Did the Power Base Converter possibly kill my Genesis?
in Help Wanted!
Ok, this an odd one. I haven't played my Genesis in a couple months, but I know it's worked in the last few months or so. No problems. Since then, I've bought a Power Base Converter so that I could play some games that I've wanted to try and enjoy for it. A couple of days ago I got my first SMS game in the mail so it was time to try it out.
I plugged in the converter, plugged in the game, turned on the unit and... nothing. No pops, hisses, nothing. If a cap was bad, I've never observed one failing so I don't know if that happened, but I will say the unit was completely dead. Nothing happened and I even thought that mayed my power strip was turned off, which I verified it wasn't. So, I moved the unit to a new location and plugged it directly into the outlet. Powered it on, and nothing happened.
Next step was to take out the power base. I didn't plug a Genesis game in (I didn't have on handy) but it still didn't work. Does this sound plausible? I've been wanting to get into more serious hardware repair, but if anyone knows anything about this type of behavior, I'd appreciate any advice on where to start on diagnosing or fixing this issue.
I know a Model-1 Genesis isn't that expensive, so I could easily replace it but, there's something to be said about keeping old hardware alive. Being that I didn't hear, see or smell anything breaking, I doubt it was a cap blowing, unless it was a really tiny one that might not have made much fuss.
Thanks for your assistance guys.
I plugged in the converter, plugged in the game, turned on the unit and... nothing. No pops, hisses, nothing. If a cap was bad, I've never observed one failing so I don't know if that happened, but I will say the unit was completely dead. Nothing happened and I even thought that mayed my power strip was turned off, which I verified it wasn't. So, I moved the unit to a new location and plugged it directly into the outlet. Powered it on, and nothing happened.
Next step was to take out the power base. I didn't plug a Genesis game in (I didn't have on handy) but it still didn't work. Does this sound plausible? I've been wanting to get into more serious hardware repair, but if anyone knows anything about this type of behavior, I'd appreciate any advice on where to start on diagnosing or fixing this issue.
I know a Model-1 Genesis isn't that expensive, so I could easily replace it but, there's something to be said about keeping old hardware alive. Being that I didn't hear, see or smell anything breaking, I doubt it was a cap blowing, unless it was a really tiny one that might not have made much fuss.
Thanks for your assistance guys.
Comments
My first thought was that a fuse might have blown, but I can't seem to find anything online about a fuse in the power circuit for any Genesis model. Have you verified that the power brick is still outputting the correct voltage? I know I've seen more than a few folks talking about how their power bricks suddenly and unexpectedly died on them. Depending on how old your power brick is and how much wear and tear it's seen over its lifetime, it's very possible that it went out and is causing your current issue.
Good question but I’m not how to verify that. I bought my Genesis from a local game shop and he couldn’t find an OEM adapter, so he gave me a new third party one that had two outputs, I guess for different Genesis models or something. Anyway, if it’s broken, it didn’t last long. I “upgraded” to the model 1 from a model 2 at the end of last year.
My first thought was that a fuse might have blown, but I can't seem to find anything online about a fuse in the power circuit for any Genesis model. Have you verified that the power brick is still outputting the correct voltage? I know I've seen more than a few folks talking about how their power bricks suddenly and unexpectedly died on them. Depending on how old your power brick is and how much wear and tear it's seen over its lifetime, it's very possible that it went out and is causing your current issue.
Good question but I’m not how to verify that. I bought my Genesis from a local game shop and he couldn’t find an OEM adapter, so he gave me a new third party one that had two outputs, I guess for different Genesis models or something. Anyway, if it’s broken, it didn’t last long. I “upgraded” to the model 1 from a model 2 at the end of last year.
A lot of third party adapters are apparently junk, so it's feasible that the one you got with your system went out within that time, especially if it's designed to output to two different machines. How heavy is the adapter in your hand? If it's extremely light, with basically no weight, that very well could be your culprit. If you don't have another adapter around to test with the non-powering Genesis or another device that uses the same power (Sega CDs will use the same brick as the model 1 Genesis and I believe an NES will accept the 9V DC output without issue), I'd say to take it by the place that sold you the adapter and see if they'll plug it up to something in-house to determine if it's something in the system or the power brick. If the system comes right on in their shop, you've found your answer and are conveniently enough in a place where you can immediately do something about it.
