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PC Engine/TG Appreciation and Collecting Thread, Because who needs a 2nd controller?
- Thread starter gryz
- Start date
foobarry81
Member
This source says 1 million.
Wikipedia says 2.5 million units sold in the US on their TurboGrafX/PC Engine page. Most of which I assume are US models of the system.
Neither of the two are reliable figures IMO.
sixteen-bit
Member
What's the reliable figure?
I don't have reliable figure for US, sorry.
Thanks to this thread, I now know that I'll have to open mine and recap it. Tried the TurboExpress yesterday and it doesn't work. So it looks like I'll have to open that one out too.
Anyone know a good place to ask questions about this or good tutorials? I still have my soldering iron, multimeter and other knickknacks, but I'd be interested to know good soldering / desoldering practices, what type/brand of solder, caps, what/where to measure, etc.
Azzurri
Member
pcenginefx.com has the best info considering it's the largest PC Engine community, but you'll have to wait to be accepted.
digita1alchemy
Member
So, as someone who is looking to buy a TG16/PCE for the first time, what model should I buy? I want to be able to mod for RGB, play games from multiple regions and eventually play CD games. I'm also not rich.
Here's a video on it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XClkfqVDEPE
And here's a map of the console:
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p266/Rockguard/PCEngineDuoTotalCapReplacementRefer.jpg
You can actually buy kits of capacitors on eBay, or from specialty console online stores.
Some people only replace the surface mount capacitors (the ones in black plastic sitting directly on the board) and some people do the full thing since they're in there anyway. Generally, the surface caps are the ones that leak. I would suggest not desoldering the surface caps but instead clipping them with very very fine tools.
I bought a PC Engine Duo from Japan, and re-capped it. Unfortunately, one capacitor had leaked quite badly and absolutely destroyed the area that it was connected to... an area with almost no trace to re-connect. It isn't difficult work, but it can be very frustrating and time consuming.
You want a Japanese PC Engine Duo R or Duo RX.
If you want it pre-modded, buy from doujindance on eBay. That way it will come RGB and TG16 enabled.
If you want to save some money or get a boxed unit and mod it yourself later, shop on Yahoo Auctions Japan and the price will generally be lower.
It's very tempting to buy just a core unit because they're cheaper, but you end up paying out the ass in the end for the CD attachment. They can go for more than a Duo R in good working shape, and aren't as reliable. Do it right, go Duo R or RX the first time. The only difference between the two is that the RX was made a year or two later, has an X painted on it, and comes with an iffy 6 button controller. You'll pay more for it, as well.
Azzurri
Member
Duo R or RX is the best for what you need.
Now, if you're really into collecting then the US Turbo Duo is what you want, but like you said you don't want to pay that money.
Btw, does anyone here have a US Turbo Duo?
digita1alchemy
Member
Awesome, that's exactly the info I was looking for, thanks guys. How often does doujindance list new systems?
Every few days usually late at night given the time difference. Setting up an eBay reminder should do the trick. They go fast though.
Azzurri
Member
He's been slacking, haven't see any, lol.
Sega Playstation
Neo Member
I have a Turbo Duo. Only problem is I need to get it fixed. It plays game, but the sound is iffy and the CD needs fine tuning. The guy I bought it from said he replaced all the capacitors and that does seem to checkout.
Incorrect.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/doujindance/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc
They sell really, really fast.
Azzurri
Member
How to I get e-mails when he lists stuff. I've added him to followers.
I don't believe you can get an email when he updates at the moment of update; you can only really have specific searches performed once per day and get a morning email about anything that matches the specifications you've entered.
Bar81
Member
Yup. You have to stalk ebay given the demand for these and pull the trigger as soon as you see one.
Azzurri
Member
Lol, that blows. Especially when he post crap between 1-3am my time.
Another question when some of these auctions say 'small sound' is that fixed with cap replacement?
Bar81
Member
Yup, the East coast gets hosed and West Coast isn't great either - late night is your only hope. Going right to left from Japan, people in Asia get first crack, then Europe and by US morning you're way too late. I've been able to snag two boxed DUO-Rs but only because our business hours are even before Europe's.
Not sure about your sound comment.
I've seen Japanese auctions that translate to "Small Sound" with the Duo systems that need cap replacements, yes. The sound doesn't usually go out entirely on affected systems, it's just very attenuated. Like, even if you crank your stereo dangerously high, you can just barely hear it. Sometimes the Duo will sound okay for the first 10-20 minutes you have it on, then suddenly the sound will drop out almost entirely.
