It's been a while since I blew up a console... (Fixed)

[Skykid]

Over 20 years in-fact.

Forgetting that China is not the same as Japan voltage and for some dumb reason having it plugged into a multi-socket, my Saturn just went pop.

Not the end of the world, it wasn't bought as a collectible, just to spin some discs - but can the experts simply tell me: dump it in the trash now, or is there a glimmer of hope for repairing such a thing?

I've never had to look into fixing a blown console before, but I'm assuming it's severe. I just don't know how severe.

Thanks for the help.

[fagin]

It will most certainly be fixable, but the fix could relate to a number of solutions from a whole PSU board replacement to a component replacement. Looking at the input stage if the PSU board would be prudent initially.

[nasty_wolverine]

open it up and take a pic of the power supply. Lets see how many caps you popped first!!!

[Ed Oscuro]

Just the usual stuff - looking for scorching and stuff everywhere.

Even if you damaged some components beyond repair, there's still going to be a lot worthy of salvaging.

Hopefully the damage is restricted to just the power supply area, and if you're really lucky just the fuse went. Probably not, though...

[Skykid]

Okay, that's a start - but I'm confused about whether or not it's worth salvaging? The machine cost me £20... and I could probably get another for the same price.

I can always take it to the electronic repair guy nearby. He always chuckles at my old consoles like they're ancient artefacts - but he should be able to understand a power overload clearly enough.

I suppose I can but ask!

[Ed Oscuro]

Well, stuff is easy enough to come by now, I suppose. Down the road...everybody's going to have to either have deep pockets or some repair skills. So yeah, it's a shame to throw out a working laser assembly and motherboard just because you killed a power supply board. With luck, you just popped the fuse, anyway.

I'm not sure if any Saturns use a socketed fuse. I've seen pictures that seem to show it's a socketed fuse. If that's the case, and only the fuse is broken, then that is a dead simple repair that requires just popping out the old fuse (or its pieces) and putting in a new one. If not, then you may get by with a power supply transplant, though things could get iffy quickly.

[system11]

There's a fuse on the power supply, check that and the varistor next to it.

[Skykid]

There's a fuse on the power supply, check that and the varistor next to it.

Just woken up. Will open it shortly and check it out. I didn't see any smoke or smell any obvious burning, so fingers crossed it's just a fuse replacement.

[Skykid]

Ok doc, tell me, how bad is it?



This is all I can see without stripping out any other layers except the lid. Looks like a blown fuse and 2 resistors. The little one on the right looks scorched, the blue one next to it has had the shell pop on one side. Not sure if there isn't further ruin unseen, however.

Prognosis for repair?

[nasty_wolverine]

it looks like you are in luck, l would say its repairable. Obviously change the parts which are blown first. I dont think anything beyond the fuse, resistor and the blue thing (people here call it a pf, its a caps of some sort) got damaged.

also, if you cant fix it, put it up on ebay so someone who can will either fix it or salvage it for parts. so you make money someone makes a console.

[Skykid]

it looks like you are in luck, l would say its repairable. Obviously change the parts which are blown first. I dont think anything beyond the fuse, resistor and the blue thing (people here call it a pf, its a caps of some sort) got damaged.

also, if you cant fix it, put it up on ebay so someone who can will either fix it or salvage it for parts. so you make money someone makes a console.

Cool, will get the damaged bits switched out and we'll see if she comes back to life.

I never literally meant to throw it in the bin, I couldn't do that to a Saturn.

[SuperDeadite]

You could also just buy a local Asian Saturn for cheap and swap the power supplies, then you don't need to use a step-down ever again.

[Skykid]

You could also just buy a local Asian Saturn for cheap and swap the power supplies, then you don't need to use a step-down ever again.

That's a perfectly good idea and I may do it - but I've been using foreign consoles forever with stepdowns, so I'm used to it. This was really just a very silly blip, I have no idea why it was even plugged directly into the multi adaptor!

At least it wasn't the PCE Duo. That would have been hair tearing.

[speedlolita]

Get a PAL Saturn power supply and put that in.

I have two NTSC-J Saturn with blown power supplies like this one that I've been meaning to fix for a while now. Will get around to it eventually.

[Ed Oscuro]

If you do go the local PSU swap route, you'll have to make sure that the PSU is an exact physical match for the one in your system - there's a few varieties of PSU style out there to match different motherboards, and some won't physically connect to the power pins on other motherboards.

Also it would be a great idea to put a label on your system if you use a local voltage PSU that doesn't match the label spec anymore. Start double-checking your connections every time.

