The first thing to do with a dreamcast not reading discs is checking the capacitors from disc reader board. Dreamcast is very well know to have failing capacitors on that board and make some discs or every disc dont work. Adjusting potentiometer in this case is only a temporary solution or you can even damage a good laser
I didn't come across any info about failing GD-ROM caps so this a good suggestion, but there doesn't seem to be a capacitor kit for sale on Console5 nor are there any videos that pop up after a quick search. Do you have more information about this? I'd be interested in learning more. I have another Dreamcast with a bad drive and it would make an interesting video to approach it differently.
@@BorderlineOCD you can always cross-reference to the board or Console5's wiki and pick up capacitors from Mouser or Digikey. It won't be as cheap as Console5, but I agree with Arthur - caps should be checked.
It helps to have the right tools or at least reference values but I know its hit and miss for a lot of folks. I don't understand guides that suggest to "move it a little to the right" etc. It's SO sensitive. The video is edited down for clarity but some of those adjustments took several minutes, just for one value to get it down 25 ohms for example. It's almost impossible to make small adjustments like that. I've had success for PS2 Slims, also have a video on the channel called "A Tale of Two PS2 Slims" if you need reference values for the pot.
Nice you put a rechargeable ML2032 battery:) it gave me a smile! I see so many people replace it with a NON chargeable CR2032 and not even install a diode to stop it from charging. In other words, Creating a ticking time bomb.. Love your channel!
Thanks my man, always appreciate your comments. I don't see the value in using a CR2032 unless you're a repair shop doing this in bulk to make the savings worthwhile, otherwise a $5 ML2032 is worth it for a direct replacement and another decade of use. But that's just my opinion. The CR2032 diode mod seems to be quite popular. I've also seen some folks use an 3.6V LIR2032! Not sure whats worse, popping in a CR2032 without the diode mod or using an LIR2032 which has a higher voltage. I think both mistakes are careless and can easily be avoided with a little research.
@@BorderlineOCD true, most people just want a quick fix and don't care what will happen in the long run. I'm glad you get it and I appreciate your effort in doing stuff correct.
Hey man, great to see you back in the comments! You and me both. I'm a little nervous about it but I've been meaning to do it for some time and while I don't mind a system with a bit of natural discoloration, this one is a bit of an eyesore to look at...
The Dreamcast is one of my favorite consoles I have three of them and all of them work but I am very grateful that you're making videos about the Dreamcast because one day I will need to fix them.
The potentiometer adjustment brought my Dreamcast back to life after 20 years of inactivity! Only needed to come down a couple hundred ohms so didn’t take long, thanks for this.
I've fixed mine by replacing the capacitors on the GD-ROM rom board. It was reading discs after the console was turned on for 10-15 mins. I was also trying with laser adjustment but after replacing capacitors and setting the laser to default setting, it was reading original and burned discs every time. Good luck :)
Very interesting video, I know from past dreamcast repair videos that the optical drive can fail pretty badly . I'm looking forward to seeing the next upload on this 👍
I went through drive resistor tweaking hell once with a PS2, which was much harder because I had two pots to tweak, one for CD and one for DVD. As I was only trying to get games working, I only focused on the DVD pot, but hours later, no luck. Then for fun I tried tweaking down the CD pot, and suddenly the DVD game disc started working... Fun times.
cant wait to see the retro brite part, i am currently trying to do it to an nes shell and while it looks tons better than when i started it seems the process has slowed down
Great video. Let's wait for part two. I also own a dreamcast, thank God is still working. Hope to see more love to that laser, I'm sure you'll get it working dude. Regards!
Glad to hear more original Dreamcasts still going strong. Unfortunately all optical drives will eventually expire, but the ODE scene is fairly mature at this point so you have some options well into the future.
Great video and repair as always! Cant wait to the follow-up video. I received today a psx dvr that doesn't read discs, so i probably have to check the potentiometer on that.
Thats a cool system, good luck with it. I kind of dread project with bad optical drives. Tricky without the right equipment and too many unsuccessful repairs. Let me know how it goes!
You and me both. It does feel very low, but without an oscilloscope you're just blinding making adjustments like I do here without seeing the peak to peak voltage (not that I was even able to find any info on the test probe point on the board).
Glad you got your system working! Do you recall your initial and final readings on your potentiometer? Might be useful for folks to have a couple of references since each drive is unique.
I do! 560k ohm, I think that was pretty close to what yours required to get it running. 566 I think was my exact reading. Soon as I fired it up it read the first time and has been for about 3 hours today.
Great work,as I prospected!! I had Dreamcast,and used to play many games. The controllers of DC tend to have troubles of L/R buttons,I think. Mine had been out of order because the units of buttons had broken,and I could not use them well.
