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Topic: taking care of dreamcast

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Dark Helmet
rank 1
Posted:
Fri Feb 09, 2007 10:14 pm
quote : #1
profile : pm
Posts: 2
Its been a year since my last dreamcast died, and i was finally able to pick up a new one a good will today ($15 Wooo!). I could never figure out what happened to the old one. I checked it for all the usual bugs and still it would always fizzle out after a while.

Anyways, im so paranoid about breaking my new dreamcast, is there any guide on taking care of it? like what not to do, or how to clean it properly? Its a 1st version dreamcast, so old, i cant belive it works...

so yeah, if anyone has any tips on that it would be great!
  _________________
Welcome, to the world of today.
grubensau
rank 40
Posted:
Sat Feb 10, 2007 1:52 am
quote : #2
profile : pm
Posts: 975
Make sure your dc gets enough air - so dont stand it on ground. Dont play 2 much normal CDs.
  _________________
for sale: limited edt. shikigami no shiro II sealed new incl. pre-order bonus (ebay)
mcmonkey
rank 44
Posted:
Sat Feb 10, 2007 2:05 pm
quote : #3
profile : pm
Posts: 1314
Type: PAL
yeh keeping your dc in a nice open place is probably a good idea.
  _________________
Pretty music wot i has made:
http://grandcanonicalensemble.bandcamp.com/
gRimGrAvY014
rank 27
Posted:
Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:56 pm
quote : #4
profile : pm
Posts: 551
Type: NTSC-U/C
Treat your new dreamcast as you would a baby boy Smile
 
Blast
rank 43
Posted:
Sat Feb 10, 2007 5:55 pm
quote : #5
profile : pm
Posts: 1285
Type: Pal
gRimGrAvY014 wrote:
Treat your new dreamcast as you would a baby boy Smile


Swamp it with milk stick a nappy on it and start saving for its university fee's?

Laters
  _________________
Now have a working PC DC server courtesy of Segadreamcaster. Bring on the DC on line games yeeee haaa.
Dark Helmet
rank 1
Posted:
Sat Feb 10, 2007 7:39 pm
quote : #6
profile : pm
Posts: 2
Hmm, i nver thought that the Dreamcast could overheat itself.

Blast wrote:
gRimGrAvY014 wrote:
Treat your new dreamcast as you would a baby boy Smile


Swamp it with milk stick a nappy on it and start saving for its university fee's?

Laters


@_@ im not going to have to be changing diapers am i?
  _________________
Welcome, to the world of today.
grubensau
rank 40
Posted:
Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:25 am
quote : #7
profile : pm
Posts: 975
Dark Helmet wrote:
Hmm, i nver thought that the Dreamcast could overheat itself.


They simple do if you dont take care of them - I mean so much power and so tiny. Razz
  _________________
for sale: limited edt. shikigami no shiro II sealed new incl. pre-order bonus (ebay)
SNK 47
unknown
Posted:
Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:45 pm
quote : #8
profile : pm
Posts: 334
I believe there was an add-on fan which improved the circulation of air around the DC's interior.

Couldn't find a link to it, so maybe it's no longer available.
 
gRimGrAvY014
rank 27
Posted:
Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:35 pm
quote : #9
profile : pm
Posts: 551
Type: NTSC-U/C
yeah, I've seen pictures, I doubt it is still in production though.

I'd check eBay.
 
grubensau
rank 40
Posted:
Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:26 am
quote : #10
profile : pm
Posts: 975
SNK 47 wrote:
I believe there was an add-on fan which improved the circulation of air around the DC's interior.

Couldn't find a link to it, so maybe it's no longer available.


True - the extra fan simple plugs on the backside of the dc - but ummmmm this thing wont help 2 much. I own 2x, but Im not using them - so dont waste your money with this extra fan.
  _________________
for sale: limited edt. shikigami no shiro II sealed new incl. pre-order bonus (ebay)
mrandyk
rank 19
Posted:
Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:08 pm
quote : #11
profile : pm
Posts: 368
Ive only had one dreamcast die, but it was my fault. I dropped the thing and instead of giving it a proper burial i gutted it and made it into a candy dish Confused i just wish i wouldve kept the parts, i wasnt really thinking.
  _________________
My online dreamcast games:
Starlancer, 4x4 evo, Max Pool, quake 3(username=mrandyk for all)
I'm always up for a game of starlancer 4x4 evo quake 3 or max pool. just pm me if you wanna play.
SNK 47
unknown
Posted:
Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:58 pm
quote : #12
profile : pm
Posts: 334
grubensau wrote:
SNK 47 wrote:
I believe there was an add-on fan which improved the circulation of air around the DC's interior.

Couldn't find a link to it, so maybe it's no longer available.


True - the extra fan simple plugs on the backside of the dc - but ummmmm this thing wont help 2 much. I own 2x, but Im not using them - so dont waste your money with this extra fan.


Well I found the store that still sells them. Consolesandgadgets. But at the price and from what you said about their effectiveness I'm not being tempted into buying.
 
icepick
rank 13
Posted:
Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:19 am
quote : #13
profile : pm
Posts: 218
Good topic! Smile

I'm extremely careful with my consoles. Silly as it may be, when I first got my DC, I kept a clean white rag/washcloth over it and its controllers when not playing... My mom did that with her old Macintosh; I always thought it was weird, but then again, her Mac always looked new. I noted that I didn't like the weird grime that accumulates on controllers (due to dust and sweat, or body oils), and it's good for electronic devices with fans not to take in too much dust, nor the laser lens of optical disc drives to become dirty or dusty, so I thought I'd try it.

Here are some personal guidelines that I've come to have, and automatically follow. I'm not an expert, and furthermore I'm a little obsessive-compulsive, so this should be taken as my own opinion only... but I hope that it's helpful or interesting to somebody.

