Repairs and Mods - Game Tech Wiki

[Anonymous No.1592837]

http://www.gametechwiki.com/w/index.php

Repair/mod questions belong here.

Add what you know to the wiki.

[Anonymous No.1592886]

>>1592837
What happened to the old one? How'd it get BTFO so early?

[Anonymous No.1594092]

>>1592886
No idea, but it's time for a bump again already.

[Anonymous No.1596397]

I have a chipped saga Saturn with intermittent sound issues. It plays audio CDs just fine and the sound on game menus works, but about 80% of the time when I start the actual game the system will play a loud continuous static sound in addition to the normal game sounds.
It does this on both RF and AV. I've made sure the mod chip wiring is correct and I can't find any bad caps or fuses on the board.
Any other ideas as to what's causing this?

[Anonymous No.1596421]

Is it possible to repair a model 1 Sega CD? A few years ago, I unpacked my old model 1 Sega CD and played it for a bit, and it worked fine, no issues. I then, accidentally, got my toe stuck on the Genesis controller cord and jerked the system a bit, it didn't fall or anything, it was flat on the surface, but it was a pretty good yank. Now, while it still plays fine, it only works when it's at an angle. I usually have to set a book on the right side of the unit in order for it to load the CDs. Is there anyway to fix this?

[Anonymous No.1596448]

>>1596397
What is the serial of the Saturn and what type of modchip are you using?

[Anonymous No.1596450]

>>1596421
sounds like the disc reader lens could have gone out of alignment. While I have no experience fixing this issue I understand that it's somewhat common with early CD based systems, most notoriously the Dreamcast

[Anonymous No.1596461]

>>1596448
it's an MK-80000A Saturn with an PCB V2 mod chip

[Anonymous No.1596464]

>>1596461
Those are both useless numbers/names.

What is the SERIAL NUMBER (not model number) of the Saturn, and what type of chip is it? The chip should have some text identifier on it (EMSIC, SSIC8, etc).

Also does this happen without the modchip too?

[Anonymous No.1596472]

So, I think I fried my Super Famicom and Famicom power supplies because I didn't know about the whole difference in wattage between them and the US consoles. Is there a good way to fix this or should I just look into buying new ones?

[Anonymous No.1596473]

>>1596464
the serial No. is AE64086493 the only identifier on the chip is EMSIC7-1
I'll try it without the mod chip once I get the system put back together

[Anonymous No.1596480]

>>1596472
I had the same problem. There was a black fuse that was blown on mine and I was able to replace it. the whole system powers up but I still don't get any video output

[Anonymous No.1596521]

>>1596473
Okay, so its a emsic7-1 chip and most likely a VA SG machine. That's more helpful. But, I've never had any such issue with this machine, that you described.

The only time I had a modchip specifically causing problems with CD Audio, it was due to a faulty power supply. And that was just very faint whitenoise creeping into the CD Audio tracks only, not any game sound randomly.

Actually, is the "loud continuous static sound" you describe happen instead of the CD Audio, or instead of the ingame non-cd sounds? What happens if you play a game without cd audio tracks?

It could be the sound RAM being on the fritz, but that's unlikely, since then you'd have no other ingame sounds other than CD Audio.

My other guess would be the CDDA multiplexer being bad, if it is the CD Audio that gets the noise.

If the sound does not happen without the modchip, then I'd guess the issue is in the cd audio.

Also, check if the modchip has any solder blobs where it shouldn't have.

[Anonymous No.1596551]

>>1596521
thanks fro the advice. Regaler CDs play just fine with the mod chip. do you know of any games without any CD audio that I could try out?

[Anonymous No.1596562]

>>1596551
Non-boss levels in Nights (except for the last one, I think).

Pretty much all of Panzer Dragoon Zwei.

[Anonymous No.1596616]

>>1596562
alright, I just played the first couple levels of panzer dragoon II and the only time I heard the static sound was for a brief second after I pressed the start button

[Anonymous No.1596724]

Is this the place to ask about emulator issues?

[Anonymous No.1596729]

>>1596724
Does your emulator issue pertain to a hardware repair or mod?

