Aquaricart and 32k ram causing buzzing?

[Intelligentleman]

Was hoping someone could help me troubleshoot my Acquarius, mini expander, and Aquaritcart + 32k ram expansion. It seems that when I use these two carts together, I get a buzzing sound coming from the TV. It usually becomes obvious within a few seconds of the main menu coming into view. But, when you select a program to run, the buzzing is dramatically reduced to the point of almost being imperceptible.

 

I've tried my Aquarius and mini expander with actual cartridges (Logo cart + 16k ram expansion) and no buzzing develops. I've also tried using just the Aquaricart by itself - no buzzing. I've also tried using the 32k ram by itself and allowing the Aquarius to boot directly into the built in BASIC. No buzzing. I even tried pairing my Aquaricart with the 16k ram cart - no buzzing. Seems only to develop when using both the Aquaricart and the 32k ram pack.

 

Any thoughts? You can see what I'm talking about in the video I attached.

 

 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Intelligentleman

[jaybird3rd]

Thank you for posting the video!  (I had to download and play the file locally to get audio and video; for some reason, I only get the audio when playing it in the browser.)

 

I know we've already exchanged some suggestions via e-mail, but I'd like to post them here as well in case they would be helpful to others with a similar problem, or in case someone else can offer other suggestions.  You might first try rearranging or rerouting the RF cable to isolate it as much as possible from the power supply and the Mini Expander.  You might also try adjusting or re-tuning the channel while the Aquarius is on and displaying the Aquaricart main menu, and/or turning down the brightness slightly.

 

Also, when using the Aquaricart and 32K RAM module together, if you start hearing noise, try switching to a different screen other than the main menu to see if the noise disappears or changes.  (For example, press "9" to view the "About" screens, the first of which approximates the classic splash screen of an original Aquarius cartridge, or press "7" to display the "Guide to Home Computing" pages as plain white-on-black text.)  I know that displaying certain types of pictures can cause some TVs to generate noise—pictures with lots of white, for example—and I'm wondering if the striped background pattern on the main menu, or even the bright highlight bar in the menu, might possibly be contributing to the problem.

 

If you have another TV handy, I'd be curious to know if this happens with the other TV, or if it's something specific to this particular TV.

[Intelligentleman]

Thank you, jaybird3rd. After chatting with you via email, I am suspecting this is caused by an anomaly with this particular TV LCD set. I will pair the Aquarius with a tube TV that I have been very happy with when used with my Intellivisions.

 

If this mitigates the buzzing, I will update this thread immediately. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Intelligentleman

[Intelligentleman]

Thanks to the graciousness of jaybird3rd, I was able to hone in on a potentially unfriendly LCD TV that is likely causing all kinds of problems with the display and audio.

 

After switching to an older CRT set, all was good. Let that be a lesson to myself, I guess.

 

Also, RF interference is no joke. Make sure your cables are up to snuff. And even then, the positioning/routing matters.

Edited June 26, 2021 by Intelligentleman

[jaybird3rd]

Happy to be of service!  I've actually found the Aquarius to be pretty good when it comes to the quality of the stock RF output, relatively speaking, but of course there are inherent limits to how good RF can be even at its best.  Fortunately, we have better alternatives now; AtariAge member "1stage" has created a composite Aquarius A/V upgrade board ...

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/223672642110

 

... and I know of at least one RGB upgrade that is in the works as well.

[Intelligentleman]

17 hours ago, jaybird3rd said:

Happy to be of service!  I've actually found the Aquarius to be pretty good when it comes to the quality of the stock RF output, relatively speaking, but of course there are inherent limits to how good RF can be even at its best.  Fortunately, we have better alternatives now; AtariAge member "1stage" has created a composite Aquarius A/V upgrade board ...

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/223672642110

 

... and I know of at least one RGB upgrade that is in the works as well.

That's awesome. And I agree with you, the RF output is generally pretty solid - especially now that I've paired mine with a much more compatible TV set. Problem I'm running into, though, is that I only have one remaining CRT in my possession to go between three Intellivision and the Aquarius. 

 

So, maybe if the Aquarius could play nicer with a wider range of TVs... that would still be helpful.