Sega Master System Repairs - Part 1

[@GadgetUK164]

Part 2 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/apetan6Xo9yEpLc Ian Scott Johnston - kzbin.info

[@user-wj9xq7ig2v]

When I was 13 I made the magic smoke come out of mine by plugging an adapter that output ac. I think I cried and put it back in the box. 10 years later I started to learn to solder and put a new 7805 in it. It's the pride of my collection box and all. Got it at Zellers for the other Canucks that know.

[@ChrisEdwardsRestoration]

my first system after my Atari 2600. great job!. I had the light gun with "gangster town" and loved it for hours, also Zillion? lots of memories. I STILL use its joypad on my Amiga to this day

[@Mymatevince]

That was sent to test you Chris, great to see it working again. When Safari Hunt first of all came up it was a proper blast from the past for me, as I haven't seen, or heard about that game since childhood. Thank you 👍

[@GadgetUK164]

Thanks Vince =D I've not tried Safari Hunt yet - need to get a light gun!!!!

[@Adrian_Finn]

@@GadgetUK164 Light guns only work on CRT's don't they?

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

@@Adrian_Finn sadly they do. Although there are a few modern concepts that rely on a light bar, and at least one that "sees" the screen through what essentially is a webcam and sends back to a PC where the crosshair is supposed to be.

[@bruce_just_]

2:37 Chris - you’ll be able to install Tim Worthington’s FM sound expansion board in there

[@GadgetUK164]

Thanks =D I had forgotten about that mod!

[@RWL2012]

@@GadgetUK164 I have an SMSFM v3.0 to go in my 1986 North American Master System 1 (which I also want to get RGB "bypassed"), I just need to contact someone to sort that out (I was told you don't do customer jobs).

[@flatman9]

I remember getting one as a lad back in the day for Christmas. Set it up and looking everywhere in packaging for the Hang-on game( thought at time I had missing game) it came with and only finding out by luck later when I turned on for first time that it was built in lol.

[@JosepsGSX]

I´m stuck with a Megadrive issue since forever (it only shows the Sega copyright message) and this video has been really helpful. I have now some ideas to test. Thanks!

[@GadgetUK164]

If you just see the Sega message, it could also be a trace to the cart slot missing or corroded too!

[@mrjones29]

Loved this little machine. My mom took me to Toys R US way back in 1987 for Christmas shopping when I was in high school. She knew about this console coming out before I did so when she picked it up for me in-store that was my ideal Christmas present. I remember the card slot cartridges, I had Super Hang On and Safari Hunt as a combo and the big titles of the day with Super Monaco GP and Altered Beast as the big slot cartridges. Great memories from a 1980s kid.

[@CRG]

The master system is one of my favourites. Great video as always. The expansion connector was intended for an FM module to give you better sound in some games. As far as I know it was only released in Japan but you can get a modern version of it. There's a guy in Australia building and selling them last time I checked.

[@GadgetUK164]

Thanks for the info =D I've seen those mods from Australia - you can fit one to the Megadrive too I think!

[@Zebpro]

Was it an add-on for the japanese market, I thought all the japanese Master System were FM equiped by default?

[@monkiesnake]

the connector would probably been used for the planned, but not released, floppy drive (probably to go head to head with the famicom disk system).

[@RWL2012]

@@Zebpro The FM Sound Unit was for the 1985-86 Mark III and was released in 1987 at the same time as the Master System MK-2000 which built in the FM chip.

[@AdamSommer70]

Great fix, always thought the Master System is a great console. Looking forward to part 2!

[@domramsey]

SG-1000 was the console, SC-3000 (and SC-3000H) were full home computers using the same hardware. They even made a 3 inch disk drive for it. They're close to MSX but not compatible obviously. They use cartridges, but can use cards with a special cartridge adaptor. I love my SC-3000H very much, it's probably my favourite computer with a really nice industrial design.

[@GadgetUK164]

Thanks for the info =D

[@Plan-C]

Great vid as usual. Nice relaxing watch. Probably not relaxing to actually do though lol. That board with the torn up traces had really been through the mill. Nice fix.

