Sega Genesis VA2 Model 1 Non-TMSS Freezing and No Sound after a failed recapping.

Them all have the same chips. The older units VA0, VA1 (Japan only) and VA2 had problems with sound volume/balance. VA3 fixed that. Another thing they did was get rid of the tiny DIP IC custom which divides clock for the video chip. On VA0 it was a patch circuit board with three TTL chips. On VA3 that "patch" went into the 100 pin IC.

 

Are you talking about the volume balance on the TV. Because that's what my VA2 did. But also when i used speakers, I got an ear rape. It's probably the amplifier? And what does the patch on 100 Pin IC look like. Got a photo?

 

Also i got a VA6.8 Non-HDG and it has good sound as my VA3 HDG. Which model 1 should i use as my main Genesis, VA3 Non-TMSS or VA6.8 Non-HDG TMSS as i use my non-TMSS alot.

 

Also Are Non-TMSS US Sega Genesis consoles irreplaceable or hard to find. Because i was at VStock in Saint Louis to look for another Non-TMSS Genesis and i all got here was either a Model 2 Genesis or a Non-HDG TMSS Genesis Model 1.

 

Use any Genesis you have that works. They all do the same thing lol. You seem way too concerned with the tiny differences between model revisions. Why not just pick one that works, and play it? Lol.

 

Yes, it's that way due to design error, not by failed parts. They later on fixed the analog circuits by changing some resistors and capacitor values and positions.

I did take one of my Brazilian Tec Toy Mega Drive units (it had a European casing and a Genesis ring with "High Definition Graphics" and put a European ring with white paint to replace it". I also fitted a green led (because it's less bright than the original red one) and changed the gray reset button by a Japanese blue button. lol

Also I have a Japan/USA selection switch which toggles by holding RESET when powering up the unit. No cuts, no switches.

 

You are throwing your stuff around and slamming games into the system like crazy. Being pissed is no excuse. If it makes you feel that agitated then put it aside until you have calmed down.

And what are you talking about, some of the caps are clearly missing, you say so yourself in the video. How do you expect the sound to work when these are missing? They are not just there for your viewing pleasure, they serve a purpose, and more importantly the ones you chose to remove are the ones the sound run through...

 

I don't understand this need to "have a non TMSS unit". Nowadays it's trivially simple fix a botched game so it will work on a TMSS unit. Even, if you can't fix a game you can still load it with an Everdrive or other flash cart and it should have already gotten past the TMSS and VDP init so it will just work as it would on a non TMSS unit.

Older Mega Drives have problems of their own as you just discovered.

 

If you don't know why it is very important to take care of your stuff, remember that you are working on 30-year old hardware. Unlike the human body, the gaming console is a non-living thing that actually deteriorates with age. Plastic becomes brittle, capacitors leak, and metal gets corrodded and eaten by rust.

I have ruined some of my hardware before. I regret some of my actions (and sometimes, lack of skills) too.

Please don't reuse capacitors, even if that is convenient for you. Not only will you have to remove the old part (and expose it to extra heat in the process), you have to deal with the fact that 30-year old capacitors are generally at the verge of failing.
Imagine that they're all made in the same factory, on the same day. 30 years later, some of them are starting to fail. So as you can see, when some start failing due to age, the others are likely to be joining them soon.

 

Okay, I was throwing a fit when the VA2 died.. And i need another VA2 Non-TMSS console. Are Non-TMSS Genesis consoles common? I hope they are plenty of Genesis consoles made.

 

UPDATE: The VA2 board has been trashed! I gave up on it. I have a working Non-TMSS unit but it's a VA3, and i have good sound but i'm not worried about that anymore. Here is my problem with my VA3. If you know the yellow part on the board where the LED is held on to, The Red wire got broken off and i tried to solder wires on the board and the LED worked, but i have poor soldering skills and the wires came off the board. And do you got a spare HDG Genesis case for me since i cutted the LED bezel to fit the bigger LED. And what should i use to fix the LED wires on my VA3. The red wire is soldered on the board and i taped the white wire on the RF shield or any other metal and it works. Can i use a spare LED wire from another Model 1 Genesis as i don't have a desoldering iron. What should i use to desolder since i finally learned how to solder.

 

You need patience, being calm, a bit of being humble and actually listening to advice. After you got that you need flux, a soldering iron/station, a soldering braid and/or a soldering pump as well as some isopropyl alcohol. Watch for an example. You can add a bit of flux as well when you desolder. It also helps to have a decent iron or station when you solder, the $10 rat shack irons are generally quite bad and are a pain to work with if they work at all for what you want to do. Before you start to desolder (or solder for that matter) wet the tip of the soldering iron with tin and then remove it.

Finally, now this patience and listening to people comes in again... PRACTICE ON THINGS YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT FIRST!

 

Could i try on an shitty ATGames clones genesis console or a PC as they are the ones i don't care for and they have shitty sound.

 

Okay i watched the video and it's helping, but i was at Wal-Mart but couldn't find any de-soldering briad. Where do you wet the tip with?

 

There are also small soldering project kits as well, if you want to practice on something fun and harmless. Such kits also have larger traces, so that it is easier to practice soldering on.

This page seems to show what a good solder job looks like, as well as what bad jobs look like: https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-guide-excellent-soldering/common-problems
A good job will result in joints that conduct electricity properly and aren't brittle.

Personally, I use some solder to clean the tip of my iron before I start. I coat the tip of my iron with some solder, before wiping the tip clean on the small cork pad of my soldering iron stand.
I don't do a lot of soldering projects, so it is possible that this isn't the best practice.

You need solder flux, if the soldering point that you work on is contaminated. Impurities can result in bad solder joints.

To avoid lifting pads and damaging components, you should not be holding the iron against your soldering point for too long. If you hold the iron for about 5s at the point, the solder should stick nicely once you introduce the solder.
If you've been heating up the board too much (i.e. because you couldn't make the solder stick well), give the board a break to cool down.

 

GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY
Thanks for your help everybody
I gotten a new Genesis Model 1 VA2 unit ever since on March 4, 2017. It turns out the low sound from a VA2 Model 1 Genesis unit wasn't the fault of the Genesis but the fault of the RF Modulator. I have an AV Cable for the 8 pin DIn output and when i tried it in the new VA2, Guess what, It sounded like a VA3-VA6 Is it normal for VA2's to have low sound in their RF but perfectly clear and loud on AV. Is it probaly a manufacturing error in the RF modulator? Sorry for all the angryness.

 

Wait, you've been using the RF output all this time? Wtf? Wouldn't it have been a lot easier to just get a $2 composite/s-video cable from the start before trashing a console?