Team Fremont.com-Turbo Duo Repair Review

Turbo Duo Repair

The Turbo Duo is a relatively old console with some fairly dated technology. As such, finding a working unit is usually a difficult and expensive proposition. One of the more common ailments of the Turbo Duo is a burned out CD lens, a remedy for which has been somewhat elusive to the Turbo community. Until now. Thanks to some resourceful folks over at the PcengineFX Forums, it seems there is now an easy and exceptionally cost-effective way to replace that burned out laser on that Duo that’s sadly been collecting dust in your closet.

And let’s stress one point before we continue: this procedure is incredibly easy, providing you’re careful not to pull out any of the tiny wires (yes, that’s what happened to us). No electronics repair experience or soldering is required. Once you have all the parts, it shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes to repair your broken Duo. However, we should also stress that we don’t guarantee that this fix will work in every case so please don’t send us death threats when you follow this guide and your Duo still doesn’t work.

Here you’ll find a step-by-step guide for how to replace the CD lens in both the American and Japanese Duos. Before we get started, we’d like to thank "Black Tiger" over at SuperPCengineGrafx.com. While we’ve replaced the lens in our American Duo, it was Black Tiger who first told us of this fix when he replaced the lens in his Japanese Duo. Furthermore, Black Tiger provided the picture of the guts of the Japanese Duo below and he also helped advise us through this process. Make sure to visit SuperPCengineGrafx.com for some great info on the Turbo and PC Engine consoles.

What You’ll Need

First, you’ll obviously need the replacement lens. The lens used in our replacement was a HOP-M3 model. These lenses are relatively cheap, usually costing between $18 and $25. We ordered ours here from Electronix.com, who at the time of this writing is selling the HOP-M3 for $18.95.

In the box.

Top Side.

Bottom Side.

As you can see in our patented shot glass comparison, the HOP-M3 is very small. Be sure not to touch the lens with your fingers.

Next up, you’ll need one of two socket bits to open up your Duo. If repairing a Japanese Duo, you’ll need a Torx bit, size T-10, shown here:

You can find the T-10 at just about any hardware store.

If repairing an American Duo, you’ll need a 4.5mm Gamebit, commonly used for Nintendo repair. They also are handy for opening up Sega Genesis cartridges. You can find these at a variety of places, but we found ours here at the Nintendo Repair Shop. At the time of this writing, the bit can be purchased for $6.49. Here’s what it looks like:

Beyond the CD lens and the socket bit, you’ll need a Phillips screwdriver and we recommend grabbing a needle nose pliers to remove the connectors (more on that later). Having a cold can of Mountain Dew is also recommended.

The Repair

Begin by placing your Duo face down and use your socket bit to remove the five (that number may vary) screws on the back of the Duo.

When the screws have been removed, turn the Duo over and carefully remove the top shell. With an American Duo, this is what you should see:

I’ve drawn a red box on the image above to point out the plastic cover that protects the lens. Carefully remove this plastic cover by pulling straight up. When it’s off, your Duo should look like this:

Now it’s time to replace your lens. [Please skip down below to view the Japanese Duo process.] See that CD lens on the right side that looks just like your brand new HOP-M3? That’s what we’re here to replace. On the image below, you’ll see three red boxes, one over the connectors (remember: watch the wires!), and one over each of the screws you’re going to need to turn with your screwdriver.

You'll begin by removing the two (white and red) connectors that fit into the bottom of the lens. First, carefully remove the top (white) connector with your needle nose pliers. This is the most difficult part of the job. Don’t rush it, just gently wiggle the connector back and forth until it comes loose. Again: watch the wires! Repeat this technique with the bottom (red) connector.

Next, carefully turn the two screws until they release the two metal bars. Once the bars are released, gently lift them up and slide off the CD lens. Congratulations! You’re halfway there!

Now, take your brand new HOP-M3 lens and slide it onto the two bars, placing it exactly where you found the old lens (see above picture for reference). When the new lens is in place, fasten the two bars in place with the two screws and carefully nudge the two connectors back in place, starting with the bottom (red) one. Once both of these connectors are back in place, you’re ready to put your Duo back together and (hopefully!) start playing.

For the Japanese Duo, follow the instructions above using this image as a reference.

We hope this fix works for you. If you have any questions or comments about this walkthrough, or have any corrections, feel free to either post a message on our forums or to send us an email directly. We’ll do our best to answer your questions.

Article By: John