Hits and Misses (Part 2)

Okay, I had the TV, and now I wanted to play games on it. I dusted off this second generation PlayStation 2 (also called the PS2s Slimline). I bought it used in 2008 at Gamers (now closed). 

The PlayStation 2 is supposed to play PS1 games, and PS2 games that are in a CD (blue) or a DVD (silver) format. It is also supposed to play music CDs and single or dual layer DVDs. 

My PS2 would only play the DVD games and music CDs. It wouldn't play CD games or DVD movies. 

That was really weird. It wouldn't even display the "PlayStation 2" logo upon start-up.

Miss! 

I should not have been surprised. I haven't turned on the PS2 in many years. Machines that don't get used regularly can break down just sitting in a dark closet or on a high shelf. Sometimes I wonder if these forgotten items die from a broken heart. 

I suspected the laser was simply worn out. It's the metallic part above the black circle. 

There are many YouTube videos explaining how to replace this laser, so I bought a replacement from Amazon, and studied tutorials while I waited for it to arrive.

A couple of Phillips screwdrivers and a soldering iron is all you need. The soldering iron is for removing the "solder ball" that protects the laser from static damage while it is in the mail.

It's been awhile since I soldered anything, so I also bought a roll of Desoldering Wick Braid. This stuff is great. I just laid the braid over the solder ball, pressed down with the hot tip of the soldering iron, and the braid absorbed the solder instantly. Just cut off the used strip of braid and throw it away.

I didn't take any pictures of my laser replacement process. There wasn't anything in there that wasn't in the YouTube videos. I buttoned the PS2 up, connected it to my new TV, and held my breath as I waited for the PS2 logo to appear...

 Hit!

Thanks to the internet and a new lens, I'm back in the game. A few discs need to be tried a couple of times to work, but that's a minor quibble.  

Here's a retro setup - PS1, N64, and PS2. I'm using a mini jack cable to connect the TV's headphone jack to a computer speaker setup (two satellite speakers and a subwoofer).

Okay, but before you think just I'm bragging about my hits, I need to tell you about my next project. 

For me, fixing things is addictive. I love the rush I get when I can help something broken come back to life. I remembered that my buddy Rob had given me his original PS2 (also called the "PS2 Fat") about 15 years ago. I think that it had quit reading discs, and my trusty lens cleaner disc had failed to fix the problem. I found Rob's old PS2 Fat in a bin in my storage closet.

The console confirmed that it would not play DVD discs of any kind. Also, there was a strip of color distortion on the screen when I played a CD-rom game. I went back to Amazon...

Installing the Fat laser wasn't much different than working with the slim version. I used the solder braid to remove the solder blobs, and used the screwdrivers to install the laser. I then buttoned the PS2 up, connected it to my new TV, and held my breath as I waited for the PS2 logo to appear...

Miss! 

The results were exactly the same as before. Dang! I had to take the machine apart again, remove the new laser so I could return it, and then call this a fail. I decided to put it back together as it was, and see if I could find a different solution.

Then things really went south. A ribbon cable came loose, and I couldn't find where to re-attach it. I lost a small screw that had popped out and onto the floor, and in my frustration I broke the disc tray. I got so mad I scooped everything up and threw it in the garage can in the garage. 

Double Miss!!

Ten minutes later I had my torso in our stinky and mildly wet garage can trying to rescue what parts I could find amongst the sticky, bulbous bags of waste. As I type this the piles of parts are still out in the garage on top of our rain barrels. They laugh at me every morning when I walk by them on my way to work.

No, I do not always hit what I aim for, and sometimes I miss again because of my character flaws.

"I was playing golf. I swung, missed the ball, and got a big chunk of dirt. I swung again, missed the ball, and got another big chunk of dirt. Just then, two ants climbed on the ball saying, 'Let's get up here before we get killed!'" - Henny Youngman