So I was tinkering with my dreamcast...

[sicXsonorXdrummr]

First off Id like to say hey. Its my first post here and I'm looking for some help.

I was messing around with my GD-ROM drive on my dreamcast because one of my games wouldnt load and I figured it was because the drive speed, so I open it up to fiddle with it, and after maybe 5 or 6 times, I accidentally ripped out the ribbon cable that was connected to the drive.

So I took the that ribbon out, which was obviously fried , and managed to salvage two of the same type ribbon cables from and old CD player/boombox. I took the whole piece out and carefully connected the ribbon in both sides, yet it still doesn't seem to be working! the ribbons have some bends, but it was working in the cd player before I took em out.

Any suggestions? any help is much appreciated!!

Oh yea! Ill try to got some pictures too.

[M Dash]

First, it wasn't because of the drive speed, it's the laser that's a little discalibrated.

Second, congatulations, u just f*c*ed your Dreamcast.

Now Go buy yourself a used one or a broken one and replace the parts/cables u destroyed.

[Darksaviour69]

yeah sound like the laser calibration would have fixed it, but it sound like you have damaged the dc in someway while trying to fix it.
when you say "my games wouldnt load" would the disc spin but the dc would not recognise it?

[WhizzBang]

How doo you recalibrate the laser? I have a Treamcast which no longer loads games.

[sicXsonorXdrummr]

yeah sound like the laser calibration would have fixed it, but it sound like you have damaged the dc in someway while trying to fix it.
when you say "my games wouldnt load" would the disc spin but the dc would not recognise it?

My other games would load. It was like two or three games that didnt work (they would run, get to the sega logo, and then go to the dreamcast menu screen), but after messing with the pontentiometer a couple games worked, but there was still one game (brand new) that wouldnt work.

Now the disc just spins for a couple seconds, and never gets up to speed.

I have another dreamcast, if I didn't I wouldn't have been messing around with this one so much. I was just looking for help to maybe fix this one...

You guys are saying my dreamcast is shot, but I really dont think it is. If my dreamcast were really dead, it would have to be the actual GD-ROM board, am I right? I think I may just have some dead ribbon cables, thats all.

And I thought the potentiometer actually changed the speed the disc was spinning at? I guess I was wrong.

[Darksaviour69]

http://www.ilovetheinternets.com/2004/04/23/dreamcast-laser-calibration-trick/

[WhizzBang]

http://www.ilovetheinternets.com/2004/04/23/dreamcast-laser-calibration-trick/

Thanks. Even though that guy says it is very easy, it looks bewildering to me.

[segafreak2]

Believe me it isn't easy and this tutorial isn't great. I thought I was damaging my DC when I did it, and it now sort of works. Be extremely careful when you try it, DO NOT damage the screw otherwise you will break your 'cast.

[sicXsonorXdrummr]

alright, ended up getting it working. Turns out the potentiometer was a quarter-turn to the right from center :rolleyes: I guess i lost track of the centered position when i was turning it. Oh well, I got a new ribbon cable out of it.

Sweet. thanx for the help anyways guys