[Anonymous No.1596736]

>>1596729
No, I guess I misread the topic, sorry about that.

[Anonymous No.1596747]

>>1596724
>>>/vg/67102961

[Anonymous No.1596758]

>>1596747
Thank you very much.

[Anonymous No.1597254]

>>1596472
Wattage should be the same/similar and wouldn't be enough to make a difference. It must have been something else you didn't know that caused the problem. They're not worth repairing.

[Anonymous No.1597336]

Annon with the buggy Saturn here
I've determined that the problem is most likely the Saturn itself and not the mod chip. Does anyone know of a hardware diagnostic tool for the Saturn? perhaps something Sega used internally?

[Anonymous No.1597367]

What goddamn bolt is this. I can't open my n64 because of it, and the 4.5mm bits dont work

There's a tiny, almost undescernible dot in the middle of it, if that helps

[Anonymous No.1597378]

OP here. What's the best way to archive these threads so I can host old threads on the wiki's server?

>>1597367
Looks like a standard 4.5mm gamebit to me. Maybe you got a shitty gamebit? I bought the cheapest gamebits I could find on ebay, and while they usually work, they have a lot of problems with some screws.

[Anonymous No.1597379]

>>1597378

no, I got the other screws out with the gamebits. Whatever it is it doesnt look like the gamebit bolts

[Anonymous No.1597394]

Ausfag here;
Looking to import a SNES, but finding a suitable power supply is a pain in the ass since PAL consoles take 9V AC for some silly reason.

Universal PSUs of reputable make are few and far between, so would an original US SNES power cable with a cheap 240-110V transformer work? Something like this maybe: www.ebay.com.au/itm/251384221247

The console only requires 17 Watts, so signal quality is more of a concern that power load. I know bad power supplies can cause visual distortions and reduce system lifespan.

[Anonymous No.1597403]

>>1597394
I wouldn't waste your time with a AC stepdown.

>get modern (100-250v input) switched-mode supply of appropriate output voltage and sufficient amps
>sacrifice old PSU to get correct plug if necessary
>splice + go

[Anonymous No.1597412]

>>1597403
That's what I thought of too, but most of the ones I've seen are cheap chinese shit and the thought of plugging one directly into a console scares me more than via a transformer.

[Anonymous No.1597528]

Just got two ColecoVisions today.

One doesn't want to boot any games up and gives me a weird humming when its on out of the TV.

I took it apart and it seems that a ceramic capacitor, C70, has cracked. I was wondering if this might be the cause of this problem.

Also, the other ColecoVision works fine, but has some nasty corrosion on one pin in the cartage slot. I was wondering what the best way to remove it would be.

Thank you for your time.

[Anonymous No.1597552]

>>1597412
They don't have Digi-Key in straya?

[Anonymous No.1597564]

>>1597367
That's clearly a blur bolt. You can tell by how it just looks like a blur.

Probably just a stripped game screw.

>>1597394
Not sure what you're trying to say but if you're asking if putting a stepped down 110v into a devices that uses 9v is going to work then the answer is probably no. Unless you want it to work as a quick fireworks display.

[Anonymous No.1597583]

>>1597564
Australian line voltage = 240V AC >(step-down transformer)> 110V AC >(Official SNES power supply)>10V DC > SNES

>>1597552
Not to my knowledge.
Apparently a PAL Mega Drive/Genesis 1 PSU can be used as a substitute but I'm having trouble locating one of those.

[Anonymous No.1597640]

>>1597528
I managed to find on the wiki that C70 is a 100 pF ceramic disk capacitor.

It also says to replace U5, a 3 to 8 decoder. I am wondering if that is necessary.

Also forgot to add in that the board revision is F1

[Anonymous No.1597793]

>>1597583
Then any off the shelf DC adapter that has the right plug/voltage/amps will do that. You can even get a 100-240v one and skip the step down transformer. They cost about $5. What am I missing that makes this somehow complicated?

[Anonymous No.1599608]

Bumping thread

[Anonymous No.1602223]

What's the easiest model of PS1 to mod to play backups?

