I'm fairly new into acquiring PCBs. I got my first candy cab only a couple years ago. I had a supergun previously and was focused on Capcom's Street Fighter 2 Super Turbo pretty much. The goal of posting are some things I learned recently about the various types of pitfalls about purchasing PCBs. I hope others add onto this so we as a community continue to make more informed decisions.
Here are things to consider.
1.. Is the board tested? Understanding the difference between tested and untested. A tested board is one that the seller has stated that it powers up and should be working. An untested board is just that, not tested. Untested boards may not be completely intact as well. It would be prudent to ask a seller to provide a couple photos of the board in question. There are multiple sites with board images for comparison. Here are a couple: "http://www.arcaderestoration.com/FindPcbs.aspx" and "https://www.crazykong.com/pcbs/"
2.. Is a board original or bootleg? Both will function. Some people care if a board is original or not. I personally like the idea of having an original board, there is usually more documentation on how to fix original stuff. If it doensn't matter a bootleg may save you a bunch of money.
3. Be clear about shipping and insurance. Some of this stuff is very expensive. It may be worth the extra 10% or so to get the item insured to cover damages.
4. Payment and etc. I personally prefer to pay with PayPal for merchant services whenever possible. I don't mind covering the fees. From my own experience, I had paid for a completely restored Super Neo 29. The seller had images of it and I believe he had all the intentions of shipping me the machine. Somehow things in the sellers' life got complicated and it kept getting delayed and delayed. I waited a very long time for this machine as this was and is something I really wanted. The seller suddenly stopped communication with me. I was fortunate enough to submit a claim with PayPal and was refunded the full amount.
5. Getting images of boards and cartridges really help with one's expectations as well. I've bought CPS2 boards sight unseen and I received cracked cases, broken pieces. It's understandable, some of these items have been in service for a long time. It's just good to know so your expectations are set.
6. Maybe learn to solder.I forced myself to learn to solder and it's been fun. I picked up a MVS-1FS board and the sound wasn't working. I noticed the board had capacitors on it. I did a search and found that there's a "cap" kit for that board. It's like 30 capacitors but I got it done. It took me like over 2 hours to get this done as I'm not very fast at it. It fixed the issue. I'm not saying all boards will be this easy to fix but I found it very rewarding to do.
7. Ask questions and read up on the various board platforms. Some boards may be susceptible to specific failures that might be easily addressed.
I'm by no means an expert and I welcome advice!
Thanks and good luck!
Here are things to consider.
1.. Is the board tested? Understanding the difference between tested and untested. A tested board is one that the seller has stated that it powers up and should be working. An untested board is just that, not tested. Untested boards may not be completely intact as well. It would be prudent to ask a seller to provide a couple photos of the board in question. There are multiple sites with board images for comparison. Here are a couple: "http://www.arcaderestoration.com/FindPcbs.aspx" and "https://www.crazykong.com/pcbs/"
2.. Is a board original or bootleg? Both will function. Some people care if a board is original or not. I personally like the idea of having an original board, there is usually more documentation on how to fix original stuff. If it doensn't matter a bootleg may save you a bunch of money.
3. Be clear about shipping and insurance. Some of this stuff is very expensive. It may be worth the extra 10% or so to get the item insured to cover damages.
4. Payment and etc. I personally prefer to pay with PayPal for merchant services whenever possible. I don't mind covering the fees. From my own experience, I had paid for a completely restored Super Neo 29. The seller had images of it and I believe he had all the intentions of shipping me the machine. Somehow things in the sellers' life got complicated and it kept getting delayed and delayed. I waited a very long time for this machine as this was and is something I really wanted. The seller suddenly stopped communication with me. I was fortunate enough to submit a claim with PayPal and was refunded the full amount.
5. Getting images of boards and cartridges really help with one's expectations as well. I've bought CPS2 boards sight unseen and I received cracked cases, broken pieces. It's understandable, some of these items have been in service for a long time. It's just good to know so your expectations are set.
6. Maybe learn to solder.I forced myself to learn to solder and it's been fun. I picked up a MVS-1FS board and the sound wasn't working. I noticed the board had capacitors on it. I did a search and found that there's a "cap" kit for that board. It's like 30 capacitors but I got it done. It took me like over 2 hours to get this done as I'm not very fast at it. It fixed the issue. I'm not saying all boards will be this easy to fix but I found it very rewarding to do.
7. Ask questions and read up on the various board platforms. Some boards may be susceptible to specific failures that might be easily addressed.
I'm by no means an expert and I welcome advice!
Thanks and good luck!
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