Hopefully the accumulated experence of folks on here might know the most likely cause/solution for a Sega Genesis 1 with no video output? Power light comes on, but nothing seems to be coming out on the RF output. Only a buzzing sound is heard if headphones are plugged in. Same results with/without a cart inserted. It was a freebie & didn't come with any power supply/cables, so maybe the power supply I'm using isn't giving quite enough juice? Doesn't feel like that kind of issue though, as the power light is constant & fairly bright. The problem can't be with the carts, as they're all known to work on my Laseractive unit. Are there any known issues/fixes with the series 1 genesis (like the cap failures on the Gamegears)?
Try composite video? There are multiple voltage regulators, maybe one is damaged or maybe the LED isn't regulated.
I don't currently possess the appropriate cable & I wanted to check for any known issues before investing in one. It could be a regulator issue, I'll crack it open when I'm back at home & dig out the multimeter.
I might be stating the obvious but the gen1 and 2 used different power adapters. It's a 9V 850mA and if it's the wrong one they sort of make a humming noise. I have had a system not work because of a bad adapter or wrong voltage.
Yup, I believe that the gen2 used the same adaptor as the gamegear & that won't even fit the gen1's socket. It's also 10v vs 9v. The gen1 supply that I have is an aftermarket advertised as being gen1/SNES compatible (has separate leads for each) - since I don't have another gen1 (or an SNES) to test with, it's also an unknown factor at this time.
Man, I hate pickles! :lol: It's just another trouble shooting exercise, no big deal - I'm just unfamilar with genesis hardware & looking for clues. If you want a real pickle, try dissassembling/debugging/reassembling laserdisc players for a laugh!
I don't think it has anything to do with the adapter, most likely the 7805 labeled IC15 or another part of the VCC1 supply is damaged.
There crap those cheap dual end power supplies. Ive had nothing but problems with the ones i got and alec jahns were the same way
Model 1 Sega Genesis systems came with a 9V 1.2amp center negative power supply. I think Model 2 uses a 10V 850ma center positive. I am pretty certain the 32X uses one too.
You turned out to have the right answer with this one - I dug out an old 0.8 amp multi-voltage transformer, set it at 9v/negative tip (thanks for confirming that, MottZilla) & all was well. The dual end supply I had, was rated 0.85 amps, but I think it's output voltage was badly regulated (it was 17v unloaded), rather than being unable to provide enough current.
Yes, that's the first thing I check on any cartridge based system. :nod: Like I said above, it turned out to be the 3rd-party power supply that was at fault - system is running along quite nicely now. Next, I just need to replace the dead nicad in the Super Magic Drive that was the main reason for me to start fiddling with the Gen1 in the first place...
Yeah there made of the bare minimum and worst quality parts. Most are poorly if at all regulated. Its far better to splash out and buy the real thing as you know you'll be getting as good high quality unit.
