Hello people! I had a "polystation" famiclone that had both rca and RF outs. But the weird thing is, i didn't needed to hook it up to the TV to play it, if i just turned the console on and tuned my television to channel 3 I could see the picture, even if with a medium quality. What caused this? I'm sure that are some clones that use an antenna to transmit the image to the TV, but mine used just cables. Was it just bad RF shielding, and it happen in other consoles?
I think it happened on early Atari 2600 Units too, and the signal had a very long range, like 10 feet.
Most proper consoles that used RF used a fairly low power signal that required a cable for the TV to pick up, the shielding would stop the RF from being picked up too. Some famiclones were designed poorly so they would fail FCC / CE regulations if they were tested and transmit their signal at a much stronger level and the lack of shielding means the RF signal is transmitted further. Hence you picking up the signal from a few feet away.
Some older famiclones actually did this intentionally - the Micro Genius IQ-901 for example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/afrokid/346878510/
I remember my old Dreamcast RF cable would show a nice picture on the tv just by puting it close by the rf input. Quite funny XD
I own a Micro Genius IQ-901 (1996) as a part of my PORTABLE GAMING COLLECTION. I consider it in the same category as the SMS ULTRA COMPACT, or the SEGA MEGA JET: "portable consoles without screen", because in fact these accomplish all the requisites to be considered portable consoles (own buttons, own energy) except a screen. Here you have a photo: This model is the coolest one i found, very nice design and is very slim and light. Also i love the battery compartment on the back. I know another model called something like NEWTEN (or something like this) but it holds a battery pack on the back. All these models i mentioned can be connected to TV trough a RF cable, but in the case of SMS ULTRA COMPACT you can´t do it with ANY antenna. You need a very good antenna so it seems it depends on the model and the signal power. There is a CASIO MSX wireless as well, but not self powered (it needs an external power source) and an ATARI 2600 clone "portable without screen" made in Brasil.
Let's not forget the Handyvision! This is the portable Atari made in Brazil. Master System Super Compact.
Once during a World Cup 2006 match I had to go to this crap afterschool club. Nobody (not even the teacher type things there) wanted to do anything but watch the world cup so we found this old TV the school never used and plugged it in. No aerial but if I touched my finger to the RF connector we'd get signal, wouldn't work if it was anybody else. I put it down to my "cowslick" at the front of my hair.
