atarilovesyou Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Just wanted to know your thoughts on this: I leave my powerpak in my NES more or less at all times. I don't take it out. I thought it was a good idea, with less wear and tear on the connector pins, but then...the NES has that spring loaded system, and then I thought: am I stretching out those pins, leaving it in the stretched position for that amount of time? Not all consoles work on that principle, so maybe the NES is a lone example. But the Genesis cart port has those springs that grab the cart, just not to such a degree. Perhaps the SNES does as well, I've never taken it apart. And on my Coleco and VCS, I think it's just 'board on board' friction, so I don't think that springs are involved on the cart slot. I'd think those would be safest, if I'm right, but then again I don't leave my multicarts hooked up to those all the time. Any thoughts? Or am I just MAD thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 You aren't mad. I never leave a cart inserted in any of my consoles. They all use the same spring leaf contacts for connection to the cartridge PCB in some fashion. If you leave a cart in the slot all the time like a multcart. Then eventually the contacts will loose that spring in them and essentially stay in the same spot as they did when the multicart was in place. That in and of itself isn't such a huge deal, but if the multicart happens to have thicker PCB edge than a normal game..then that is bad. There is one and only ONE exception I have on this. That is my Pro Action Replay cart in my Saturn. It remains in that slot and basically always has for about nearly a decade now. Occasionally I might remove it like during a move or massive cleaning, but otherwise those carts can be such a pain to get to read right in the first place that I dare not touch it. And besides the RAM carts nothing else needs that slot. And since the PAR emulates those ram carts already, again it never needs to be removed. The other exception I guess would be my 32x adapter in my Genesis and my Jag CD. Those are always left in the cart slots for obvious reasons. But everything else... I pull the carts loose from the slots when I'm done playing and won't immediately come back to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatPix Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Not mad. as explained, your cart port can lose spring tension over time. But keep in mind, that aside from Nintendo, all console makers used industrial connectors (because they are plentiful on the market) and those are designed for holding card for years. I mean eventually, in any ohter console than an unmodded NES or SNES, the pins would lose tension, but else, not a big deal. However, I would make a bigger deal of corrosion. Connectors are usually chrome plated, carts are either copper or tin for the contacts. this and moisture = oxydation. It's all fine and dandy when you lave th ecart on, because both surfaces are touching (it's not dirty, it's nature) but when you'll remove the carts, you'll most likely get contact issues. So at least for storage, remove the carts. If you play it daily or even once a week, it's fine. If the console move form your warm gaming room to a cold shelf in the garage or basement, it's not that good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Or am I just MAD thanks! Yes, you are. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godslabrat Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 FYI, the Turbo Everdrive is likely to do some damage if you DO try to remove it on a frequent basis. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 A tiny dab of Deoxit and all your corrosion worries will be gone. Best thing for classic computer connectors, switches, and contacts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 FYI, the Turbo Everdrive is likely to do some damage if you DO try to remove it on a frequent basis. How do you figure? I remove mine each time I'm done using it. Never had any issues and Mine is an earlier rev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgeld Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 (edited) ok just to play the other card copper, which is at the heart of these edge connectors, work hardens .... so in theory the more times the spring moves the more brittle it gets my garage computer has very loose memory sockets, cause i used it to test memory all the time, my desktop computer has had the same ram in it for years and its not loose ... Edited March 23, 2018 by Osgeld Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowgate Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Interesting take on it. I guess I have been stretching my girls out by leaving my everdrives constantly plugged in. Anyone recommend a good producer of custom carts and cases for people who already own the pcb? I'm going to try messaging stone age gamer and seeing if they will sell me an empty cart and case built to my specifications. Probably going to cost a fortune getting 6 of the done. Might just leave my carts looking plain and just get a case for each. I recently picked up an mega everdrive V2 on ebay. Guy flipped over the artwork on some sports game and wrote everdrive on it. How nice of him. So happy to be rid of v1. I always forget to reset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarilovesyou Posted March 23, 2018 Author Share Posted March 23, 2018 FYI, the Turbo Everdrive is likely to do some damage if you DO try to remove it on a frequent basis. This was my thought exactly!...I forgot to include that example in the OP. No way am I taking that thing out any more than absolutely necessary...but since I only own two hucard games, mine's literally in there for good. I've got a shapeways 'case' for it (more like a red cover, but gets the job done more or less) and that keeps out the dust, but in this case I can overlook it only because I don't ever plan on getting more games for the TG16. A tiny dab of Deoxit and all your corrosion worries will be gone. Best thing for classic computer connectors, switches, and contacts. Keatah, I'm beginning to think you're taking a commission from Deoxit sales I'd buy some of this stuff if only because of