Regarding your initial question, while I suppose it's possible that plugging in the power base converter did something, it's incredibly unlikely, as the thing is essentially just supposed to be a pass through adapter for SMS carts and cards. There's at least one other official adapter released later on which wasn't anything more than the functional equivalent of Famicom-to-NES converters, making it super unlikely that there's any sort of hardware onboard the power base converter which actively deals with power and could cause the issue you've experienced.
Maybe I should just look for an OEM adapter. Is it the same for all genesis models?
EDIT
I actually have the Model-2, which I’d forgotten about. It’s CIB and in my “to sell” pile, lol. Let me try that and report back.
I bet it's the adapter. The wires are cheap and, yeah, it's light. I'm not near my stuff but what about a model 2 Saturn? I have one of those sitting by it, but I don't know if the power plug is even the same shape.
Maybe I should just look for an OEM adapter. Is it the same for all genesis models?
EDIT
I actually have the Model-2, which I'd forgotten about. It's CIB and in my "to sell" pile, lol. Let me try that and report back.
DO NOT USE THE GENESIS 2 ADAPTOR IN YOUR GENESIS! The adaptor is different for each of these units, it will damage your system if you use the wrong one!
As mentioned above, the genesis and the Sega CD (1 and 2) use the same power adaptor. The Genesis 2 and the 32x use the same adaptor. Do not mix and match, please!
I hope you see this message!
I'll not do that. I'll just find a different way to test this.
EDIT
Could I test the adapter on the Model-2? I know you just mentioned tthe voltages are different but from my limited experience, sometimes the problem is one direction, meaning, it couls fry the model 1 if a model 2 adapter is used, but a model 1 adapter on a model 2 isn’t a problem.
Again, I admit being very much a novice at this. I won’t attempt anything until I’m sure it’s ok.
I did, and thanks. I would have check the voltages anyway. I'm at my desk trying to be productive (first warm Friday of the year, though, so it's hard to stay focused!)
I'll not do that. I'll just find a different way to test this.
EDIT
Could I test the adapter on the Model-2? I know you just mentioned tthe voltages are different but from my limited experience, sometimes the problem is one direction, meaning, it couls fry the model 1 if a model 2 adapter is used, but a model 1 adapter on a model 2 isn’t a problem.
Again, I admit being very much a novice at this. I won’t attempt anything until I’m sure it’s ok.
No. You cannot mix and match the adapters between the Genesis models 1 & 2. I honestly don't know that they would even fit, but I know that the voltages aren't the same, which would be bad enough. The Genesis model 1 adapter outputs 9V DC at 1.2A and the model 2 adapter outputs 10V DC at 0.85A. The only actual Segal consoles that have any cross compatibility power adapter-wise are the Master System and model 1 Genesis; both Sega CD models will also use the same adapter, but aren't actually consoles on their own.
Everything else has its own adapter with its own plug and set of power specifications. Regarding your earlier inquiry about the Saturn...I'd love to see that, as the Saturn uses a standard 2-prong power cable instead of a wall wart/power brick, so it shouldn't be remotely possible for you to hook up the cord from the Saturn with any model Genesis.
I did, and thanks. I would have check the voltages anyway. I'm at my desk trying to be productive (first warm Friday of the year, though, so it's hard to stay focused!)
I'll not do that. I'll just find a different way to test this.
EDIT
Could I test the adapter on the Model-2? I know you just mentioned tthe voltages are different but from my limited experience, sometimes the problem is one direction, meaning, it couls fry the model 1 if a model 2 adapter is used, but a model 1 adapter on a model 2 isn’t a problem.
Again, I admit being very much a novice at this. I won’t attempt anything until I’m sure it’s ok.
No. You cannot mix and match the adapters between the Genesis models 1 & 2. I honestly don't know that they would even fit, but I know that the voltages aren't the same, which would be bad enough. The Genesis model 1 adapter outputs 9V DC at 1.2A and the model 2 adapter outputs 10V DC at 0.85A. The only actual Segal consoles that have any cross compatibility power adapter-wise are the Master System and model 1 Genesis; both Sega CD models will also use the same adapter, but aren't actually consoles on their own.
Everything else has its own adapter with its own plug and set of power specifications. Regarding your earlier inquiry about the Saturn...I'd love to see that, as the Saturn uses a standard 2-prong power cable instead of a wall wart/power brick, so it shouldn't be remotely possible for you to hook up the cord from the Saturn with any model Genesis.
Lol, I forgot. Recall, I'm not staring at my hardware. My Saturn has been plugged in, ready to play for a year and a half. But, you're right, it is two-pronged and I even recall helping someone find one of those cables.