Thanks for sharing. I hope its a simple button issue although I don't know why that would prevent the system from detecting it. Hopefully with some cleanup it will spring back to life as well.
As you guessed,many of these troubles come from very simple cause,I think. When you open the controller,you will realize soon. These buttons are set by two joints. These joints are two,right side and left side. And, if which one or both of the joints is(are) broken,it gets to be impossible to we set these buttons well. That is a simple cause,the part of button is broken. I had tried to "re-adhire" by glue,but it was broken again soon. I guess,in that case,we must exchange the part to new one.
What i would do is use a donor board from a white Dreamcast controller, cos the translucent red look nice. Also, if you did succeeded in repairing the GD-Rom drive for good, i would suggest you to use a little bit of lithium grease on the ball screw and guide rail, to help the lens move around better. It did helped on games that tend to load things often!
The original batch of web browser discs released in the US were actually defective. Some games were too, but a lot of the web browser discs are still out there because a lot of people never used the web browser.
great vídeo, i also have a dreamcast that wasn't reading any discs, and after calibrating the potentiometer i've managed to make it read the games, but it still takes a long time to do it. i wasnt able to check the resistence values thought. i'm brazilian, and i've seen some repair videos (in portuguese) where people fixed their gdrom by letting almost the same resistence value as you (around 500). you could also try to check the capacitors on the board right below the gdrom, some people managed to fix their gdrom without touching the potenciometer just replacing those capacitors. i've never tried it because my soldering skills aren't good enough for that.
I'm curious about the capacitors. A couple of folks mentioned that here but there isn't much information I can find about it. Needs some more research but that would be an ideal fix if its indeed contributing to the issue.
I spent hours yesterday adjusting that pot. Slowly reduced it form the initial reading of 1203ohms all the way down to 700 and I still had trouble with a few games. I just decided to give up and bought an ODE. Lol!
@@BorderlineOCD I had to redo the controller port update too. Battery died so I replaced it with the same kit. Worked great. Also I am lucky my dreamcast didn't yellowed. Its all scratched up though. Its all good. 😊 take care
Nice work! I hate when a system has a problem with its optical drive. For some reason, tweaking the potmeter never worked for me (tried on like 20 different systems including Dreamcasts). Either I'm doing something wrong or it only works on RUclips videos xD Anyway, you can buy a replacement laser, just be sure you check which one you have because there are different GD drives and you can get a laser that does not fit into yours.
I know you've previously mentioned your string of bad luck with pot-tweaks. Some folks here suggested that they had to recap the board, but did not yet respond to followup questions to clarify if its specific caps on the optical drive or whole motherboard. Would love to know about other people's experiences and get better at reviving these drives. I still have all my failed pot-tweak projects including a couple of OG Xboxes. I plan to revisit them once I get an oscilloscope and learn how to use it to diagnose the waveform. Would be interesting to see if those can be revived even though I wasn't successful the first time around with a multimeter. Even with the multimeter though the success rate is certainly not zero. I'm surprised you've run into so many units with not a single success! One thing I also look for which would have been good to show on camera is that you can see the red laser flashing with the lights turned off and the lid door sensor closed. I don't know if all systems with a working laser is always visible to the eye, but this has been true for all the pot-tweaks I've done on the channel so far so I know it's at least not dead before I start. Finally for some systems like the OG PlayStation there are additional adjustments for bias and gain. Adjusting the pot alone didn't get the drive working without tuning the bias and gain as per instructions in the repair manual. I feel your frustration though. I dread starting a project on a system with a bad drive. The Sega CD was a very frustrating project as was one of my earliest Xbox attempts (Samsung drive). I'm putting off the Neo Geo CD and haven't even bought a test game for it because something is rattling inside and I'm not ready to open that can of worms. That's my ramble for you. In short, I understand :) Cheers bud.
@@BorderlineOCD I think is the most detailed answer I ever got from someone :D Maybe pot tweaking is more complex than I've thought. I love how some of the RUclips videos didn't even use a multimeter for it...they just adjust it by eye and all disc reading errors are gone. (yeah sure) I'm looking forward to see what you can do with an oscilloscope here :) I'm always surprised how well you do even with cheap tools. Can't wait to see your next project.
@@BorderlineOCD What advantage does the o-scope signal give you over the multimeter? I'm assuming you'd just look at the peak-peak signal, but would you be trying to match some sort of spec?
@@enjoiboy385 Yep the peak-to-peak voltage is the main one for the optical drive which will be within some spec for a factory pressed disc (i.e. not bootleg). Most repair manuals for these retro consoles usually also have instructions for using a scope on various test points on the board to check for specific frequencies next to the CPU, GPU etc. on dedicated test points on the board. It's certainly an area I want to get into eventually and have a more scientific approach to finding faults with stubborn systems.
