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/vr/ - Retro Games

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File: 26 KB, 600x337, blowing-into-your-nintendo-cartridge-doesn-t-fix-your-games-712.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
673195 No.673195 [Reply] [Original]

Hey /vr/, what's the best way to clean cartridge contacts in both consoles and the carts themselves? I picked up a Colecovision and 30-odd dirty carts today at a flea market and I want to see if they're salvegable.

Pic unrelated, because blowing into your cartridges is actually really terrible.

>> No.673204

Opening them and rubbing down the contacts with a fine steel wool

>> No.673215

Must be a nintendo thing, because Ive been blowing my Megadrive games for the past two decades without consequence

>> No.673219

It is not terrible, you are.
Though I am curious on how you can come to such an awful conclusion.

>> No.673217

>>673204
I've heard that sanding and stuff like this remove a protective coating that prevents rust.

OP, I usually use a can of air, and then spray the contacts with this:
http://www.amazon.com/CRC-05101-QD-Electronic-Cleaner/dp/B000CCMLD0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1368674568&sr=8-2

>> No.673231

Cotton swabs and 90% rubbing alcohol, it's all you need. Also, use 90% because it dries faster.

>> No.673251
File: 130 KB, 1280x1016, 1310960232535.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
673251

>>673217
Good luck getting corrosion off from people blowing into their games with air.

All a fine grade steel wool does is polish up the surface

>> No.673257

>>673231

By what, seconds? I use 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol and it's dry in less than a minute

>> No.673274
File: 31 KB, 480x360, GameCenter CX Episode 17 - Super Mario World Part 1.flv_snapshot_18.29_[2013.05.15_23.36.46].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
673274

>>673195
Grind a screwdriver against it.

>> No.673281

>>673257
Okay, whatever, rubbing alcohol in general. Point is, it's really all you need. You could get deeper with things like WD40 and steel wool, but for the average gamer rubbing alcohol is what you need to pop your cartridges in and have them work on the first try.

>> No.673297

And if the slot on the console is dirty, stick the cartridge in before the alcohol is dry. Pull it out and stick it back in a couple times

>> No.673304

>>673297
I actually wrap a bandana around a credit card, drench it in alcohol, then dip it into the cartridge slot a couple times, then do it again with a dry part of the bandana. Don't do this with a big grey box NES, though, you run the risk of pulling back the pins.

>> No.673329

>>673274

oh my fucking godddd

>> No.673345

>>673329
It's not as bad as you think, you grind away some of the layers of the metal on the contacts, essentially polishing it, and it does make a better game connection. For the long term health of the game, though, it's not recommended.

>> No.673373

>>673231
>>673257
>>673281

Have you ever used vodka? I tried it the other day, and it cleaned out carts like a fucking champ. Dried fast too.

>> No.673381

Rubbing alcohol as a primary method.

On the off chance that fails, use weimans glass cooktop cleaner.

Works best if you take apart the cart, since you have to have good line of sight to see if you cleaned it all off.

That shit is basically magic

>> No.673387

>>673373
That's alcohol abuse sir

>> No.673396

>>673217
>I've heard that sanding and stuff like this remove a protective coating that prevents rust.

That would also prevent electrical contact with the console's edge connector, so no.

Maybe if they were gold plated, but then they wouldn't corrode.

>> No.673405
File: 26 KB, 165x165, garou-terry.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
673405

C'MON, GET SERIOUS. Hi-polymer eraser --> denatured alcohol and anti-static wipes.

>> No.673413

I use windex, I heard ammonia based cleaners are better to use than rubbing alcohol.

The nintendo thing says "do not use rubbing alcohol" so I figure it jives with that

>> No.673414

>>673405

Erasers are abrasive, like steel wool.

>> No.673426

>>673413
>The nintendo thing says "do not use rubbing alcohol"

Nintendo was just covering their ass on the whole "no chemicals" angle. Isopropyl is fine. It's used on all types of electronics.

>> No.673428

>>673414
That's the entire point, it's a mild abrasive. It will remove corrosive buildup.

If there's not corrosive buildup then your game should already be working just from a bit of cleaning fluid.

All "polishing" is very fine abrasion.

>> No.673429

>>673426
Any difference at all between ammonia and isopro then in terms of use?

>> No.673436
File: 20 KB, 500x500, 0004159800072_500X500.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
673436

I use a mr. clean magic eraser to clean the majority of the dirt (use it lightly or you will remove the finish of the cart, and don't use on unlaminated labels)

then I take goo gone to any marker or stickers. Q-tips with goo gone are used for corners to get any dirt out.

The contacts I clean with weiman's glass cooktop cleaner & an anti static cleaning cloth, then one rubbed down with a regular pink eraser. Lastly the contacts are cleaned with rubbing alcohol to remove any residue that might be left.

>> No.673443

>>673429

Ammonia leaves behind residue.

>> No.673445

I've never actually seen any proof that blowing into a cart does damage. I honestly say that the nintendorepairshop cleaning kit does the best job oh and this guide does a great job explaining it
http://retrowaretv.com/the-dos-and-donts-of-game-cartridge-cleaning/
http://www.nintendorepairshop.com/products/81--1-Nintendo-Game-Cleaning-Kit/

>> No.673450

>>673445
blowing deposits a small amount of saliva on the leads.

your saliva contains a small amount of acid, used for breaking down food prior to digestion.

Over time this acid eats the leads away

>> No.673457

>>673396
They are gold plated, you know gold jewelry also needs cleaning.
Personally I use fine steel wool, just rub lightly until most of the dark crap is gone, just don't rub too hard.