Hey, don't hassle me. (j/k) I had a very late night and I'm struggling today too. This day's just not working well for me.
I bet it's the adapter. The wires are cheap and, yeah, it's light. I'm not near my stuff but what about a model 2 Saturn? I have one of those sitting by it, but I don't know if the power plug is even the same shape.
Maybe I should just look for an OEM adapter. Is it the same for all genesis models?
EDIT
I actually have the Model-2, which I'd forgotten about. It's CIB and in my "to sell" pile, lol. Let me try that and report back.
DO NOT USE THE GENESIS 2 ADAPTOR IN YOUR GENESIS! The adaptor is different for each of these units, it will damage your system if you use the wrong one! As mentioned above, the genesis and the Sega CD (1 and 2) use the same power adaptor. The Genesis 2 and the 32x use the same adaptor. Do not mix and match, please! I hope you see this message!
In USA, Genesis 1 and 2 have different size power jacks that won't physically fit each other. I love the flexibility of owning a Genesis 1 power supply because I can use it with my NES, Super Famicom, TurboGrafx-16, and Neo Geo. In USA, we always have to worry about someone plugging an NES power supply into those other things because the NES PSU outputs AC.
In the meantime, head down to your nearest Walgreens and pick up the latest EMUbox from ATgames and enjoy all your favourite SEGA classics as you don't remember them! Another childhood ruined!
No. You cannot mix and match the adapters between the Genesis models 1 & 2. I honestly don't know that they would even fit, but I know that the voltages aren't the same, which would be bad enough. The Genesis model 1 adapter outputs 9V DC at 1.2A and the model 2 adapter outputs 10V DC at 0.85A. The only actual Segal consoles that have any cross compatibility power adapter-wise are the Master System and model 1 Genesis; both Sega CD models will also use the same adapter, but aren't actually consoles on their own.
Everything else has its own adapter with its own plug and set of power specifications. Regarding your earlier inquiry about the Saturn...I'd love to see that, as the Saturn uses a standard 2-prong power cable instead of a wall wart/power brick, so it shouldn't be remotely possible for you to hook up the cord from the Saturn with any model Genesis.
Yeah. Genesis 1 and 2 don't physically fit. The voltage difference is negligible, but they have different polarity (model 2 has center positive like most newer electronics) and that's probably why they tried to make it physically incompatible.
I bet it's the adapter. The wires are cheap and, yeah, it's light. I'm not near my stuff but what about a model 2 Saturn? I have one of those sitting by it, but I don't know if the power plug is even the same shape.
Maybe I should just look for an OEM adapter. Is it the same for all genesis models?
EDIT
I actually have the Model-2, which I'd forgotten about. It's CIB and in my "to sell" pile, lol. Let me try that and report back.
DO NOT USE THE GENESIS 2 ADAPTOR IN YOUR GENESIS! The adaptor is different for each of these units, it will damage your system if you use the wrong one! As mentioned above, the genesis and the Sega CD (1 and 2) use the same power adaptor. The Genesis 2 and the 32x use the same adaptor. Do not mix and match, please! I hope you see this message!
In USA, Genesis 1 and 2 have different size power jacks that won't physically fit each other. I love the flexibility of owning a Genesis 1 power supply because I can use it with my NES, Super Famicom, TurboGrafx-16, and Neo Geo. In USA, we always have to worry about someone plugging an NES power supply into those other things because the NES PSU outputs AC.
No way!
I bet it's the adapter. The wires are cheap and, yeah, it's light. I'm not near my stuff but what about a model 2 Saturn? I have one of those sitting by it, but I don't know if the power plug is even the same shape.
Maybe I should just look for an OEM adapter. Is it the same for all genesis models?
EDIT
I actually have the Model-2, which I'd forgotten about. It's CIB and in my "to sell" pile, lol. Let me try that and report back.
DO NOT USE THE GENESIS 2 ADAPTOR IN YOUR GENESIS! The adaptor is different for each of these units, it will damage your system if you use the wrong one! As mentioned above, the genesis and the Sega CD (1 and 2) use the same power adaptor. The Genesis 2 and the 32x use the same adaptor. Do not mix and match, please! I hope you see this message!
In USA, Genesis 1 and 2 have different size power jacks that won't physically fit each other. I love the flexibility of owning a Genesis 1 power supply because I can use it with my NES, Super Famicom, TurboGrafx-16, and Neo Geo. In USA, we always have to worry about someone plugging an NES power supply into those other things because the NES PSU outputs AC.
