Anyone help me with a few 3DO issues. I picked up a cheap 3DO not reading discs. I assumed it was the laser do I ordered a new one. It turned up today (excited) so I installed. The laser seems fine as it moving on the rails but now the CD isn't turning I have double checked all the wires, is there a way to test the motor is shot or not? Also is it the laser that makes the motor start, what I mean is, if the laser pot is not correct then does this stop the motor turning? Thanks B
I always assumed motors started spinning when the lens sensed a disc, but you know what they say when you assume. As an aside, where did you get the laser? Ebay looks expensive to me. My Panasonic reads for a little while, then stops. I assume I need a new one too.
Replacement lasers often have a blob of solder on them to prevent damage from static in shipping/storage. If one exists on your replacement laser and you did not remove it, that could prevent the laser from working and maybe the drive from functioning.
I bought a 3DO FZ-1 in a similar predicament earlier as well. I found that if I babied the tray just right I could get a disc recognized and booting but only once or twice. Not sure what the problem is but the tray based 3DOs and SegaCDs are crap. My FZ-10 performs much better. With trays they have sensors for more than lid based systems which can and do fail. I'm not sure if the FZ-1 detects if there is a disc in the tray with a sensor or by pulsing the laser and checking to see if a reflective surface exists. Assuming the latter the laser could easily be dead/weak or someone could've screwed with the POTs randomly (as is apt for the internet to suggest) and it could have a focal point too close or too far away. That is assuming there is a POT for such matters. And if so replacing the laser won't fix that. Too bad we don't have a service manual.
New FZ-1 original laser not for sale ,you bought chinese refurbushed .Return old laser and turn resistor (in laserhead) per 1 point in a clockwise direction and check CD game. Repeat if necessary,rotation step is very small !!! Find the right screwdriver - I made a special screwdriver-hook for this (to adjust without disassembling).
You can always try some low voltages to the motor to see if it spins. It's likely the pot needs adjusting (check for aforementioned static solder first). Record where it's at, then start adjusting.