I need help finding a replacement for the display port on the back because one of the hooks that connects to the display cable is broken and i cant keep the cable connected inside.
I tried to repair a few playstation 1 optical drives. I found out that in many cases solution was not changing potentiometer value, but disassembly laser and cleanup mirrors and lenses. Unfortunately it is not easy.
When i fully disassemble my dreamcast to look at the board revision, unsticking the shroud from the board, do i need to replace the sticky thermal pads or apply thermal paste?
So many GD Roms are shot because of all the crappy cdr disc's a lot of people used for pirating games. Also interested in your retro brighting process.
@Delinquent Road Runner listen dummy, reading CDRs, even high quality ones is harder on the laser. That is a fact. Also, you think the Saturn was made with high quality components? Get real
Hello mate, I've got a dreamcast where you can make out the outline of the graphics but the screen is almost black, any idea what the fault might be? Thank you
Hey, If you're looking for a laser for your dreamcast unit. Look for a Samsung Laser. You see that blue rubber foot on your CD Drive? That's one of the indications that it's a Samsung manufactured drive. The other color you can get is a red one, and those are Yamaha manufactured. Just a heads up ;)
I actually briefly looked into this and options on Ali Express range from $10 to about $40. Have you tried a replacement laser? If so how did it hold up? The reviews on some of those listings aren't very promising.
@@BorderlineOCD I have yet tried to replace a dreamcast laser. My dreamcast suffers from the same problem, itll sometimes not read games. I really should buy a new laser for it, it's also Yamaha manufactured as well. I cant really tell if they hold up but in reality it *should* hold up for a while. It's a fresh new lense that you're putting in. Of course it should work right? Majority of lasers that I've replaced have worked right away. I pray that itll work.
@@BorderlineOCD I wasn't asking for a repair. In the first part of your video you mentioned that you'll be trying to restore the unit to look like a brand new one. I'm interested in seeing how that is done as I would like to do it myself on my own unit.
with the gd-rom drive, I didn't have the proper equipment to test mine. I literally just went in dark and first try it (micro turn) revived my black dreamcast (however, at that point I had already bought a GDEMU before I even got the dreamcast so if there is any issues I have that as a backup drive for that console now lmao)
Indeed a gentle wipe down of the laser with some IPA should really be the first thing you try. Greasing the rails with lithium grease is also a good idea when refurbishing any optical drive. I did indeed wipe down the laser but your comment makes me wonder about tossing out footage like that or at least voicing over it. When I edit the videos I try to keep it succinct and tell an engaging story to take you guys along for the ride, but its inevitable that some folks use them as a guide for similar work so would be good to cover the basics.
Hello everyone. I'm having issues with the output signal to my tv from my dreamcast. It displays sometimes and then goes out. No sound or anything. I have replaced the av cable multiple times and used a hdmi cable, still same issue. I have to power console off and back on for video to come back. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.
I did the battery mod, but every single time I turn the system on, it asks to set the date and hour. I'm pretty sure it was correctly installed. I have to re-open it sometime and do some tests.
Most of my materials are MG Chemicals. I have the solder I'm using linked in the description. It's just a regular 63/37 no clean solder. I'm not using a low melt alloy like ChipQuik in this project if that's what you're wondering.
@@BorderlineOCD Yes, that’s what I was wondering. I can never seem to clear the holes with 60/40 and wick. Do you use 63/37 for normal soldering too? Just wondering if there’s a reason to switch between compositions.
63/37 is my primary solder because I find that it flash-solidifies as soon as you remove the heat so its nice to use when soldering components. That's just MY interpretation of my experience using it compared to 60/40 though. I don't know if that would be the driver of holes not clearing up. I would sooner try a good flux and a wick from a reputable manufacturer before suspecting the solder composition to be the reason. Also heating the via properly ofcourse. Some boards are more stubborn than others. Corrosion and oxidation from capacitor leakage or moisture will kill heat transfer and make the job harder. I experienced this clearing the vias on leaky Xbox clock cap as well the the iBook project which also needed a leaky capacitor replaced.
Hey, to properly install a CR2032 on a DC, wasn't you supposed to install a diode with the resistor near the now new battery support? Considering that the original battery is a rechargeable one, it's a safety measure so the 2032 doesn't blow. Or is it?
You're absolutely right if you are installing a CR 2032, but I installed an ML 2032 (rechargeable) which is identical to the battery that was removed :)
Would you like to donate an MVS guinea pig? :P That's an expensive system to consolize. Why are you interested in it? Price of the AES or just think its a cool mod?
