple more screws holding the reading mechanics.
Is it unusual? Any info is appreciated.
Selling  Japanese games in Sweden since 2011 (as "japanspel").
blog: http://japanspel.blogspot.com

Xious

I would indeed like to see the photos. I would also like to buy it, and if you are not willing to sell it, I would like to at least buy the RAM-Adapter. :bomb:

fredJ

Selling  Japanese games in Sweden since 2011 (as "japanspel").
blog: http://japanspel.blogspot.com

Xious

At a glance, I see nothing obviously unusual about the mechanism. I'll compare it to one of my desk drives sometime later and see if I can spot the differences. The eject-return spring looks a tad strange, but that could merely be the lighting. At the least, I see no 'extra screws'. Those visible in the photograph are the ones that retain the head-sled track-rods.

A photograph of the analogue board and the undercarriage would also be useful.  Did you note the square nuts that secure the retainer-plate? Those are typical on earlier mechanisms.

Are you interested in selling its RAM-Adapter? :bomb:

fredJ

I don't know what exactly the analogue board and the undercarriage is. Anyways I don't think there is any difference.
Yes, I noticed the square nuts. :)

Well everything is sellable for the right price, I suppose. :) But I think all RAM-adapters are the same so why would you want to buy mine. Shipping from Japan is cheaper...
Selling  Japanese games in Sweden since 2011 (as "japanspel").
blog: http://japanspel.blogspot.com

Xious

January 04, 2012, 01:29:15 am #9 Last Edit: January 04, 2012, 01:36:17 am by Xious
Primarily because if you are adding it to a junk pile, then you have an extra adapter; I would also like to see if it is a revision that I don't already own for my personal collection. I do need about six extra RAM-Adapters though... There is almost nothing now that I can't restore on a FDS, as I now have just about every oft-missing or broken part as a reproduction. I am at present working on having the spindle spacers and the drive motors made.

I did the springs, and I have sourced just about every screw type and size; I'm working on the last one or two that I don't have as new parts. Then I will consider the other parts. The head is touchy, at best, as it is both costly to make and generally unnecessary. I would do better to repair the few damaged read-heads that I have and use those. The analogue board switches are a much higher priority, if I can find a source for them or anything else that used them. One of the copper coils is occasionally broken, missing or bent, which makes them useless, and if any of the switches fails, then the drive is a doorstop.

I have a stack of analogue boards with broken switches, and repairing the switch, even if i have the coil,is not fun. Beyond that, the repair doesn't always hold.

For reference, the analogue board is the PCB part of the drive: It is an analogue to digital converter board. The undercarriage is the bottom part of the mechanism--viewed from underneath--with the analogue board removed.

One of these days I will do a full assembly exploded diagram to clearly identify each part, but that is a very demanding task. Most of the parts are named in my FDS Service & Parts post, and the names for each should be relatively self-explanatory, although some background in either micro-mechanics or in general mechanics is always a boon in such matters.

I am curious what you thought was different, as you said you noted 'some differences' from other mechanisms. I don' know if you compared it to other early mechs, or only to the later mechs. You may note in my parts-lies that I have some parts labeled as 'early' or 'late'; this is why, as there are several distinct variations: Early, Mid-Early, Mid-Late and Late, which exhibit a specific arrangement of early or late parts. I also noted two styles of coating on the card-carrier springs (brown,which is common, and blue-black, which is less-common), however this has no bearing on their effectiveness. I guess that Mitsumi ran out of springs and when they reordered, it was via another processing company who use a different anti-corrosion treatment.

I'd still buy that mechanism, or trade you parts that you need if you aren't going to restore it. I presume your primary parts need is the card-carrier springs, as was mine for a long time.  :bomb:

fredJ

I might buy some parts from you later. Will get back to you. Thanks.
Selling  Japanese games in Sweden since 2011 (as "japanspel").
blog: http://japanspel.blogspot.com