Technical and Repair Assistance

[Shining]

Ok, but my Genesis and US SNES does not do this. Maybe because those are connected with RGB cables? Forgot to mention that my tv is a LCD with NTSC support.

If i use one of those NTSC - PAL converters, will it make the game run in 50hz?

[Tootai]

A while back, I was acting stupid and accidentally had my Twin Famicom's power supply cranked up way too high so something inside blew up. I haven't really looked into the problem yet but I was wondering it's still fixable? Has anyone have this happen and managed to save his Twin Fami?

[ericj]

It was probably your voltage regulator and filter capacitor that blew up. I blew these up in a clone using an incorrect ac adaptor, but it was easily fixable by soldering in new parts. Open it up and take a look. If you can't figure it out, post some pics of the power supply board and we'll help you figure it out.

[Tootai]

It was probably your voltage regulator and filter capacitor that blew up. I blew these up in a clone using an incorrect ac adaptor, but it was easily fixable by soldering in new parts. Open it up and take a look. If you can't figure it out, post some pics of the power supply board and we'll help you figure it out.

Thanks, maybe from a photo you'd be able to tell me what parts I need and where to get them? I think I could handle the soldering job.

[ericj]

Sure, go ahead & post the pics. What country are you located in, France?

[Tootai]

Why would you think that? Is my english that broken? Anyway, here's a pic. The only damage I can see is the split capacitor.

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/2078/img0422i.jpg

[ericj]

Oh, I saw your email address and thought it was .fr; I now see it's .fi. Oops! 

Well, the cap definitely needs replaced. I can't tell what it says on the side, but get one with the same microfarad. Voltage doesn't matter too much; the 16V type are harder to find than a 25 volt, but that's in the US. Your voltage regulator probably needs replaced, too. It should be a 7805, but look to make sure. I'm not sure if there are any fuses in a Twin. Have a look for any scorched marks on the board.

Anyone know where in Finland these parts can be purchased? I assume you don't have a Radio Shack there?

[Tootai]

I can order online if you know a good place. I'd have to look around, I have no idea where to get this kind of stuff around here. I guess this cap is 16V and 2200 microfarads? Where's the voltage regulator on the PCB? What do I ask for at the store if I'm able to find one?

[ericj]

That sounds right for the cap. Voltage isn't too important, but should be around 16V or as close as you can get. The voltage regulator should be screwed into the metal heat shield. It has 3 solder points on it that connect to the pcb. You would ask for a voltage regulator along with the number on it. Or desolder them and take them with you.

If you google the part numbers you want, you can find electronics stores online. I'm sure there are some in Finland.

[Tootai]

Thanks a lot, you've been a lot of help! I'll report back on how it goes.

[segacd]

Hello all!
I got an FDS and a belt. I installed the belt and have been trying to get my disks to work. I've been messing around with the motor + head screw and, while most positions give me error # 22, I found a position that gives me # 21 and sometimes a black screen and then # 27.

What I was wondering about was the so called "spindle" adjustment... I guess this was documented on http://jfgoods.net/disksystem.html and was the "most important step," but now the site is down... I have no idea what they're talking about as a result... so if anyone has pictures or something that would be great!

I followed the guide on this auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/Nintendo-FAMICOM-Disk-System-FDS-1-new-belt-Rare_W0QQitemZ260559618318QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3caa90410e

Out of luck, I did get it to read Hot Rally once, but never again so its for sure the drive.

[ericj]

Adjusting the head screw should have been your last resort after the motor speed adjustment. It's super easy to screw up the head alignment, and, even if you do get it working, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to read most disks.

Check the felt pad under the plastic arm that rides on the top of the disk. It should be soft and not worn too badly (this will give you error 27 sometimes). You can replace it with one from an old cassette player or something similar if you have to. Also clean the head with isopropyl alcohol and a q-tip.

If these don't work, you're probably dealing with a head alignment & motor speed issue. All you need to get it working from that is patience and trying & retrying it. Good luck!

Edit: Also check to make sure you put it all back together correctly and the connectors and wires soldered on the board aren't loose.

[segacd]

It's kind of strange. Along with the belt, I bought some bootleg graphic editor from Tototek and when I put that in, it goes to a special loading screen that says the name of the program, but the drive head seems to just cycle in an infinite loop. That means it must be reading the header but getting out of sync later on?

Also, could it be that metal plate that moves the head? It seems to think its default position is 3/4 way up the slope.

EDIT: but now after I put some screws on...that screen doesnt show anymore with the bootleg but I get a constant black screen with Hot Rally followed by #27

EDIT 2: After some thinking time...it hit me! since the spindle is in sync with the head, doesn't that pin on the spindle have to be positioned in a special position so the head lines up with the data? I don't know how it supposed to be lined up though...does anyone have any pictures?

[segacd]

(sorry to double post)

I GOT IT! ^_^

Anyways, I feel that a lot of what you guys have been saying is misleading. Although proper speed is quite important, that's not whats REALLY important. Rather its the spindle position relative to the head position.

Since every disk is written in a predetermined spiral and is not designed to be randomly accessed like a normal floppy drive, the head must follow the "groove"  of the spiral. When you replace the belt, you remove the triangle on the back that holds the head and spindle, which typically work in unison. As such, the head and spindle are set loose from each other.

The spindle has a small pin on it that spins the disk. What I did was, before I put the triangle back on, I turned the pin so it was facing straight  towards the head. Then, I pushed the head all the way forward and moved the metal plate so it lays on the middle ledge (in between the high and low point). Then I put the triangle back on, plugged it in, and it worked with every disk I threw at it.

Many people have problems with some games working and others not. The reason for this is that as the disk spins, the head slowly falls out of position as it gets towards the center unless the pin and head are aligned properly. Therefore, games with more data have more problems since the head  has to read further towards the center. So you guys will have to do this. Many of the guides on youtube and online miss this point.

Just for fun, I messed with the motor speed and it still read perfectly except at the extremely fast and slow speeds.

[ericj]

Right, but properly replacing the belt also means aligning the spindle hole with the screw when you put it back on. I assumed you had done this and were still having problems. After re-reading your initial post, I see you were confused as to what the spindle adjustment meant. Either way, glad you got it working.