Is your FM Towns accommodating of your filthy pirating ways?

[kamiboy]

My nightmarish FM Towns odyssey has landed me at the inhospitable shores of CD reading troubles, from which few could ever hope to escape.

Now I wonder whether this drive is bad, or maybe FM Towns just are not good with burned CD's. Do any of you play burned games with no trouble? Such as audio tracks suddenly stopping in the middle of playing, or other such fun stuff?

I am also having an odd issue with the power button working only once out twenty or so times.

[SuperDeadite]

Typically the system will read burns just fine.  If the audio tracks are randomly stopping, then you probably need to fix/clean the lid-closed sensor.  It's a common problem on the tower units.  They actually have two of them.

[kamiboy]

The way they stop suggests CD reading problems. Anyway, this dud of a system I got here is like a leaky ship, it now refuses to do anything when the power button is pushed. The problem is prolly some part having failed on the PSU. Oh, fun times.

[parodius]

I had to adjust the laser screw on my HR for it to accept reading burnt CDs.

[kamiboy]

Yeah I was in that merry go 'round screw turning myself until the PSU crapped out. Despite a lot of fiddling I only got it so that it could boot games, but I would randomly lose audio track during gameplay.

I am starting to think that this system is not worth the effort if I have to deal with shitty audio skips in the end anyway. I really do hate CD systems. Cartridges all the way.

[kamiboy]

Typically the system will read burns just fine.  If the audio tracks are randomly stopping, then you probably need to fix/clean the lid-closed sensor.  It's a common problem on the tower units.  They actually have two of them.

You were right, the lid sensors were the problem. I didn't suspect it was since they seemingly worked fine, but I guess the metal parts inside had gotten just dirty enough to raise resistance in the little 5 volt circuit that they are supposed to close, but not enough to not register when the lid closes and opens.

The fact that they seemingly worked fine sure threw me for a loop. The PSU is still acting up though. I suspect I may have to replace it with a modern replacement at some point in the future, which is easy enough. I am just incredibly relieved that the CD unit works fine as finding a replacement for that would have been a bitch.