Best PlayStation 1 model?

The cap looks about right for the original PSU design (which I assume you have, since you said it was 150uF) - it's about 5mm taller, but there should be enough space for that. It's also over twice the value, but I don't see that as being a problem.

The thing about that transistor is that it has an insulated tab, and a consequently high thermal resistance. Replacing it with one that didn't have the plastic around the tab would improve the heatsinking - but try replacing the cap first, since you might find that it runs a lot cooler afterwards, since it won't be spending so much time turned on.

 

Post any questions you have here

 

New cap installed in my SCPH-1000 PSU and it appears to be working fine.

Wasn't kicking out heat immediately like my 1002 PSU was so will have to let it run for a bit and see if it actually makes a difference.

 

Picked up a second SCPH-1000 and this is the first revision with the BIOS I wanted, result. Just need a Mayumi 2.1 now then.

 

On that topic, I remember hearing WAAAAAY back that the Japanese SCPH-1000, even if you can get it to boot an import, doesn't display the splash screen as the game boots (you know the one, it goes "BWAAAAAMMMM DOOOOOOOO DO DO... DO... DO") is that still the current situation? I notice Bad_Ad was soldering in what looks to be a custom BIOS chip, could this be used as some kind of solution to this issue?

 

I don't think anyone is going to bother modifying a SCPH-1000 BIOS to display that information. So yes, that is still the situation. Though what I have marked down as a PAL CD-R title showed the SCEI splash screen - I'd have to confirm this with a retail disc I guess.

 

Hell, even if you could simply burn a EPROM that has the US BIOS on it (my PAL PS1 displays all the splash screens from all regions, so I assume this is a Japan-only problem) that might even do the trick.

 

Should work yes. But then you don't have a Nippon system menu!

I kinda like the quirk of no boot screen too. I did test a PAL retail disc too and it booted instantly to the copyright screen - no SCE* splash screen.

 

Eh, I'd actually rather the menu to be in English From the looks of things, Bad_Ad is able to burn new BIOS chips, wonder if it's just a simple swap over? I've got a heat gun now, so surface mounted soldering should be a little easier!

 

At that point why not just get a SCPH-1001?

 

Those are a US model right? I was more looking to buy a Japanese one to save on shipping

 

Launch day SCPH-1000 BIOS skips the PS logo if the boot sector isn't right (it's a Japanese console so it want a Japanese boot sector) but it could parse the boot files on the filesystem.

A revision was released later that instead of skipping, repeats the check until it passes. Effectively that locks the machine into a endless loop if the disc don't have a proper Japanese boot sector. Probably to stop people from booting wrong region discs with the spring trick.

Oh and the best model is the SCPH-1000. The BIOS has almost no text so it being in Japanese is not even a problem.

 

Only thing is, I rather like the PS logo boot animation. Is the only solution to get that to appear on the SCPH-1000 to swap the BIOS chip to one with the US BIOS?

 

Fix the discs so they have the Japanese logo ...

I would leave the BIOS alone if I were you... lol

 

That would require burning a copy of the disc thought wouldn't it? I want to use my original discs. Probably best to send over my launch model PAL PS1 and replace the PSU with an American one in this case

 

Yeah, I have both revisions now - I understand there to be two. That launch day/early model has two stickers in the disc tray as far as I can tell.

 

I think the stickers were removed before the code change - I have SCPH-1000s that will boot imports both with and without those stickers, although thinking about it I don't remember ever seeing a later (I.E. no imports) model that did have them.

 

Noticed the cap on the SCPH-1000 power supply was getting toasty so I ordered another ECOS2DP331BA (330uF 200V cap) and installed it. Mild warmth to the touch after some amount of play. Definitely worth looking into if you have an earlier machine, should eradicate the laser mechanism issues, right?

 

5501, 9001 and 101 a and b

 

I did a little comparison of my 1001, 9000, and 9001 models, and I do think the RGB quality of the 1001 is slightly better. Most people would probably not notice a difference, but the image looks clearer on the 1001 model. The image is really good on all of the models I've tried, but I do think the 1001 has a slight advantage. That's just my subjective assessment of it.