Any XBOX experts here?

[tthurman]

Years ago my wife bought me an XBox for Christmas. I stil lthink that for sports games that consoles just can't be beat. I couldn't tell you how many hours I logged with Madden on my Super NES! Anyway, we played NFL Fever quite a lot, that is until she got a few snow days to practice, and suddenly I was getting pwned!

Moving on, soon the system was moved to my room, and to say it only saw light use would be an understatement, under 200 hours total easy. One day I went to fire it up, and nothing. I did open it up, nothing looks fried, and no caps bulging, but the power supply on the 1.4 models was known to blow a specific part that rendered them useless. I can't remember the part name, but it's a round disk shaped part that serves somewhat to protect from surges. Apparently this part is used in many electronics, namely cheap surge protectors, but I was unable to source one locally, and so it has sat. I am a stickler for power protection, and all my equipment is plugged into TrippLite ISOBars or an APC equivalant, and or a sine wave UPS by the same two companies, so considering nothing else was lost, I do not believe a surge was the problem.

I convinced that XBox emulation is still a long way from happening, so chance it and grab a new supply, or pick up a working unit of ebay?

http://secure.llamma.com/catalog/oem-xbox-1215-power-supply-us110v-llamma-select-minebea-p-490.html?osCsid=525015cc7d3c8aa6da4889758d1aa540

[Draco1962]

I am assuming Original Xbox. Found one here for $54.80 which isn't too bad. I'd buy the Xbox just to have the back-up console and power supply in the event the issxue is actually the console itself, you aren't out totally.

[tthurman]

Good point, and pretty much what my gut feeling was telling me. I've seen so many power supply problems, that I can't help but think that's it, but better safe than sorry. I had been digging though ebay for one that didn't look like it'd been thru hellnback, and just grabbed it after your post. Coming from central-ish FL, should be here in pretty short order, fingers crossed it looks as good as the pics!

[MNMax21]

Xbox One turns on your cable box, stereo and TV by voice command. 'Xbox on' Save up and then put that $55 towards the One!! Then get Titanfall!

[tthurman]

I'm really not that big of a console person, and have no desire for a XBOX One, I'd rather play on my computer. I really just wanted to retain use of what I have, and this is a fairly reasonable way of doing just that.

Your new avatar is cool BTW!

[MNMax21]

Thanks! I've been monkeying around in gimp quite a bit lately. I've changed it a couple times in the last few days. Ha

[tthurman]

Crash and burn!

This arrived yesterday, in a JCPenney box, no packagaging, well unless you count four deflated air packs, and some wadded up Walmart style plastic bags Everything was basically just squeezed into the box, right up to the cardboard! Loose, controller just sitting on top of the console, I'd say you can likely imagine what shape it is in!

I just don't get it, why wouldn't you even attempt to package it with at least some chance of surviving the trip?

/end rant

[Draco1962]

Dang. What is their return policy?

[tthurman]

Dang. What is their return policy?

No return policy!

I admit it, I took a gamble, only 9 feedback, with one being neutral. Everyone starts sometime though, right, and the pictures of the unit looked almost new. It's 2005 build, and I'm sure it "was" in good shape prior to shipment. I don't need another paper weight, so I opened a case. We shall see, and if it doesn't go may way, I can always rob the power supply from it and give it a go in the old one.

[Draco1962]

DId you get it through eBay? If so, I would severely rate the seller and shame him into taking it back for a refund. Probably a pic of another unit. regardless, shoddy packing procedure can't place the blame on the shipper.

[tthurman]

Yep, ebay! After years of pretty much no trouble, I just had problem with another seller without a return policy. I tried to reason with him, but he flat out told me to "open a case", so I did. I lost! I purhcased a new, unopend item, which was defective, and the company that made it wouldn't deal with me at all because I wasn't the original buyer. What I learned is, if they list no returns, and the item isn't as described, I'm going staight to open case, if I lose so be it! Trying to communicate ended up doing nothing but dragging it out longer.

I do think this is the one pictured, everything was in there, games etc., it was just a piss poor excuse for packaging by someone who didn't care.

[Draco1962]

Hopefully you took pictures of the packing and condition of the stuff you purchased upon unpacking. That can go a long way.

[Adultery]

Ebay has always been straight with me, they don't typically leave you hanging in cases like this.