[Anonymous No.1602371]

>>1602223
Any of them, PSone is the most simple. Some models you have to solder to one side of a SMD resistor or the SMD chips so look at diagrams first, but after you do it once it's cake.

[Anonymous No.1604030]

>>1597379
it looks exactly like a game bit anon, you're crazy

perhaps it's stripped and that's why you're having trouble.

try the pen method

[Anonymous No.1605552]

>>1597640
>>1597528

Just took out C70 and it is super dead

Looks like I need to get another one

My question still stands if I need to replace U5 though.

[Anonymous No.1607157]

bump

[Anonymous No.1607861]

i've a model 1 genesis that powers on but gives me picture related visually and there isn't any sound. the A/V cable is new. i've tried cleaning the pins and used various game carts. not sure I could fix it myself, but do I need to a special screwdriver for it, and are there any pointers as to what may be wrong?

[Anonymous No.1607868]

>>1607861
Is the AC adapter original or a universal one?
You could try cleaning inside the cartridge slot with T-shirt material soaked in isopropyl alcohol wrapped around a credit card.
If that doesn't help, the problem is likely bad capacitors. You don't need a special screwdriver to open the Model 1 Genesis but you will need some soldering experience to replace capacitors.

[Anonymous No.1607936]

>>1607868
oh man. i feel like a dunce. you could have just saved me. just now realized the guy gave me a 12 volt power pack. gonna find a 9 volt or buy one, thanks!!

[Anonymous No.1607950]

so this nes I bought is really finicky with playing games. I have to keep reinserting the game multiple times before it even starts to work. I dont know a lot about the tech, could it be that I have to get a new pin connector? it works fine once im able to play the games

[Anonymous No.1608101]

I just got a SNES and Super Mario World. It turns out and plays the game correctly, but I get these red horizontal bars every once in a while. I'm using a generic, 9v 850mA power adapter, a GameCube AV cable and two generic controllers. What can I do to fix it? I've never opened a Super Nintendo before. I don't think I even have the correct tools.

[Anonymous No.1608210]

Hey guys.

I bought an NES on eBay a couple weeks ago. Advertised with a new 72-pin installed, Power Seller, positive feedback, the whole shebang. I have about ten games as well.

My question is, what should I expect with this system in terms of reliability? Technically, the system does work. All of my games eventually do boot up and play fine, but getting there is a pain in the ass. You name it, shit goes wrong. I have to reseat the game in the console sometimes twenty or thirty times before it fires up. Before it does, I get the blinking light, solid purple screen, and glitched up titles screens, again, you name it.

I contacted the seller about it and he was pretty defensive about the whole thing, using the whole "it's thirty years old, what do you expect?" excuse, and that the problems I was having are normal. Are they? I swear to God, I just want to play games, not fuck around with them.

I did end up leaving him positive feedback, because technically it does indeed work. His return period is up by now anyway. At this point, I'm almost looking to cut my losses and buy a top loader, because dealing with this whole 72-pin issue is a pain in the ass.

Thanks guys.

[Anonymous No.1608224]

>>1608101
> I'm using a generic, 9v 850mA power adapter
That is the problem anon. I hat the exact same problem you did, until I replaced the AC Adapter. The one I had was pretty shitty apparently.

I bought the Retrobit one, the one that also works on the Genesis. It worked perfectly.

[Anonymous No.1608226]

>>1608101
>>1608224

Also I recommend you not playing with that Adapter until you buy another one, because it can end up damaging your SNES. It's shity and it's not outputting the correct Voltage/Current values the console needs.

[Anonymous No.1608234]

>>1608210
>new 72 pin
that's your problem. The new slots are shitty ones of chinese origin. The best thing to have done was just clean and rebend the original socket, but since you bought it with the new socket installed, you're basically fucked unless you can pull one from a dead NES.

[Anonymous No.1608236]

>>1608210
Are you pushing the games down pn the console? You're not supposed to do that with the new 72 pin connectors.

[Anonymous No.1608237]

>>1608234

Interesting.

