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Post by buckoa51 on Oct 24, 2014 13:51:45 GMT
Firstly, sorry for linking back to my site I know that's kind of cheeky but... I've written a newbies guide to owning and using the Saturn in these modern times and I would appreciate any feedback from you knowledgeable folks. Have I left anything out? Is anything inaccurate or are there any mistakes? Do let me know. www.videogameperfection.com/2014/10/24/playing-today-saturn/ |
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savaroth
Joined: September 2012
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Post by savaroth on Oct 24, 2014 18:08:23 GMT
I only read the entire page through real fast so I could have missed parts, but:
1. It might be worth it to dedicate some space to the controllers, mostly the 3D controller.
2. It might be worth mentioning the top 5 ( or top 10 ) titles to get for the console? ( this is subjective i know, but a few pointers might be usefull )
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Post by buckoa51 on Oct 24, 2014 19:16:45 GMT
I'm trying to keep this strictly as a hardware guide but agree on point 1, actually I should probably look into that on all my "playing today" guides. Thanks for the suggestion!
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cj
Saturn Player
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Post by cj on Oct 25, 2014 9:42:37 GMT
Very nice start, I've just got back into the SS scene, it's been a few years. Anyway I saw you had a link to one of those cheap crappy(in my opinion) step-down power adapters- they just reset my v-saturn after 2min of play. I don't think they can handle the current(lack of). So I've ripped out the old 120v Japanese psu and strapped in one of those pico atx psu's like some people have done with their Dreamcasts. It's been good so far after 30min of play. No more ghost lines  . Out with the old!  In with the new! Proof of concept I guess.  ------- One last thing though I think my pal tv has cropped the edge of the screen a little bit, is that where you need a 50/60hz switch? |
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Post by buckoa51 on Oct 25, 2014 10:38:53 GMT
I've used one of those exact same brand stepdowns for years and not had an issue. Maybe yours was just a faulty one?
Overscan is a common problem on CRTs, are you running NTSC software on a PAL console?
Also I should add, neat mod! Is there a installation guide to that anywhere or will you consider producing one?
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cj
Saturn Player
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Post by cj on Oct 25, 2014 20:27:48 GMT
I've used one of those exact same brand stepdowns for years and not had an issue. Maybe yours was just a faulty one? Overscan is a common problem on CRTs, are you running NTSC software on a PAL console? Also I should add, neat mod! Is there a installation guide to that anywhere or will you consider producing one? I used marvel super heroes vs street fighter on a Japanese JVC V-Saturn on a 40inch lcd tv-- result slightly cropped, but I haven't played around with the tv screen modes yet. As for the 50w adapter, yeah maybe I just got unlucky- they are cheap to buy. In my case when the SS would access the cd-rom drive it would reset after a few minutes of play, as if it didn't have enough power to run the cd-rom drive or something?? If you apply ohms law that is, it's really under powering(current) the Saturn. So as I mentioned I saw someone using a 160w pico atx psu like this for their Dreamcast and a standard 12v power adapter(I would suggest nothing under 1.5 amp) to power the pico psu. Now these things are great for the Dreamcast because pico atx psu outputs 3.3v, 5v, and 12v, so that is very convenient for Dreamcast users. Now obviously you can just connect it to the corresponding Dreamcast rails. Pin-out for pico atx psu. Make sure you connect the SS power on/off switch to a ground and green PS-On in order to power on psu. Now the problem with the Sega Saturn psu it uses rails from left to right(on my model 1 JVC V-Saturn anyway) GND - GND - 3.3v - 5v - 9v(it should be labelled on SS psu). So clearly we need to get the 12v from the pico psu down to 9v. Now one way to solve this is to get a 9v 1.5A regulator(L7809CV) like this. 12v in, 9v out + GND:  So there's your elusive 9v, now simply join the regulator 9v out to the SS 9v rail...ta dah! My question to the electronic experts out there, do I need a resistor and/or capacitor between the 9v regulator and the SS 9v rail for some reason??? Thanks. |
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NeoGeoNinja
Shadow Warrior
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Post by NeoGeoNinja on Oct 25, 2014 20:58:48 GMT
Hi CJ. Please try and refrain from using the slang (i.e. racist) abbreviation for Japanese if possible please? Cheers |
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cj
Saturn Player
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Post by cj on Oct 25, 2014 21:04:06 GMT
I was abbreviating because I'm lazy lol
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NeoGeoNinja
Shadow Warrior
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Posts: 6,616
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Post by NeoGeoNinja on Oct 25, 2014 23:51:08 GMT
I was abbreviating because I'm lazy lol No worries If you need to abbreviate in future, just use JPN instead mate. Cheers |
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Post by MIK on Oct 26, 2014 3:57:02 GMT
All good reading, just the Saving Games...
A good well known brand of battery such as Duracell should give you a couple of years, (if the Saturn is only being used once in a while). With regular use your get anything from 3-5 years out of one. 5 years out of one will be almost daily usage and I achieved that once, 1995-2000.
I have noticed my Model 2 switched PAL Saturn can eat them a bit quicker or feels that way than my stock Model 1's but if you can't get more than a year out of a good quality Saturn Clock Battery then there is some strange power drain going on.
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Post by zyrobs on Oct 26, 2014 4:03:53 GMT
As for the 50w adapter, yeah maybe I just got unlucky- they are cheap to buy. In my case when the SS would access the cd-rom drive it would reset after a few minutes of play, as if it didn't have enough power to run the cd-rom drive or something?? If you apply ohms law that is, it's really under powering(current) the Saturn. I've used 30W stepdowns in the past and got no such issues. Either your adapter is faulty, or the power supply in that Saturn is... the PWM switch used on them is known to be a source of problems. |
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cj
Saturn Player
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Post by cj on Oct 27, 2014 3:59:49 GMT
As for the 50w adapter, yeah maybe I just got unlucky- they are cheap to buy. In my case when the SS would access the cd-rom drive it would reset after a few minutes of play, as if it didn't have enough power to run the cd-rom drive or something?? If you apply ohms law that is, it's really under powering(current) the Saturn. I've used 30W stepdowns in the past and got no such issues. Either your adapter is faulty, or the power supply in that Saturn is... the PWM switch used on them is known to be a source of problems. Yeah you're probably right?? Thanks for the feedback. The pico psu fits in really well, as if it was made for it:). I've disconnected the mains plug adapter from the Saturn psu, and drilled a hole for the new pico plug. There's enough room for a region switch or something as well. It's also good that I'm not desecrating my Saturn case in the process. I'm waiting to receive my scart to hdmi adapter/box, and I'm planning on using the pico psu 5v to feed the scart to hdmi so there's no need for an extra power plug:).  |
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kikenovic
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Post by kikenovic on Oct 28, 2014 17:08:54 GMT
Nicely written. You may want to expand on the expansion cartridges, the netlink and other accesories.
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