PS2 laser coil question

My biggest problem with them is that you can't even read the stickers on the pickup. You might've as well uploaded pictures of an actual potato

 

Why did you have to replace the metal arm with the plastic one? Historically, the plastic parts were known to wear out, causing reading problems.

 

I actually replaced it because the metal one would bend like hell.

The stickers have just a bunch of numbers and letters written on them:

Green sticker - 632527BA8
Pink sticker - CCB56CBF4

Dunno what are these for.

 

http://psx-scene.com/forums/f110/brand-new-laser-disk-read-error-115952/ This thread has a picture of the old/early SF-HD7 laser. Look how the laser diode is assembled with a clip and glue instead of the longer shield you have on your laser. Also the top plastic cover is smaller.

The stickers have the default adjustment values for the CD/DVD laser pots and identification of manufacture lot/date for the whole pickup.

Edit2: Only SCPH-5000x is supposed to use the metal arm.

 

So the older HD7 that I have (yes,this was originally a early HD7 with the small plastic cover - I just happened to swap the covers between some dead v10 HD7 and this one) will work without problems on the 5000x? In my experience v10 consoles had HD7s.

 

But the laser in your picture is of the second model. Look the bottom of the laser at the PSX scene thread, it's different.

 

I think I mentioned this in the post above the one I'm replying to:

"this was originally a early HD7 with the small plastic cover - I swapped the small cover with another HD7 from a dead v10 (so second model)"

And not easy to spot from my pictures but the thing is that the difference between my laser and a second model HD7,is that the second model has the body (sans the plastic cover) made out of something black (and shiny to the surface) while the earlier v5-v7 HD7s have the same kind of stone-like textured material,just like the KHS lasers.

 

After further testing I've discovered that it refuses to play any sort of DVD -RW/+RW discs. Whether it's games or movies. What can be done abou this? I've tried adjusting pitch, pot and resistance.
My other PS2, a 50004, reads them almost perfectly (sometimes I have to click the eject button a couple of times).
None of them are mod-chipped.

 

Huh. Mine doesn't read any kind of -RW media,and it's a 50004 as well. (the silver I have been talking about previously)

 

Weird..
Mine is a blue-silver like this one

 

You guys really want to blow the laser, eh? The laser diode is NOT designed to read that kind of media (rewritable media requires a lot more laser power to be read due to reduced reflexivity).

Please save yourselves a major headache and stop that silly idea.

 

I actually gave up trying rewritable media in my PS2 because it would simply not read at all. In fact,it won't even spin -RW. Anything else like CD-Rs and DVD+R and DVD-Rs work without a problem. (though I have to use some tape on the CDs or else there's grinding from the spindle)

Oh yes,I actually had one of these. It's a v10 as far as my memory goes,since the DVD player reports 3.02E. (v9's like my silver report 3.00E) Let me guess,you have a KHS-400c laser? Mine had a 400C,just like the v9 I have used to. (I replaced it with a HD7 and reprogrammed the EEPROM to work with it.)

 

The one that needed a laser replacement is the 30004, and it had a 400b which I replaced with a 400c. The 50004 didn't have any issues to begin with and reads any RW media fine, most of the time. It's not really a big deal as I only play games from internal HDD, but it's nice to be able to test things with an RW disc. Quick and easy.

 

It is IMPOSSIBLE to determine what sort of optical block is installed, based on just the model alone. All PlayStation 2 consoles can have either the KHS-400C or SF-HD7 installed, starting from the F-chassis.

Also, those version numbers are unofficial and may not accurately capture the console's revision.

DVD±R and DVD±RW playback was only officially supported (according to the manuals), starting from the SCPH-50000 series.

 

Model numbers are as official as they get, otherwise they wouldn't be printed by *SONY*.

Here's a quote:
"It's not really a big deal as I only play games from internal HDD, but it's nice to be able to test things with an RW disc. Quick and easy."

 

I wrote version numbers (i.e. "v9"), not model numbers.

Okay, but I mentioned it because you tried it out before and didn't say that you certainly won't try it again.

Anyway, I deleted that part of my post because I realized that this model was documented to support DVD±R discs, although I don't remember hearing of anyone actually using it to game.

 

Ah. Pardon me.

I won't be trying it again on the 30004 as it completely refuses to read them. So there's no point.
The 50004 has no problem with them, and I might play some RWs on it again. It really likes camcorder/gamecube DVD±RW discs.
They always boot, without fail.

 

Not quite. Anything before the v5 used KHS-400A and B lasers exclusively. It's v5 onwards that they started using the newer 400C and HD7.

The only one that I can't exactly know,is the v11. I've seen a GH-027/029 machine,but the laser looks like the slim lasers. I remember someone saying it's a older PVR laser. In any case it isn't a PVR-802.

And for who says that a v9/10's laser EEPROM data can't be changed - you actually can,on any fat PS2 (except auto-tilt models,v1,2 and 3 - I think v4 doesn't have that). I did that to my silver PS2 because the KHS-400C it used was literally on its last legs - in fact it won't read anything. I replaced it with a customised HD7 (open faced HD7 out of a v7 with a replaced closed face cover from a dud v10 HD7 - I already told you that,don't ask again.),booted Lenschanger off a DVD (I have some weird modchip that doesn't support DEV1/2,HDD,MASS or anything else than CD/DVD. It does boot them without needing to swap though,and even detects ESR games as PS2 DVDs.),and reprogrammed the EEPROM with the HD7 (the closed-face type found in v9/10 machines) setting,then did a cold boot with a old Crazy Taxi CD I had. It took it,save for the spindle grinding. (which by the way,can anyone tell me how to fix this? I still have an entire v7 drive sans laser and worm gear that I can use for parts.)

 

Actually, he's exactly right and you just repeated what he said.

Difference is, you used unofficial (but commonly used) vX versions and he used the Sony designations.

 

See? This is the problem. The unofficial version numbers overlap various mainboard models and don't even always correctly follow the chassis designations.
I guess that the "v5" is the F-chassis GH-015. But the D-chassis models are GH-010, GH-011, GH-012, GH-013, GH-014 and GH-016. None of them can support the SANYO SF-HD7, although all of them will still support the SONY OPs with both the T487 and T609K (hence KHS-400C) lenses.

Only the A-chassis used the KHS-400A, which were the SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000 models. The A+-chassis (SCPH-18000 with GH-003) probably also used the KHS-400A, but it could very well came with the KHS-400B because the B-chassis models were already shipped with them.

Neither did SONY explicitly start/stop using laser and lens types with specific models. If you refer to the service manuals, there were times when a model could have multiple parts that are compatible with it. Hence why some post F-chassis models could have the SONY KHS-400C, while some others would have the SANYO SF-HD7.

I'm quite sure that all fat PS2s used some SANYO OP towards the very end of that era, as the slimline's optical block is fairly different. To support such a thing, they would have to redesign the whole CD/DVD sled assembly for one and also change the MECHACON's firmware.

A Dragon MECHACON (CXR7x6080) will not allow you to change all parts of its EEPROM. Only certain parts like the servo, disc detect and tray can be overwritten.
It was obviously done, so that SONY could still ship critical updates for the users to install. Although SONY never actually used it.

Only the US got the AUTO-TILT MOTOR model (B/B'-chassis, GH-004 and GH-005).
Hence if Europe started with the "v3", then the "v3" should be already a C-chassis.

Anyway, all consoles have the EEPROM.