PSX Power Supply - SOLVED 06.2013

[fvgazi]

// Solved finally!
After forgetting about this for a long time and getting a ton more electronics knowledge I was able to figure this out. Turns out it was just a bad diode in the bridge rectifier. I replaced it and works again!

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One of my friends gave me his old PSX when I helped him move. The thing is dirty as heck and when I hooked it up I got no power.

I decided to take it apart and see what was up. I noticed two main things.
First, seems like one of the caps burst. This cap is 100uF and 200Volts. Can I replace this without killing myself? I only know a little bit about capacitors (besides how to solder) and I know some can hold quite a charge.



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Secondly, I think the fuse may have gone. I couldn't get an excellent picture, but I did see when looking at it, the filament type thing is wound around the center. At some point it looks weird and discontinuous with "little balls". When I shake it there is no noise like anything is loose.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

The filament is fine, just a burst capacitor.

Step 01: Unplug your system, then while it's unplugged push the power button on and leave it that way for a day or so if you're really worried about a potential shock.

Step 02: Take note and write down the direction which polarity of the capacitor flows, or just save your pics so you can read it later.

Step 03: Remove the old capacitor with your soldering iron and replace it with the new one.

Step 04: Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Extra Step: If you want, remove the fuse by popping it out and take it with you to RadioShack when you head out to grab a new capacitor. That way you can buy a replacement fuse and be protected for much longer than the old one would have held out.

[fvgazi]

Thanks so much!

I've already pushed power while unplugged, but I'm assuming you don't mean to leave the button pushed in. I'll be replacing this soon (along with a game gear capacitor i found that needs to be replaced). If this works, i'm going to paint this console. It's so grimy and disgusting.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

You can leave it held in or just click it off if you'd like, the chances of a shock are actually extremely low from something like a busted cap. Just be careful as always and USE RUBBER GLOVES or some other hand covering made of electrically insulated material to cover your hand. After all, it never hurts to be safe.

If you're going to paint it look up Rit Dye:



Basically you need a big pot from goodwill or something, get the water with dye in it near really hot (but not boiling) and dip your individually disassembled case parts in. Use heavy test fishing line tied loosely and periodically (aka every 30 seconds or so) jiggle it so you don't get a line of gray plastic around where you tied the string. When you pull it all out your system will actually be the color of the the dye you chose permanently. Not to mention all the silk-screened logos will still be on there too so it will look as official as can be. Be sure however to gently remove the little stick on PS symbol logo from the top of the disc lid, use a razor blade or another equally thin prying tool. That way you can just stick it on later and it will look just fine as the heat will warp off the ultra thin plastic the logo is made out of.

Just be careful to pull your parts out often (about every 2-5 minutes) and rinse them off under cold water before dunking them back in. That way you can see how the color is taking to the plastic and be sure to have the shade you want. Plus, when putting plastic in a high heat situation it actually starts imploding on itself ala shrinky-dinks. Basically it starts warping shape and curling in on itself thanks to the high heat if left in for too long without a cool off break.

[fvgazi]

You can leave it held in or just click it off if you'd like, the chances of a shock are actually extremely low from something like a busted cap. Just be careful as always and USE RUBBER GLOVES or some other hand covering made of electrically insulated material to cover your hand. After all, it never hurts to be safe.

If you're going to paint it look up Rit Dye:



Basically you need a big pot from goodwill or something, get the water with dye in it near really hot (but not boiling) and dip your individually disassembled case parts in. Use heavy test fishing line tied loosely and periodically (aka every 30 seconds or so) jiggle it so you don't get a line of gray plastic around where you tied the string. When you pull it all out your system will actually be the color of the the dye you chose permanently. Not to mention all the silk-screened logos will still be on there too so it will look as official as can be. Be sure however to gently remove the little stick on PS symbol logo from the top of the disc lid, use a razor blade or another equally thin prying tool. That way you can just stick it on later and it will look just fine as the heat will warp off the ultra thin plastic the logo is made out of.

