Phantom Protector
daybona said:
had one since 02 never used a protector, never had a problem.
Although there are some people on this forum who think that the p1 is the reincarnation of satan.
personally, i think its a waste of money.
MVS Adaptors are simply an alternative to Superguns, Consolized MVS Boards, or expensive HOME carts. Everyone has their own personal preferance from among those choices. What one person prefers may differ from anothers. In the end, they each have their plusses and minusses.
However, just for the record and in case it helps anyone who may be on the fence about the Phantom-1 Protector, here is my two cents. In one word, AVOID.
I purchased one last year purely out of boredom and curiosity. Well, the truth is that I was very disappointed. Yes it uses exisitng holes on the phantom but the holes drilled on the plexi protectors do not line up properly. I tried every possible configuration and orientation. In the end, I was forced to make some of the holes wider, and in the case of one of the screws, simply not mount it at all.
Furthermore, the assembly took way longer then explained or assumed. The instructions are incomplete, have horrible unclear diagrams, and are written in Engrish. It is not clear on where the washers, lock washers, and spacers are placed in the "sandwhich" of phantom boards and plexi sheets. It takes forever to get the correct layout so that the damn thing assembles correctly. It also involves alot more tools then it states because you have to hold some of the parts with a steady hand in hard to get to sections of the adaptor during assembly.
And as if all this was not enough, the "PURIST" home cart collectors can simply forget about getting this protector! Why? Let's put it this way...if "cart insertion marks" is a concern of yours, you will be climbing the walls with this thing in regards to the damage it causes to the home system cartridge port! You have to wiggle it at angles multiple times and force it in order to get it to plug into your system because of all the protruding screw heads. As a result, the cartridge port of your home system suffers major scuffing and scratching. And this was just from short term use, I can only imagine the damage from long term use!
For me it was no big deal as I am not a "PURIST" in regards to my home carts and/or home system. And for most gamers it may not be either. But super collectors be weary of this. In the end, most people could simply build this kind of a "protector" if they wanted to. The main reason I decided to buy one was to avoid ending up with something that looked "cheap" or "homemade". However, that is exactly what I got and so hence that is why I am lettign everyone know about this. For me, it was no big loss. $30 some odd dollars down the drain. But for others, it might really make them mad so this is a helpfull warning. AVOID!
Your results may vary of course, I mean maybe somebody had a more positive experience with theirs and they can share?
Regards,
Billy Pitt