Please help before I go insane. Setting up a Sega MegaDrive 2

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,532
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My young cousin found my old megadrive and when he looked through the games, his little face went all pink because I have a Sonic game. :D

Anyway I said he could have the console and the games.

For the last 2 hours I've been trying to set the bl**dy thing up, to see if it works. Either I'm as dumb as can be (which is probable), or it doesn't work, (I'm sure it does - it was working when I dumped it in the bottom of the wardrobe. )

Has anyone ANY idea what's wrong? I put the cable from the mg into the tv ariel socket. I put the ariel lead into the mg. I look at channel 36 as recommended in the manual (Yes I have the manual :o but it might as well be written in Japanese for all the help it is)

The drive itself seems to work, the little lights go on - but I can't seem to get anything on the telly. I've tried it in 2 tv's.

Is it broken? Am I doing something wrong with the TV side, the RF unit is set to 'I'

Can anyone help me PLEASE? I can already imagine the tantrum if I can't get a working Sonic and Ecco by tomorrow.

I will be extremely grateful for any help or suggestions.

(I seem to remember having a similar problem when I first tried to set this up years ago, I think it was a similar problem anyway. :) But I don't know what I did to solve it)

Comments

  • GlenGlen Posts: 12,076
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    LadyKnight wrote:
    Has anyone ANY idea what's wrong? I put the cable from the mg into the tv ariel socket. I put the ariel lead into the mg. I look at channel 36 as recommended in the manual (Yes I have the manual :o but it might as well be written in Japanese for all the help it is)
    When you say you went to ch36 did you actually tune it into ch36 and not just press 36 on the remote?
    A lot of TVs (esp portables) don't let you manually tune into channels and you have to let it search though 21 - 69 to find it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,532
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    Glen wrote:
    When you say you went to ch36 did you actually tune it into ch36 and not just press 36 on the remote?
    A lot of TVs (esp portables) don't let you manually tune into channels and you have to let it search though 21 - 69 to find it.

    Ummmm no, I just went to channel 36. :o

    So if I do a search, I might come up with the sega screen somewhere amongst the channels?
  • GlenGlen Posts: 12,076
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    LadyKnight wrote:
    Ummmm no, I just went to channel 36. :o

    So if I do a search, I might come up with the sega screen somewhere amongst the channels?
    Yeah, Ch36 means the UHF channel, like BBC One will be on Ch45 or something.
    Scan the channels when the Megadrive is on and it should find it. Then set it as a TV channel number, like 6 or something.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,532
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    Ok, I think I've got it tuned to the right channel. I've run through every channel twice on the telly. Unfortunately the screen is completely black, and then after a minute the tv switches itself off.

    The black screen is steady - it got no little white lines or white bits through it, which is making me think it's the right one. I've tried the automatic tuning bit (manually) if you see what I mean. But that doesn't do anything either.


    I'm almost suicidal now ..... :p (not only that, I somehow have to connect the dvd player and the video back up to the telly) :D

    HELP HELP HELP HELP and PLEASE HELP.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,649
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    If your getting a black screen your close! :D Have your tried blowing into the cart? pmsl it really does work sometimes :cool:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,532
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    Chip_chip wrote:
    If your getting a black screen your close! :D Have your tried blowing into the cart? pmsl it really does work sometimes :cool:


    What's a cart please?

    I'm so desperate I would blow on anything, anywhere - if it would help :o:D
  • SpearmanSpearman Posts: 5,975
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    LadyKnight wrote:
    What's a cart please?

    I'm so desperate I would blow on anything, anywhere - if it would help :o:D
    ;)

    The cartridge - the game thing that you slot into the top of the console. Blow into the bottom of that, where the metal connectors are. :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,532
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    Spearman wrote:
    ;)

    The cartridge - the game thing that you slot into the top of the console. Blow into the bottom of that, where the metal connectors are. :)

    :D:D:D Ok, I'll go and blow there right now ;)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,532
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    I've blown and blown.

    Could it have anything to do with the picture format on the telly?

    Or has the megadrive died and gone to gaming heaven? (Why does it have it's little lights on if that's the case).