Do you see the Dreamcast logo before the system loses signal? It's possible your aftermarket replacement fan is drawing too much power from the controller board.
This wasn’t a particularly popular video so nice to see someone is looking forward to it haha. It’s still sitting on the backlog shelf but I think I have a few more interesting projects in the works. I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually.
I'd recommend a no-clean flux from a reputable manufacturer. I have links in the desc for the flux I use from MG Chemicals which I really like. It can get a little clumpy if you let it sit for more than 6 months or a year. I'm also currently trying an Amtech flux but haven't used it enough to share my thoughts on it.
@@BorderlineOCD Awesome! Thank you, I will be ordering a few things this coming weekend including a multimeter to start trying to fix a few old sega genesis I have
First let me say I don’t condone piracy but the Dreamcast can play burnt isos but if your gonna use it to test or even enjoy and play a game since the system is old and good games are scarce just burn an iso and give it a shot
If you provide a way to contact you I have an HST-3200 Sega Saturn that I could send your way for working on as a contribution to your channel possibly.
I wonder why all Dreamcasts get so yellow with time. that's a pretty big oversight in manufacturing, they didn't seem to think about preserving condition much
The first thing to do with a dreamcast not reading discs is checking the capacitors from disc reader board. Dreamcast is very well know to have failing capacitors on that board and make some discs or every disc dont work. Adjusting potentiometer in this case is only a temporary solution or you can even damage a good laser
I didn't come across any info about failing GD-ROM caps so this a good suggestion, but there doesn't seem to be a capacitor kit for sale on Console5 nor are there any videos that pop up after a quick search. Do you have more information about this? I'd be interested in learning more. I have another Dreamcast with a bad drive and it would make an interesting video to approach it differently.
@@BorderlineOCD you can always cross-reference to the board or Console5's wiki and pick up capacitors from Mouser or Digikey. It won't be as cheap as Console5, but I agree with Arthur - caps should be checked.
@PC Guy this would make a great video as they are only getting older. Or even how to test them.😊
It's always a pleasure watching you repair things
Thank you very much.
Seeing you adjusting the screw on the optical drive brings me bad memories when I tried to do it on my PS2 slim lol.
It helps to have the right tools or at least reference values but I know its hit and miss for a lot of folks. I don't understand guides that suggest to "move it a little to the right" etc. It's SO sensitive. The video is edited down for clarity but some of those adjustments took several minutes, just for one value to get it down 25 ohms for example. It's almost impossible to make small adjustments like that. I've had success for PS2 Slims, also have a video on the channel called "A Tale of Two PS2 Slims" if you need reference values for the pot.
@@BorderlineOCD got it 👍
Learned alot of solder braid technique from watching this awesome repair.
Another great video I always love to see these old consoles restored to their former glory.
More work to be done on this one but at least its breathing some life again.
Nice you put a rechargeable ML2032 battery:) it gave me a smile! I see so many people replace it with a NON chargeable CR2032 and not even install a diode to stop it from charging. In other words, Creating a ticking time bomb.. Love your channel!
Thanks my man, always appreciate your comments. I don't see the value in using a CR2032 unless you're a repair shop doing this in bulk to make the savings worthwhile, otherwise a $5 ML2032 is worth it for a direct replacement and another decade of use. But that's just my opinion. The CR2032 diode mod seems to be quite popular. I've also seen some folks use an 3.6V LIR2032! Not sure whats worse, popping in a CR2032 without the diode mod or using an LIR2032 which has a higher voltage. I think both mistakes are careless and can easily be avoided with a little research.
@@BorderlineOCD true, most people just want a quick fix and don't care what will happen in the long run. I'm glad you get it and I appreciate your effort in doing stuff correct.
I look forward to seeing how you go about retrobrighting your Dreamcast.
Hey man, great to see you back in the comments! You and me both. I'm a little nervous about it but I've been meaning to do it for some time and while I don't mind a system with a bit of natural discoloration, this one is a bit of an eyesore to look at...
Id recommend doing a paint job. Look up Segaholic’s custom dreamcast. He painted his gunmetal grey.
The Dreamcast is one of my favorite consoles I have three of them and all of them work but I am very grateful that you're making videos about the Dreamcast because one day I will need to fix them.
I’m convinced I’m going to go download the sponsor rn
Good man. I endorse the message fully and stake my reputation on it.
The potentiometer adjustment brought my Dreamcast back to life after 20 years of inactivity! Only needed to come down a couple hundred ohms so didn’t take long, thanks for this.
Glad I could help!
I've fixed mine by replacing the capacitors on the GD-ROM rom board. It was reading discs after the console was turned on for 10-15 mins. I was also trying with laser adjustment but after replacing capacitors and setting the laser to default setting, it was reading original and burned discs every time. Good luck :)
Forgot to mention - I used regular capacitors because I didn't find SMD in my area.
