What to do with mod-chipped systems with broken lasers

[theclaw]

I can relate. Gamecube has turned into a money sink for me. I bought Icedcube (seriously), Qoob Pro, and region switch, then had them all installed. Yet the console has difficulty reading disks.

I'll get around to sending things back to the modder sometime. Couldn't figure out the problem last time, but I'm pretty sure it happened during my own noob tinkering before they worked on the console.

[Hobie-wan]

I don't think it's a skill you'd regret picking up.

I dunno man. At first I was all "I just need an iron and some solder." Then I needed desoldering braid. Then came a desoldering bulb, tip cleaner, electrical tape, close wire nips, replacement iron tips, and shrink tubing. I just bought a new box of tubing, ordered a desoldering pump and I'm considering a real soldering iron station.

[theclaw]

Yeah I need to be more decisive/proactive. First sure I have actual use for mods I'm considering. Then and only then, press modders to get them to take on the work promptly.

Either end losing interest doesn't work so well.

[AppleQueso]

I don't think it's a skill you'd regret picking up.

I dunno man. At first I was all "I just need an iron and some solder." Then I needed desoldering braid. Then came a desoldering bulb, tip cleaner, electrical tape, close wire nips, replacement iron tips, and shrink tubing. I just bought a new box of tubing, ordered a desoldering pump and I'm considering a real soldering iron station.

I need to do all of those things.

My soldiering iron is awful and has a tip that has needed replacing for a while now...

[Hobie-wan]

My soldiering iron is awful and has a tip that has needed replacing for a while now...

If you have a metal file you can cheat and file it back to a point. Just make sure to tin it after.

[JoeAwesome]

I don't even own a soldering iron so to me, anything that requires any soldering at all is "too hard".

Never a bad time to learn

it comes in handy a lot more than you might expect

Like when? My approach for electronics repair has always been just to swap working for non working. Given the low value of the eletronics I've repaired (PS1/PS2, etc), it's always been cheap n' easy.

I don't know how to solder, either, which is why I suggested replacing the faulty systems with working system's lasers. For the most part, it's not difficult or too costly to get replacement systems.