Just be careful to pull your parts out often (about every 2-5 minutes) and rinse them off under cold water before dunking them back in. That way you can see how the color is taking to the plastic and be sure to have the shade you want. Plus, when putting plastic in a high heat situation it actually starts imploding on itself ala shrinky-dinks. Basically it starts warping shape and curling in on itself thanks to the high heat if left in for too long without a cool off break.

I think I'm just going to stick with krylon for my first time painting. That seems like way more involved and messy than I can handle. If this is unsuccessful, I will try it in the future (most likely on controllers first).

[Ziggy]

Krylon FUSION !

[fvgazi]

Unfortunately I'm bumping this thread because I ran into a new problem. So far I've replaced the 100uf Capacitor with no problem and played around with new fuses. I'm still getting no power!!! Here are some extra symptoms.

1. Switched the PSU from my existing PSX that works and found that the broken PSX has a bad cd-rom drive because it boots the bios but no spinning.

2. When I plug the broken PSU in I get nothing... the LED does not light up at all.

3. I changed out for a new Fuse (2A 250V) and blew every single one I put in. Here is a video of it incase you were wondering.
[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjsqSx5J87k ]
Strange thing is that as soon as I plugged the power in, the fuse blew regardless of the power switch being on or off. I'm not too electronically savvy, so I'm not sure if this is normal for a fuse blowing. Another weird thing is that when I have the original fuse hooked up that came with the PSX with, it does not blow or give me any lights either. It's the same rating though.

Is there something else I should be looking for? I have a multimeter and can test continuity, but I'm not sure where.

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PART II
Recently my working PSX has been giving me trouble reading CD-Rs. I'm assuming the laser is going. Sometimes it will boot the game, but then play all choppy or the graphics will be completely glitched. My real games seem to be working fine though. Are there any adjustments I can make to get it working better, or should I just find a replacement laser?

[lwcook]

To most people, I would say just to trash the broken one as it has too many problems where it's just not worth it. However, it seems like this might be a project to mess around with and get working again just for the fun of it.

So, if it's the latter one, here's some ideas:

1. The power supply most likely has a problem other than that cap you replaced. I would be willing to bet it played a part in blowing that cap in the first place. That fuse is blowing right away for a reason...

So, with old PSXs being plentiful and cheap, the easiest way would be to get a known good PSU and just replace it. Otherwise it's troubleshooting the old PSU on a component level, which I don't think is worth the time.

2. Before you write-off the cd-rom drive as bad, check the lid switch first. This would also cause it not to spin. Also, does the laser move on the track and/or the laser eye move in and out?

3. (PART II) http://dogbreath.de/PS1/LaserAlignment/Laser.html

[fvgazi]

To most people, I would say just to trash the broken one as it has too many problems where it's just not worth it. However, it seems like this might be a project to mess around with and get working again just for the fun of it.

So, if it's the latter one, here's some ideas:

1. The power supply most likely has a problem other than that cap you replaced. I would be willing to bet it played a part in blowing that cap in the first place. That fuse is blowing right away for a reason...

So, with old PSXs being plentiful and cheap, the easiest way would be to get a known good PSU and just replace it. Otherwise it's troubleshooting the old PSU on a component level, which I don't think is worth the time.

2. Before you write-off the cd-rom drive as bad, check the lid switch first. This would also cause it not to spin. Also, does the laser move on the track and/or the laser eye move in and out?

3. (PART II) http://dogbreath.de/PS1/LaserAlignment/Laser.html

Thanks a ton lwcook!!
I am a moron! I completely forgot about the lid button. I have a spring in my other PSX...
That trimming guide is amazing!!!!! I shall work on it either Sunday or Monday and let you guys know how it goes.

I figured it might be a good learning experience (on a component level) for me to figure out how to save the PSU. I was wondering if there were any tips in troubleshooting why the fuse is blowing.

[fvgazi]

Finally solved with a 10 cent part.