(people here call it a pf, its a caps of some sort)

pF = picofarad. Looks like a ceramic disc capacitor.

[beatsgo]

If you do go the local PSU swap route, you'll have to make sure that the PSU is an exact physical match for the one in your system - there's a few varieties of PSU style out there to match different motherboards, and some won't physically connect to the power pins on other motherboards.

Would you mind posting a link to matching systems with exact PSU dimensions? I'm interested just in case.

[Ed Oscuro]

I am not aware of anybody having compiled a list of just the PSU types, unfortunately. It's also worth saying that all the voltages should be confirmed before swapping types out...I would hope that physically compatible PSU types have compatible voltages, but not really willing to bet on it.
I think these galleries might be helpful:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1019852149 ... redirect=1
Also this French language page might he helpful:
http://saturn.netboarder.com/t4-info-re ... 6-versions

[Skykid]

No idea about PSU types, but this is a V Saturn.

[beatsgo]

No idea about PSU types, but this is a V Saturn.

So what version of the V-Saturn you have? RG-JX1 or RG-JX2 (basically Saturn V1 or Saturn V2)?

Reference

[Skykid]

I have round buttons, so V2 I guess?

[beatsgo]

Okay, now check the sticker in the back indicating what version of the RG-JX2 you have. Is there a suffix A, B, or none?

[Skykid]

Okay, now check the sticker in the back indicating what version of the RG-JX2 you have. Is there a suffix A, B, or none?

Ok, will check when I get home from work.

But I'm not really sure I want to do the PSU swap thing. If I manage to repair the power board in this one I'll probably just use a stepdown and be more careful.

[system11]

Ok doc, tell me, how bad is it?



This is all I can see without stripping out any other layers except the lid. Looks like a blown fuse and 2 resistors. The little one on the right looks scorched, the blue one next to it has had the shell pop on one side. Not sure if there isn't further ruin unseen, however.

Prognosis for repair?

1x fuse 125V 1.6A, you may want to replace this with a fuse and fuse holder.
1x varistor (exploded thing) - GNR 05D221K
1x resistor 270K (looks like red/purple/yellow/gold?), actually this is probably OK, those are scorch marks from the varistor since they actually *explode*, but it would be better to replace it.

[Skykid]

Thanks MR11!

There's an electronics market near me that's absolutely loaded with trays of caps and pcb components (you'd be in heaven I'm sure) so I'm sure I can find these there.

[Ed Oscuro]

Oh, that's interesting. I am obviously still terrible at id'ing part types

Agree on the fuse...if you ever need to replace a fuse again, a holder will make that easy user maintenance, rather than yet another soldering job.

[beatsgo]

Okay, now check the sticker in the back indicating what version of the RG-JX2 you have. Is there a suffix A, B, or none?

Ok, will check when I get home from work.

But I'm not really sure I want to do the PSU swap thing. If I manage to repair the power board in this one I'll probably just use a stepdown and be more careful.

I understand where you're going with. In case the PSU board just gone bad and you know it's causing your powering issues, you know what specific Saturn PSU board to get. Hopefully you only need to replace those 3 components as mentioned by system11.

[speedlolita]

Huge thanks to system11 for the parts list, now I don't have to crack open a PAL Saturn and identify them.

For the varistor I couldn't find any on eBay but I found a slightly larger one with the same values via a Google search.

Whack 07D221K into eBay and you can get a pack of 10 for about 3 quid.

[Ed Oscuro]

There's an electronics market near me that's absolutely loaded with trays of caps and pcb components (you'd be in heaven I'm sure) so I'm sure I can find these there.

All counterfeit, for sure

(Speaking of both the market and eBay.)

[nasty_wolverine]

There's an electronics market near me that's absolutely loaded with trays of caps and pcb components (you'd be in heaven I'm sure) so I'm sure I can find these there.

All counterfeit, for sure

(Speaking of both the market and eBay.)

Did you forget that everythings made in china and he lives in china???
but i am sure that some of it will be counterfeit

[Ed Oscuro]

Capacitors are one of the most problematic areas of Chinese-sold knockoffs: Not just a-bit-less-reliable-than-usual, but you're lucky if the capacitance even matches what's printed on the foil, or it's actually manufactured by who it says it is. Been seeing lots of reports of these lately; the dangerous PC power supplies made in China often are plagued with these, and there are other areas of Chinese electronics I wouldn't touch. There are lots of things made in China I would be fine with - even some good polymer capacitors are being made by a Japanese company there now, and Rigol oscilloscopes are the darlings of cash-strapped techs everywhere - but without sourcing individual components properly, you don't have any idea what you're really buying, unfortunately.