FileForums - DSM3 Install Questions

I appologize if this forum is not appropriate for this topic. I noticed another topic about the best mod chips, and saw the DMS3 mentioned.

It would be great if someone could give me a hand here, or at the very least direct me to a good forum where I may find some answers.

I'll give you a brief description of my problem, and what specifically I need help with. In the past, I've modded two PS One's, so I have a good idea of how it's done. However this DSM3 has proven to be a "nightmare". :)

I purchased a new V10 PS2 from Walmart around december 2003. Around February I purchased a dvd burner and the DSM3 modchip (from modchip.com) for V9 V10.

While Installing: I found that upon comparing the main board with the install pictures on the net, they did not match the V10 PS2. While everywhere on the net that has info on identifying the version shows my PS2 as V10, the mainboard does not according to any install pictures I have found so far.

Instead, the mainboard exactly resembles the V9 pictures on a number of sites. That was my first problem. But since the DSM3 I purchased is for both 9 and 10, I was sure I could simply follow the V9 pictures, and install fine. Following the V10 pictures was impossible as nothing matched. If I was wrong with this, please let me know.

Now, here's the biggest problem. According to the pictures, I have to solder to several very small points on the bottom of the mainboard. This points are very close together in a tiny cluster. That, in itself, is a challenge. However, this challenge wouldn't be that difficult to overcome if the Gosh Darn solder would actually stick to the board. :)

Those tiny points I have to solder to can only have a small amount of solder so that there is no connection with the point next to it, which also requires solder. But no matter now much solder I use, it simply will not stick. The tiny point seems to have a hole to stick the wire into, but the hole is much too small to get the wire into. I also thought that if I could get the solder down in this hole, it would provide the grip I needed to hold both the solder and wire in place. Wrong.....solder doesn't seem to want to get into a hole that tiny.

After hours of working on this one area, the green color of the board started discoloring from the heat. I decided to give up before the heat damaged the board. I removed all connections I had made prior to reaching that nightmare area, and removed the DSM3. PS2 works fine still.

That was a little over a month ago. I have emailed modchip.com once a week during this time about the problem, and if they had any tips they could give me. I havn't gotten a single email from them. I have concidered sending the PS2 in to be modded by someone else, but it would break my son's heart to loose the thing for a while.

So.....does anyone (especially those who have installed this chip before) have any tips for advice for this specific problem? Is the solder that comes with the chip good, or is their some thing better. (radio shack is the best in my area for electronic supplies)

Is there a different wire that works better? Is there a type of solder that does not use heat, that I may be able to work with for a longer period of time? Something that might actually stick?

I was thinking about that no heat liquid solder for electrical stuff. Would that be something to try?

Thanks everyone for reading this.... I guess it wasn't all that brief. Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated, by both myself, and my son.

DRR