All of your videos are very informative and well made. Thanks for everything!
Surely you have to get "Crazy taxi" or "Sonic".. Great video as always buddy can't wait for part 2!
Thanks bud, looking forward to working on this console some more!
Very interesting video, I know from past dreamcast repair videos that the optical drive can fail pretty badly . I'm looking forward to seeing the next upload on this 👍
Watching you solder relaxed me at work.
Glad you enjoyed it.
I went through drive resistor tweaking hell once with a PS2, which was much harder because I had two pots to tweak, one for CD and one for DVD. As I was only trying to get games working, I only focused on the DVD pot, but hours later, no luck. Then for fun I tried tweaking down the CD pot, and suddenly the DVD game disc started working... Fun times.
Some ps2 games are on cds not dvds (blue discs)
cant wait to see the retro brite part, i am currently trying to do it to an nes shell and while it looks tons better than when i started it seems the process has slowed down
Fingers crossed. I'm a little nervous about it, but you gotta take the plunge and just go for it!
@@BorderlineOCD s0
Cant wait for Part 2...Great Video Man...
Thank you very much kind sir and thanks for continuing to drop by over all these months.
This was a very helpful video. Thank you for insightful commentary about the repairs and other options for people with different equipment.
Look forward to part 2!
Great video. Let's wait for part two. I also own a dreamcast, thank God is still working. Hope to see more love to that laser, I'm sure you'll get it working dude. Regards!
Glad to hear more original Dreamcasts still going strong. Unfortunately all optical drives will eventually expire, but the ODE scene is fairly mature at this point so you have some options well into the future.
Great video and repair as always! Cant wait to the follow-up video.
I received today a psx dvr that doesn't read discs, so i probably have to check the potentiometer on that.
Thats a cool system, good luck with it. I kind of dread project with bad optical drives. Tricky without the right equipment and too many unsuccessful repairs. Let me know how it goes!
Just the one I was waiting for Brother man,awesome video bro
Haha glad to hear it. Cheers!
I'm impressed about the laser value i actually never thought that can function that low
You and me both. It does feel very low, but without an oscilloscope you're just blinding making adjustments like I do here without seeing the peak to peak voltage (not that I was even able to find any info on the test probe point on the board).
Thank you for this, was able to get my system back up to limp along until the SD solution can be installed.
Glad you got your system working! Do you recall your initial and final readings on your potentiometer? Might be useful for folks to have a couple of references since each drive is unique.
I do! 560k ohm, I think that was pretty close to what yours required to get it running. 566 I think was my exact reading. Soon as I fired it up it read the first time and has been for about 3 hours today.
So glad i found your channel couple of weeks ago.
Welcome aboard my man. Thanks for watching!
I love the Dreamcast, I love this video, please make part 2 :)
Great work,as I prospected!!
I had Dreamcast,and used to play many games.
The controllers of DC tend to have troubles of L/R buttons,I think.
Mine had been out of order because the units of buttons had broken,and I could not use them well.
Thanks for sharing. I hope its a simple button issue although I don't know why that would prevent the system from detecting it. Hopefully with some cleanup it will spring back to life as well.
As you guessed,many of these troubles come from very simple cause,I think.
When you open the controller,you will realize soon.
These buttons are set by two joints.
These joints are two,right side and left side.
And, if which one or both of the joints is(are) broken,it gets to be impossible to we set these buttons well.
That is a simple cause,the part of button is broken.
I had tried to "re-adhire" by glue,but it was broken again soon.
I guess,in that case,we must exchange the part to new one.
What i would do is use a donor board from a white Dreamcast controller, cos the translucent red look nice.
Also, if you did succeeded in repairing the GD-Rom drive for good, i would suggest you to use a little bit of lithium grease on the ball screw and guide rail, to help the lens move around better. It did helped on games that tend to load things often!
Need more dreamcast content! Great video
The original batch of web browser discs released in the US were actually defective. Some games were too, but a lot of the web browser discs are still out there because a lot of people never used the web browser.
Lots of work goes into this channel thanks for the info 👌
Appreciate that bud. A lot of love goes into it indeed!
these videos are the best keep it up
Thank you, glad you are enjoying them my man.
Check capacitors in the logic board of the laser.
a lot of issues can come from that.
What happened ? with part 2 of this great project, great work borderline ocd
The biggest problem I have when taking apart things like consoles and the like is remembering were the stuff goes back.
