Sega Saturn questions

Copied is such a harsh term. You mean backups? :friendly_wink:
Limited only by the region of your console!

 

What's so harsh?
You bought the game CD and made the copy onto the blank CD-R to play with the mod chip.
Simple as that-

 

Here are the pics of the PSU

 

If I did that I'd just be playing Sega Rally Championship over and over and over.
I'd probably burn a few dozen backups of it to ensure it never breaks.
Very long easy right, baby! :smile-new:

Oh happy 3000th post too! :loyal:

Edit: Oh a PSU photo... four pin... out of my league! Never seen one in the flesh as of yet.

 

So do you not think I could use the Sega Saturn PAL one ? It does look like a Sega DC though. Also any idea why the fuse may keep blowing ?
Cheers

 

Fuse might be blowing because of a bad component somewhere on the power board or maybe deeper in the machine.
If your fuse keeps blowing with a different PSU installed though, there's issues inside the machine alright!
Yours looks to be one of the shorter types of PSU, so the form factor is different to the ones I have.
Here's the only form factor mine are:



Sorry I couldn't be much more help!
Although maybe here $9 seems a good deal if you don't mind using the step down transformer still.
Those ones look the same as the one you have now right?

Edit: Oh in case you are wondering the five pin 240V ones have two grounds on the end.
When put into a console with 4 pins, one of the ground points isn't used. Which isn't really an issue from what I understand.
Anyone care to back me up on this? :smile-new:

 

OK, that component in the second photo (next to the cap, behind the rectifier bridge) looks like the VDR - and it also looks like it's blown up. The PSU should still work with it removed completely - although it will have no protection against power surges, so I would not recommend running it for an extended period of time.

And yes, you may have difficulty finding a replacement power supply that's compatible - most Saturns have a PSU with a 5-pin connector.

 

Purchased was $14 with P and P

Will keep updated.

 

x

 

Interesting - I'm in HK, and pretty much all the Saturns you ever see here are Japanese models with 5-pin PSUs. Maybe they were all imported early on.

 

x

 

I have some Sad news once your laser is dead there's no sanyo replacement.

 

For the fuse, it is my experience if they blow fast, there's likely a short on the primary side of the power supply. Also you can quickly rule out problem on secondary side with the quick and dirty check: using ohm meter, check the resistance on the power out connectors between 5v and ground. On a typical switching power supply, there should be about 100 ohms. If you get very low or 0 ohms, follow that rail for short.

Capacitor and diode can go bad and cause problem without showing sign of going bad. Resistor usually burn up and would show up as darker brown or black, and be open not short.

 

The Japanese version of the Saturn is certainly the most common - but finding one that's still in a box might be a problem, since people tend not to keep boxes here (probably something to do with the fact that so many people are living in very small spaces) - I can have an ask around and see if anyone has one. Damaged power supplies are also very common here, since we have the combination of lots of imported Japanese machines and 230V power. That was why I immediately suspected that the VDR might have blown up, since I've seen it quite a few times, and often the VDR and the fuse are the only damaged parts.

 

TriMesh is right, the component circled usually is the cause for the fuse to blow.
Didn't know it was caused by the mixed power supplies in different regions.

 

***UPDATE***

I ordered the first Power Board from GameDoctor and it came cracked, so I messaged the guy and he sent me out a new one no questions asked and received it a couple days ago and it is all fitted and working, it is playing copied JAP games but not PAL, so I may install a new BIOS chip. The only thing I need now is a RGB cable opposed the the Composite one I have as it out puts a grey image.

 

Why bother with a BIOS chip when all you need to do is patch the ISO of the game to your systems region? I know a BIOS chip is great for people who own the Real Games from other regions but if your playing "backups" then just patch the ISO and no more problems playing it on your system.

 

I try to keep setup time to a minimum. Generally not found of disc swaps, changing controllers, or other pre-game events.

 

or you can always use an action replay 4-in-1. or you can use both region-free modded saturn and action replay 4-in-1 like me.

 

I'm planning to save the action replay for cheat codes and ram cart games. Rather have backup ram on save file hogs like dragon force.