No way!
Yeah. Careful with Neo Geo. You would need to make sure the Neo Geo is a 9V system though (most are). Some have the wrong specs labeled on the system and it might say "9V" on the case while the board inside is actually expecting 5V.
I use it with my AV Famicom too. It should also work for original Famicom.
That one came with an SNS-101 that I bought at the flea market for $49. The fat tip would probably never fit anything other than SNES. I assume the smaller tip is for NES / Genesis-1 / etc. I expect the physical size is just so you'll recognize it as a power adapter for old game systems. It's expectedly lightweight because it would have a modern switching type power supply instead of an old heavy / inefficient flyback transformer. That said, I don't know if this switching mode power supply is decent quality or not.
My friend got an NES a few years ago and it was a lot of trouble to diagnose that his original power supply was bad. The bad power supply worked fine at my place. A now-closed game shop sold me a Retrobit power supply for less than $5 brand-new. It was very much like this. Probably the same manufacturer. At the very least, it seemed to work fine at my friend's home (where the authentic power supply would not).
I believe OP has something like this:
That one came with an SNS-101 that I bought at the flea market for $49. The fat tip would probably never fit anything other than SNES. I assume the smaller tip is for NES / Genesis-1 / etc. I expect the physical size is just so you'll recognize it as a power adapter for old game systems. It's expectedly lightweight because it would have a modern switching type power supply instead of an old heavy / inefficient flyback transformer. That said, I don't know if this switching mode power supply is decent quality or not.
My friend got an NES a few years ago and it was a lot of trouble to diagnose that his original power supply was bad. The bad power supply worked fine at my place. A now-closed game shop sold me a Retrobit power supply for less than $5 brand-new. It was very much like this. Probably the same manufacturer. At the very least, it seemed to work fine at my friend's home (where the authentic power supply would not).
Yeah, what I have is very close to this. I'm going to chock this up to hopefully being a bad power adapter. It's a bit odd that it worked for a time and now it doesn't. Maybe the extra power draw required to run the base converter was enough to overload it or something. Aynway, I'll just hunt down a model-1 oem adapter and hope that fixes it.
I believe OP has something like this:
That one came with an SNS-101 that I bought at the flea market for $49. The fat tip would probably never fit anything other than SNES. I assume the smaller tip is for NES / Genesis-1 / etc. I expect the physical size is just so you'll recognize it as a power adapter for old game systems. It's expectedly lightweight because it would have a modern switching type power supply instead of an old heavy / inefficient flyback transformer. That said, I don't know if this switching mode power supply is decent quality or not.
My friend got an NES a few years ago and it was a lot of trouble to diagnose that his original power supply was bad. The bad power supply worked fine at my place. A now-closed game shop sold me a Retrobit power supply for less than $5 brand-new. It was very much like this. Probably the same manufacturer. At the very least, it seemed to work fine at my friend's home (where the authentic power supply would not).
Yeah, what I have is very close to this. I'm going to chock this up to hopefully being a bad power adapter. It's a bit odd that it worked for a time and now it doesn't. Maybe the extra power draw required to run the base converter was enough to overload it or something. Aynway, I'll just hunt down a model-1 oem adapter and hope that fixes it.
A little heads up for you I have a Genesis Model 1 that won't power up with an aftermarket power supply. And my Sega CD model 1 is similar, the power light illuminates but nothing else happens. Both the model 1 systems work just fine with an OEM power supply. The model 2 that I have doesn't have this issue.
The adapters I bought aren't sold by Radio Shack any longer, but this should be a suitable alternative: https://www.radioshack.com/collections/dc-adapters/products/3-12-volt-2500ma-high-power-ac-adapter?variant=20331035461
...but bad replacement PSUs for retro consoles is still the exception, not the rule. Even then, it isn’t likely to cause damage. I get that we want to protect our stuff, but there is probably too much these days FUD about replacement adapters.
In general, non-counterfeit replacement adapters aren't going to have the same engineering issues as, say, a counterfeit Apple 1" cube because they aren't space constrained for the cost. In fact, most replacement adapters for retro consoles have a huge brick that is almost entirely empty due to modern switching power supply designs.
I do worry that they might have a 1" cube Apple counterfeit inside just because those are a dime a dozen and end up in lots of non-counterfeit applications. Heck, I saw some fruity-colored 1" cubes being billed as 3DS chargers at Walmart even though they didn't have a USB to DSi/3DS cable. Someone needed to offload a bunch and didn't want to risk getting sued by Apple, I guess. The thing is, it's very unlikely that the replacement plugs would use these since it would actually be cheaper to use larger/better components.