Great video! But where is part 2?
great vídeo, i also have a dreamcast that wasn't reading any discs, and after calibrating the potentiometer i've managed to make it read the games, but it still takes a long time to do it. i wasnt able to check the resistence values thought.
i'm brazilian, and i've seen some repair videos (in portuguese) where people fixed their gdrom by letting almost the same resistence value as you (around 500).
you could also try to check the capacitors on the board right below the gdrom, some people managed to fix their gdrom without touching the potenciometer just replacing those capacitors. i've never tried it because my soldering skills aren't good enough for that.
I'm curious about the capacitors. A couple of folks mentioned that here but there isn't much information I can find about it. Needs some more research but that would be an ideal fix if its indeed contributing to the issue.
Might want to invest in a oscilloscope for future optical drive laser calibration, and other repairs. A good Siglent can be had for under 400 bucks.
I spent hours yesterday adjusting that pot. Slowly reduced it form the initial reading of 1203ohms all the way down to 700 and I still had trouble with a few games. I just decided to give up and bought an ODE. Lol!
I like the idea of owning both a modded and a stock system. With the price of GDEMU clones though it's not a difficult proposition to use an ODE.
Nice job , glad to see you got it loading 👌👌
Thanks bud, me too. Cheers.
Man this video was awesome. Thank you
Miss you big time
What happened to part 2 cant find it?
So the screw below my laser doesnt have that red light or sticker on it. And it doesnt seem like it tightens or losen so it just free spins
Awesome video. Enjoyed it very much. Can't wait for the follow up. 🥰👍 thanks
Glad you enjoyed it bud. Cheers.
@@BorderlineOCD I had to redo the controller port update too. Battery died so I replaced it with the same kit. Worked great. Also I am lucky my dreamcast didn't yellowed. Its all scratched up though. Its all good. 😊 take care
Great videos, one question is how come you add solder before desoldering
Nice work!
I hate when a system has a problem with its optical drive. For some reason, tweaking the potmeter never worked for me (tried on like 20 different systems including Dreamcasts). Either I'm doing something wrong or it only works on RUclips videos xD
Anyway, you can buy a replacement laser, just be sure you check which one you have because there are different GD drives and you can get a laser that does not fit into yours.
I know you've previously mentioned your string of bad luck with pot-tweaks. Some folks here suggested that they had to recap the board, but did not yet respond to followup questions to clarify if its specific caps on the optical drive or whole motherboard. Would love to know about other people's experiences and get better at reviving these drives. I still have all my failed pot-tweak projects including a couple of OG Xboxes. I plan to revisit them once I get an oscilloscope and learn how to use it to diagnose the waveform. Would be interesting to see if those can be revived even though I wasn't successful the first time around with a multimeter.
Even with the multimeter though the success rate is certainly not zero. I'm surprised you've run into so many units with not a single success! One thing I also look for which would have been good to show on camera is that you can see the red laser flashing with the lights turned off and the lid door sensor closed. I don't know if all systems with a working laser is always visible to the eye, but this has been true for all the pot-tweaks I've done on the channel so far so I know it's at least not dead before I start.
Finally for some systems like the OG PlayStation there are additional adjustments for bias and gain. Adjusting the pot alone didn't get the drive working without tuning the bias and gain as per instructions in the repair manual. I feel your frustration though. I dread starting a project on a system with a bad drive. The Sega CD was a very frustrating project as was one of my earliest Xbox attempts (Samsung drive). I'm putting off the Neo Geo CD and haven't even bought a test game for it because something is rattling inside and I'm not ready to open that can of worms. That's my ramble for you. In short, I understand :) Cheers bud.
@@BorderlineOCD I think is the most detailed answer I ever got from someone :D
Maybe pot tweaking is more complex than I've thought. I love how some of the RUclips videos didn't even use a multimeter for it...they just adjust it by eye and all disc reading errors are gone. (yeah sure) I'm looking forward to see what you can do with an oscilloscope here :) I'm always surprised how well you do even with cheap tools. Can't wait to see your next project.
@@BorderlineOCD What advantage does the o-scope signal give you over the multimeter? I'm assuming you'd just look at the peak-peak signal, but would you be trying to match some sort of spec?
@@enjoiboy385 Yep the peak-to-peak voltage is the main one for the optical drive which will be within some spec for a factory pressed disc (i.e. not bootleg). Most repair manuals for these retro consoles usually also have instructions for using a scope on various test points on the board to check for specific frequencies next to the CPU, GPU etc. on dedicated test points on the board. It's certainly an area I want to get into eventually and have a more scientific approach to finding faults with stubborn systems.
@@BorderlineOCD Looking forward to seeing your approach and hearing your rationale. Thanks!
Recommend you switch out that PSU with ReDream. Done it with my faulty Saturn and tada...my childhood reawoken.
