What's with the factory melted TG16 consoles?

[GameFreak]

I have seen several (at least 3 or 4) TG16 units on youtube and on Ebay that look like they have burned with a hot plate on the outer plastic. The first one I saw I just assumed some tg16 owner burned it by accident. Then I saw another one from someone different with burns in different places but the same style of burn. It must have happened at the factory but why would they still box them and sell them new like that?

If you don't know what I'm talking about then look at the 3rd picture of the BOTTOM of this turbo booster on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Turbo-Grafx-16-Turbo-Booster-AV-Adapter-/200545184176?pt=Video_Games&hash=item2eb16ca9b0
I have never seen it on a turbo booster but usually on the top of a TG16 but the burns look exactly the same.
What's the story? Some hot tool at the factory being handled carelessly?? : Is there a story to this that anyone here knows about??

[Necromancer]

I seriously doubt that they were sold that way originally; it looks to me like someone got a little careless with a hot soldering iron while doing some repairs/modifications.

[nectarsis]

I seriously doubt that they were sold that way originally; it looks to me like someone got a little careless with a hot soldering iron while doing some repairs/modifications.

First thing I thought was soldering iron to.

[Tatsujin]

It's amazing how many pce console, especially core and IFU30 were abused with kind of soldering devices. Even here in Japan. I see them often.

[GameFreak]

I seriously doubt that they were sold that way originally; it looks to me like someone got a little careless with a hot soldering iron while doing some repairs/modifications.

I've only seen several of them that means whoever did that must have done that to many many more.

I didn't really think much of it when I saw the first or the second but now that I've seen more than few it is a real mystery.

Here is a melted one in youtube    Like I said I have seen several but how can you repair many of these things and melt each one?

You are right though (probably not from factory) because the Booster wasn't sold with the TG16 and in this video the burns are aligned. Did NEC take back broken systems for repairs in the 90's?

[Tatsujin]

My only thoughts going in the same direction, some duds repaired/moded the systems and did not take much care while doing it.

[Mathius]

I had a Turbo Booster that I sold last year that had those kind of burns that you are describing. I never knew that this was a somewhat common occurrence.

[SignOfZeta]

Um...that didn't come from the factory like that. NEC circa 1990 was one of the tightest electronics makers in the world. They would never sell something with a melted case, new or reman.

That's just some jack-ass with a soldering iron being a slob. Personally, I've never seen anything like it.

[Joe Redifer]

I always figured it was people resting their cigarettes on the system.  Remember, this was back in those silly days when people used to smoke.

[GameFreak]

I always figured it was people resting their cigarettes on the system.  Remember, this was back in those silly days when people used to smoke.

That's what I thought on the first one I saw.

But really, if you had a few dozen tg16 or turbo boosters you were repairing, would you burn that many of them? I've seen more than 3 or 4 so it seems odd. Don't they have a little stand for soldering? It seems like the trademark of one persons work or one factory/assembly line. How could so many different people be doing the same thing?

Maybe the repairman was a big Sega fan??!! AKA, NEC hater...LOL

[Necromancer]

In the factory, no soldering iron would ever get close to the finished products.  It's not like they start with an empty case, install a bare pcb, and then begin soldering in parts.

[GameFreak]

Yeah I now realize it's not from factory. Probably repairman or a someone doing mods. But it's still odd how many have been melted like that. Like Tatsujin said he sees it in Japan also.

[csgx1]

Interesting, I haven't come across any TG16s with burn marks like that.   I can understand that lot of people are repairing broken consoles these days, but what kind of dumb ass puts down their hot soldering iron on the plastic case?   They can't afford a soldering stand? 

I have a Duo that looks like someone spilled acid on it. The top was slightly melted & wavy, with spill marks etched into the plastic. 

Basically comes down to the fact that a lot of people don't take care of the stuff. 

[Arkhan]

Its definitely soldering iron and or cigarette mishaps.

I used to rest the iron on C64s because quite honestly I never gave two f*cks about the cosmetics of the ugly bastards.  I left all kinds of funny marks on the cases.   

I have seen people do the cigarette maneuver to a TG16, NES, SNES and Genesis.   My uncle was a rapid chainsmoker when I was growing up, and hed leave burning cigarettes on whatever console he was currently playing.

[sunteam_paul]

Heh, this reminds me of a time when my friend decided to block out the light from his tabletop lamp by putting his PC Engine over the hole at the top. When he removed it later, all the plastic on the underside was melting like goo. Luckily the Engine still worked after that - when he sold it on, the shop wondered what the hell he had been doing to it.