[@GadgetUK164]

Thanks 👍

[@KorAllRBare]

🐨Just a Heads up in regards to that Flow Chart, in that it does have a subliminal function that repeats what the manual outlines. *Note* How at the extreme upper left we have the *Cartridge* wording attached to a line ending in an arrow pointing to a *POWER ON* Triangle , Also note once this suggestion to insert cartridge into system first before powering on the console, We also have a card attached to said line which also must be inserted before powering console on, So if we have a card we then proceed to insert card, If we don't.. We may proceed to switch on the game system, and while it boots we then plug our main controller, and if we have two players we also then plug the second controller in, Once the controllers are plugged in, it suggests we then may proceed to follow that last line and arrow and power on our TV and select or locate the channel for the consoles output and perhaps followed up by some fine tuning to get the best image.. "APU" Err-"As Per-Usual" I dropped a 👉👍👈

[@GadgetUK164]

Thanks! Good point lol =D

[@retrorelicsandrepairs8572]

I enjoyed this, as i repair vintage computers myself. It's fascinating watching others diagnose things in front of you. I learn something new every day, and sometimes smile when I realise I'm not the only one that thinks this way. Look forward to part two! Thank you 😊

[@GadgetUK164]

Cool, thanks =D

[@drbachler]

Awesome, SMS2 was my first ever console. Played the crap out of Alex kidd. Had no carts for it at first, but then dad bought Enduro racer, that was a hard game for me back then. Wow brings back memories. Looking for the next parts of this series. Keep up the good work and stay safe!

[@frankowalker4662]

The PSU is the same plug as the Speccy, center negative. Interesting series. Can't wait for part 2.

[@ErikZarth]

I had one of these. Great console. Shinobi, Double Dragon, Golden Axe, Ultima IV.

[@RetroSegaDev]

Poor old SMS's they look like they've been through a lot :D Great that you're restoring them tho :)

[@T200026]

Great to see you working on a retro console as good as the Master System instead of tricky arcade boards.. 👍

[@GadgetUK164]

Thanks! 👍

[@christianfowler3267]

The Atari 7800 also had a dedicated pause button. Very handy.

[@keithmcgerr3056]

Great vid, Gadget is the master of all systems, I'll play hang on until part 2, & Shinobi us them Gadget fixes!

[@GadgetUK164]

Hehe =D Thanks mate =D

[@RarivMorben]

Master System 2s are RGB in France, and come with a SCART cable, but the TV needs to support SECAM. I was gifted one of those 20 years ago :D

[@georgelea4297]

Great video as always Chris, love the sega fix videos

[@captaincorleone7088]

I loved the Family Fortunes buzzer effect! LMAO.

[@GadgetUK164]

LOL =D

[@necrosbowen]

i owned that same model besides hang on and safari hunt, there is a secret snail maize game built in also. i cannot remember the buttons you press i start up but should be easy to find out

[@loganjorgensen]

Well that certainly was a journey heh, that SMS has seen better days but some nice TLC on your part. ;)

[@GadgetUK164]

=D Just glad I could get them both working!

[@Liny_Fox]

The power supply is working as it should, you want it in constant voltage so it supplies your 5 volts, constant currant is only entered if it hits the current limit, in that case it will lower the output voltage below what is set to keep the current from going above what you set.

[@GadgetUK164]

Yes, you are correct! I spent half an hour last week just reviewing the instructions and trying to work it out - it's obvious really in that it cannot do constant current unless it hits the limit! That's also why it went into CC mode at the start when there was a short on two RAM ICs there =D Thanks!

[@coyote_den]

Yoshi was just trying to make the failure more visible. As in "look for the smoke"

[@GadgetUK164]

LOL!

[@williamsquires3070]

Yeah, I hate it when people use rivets when (machine) screws, nuts, and lock-washers would work just as well. Remember, “reuse, recycle, then refuse (as in “garbage”)!” As for the 6502 vs. Z80 battle, well the general consensus is that the 6502 is about 2-2.5x as efficient as the Z80 (roughly), so you pretty much have to clock it faster to be competitive with something like the NES/C64/Apple ][+/Atari 800/etc… 🤗 I think Noel Llopis (“Noel’s Retro Lab” YT channel) did a speed test of various 8-bit systems running a BASIC program and correlated the results with the clock speed.

