looking to buy ebay psp....help!!

so like 2 weeks after buying my new psp and figuring that out and what not...it got stolen....so i've been gone...but hey, i already purchased a 2 gig card (7 bucks i rock) and now am gonna get new psp off of ebay....and ideas to what things i sohuld look for negative and posatively? i really don't wanna read all kinds of stuff cuz from the last time i did that, it took forver, i will do all the reading in time, but i have some psp's i can bid on before they expire in like 2 hours....so a quick what's what would be great!!!...

a ta-082 isn't a problem anymore, and they haven't come out with anything of a similair nature so that i can't downgrade?

[DarkPacMan77]

Some people are having a few issues with TA-082 - TA-086 motherboards when they come STOCK with firmware 2.71 or higher installed, and are downgraded using the 3.03 downgrader. The issue is with the screen brightness, and how usually if you leave it alone for 5 minutes it will "dim the screen"... well, I guess the problem is that the screen will STAY dim, and if you leave it alone for five minutes then the screen will turn bright... quite an annoying little bug. People are trying to find workarounds, but for now, I'd still shoot for a psp with a firmware under 2.71 for the ease of downgrading (b/c the firmware 3.03 downgrader requires that you use an older disc of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and they are getting harder to come by).

-DarkPacMan77-

thnx to those who responded, but i baught what i baught yesterday at 4:30pm, and i have no idea what it i...got it for a good price...so i'm happy...sohuld be here in 3 days...then i bgot 2x2 gig memory cards...a rechargable grip...and my psp is the ultimate pack or w/e...so a mem card case game cloth and the regular stuff...it's coming from a store in tenessee so that's kewl...i sent 150 in total for all the stuff...so i will be aorund/back again...i can't wait....all of my other stuff will be here within 2 weeks coming from hong kong...26 and 22 for my 2 gig cards...damn, i'm happy....i jsut want it to work better then my old TA-082...i couldn't play alotta stuff on it and it made me mad....but i appreciate the help...but we're gonna see...i'll update you all and what not incase someone else has the same goal in mind

the ups guy left, i got my psp...it's a FW 2.01...so that's pretty kewl...kinda seems stupid to upgrade to 3.0 then downgrade to 1.50 (or 1.00?) but i don't think i can do it yet anyhow, cuz i haven't gotten either of my 2GB memory cards yet...so not gonna make all that much of a difference...only lame thing is that it was suppose to come with a game...but it didn't...i emailed them...but anyways...any ideas on the downgrade attack? and which one should i downgrade too 1.50 or 1.00? and any suggestions on what to use (woud be some of the plan of attack i was talking aobut, cuz i really don't wanna end up with a brick...kinda tweeking out on that thought)

(and yes a double post, but if no one answers then that's what ya get)

i looked and didn't see the gold print on the motherboard on the upper right near the CD tray chassy....so it shouldn't be one, thank god....my last one was...but this one looks to be one of the OG ones...and then the fact that it came with FW 2.01 also...

so i don't wait well...seeing what all you had to say...so i was reading and looking around...found the 2.0/2.01 downgrader....and it said that it didn't include the eloader...and i've not used one of those so i figured i'd take a look at he eloader 0.995 and xloader/installotron included....well..the installotron dind't work...neither did the xloader...the eloader booted up once or twice but not sinc ethen...plus terra didn't load and neither did quake psp...so was thinking that the downgrader wouldn't be a good idea since i can't even get that to work...

but also was thinking of upgrading to 3.02/3.03 firmware then updating to the 3 custom firmware packages and jsut using HEN 3.03...but w/e...this would be why you guys have this section to be able to ask these questions...so...what's the deal?

the downgrader seems pretty easy cuz of the auto feature...but without the eloader working that's jsut not good...plus also the worry that i only have a 32MB card right now...till they ship my others...but who knows when that will ahppen and as we've fouinf out i'm impatient

Some people are having a few issues with TA-082 - TA-086 motherboards when they come STOCK with firmware 2.71 or higher installed, and are downgraded using the 3.03 downgrader.
-DarkPacMan77-

Quick question, DPM77 - is there a way of telling what motherboard the PSP has from the box? I read something about a barcode, but there was no elaboration on that thread.

Additionally, is there any way to tell what stock firmware the PSP is running from the box, or is it a case of booting the thing up to find out.