>> No.673461

I blow into my games only because I smoke so much weed there is no moisture in my breath.
actually I use dry qtips unless I really need to use iso to scrub some real nasty shit off

>> No.673471

>>673457
>gold jewelry also needs cleaning.

That's for dirt and grime. Gold is very non-reactive and so does not oxidize.

It takes some really nasty shit to get gold reacting chemically.

>> No.673480

>>673471
I guess you've never seen games stored in a garage with cats and bugs before.

>> No.673479
File: 100 KB, 500x500, glasscleaner.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
673479

>>673381
>>673436
>magic

>> No.673489

>>673480

That's still not going to get gold to oxidize, just dirty.

Dirt will come off with solvent. Abrasives are are ham-fisted approach and not required.

>> No.673486

>>673479
its true

i was skeptical when I saw >>673436
talk about it in his how to clean shit video

then i bought it when isopropyl couldnt get Ducktales too run

then fucking magic happened

>> No.673495

>>673486

I've also heard good things about brasso, but WGCT hasn't failed me yet, so I've never had to try it.

>> No.673507

>>673387
Just sayin... It works.

>> No.673514

>>673489
The gold doesn't cover the edges of the contacts, witch are usually made of brass or copper, causing a poor connection with your console.

>> No.673532

>>673495
I've heard the same, never tried it cuz I have near full bottle of weimans

>> No.673539

>>673514

Are you high? The edges aren't contact surfaces.

>> No.673554

>>673539
They are when the corrosion builds up higher than the contact.
This is very common on n64 games.

>> No.673583

>>673554

The contacts end before the PCB does and the gold electroplating doesn't leave exposed copper.

>> No.673597

>>673514

That's not how gold plating works.

The pins are copper, and the gold bath will not leave any "edges" exposed. It'll get all of it right up to the solder mask when the edge connector is dipped.

>> No.673613
File: 1.35 MB, 1840x3264, 2013-05-16_00-01-32_631.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
673613

>> No.674541

>>673495
You

How do you get permanent marker off a NES or SNES game without wrecking the textured surface?

>> No.674590

>>674541
Magic Eraser

>> No.674592
File: 402 KB, 2304x1728, qrq3rk.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
674592

horrormode: it's secret of mana, I have no idea how my friend did it.

>> No.674596

>>673195
Q-tip and cleansing alcohol is the best and garanteed to work.

>> No.674595

>>673413
>The nintendo thing says "do not use rubbing alcohol" so I figure it jives with that
They put that on there to sell cartridge cleaning kits.

>> No.674634

>>673436
>goo gone to any marker or stickers
I wish I knew about this so I didn't rip the fuck out of the backs of my DK64 and Rayman 2 carts.

>> No.674841

I just use pure isopropanol with a cotton swab for the contacts on the cartridges themselves and then I fold a regular A4 a couple of times, spray it with the same stuff and gently fuck the pin connector with it.

>> No.674871

Like others have said, the highest purity isopropyl alcohol you can easily get your hands on and some q-tips is the best solution. No worries about it interacting with the plastics the way something like acetone might, absolute minimal residue left behind, and great at cleaning off years of accumulated crap. It can be used on practically all electronics - great for cleaning thermal material from CPUs safely.

You can buy specialist electronic cleaners, contact cleaner, etc but it's often just the same stuff repackaged and marked up a couple of hundred percent. Be careful of certain sprays that are designed to clean AND lubricate, nobody wants greasy cart contacts.

>> No.678253

>>674592
Take a toothbrush with 90% alcohol to it.

>> No.678265

>>674541
>>674590
>permanent marker

You use a dry erase marker.

Write all over the permanent marker region with the dry erase marker, then rub it off. It will solvate and lift the permanent marker with it. It will take more than a few passes and some elbow grease to get ALL of it off but it works.

>> No.679270
File: 14 KB, 300x300, 31ZhEHGEO4L.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
679270

I personally do one pass with alcohol, follow up with brasso, and finish it up with another pass of alcohol.

>> No.679582
File: 26 KB, 400x400, Hoppes.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
679582

>>679270
To hell with using Brasso on anything but thick metal. I use Hoppe's 9 (pronounced "Hoppies" ) to SERIOUSLY clean contacts. Smells like BANANNERZ, to boot. Best for cleaning my pistols and rile, but it cleaned the everloving shit out of my N64 collection. Games that looked clean before left q-tips almost BLACK after a few swabs with Hoppe's.

>> No.680015

>>678253
An alcohol that strong with react with the plastics in the bristles of most tooth brushes. Whats produced, while in small quantities, will hard metals over time.

>> No.680021
File: 1.93 MB, 360x239, 1354045223512.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
680021

>>679582
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?45668-Customer-claims-EverDrive-MD-board-connectors-are-oxidized

>> No.680035

>>680015
Why do people tend to phrase this suggestion as if rubbing alcohol in a controlled substance?

>> No.680650

>>680021
>http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?45668-Customer-claims-EverDrive-MD-board-connectors-are-oxidized

HAH! What a maroon!

>> No.680658

>>673274
Why is the guy in a Pepsi shirt handling the cartridge?

>> No.680665

>>679582
hoppes breaks down copper dude, you are wearing your contacts away. That stuff is made to remove copper from a surface.

>> No.680707

>>680665
Yeah, if I bathed the edge of the board in Hoppe's and scrubbed it with a brass brush for a few minutes, perhaps the copper would be stripped from the PCB, but a q-tip ain't got time fo dat shit. That's only for a one-time de-grossifying of games, anyway.

Either way, I've designed and etched PCBs in the past. I could always make a new one, har har.