Saturn Power Supply Failing - Repair Ideas?

I sure do love eBay, I've picked up four Saturns just this week. Now I have eight of the blighters!
Three Model 1 units and one Model 2. The model 2 is functional. Two of the Model 1s are functional too. The last one has unknown issues.
So this should be pretty exciting or pretty devastating.
At least it should keep me busy for a while. I'll keep everyone posted here when I check them out.
Thanks again to all who have helped so far

 

What about getting something like this:
http://www.mpja.com/33V5V-12V-5V-12V-12V-and-Power-One-Power-Supply/productinfo/17847+PS/

There might be other ones out there that are smaller, cheaper but you get the idea.

 

Yeah that is a good idea and is definitely on the cards. I'll have to try and track one down locally that fits the part. I suspect I'll end up with some Saturns that work perfectly and some hideous monstrosities that look like they have come straight out of a horror movie! The ones that don't have battery doors will probably get some sort of weird fan hooked up in their place.

 

Looks like whatever that 9v rail does is essential for this particular model as disconnecting the 9v causes a loss of video and power to the LEDs on the unit. Disconnecting the 5v and 3.3v causes the Saturn to show LEDs but have no CD activity or video - looks like I'll be hooking up an external power supply for this unit.

As a side note I was a surprised to find that the Saturn I received a few days ago had the power supply attached to the lid of the Saturn rather than the base. I then noticed it seemed to also have the motherboard and controller port board as one. Were these types just an earlier design? It seems to run solid after replacing the CD deck from another.

Here's some eye candy for those who are interested: http://imageshack.us/f/844/img6334i.jpg/ and http://imageshack.us/f/528/img6338h.jpg/
And a video of it running here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkwPwoOMudo

 

x

 

Woohoo! Launch Saturn? (Are they reliable? Please tell me they are!)
I'm looking forward to my other Saturns arriving so I can have a poke around in them too! :encouragement:

 

x

 

Yep I am definitely getting old...!

 

this is a very known fault!
a default design of this power!
person I know has managed to chager that!
the only saturn of this version that does not have the problem that are spent in service and equipped Power "Voltek" the next version!

all these slick saturn has 20pins had this problem!

http://saturn.netboarder.com/t5-sega-saturn-alim-les-4-sortes-d-alim-sur-sat-pal

 

You have to be right since the two very early first gen PSUs have no issues and my Model 2 Voltek ones work perfectly. Yet all the Model 1 Saturns with the same type of power supply do show this fault - I've got about three now of these. I received three more Saturns, another early Model 1, a later Model 1 and a Model 2. As predicted the Model 2 and early Model 1 did not show any issues after running for extended times.

Looks like I need to get my French on! Thanks for the pointer in that direction darius-saturn!

 

to facilitate the work of switches and chips on saturn I have classified six main versions:
http://saturn.netboarder.com/t4-sega-saturn-apprendre-a-reconnaitre-les-6-versions-de-saturn
easy to identify without disassembly!
as we know what we buy and what we will be able to do: D

I also created a switch frequency "ninja" with no holes in the hull!

for V2.2 et V2.3 PAL (32PINS or VA7 => VA15)



for V1.3 et V2.1 PAL (64pins or SD pal)

 

That is much more tidy than my way which was two wires dangling out the back that I would short together to get 60Hz and untie to get 50Hz!

 

x

 

Anyone else notice that 60Hz'ed games tend to lose a bit of the bottom of the screen? As far as I could tell most of the games I had when I started picking up Saturn gear again was already optimised for PAL? Even movements seemed a little too fast on Virtua Fighter and possibly Sega Rally... Was this the case? I know the Mega Drive era was terrible with 50Hz and black bars everywhere.

 

x

 

unaware of your change, and being the first to my knowledge has to do (at least so I thought) I can say that this is a creation!

more for some versions it is better to embed the Integrated Switch because not all have the same cradle!

to the difference maps mothers, need to fully disassemble know, my simplified code allows everyone has to determine in a matter of what look will work to make a change!
it will change everything!


a problem with that?

 

V1.3 and V2.1 pal (mother board SD pal)



no drill holes !




V2.2 and V2.3 (motherboard VA7 => VA15)



underrun is required to use the MPEGcard (Finally, with the switches that I use)

 

x

 

bon , Druid II , j'en ai ras le bol de jongler avec le traducteur de google , a ton tour de traduire !

alors quel est le probléme ? une histoire de grand mâle dominant ? c'est ca ?

OUI j'ai "crée" cette modification , a une epoque ou tout le monde en france faisait un trou dans la coque pour le switch frequence !
OUI aussi , ma methode d'identification applicable a toutes les saturn courante a considerablement simplifié le reperage des console avant modification pour les amateurs !

et pour les 2 tutoriels correspondants j'ai été enormement remercié !

en quoi tout cela te géne ??? tu préfére que les modifications restent confidentielles ?
applicables seulement par ceux qui sont "dans le secret" ?

c'est pas ma façon de voir ! moi je tends vers des methodes de vulgarisation ,
qui permettent a tous de modifier leur saturn simplement et facilement !

 

The Model number is in the Serial number. You do not need to open the console.

Also, 2.1 and 1.3 etc makes no sense. Versions are VAx

Sorry, but I have to agree with Druid that putting the switch in the place a switch is supposed to go (its even labeled SW4? - which tells you a switch was supposed to go there) isnt a creation or anything unique.