Grey Super Cd Rom 2 lens replacement

[Broken]

Hi I opened up a Grey Super Cd Rom 2 unit but couldn't see any clear way to get to the lens / drive mechanism to replace it. I saw a vid on Youtube but I think it was for the briefcase Cd Rom 2.

I heard these lenses were ok;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KSS-210A-Genui...item51846ccedd

Anything would be greatly appreciated.

[jetblue]

hi,is it the weird looking cd player that looks like a tape recorder?  if it is it uses a cheap sony kss-210A

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SONY-LASER-PICKUP-model-KSS-210A-KSS210A-/280556406072?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4152770538


they have a solder blob on them you have to remove first before installing,its to prevent the laser from getting static damage.
Also removing those lasers are a pain,it will eat away at your fingernails. it uses a push pin that you need a toothpick or somethong similar to pust the pin out of its place so the rest can come off. I use to know what those push pin thingys were called,forgot the name.

[l_oliveira]

Due to the age of that CD-Player/CD-ROM drive, it might require calibration with an oscilloscope after the install. Drives that old are adjusted by a bunch of variable resistors on the main board.

NEVER mess with the laser pot on the optical pickup if it's a new part for replacement. The laser power pot aways come from factory adjusted properly.

[Broken]

Hi thanks for the info. I actually removed the lens mechanism. Pain in the ass and like you said. I just need to get some soldering stuff which I've posted about on a few forums including this one.

What's the laser pot?

[Broken]

Hi again with this 'they have a solder blob on them you have to remove first before installing,its to prevent the laser from getting static damage.'

I'm not sure what this means, as an actual bit of solder? If that's right I checked one of the lasers I got and found nothing like that on it. I could check the other new one I got and look at my old one.

Anything would be really appreciated.

[Broken]

Is the lens mechanism the same as a laser unit?

I've seen like a plastic block separating two pins on the new one but not on the old one. This could be it but I really don't know. I could attach a pic which I'll do asap.

I think I identified the laser pot and I didn't touch it if I think it's the part I've seen. I don't always mess with stuff if I don't know what it is etc. Thanks for the concern though.

Again anything would be really appreciated.

[jetblue]

the one circled all you have to do is make sure the 2 contacts its connected to dont meet:






what do you mean? can you take a pic?

[Broken]

Hi that's really excellent, thanks very much. I've been into retro games for some time but I'm new to a lot of this. Guess that could be a bit worrying but I guess playing games is something else.

I'm looking into a soldering setup for this and some other work but it's becoming quite a mission as to which one to get.

Lucky I posted as I identified the wrong part on the board. I knew I should if I don't know.

'what do you mean? can you take a pic?' - what u mean there?

[Broken]

'Due to the age of that CD-Player/CD-ROM drive, it might require calibration with an oscilloscope after the install. Drives that old are adjusted by a bunch of variable resistors on the main board.'

'NEVER mess with the laser pot on the optical pickup if it's a new part for replacement. The laser power pot aways come from factory adjusted properly.'

Not completely sure what all this means, I got the impression any adjusting would be via the power pot using an oscilloscope? I really don't know anything here.

In terms of the variable resistors with the drive calibration I don't even really understand the sentence. That you have to mess with the variable resistors and get the right value by using an oscilloscope?

[jetblue]

you dont really need a special soldering iron to take of the solder blob. ive seen people cut it in half with a sharp knife or dremel. But any radio shack $5 iron should do. No oscilloscope calibration isnt needed. These are drop in replacements. Ive done a couple of these myself and never had to adjust any potentiometers. And if it were to be done i would adjust the pot on the laser itself and never touch the ones on the board.


where i said what do you mean can you take a picture i misread,sorry. 

[Broken]

Hi excellent thanks for that. I'll give it a go asap.

[Broken]

I got the solder blob off the laser board and replaced the one in the unit. It made no difference!! I replaced two as well in two units and both were just the same as they were as if I hadn't done anything to them. Well the first one loaded a game first time but went back to how it was before after that. It's a real pain in the ass as well taking out the old laser and putting in a new one.

I'm not sure if an ocilloscope / multimeter fake as part of the lens replacement was needed. I don't really think so though as the machines were doing the same as they were before the replacements were put in. Knowing what the issue is would be good but I think it could be a bit beyond me. The problem must be with the Cd part and I think I've done all I can with that. It's funny that nothing has really changed though after the replacements were put in.

I've gained some experience but having them working would have been a lot better.

[jetblue]

dang,you really need another unit to be sure. change the lasers between both to see if its defective or not. But once thats singles out the only culprit  is the capacitors. They are the old surface type from the early 1990's and they cause alot of problems in other consoles. I would start replacing 100uf caps first.

[l_oliveira]

I still need the damned gear for my PC-Engine D:  Any of you happen to have any idea of a CD-Player which happen to have the same mechanism ?

Sorry for the little thread hijack, btw ...

And you can't simply drop an new laser on a CD-ROM2 unit and expect it to work, because the laser control circuitry is 2nd generation which is completely analogic and not capable of self adjusting like modern drives (of the Playstation 1/2 era)...

You will need at least an oscilloscope and an frequency meter to properly adjust it.  It can be done without the said tools but might be an annoying and slow process (which would be no more than five minutes with the right tools).   Also an YEDS-18 CD calibration disc in combination with the tools, for best results.