For the longest time I have been searching for a cheap way to fix a Famicom Disk System Belt.There are some videos on YouTube that show you how to do it, but they always begin with something like:
`Just go down to your local (name of hardware store that does not exist in Japan) and pick up some sheet of plastic to make into the replacement belt....`
The only other option was to go on Ebay or somewhere and pay about 10 bucks for some little piece of plastic that was worth about 10 cents, so I always balked at that solution too.
Now, thanks to the marvels of the Japanese internet, I have been shown a way to obtain an endless supply of (admittedly low quality) FDS replacement belts for next to nothing!
The simple solution is here on the brilliant blog Ika no Memo Youshi.
The blog is in Japanese but includes pictures that pretty much speak for themselves.
Step 1: Go to your local Daiso (a nationwide 100 yen shop chain) and buy a 66 by 115mm name card holder (see the pic of the exact product on the blog).
Step 2: Cut it into little strips and you have an FDS belt. There is a bit of gentle persuasion involved in getting them to fit right (see the blog).
Step 3: Do all that other complicated stuff you have to do to actually get it into the FDS (in addition to the blog, this Youtube video seems helpful in that regard).
And presto! A functioning FDS! Maybe.
I should stress that these belts are nowhere near as sturdy as the real thing and the guy says they break rather quickly. Still though, for 100 yen for however many you can get out of one of those cardholders I thought it would be worth a shot.
I haven`t actually tried this out myself yet. I will head over to my local Daiso sometime soon though andwhen I eventually get the time I will definitely be doing a post about it here!
Thank you for the introduction of my report.
ReplyDeleteika no memo youshi
ika.
Thank you ika! You have a great blog!
ReplyDeleteSo, were you finally able to fix your FDSes? Maybe we'll have more posts on FDS games now? :D
ReplyDeleteHaven't had the time yet. To be honest it may take me months to get around to it, but when I do I'll start doing some FDS posts!
ReplyDeleteHow long do these replacement belts last then? Always wanted to try repair a Famicom Disk System at some point...
ReplyDeleteI don`t think they last too long. According to the original article about 300 disks, so definitely less than a regular belt would. For that reason it might be best to splurge on an actual sturdy one rather than this.
ReplyDeleteHaha, even I've heard of how unreliable these drive belts are and the FDS was never released here! Nice cheap solution though :)
ReplyDeleteTried this method and it works! Pretty simple too - took me about two hours start to finish (including cutting the belt and replacing it. My first time this I might add). It sounds a little funky with the belt ridges whirring around inside, and I can't imagine it will last for too long. I can't complain though, I finally saw a Disk System game in action! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete