-^CrossBow^-

yeah...all of the software I've got now and tried in the past will let you set a burn speed of 1x. That isn't the issue. The issue is that newer burners today, won't let you burn that slow. As I said, I choose the slowest speed on the software which is 1x, but an error pops up when it starts that the burner doesn't support it and it has to go with the burner's slowest speed. In the case of my DVD burner, that is 16x. Screwy enough, I can read anything as slow as 8x. But burning....nah...16x and above only.

I will state right now that 10 years ago I didn't have any issues burning such 'backups' for my Saturn and DC. But that changed a few years ago because as it turns out, you really have to burn the discs at as slow a speed as possible. A more recent example of this, is that I made like 4 or 5 coasters trying to burn wav files onto a CD for standard audio playback in my sega CD. The reason being that the game I was playing at that time, allowed you to use an audio CD for the OST vs FM sound and I wanted to get that working. No luck using about a half different burning software applications. I suspect the main issue is that my DVD burner is about 5 years old and the slowest speed it will burn at it is like 16x or something. As a result, the data doesn't seem to be getting made in a way that the SegaCD will accept. I finally had a buddy of mine out of state that still has a working 4x CD burner, burn the image onto a CD at 1x speed for me. And sure enough, that worked without any issue on the first try on my SegaCD. Now, before you or someone says that I must not have specified the audio CD format properly, one of those coasters...is in my car right now playing the songs without issue as has my PC and a few other CD players. So the disc was burned to the right format, but the speed and perhaps quality of the CD being used just wasn't going to cut it for working on my older retro consoles anymore. BTW...the .GDI format is the one for raw or uncompressed Dreamcast images designed to be burned on to actual GD-ROM discs. The Bin/Cue format along with IMG and others is for everything else pretty much. I know that the RHEA in my Saturn has mostly Bin/cue. I also have bin/cue on my MODE in my Dreamcast, but I also have a few .GDI images as well since again those tend to be uncompressed and not have items stripped out of the contents.

Well, what I can tell you is that if you load up the 1.1 PAM on a 2port, then the checksum comes back invalid since it doesn't know what the 2port BIOS is. Not sure I've ever really paid attention to what is shown otherwise. I'm pretty sure though that on the 1.1 on a 4port, it just says it is rev 1.0 and the ROM test for it just comes back with an empty ready prompt indicating no issues. I've got both consoles of course that I could get out and check as I have both the 1.1 and 2.3 on dedicated cartridges.

What make is the TIA out of curiosity?

I placed it on the input 9v side. The 5v is the output pin. So it was installed with the + lead on the 9v and the - lead on the center ground.

Did you by chance install one of the DC-DC switching regulators into it? One thing I didn't mention, is that even though the Tracos I use are supposed to have filtering caps in them to reduce or prevent switching noise...it still causes the interference like you are talking about on RF output when I've installed it into 7800s. However, since those consoles also get a UAV, the switching noise doesn't show up on the composite and s-video output since the UAV is able to filter everything out using a separate encoder as it does. One thing that I've done in a few cases where I noticed it was more obvious than I would like is to add a 220 - 330µf 25v cap off the input and ground from the switching regulator. Just to try and smooth it out more. Not my idea, but it was something I noticed Tim Worthington included in his RGB kits for the 2600 and had as part of the required install process. This was because due to the extra load of the RGB boards, Tim included a dc-dc switching regulator to install to drop the current requirements of the 2600 so that even with the RGB board in place, the 2600 only required about 320mA of current. That meant that owners installing the kits didn't have to get beefier PSUs since the stock adapter with its 500mA output rating was still adequate. Anyway, just something to maybe try and see if it helps if you did add one in. Sharp eyed folks might see one attached on the bottom of the main boards for pictures I've posted on some I've installed where the RF was still being used.

I bought 2 of them so I can answer that in the near future if it isn't answered before then.

Star wars can be used, but it is more difficult because at least on my 5200s with proper calibration, the cross hair on star wars ends up being off center to the right when first starting up the game. I also think Star Wars has something in the code to help calibration the cross hair when it powers up so I don't know that it can be changed as easy on the fly as using Missile Command. Missile Command might also be cheaper to purchase vs SW:TAG so there is that too. And Missile Command on the 5200 is pretty much arcade experience game play. Especially with a good working Trak-ball paired with it.

I can't recall if there is a method to reset the Avox on its own. But I now the 7800 Utility Cart has a feature on it to format the Avox to clear it out. I've never used it myself but I've seen it referenced.

You cannot rely on color to color because different cables during different parts of manufacture could very well have different colored wiring inside the harness. It is always advised to verify Pin to pin connections to be sure you have everything wired properly. I actually made a color code chart when I was doing more FB intv controller to INTV2 wiring and have since come across a few FB controllers where the colors were a little different and I had to go back to verifying pin to pin what was connected to where.

@Celotine There is technically an official way to calibrate the pokey readings on the console and it requires the use of a specific loopback board that Atari used back in the day. It provides static readings during the pokey test with the diagnostics cart to help dial this in. That said, there is a way you can do it more unofficial that should get your 90% there. You need to use the game Missile Command. When you have the controllers perfectly in the center, the game should come up with the crosshair in the center of the screen when you start a game. So to do this, you need to have a controller apart so you can access the pot arms inside it. - Remove the top of the 5200 console shell so you can access the trimmer adjust for the pokey. - Set the top arm so that it is at exactly the 9 o'clock position - Set the bottom arm to that is is exactly at the 6 o'clock position - Plug in the controller to the player 1 port - Plug in the Missile Command cartridge into the system. This will require you to defeat the dust cover door on the cartridge since with the top cover removed, the pegs needed to open won't be present - Start up the game and note where the cross hair is located. - Turn the Pokey adjustment counter clockwise if the cursor is right of the center, Turn pokey adjustment clockwise if the cursor is left of the center - It might be required to reset the game between adjustments to be sure it is locking in right - Only small adjustments are needed. So just turn a few degrees at a time when checking and adjust your turns as needed to dial it in. That is the basic of it although again, never quite as accurate as using an actual pokey test and adjustment loop back board from back in the day. Here is a video I did sometime back that goes though the official process and a few other ways to adjust it.

So this is the actual game that the old Portal demo was showing. Will some of the features that the Portal demo had make it over to the actual game? Like the Pokey audio and Covox speech for instance?

Well, I did a video of the process where I sped it up and it actually took me about 1 and a half hours to do it there. But I know I've managed to do it in less time since. You might have to crack it open first so you know exactly which revision of the system you have. Va2, va3, va46, va7 etc. to make sure you have the right ones on hand or order the correct kit.

Well on average for me, it takes just under an hour to recap a genesis from start to finish. I tend to recap systems one cap at a time, so I can make sure of the value I just removed and the polarity. There are capacitor maps on Console5 to help with all of that, but still prefer to go at it one cap at a time. But you do need quite a lot of them as there are about 40 to be replaced out in total.

Which model of the Genesis do you have? The older model 1 units can develop symptoms like this when the volume slider starts to go bad. It can sometimes be cleaned up to help, but I've usually ended up having to replace them out. I used to keep va7 model 1 systems just for that volume slider but I've not got anything like that on hand currently. I've not really looked to see if a replacement can be purchased new. It is actually a rheostat as the name of the component and while I'm sure you can get something similar, I don't think the exact one used in those consoles is able to be found now.