2 questions about PC-engine GT

[Nimrodil]

For two months ago I finally bought a PC-Engine GT with accessories. Lovely system! Among the stuff there is a "Power Pack" that I suppose can be charged and then work as a big (but mobile) battery. The problem is that I don´t know how to charge it:-). I will take better pictures tomorrow (have the camera in our bedroom where my angry-as-hell-if-somone-wake-her-darling sleeping...), but here is one overview:

http://www.pici.se/?17791

Does someone here have same gear? The little flex up there in the top fit the power in the GT, but beside it there on one more "withdrawal" (don´t know if thats the correct word:-) there I suppose one should connect an adapter to charge the "power pack". But what kind of adapter?

...

The other problem I have is the well-known with bad loudspekers. I red somewhere that one can fix it. Does someone know how or where to find a Faq?

[Ed Oscuro]

Nice getup, TV Tuner too. Well, the power pack - doesn't that wire lead to a US/Japan style plug? If not, what's the plug look like?

Also, with the speakers, I'm fairly certain it's an easy fix that's related to the internal amplifier. Mine has some wierdness with the sound, even with headphones on (namely, you can faintly hear the last tone played through the speakers in moments of "silence;" it's also pretty quiet).

[klausien]

The answer is available on either the PCEngineFX, GameSX or ASSembler forums and I believe we have D-Lite to thank. I can't remember where, but it is out there and totally works. I was able to fix mine with no problem. It is relatively easy requiring the soldering of two points to replace a capacitor. You do need to disassemble the entire machine though.

Doesn't the AC you have there for the system work with the Power Pack? It could be that the battery is dead. The Sega Nomad power packs are all dead now for the most part.

[Nimrodil]

The "hole" in the power pack seems fairly usual, as this (to the right, nothing else in common with mine:-) for instance:

http://www.fortuneproducts.com/images/2006-battery-pack.jpg

I guess there shall be an japanese adapter with that kind of contact in the end of the flex. Will take pics tomorrow.

[Nimrodil]

Klausien; thanks (it was you who tip me last time as well:-), will check it.

That´s the strange thing. I was convinced that the power pack and the AC would "fit" each other. But the "hole" in the power pack is much bigger than the one in the GT so you can´t put it in the power pack. Seems like I need one more part.

[Ed Oscuro]

Oh, that; it's a barrel connector. Yes, you need a certain kind of PSU delivering a certain amount of current and voltage. I'd give you the specs of my adapter, but I'm not certain the adapter for the machine is the same as for that power pack, so you should look for a label.

Edit: Yeah, if they're different sizes, I guess they were trying to tell us not to use your regular adapter for that ;) See if there's not a label, apologies if you already did.

[Nimrodil]

Hehe, I am quite bad to explain things on swedish so I guess I don´t make it easier for you with my weak english:-). I think it´s best I posts the pics tomorrow. But there is a label. Mostly in japanese, but here is the english content:

Power Pack PK-001
PCEngine GT
AC
DC 7,2V

[Ed Oscuro]

Odd, it seems to show DC output, but not what AC input you need (an inference; both the GT itself and battery chargers use DC current).

Yes, we'd better see the label. I bet the Japanese characters for Input and Output are in front of the AC and DC spot, although I think you must have it wrong - that can't be 7.2V DC, and 7A is very high, although that would give 14W...well, this is very interesting, maybe for the wrong reasons ;)

[Nimrodil]

On my AC I have (model pad-121):

AC100V 50-60 Hz
18 VA
DC7V 700 mA

I aslo see on the power pack that it after "AC" are 4 japanese signs. But no numbers.

Also notice now that the Power Pack are made in Taiwan by Doowell (don´t know if that matter, but it surprised me a little that it was not NEC.

[Nimrodil]

this is very interesting, maybe for the wrong reasons ;)

Haha, maybe worth wake up my wife for (but I don´t dare;-). Strange I can´t find any information on the net. Have done a lot of googling without results.

[Ed Oscuro]

On my AC I have (model pad-121):

AC100V 50-60 Hz
18 VA
DC7V 700 mA
Yes, same as my car adapter. All is good there. The VA, of course, is equivalent to watts, still more than you'd get if you took 7V * 2A (or 2V * 7A...I don't have a lot of experience with battery chargers, but they use a lot of current - perhaps the current is being increased at the expense of voltage?)


Also notice now that the Power Pack are made in Taiwan by Doowell (don´t know if that matter, but it surprised me a little that it was not NEC.
Yes, it's not made by NEC, but licensed (I found a reference for the item with LingJr). Lots of people simply license stuff; name-brand notebook computers are made by smaller companies and then the logo is slapped on.

[Nimrodil]

I guess I just miss something. Above the little box with the values there are for instance an "8", but since I have no idea of the japanese signs I presumably miss the context. I also have the manual here, but I don´t understand that eighter (will take a pic of that too) but at least I see that one shall put an adapter (not too hard do guess:-) in the wall and contact it with the power pack.

[Nimrodil]

Hm, also in the instruction 7,2V is mentioned, and beside that 2000mAh

[Ed Oscuro]

Maybe that's right. Might be for a battery that you put in the charger pack (?) that you charge.

[Nimrodil]

Ok, here we go. My camera is torn so the pics are bad, but hopefully you see enough.

http://www.pici.se/?17931

http://pici.se/?17934

http://pici.se/?17936

[Nimrodil]

Bump (will not bump more after this, just wanted to give it one more chance:-)

[Ed Oscuro]

Sorry, I was out sleeping :P

On the second picture of the label on the bottom of the unit - the top left two characters inside the box (with the upside-down 'Y') represent "input," the ones on the next line represent "output." Don't know what the string of five characters on the bottom means, it's probably something meaningless to us.

Anyway, I'm surprised but it definitely does say 7.2V, and 2A. I would expect that to be for charging a battery, but the unit itself seems to be the battery (or maybe it isn't - certainly if the battery goes bad after a while the whole unit would need to be thrown out or have the battery inside replaced, a messy process that the build of the unit doesn't seem to be meant for; I wonder if there were plug-in battery packs available for other uses that this has been adapted for). I still haven't seen the plug end coming out of that power pack (I guess it's just a regular one), but at this point it's more out of interest than an ability to help, unfortunately.

I also wonder what that 9560 g from the manual page stands for - that seems way too heavy for the unit if it's in grams (does it weigh roughly 9.5 kilos?), and I think it's actually a price with a yen symbol in front. On the other hand, something on the line above seems to be a price also...confusing.

I wonder if it might be missing a plug for the empty female plug on the right of the first picture. Guess so since you weren't able to use it.

I'd hang onto it, looks like you're stuck using the mains for now, however. The best thing you can do for mobility would be to get the car adapter if you have a car with a cigarette lighter-style power plug (12V DC).

[Nimrodil]

Just wanted to thank you for your help. Will try to solve the problem and also buy a cigarette lighter-style power plug later on.

[digitalpress]

Off-the-wall question: does anyone know what the PC Engine GT TV Tuner ORIGINALLY retailed for (in Yen)? Date of release would be helpful too.

[c0ldb33r]

After all this, I'll be surprised if it'll still hold a charge. These old power packs all used Ni-CD batteries, so I'm sure they're dead now.