Misbehaving CD32 - Odd Problems

Fingerlickin_B · 18 January 2010, 05:53

Hi all,

My CD32 starting acting very strangely today.

Some game CDs won't load at all, some load to the first screen then reset loop & others load but there is either sound or graphics corruption.

Audio CDs work fine, as does NeonLight's WB3.1 CD...but that's it.

Ok, so I thought it was probably the laser...then trying to load Alien Breed Tower Assault or Alien Breed II I see this:

Hmmm, maybe the Kickstart ROM needs replacement?

PZ.

FOL · 18 January 2010, 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fingerlickin_B

Hi all,

My CD32 starting acting very strangely today.

Some game CDs won't load at all, some load to the first screen then reset loop & others load but there is either sound or graphics corruption.

Audio CDs work fine, as does NeonLight's WB3.1 CD...but that's it.

Ok, so I thought it was probably the laser...then trying to load Alien Breed Tower Assault or Alien Breed II I see this:

Hmmm, maybe the Kickstart ROM needs replacement?

PZ.

Id maybe go with CD control board.

Fingerlickin_B · 19 January 2010, 01:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOL

Id maybe go with CD control board.

Cool & thanks FOL

I'll look for anything obvious, but are there any common failures in this area that I should be aware of?

PZ.

Fingerlickin_B · 19 January 2010, 08:57

Ok, looks like the laser has indeed had it...sh*t!

PZ.

FOL · 19 January 2010, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fingerlickin_B

Ok, looks like the laser has indeed had it...sh*t!

PZ.

You tried cleaning lens with IPA?

Fingerlickin_B · 19 January 2010, 10:37

Yep, that's the first thing I did.

Have since tried calibration & it will read some of the discs some of the time (read: rarely), the rest not at all & everything takes AGES...

*Edit* It also cannot play a burned audio CD cleanly (sound is fuzzy no matter how much fiddling with calibration).

PZ.

Loedown · 19 January 2010, 12:57

Weren't the lasers the Sony KSS-210B?

Either way, I can still get them.

Paul

Fingerlickin_B · 19 January 2010, 13:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loedown

Weren't the lasers the Sony KSS-210B?

Either way, I can still get them.

Paul

Cool Paul, how much?

PZ.

FOL · 19 January 2010, 14:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fingerlickin_B

Yep, that's the first thing I did.

Have since tried calibration & it will read some of the discs some of the time (read: rarely), the rest not at all & everything takes AGES...

*Edit* It also cannot play a burned audio CD cleanly (sound is fuzzy no matter how much fiddling with calibration).

PZ.

Calibrating???

Please clarify, I hope you dont mean the focus, bias, tracking pots??
If so, then it will never ever be right again.

Fingerlickin_B · 19 January 2010, 14:45

That's exactly what I mean. Following Ian Stedman's instructions, I have done this before to another bad CD32, with excellent results too

Anyway, I just juiced up the laser by turning "down" the variable resistor on it's side & there has been some improvement. Not totally fixed, but more CDs work now & some totally non-working ones from before semi-work now.

Now the next step is replace the stupid thing...hopefully Paul can get a good price

PZ.

Loedown · 20 January 2010, 00:32

Greetings,
According to my source, they'd be around $45 + shipping. Shipping is from Mornington, 3931. I could have one here as early as Tuesday. I just need the spec of the old laser, whether it's a standard KSS-210, or a high output KSS-210B

Paul

FOL · 20 January 2010, 01:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fingerlickin_B

That's exactly what I mean. Following Ian Stedman's instructions, I have done this before to another bad CD32, with excellent results too

Anyway, I just juiced up the laser by turning "down" the variable resistor on it's side & there has been some improvement. Not totally fixed, but more CDs work now & some totally non-working ones from before semi-work now.

Now the next step is replace the stupid thing...hopefully Paul can get a good price

PZ.

Thats why your having problems, I have already said not to follow that guide, those pots are not ment to be turned. You will never get it perfect once they have been adjusted.

If you turned the laser power down, then that tells me, by following that guide, you have screwed the focus bias up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loedown

Greetings,
According to my source, they'd be around $45 + shipping. Shipping is from Mornington, 3931. I could have one here as early as Tuesday. I just need the spec of the old laser, whether it's a standard KSS-210, or a high output KSS-210B

Paul

Ouch that price is well over the top.

Loedown · 20 January 2010, 03:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOL

Thats why your having problems, I have already said not to follow that guide, those pots are not ment to be turned. You will never get it perfect once they have been adjusted.

If you turned the laser power down, then that tells me, by following that guide, you have screwed the focus bias up.

Ouch that price is well over the top.

For a new laser, it's not bad at all, but if you have a better source in Australia, I'd like to hear about it?

Paul

FOL · 20 January 2010, 21:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loedown

For a new laser, it's not bad at all, but if you have a better source in Australia, I'd like to hear about it?

Paul

Dont know, how about farnell. They do copy lasers (which are 1000x better then the original sony lasers) for around £6. Maybe with the shipping it would be cheaper.

Loedown · 20 January 2010, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOL

Dont know, how about farnell. They do copy lasers (which are 1000x better then the original sony lasers) for around £6. Maybe with the shipping it would be cheaper.

I was quoting on $34.15 for laser, $9.90 for delivery

$44.05, I make a whole $0.95

CD lasers are getting harder to find, I couldn't find any lasers at Farnell either here or UK.

Paul

FOL · 20 January 2010, 23:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loedown

I was quoting on $34.15 for laser, $9.90 for delivery

$44.05, I make a whole $0.95

CD lasers are getting harder to find, I couldn't find any lasers at Farnell either here or UK.

Paul

try www.cpc.co.uk

Same company as farnell. As I said, the copy lasers are far more reliable than the original sony ones.

Loedown · 20 January 2010, 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by FOL

try www.cpc.co.uk

Same company as farnell. As I said, the copy lasers are far more reliable than the original sony ones.

How about a direct link to said lasers, FOL?

Paul

FOL · 20 January 2010, 23:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loedown

How about a direct link to said lasers, FOL?

Paul

This is the farnell link. http://cpc.farnell.com/_/kss210a-rep...kup/dp/AS00346

Been replacing sony original lasers with these copy ones for over 10 years and never had 1 customer come back. When ever we used sony originals, they always came back,

.

EDIT:- Heres another. http://cgi.ebay.com.my/ws/eBayISAPI....m=220484758473

Fingerlickin_B · 21 January 2010, 09:12

Yeah, I found them on eBay too for around $20AUD including postage.

Thanks for the help Paul, I really do appreciate the offer, but think I'll just grab one of them...saves you the trouble too

PZ.

Edit #1: Sorry FOL, should have been more clear, I turned the variable resistor down in resistance = voltage up.

Edit #2: Just picked up 2x of these for $32.75 including combined postage:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....1#ht_653wt_962

FOL · 21 January 2010, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fingerlickin_B

Edit #2: Just picked up 2x of these for $32.75 including combined postage:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....1#ht_653wt_962

Those are B's not A's. They are 2 different types.

19 January 2010, 10:37	#6
Fingerlickin_B Amiga Nut Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Belco, Australia Posts: 2,242	Yep, that's the first thing I did. Have since tried calibration & it will read some of the discs some of the time (read: rarely), the rest not at all & everything takes AGES... Edit It also cannot play a burned audio CD cleanly (sound is fuzzy no matter how much fiddling with calibration). PZ. Last edited by Fingerlickin_B; 19 January 2010 at 12:51.

21 January 2010, 09:12	#19
Fingerlickin_B Amiga Nut Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Belco, Australia Posts: 2,242	Yeah, I found them on eBay too for around $20AUD including postage. Thanks for the help Paul, I really do appreciate the offer, but think I'll just grab one of them...saves you the trouble too PZ. Edit #1: Sorry FOL, should have been more clear, I turned the variable resistor down in resistance = voltage up. Edit #2: Just picked up 2x of these for $32.75 including combined postage: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....1#ht_653wt_962 Last edited by Fingerlickin_B; 21 January 2010 at 09:22.

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18 January 2010, 05:53	#1
Fingerlickin_B Amiga Nut Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Belco, Australia Posts: 2,242	Misbehaving CD32 - Odd Problems Hi all, My CD32 starting acting very strangely today. Some game CDs won't load at all, some load to the first screen then reset loop & others load but there is either sound or graphics corruption. Audio CDs work fine, as does NeonLight's WB3.1 CD...but that's it. Ok, so I thought it was probably the laser...then trying to load Alien Breed Tower Assault or Alien Breed II I see this: Hmmm, maybe the Kickstart ROM needs replacement? PZ.

19 January 2010, 08:57	#4
Fingerlickin_B Amiga Nut Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Belco, Australia Posts: 2,242	Ok, looks like the laser has indeed had it...sh*t! PZ.

19 January 2010, 12:57	#7
Loedown Precious & fragile things Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 1,946	Weren't the lasers the Sony KSS-210B? Either way, I can still get them. Paul

19 January 2010, 14:45	#10
Fingerlickin_B Amiga Nut Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Belco, Australia Posts: 2,242	That's exactly what I mean. Following Ian Stedman's instructions, I have done this before to another bad CD32, with excellent results too Anyway, I just juiced up the laser by turning "down" the variable resistor on it's side & there has been some improvement. Not totally fixed, but more CDs work now & some totally non-working ones from before semi-work now. Now the next step is replace the stupid thing...hopefully Paul can get a good price PZ.

20 January 2010, 00:32	#11
Loedown Precious & fragile things Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 1,946	Greetings, According to my source, they'd be around $45 + shipping. Shipping is from Mornington, 3931. I could have one here as early as Tuesday. I just need the spec of the old laser, whether it's a standard KSS-210, or a high output KSS-210B Paul

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