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Carnov

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Hello
I'm aware that cleaning the MVS board and carts should be on the to-do list once in a while to avoid potential problems. Using a vinyl/plastic eraser followed by some contact cleaner soaked Q-tip or anything similar for the cart and something thin like a credit card covered with thin cloth or a dismantled NES cart cleaner with some contact cleaner for the slots on the board.

However, what I want to know is that is it possible to clean the board itself with something like applying some contact cleaner to a cloth and just rub it out or brushing it is the only way?
I'm not saying that my board is very filthy but I don't like to play chances with dirt, smudges, and such that a brush can't handle. I've seen someone talking about how PCBs are supposedly safe with water and such as long as there's no battery involved but I find it to be a bit too extreme and don't have the guts to do so.

Speaking of which, it's fine to clean the MultiMVS with the ol' eraser and contact cleaner approach right? Don't want to accidentally screw it up.
 
Good way of cleaning

https://www.arcade-projects.com/for...ost-117062&highlight=water+ingress#post117062

What water ingress can do

PCB Washing


tl;dr water ingress is something to be mindful of. It is a minor risk when washing boards. Just a small potential risk that can be mitigated with proper planning.

With this in mind it is possible to clean them properly and evaporate all that stuff that could react with your ics years down the road (minerals in your water/stuff on board). How else would we get 20 year old coca-cola spills off our boards?
 
Good way of cleaning

https://www.arcade-projects.com/for...ost-117062&highlight=water+ingress#post117062

What water ingress can do

PCB Washing


tl;dr water ingress is something to be mindful of. It is a minor risk when washing boards. Just a small potential risk that can be mitigated with proper planning.

With this in mind it is possible to clean them properly and evaporate all that stuff that could react with your ics years down the road (minerals in your water/stuff on board). How else would we get 20 year old coca-cola spills off our boards?
Damn, didn't though it would go hardcore that much. That oven technique sounds wild. I'll keep that in mind when I noticed that the PCB really needs some deep cleaning.
Thanks for the heads up.
 
99% (or 91%, easier to find) IPA and an antistatic tooth brush is my go to on dirty boards. Had a Total Vice come in with what looked like a decades worth of dust and arcade grime on it. Went to town (delicately around small smc's of course) with the IPA and the brush, shined like new. Evaporates so quickly I'd never use anything else to clean my stuff
 
WARNING!!! This might trigger some people...
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3a5AJJgVJ0/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Remove the bios. Remove the battery.
Put it in a dishwasher with regular detergent, NORMAL WASH CYCLE.
Let the dishwasher wash and rinse it completely.
DO NOT LET THE DISHWASHER DRY THE BOARD as the heating element may be too hot.

Fire up the old oven, place the board vertically in the oven for 2 hours. at 170F.
After it's done cooking, leave the oven door closed overnight to let it dry out.
Reinstall battery, and Bios.
Fire up the board a day later without issues.

I've done this with every MVS board I've detailed, recapped, and cleaned up.
Sometimes if I have a board that has a wonky cartridge slot, or just general issues, after a wash and bake, they tend to work better than before I did it.
No problems for over a year of operation over many boards.

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i wash boards with dish washing liquid and boiling water, rinse a lot and shake off the water.
then dry it with a fan heater or hair dryer.

you have to remove all socketed chips first though or the dirt/soap gets trapped under them.

one other thing - that should only effect older boards, IPA wont remove nicotine - only soap does.
 
Following this ^^

I have the feeling that something good will come out of it.
 
more detail.

i take a mug, put about a cm of washing liquid in it.
top it up with water from the kettle and throw it over the board.
then a big soft paintbrush to work it in,

then blast it all off under the tap.

then shake the water off, remove more water by pressing it with a towel (a hand towel - not a paper one)

then blowdry the board.



if the board has flux on it, water will turn it white btw.
if there is flux you should remove the flux with IPA BEFORE you wash the board.
 
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