Thanks in advance.

i already know that...it's cuz of the brightness/battery save...but that doesn't apply to me at all...since i don't have a ta-anything...i have an original 2.01...and i was asking aobut what firmware course i sohuld take...whether it be to downgrade...using 2.0/2.01 dowgrader to version 1.40 or to another firmware...or to upgrade to 3.xx and then use the 3 custom firmware upgrades....and i did get eloader .099 to work...but once again on my 2.01 it's a little unstable still...periodically a downgrade i believe would be possible and the 2.0/2.01 downgrader seems pretty simple./..it that's the way i go...but would like people's opinions before i do anything...and plus for a bit i only have a 32mb memory card too....

so thanx for the try on the help...i guess..and trying to scam answers or w/e that was...lol...on a unrelated thread...but...kinda not very helpful with what i was talking about....

....

Was that in response to me?

I was just reading through your thread and had some questions of my own. I have no answer to your questions, I'm afraid.

EDIT: Actually, I do have some advice. Be patient and wait for your 2GB memory sticks

yeah it was in response to you...one i was waiting for someone to say something or else i'm jsut talking to myself...and two...just cuz the topic is gettign responses doesn't mean it's open to w/e....cuz i had no questions aobut that...kinda trying to figure my stuff oput...and would like to use my topic i started for that...but yes...there is a way to tell...atleast was at one point...the letter near the barcode will tell you...jsut look it up...pretty easy to find on the net...i went thorugh that in sept. another good resourse is wwwpsp-hacks.com...but also if you read in the home section of this site it touches on that subject a ltttle it...then from there jsut do a internet search...mabe try the site i suggested... and i miss-typed the downgrader i was talking about "2.00/2.01 to 1.50" also...that dimming subject is also on noobz site...and also a good resource....i would try there

..there is a way to tell..the letter near the barcode will tell you...jsut look it up...pretty easy to find on the net...i went thorugh that in sept. another good resourse is wwwpsp-hacks.com

Thanks for your help!

Is your return key broken, btw? You may get more responses if you break your questions into paragraphs to make them easier to read. You seem to be like me in that you have a tendency to type a lot, which puts many people off reading what you write.

I realise that the above may sound patronising, but it's honestly not meant to be.

why is that better then the 2.01/2.01 easy downgrader?
and why not upgrade to fw 3.xx then use the hen 3.03 enabler with the custon firmware add-on?
or even the 2.71 se FW with tyhe enabler?
i've not really used any of this stuff...mostly all in theory and don't want to end up with something that sucks or make more work for myself...i;'ve been reasding for 3 days straight pretty much....and still not gettingreally anywhere...besides figuring out what i can do

actually since i don't have fw 2.71 on my psp...it's not...like i said...and that would be what the downgrader works for...so instead i used eloader 099...(cuz you don't need gta) and then jsut went to www.psp-hacks.com and got fw 1.5....ran the downgrader/dater 2.0/2.01 after just putting it in the game directory...2 seconds later my psp read 1.0....then updated to 1.5....so yeah...pretty much all of this didn't help at all..

and you didn't answer my questions at all...
seems like this section is jsut a waste of time....you have to read and then answer..

one feature i'm missing is the RSS feed...and the web browser...
plus playing any of my games...but i believe i can use devhook to emulate 3.01 till i figure out the answers to my questions that i actually asked...seems to me that if you want to help...unmber one...people have to respond...number 2...you might not want to be chinsey on yping...cuz if ya got better things to do...don't be a moderator...oh and plus, listen to the questions asked...helpful hints...

the whole point was that i didn't know the scene as of late...but i just had to read for a couple days...and still have alot more to read...cuz i still don't know about 2.7 and 3.03 custom firmwares and what the deal is...and figure out gow to get it to work the way i want...unless someone could actually add something

it did help finally....black and white, what's the best course of action...that's what i needed and took long to get. but i did have to wait till i got my 2GB cards in the mail, i got them yesterday.

And the typing, everyone can understand it...it comes from staying up for 6-7 days straight reading and trying to cetch up on the scene, but that tutorial did work well, but for someone that doesn't want to brick their psp, they might take issue with "DXAR" file actually being "DATA.DXAR" but a minor thing....and still worked well...also after i did that, i just substituted 303 for 310 and upgraded to "310oe_a"...also worked well...and was exactly as the tutorial you pointed me to...

And a huge plus, NO BRICKING!!! lol...so all of you scared to upgrade or just putting it off...as you can see...from start to finish...buying to totally upgraded...very easy...just takes time and knowing what/how to get there