Did anyone ever make a TurboGrafx / PC Engine Cleaning Kit?

[dhowerter]

Hi all

I just want to know if ANYONE (Hudson, a third party, etc.) ever made a TurboGrafx 16 or PC Engine Cleaning Kit.

Mainly, I would want one to clean the contacts in the chip slot of my TG 16 and the contacts in the chip slot of my Japanese --> US Hucard Converter (and in the chip slot of a PC Engine system or a Duo if I ever get one - I'd hate to get one of those and NOT be able to clean the system contacts; I'd feel like I was making my Chips dirty by putting them in there ).

Does anybody have any clue who made them, how well each brand worked, and where could you buy one today online?  O:) 
    (obviously, if you have one that works well, please chime in)

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[hoobs88]

I have seen a cleaning kit for Turbo Grafx Hu cards with a little pink brush and a bottle of cleaning fluid. I went to my local 'Video Game Castle' to try to purchase one but he didn't have any in stock. The owner recommended a contact cleaner spray called "Blow Off" which is what he uses to clean the contacts on cartridges and systems. I use it now too. It works well.

[Duo_R]

Think the brand name was Game Doctor or something.

I had a video game cleaning kit, it had cleaner cartridges for SNES, NES, Genesis and TurboGrafx. I am pretty sure I still have it, it really cleaned out my Duo like 10 years ago when the system was getting a little picky on Hucards, I cleaned it out really good and it worked like a champ. Might be due for a cleaning again. The cartridges were greyish plastic, and very simple (like a hucard, then it tapered to more of a handle). It came with cleaning solution and cleaning wands. Since I worked at a video game store back in the day, the solution you can use is a mixture of 50/50 of rubbing alchohol and water. You insert cleaning cartridge in and out of the system like 10 times, then use the cleaning solution to remove the dirt.

[Black Tiger]

I have a game/console cleaning kit with a piece made for TG-16.

[Duo_R]

Found it last night, brand is performance. Pics coming soon.

[oldskool]

Cool, now what is a good laser lense cleaner?  I have one that's about 10 years old with brushes on it.  You add a drop of the solution on the brushes, then hit play, not sure how effective it is though.  Any recommendations?

[Duo_R]

OS - I would not recommend a CD cleaner that uses liquid. The best kind is the one that has the little brush, and you play track 1 and then it will tell you to skip to the next track or something.

[Duo_R]

Pic of the kit (sorry for low res camera phone)

[zektor]

Well, I just bought this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=300270945575

As it is quiet a rare sight to see "Turbografx 16" referenced on the packaging So, yeah, for a brief point of time back in those days there were companies actually promoting the fact that their cleaning kits would clean this system. Good thing I found this too...I am sure mine is in an extreme need of cleaning at the moment

[dhowerter]

hoobs88 -

The owner recommended a contact cleaner spray called "Blow Off" which is what he uses to clean the contacts on cartridges and systems. I use it now too. It works well.

You mean a can of stuff you spray into the TG 16 chip slot?

Is it just compressed air, or is there some kind of cleaner solution in it?

Did you actually have a problem with your chip slot and this product fixed it?

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[dhowerter]

Pic of the kit (sorry for low res camera phone)

Duo_R -

 

Hey, I HAVE that cleaning kit LOL 


Anyway, Duo_R, a couple questions if you please :

1. What exactly was wrong with your Duo's chip slot? And using one of the system cleaning wands in this kit on your Duo's chip slot fixed it completely?


2. When you fixed the Duo, which cleaning wand (A, B or C) was the one you actually used to fix it?
    (they are labelled A, B and C in that manual you have in the pic
I just want to know which one *definitely* works

3. Finally, when you actually fixed your Duo with the wand, did you use ANY cleaning liquid on the wand you put in to the Duo's chip slot?
     or was it dry when you inserted it?

Thanks! ^_^

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[Duo_R]

DH -

1. Nothing is wrong with my chip slot. I do occasionally clean it like every 5 years. Sometimes it wouldn't work with a game. Normally you can just slide the game slightly, flip the power switch and it would work. When I clean it works just fine.

2. I used the wand labaled B, I realized that in the manual this is actually the wand used for Gameboy and Sega Game Gear. The width of the cleaning cart is the same thickness of a Hucard, but not as wide as a hucard. What I have to do is clean with the cleaning cart all the way to the left, then all the way to the right.

Here is how you use the kit to clean your Duo (or any TG / PCE system):

First: the tools you will use for the cleaning:


1. you use the wand by inserting and removing about 6 times (no fluid).



Here is a shot of the cart before and after inserting 6 times (notice the HuCard pin marks in the photo on right):



2. Use the fluid (it is a mixture of water and rubbing alcohol) and dampen a clean cloth with the fluid, doesn't have to be overly soaked.



3. Use the dampened cloth to wipe off the cleaning wand then wipe the wand dry with another section of the cloth:


4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you get alot of dirt out of your system (I ususally will go like 6 intervals). Yes that dark stain came from my Duo (yuck):






Ahhhh......look at those pearly Hucard pins:

[ooPo]

Now she's a pretty girl!

[oldskool]

For the TurboGrafx-16, i dissassembled the system and used some electronics cleaner spray on the pins..  then followed up with some compressed air to dry it out.  On the games I used a dab of toothpaste on the pins (rub the toothpaste onto the pins with sufficient force, it's got some abrasives in it that clean them right up), then washed the whole hucard with soap and water then rinsed and buffed the hucard/pins dry with a towel.  It all works now without a hitch.  I was getting the white screen before, with ALL the games.

[dhowerter]

DH -

2. I used the wand labaled B, I realized that in the manual this is actually the wand used for Gameboy and Sega Game Gear. The width of the cleaning cart is the same thickness of a Hucard, but not as wide as a hucard. What I have to do is clean with the cleaning cart all the way to the left, then all the way to the right.

Here is how you use the kit to clean your Duo (or any TG / PCE system):

First: the tools you will use for the cleaning:


1. you use the wand by inserting and removing about 6 times (no fluid).



Here is a shot of the cart before and after inserting 6 times (notice the HuCard pin marks in the photo on right):



2. Use the fluid (it is a mixture of water and rubbing alcohol) and dampen a clean cloth with the fluid, doesn't have to be overly soaked.



3. Use the dampened cloth to wipe off the cleaning wand then wipe the wand dry with another section of the cloth:


4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you get alot of dirt out of your system (I ususally will go like 6 intervals). Yes that dark stain came from my Duo (yuck):






Ahhhh......look at those pearly Hucard pins:

Nice pic tour ^_^


Couple questions left:

1. You didn't mention it in your "tour" but I am unclear on this statement:
     "What I have to do is clean with the cleaning cart all the way to the left, then all the way to the right."

Does this mean you insert the wand ,THEN move it to the right and left while STILL INSERTED ? OR
       Do you do what you describe with the in and out motion all the way to the left and then in and out AGAIN with the wand all the way to the right?


2. What kind of cloth is that exactly and in case I can't find something similar, would a rubbing alcohol /water mixture on cotton balls or Q-tips also work to clean the dirt off the cleaning wand?


3. Finally, because I'm curious, how come you didn't use wand A? (the largest one) Isn't that the wand the instructions say to use on the TG 16? Does it not fit in the chip slot or something?

:-)

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