    God give me strength. :)
  • GlenGlen Posts: 12,076
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    When you are tuned into this channel what happens when you switch the Mega Drive on and off. If the Mega Drive is not working for whatever reason and just outputting a black screen it should change when switched off to an untuned channel. Most newer TVs should turn to a blue screen or older ones will give a snowstorm. Does this happen when you switch the Mega Drive off?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,532
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    I neither get the blue screen or a snowstorm. I get the s/storm on other channels but I can't tune it in.

    On the plain black screen - it seems to stabalize (if thats the right word), But nothing happens.

    Am I too stupid to do this?
    Is the m/d not working?

    How am I going to explain that Ecco and Sonic can't be played?

    Thanks everyone for all your help. Thanks Glen - you must be wanting to smack me, take my m/d away and show me what I'm doing wrong.

    It's a mega drive 2 if that makes any difference ???

    When I do the on and off thingy - it changes from a black screen to a screen with white snow on it. Is that important?

    I keep editing - the tv I'm trying it on atm is only a portable and it's about 6 months old. But it's not a state of the art portable. It's one from Tesco's :o
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
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    Do you have a video connected to the TV as well?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,532
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    Do you have a video connected to the TV as well?


    Check this out - not only did i have a video connected to the tv, I had a dvd player connected as well. (How smart do you have to be to get that lot connected!)

    I unplugged all the upluggable things, so I had the TV (with indoor ariel) and mg drive connected. I really can't believe I'm being as dumb as I am, everything seems to work seperately - its when I try to get the damn tv and console working together that I come unstuck.

    Maybe the console isn't working? But if it isn't - why do the working lights come on?

    :confused: and frustrated beyond belief.

    Maybe an icecream would be a good substitute for playing Sonic or Ecco?
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    i think it is just a tuning issue. I had a multimega, p/ayed games on CD too as well as cartridges and music on CD, and was tiny smaller than what revolution will be, I think it wasn't even released in the UK. Put a game into the megadrive and turn it on. If you can do manual tuning do that, you should be able to tune any channel, automatic scans somehow don't always find it. you should have a snowstorm all the time as it tunes until you get the sega picture. Some times it took me several goes. Some devices have decent auto-tuning however e.g. my panasonic dvd recorder. If your DVD player can so similar do that because you can use the DVD player's scart socket instead and no tuning will be required.
  • jagger2kjagger2k Posts: 3,527
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    i know this may sound silly but are you leaving the console on when tuning the TV??
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
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    when i get a black screen on mine, its either the cartridge or the cable going into the back of the tv is dodgy, normally its the cartridge
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,686
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    Bit of a long shot but is there a small box with a switch on somewhere on the tv connecting cable,i had one with one on god knows what it was but it only worked if the switch was turned one way.
  • freeview_madfreeview_mad Posts: 1,977
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    I have a megadrive set up right here so if you want me to try differant things i can.
    There are a few things you can do:

    As suggested you could blow on the cardridge but also open the two flaps on the top of the console where the cartridge goes and blow in there aswell.

    Also take the rf lead (the one that goes to the tv) and look at the pins in the plug that goes in the back of the console. There should be three pins inside all the same length and one on the outside that goes all the way round. The only reason i mention this is because the one i got had one of the pins pushed in and i had to ease it out gently to get it to work.

    When the console is on and you tune so you get the black screen, turn the console off and on again to see if it goes from black to snow to black.

    Also as mentioned above flick the switch on the little box on the wire that goes to the tv, it should be set to I not O.

    Theres not much that can go wrong, those of use who have lifted the lid including me will know its just one PCB and thats it.

    Cant think of anything else, hope this all helps :)

    Edit: lol i decided to play Micro Machines Turbo Tournament 96, i did a level and came 1st, obviously lol :p:D
    Its also a J-Cart so 4 players can play at the same time!!!
    Well it was great for the time :)
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
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    Is this a joke?

    If not, are you actually _tuning_ in the television, and not just going through all the presets (i.e. pressing page/channel up), and whilst the Mega Drive is on?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 370
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    right lets cut the chase what make of TV do you have? please specify make and model number, the model number can be found on the rear of the set. If i know this i can probably write a tuning guide for it. My guess is the DVD and VCR work anyway because they are connected by scart and in that case will work regardless. the megadrive is a different problem it needs a manual tune, and by doing this you will find if the mega drive is at fault.
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