I bought my Duo on Yahoo Auctions Japan. I find most auctions there end at around 8 AM Eastern Time, when I'm up and checking on things right before I head in to work.
A Black Falcon
Member
The alternative is buying one that needs to be repaired and then getting someone, likely someone at PCEFX, to fix it. The initial cost will be well below DoujinDance, most likely, but the repair and shipping (to and from that person) costs will add to it.
Still, I got a broken Turbo CD drive on ebay (cost less because it didn't work...) and then had someone from PCEFX fix it and add a region mod to my TG16 at the same time as well, and overall the total cost was equal to or below that of a modded Duo-R.
Azzurri
Member
Yea, I have someone on the pcenginefx forum willing to sell me a original JP duo recapped. Only thing is he doesn't do the RGB mod, but a local retro store here does.
A Black Falcon
Member
The closest thing to plausible figures for the US that I've seen are ~900,000 for the TurboGrafx-16 in the US and 20,000 each for the Turbo CD and Turbo Duo. The TG16 number is not proven, but it is the most plausible number I've seen based on what limited information we have. Those Turbo CD and Duo numbers come from estimates Victor Ireland made several years back on this forum; they could be off, but there's no way it was more than a couple times those numbers, the Turbo CD addon drive and the Duo both sold quite badly. 50,000 for both combined seems a reasonable guess. Maybe twice that if you're overly optimistic about how well you think it sold. Overall, 1 million total TG16+CD+Duo sales is what I'd guess.
Japanese sales: http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=16829.msg346885#msg346885
SamIAm mentions two Japanese sources here that he read, since he knows Japanese. The first provides Japanese sales estimates.
TCD/PCE CD: 1.92 million total, split fairly evenly between the PCE CD addon drive and the Duo line (Duo, Duo-R, and Duo-RX combined).
TG16/PC Engine - 3.92 million total HuCard only systems, not including Duo systems. Including Duo-line systems, because those can also play HuCards, increases the HuCard-capable system total by about a million, to about 5 million total, compared to 2 million CD systems, with a million of that overlap.
The second source source says that 5.8 million PC Engine systems sold worldwide. If CD addon drives do not count towards this total, which would make sense, then this adds up -- 3.92 (J Hu) + ~1 (J Duo-line) + ~1 (U total) equals about 5.8.
Azzurri
Member
You have to wonder how many of those US Turbo Duo's died because of the faulty caps, and the high prices they go for currently, and probably continue to rise in value.
Agent Unknown
Member
What's the name of the shop?
Anyways, I really need to stop procrastinating and get a Duo-R. My U.S. Duo died on me back in 2005 and I still haven't replaced it and I have a ton of TG-16 and PCE games I want to play again.
Can confirm the japanese figures are correct.
Azzurri
Member
Warp zone
All PC Engine Duo and Turbo Duo systems have bad caps installed. The surface mount caps that NEC bought during production simply are no good.
Azzurri
Member
Yup, but at least in japan it was fixed with the duo r and rx. We only had the Duo.
A Black Falcon
Member
Someone really should get around to updating the Wikipedia TG16/TCD articles to reflect actual numbers, instead of the made-up "10 million, 2.5 million in the US" numbers they still mention! The Genesis, Sega CD, and 32X articles all had previous wrong numbers removed, and the info we do have added, but the Turbo article still has those old, completely wrong numbers in it. Japanese numbers have sources, so fixing that part wouldn't be hard. Harder would be proving the US numbers, but something needs to be done, 2.5 million is way, way off, of course.
IrishNinja
Member
see doujin (i wanna say) said my Duo-R caps were changed or something, but i just noticed music going out in rondo early on in the levels, wondering if this is a concern for me too
The Duo R doesn't really have a history of bad caps. They should be okay. Actually, are you sure he changed them? Most people don't.
D.Lo
Member
Bad caps are more likely to have music fade in as you go along.
That sounds like a bad TOC. Are you using an original copy?
IrishNinja
Member
ah, it's been a while so i don't recall, and to be fair his auctions are kinda engirshy so i guess i shouldn't assume
yeah i know that's usually the case, but this is an original copy here
Canadian Psycho
Banned
Hell yes, after checking ebay every day for a week, I finally snagged one of DD's Duos:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/201166162243?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
Wanted one that did not have much yellowing and included the original controller. Mission accomplished.
Now onto the PC Engine game buying Madness...
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/201166162243?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
Wanted one that did not have much yellowing and included the original controller. Mission accomplished.
Now onto the PC Engine game buying Madness...
Azzurri
Member
I just saw that. So it basically cost you over $500. Anyways, it's well worth it.
sixteen-bit
Member
dang that's a lot of money
