Dreamcast owners prz read.

[Insert_coin]

I'm not sure if this is a consistent DC problem, but a friend of mine has owned 2 DCs and both work fine, but the controllers ceased to work. It loads fine on both to the "press start" screen but the controllers are not getting any power. His first DC's controllers worked for a long time then poof, nothing. Then he received another DC and the same problem happened in a matter of days. We have tried all kinds of combinations with the controllers, but to no avail.

I have never seen a game system do this before! To see 2 not work because of the same problem is unimaginable.

I have heard the f1 controller motherbaord might have fried, but on both is hard to believe.

I also heard that if you use a non-DC official controller you run the risk of frying the controller motherboard.

This must be a reason why the DC faded so quickly; it's a really nice system, but these problems are making me miss some great exclusive DC games!

Any experiences or solutions y'all might have are greatly appreciated.


P.S. I searched for a trouble shooting forum but could not find one, so if I posted in the wrong forum I apologize.

[Bonestorm]

What kind of 3rd party controllers and/or peripherals was your friend using?

[Insert_coin]

Awww sheet, good question, but I'm not sure the name of it. He has many DC offcial controllers and one generic controller, but they all worked before this problem arose.

We have kept away from the idea to start taking the thing apart. I thought I might get some advice from a well respected VG forum.

Btw, it said something right before it stopped recognizing the controllers, something I can't remember because we can't control the DC anymore. We should have wrote it down I guess...

[johnk_]

a faulty controller that you may have tested on both systems may have shorted the controller boards for both..

luckily, replacements are available.. shouldn't be too hard to find.

my advice is to stay away from shady 3rd party controllers.

[kedawa]

It's probably a fried resistor on the controller port. You can replace the circuit board, or just replace the resistor, if you don't mind soldering. A replacement resistor costs maybe 15 cents from any electronics supply store.

[burgundy]

NCS has replacement controller ports, as far as I know. I bet that's your problem.

[Aurora]

Hey!! An Austin person!!!!!!!! I'm in Austin! What games you got? hee hee

[innova]

Had same problem with my Playstation, third party contollers draw too much power and fried the board, get official controllers and get a replacement motherboard.

[Josh]

Stay away from third party crap. These are words to live by.

[kedawa]

Unless it's Agetec or ASCII.