HTF does this unit work?-Famicom GameDoctor savestate thingy

[rbudrick]

http://www.robwebb.clara.co.uk/backup/bung/bunggd.html

Hi folks,

I got one of these units loose (the blue one inthe pic) and I have no idea how to get it to work. I only get a blank green, white, or black screen on my famicom (like nothing is in the cart slot). I noticed there is *2* ports for an AC adapter or something in the back of it...no idea why (same size plugs). It appears to take the same size plug as the Famicom unit's ac adapter. I opened the unit up and it seems one of the AC adapter ports are unnecessary, since the pins on the ports match each other (are connected by a line from each same pin on each plug port). Weird! Can't imagine why they'd bother.

I have a game saving device for the SNES I bought at Wal Mart a few years back that had a power port on it...you plug the SNES ac adapter into the unit and a cord from the unit goes into the SNES. However, this is a Famicom, and I have no clue if this even runs on the same idea. Besides, I think this device may be more than a save state machine...might write to famicom disks or copy or something...I dunno. The guy that runs that site is the one who sold it to me and he said he has no idea how to use it.
Mine's a 2 MB unit, BTW.

I didn't think this belonged in the restoration forum, because I don't believe the unit is broken...I just don't know how to use it!

Thanks to all for any help you may offer!

-Rob

[rbudrick]

Ummm, purty please, someone? Sorry for posting on my own thread.

This thread got pretty buried where no one would ever see it...

Can anyone offer any info?

Thanks again!

Yours,

Rob

[davidbrit2]

Hmm, it looks like it's not really a save state device so much as a game copier. I guess you need a Famicom Disk System, and then it'll dump the cartridge to disk or something like that. But that's mostly speculation based on the description and other similar weird devices I've seen before.

[rbudrick]

Yeah, I think you might be right....and I have a disk system and all, the only thing is, I can't get it to work at all. As far as what anybody has said online about this device, they have had the same experience....they can't get it to work.

I think the problem is that it may require it's own power source...but those *two* powerjacks on the back sorta throw me off....ever seen that before?

Thanks again!
-Rob

[rbudrick]

Hi Folks,

I made a little progress with this, but I could still use your help.

Remember that I said there is 2 power ports on the back? Well I plugged the Famicom's AC adapter into one of the two ports on this, and I made a cable that went from the 2nd power port to the Famicom's power port. I put in a game and turned on the Famicom, and voila! The game came on (in this case Gradius).

OK, so at least I got the game to turn on...looks like all I needed was to share the ac adapter between both units...but what do I do now?
I tried every button combination I could think of and I couldn't get any menus or anything to pop up. I even plugged my Famicom Disk system into it thinking maybe it had something to do with it, but no dice there really either (except the regular old FDS system screen came up).

Anybody know if there's some secret button combo I need to use? I can't getthis thing to do anything except act as a passthrough for the cartidge slot.

Thanks again!
-Rob