jandaman.com mod thread by jandaman

Saturn #1

Model No.: MK-80000A

Made in Malaysia

Made: June 1996

64 pin

NTSC, round buttons

Model # and country of manufacture can be found on the back side where the power supply/av cables go.

Date of manufacture is on the underside

I bridged point A&B, left the point 0014 bridge as is.

Red wire was soldered to second metal piece that's the Saturn's power supply block.

Modchip is installed facing outwards. The CD lens cable has the metal portion facing down when plugged into the modchip.

2 games tested were Sonic 3D Blast and Street Fighter 3 Zero using an Action Replay 4in1 cart.

If the CD does not spin when you turn on the Saturn, this indicated 2 things, either the modchip is not getting any power or the CD lens cable is plugged in wrong.

At first I kept getting the screen where I can hear the music on the CD but the game would not load. At least this shows the modchip is getting power so that rules it out.

I tried removing the modchip and reseating it which seemed to fix the problem.

For those having problems, try pushing the modchip all the way in and then pulling it back up just a bit so it's not fully seated. It appears those getting only the music screen have the modchip not correctly seated or it may be a compat issue.

Another thing that made it work was if I got to the music screen, I opened the door and then closed it. When the Saturn re-read the disc (it will say "checking disc format" ), it read it as a game. Then I just chose "Start application" . Didn't work 100% of the time but for the majority of the time.

Please post your model #, manufacture date, region code and if you had success/failure with my modchip.

I have tried 3 modchips so far and they all worked in my 64 pin saturn after a bit of fiddling. I have 2 other Saturns to mod, one being 32 pin and the other I don't know yet but will keep posted.

Saturn # 2

Model: MK-80000A

Made in Korea

Made: September 1996

32 pin

NTSC, round buttons

Bridged AB, left 0014, soldered only power supply.

Sonic boots.

On a strange note, the AR4in1 I was using to load SF3Z no longer seems to work any both Saturns. I tried another AR4in1 but after telling it to load the game, I get Japanese text. The only English thing I can read is "4MB"

Will have to try the AR4in1 mod to see if that fixes it. If it does, that won't explain why the first AR4in1 worked without any mod.

Saturn #3

Model MK-80000A

Made in Malaysia

Made in August 1996

32 pin

ntsc, round buttons

Worked just like #2

Intro sometimes shows graphic glitches. Pressing reset a couple times seems to fix it. Not sure what the cause is.

Modified the 4in1 and it now loads SF3Z. Sometimes graphics glitch a bit but a reset fixes it for Saturn #3. Works fine in other Saturns which indicates some problem in #3 only
 
Originally posted by drk42@Oct 9, 2003 @ 02:25 AM

Jandaman:

Check this out, regarding the 4in1 cart you sell.

http://www.ncsx.com/ncs0330/ncs0413/schemax.htm

I made that simple mod to my 4in1, and it works great now with SFZ3.

I am not sure how it was doing it, but the first 4in1 I was trying loaded SF3Z fine without any mod being done to it. However, now it won't won't even boot at all so I guess it's dead. I tried other 4in1s and they would boot but would not load SF3Z. I would get some Japanese text. I modifed the 4in1 like the diagram at NCSX and it now works fine.

I guess I can offer a mod service for the 4in1 at a modest charge.

If you are using a modchip, can you post your Saturns specs?
 
Sometimes the 4in1's are tricky to get working, have you tried to insert the cart all the way in, and then lifting it up a little?
 
I am trying to use the modchip I got from you (jandaman).

My Saturn Specs are:

64pin,

MK-80000A

Manufactured June, 1996 IV

The mod works fine in a friends 32 pin Saturn. So I know its not the mod.

I tried reinserting the mod and messing with it for about an hour, and I kept getting the CD player screen.

I'm going to go back to it, and use a volt meter to check the continuity of all the connections between the mainboard and modchip, try and figure out whats going on here.
 
Well,

I'm convinced its not a connection problem.

I double checked all points twice from the mod to the saturn board with a volt meter. All 21 pins are making contact.

Jandaman,

Since I bought this mod from you, I'll trade you this mod for one that works in a 64pin Saturn.

See if you can get this one to work in a 64pin Saturn, because it works fine in a 32pin Saturn.
 
Originally posted by drk42@Oct 9, 2003 @ 03:05 PM

Well,

I'm convinced its not a connection problem.

I double checked all points twice from the mod to the saturn board with a volt meter. All 21 pins are making contact.

Jandaman,

Since I bought this mod from you, I'll trade you this mod for one that works in a 64pin Saturn.

See if you can get this one to work in a 64pin Saturn, because it works fine in a 32pin Saturn.

