28.5 watt ColecoVision compatible power supply (The best quality PS every made for the ColecoVision)

[HDTV1080P]

13 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

 

But this is derailing the topic of this thread and that wasn't intended so my apologies to @HDTV1080P for that.

 

It should be mentioned that the Col USB plug works flawlessly with some USB chargers and cables as mentioned in the following thread for the ColecoVision 17 Watt 3.4 amp USB Power Supply solution (and that is why some dealers only sold the product with a high-end USB charger and USB cable). However, that being said the 28.5 watt Mean Well ColecoVision compatible power supply is a better quality solution at a cheaper price. But since many people are attractive to USB they most likely would prefer that version that sells for around $84.99 on EBAY when one can get stock.

 

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/287788-colecovision-17-watt-34-amp-usb-power-supply-solution-user-review/

Edited June 25, 2020 by HDTV1080P

[+-^CrossBow^-]

39 minutes ago, HDTV1080P said:

It should be mentioned that the Col USB plug works flawlessly with some USB chargers and cables as mentioned in the following thread for the ColecoVision 17 Watt 3.4 amp USB Power Supply solution (and that is why some dealers only sold the product with a high-end USB charger and USB cable). However, that being said the 28.5 watt Mean Well ColecoVision compatible power supply is a better quality solution at a cheaper price. But since many people are attractive to USB they most likely would prefer that version that sells for around $84.99 on EBAY when one can get stock.

 

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/287788-colecovision-17-watt-34-amp-usb-power-supply-solution-user-review/

My main "attraction" as you put it for the ColUSB was the small size and versatility of using any proper rated phone/tablet/ USB charger with it and not be tethered to something specific. It is a nice option to have your tablet charger be able to not only charge your tablet, but also be usable as a quick PSU for a console. This is especially true for me as a workbench use scenario due to the small size and again, versatility of that solution. That was how I was using my ColUSB in fact was just as a bench power solution for working on CVs. But the mean well will take its place for now as it is still much lighter, uses a separate power cord so does eat up space to the left and right of it on a power strip, is smaller and has plenty of cord length to be used anywhere it is likely to be needed.

 

[MrPix]

The operative words were "I have been considering...."

I have a personal rule to not develop things that compete with an existing seller, but to focus on unmet needs. While I'd like to see your PSU be a bit cheaper, I understand the development and production costs do add up.

There's also an element that nobody can be relaxed ever again if they produce a power supply. If I have 1000 units out there that might be in use for the next 40 years, well, any time any one of those 1,000 people for the next 40 years has a house fire, it could impact me severely even if it is nothing to do with me.

[Greg2600]

Well in my case, I think my PSU is fine I think (+5V checks in at 5.22, +12V at 12.03).  I get garbled graphics so I think I need the power button cleaned again or a VRAM replaced, but that's for another day.  I mainly wanted to avoid using the mammoth OEM brick, as I'm forced to take stuff out to fit it in the power strip. 

[MMarcoux66]

Having to repair 2 broken original ColecoVision power supplies last week, I figured that I would order one of these so that I would have something as a backup. Got it in today and it works great. Will continue testing, but it seems to be a great modern power supply addition to my ColecoVision. I will probably use it as my primary power supply moving forward. 

[Donny Swanny]

My Experience...

 

I got a ColUSB while my Colecovision was being modded with the AV Out and Power Switch/Pause/LED upgrade.  I landed a supposedly never opened copy of Ninja Princess from an estate sale and it wouldn’t go beyond the Sega logo.  Team Pixelboy swapped out the cart for me that worked fine until just recently when it started doing the same thing.  I Just got the new “best ever” power adapter and couldn’t help but notice an improvement in picture clarity on original games and... BOOM, Ninja Princess is working perfectly again.
 

I’m not very techy in this arena, but I’m saying the ColUSB is inferior next to this “best ever” power supply from my experiences because nothing else makes sense to me.

[HDTV1080P]

The ColecoVision and Expansion Module #3 ADAM computer have excellent protection against using two power supplies at the exact same time

 

When the ColecoVision videogame system was released in August of 1982, the only way to power the videogame system was to use the original ColecoVision power transformer. However, all that changed in October of 1983 when Coleco released the Expansion module #3 ADAM computer system. 100% of store purchased Expansion Module #3 ADAM systems came with a gray plastic ADAM tray that offered a tight and accurate fit when the ADAM was connected to the ColecoVision. Also when the gray plastic ADAM tray was used it is impossible to use the ColecoVision power supply and one has to use the ADAM computer power supply built into the Daisy Wheel Smartwriter printer to power both the ColecoVision and ADAM computer. Coleco did this on purpose so that only the ADAM computer power supply could be used when the ADAM computer was connected with the gray plastic tray to the ColecoVision.

 

However fast forward to the year 2020+ and there are no more new ADAM systems and most of the time buying a used Expansion module #3 ADAM computer memory console, the gray plastic tray is missing and a hard item to find. Which means without the gray plastic tray a consumer by mistake could connect the original ColecoVision power supply and the ADAM power supply at the exact same time and turn both on at the exact same time. However, the ColecoVision and Expansion module #3 ADAM computer have built in protection, and ones ColecoVision and ADAM computer will not be fried by mistake if one turns on both the original ColecoVision power supply and the ADAM computer power supply (ADAM power supply is built into the Smartwriter printer). I tested this safety feature back in 1983 and also in 2020, and nothing got fried after several minutes of running both power supplies at the exact same time.

 

On several different ColecoVision consoles while being connected to the Expansion Module #3 ADAM, I have verified that nothing gets damaged when using both the 28.5 watt Mean Well GP25B13A-R1B power supply and the new Apollo 400 watt Power supply for the ADAM computer, when both are connected and turned on at the exact same time for several minutes. I have tried several different combinations of original Coleco and third party power supplies for both the ColecoVision and Expansion Module #3 ADAM computer, and after several minutes with both power supplies on at the exact same time, the ColecoVision and ADAM have the built in protection to use two power supplies at the exact same time with no problems.

 

*** Of course when the Expansion Module #3 ADAM computer is attached, one should use the gray tray with a ADAM computer power supply only. One should never use two power supplies at the exact same time, however if one does not own a dedicated ADAM power supply the 28.5 watt Mean Well power supply is powerful enough to power the Expansion module #3 ADAM computer, except for the Digital Data Drive will not function which requires a dedicated ADAM power supply. ***

Edited July 27, 2020 by HDTV1080P

[HDTV1080P]

ColecoVision owners and hardware developers now have power supply options between 28.5 watts to 600 watts to go across the front expansion module interface

 

If one has lost their ColecoVision power cord that came bundled with their Mean Well ColecoVision compatible power supply, or if one wants to choose a different model of Mean Well Power supply to use, then the ColecoVision compatible power cord is also sold without the power supply.  

 

When one purchases the high-end Gold Plated ColecoVision power cord from an online dealer, the price currently is around $15.99 plus shipping and tax. The ColecoVision power cord comes with a waterproof full color high gloss sticker that one can attach to their Mean Well power supply. Also see attached Microsoft Word document which is the instruction sheet that comes with the ColecoVision compatible power cord.  

 

One of the main reasons why the ColecoVision power cord is offered separately without a power supply. Is not just as a replacement option for those that lost their existing cord, but it gives people the freedom to choose the brand and model of power supply that they want to use with their ColecoVision. At the time of this writing there are two Mean Well power supplies that is 100% compatible with the ColecoVision compatible power cord. The 28.5 watt Mean Well GP25B13A-R1B power supply is the best quality power supply because of the excellent short circuit protection. However, someone might prefer to use the 46.5 watt Mean Well GP50A13A-R1B power supply (currently Amazon and EBAY dealers do not offer that 46.5 watt model as a ColecoVision option because of the poorly engineered short circuit protection where the power supply never recovers if there is a short between the 5 volt and 12 volt rail (see first post in thread for more details).

 

While I do not have any plans to design a combination SGM module with built in HDMI graphics card that plugs into the front ColecoVision expansion port (A new video display processor could be used for HDMI output with micro size HDMI jack on the right side of the front expansion card). Possible someone might want to design a new expansion module with HDMI graphics card capability and using a 28.5 watt Mean Well power supply. However new graphics cards for the ColecoVision takes a lot of power and even though 28.5 watts of power is 3 to 4 times more current output then the original 1982 ColecoVision power supply, that might not be enough power. Someone one day might need 46.5 watts of power to go across the expansion port to power a new HDMI graphics card with built in SGM (the existing VDP on the ColecoVision motherboard would be disabled if a HDMI cable is plugged into the SGM and reenable when the HDMI cord is unplugged from the SGM).

 

In small QTY’s there already exists a few 550 watt and 600 watt ATX style power supplies for the CoelcoVision (The Smurf Edition 550 watt power supply is real neat). So, my point is 600 watts of power could one day travel through the ColecoVision for some real neat fancy HDMI graphics cards and expansion modules. One 600 watt prototype power supply was made for the ColecoVision videogame system.

 

Years ago I was hearing some people complain that one of the problems with the ColecoVision is that there is not enough power to create fancy new Super Game Modules with nice graphics cards, that excuse is no longer exists, since there is plenty of power supply options between 28.5 watts to 600 watts for the ColecoVision videogame system now. The ColecoVision compatible power cord is 18 gauge and is designed to handle up to 300 volts of electricity with more wattage capacity then any existing -5 volts DC power supply on the market can offer.

 

In the United States there is a total of 11 different Mean Well Distributors where one can purchase either the 28.5 watt Mean Well GP25B13A-R1B power supply or the 46.5 watt Mean Well GP50A13A-R1B power supply.

Click here for the list of Global Mean Well distributors around the world

 

The 28.5 watt Mean Well GP25B13A-R1B power supply can be purchased for around $28.70 with free shipping from some USA distributors. The 46.5 watt Mean Well GP50A13A-R1B power supply can be purchased for around $41.80 with free shipping from some USA distributors. The Mean Well power supplies are available worldwide and work between 100-240 volts at 50/60Hz, and do not come with any power cord. Therefore, one needs to purchase the input power cord for the country that they live in.

 

For the USA and North America consumers a 1 feet, 3 feet, 6 feet, 10 feet, or 15 feet power cord needs to be purchased (around $1.90 for the 6 feet model plus shipping and taxes).

 

For the United Kingdom market this 6 feet power cord can be used for around $2.99.

 

For the European market this 6 feet power cord can be used for around $2.29.  

 

ColecoVision compatible power cord information.docx

Edited July 27, 2020 by HDTV1080P

[Greg2600]

So I finally gave in and ordered one of these and tried it out.  Not liking the results.  So I've got a couple CV's, one is AV modded ages ago with the Ben Hock mod, the other is like gem mint stock.  On the AV modded console, this PSU has the video signal getting a ton of interference in it.  I don't think I have a camera that could sufficiently pick that up though, but it's basically just a lot of waves moving horizontally.  I see it on the RF feed as well, but the RF is terrible on this thing to begin with.  I tried it on the stock CV with just RF, and it's visible there too, though being an RF signal it's far less noticeable.  The stock CV has a stock Coleco PSU that functions literally perfectly.  When I use that on the AV modded console the picture is really clear, no issues.  Ditto on the stock RF console.  Any thoughts from the pros out there?  I mean, yeah, I'm willing to accept this may well be a crap AV mod that should be replaced, but the stock PSU seems to be free of interference.

[zaphro72]

29 minutes ago, Greg2600 said:

So I finally gave in and ordered one of these and tried it out.  Not liking the results.  So I've got a couple CV's, one is AV modded ages ago with the Ben Hock mod, the other is like gem mint stock.  On the AV modded console, this PSU has the video signal getting a ton of interference in it.  I don't think I have a camera that could sufficiently pick that up though, but it's basically just a lot of waves moving horizontally.  I see it on the RF feed as well, but the RF is terrible on this thing to begin with.  I tried it on the stock CV with just RF, and it's visible there too, though being an RF signal it's far less noticeable.  The stock CV has a stock Coleco PSU that functions literally perfectly.  When I use that on the AV modded console the picture is really clear, no issues.  Ditto on the stock RF console.  Any thoughts from the pros out there?  I mean, yeah, I'm willing to accept this may well be a crap AV mod that should be replaced, but the stock PSU seems to be free of interference.

How close is the PSU to the ColecoVision? On my AV modded one when the PSU was too close to the console I got interference but when I moved it away things got better. That was the stock power supply for the ColecoVision though.

[Greg2600]

3 minutes ago, zaphro72 said:

How close is the PSU to the ColecoVision? On my AV modded one when the PSU was too close to the console I got interference but when I moved it away things got better. That was the stock power supply for the ColecoVision though.

Proximity doesn't seem to make a difference in my case.  Thanks for the suggestion though.  I also swapped the power cable for the Mean Well, which didn't change anything.  I'm doing this testing on my old Sony CRT, as my HDTV has the worst composite scaler known to man.

[HDTV1080P]

So far everyone has been happy with the 28.5 watt Mean Well ColecoVision solution. Improved picture and sound quality over the original ColecoVision power supply. Every Mean Well power supply with ColecoVision cable is hand tested on a actual ColecoVision with no issues before shipping.

Some people replace their video/audio connection cables when having picture and sound quality issues.   

Edited September 26, 2020 by HDTV1080P

[+-^CrossBow^-]

On 9/25/2020 at 9:08 PM, Greg2600 said:

So I finally gave in and ordered one of these and tried it out.  Not liking the results.  So I've got a couple CV's, one is AV modded ages ago with the Ben Hock mod, the other is like gem mint stock.  On the AV modded console, this PSU has the video signal getting a ton of interference in it.  I don't think I have a camera that could sufficiently pick that up though, but it's basically just a lot of waves moving horizontally.  I see it on the RF feed as well, but the RF is terrible on this thing to begin with.  I tried it on the stock CV with just RF, and it's visible there too, though being an RF signal it's far less noticeable.  The stock CV has a stock Coleco PSU that functions literally perfectly.  When I use that on the AV modded console the picture is really clear, no issues.  Ditto on the stock RF console.  Any thoughts from the pros out there?  I mean, yeah, I'm willing to accept this may well be a crap AV mod that should be replaced, but the stock PSU seems to be free of interference.

If you look back further through this thread I had the same issue on mine when I first used this. In my case I did two things to help elminate some issues. One was that I notice with my Yurkie CVBS board installed that RF would only produce a black n white picture unless I also had the composite cable plugged in? I'd never noticed this before but took care of that by installing one of the Retrofixes board in its place.

 

Second thing I did was found out that noise patterns are apparently something my Extron switcher is picking up because when I plugged my composite from the CV straight into my flatpanels composite AV jack on the back of it, the picture didn't have any noise in it at all at that point and was actually clearer than I had ever seen it before through composite. 

 

So not sure how you are connecting your CV up to everything but might try different TVs etc to see if you can help isolate it. BTW I just did another CV with the composite board and a TMS-RGB in it and it doesn't exhibit any noise at all even through my extron so it could just be something on some CVs that is more sensitive to the switching noise on the line vs others. Might be possible to put a cap in the mix off the power plug before the console to see if that helps buffer it out some. Not sure which line is causing it +5 or +12 or both but would be interesting to test I guess.

 

[Greg2600]

10 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

If you look back further through this thread I had the same issue on mine when I first used this. In my case I did two things to help elminate some issues. One was that I notice with my Yurkie CVBS board installed that RF would only produce a black n white picture unless I also had the composite cable plugged in? I'd never noticed this before but took care of that by installing one of the Retrofixes board in its place.

 

Second thing I did was found out that noise patterns are apparently something my Extron switcher is picking up because when I plugged my composite from the CV straight into my flatpanels composite AV jack on the back of it, the picture didn't have any noise in it at all at that point and was actually clearer than I had ever seen it before through composite. 

 

So not sure how you are connecting your CV up to everything but might try different TVs etc to see if you can help isolate it. BTW I just did another CV with the composite board and a TMS-RGB in it and it doesn't exhibit any noise at all even through my extron so it could just be something on some CVs that is more sensitive to the switching noise on the line vs others. Might be possible to put a cap in the mix off the power plug before the console to see if that helps buffer it out some. Not sure which line is causing it +5 or +12 or both but would be interesting to test I guess.

 

Ahh, well unfortunately I don't even have the Yurkie board, when he did mine he was still doing the Ben Heck "PCB-less" mod.  I only have one CRT though I tried it on a 19" Coby LCD and it's doing the same thing.  I'm getting a tad over 5V on one pin and a tad over 12V on another pin of this Mean Well PSU, though that shouldn't be an issue.  I am fully aware that this mod has it's issues, as when I first got it back an older RCA CRT I had would not even pick up a signal from it!  I had to run it through a VCR of all things.  Unfortunately I can't work on these things myself so the "cap mix" idea is not possible. 

 

The spare CV I have has an "okay" RF signal, not great, so there's plenty of distortion there to begin with.  However, you can still make out interference being worse with this PSU than the OEM one.  It's most notable on both systems on games that don't rely on black backgrounds, like River Raid, Keystone Kapers, Smurfs, Mr. Do, etc.

On 9/26/2020 at 1:02 AM, HDTV1080P said:

So far everyone has been happy with the 28.5 watt Mean Well ColecoVision solution. Improved picture and sound quality over the original ColecoVision power supply. Every Mean Well power supply with ColecoVision cable is hand tested on a actual ColecoVision with no issues before shipping.

Some people replace their video/audio connection cables when having picture and sound quality issues.   

Well that's not very helpful.  The stock OEM PSU I have does not give me any issues.  I WANT to get this new one to work and not need to return it, I just don't know how.  If the issue is indeed the old mod, it's on my to-do list to replace it with a UAV or do that on a new system.  However, that won't happen anytime soon, and I bought this on eBay so I can't wait 4-6 months to return it.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I can understand your frustration. If it helps at all, I just a composite and TMS-RGB upgrade to a totally different later revision colecovision last week and used this PSU to test it at the bench and for final testing and it has even better video quality overall than my own system does. So this could very well vary from CV to CV as well as other the other equipment and environment around they are used in.

 

[HDTV1080P]

The 28.5 Watt Mean Well ColecoVision compatible power supply is providing clean power with a double shielded 18 gauge power cable that also has a ferrite bead on the cable to eliminate or reduce EMI/RFI interference.

 

If one is having picture quality issues, all they can do is to try and reseat the power cable on both ends. Then if still having issues replace the RCA to RCA video cable with a high-end double shielded RG-6 cable. Or at the very minimum try re-seating the existing RCA cable.

Edited September 29, 2020 by HDTV1080P

[Greg2600]

Well I took the PSU to a local game store, and we tried it on a CV there.  Tough to see definitively because it's just RF but there's interference, which makes it 3 for 3 in consoles I've tested.  It's worst of all on my AV mod, but my friend there is too busy to re-mod it for the time being anyhow, so I'll likely have to return this.  He actually had a COL-USB on hand, which had a clear image from my AV-modded console.  There's nothing else I can really test myself.  It's not the cables, it's not the power plug, console, or TV, maybe this particular Mean Well adapter is just slightly producing inconsistent output?

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Again, I don't have any real answers on this. I do get interference with the adapter on my primary AV modded console, but it went away after I removed the old composite mod I had and put a different one in it. Also as I stated, the patterns were only present when I connected it through my Extron AV selector and did NOT appear when I connected it up directly to my LCDs composite input on the back of it.

 

 

[Swami]

Geez. Maybe someone should just remake the old transformer based one. Nice regulated linear power supply.

[HDTV1080P]

47 minutes ago, Swami said:

Geez. Maybe someone should just remake the old transformer based one. Nice regulated linear power supply.

Someone could remake the old transformer based one, however it would be illegal to manufacture, import, and resell it in the United States since it would not pass the required energy efficiency level VI rating by the Department of Energy. The Mean Well ColecoVision compatible power supplies are the only ones on the USA market that have the required level VI rating. Also the 28.5 Watt Mean Well power supply is a better power supply when compared to the original ColecoVision version. It offers almost 3 times more power output for possible future expansion modules that might need the extra power.   

 

Amazon and EBAY dealers so far have not received one complaint from anyone buying the 28.5 Watt Mean Well ColecoVision power supply, not even one email from a customer having problems with the power supply. Normally one will contact the dealer where they purchased the power supply if they are having problems.

 

Edited October 1, 2020 by HDTV1080P

[Swami]

8 minutes ago, HDTV1080P said:

Someone could remake the old transformer based one, however it would be illegal to manufacture, import, and resell it in the United States since it would not pass the required energy efficiency level VI rating by the Department of Energy. The Mean Well ColecoVision compatible power supplies are the only ones on the USA market that have te required level VI rating. Also the 28.5 Watt Mean Well power supply is a better power supply when compared to the original ColecoVision version. It offers almost 3 times more power output for possible future expansion modules that might need the extra power.   

 

Amazon and EBAY dealers so far have not received one complaint from anyone buying the 28.5 Watt Mean Well ColecoVision power supply, not even one email from a customer having problems with the power supply. Normally one will contact the dealer where they purchased the power supply if they are having problems.

 

I suppose it would be a variation of something like this:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Philmore-MW122A-Multi-Voltage-Regulated-DC-Power-Supply/332258157313?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225074%26meid%3D6bd995f3fda743469bdcf40bdd10e7f3%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D373231023281%26itm%3D332258157313%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Aa5b997e3-fee9-11ea-bf97-5aa4837b5b03|parentrq%3Ac392b16d1740ad4fab890115fffc1fa6|iid%3A1

 

[doubledown]

I've been using this particular HAPP arcade power supply for my ADAMs and ColecoVisions, for over 10 years now...same single unit. Granted I had to make up the cables to connect it to the consoles, and I added a power switch on the incoming AC line, mounted in the front face...but I've been super happy with it.  

[Ruggers Customs]

On 9/26/2020 at 1:02 AM, HDTV1080P said:

So far everyone has been happy with the 28.5 watt Mean Well ColecoVision solution. Improved picture and sound quality over the original ColecoVision power supply. Every Mean Well power supply with ColecoVision cable is hand tested on a actual ColecoVision with no issues before shipping.

Some people replace their video/audio connection cables when having picture and sound quality issues.   

These power supplies for the most part work flawlessly.  However, there are a few instances where they do not that I have found.

 

1.  The power supply works fine with a standard RF, composite modded coleco and TMS-RGB modded colecos.  However, if you wire up composite video from your av mod amp board as sync in order to use a Rad 2x cable then it's a mass shit show of interference.  I've tried this on about 15 different consoles over the course of two months and the results are all the same.  But if you run straight composite and straight RGB through a framemeister or OSSC then this power supply works just fine.

 

One thing to keep in mind is I haven't tried wiring up the csync on the TMS-RGB board in replacement of composite sync yet to see if it does the same in a RAD 2x yet.  Once I do, I'll post my findings.

 

So Meanwell with RF is good.  Meanwell with composite is good.  Meanwell with TMS-RGB is good through the Framemeister and OSSC.  Meanwell with TMS-RGB and composite video wired as sync for the Rad 2x appears to be bad for now.  

 

If you're planning to go for the Rad 2x (my personal choice in terms of affordability and picture output quality) as your plug and play RGB option then I recommend either a working OEM linear power supply or the Colusb.  I used to have my reservations with the Colusb but all six I have here have been tested extensively using HDTV1080P's recommendation of using the Cable Matters wall charger.  I have two that have been plugged into a 24/7 live power strip for 5 months without fail (not advised but I did it just to see if they could hold up.  Go big or go boom!)  Also, if you contact Dragon Box directly or Stone Age Gamer, they will work with you if you have an issue.

 

2.  If you have any type of LED strip in your coleco no matter what mod I listed above is in it, you'll get massive interference.  A type of scrolling jailbars.  Disconnecting the strip eliminates this problem immediately.  A single LED bulb as a red power indicator doesn't seem to present this problem and if it does then it's barely noticible. This is one of the reasons I don't deck out my colecos with LEDs much anymore unless the customer specifically asks for it. 

 

So if your consoles is overloaded with LED strips then I would highly suggest not getting this power supply if you just can't live without them.  One seems to be okay though but I've only tested it with a red LED.

 

All of the Mean issues listed above aren't present in a good old fashoned OEM linear psu or the Colusb.

 

Other than those minor issues, the Meanwell works like it should and sometimes better.  Just purchase what type of power supply you need according to your needs and what all has been done to your setup.

 

Alright soap box typing is off.  Time for me to yell at some clouds then go to bed.  Good luck!

[HDTV1080P]

Thanks for the post Ruggers Customs. The 28.5 Watt Mean Well power supply works perfectly fine on all unmodified ColecoVision videogame systems if the original RF modulator is working fine. Also the 28.5 Watt Mean Well power supply works perfectly fine on most modified third party ColecoVision videogame systems that had internal hardware modifications. However, when one makes internal third party hardware modifications to their ColecoVision, if the quality of the internal modification adds EMI/RFI noise to the ColecoVision motherboard, that is where the interference picture quality issues can occur from internal EMI/RFI noise on the ColecoVision motherboard due to third party shielding issues. Some of the third party hardware modifications might be trying to draw more power from the original ColecoVison power supply and the Col USB, but since the Col USB can not push more then 17 watts of power the interference issue would not show up. But since the Mean Well 28.5 watt ColecoVision compatible power supply is capable of outputting 28.5 Watts of power if the attached ColecoVision requests that much power, then some third party hardware modifications might be causing a bigger power drain and any poor quality EMI/RFI shielding issues on the third party modification might cause picture quality issues.

 

Both the 28.5 watt Mean Well power supply and the high-end ColecoVision power cable that is bundled with the power supply, is designed to eliminate, or greatly reduce EMI/RFI interference coming from the power supply. However it sounds like on certain third party hardware modifications to the ColecoVision motherboard, that those third party modifications might need better shielding to reduce EMI/RFI noise on the ColecoVision motherboard.  

    

I do not like the 46.5 Watt Mean Well GP50A13A-R1B power supply because of the short circuit protection is good for only one short between the 5v and 12 volt rail, but if one is having troubles with the third party hardware modification then they could try the 46.5 Watt Mean Well power supply to see if there is any picture quality differences. My guess would be the same picture quality problem and perhaps a worse picture quality problem if the third party modification is requesting a draw of 46.5 watts instead of 28.5 watts. In the ideal world third party video modifictions soldered on the CoelcoVision motherboard would not be needed if someone would develop a external graphics card with SGM capability that plugs in the front expansion port. Then with a micro HDMI jack on the right side, the external expansion module would disable the VDP when a HDMI cable is connected and use a new VDP that offers high quality HDMI just like a ColecoVison emulator on a Windows PC. Then people would not need to do all kinds of third party surgery to the ColecoVision motherboard to get better video quality.  

 

Amazon and EBAY dealers have a 60 day return policy on the 28.5 Watt Mean Well ColecoVision compatible power supply. So far no one has requested to return one since they love the results. However if in some rare instant that some third party modifications are generating EMI/RFI interference issues from poor shielding issues with the third party modification, then one can always return the power supply within 60 days. Also Mean Well offers a 3 year warranty on the power supply.

Edited October 6, 2020 by HDTV1080P

[HDTV1080P]

If there was enough demand, worldwide distributors for the 28.5 Watt ColecoVision power supply could be created to save on postage costs

 

 

The ColecoVision videogame system back in the 1982-1985 was very popular in the United States of America. Also the ColecoVision videogame system was very popular in the country of Canada. Both the United States and Canada ColecoVision’s were exactly the same in terms of NTSC 120 volt hardware and only the retail box and manuals were a little different. Also Europe had a PAL 220 volt ColecoVision, and some countries had a SECAM versions of the ColecoVision. There were over 2 million ColecoVision systems sold worldwide.

Many people from around the world complain about the postage that it costs to ship the Mean Well 28.5 watt power supply to their home country.

 

Currently all the Amazon and EBAY dealers that offer this ColecoVision compatible power supply from Mean Well, live in the United States, and it makes the postage cost to ship the power supply Internationally more expensive. However, there is a solution. This Mean Well 28.5 Watt power supply is offered all around the world and one can purchase the power supply directly from a authorized Mean Well distributor in their country as mentioned in detail in the following post.

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/308050-285-watt-colecovision-compatible-power-supply-the-best-quality-ps-every-made-for-the-colecovision/?do=findComment&comment=4594560

 

Then all one needs to do is purchase the ColecoVision compatible power cord with included waterproof sticker, that attaches to the 28.5 Watt Mean Well power supply. It costs a lot less in postage to ship the power cord internationally when compared to shipping the power supply and power cord together. Also if anyone wanted to resell the Mean Well 28.5 watt ColecoVision compatible power supply in their country that they live in, then one could fit a QTY of 20 or more ColecoVision compatible power cords in a flat rate priority mail box to ship to a another country.

 

So my point is that since the Mean Well 28.5 Watt power supply is offered directly from authorized Mean Well distributors in just about any country on the planet earth, then all one needs to do is purchase the ColecoVision power cord that was engineered in the United States and made in China to get a working ColecoVision power supply. If one is part of a ColecoVision club in Europe or Australia they might want to purchase a QTY of 20 ColecoVision power cords and have them shipped in a flat rate box. This would greatly reduce the shipping cost if only the power cord is purchased for international shipping.    

Edited October 6, 2020 by HDTV1080P