beginner and mod chip installers questions

[nobiology]

hi, i've been looking at modchips for a while now, and not really sure if i'm up to installing it myself. while technically i know how to solder and have seen others solder, i've never done any soldering myself. granted if i was to decide to install one myself I would practice to get my method down before I tried it on my ps2 . I jsut want to do my homework before i decide on anything and thought what better than to ask people who've been there before as i read everything I can find on the subject.

I guess basically I have two questions. how bad is the learning curve on modchips? I figure everyone's got to start somewhere so i've been considering just getting one and giving it a try. if i practices a bit and got some experience soldering, is there anything else other than the obvious that i should worry about?

on the other hand, the idea of risking an expensive (to me) machine to my inexperience has been keeping me hesitent. so i was wondering about installers. I've come accross many sites, but i'm not exactly sure who to use, so i was going to ask who people here would trust to install one in their ps2. I've also seen that some posters have their own in profiles/sigs, so you can feel free to toot your own horn as well.

Thanks for your time and in advance for any help/advice you can give me

[Toma]

Like the saying goes, you never know what you can do it until you actually try. There's a very good chance that you'll screw it up, but there's also an opportunity to do everything right and become quite proficient with time.

If you really can't afford a new PS2 should you destroy the one you have, then maybe you should have a chip installed professionally by a local installer (just makes things easier if something goes wrong later). There's a ton of reputable installers around here so you really shouldn't have a problem finding one; just check the Vendors forum and read the threads for any feedback from customers.

I'm naturally a risk taker, especially if it involves the skilled use of my hands so I didn't let the thought of killing my PS2 bother me when I began to mod it. The key is definitely practice and working in a way that even if you mess up, there's a way to turn back. It's difficult to solder anything the first time out; when I first bought an iron I couldn't even solder two wires together, so you have an idea of how much of a noob I was back then.

[nobiology]

thanks for your response, i hadn't noticed the vendor section so thats just what I was looking for as far as that goes.

[TarzanMan]

It is true that everyone has to start somewhere.... but as a rule, if you have no previous experience with soldering then your $150 PS2 is the wrong place to start. It is possible to start from nothing, practice, and then become competent enough to make the risk of damaging your ps2 low... but in my experience people who learn to solder *expressedly only* for the purpose of modding their ps2 do not usually wait until they have accrued enough expertise/know-how before having a go at their playstation. It should also be noted that purchasing the materials to (safely) mod your ps2 will run you as much as an installation (unless you already have some of the tools you will need).

There was a poster here a few weeks back who was in a similar situation as you are. He had absolutely no soldering experience... and at best a tenuous understanding of electronics, as evidenced by the volume and elementary nature of the questions he asked about soldering and electronics. In spite of the many warnings, advice, and beratement he was given and subjected to (mine included)... he ultimately decided to attempt a mod chip installation himself. Unfortunately, he didn't beat the odds. You can read his post of shame here (I think im in deep shit...).

Pre-mods are expensive, but if you factor in time and convenience then its not quite as bad. IMO, its the price of the mod chips that are too high, especially considering that they come uninstalled with no warranty/protection for your ps2 and instructions that you must seek out yourself.

My 2 cents

[Toma]

It is true that everyone has to start somewhere.... but as a rule, if you have no previous experience with soldering then your $150 PS2 is the wrong place to start. It is possible to start from nothing, practice, and then become competent enough to make the risk of damaging your ps2 low... but in my experience people who learn to solder *expressedly only* for the purpose of modding their ps2 do not usually wait until they have accrued enough expertise/know-how before having a go at their playstation. It should also be noted that purchasing the materials to (safely) mod your ps2 will run you as much as an installation (unless you already have some of the tools you will need).

Ain't that the truth; some people just can't help but jump in and I can't really blame them too much. It's hard to resist when you think it can be done in about an hour.

[nobiology]

thanks for both of your replies. i think mostly i'm hearing what i already knew but deep down was hoping wasn't true right now i'm planning on having one installed (talking with someone i found in the vendors section), and starting tinkering around with a soldering iron. i've got an old playstation laying around i don't use, so after i get the hang of it from practicing, i'll probably try to install a chip into that for practice on the real thing, and won't be too broken up if i mess it up. hopefully by the time ps3's come down in price for me to buy one i'll be comfortable enough to try it myself.

once again thanks for your advice, i'll throw up a review in the vendors section whenever i get it done.

[TarzanMan]

I imagine that the ps3 will be an absolute bitch to mod. After modchips for the ps1 became popular, Sony moved a heatshield on some production models to make it more difficult to add a chip and enhanced copy protection for many games.

A ps1 mod chip was about 5 wires (to my knowledge) to a simple IC that sent out a boot signal, a 4th generation ps2 mod chip is 17 wires.... Can you imagine how many wires the first few generations of mod chips will probably require?

You can bet copy protection is a greater concern -it used to be that most people with illegal copies got them by copying an original with a CD-burner... but the advent and proliferation of the cable modem and p2p programs like emule/torrent has changed that. I imagine that Sony has put forth quite an effort to control what will and won't run on their new console. I don't envy the hackers at all for the upcoming task.