[tthurman]

Well, I examined the items, mainly the console, but I was almost certain it was banged up just from the lack of packaging. I didn't hastily unbox everything like a kid at Christmas, so it wasn't much to place the items back in and snap pictures of how it arrived. I knew when I saw the box that it was barely large enough for everything, so I snapped a couple of it before I even opened it up. This was priority mail, I can't imagine what it would have looked like if it shipped via UPS.

[Draco1962]

Does it work?

[tthurman]

Yes, somehow the hard disk survived, but the DVD drawer doesn't operate properly. I know this was a rather common problem, especially with the old ones, but this one is newer than mine, which was a late 04 model, I never had that problem. Regardless it wasn't mentioned in the details. All it said was

"One of the very first Xbox generations. Works amazing and can satisfy your gaming needs. Has Xbox live! Comes with 18 games, two Memory cards and a Black original controller."

I was aggravated to say the least, and got tired of messing with it, and didn't have a paper clip handy, so I put it up and snapped some shots.

I realize the drive head was parked, but still, that took a shot to break the corner off like that.

[Draco1962]

If it was properly packed to ship that wouldn't have happened.

[Adultery]

+1

[tthurman]

If it was properly packed to ship that wouldn't have happened.

Yep! I wasn't really looking for more games, but It came with games too. My main goal was looking more at the console condition than anything, hoping I would find someone who took care of their stuff, but didn't want it anymore. If it hadn't come with the games the damage would have been much worse, as they served to absorb the impacts during shipping, at least on the two sides they were on anyhow.

Considering this is a Penneys box, probably with clothes shipping in mind, it's near amazying the two sides of the console right up to the exterior ofthe box didn't get it a lot worse. This I atribute to USPS shippng. No doubt they are slow as hell sometimes, but usually things are in good shape when you get them, at least mine are!

[Draco1962]

I guess if the console innards are working and you can live with the cosmetics or choose to place those innards in your existing console it may not matter.

[tthurman]

I guess if the console innards are working and you can live with the cosmetics or choose to place those innards in your existing console it may not matter.

Yeah, no doubt about he DVD drive, and the HDD, I've seen them run for a while after a good shock, and then suddenly fail. Regardless, your point is a good one, pending what happens with my attempt getting returned, I may be stuck with it. In that case I'll part it out to the old one when time allows. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, and in all honestly after the last couple weeks I've had, I wish all I had to worry about right now was something as insignificant as this.

[tthurman]

Hmm, well the seller responded at the 11th hour with a "I'll refund the money" post, and no details. They shipped this 2 day priority for 24 bucks, and so I thought ground back would be less. WRONG! My focus is non-existent here as of late, I should have thought this through better, instead of focusing on being pissed over the crap packaging. After shipping I'll net about 25, then I suppose gamble its a power supply in my old one for 20. If I'm wrong, I've got an power supply I don't need, and now I'm out 45. At $49 I beleive your plan to part it out for repair is the only logical solution, and call it a day!

[tthurman]

A blast from the past here.

I in fact never did send this back, and I never bought a power supply for my old box. Instead I discovered Ghost Case, and being that the XBOX was pretty much a done deal, was able to pick up new old stock supplies for almost the exact same amount of money.

It has been sitting in the corner for over a year, but now that things are somewhat back to normal for me, I'm slowing getting back into doing fun things.

Once I got into it I discovered it was a 1.6 model, and I'm leaving it stock. I also found out it took quite a bit more of a hit than I thought.

I didn't think to picture, but the bottom was also cracked on that side. It wasn't broken off however, and after a good cleaning, you'd never know it!

I cleaned everything, and even disabled the DVD drive to clean all the belts and pulley's. I'm happy to report everything works like new again.

It looks a helluva lot better to boot

I "frosted" the jewel with some 1500 Grit, and used fine cut cleaner to remove the scratches on the face of the jewel that occurred during shipping.

A little more touch up here, and the jewel will be frosted in all areas but the actual XBOX, which will be clear.

This will have a shelf in the pedestal all it's own!

[nullPointer]

Great restore/mod tthurman! It's looking awesome! I'd be proud to have that badboy sitting on my entertainment unit.

[Draco1962]

Great job! I still have my original Xbox and, when I think about it, fire it up for a few. I really need to get our office sorted out and rearranged... dammit.