The Blog

Sega Saturn Sophia Programming Box Mainboard Repairs

Nix McRetro // 6th April 2013 // Devkit, Repairs, Sega

After the A-Bus capacitor replacement failed to improve Sophia’s condition, I moved on to the mainboard. I’ve now replaced most of the electrolytic capacitors there, and the result is considerably more promising. The Hakko 808 works wonders on these old boards. This is the first really strong indication that at... Continue reading

DreamShell 4.0.0 RC1 Boot Attempt with SD Adapter

Nix McRetro // 6th April 2013 // Hacks, Sega, YouTube

Some progress with DreamShell 4.0.0 RC1, but this setup is still behaving unpredictably. What I am seeing here does not tell me whether DreamShell itself is the problem. The SD card, adapter or some interaction between the two could just as easily be involved. I’ve therefore ordered another SD card... Continue reading

Sega Saturn Sophia A-Bus Capacitor Replacement

Nix McRetro // 5th April 2013 // Repairs, Sega, YouTube

The lovely Sophia is getting a fresh set of capacitors on the A-Bus board today. Unfortunately, replacing them did not noticeably improve the fault. That is still useful information. The A-Bus board has now moved considerably further down the suspect list, so the next step is the mainboard. There are... Continue reading

Good Capacitor, Bulged Capacitor: Visual Comparison

Nix McRetro // 5th April 2013 // Repairs, YouTube

Here’s a useful visual comparison between a brand-new electrolytic capacitor and one that has failed badly enough to bulge at the top. A swollen or opened pressure vent is an obvious warning sign. The internal pressure of an aluminium electrolytic capacitor can rise under abnormal electrical or thermal conditions, causing... Continue reading

Hakko 808 Desoldering Tool: Removing a Failed Capacitor

Nix McRetro // 5th April 2013 // Guides, Repairs, YouTube

Introducing the incredible Hakko 808 desoldering gun. This thing is amazing. The 808 combines a heated desoldering nozzle with a vacuum pump, which makes removing ordinary through-hole components considerably easier than repeatedly heating the joint and attacking it with braid. The capacitor in this video makes a good demonstration because... Continue reading