s8n
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Post by s8n on Jul 3, 2011 17:59:39 GMT
hi Xen thanks for the update its appreciated , im a bit unfamiliar with Saturn POT locations is there a POT on the Motherboard as well as the Laser Lens ?..........i know theres one on the Lens as ive seen a Youtube Video of a guy tweaking one. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgj9feqRnaUIf i were to Calibrate a new Laser replacement i would leave the Motherboard POT exactly the same and only adjust the one on the Lens to match the previous Ohms on the old Lens. s8n
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Xen
Saturn Player
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Post by Xen on Jul 8, 2011 12:51:03 GMT
According to zyrobs, there is... but I didn't mess around with them or saerch for one... next time I will be adjusting, I'll be doing it with a multimeter to match the old one or at least match decent frequencies...
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Post by zyrobs on Jul 9, 2011 17:20:19 GMT
There is one orange pot on the laser itself, and two to five on the whole cd unit. Early saturns (va0 and va1) with 20-pin connectors have 5 pots (and one ), later ones have two. Not entirely sure what each one of them does. When I experimented on the early unit cd drive, one of the pots seemed to affect the amount of time the unit spends on trying to read data, while another affected the speed the cd was spinning at. Here's a page with some more details / assumptions: www.mrvfone.com.au/sega/saturn.htmThe pots are not marked at all on the later models though, and I've found no info on those. Perhaps if I read some documentation on cdrom controllers (or a general theory on how they work), I could come up with an educated guess.
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RealBlue
Realistic 25 fps snowboarding action!
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Post by RealBlue on Jul 9, 2011 21:53:02 GMT
These lasers... are they the kind that go *pew!* *pew!* *pew!*?
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s8n
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Post by s8n on Jul 11, 2011 12:51:56 GMT
hi again team , Xen i would definitely get a DMM for POT tweaking.........they're pretty cheap too. thats great info from zyrobs but personally i wouldnt touch the other POTs except the one on the Laser Eye itself , maybe if we acquire more info on the other POT's then mess around with them. while Googling a bit having a few Vodka + Cokes i found that www.segastyle.com has added a page for Laser Eye Replacements. check below www.segastyle.com/SaturnJVCLaser.htmlalso he has added on the Shop page Laser Eye Replacements check link below....... www.segastyle.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=69chat soon s8n
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Xen
Saturn Player
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Post by Xen on Jul 19, 2011 20:01:24 GMT
Tch! I wanted to write that guide but since I wasn't completely successful, I didn't. Kudos to them though. Gonna check it out tomorrow! Thanks s8n.
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retro
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Post by retro on Aug 5, 2011 23:18:00 GMT
I can't condone amateur laser replacement, and must stress that if you take any steps yourself (including advice from this thread), you do so at your Saturn's risk!
There is a correct procedure to follow. The first step would be checking the RF level of the laser diode, ensuring it's in range (which will vary depending on the diode in question). When installing a replacement, or sorting a unit that is still within range, you need to follow the correct procedure in the right order. The procedure requires the use of an oscilloscope and a special test CD that was only available to engineers.
A word of warning:
DO NOT adjust the potentiometer on the APC board! This could damage the laser diode. It is factory set and must not be adjusted - this is even stated in the service manual.
Correctly adjusting lasers is a skill. Sadly, a surge in DIYers has resulted in the "have-a-go" method, using (probably metallic - yikes!) screwdrivers instead of the correct tool and twiddling pots willy-nilly. People blame cheap third party lasers, but THIS is why your consoles don't last as long - incorrectly set up laser mechs!!
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Xen
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Post by Xen on Aug 28, 2011 10:21:48 GMT
Still struggling over here with the same probs, even after adjusting some of the PCB meters (no luck - returned all of them to their previous states).
Any progress, anyone?
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robneal81
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Post by robneal81 on Nov 7, 2012 14:15:01 GMT
Does anyone know a website where I can buy entire CDROM replacements? I can get used Saturn systems at local game stores for around $50 that work fine. That being said, I have no idea how worn out they are. I'd rather buy a full CDROM assembly for the same price, knowing it's new and will last longer...and I wouldn't have to worry abut calibration! I found this laser-only on eBay. I'm sure I can get it working, but not nearly as good as if it was calibrated from the factory. If there's no other options, I guess I'll give it a try and hope it works for my model 2 Saturn: www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-JVC-CD-LASER-LENS-OPTIMA-6S-OPTIMA-150S-OPTIMA6S-/280827699105?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4162a29fa1I'd appreciate any advice or links you could offer.
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spaced
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Post by spaced on Feb 13, 2013 19:20:47 GMT
Seems the place to ask this. My Model 2 Saturn laser had this code 610-6185-20 JVC EXL-P605
I bought this laser, will it be compatible and a like for like replacement as I could not get it to work on my system? 610-6294-20 JVC EXL-P608
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Post by zyrobs on Apr 13, 2013 23:58:55 GMT
Just a little addendum.
If you are lucky/unlucky enough to get a Hitachi drive (board says MECHA PWB JA00292 in the front right corner), it needs a HOP-E1 pickup.
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smokemonster
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Post by smokemonster on Sept 10, 2013 0:36:34 GMT
Correctly adjusting lasers is a skill. Sadly, a surge in DIYers has resulted in the "have-a-go" method, using (probably metallic - yikes!) screwdrivers instead of the correct tool and twiddling pots willy-nilly. People blame cheap third party lasers, but THIS is why your consoles don't last as long - incorrectly set up laser mechs!! So if we don't have access to laser engineering tools and discs, and you think that the DIY method is shallow, then what do you suggest? Working replacement Saturns cost less than half an hour with a tech, so DIY is the only option that anyone is going to consider.
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fightingvipers
Saturn Gamer
Fucking circles, how do they work?
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Post by fightingvipers on Oct 27, 2013 18:53:34 GMT
Something needs to be done for the future as the saturn never sold that well and supplies will run out. Same goes for the game disks an effort needs to be made to preserve the games because some of the exclusive to Saturn will someday be gone for good. No matter how you feel about Saturn and its games it was a milestone in console history, the machine deserves to be saved to make sure in years to come there are working examples. From my own stand point im going to start buying up working saturns and spares to store for the long haul. Just my thoughts
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Provvidenza
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Post by Provvidenza on Oct 27, 2013 19:25:40 GMT
Something needs to be done for the future as the saturn never sold that well and supplies will run out. Same goes for the game disks an effort needs to be made to preserve the games because some of the exclusive to Saturn will someday be gone for good. No matter how you feel about Saturn and its games it was a milestone in console history, the machine deserves to be saved to make sure in years to come there are working examples. From my own stand point im going to start buying up working saturns and spares to store for the long haul. Just my thoughts You raise some valid concerns fightingvipers. Saturn consoles and games just never turn up in the wild (here in the UK anyway) I'd love to build up a collection of backup machines but at ebay prices I'd be struggling. PS1s are much easier to source, car boots being the cheapest way, also most PS1s seem to be chipped so games are easily available to play on them.
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Post by zyrobs on Oct 27, 2013 19:42:34 GMT
PS1s are also more likely to die than Saturns.
Seriously, Saturns are damn near invincible.
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