Hi chaps, I've recently decided to add a 60 Hz switch to my Saturn (Model No. MK-80200A-50). I've had a search around and see that there are a few ways to connect up the switch, depending on models. Sadly my model does not have the SW4 connectors so I can discount one of the guides I've found. Having opened it up and got to the motherboard I can see that '171-7291B' and 'PC BD SATURN MAIN VA9' is printed on it. My question is: would this guide - http://djoen.dommel.be/Console/saturn/saturn-model2.html be the one I need to follow to achieve the 60 Hz switch or can you recommend another that suits my Saturn? Just thought I'd check before I jump in and potentially wreck my console by cutting tracks! Many thanks! Mike
Ah good point, so the 'VA9' is the mobo revision then. It was the other numbers being different that threw me (171-7291B on mine vs 171-7291C in the pics). Will give this a go this evening. Cheers!
Druid II - That sounds like a nice method, I have attached a pic of the JP1 area on the motherboard of my Saturn. I can see that there is a track between one of the points of JP2 and JP1 (highlighted in red), should I cut the track highlighted in red once I have soldered my SPDT switch to the two points of JP1 - job done?
Apologies for turning this thread from a quick question into a full blown walk through! I have attached another image of the motherboard with some notation. Can I just confirm I'm on the right page - Red (common point) - expose copper track (not break the connection) so as I can solder wire from this point to contact B on my switch. Green/Blue - solder either of these points to contact A or C on my switch. Thanks again for putting up with my incessant questions!
Ok, so I soldered my switch in but now I get a scrambled image no matter which position the switch is in Attached is a pic of my soldering and a pic of what I get on my TV when the Saturn is running. The red line denotes where I broke the connection between JP2 and earth on the motherboard. Any idea as to what I've done wrong, please?
Damn! When I operate the switch there is a change in video output from the Saturn, in the other position I can almost make out the language selection screen (still heavily scrambled though) - so it's doing something. Out of curiosity, where should I have broken the JP2 contact and could I just re-break in the correct place and bridge the incorrect break with a bit of solder? Need to find my multimeter now. Thanks for your help so far!
Isn't that a 0 ohm resistor on JP2? In which case, surely you just take that off? I'm surprised you didn't follow the guide you linked to - it was the same model of Saturn and you had an "idiot sheet" laid out right in front of you!
Does this method allow proper RGB? I had to lift a leg on the GPU I believe. There's another point that allows the "new" video type to be composite only too, is the above that one?
Well, RGB. I recall one mod that had the console only being able to output composite when using the non native hz mode.
A quick update - I bridged the track that I incorrectly broke on my initial attempt at the 60 Hz mod and followed the guide I found originally. I now have a 50/60 Hz switchable Saturn! Many thanks for your help and for sticking with me through all my questions. Cheers!