Email jandaman @ jandaman . com with your order # and stating you wish to trade for a working 64 pin mod.

I'll pull the modchip that's working from my 64 pin saturn and send that.
 
Jandaman:

I just sold that mod to a friend who has a 32pin saturn,

worked flawlessly.

No need to send this one back.

I'm still interested in a working mod for a 64pin Saturn dated June 1996, MK-80000A.

Thanks
 
Hey, Jandaman. I bought a few items from you and everything was A-OK, but this is to report that your mod chip does not seem to work with my Saturn at all. Mine is a PAL, Model No MK-80200A-50 (this -50 comes smaller than the rest), made in Indonesia, round buttoned, 21-pin twisted ribbon, 64-pin chipped unit. I tried every possible combination (solder bridge set to 0014 & 0019, soldering onto the pin 8 of the chip, AtoB method...), and I'm positive all connections have been done properly, but the thing just would not boot CD-R's. I'm trying to get an original to test it, but they're rare and difficult to find. In case it is relevant, I observe that the behaviour of the console is exactly the same whether the red cable is plugged into the +5V slot or not. Any help with this? Should I attempt a different MOD chip? :unsure: :huh:
 
Originally posted by kazlivsjy@Oct 10, 2003 @ 09:35 AM

Hey, Jandaman. I bought a few items from you and everything was A-OK, but this is to report that your mod chip does not seem to work with my Saturn at all. Mine is a PAL, Model No MK-80200A-50 (this -50 comes smaller than the rest), made in Indonesia, round buttoned, 21-pin twisted ribbon, 64-pin chipped unit. I tried every possible combination (solder bridge set to 0014 & 0019, soldering onto the pin 8 of the chip, AtoB method...), and I'm positive all connections have been done properly, but the thing just would not boot CD-R's. I'm trying to get an original to test it, but they're rare and difficult to find. In case it is relevant, I observe that the behaviour of the console is exactly the same whether the red cable is plugged into the +5V slot or not. Any help with this? Should I attempt a different MOD chip? :unsure: :huh:

If the modchip is not getting power, then the cd will not spin.

Is this the problem you are seeing with the power on?
 
That's curious, because my CD does spin when the mod chip is not receiving any power. This is what happens (whether the chip receives power or not):

- First, the Saturn Logo with all those polygons flying around the screen appears. All right. The CD starts to spin, all right. The lens head moves to make CD verification and goes back. CD players appears, and it can play audio tracks.

When using the 4in1 cartridge:

- When I play START to start the game, the message "LOADING..." appears and it just sits there...

This is what happens with no mod chip plugged at all:

- Without the 4in1 cartridge, the behaviour is exactly the same, except that the CD verification process seems to be carried out more than once?

- With the 4in1 cartrige, when I press START, the message "LOADING..." appears, the console does the CD checking (this does not happen with the MOD chip on), and then sits there...

I think it'd be possible that my Saturn is not working at all, since I have not tried any originals on it, but I don't think that's likely, is it?
 
Originally posted by kazlivsjy@Oct 11, 2003 @ 10:11 PM

I think it'd be possible that my Saturn is not working at all, since I have not tried any originals on it, but I don't think that's likely, is it?

It may just be that the Saturn is faulty. Put it back together without the mod and try the 'swap trick' to boot a CDR.

See the Miscellaneous section for details.
 
If I'm reading right kaz can't try the swap trick b/c he has no originals.

Also kaz, my modded system acts that way with certain burns. Where it plays the music tracks but won't load the game. I have no idea why. I'd try other games I guess...
 
Kaz: Try wrapping the power wire around the top area of the 5v power pin, and not "plugging it into the 5v slot". I've actually had similar problems where it was apparently getting power, but would freeze after hit start game on the PAR 4in1 menu. It's worth a shot, hopefully its not something worse. Originals would of course come in handy here, if you could eventually get your hands on one. My connection wasn't totally bad, since resetting the console 1-5 times would make it boot the game with or without PAR. For a bit I thought it was the CD unit was starting to die, but it booted originals flawlessly every time. So I moved and resoldered the power wire, and now it works perfectly ever time.
 
Originally posted by NR Pickle@Oct 12, 2003 @ 12:31 PM

If I'm reading right kaz can't try the swap trick b/c he has no originals.

You're absolutely right. I think my brain was off on holiday somwhere. :lol:
 
I've got my third modchip now, this one from Jandaman. Mine is a UK PAL 64pin model and it also doesn't work. I get all CDRs behaving as audio CDs.

I'm now going to give up and try and find a 32pin model. Thing is I bet most of the Saturns on eBay are 64pin ones that people can't mod :( and the one I have now is in really good condition.
 
Back
Top