I would totally avoid all those folding-prong Nintendo OEM-sized 3DS chargers for the same reason I would avoid fake Apple and Samsung chargers. There are a lot of straight-up counterfeit 3DS chargers on Amazon too.
For most retro systems with a voltage regulator you just need to get the polarity right with enough volts and amps. In many cases the original power supplies are more dangerous than the current ones. Avoid the "ingot" PSU for the Atari 800XL. Buy a C64 saver if you intend to use your original Commodore 64 PSU. Don't trust that your NES PSU is good just because the console comes on and flashes (I've seen multiple bad NES PSUs now). N64 adapters fail pretty frequently too.
The big Japanese manufacturers usually didn't even include a PSU in Japan because the user was expected to provide it. Many of them are famously un-picky because they were engineered that way. That's why you can power so many old retro systems from a MK-1602 Sega Megadrive/Genesis PSU. Of course, you have to watch out for the outliers, like the few Neo Geo AES that require regulated 5v, but you generally don't have to try too hard to find a compatible PSU.
I use my Atari 5200 PSU on my Intellivision II. I use my TurboGrafx-16 PSU on my internally-regulated Neo Geo AES. I use a laptop PSU with a spliced connector on my TurboGrafx-16 Turbo-CD dock with PC Engine CD-ROM² drive. I use my 5v OSSC PSU for just about any 5v device I have around (GBS-8200, Colecovision Flashback, etc). I use my Genesis MK-1602 for a ton of center-negative retro consoles that end up on my workbench (NES, TG-16, Famicom, stand-alone PC Engine CD-ROM², Super Famicom, Genesis 1, internally-regulated Neo Geo AES, Virtual Boy with Japanese AC Adapter Tap, etc).
In short, we put way too much weight and trust on failing original PSUs when the other stuff we have around is often as good or better while the aging originals sometimes present increased risk.
Oh yeah: Don’t buy RetroBit adapters. Not even their N64 adapters (get your original recapped).
Thanks for all of the discussion. I use to work in an electronics engineering department as the software dev (many years ago, to be clear.) I certainly thought that power didn't always have to be so picky, so long as certain constraints were met. Currently I'd considered just picking up another complete setup for the model 1, and just unloading the unit and A/V cable, but getting a cheap alternative that will actually work when I power up the unit with the SMS in it is key.
Ok, so for the novices out there... what is the best adapter to get for a model-1 Genesis. I'd like OEM for completeness but, in this case, I'd prefer the best option since this is for Genesis/SMS gaming and, one day, I'm probably going to end up with a Sega CD too (even though I'm well aware it needs it's own PSU too.)
Thanks for all of the discussion. I use to work in an electronics engineering department as the software dev (many years ago, to be clear.) I certainly thought that power didn't always have to be so picky, so long as certain constraints were met. Currently I'd considered just picking up another complete setup for the model 1, and just unloading the unit and A/V cable, but getting a cheap alternative that will actually work when I power up the unit with the SMS in it is key.
For novices needing info on old Sega console PSU info, they should check out this page: http://www.gametrog.com/GAMETROG/How_which_do_i_need_SEGA_AC_Power_Supply_Information_Specs_Model_mk-3025_mk-1602_mk-2103_mk-1479_mk-4122_aa-s95j.html
In addition SMS/Genesis Model 1 AC adapters should work on Atari Jaguar consoles and vice-versa.
If you're missing an OEM adapter, I'd recommend either:
1. The Radioshack universal adapter I listed above with a "Type-M" plug tip.
2. The online shop Retro Game Cave sells high-quality replacement adapters: http://www.retrogamecave.com/
Retro Game Cave also sells multi-plug adapters designed for the Genesis/Sega-CD and Genesis/Sega-CD/32x setups that allow you to run the console and add-ons from a single adapter. I own one for use with my Genesis/Sega-CD setup and I have no complaints.
They combine the versatility of a Sega Genesis MK-1602 with the convenience of being able to power several devices simultaneously. It isn't cheap, but neither is buying multiple originals. The convenience of using originals from one console on another is mostly in the chance that you might already have one.
For 5v devices I got a 5.1v 3A microUSB adapter from Microcenter and paired it with a mUSB to 5.5x2.1mm pigtail adapter. I made and bought several other adapters, including a polarity-reversing piece and an Atari 7800 plug (found other devices using the same plug: