Note: This apply's to PSP Slim's ONLY.
I've been modding a TON of PSP's lately... And I mean a lot. A few years back, one of my favorite mods was the ring of light mod. Where you add some sort of see through material to the back of the psp, remove the ring, and illuminate it.
I tried it out and started to hate it, because it rendered my umd door useless. Yeah the the drive was still there, but the the thick material, wires, and leds would not let the umd fit in, and close all of the way. Then I tried to make it so that I could keep the drive functional, and still have it work. Still no dice. The door would close, but the umd was off balance, so it would not read.
Inside of the umd door, there are two metal objects. These are key for keeping the umd drive. They press against the umd, so there is enough pressure to hold it still, so it doesn't become dislodged while moving the PSP. Before I had been removing them. This is a huge mistake.
The trick to lighting up your umd door is keeping these things JUST like they were before you started modding it. It's kind of like a puzzle. I have currently figured out two ways to wire the leds, and keep them in line with the metal supports.
Route 1 (Diagonal, like an X):
The pictures explain themselves. If you look at the metal supports, you can see they are bent UP slightly, so they rest just a little above the umd door. The trick is to keep your wiring and leds BELOW that space. If you do this, you aren't messing with the pressure that the supports apply to the umd, thus the umd still works. This way applies only for clear umd doors, but can work for solid colored doors. Just drill 4 hours where the leds are, and it will work like a charm.
Route 2 ( Plus Shaped):
I prefer this method, because I can cut out the umd centerpiece, and place it in another door, just like a jewel. But to do this, in the spot of your leds, melt a SMALL hole in the plastic, so the wiring stays below the metal.
I hope that this helps anyone who wants to install
leds in their umd door, but wants to keep the functionality of the umd drive. After all, whats the point in modding a console, if you have to take away a function, to gain one!!!