how great you say it is if I could only find it easily, not really needing it so badly that I'm willing to pay shipping online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punisher5.0 Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 If I know I'm not going to use the system for months then I'll remove the cart/everdrive in hope of the pins springing back over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Alternatively you can use regular TV Tuner cleaner or some other generic contact cleaner and lube. Just might not last as long. You can even use dielectric grease in tiny quantities - but it doesn't really reflow iteself back into the microscopic crevices like a fluid-based cleaner does. DG is made for connectors that are not repeatedly used, one-time plug ins like power supply connectors to the motherboard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepdreamin Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Ya'll familiar with the Neo Geo MVS arcade system? Multiple connector slots designed to have carts installed 24/7 - 365. Otherwise they weren't making money. I leave carts installed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godslabrat Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 How do you figure? I remove mine each time I'm done using it. Never had any issues and Mine is an earlier rev. Recommendation from StoneAgeGamer and (IIRC) Kirkzz himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Recommendation from StoneAgeGamer and (IIRC) Kirkzz himself. Okay...but why? You can't state something like that and just not provide any information as to why? It is the first I've heard of it and again, I don't seem to have any issues removing it. Does it have something to do with static discharge from your fingers or something? I've got a 3d printed case around the electronics on mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godslabrat Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Okay...but why? You can't state something like that and just not provide any information as to why? It is the first I've heard of it and again, I don't seem to have any issues removing it. Does it have something to do with static discharge from your fingers or something? I've got a 3d printed case around the electronics on mine. As I understand it, there is *just* enough additional thickness to the TurboED board vs the original cards that there was concern frequent removal would wear the pins out. It may have been only the initial batch, or an example of being overly cautious, but the TG-16 is the only everdrive system to get this warning, so there must be something to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanooki Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Interesting that's the next kit I want and now you have me curious if this is an existing worry or something from the earlier boards for the 1.x series. They're up to 2.5 now and the 2.5s are on yet another redone board now machined in 2 colors/design so you don't have the so called voltage issue that got all blown out of proportion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarilovesyou Posted March 24, 2018 Author Share Posted March 24, 2018 If I know I'm not going to use the system for months then I'll remove the cart/everdrive in hope of the pins springing back over time. If I knew I wouldn't touch a system, I'd do the same thing...but I'm always wishfully thinking, lol, like "Everyday is gaming day!" even though...it's totally not A MAN CAN DREAM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarilovesyou Posted March 24, 2018 Author Share Posted March 24, 2018 I think the NES is unique in the way that the pin connector works, especially when the cart is pushed down. It's been some time since I had to clean the connector, and now I need to go watch a video on it. Because the newer Chinese made connectors are so strong, I could actually get the cart to work without pushing it down, just sliding it in (freaky, kinda). Maybe that spring movement was what I thought was causing some kind of extra stretch. Multicarts aside, let's say you left a Zelda in there for six months....it's an official sized cart, so there's no extra stretch put on the springs in the connector. I'm beginning to realize that it's probably not an issue...unless the cart size is somehow larger than an original cart thickness for the card, as mentioned earlier. And I've not noticed any issues using my original carts after the sometimes months-long stay of my powerpak...maybe I just answered my own question, but wanted to bounce it off some heads here just to be sure. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoRacer Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 FYI, the Turbo Everdrive is likely to do some damage if you DO try to remove it on a frequent basis. Yeah, hated that thing, tbh. Very excited to get Terra Onion's PC Engine CD replacement which also doubles as an everdrive and arcade card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepdreamin Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 (edited) Ya'll familiar with the Neo Geo MVS arcade system? Multiple connector slots designed to have carts installed 24/7 - 365. Otherwise they weren't making money. I leave carts installed. Now that I think about it, there were plenty of other arcade hardware with connector/slot designed to be left alone. Hyper Neo Geo 64, Sega Naomi, IGS PGM, Sega ST-V, CPS3 Security Cart etc.. The JAMMA edge itself used on pretty much every arcade PCB from the late 80's until early 2000's is essentially a cart edge connector that is plugged up forever. I don't worry about leaving games in systems. Edited March 24, 2018 by keepdreamin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derFunkenstein Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Even when I was a kid, I always left a cart in the system to prevent dust entry. Never had a problem. Same is true now. I'm still kind of new to these games being "retro" and started my collection again last summer, but I haven't see evidence of bad slots so I'll keep to my system. It seems like it's fine either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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