I need help finding a replacement for the display port on the back because one of the hooks that connects to the display cable is broken and i cant keep the cable connected inside.
I tried to repair a few playstation 1 optical drives. I found out that in many cases solution was not changing potentiometer value, but disassembly laser and cleanup mirrors and lenses. Unfortunately it is not easy.
Cleanup and some new lithium grease is always a good idea.
When i fully disassemble my dreamcast to look at the board revision, unsticking the shroud from the board, do i need to replace the sticky thermal pads or apply thermal paste?
did you ever make the second video of this? I can't find it on your channel.
No part 2 for this?
Yes! Another dreamcast. Also a nice sponsor 🤣🤣
I only work with the best sponsors ;)
The sponsor joke made me subscribe to him because it’s the sad truth with RUclips now.
Hello, its a bit late, but that DC controller you fixed, it is 3 pin connector? Thanks
So many GD Roms are shot because of all the crappy cdr disc's a lot of people used for pirating games. Also interested in your retro brighting process.
@Delinquent Road Runner listen dummy, reading CDRs, even high quality ones is harder on the laser. That is a fact. Also, you think the Saturn was made with high quality components? Get real
@Delinquent Road Runner yeah, name them other problems fuck boy
incredible video
Hello mate, I've got a dreamcast where you can make out the outline of the graphics but the screen is almost black, any idea what the fault might be? Thank you
Hey, If you're looking for a laser for your dreamcast unit. Look for a Samsung Laser. You see that blue rubber foot on your CD Drive? That's one of the indications that it's a Samsung manufactured drive. The other color you can get is a red one, and those are Yamaha manufactured. Just a heads up ;)
I actually briefly looked into this and options on Ali Express range from $10 to about $40. Have you tried a replacement laser? If so how did it hold up? The reviews on some of those listings aren't very promising.
@@BorderlineOCD I have yet tried to replace a dreamcast laser. My dreamcast suffers from the same problem, itll sometimes not read games. I really should buy a new laser for it, it's also Yamaha manufactured as well.
I cant really tell if they hold up but in reality it *should* hold up for a while. It's a fresh new lense that you're putting in. Of course it should work right? Majority of lasers that I've replaced have worked right away. I pray that itll work.
@@LemmeSquish you need fresh capacitors on servo board, not a fresh laser
Were you able to complete the repair? Part 2?
I'm really interested in see how this cleans up. I have one that I would like to clean as well and looking at a how to guide.
Sorry bud I don't take repair jobs.
@@BorderlineOCD I wasn't asking for a repair. In the first part of your video you mentioned that you'll be trying to restore the unit to look like a brand new one. I'm interested in seeing how that is done as I would like to do it myself on my own unit.
That comment was intended for someone else. Not sure what happened lol.
Where's the RetroBright part 2 video???
with the gd-rom drive, I didn't have the proper equipment to test mine. I literally just went in dark and first try it (micro turn) revived my black dreamcast (however, at that point I had already bought a GDEMU before I even got the dreamcast so if there is any issues I have that as a backup drive for that console now lmao)
When Dreamcast was powered on, I pulled out the AV cable and the graphic chip broke, do you know how to fix it? By the way, I live in South Korea.
I didn’t request this one! But still one good video!
Glad you enjoyed it. It's a great system to own if you ever happen to come across one. Especially with a GDEMU.
@@BorderlineOCD I might try and get one, but it will be used, so it might have a similar issue with the broken ones you got.
Stupid question, but did you try cleaning the lens? I've done this in the past with alcohol and it has helped
Indeed a gentle wipe down of the laser with some IPA should really be the first thing you try. Greasing the rails with lithium grease is also a good idea when refurbishing any optical drive. I did indeed wipe down the laser but your comment makes me wonder about tossing out footage like that or at least voicing over it. When I edit the videos I try to keep it succinct and tell an engaging story to take you guys along for the ride, but its inevitable that some folks use them as a guide for similar work so would be good to cover the basics.
Great Video!
Glad you enjoyed it bud. Cheers.
We are back!
I've almost forgot.
Thank you good sir. Your enthusiasm is appreciated :)
Hello everyone. I'm having issues with the output signal to my tv from my dreamcast. It displays sometimes and then goes out. No sound or anything. I have replaced the av cable multiple times and used a hdmi cable, still same issue. I have to power console off and back on for video to come back. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.
Do we have a part 2?
You should frame that original controller fuse fix.
Never heard of a " resettable fuse " how does that work ?
Will they ever release a Dreamcast mini, I wonder?
ofc they will. just wait
I did the battery mod, but every single time I turn the system on, it asks to set the date and hour. I'm pretty sure it was correctly installed. I have to re-open it sometime and do some tests.