Dreamcast Care Guidelines
  1. Keep your DC on a level, flat, hard surface.
    It should be in a place where it won't be bumped, knocked off, tripped over, or have things fall on it. The surface should be clean, dry, and free of dust. Keep in mind that the DC exhausts air via the side fan vent, and thus pulls air in mostly through the back (as far as I can tell). So, the area behind the DC should in particular be free of dust.

  2. Plug your DC into a surge protector, and give it steady power.
    This one is tough to describe, but basically, if you have your DC on the same electrical circuit as a microwave, it's going to get some weird power spikes and sags. Little things like turning your huge TV on first, and then the DC, will keep the DC from receiving a temporary decrease in power input due to the large television's initial usage.

  3. Reduce wear on the AV and controller ports.
    As these connectors are proprietary and thus not easily repairable or replaceable, it's best to try to keep them new as long as possible. Take care when connecting and disconnecting controllers and AV cables; Make sure that they are clean so that nothing gets jammed into the connector. Leave controllers and cables connected unless it's necessary to remove or change them, (but not if someone's going to yank the system off the shelf). If you switch between different cables (composite, S-video, VGA) often, a VGA box might be a good solution as it will have all of those options with one connection to the DC.

  4. Keep the system, games and peripherals in good condition.
    Game discs should be kept in their own cases when not being used in the DC, in a safe place where they won't fall, preferably also in a place where dust does not accumulate often. They should be away from moisture and sunlight, or any other strong heat source. Cables should be inspected occasionally for knicks, kinks, fraying, or other damage. They contain a number of metal wires within, which can become damaged if they are wrapped too tightly, squashed (stepped on/underneath something heavy) or bent at a sharp angle. Replace scratched games and damaged cables or cords as soon as possible, as otherwise they will contribute to additional problems (overworked disc drive, overloaded controller board assembly, short-circuited AV circuitry).

  5. Let your DC relax!
    It's very easy to get carried away, and play your DC for hours at a time. I forget the exact recommendation, but if it's been on for a number of hours, you might want to turn the system off and let it rest for 5-15 minutes. This is hard to do, especially with the lengthy role-playing and action games, where one might want to spend an entire rainy afternoon advancing in the game. It needn't be a hard rule, but simply keep it in mind--If you feel that you could go for a break, then by all means. Of course, also try not to leave your DC on when not in use. It's also not a bad idea to use it only for playing games, as opposed to music CDs.

Remember; An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If your laser lens hardly gets dirty, then you won't have to worry about cleaning it, which sometimes makes things worse! The same goes for game discs themselves; They're less likely to become scratched if they're carefully loaded into the game console and always stored by themselves in a clean jewel case.

Personally, I currently have my DC on a sturdy wire shelf, utilizing a VGA box. I tend not to have a game in the system when it's not in use, which in my mind helps the discs stay clean and fresh. However, I need to listen to my own recommendations when it comes to #5--I don't get to play my DC often, but on special weekends, I'll end up playing it for five or six hours with friends. Shocked There tends not to be a break in there, except to switch games. I should probably bring another DC into usage; One for US games and one for JP would be balanced perfectly, with the occasional EU title being played on either.

I have the same two controllers plugged into ports A and B nearly all the time, and I bring two more in when necessary. I tend to use only official peripherals, such as controllers, memory cards and jump packs, as I feel that sometimes third-party items are usually lower quality or not to official specification. If I could, I'd make the nicest-quality products possible, and charge the necessary price for them. These days, a lot of the time, you get what you pay for! I'm wary of video cables that cost only a dollar or two.

grubensau wrote:
Dark Helmet wrote:
Hmm, i nver thought that the Dreamcast could overheat itself.

They simple do if you dont take care of them - I mean so much power and so tiny. Razz

Indeed! I've seen pictures of the NAOMI hardware, that thing is huge. I became evermore impressed by how compact and portable the DC is. Smile
  _________________
•• –•–• •
Dreamcast 2007-02-22: Triggerheart Exelica!
Dreamcast 2007-03-08: Karous!
mrandyk
rank 19
Posted:
Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:47 pm
quote : #14
profile : pm
Posts: 368
nice guidlines icepick, but id like to add something to that. when you are done playing a game, it is best for the game if you either do the soft reset (a+b+y+x+start) till you get to the menu that says play, music, etc. then turn it off. or if the game doesnt have a soft reset feature you just push the open button wait a second then push power. regularly when just push power everything stops (which makes sense) but the censor is still in the position for reading discs so the next time you try playing a game it has to strain to see exactly where it is. if you do as i say then the censor goes back to the starting position and doesnt strain at all making it last longer.
  _________________
My online dreamcast games:
Starlancer, 4x4 evo, Max Pool, quake 3(username=mrandyk for all)
I'm always up for a game of starlancer 4x4 evo quake 3 or max pool. just pm me if you wanna play.
icepick
rank 13
Posted:
Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:52 pm
quote : #15
profile : pm
Posts: 218
Oh, that's a very good point! I forgot about that; I was trying to go through my usual routine of playing a game to figure out what it is that I do. Cool

When I'm finished playing, I usually open the lid. It's probably better to soft-reset, but when you open the lid, the system goes back to the main menu screen and returns the disc sensor to its home position. I usually have the game's case ready to receive the game, then I open the lid, carefully remove the disc and replace it in its case, then close the lid and turn the DC off. I suppose that it'd probably be best to wait until after the DC is done checking for a disc before turning it off, too.
  _________________
•• –•–• •
Dreamcast 2007-02-22: Triggerheart Exelica!
Dreamcast 2007-03-08: Karous!
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