I broke my Dreamcast...

lpjunior999 · Post by **lpjunior999** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 7:35 am

A while back, I got tired of trying to burn homebrew games for the DC, screwing up and going though a 5-pack of CDRs in a day. So I popped it open and tried a method I read about online for enabling the DC to read CD-RWs. The method involved finding that little screw on the disc drive and turning it.

Well, I broke it somehow. Now the disc drive doesn't work period. At first I thought it was because I pulled out that little ribbon, but I got it back in and that wasn't it. I don't know how to get that screw back to the right place, if that's the cause. I'd rather not pay to have it fixed, since it'll cost as much as buying a new one, and I just want to gut the whole thing and make it portable anyway, and given previous experience there's a 50/50 chance I'll end up with TWO broken DCs.

Any ideas?

totokan · Post by **totokan** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 3:54 pm

NEVER DO WHAT YOU READ ON THE INTERNET UNLESS YOU READ IT ON A REFUTABLE SITE. really, you probably permanantly damaged it. That's probably the stupidest thing i've ever heard. I mean, come on one screw keeps it from reading rw's? duh.

Turbo Tax 1.0 · Post by **Turbo Tax 1.0** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 4:00 pm

it was probably just a pot try screwing it back the oposite way

demonofaj · Post by **demonofaj** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 4:29 pm

*sigh*, that's it *sigh.

lpjunior999 · Post by **lpjunior999** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:32 am

Is boob.co.uk reputable? I think that's where I read it. I figured what the hell, I didn't think I'd break it just by doing that.

But anyway, basically after checking around I think it was the pot, but I don't remember where it was exactly, so now I've turned it all the way in and now I'm doing quarter turns until I get it right. Which is a pain because I've got to take the ribbon out of the laser, turn the pot, then partially remove the laser just to get the ribbon back in it.

If this keeps up though, I'm going to sell off some DVDs and such and buy a new one. Trying to stay under a $60 budget with this portablizing project. But man, just opening up the DC and poking around in it was fun, especially when you see boards labeled 'katana.' Although the first time I opened it up, I found a piece of chalk in the GD-ROM.

atkafighter · Post by **atkafighter** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:55 am

lpjunior999 wrote:Trying to stay under a $60 budget with this portablizing project.

Not trying to discourage you, but I don't think it would be even remotely possible to make a DCP with a $60 budget. Think about why only one person has successfully completed one. Do you have the power all figured out? What about the disc mounting, and thats not even considering the controller. We haven't even started on the case. This is a very difficult project, and it will be costly. Just keep that in mind.

lpjunior999 · Post by **lpjunior999** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:47 am

Well I'm starting to think maybe I should try another console, since I don't know if I'll get my DC working. If I have to shell out the money for a new console to try, I could probably find an N64 or SNES much cheaper.

Reaperman@home · Post by **Reaperman@home** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:51 am

it's not like dreamcasts are more than $15--and that's the high end.

lpjunior999 · Post by **lpjunior999** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:27 pm

People try to rip you off here though; local pawnshop has one for $30, others nearby might be worse. Unless I buy it off ebay, the PSOne screen is going to run me $40. I'm going to try some haggling. My stepdad taught me that you need to be able to walk away, so I'll see if I can't find a better price somewhere, take it into them and say "Give it to me for this and lose a little, or don't and lose a sale totally."

As far as the DC; a quarter turn and I can hear everything going into place, but a half turn and I just hear a slightly moaning almost. Either way it's not reading the disc.

lpjunior999 · Post by **lpjunior999** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 7:45 pm

Just to say; I'm not fixing it, no way. I physically removed the GD-ROM and tried to inspect the wiring, but I couldn't get this plate off the bottom due to a HIDDEN SCREW. Couldn't get at the thing unless I had an electric drill the size of a pencil that turned on a 90 angle.

lpjunior999 · Post by **lpjunior999** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 9:44 am

Okay, update over a month later. I found the solution and to those of you who actually have engineering knowledge, unlike me, you'll slap your forehead.

The "tutorial" I found about early in the year told me to turn a "Screw" a quarter turn, and this would enable CD-RWs. It's words. The problem is the screw in question was actually the pot, which I didn't learn until earlier this week. See, the thing was I figured I'd ripped that wire ribbon, like I've done with a PS2 before. So basically I said "not worth the expense to replace" and borrow my little bro's.

Eventually I tried to fix it so I wouldn't be leeching off my relation, but I wasn't able to find a tutorial or explanation of what was wrong, until this past week. All I remembered was a 'screw,' so I basically did everything possible with this little screw to the right of the pot, completely ignoring the right solution in my ignorance.

But then last week I was trolling around on the gamefaqs.com Dreamcast boards, and someone had actually posted a link to solve this exact problem I had. So today I popped it open, and gave it a try. Sucess! Now I can finally play Power Stone 2 again.

So learn from my mistake; bookmark anything you use for advice modding a console, and only use reputable sites. Also, learn the difference between a pot and a screw.