[Anonymous No.1608238]

>>1608224
>>1608226
Actually I *am* using the Retrobit adapter. The box says it's supposed to work on the NES, Genesis, and SNES.

[Anonymous No.1608241]

>>1608236

Nah man, I'm just barely sticking it in there.

[Anonymous No.1608242]

>>1608238
yeah, it doesn't output what current the consoles require. Lower current basically = lower lifespan of the console(s)

[Anonymous No.1608249]

>>1608238
Well that's weird. Maybe your adapter is defective? I don't know. It's not like Retrobit's stuff has a low failure rate. I'd test with another one to be sure, because I did have the exact same issue before adapters

[Anonymous No.1608252]

>>1608242
Oh shit. So what am I looking for exactly? 12v?

[Anonymous No.1608254]

>>1608249
before switching adapters*

[Anonymous No.1608256]

>>1608249
I dunno man. It just feels really cheap. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

[Anonymous No.1608257]

>>1608252
depends on what you're using the ac adapter for. Look on the bottom of the system, there should be a label with the power requriements. An example would be the model 1 HD genesis, which on the label says 9V @ 1.2 amps, which that shitty generic retrobit adapter will not provide.

[Anonymous No.1608267]

>>1608252
>>1608256
Well I's 9V, 850mA. Most likely the AC adapter you have is defective and isn't outputting exactly that.

And yeah it feels cheap, but it worked fine on me, so I thought they were good. But if you could get some other AC Adapter (not necessarily a Retrobit one) to verify your problem before investing in maybe a working official one, that would be good

[Anonymous No.1608274]

>>1608257
I need it for an SNES. The console I bought doesn't have any stickers on the bottom. I tried google but all I find is forum posts saying "anything from 9v to 12v is fine", but I'd rather not chance it.

>>1608267
Is there any other store that sells power adapters that actually meet the SNES power requirements? I'd check out AliExpress but I'd rather not waste my money on more chinese stuff.

[Anonymous No.1608279]

>>1608274

[Anonymous No.1608286]

>>1608279
Wait.
It needs 10v AC? Or DC?
Can a single volt make that much of a difference?
I just probably said something really stupid. Honest question though.

[Anonymous No.1608291]

>>1608286
DC. It needs 10 volts DC. And yes a volt can make a difference.
original power supplies are under 20 bucks on ebay.

[Anonymous No.1608304]

>>1608291
>>1608286

The SNES only draws 9V. AC is what comes out from your wall, the adapter converts that and provides DC to the console. The official adapter gives 10V most likely for redundance reasons.

Still, I've had similar issues in the past with a GameCube. I got a Bivolt (220v here) adapter and I had a shit ton of fuzzy lines on screen. I thought my cords were bad, replaced them, still the same. Then I got an official Adapter and they disappeared.

[Anonymous No.1608310]

>>1608304
it's 9 volts for PAL. US SNES uses 10 volts for some reason, and it's sure as shit not for redundancy.

[Anonymous No.1608314]

>>1608291
>tfw poorfag
>tfw paid 5 bucks for SNES and 6 for AC Adapter
>tfw 20 bucks is way over my gaming budget


Is it just me, or is the SNES particularly picky in this aspect? I've used a fuckton different power adapters on my old famiclones and NES and I've never had any problems. Why?

[Anonymous No.1608323]

>>1608314
I don't know why Nintendo chose to use 10 volts over 9 volts that are used in PAL/Jap SNES/SFC's. Looking at the PAL power requirements, which are listed at 9 V at 1.3 amps, I can only assume that Nintendo traded off a lower amp requirement for a higher voltage requirement or something. If you want to poorfag about it, keep digging around for an original power brick at flea markets and the like.

[Anonymous No.1608326]

>>1608314
Well like I said above, I had the same issue with the GameCube I bought that came with the shitty third party adapter. My N64 was always fine since I always had the official adapter. So I think it's an universal rule that aftermarket adapters suck ass

[Anonymous No.1608332]

>>1608323
Actually the PAL SNES is listed as 9 volts AC, not DC

[Anonymous No.1608337]

>>1608332
>AC
you do know that electronics can't operate on AC?