Not a good sign. Either the battery is inserted in the holder backwards or there is a broken trace on the battery save battery circuit.
What kind of solder are you using to wet the through-hole joint before solder wicking?
Most of my materials are MG Chemicals. I have the solder I'm using linked in the description. It's just a regular 63/37 no clean solder. I'm not using a low melt alloy like ChipQuik in this project if that's what you're wondering.
@@BorderlineOCD Yes, that’s what I was wondering. I can never seem to clear the holes with 60/40 and wick. Do you use 63/37 for normal soldering too? Just wondering if there’s a reason to switch between compositions.
63/37 is my primary solder because I find that it flash-solidifies as soon as you remove the heat so its nice to use when soldering components. That's just MY interpretation of my experience using it compared to 60/40 though. I don't know if that would be the driver of holes not clearing up. I would sooner try a good flux and a wick from a reputable manufacturer before suspecting the solder composition to be the reason. Also heating the via properly ofcourse. Some boards are more stubborn than others. Corrosion and oxidation from capacitor leakage or moisture will kill heat transfer and make the job harder. I experienced this clearing the vias on leaky Xbox clock cap as well the the iBook project which also needed a leaky capacitor replaced.
Excelente como siempre
Gracias mi amigo
Good video, do you plan to reverse the yellowing? There is a way
Yep that's the plan for Part 2.
I've heard that 0.650 is the magic number.
Hey, to properly install a CR2032 on a DC, wasn't you supposed to install a diode with the resistor near the now new battery support? Considering that the original battery is a rechargeable one, it's a safety measure so the 2032 doesn't blow. Or is it?
You're absolutely right if you are installing a CR 2032, but I installed an ML 2032 (rechargeable) which is identical to the battery that was removed :)
@@BorderlineOCD OH, i somehow mistaken for a CR2032! Good video man, keep it up.
Which solder wick did you use? That thing works amazingly. Oh I just saw it in the description! I think I will see if I can get something like that.
I use MG #427 linked in the description. I agree it's a pleasure to use. Big difference between the generic stuff and a good wick.
Al final en cuanto se calibro ese lente 😁 tengo una igual
You mean the same potentiometer value?
@@BorderlineOCD I mean what were your values on the potentiometer so that it reads your backups
The GD-Rom resistance is always something about 600 After a some years.
That's good to hear. It felt very low to land on 0.520k. I'm cautiously optimistic about it's longevity but I wouldn't be surprised if it crapped out.
Great work👍
Thanks my man. Cheers!
Ah, this was interesting. Shame about no part two.
But could you mod a Neo Geo MVS into a gaming console?
Would you like to donate an MVS guinea pig? :P That's an expensive system to consolize. Why are you interested in it? Price of the AES or just think its a cool mod?
I replace my fan but only the orange light and fan turns on no signal..
Do you see the Dreamcast logo before the system loses signal? It's possible your aftermarket replacement fan is drawing too much power from the controller board.
the yellow is caused by uv rays mixing with a chemical in the plastic called bromine there are ways to reverse the process just kind of a pain
Part 2??
This wasn’t a particularly popular video so nice to see someone is looking forward to it haha. It’s still sitting on the backlog shelf but I think I have a few more interesting projects in the works. I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually.
how much for a GDMU?
Clones are everywhere, very affordable. The one I used is linked in the description.
What kind of flux should I buy?
I'd recommend a no-clean flux from a reputable manufacturer. I have links in the desc for the flux I use from MG Chemicals which I really like. It can get a little clumpy if you let it sit for more than 6 months or a year. I'm also currently trying an Amtech flux but haven't used it enough to share my thoughts on it.
@@BorderlineOCD Awesome! Thank you, I will be ordering a few things this coming weekend including a multimeter to start trying to fix a few old sega genesis I have
That soldering work is pro. Like soldering porn.
Yeah, never depend too much on continuity mode. It will lie to you.
dude, using flux on every single pin you have to solder...that's really ocd .. 5:50 thats really unnecessary
First let me say I don’t condone piracy but the Dreamcast can play burnt isos but if your gonna use it to test or even enjoy and play a game since the system is old and good games are scarce just burn an iso and give it a shot
👍
If you provide a way to contact you I have an HST-3200 Sega Saturn that I could send your way for working on as a contribution to your channel possibly.
Thanks bud, you can reach me at contact@borderlineocd.com.
COME BACK!
I wonder why all Dreamcasts get so yellow with time. that's a pretty big oversight in manufacturing, they didn't seem to think about preserving condition much
It's a pretty common issue with these beige electronics. The SNES is one of the worst offenders.
Wayne's World 🤣 🥰
Stop smoking by your Dreamcast and making them yellow folks.
By the way excellent soldering skills.