Help on modifying my UK PAL Megadrive to 50/60 & Language switching ...

Hi everybody,

I hope you can help me in my hour of need!

I am a novice when it comes to soldering but the modification to make a PAL Megadrive 50/60 Hz and Language switchable looked straightforward based on this guide:

http://mdpal60.net/wiki/megadrive/regionmod/start

Anyway, I followed the instructions and I seem to be getting strange behaviour:

1. I am always running at 60Hz
2. The language seems to be fine (tested on UK Ghouls n Ghosts opening menu) but according to the colours of the wires and how they're connected to the switch, JAP seems to be the English switch!

I have attached a couple of images (excuse my not so great soldering) for some feedback on anything I may be doing wrong. The only difference I can see between the guide and my motherboard is that my jumpers JP1-JP4 are in sequence.

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance
Mark

 

It doesn't look like you have posted any images, anyway you should ignore the layout of the JP1 to JP4 jumpers and solder in your switches as per the guide you are following.
JP1 and JP2 are connected under the board, solder a wire to one of them and the other end to the centre of a SPDT switch. solder the other terminals on the witch to 5v and ground in any order, (opposite JP1 is the ground and opposite JP2 is the 5v point)
Do the same with the JP3 and JP4 points they are connected under the board so solder a wire to one of them and the other end to the centre SPDT switch, then use the opposite 5v and ground points for the other terminals of the switch, then you will have two switches one will switch between Japanese and English and the other will switch between 50hz and 60hz. You need to make sure you cut the traces between the JP1 to JP4 points and the opposite ground and voltage points, or they will use that path instead of the new path through your switches.

Good Luck

EDIT: Also make sure you have a Scart RGB cable, the image of NTSC/60hz will not display right with a composite or rf cable and you would have to build a video amp circuit to get it to display right, or just buy a scart rgb cable and it will display great and also have a superior picture.

 

Hi,

Thanks for that. I decided to re-read the instructions and it said I should reading the pins from left to right - I was actually placing the wires on the side where the JP1-JP4 formatting was. So I swapped over my soldering (and tidied up!) and now it works fine. 50Hz looks ghastly and slow compared to US and Jap 60Hz loveliness! Tested on Ghouls 'n Ghosts and Jap menu appeared when on Jap and English for US/Europe.

Already bought an RGB lead in preparation so all good.

Also placed the 3-way switch on the back.

For anybody who needs help, I've attached images ... hopefully they'll appear this time. So for anybody who reads the original guide on my motherboard red/green work opposite to how it's been listed i.e. red = Europe, green = Jap.

Thanks
Mark