[Anonymous No.1608342]

>>1608337
I know that, not saying it IS AC. Still that's what it's listed. Maybe they goofed or something?

[Anonymous No.1608347]

>>1608342
are you mixing up the input/output lines?

[Anonymous No.1608358]

>>1608347
Not at all. There's a ton of confusion about this apparently.

http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=4419.0

[Anonymous No.1608360]

>>1608347
PAL SNES uses AC for some reason.

[Anonymous No.1608369]

>>1608360
Must be because PAL always goes full retard

[Anonymous No.1608376]

>>1608337
>>1608360

The PAL SNES has a special curcuit that converts the 9V AC into 9V DC inside of it. When modding a portable PAL SNES for example you have to solder around that circuit to bypass it.

I don't know why they fuck did they do that.

[Anonymous No.1608401]

>>1608376
Yeah. Basically, the AC Adapter is just a transformer that takes the higher AC voltage and lowers it to 9V AC. The PSU, that converts AC to DC, is inside the console. NTSC adapters do both of these things.

[Anonymous No.1608423]

>>1608401
So if you plugged DC into a PAL SNES it would work?

[Anonymous No.1608429]

>>1608423
Yes. AC on a SNES console would blow it up though

[Anonymous No.1608431]

>>1608429
AC on a NTSC SNES, I mean

[Anonymous No.1608492]

>>1608360
holy shit what

[Anonymous No.1608583]

>>1605552
Still bumping my question if I have to replace the U5 chip in my Colecovision like the service manual says

I remember some one on here being rather good with Colecovisions

[Anonymous No.1609303]

>>1608583
I'm no expert but I'd say go for it, unless the U5 chip is particularly hard to find/expensive.

[Anonymous No.1609447]

>>1608358
I read that as "nigga games" for some reason

[Anonymous No.1609478]

>>1608360
It's the same PSU as the NES.
Just look at the (SUPER) NES, they meant that both are the same and compatible to each other.

>>1608376
>bridge rectifier
>special curcuit
laughingwhores.jpg

>>1608369
>implying NTSC is better

[Anonymous No.1610634]

>>1609303
Its not hard to find, but I haven't had luck lifting ICs in the past.

It doesn't help that the Colecovision I am working on has aged like milk. The solder side of the board has bubbles from age.

I managed to get a 1pF ceramic cap and I am going to be replacing that here in the next day

[Anonymous No.1610635]

>>1608323
The Japanese Super Famicom is 10V 850mA just like the North American SNES. The only thing that was changed was the plug size for DC power on the SNES was changed to a non-standard size.

Still, I used to use a 9V 1200mA Sega CD AC adapter to power my Super Famicom and I never had a problem, though I'm now using a 3rd party Famicom/Sufami/PCE Japanese AC adapter that accepts 100-240V AC. As long as the polarity is correct, the voltage is the same or just slightly lower, and the amperage the same or higher, the adapter will work just fine.

[Anonymous No.1610690]

so, are the laser assemblies from the fat PS1s similar enough that they can be interchanged? I've got an SCPH-1001 with a bad spindle motor and I can't find the correct model laser on ebay (KSM-440 ACM).

[Anonymous No.1610693]

>>1610690
You might be able to switch a spindle motor out.

I know for a fact that transplanting the entire drive is kinda hard for most PS1s due to cable length and positions.

[Anonymous No.1610707]

>>1610693
well, I got a KSM440 ADM out of a 5000 series off ebay, and the connectors all fit. the laser didn't do anything, but the disc spun.

also, looking at my good 1001, it doesn't look like the spindle is removable.

[Anonymous No.1610713]

>>1610707
The spindle is most likely removable if the 1001 model is like the later.

The screws are very small and they're under the spindle its self.

And when you say spindle, you mean the motor that the CD sits on and not the laser sled, right?

[Anonymous No.1610716]

>>1610713
>And when you say spindle, you mean the motor that the CD sits on and not the laser sled, right?

yeah, the motor that spins the CD.

