Saturn Model 1 Mod Chip Blues

[bustaballs]

Model 1s are super easy to cd swap.

[racketboy]

Model 1s are super easy to cd swap.

Yeah, that's my rule of thumb.
Model 1s are for swapping, but if you want to mod, hunt down a Model 2.

[hardrocknamigo]

Yeah, that's my rule of thumb.
Model 1s are for swapping, but if you want to mod, hunt down a Model 2.

swapping will blow the drive motor though, and when that happens, saturns will be even rarer and possibly more expensive.

this sucks.

but yes, swapping is easy to do. i've done it up until this point.

[racketboy]

Yeah, that's my rule of thumb.
Model 1s are for swapping, but if you want to mod, hunt down a Model 2.

swapping will blow the drive motor though, and when that happens, saturns will be even rarer and possibly more expensive.

this sucks.

but yes, swapping is easy to do. i've done it up until this point.

Well, for most people with Model 1s its either swap or hunt down original copies.
But you are right, Saturn's are already getting rarer. The prices on eBay are rising quite a bit over the last few years.

[hardrocknamigo]

i removed the mod board from the model 1 saturn i tried to mod, and it boots to the main screen fine, plays audio cds fine so i know communications between the cd drive and the motherboard are in order, but it won't check copy protection on games, so it won't boot them. any suggestions on how i can fix this? did the mod board fry my saturn? i just picked up a model 2, unfortunately turned out to be 64-pin but i'm gunna try to mod in nonetheless, crossing my fingers...

[racketboy]

i removed the mod board from the model 1 saturn i tried to mod, and it boots to the main screen fine, plays audio cds fine so i know communications between the cd drive and the motherboard are in order, but it won't check copy protection on games, so it won't boot them. any suggestions on how i can fix this? did the mod board fry my saturn? i just picked up a model 2, unfortunately turned out to be 64-pin but i'm gunna try to mod in nonetheless, crossing my fingers...

Well, the chip won't fry your Saturn. Worst case is that you may have some stray solder somewhere that could cause issues.

[hardrocknamigo]

the only point that i actually soldered in the saturn was the power wire, and i pulled it out. the way i soldered it, i'm almost positive that there is no connection between that and another conductor around it, and i'm not having a problem that would point to power supply either. i've read on another forum that it might be a bad laser, but the saturn worked fine before the chip. maybe it got smashed too hard against something, i moved it from my home to my dorm room recently and it could have suffered damage. i've tried turning the laser intensity screw back and forth and it didn't change anything. hmm...

[lordofduct]

Yeah, that's my rule of thumb.
Model 1s are for swapping, but if you want to mod, hunt down a Model 2.

swapping will blow the drive motor though, and when that happens, saturns will be even rarer and possibly more expensive.

this sucks.

but yes, swapping is easy to do. i've done it up until this point.

Well, for most people with Model 1s its either swap or hunt down original copies.
But you are right, Saturn's are already getting rarer. The prices on eBay are rising quite a bit over the last few years.

That's why I stopped selling the ones I have in stock.

As for the guy with the model 1. It has been quite some time since I modded model 1's with this trick. But from what I can see on your board... no offense... but the solder points you are making are rather dirty. Trying stripping it down again and making cleaner connections.


TIP:
Get some solder thread and clean all of it up as good as you can, then dab just a little bit of solder to the tip of your iron, stick it to the point and let solidify.

Now get the wire you want to use, make sure it is VERY HIGH GAUGE (smaller the better for this... I use wire from an IDE cable). Now tin the end (this means dab just a little bit of solder to its end) and place against the solder point.

Now just slightly tough the point and let off. The tin from the wire and the solder point will bond quickly and make a small/tight solder bond with very little left over solder.

TIP 2:

When soldering to any chips. Take two small strips of electrical tape and cover surrounding pins. Then following TIP 1 described earlier... this time though when you put the tinned wire up to pin lieing flat against the board and adjacent to the pin... then bend the wire parallel to the chip just before the pin. After you solder take another piece of electrical tape and place it over the wire to hold it down.

If you are soldering more wires to the chip then you should take off the former piece of electrical tape obviousily.

picture referrence.





you know what... I think I'm gonna put together a little solder guide with pictures and everything for you guys and post it here in the tech section.