[@Ratchet_effect]

Ah Chris you Legend! That's one of my favourites, even though the old Stevie! Wonder 3D glasses made me sick when trying to play with them on 😎 The expansion slot, as most likely know, can use a 'Gender Adapter' to play other country's compatible carts. Ever-drives work flawlessly with them. Oh I'm sure I watched Ian! repair that PSU a while back, I helped him with some firmware on one of them. It seems to be the same one looks wise 🖖👍🏻 If memory recalls correctly you can' Store and Recall the Operating states, so you can save your CC mode etc.. I'm sure you worked it out already! 🤓

[@taskanawa9604]

good job. damn i love sms hang on, is so smooth

[@paulblanco726]

I keep seeing these old console repair videos and they have been a tremendous help in repairing my consoles and recently acquired a Genesis model 1 that didn't turn on and a MasterSystem and I have noticed that non American consoles usually don't have RF shields so I suppose it's safe to use my MasterSystem without the shields as they were rusted as hell, oddly my Genesis didn't turn on if the shields were installed, only when i removed it started function, are RF shields that necessary?

[@GadgetUK164]

They were primarily for RF shielding - so they run fine without them, but in some systems they provide heatsinking to things coupled to their surface. In the Master System and Megadrive, make sure there are heatsinks on the 7805 regulators. If the shielding isn't the only thing heat sinking, you can remove it.

[@paulblanco726]

@@GadgetUK164 my Megadrive/genesis runs without a heatsink as i removed the voltage regulator to make it run from a USB C cable, but I did notices the upper master system of shield is screwed to the heatsink, I'll leave that one installed

[@r.a.w.talentart]

I do love your Sega fixes

[@GadgetUK164]

Cheers =D Some more Sega stuff on the way!

[@mancavehobbies6213]

Awesome Chris HAPPY XMAS

[@GadgetUK164]

Same to you! =D

[@williamsquires3070]

I wonder if the pause button generates an interrupt, or if it turns the system clock on/off? My bet is that it generates a hardware interrupt.

[@GadgetUK164]

It's just an input I think! ie. the game has to be coded to look for a press!

[@VintageTechRepairs]

Time to 3d print some supports for the cartridge slots 👍

[@hondaleigh]

Merry Christmas gadget. 😀

[@GadgetUK164]

Cheers mate =D Really miss you guys on RRG =( I will be watching some of your old videos over XMAS! Hope you have a fantastic Christmas and a great New Year!

[@homeoftheinepttulpagamer]

You could always feed through a long bolt and long nut throught the rivet hole and use epoxy to bond to the side of the cartridge socket. It would give it rigidity and yet the bolt could still be unscrewed if needs be.

[@GadgetUK164]

Nice idea =D Someone else also suggested a 3D printed brace that could go around the cart connector!

[@turbinegraphics16]

I think its around the age consoles are breaking, I got 2 sms's, one has tile corruption like you see with bad vram and the other has scrolling issues with elements of the screen scrolling at the wrong time. They both worked fine last time I used them 5 years ago. Both modded, maybe makes them more sensitive to static electricity. 🤔

[@GadgetUK164]

Maybe in both cases its bad VRAM? If that doesn't fix the scrolling issue it will likely be the VDP =/

[@xephorce]

nice vid cant wait for more. good news on my part I finally got a doctor looking into my health issues. how your health is holding stong.

[@GadgetUK164]

Thanks! That's great news! My health has finally started to stabilise I think!

[@xephorce]

@@GadgetUK164 glad to hear that hope you remain strong. I am only at the start of my journey.

[@vincediesil]

First time finding your channel. I've been fixing a few of these myself and the RAM seems to be a common issue. I've had several with corrupted video as a result. Can you tell me where you get those sockets? I'm still relatively new at this and have no real electronics background prior beyond automotive and fire alarm work. Thanks!

[@GadgetUK164]

You can get DIP or turned pin sockets from RS Online, Digikey, Farnell, CPC, Rapid Electronics etc. But often I will just hit eBay and search for DIP sockets, DIL sockets or Turned Pin Sockets.

[@Arcade_Mania]

Hi , I have a pal master system 1 when I boot it up it shows the master system logo then it fades away to a black screen but the sound still played fine ,Can you give any idea about what could the problem be

[@GadgetUK164]

It could be a RAM fault, possibly ROM or CPU too, but RAM would be my first bet.

[@Arcade_Mania]

@@GadgetUK164 thanks man 😊 , i have some donner boards I’ll try to fix it

[@GadgetUK164]

@@Arcade_Mania BTW - I assume you get the black screen when testing the built in game? If its only happening with carts, it will be a damaged trace to the cart slot.

[@Arcade_Mania]

@@GadgetUK164 no even when testing with a cart it does the same thing , it come up with sega master system boot up screen then it fades to a black screen and game sound keeps on playing and you can control the game

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

I'd be tempted to send you a desk for Xmas... 😁

[@GadgetUK164]

LOL =D

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

@@GadgetUK164 given how the carpet is prominent in all of your videos don't you mean "ROTFL" ? 😁🤣

[@jonhoyles714]

not completely sure but there’s a hidden game if you press and hold up and both buttons on boot loads a snail maze game

[@GadgetUK164]

Thanks, there is on one revision - it depends which BIOS is fitted. On the one we got working here it just has Hang On and Safari Hunt.

[@RockTo11]

I have an NTSC version of this, and it still works. I just wish Sonic was available for NTSC.

[@Zebpro]

Thanks for this video and resurrecting some good old Master System, my youth gaming system (never been a NES guy and all my friends had a Master System too ;-)) By the way, when you wiggle the pins after desoldering them, is there a risk to damage the inner part of the holes or is it OK, or maybee there is a certain way to do it, not obvious by simply watching you doing it?

[@GadgetUK164]

If you've removed most of the solder - there's little risk. If there is too much solder remaining, you could damage the pad or through-hole.

[@Zebpro]

@@GadgetUK164 Thanks for the hint! ;-)

[@anthonyaviles8665]

What master system cart you order of ali express

[@GadgetUK164]

www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001849505886.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.dee31e14C16cMY&algo_pvid=5e8dcdd8-2e19-43f3-a41c-f072a59f49a1&algo_exp_id=5e8dcdd8-2e19-43f3-a41c-f072a59f49a1-0&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000020854523406%22%7D&pdp_pi=-1%3B18.34%3B-1%3B-1%40salePrice%3BGBP%3Bsearch-mainSearch

[@anthonyaviles8665]

How has it been working for you

[@GadgetUK164]

@@anthonyaviles8665 Fine! The only issue with it - it's an earlier version so some of the korean games dont work on it, and Space Gun doesn't either. Every other game I've tested works for me though.

[@AdrianoRamosOfHT47011]

Awesome! 😄😄

[@GadgetUK164]

Thanks! 😄

[@eddieloius4592]

THE COLOR PALETTE ON THE SMS IS WAY BETTER THAN THE NES CP

[@Simon-u5b]

Does anyone else remember this system having the secret game snail maze?

[@GadgetUK164]

Yes, there is a version where that's the "built in game" =D

[@RWL2012]

@@GadgetUK164 My 1986 North American Master System 1 has the hidden Snail Maze only. Otherwise it's like "put in a cartridge and ENJOY!!!" or whatever

[@estebanvillalobos2303]

just fixed one myself

[@grahampembs]

Like to watch videos like these although I don't have much knowledge at all as to regards electronic repairs but still very interesting. I came across a video by Lady Decade as regards to that expansion slot which she says was for a never materialised floppy disk drive add on upon which the Sega master system would have sat rather like the Mega Drive and its CD Drive. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqOYpYBuq52fb7s

[@GadgetUK164]

Cool, thanks =D

[@grahampembs]

@@GadgetUK164 I am a subscriber by the way and await Part 2!