I suppose I shouldn't complain. got em both at a yard sale for 5 bucks.

[Anonymous No.1610721]

>>1610716
The 1001 are known for having bad laser sleds that basically wear down the plastic.

If you do have a good 1001, I'd open it up and lubricate the track the laser slides on with lithium grease

[Anonymous No.1610732]

SO where do you guys come across your modchips nowadays? just look them up on ebay or something?

[Anonymous No.1610738]

>>1610732
Specialty shops

Mexicans

[Anonymous No.1610946]

>>1610738
>Mexicans
Looking for mod chips not tortilla chips

[Anonymous No.1610961]

>>1610946
Pro tip

They mod their systems

[Anonymous No.1612521]

>>1610738
>>1610946
>>1610961
I've been reading something about an MM3 chip. it just looks like an IC that I attach somewhere. I take it theres more to it that that?

[Anonymous No.1612590]

>>1610961
With delicious salsa guacamole

[Anonymous No.1612770]

>>1612521

Nope. It's just a PIC uC loaded with the firmware necessary to fuck with some signaling lines on the PS.

Years ago all I had to do with mine was affix it with a drop of glue and solder it up dead bug style.

[Anonymous No.1612861]

>>1610634
Update on my Colecovision.

I installed the 1 pF ceramic cap and it exhibited the same problems

I went and un-soldered some of the electrolytic caps and they all seem to be within 20%.

I am at a loss as to what might be the problem. It makes a hum some times when I turn it on and nothing. No BIOS splash screen.

I think I'm just going to chock it up to a loss because I really don't wan to go find a 3 to 8 converter that's compatible and go though the hassle of installing it. Its becoming a cost to time investment thing.

Maybe I'll keep it around to see if I can't fix it some time in the future or scrap it for parts

[Anonymous No.1613030]

Hey all, my SNES has been giving me trouble lately, to the point where I'm kind of afraid to turn it on. It erases basically any game I put into it, (something I chalked up to old ass batteries on the carts, but after replacing one and getting the same result), takes several tries before a game starts, and my favorite of the new problems, constantly spams start on P1.

I've taken the whole thing apart and cleaned every component I felt confident cleaning with alcohol, and I've tested other, working controllers as well. I feel like it might be a faulty cartridge slot, but I'm not super skilled in the console repair thing. Any ideas?

[Anonymous No.1613115]

>>1610713
are the laser assemblies interchangeable? it looks like the only difference between the ACM, AEM, and ADM models are the ribbon cable length. I'm asking because I'm playing with the laser assembly out of the busted one now, and it has a pretty good wiggle going on the sled (in addition to the spindle being burnt out).

[Anonymous No.1613256]

>>1613115
I'm pretty sure they are

[Anonymous No.1613345]

>>1612861
>I installed the 1 pF ceramic cap
1pF is tiny. You've probably already got more than 1pF in parasitic capacitance. Is 1pF really the right value?

[Anonymous No.1613367]

>>1613345
Shit

C70 is a 100pF capacitor

[Anonymous No.1615257]

Have a model 1 Genesis, works fine on every TV I've tested it except for the one in my room, which is, coincidentally, the one that I'd like to actually have it hooked up to.
The problem I'm seeing is that whenever the screen is predominantly dark the image onscreen wavers side to side and the brightness throbs.

[Anonymous No.1615518]

>>1613367
Replaced C70 with a 100 pF capacitor. Still the same thing

I think it was a long shot from the beginning

[Anonymous No.1615541]

>>1615257
How do you have it hooked up to the TV? RCA or Coaxial?

If it's RCA, you might want to try cleaning the jacks on the TV.

[Anonymous No.1615565]

>>1615541
It's RCA, but the thing is I'm using one of those A/V splitters where it's 6 in, 1 out. I have every SD system I own hooked up to it and they all work fine. the Genesis is the only issue, and it only has this problem on this one TV.

[Anonymous No.1615591]

>>1615565
If it's not a powered AV splitter you might be having a signal problem

Try hooking it up right to the TV and see if that resolves the issue