Modding Mega Drive for 60Hz

[Darkman]

Hi there,

I was offered a used Sega Mega Drive(PAL). If it is in a good enough condition, I'll buy it. But since this is GameStation X, a stock system is a no-no .
I was wondering if it was possible to mod a European Mega Drive to output video at 60Hz. Are there any caveats? Like games running too fast or not running at all? I did read somewhere that Euro machines had a slower CPU. Is this true?

[phreak97]

it's possible, but you need a new crystal, a resistor, a ceramic capacitor and a variable capacitor, or youll be playing in black and white..
i posted the instructions on exactly what you need and how to do it.. it'd be in the import mods section somewhere if you wanna go find it.. it isnt as hard as you would think.

[Hojo_Norem]

But because this is GamesX so there won't be any NTSC colour encodng problems becasue he will be using the RGB output of this MD rather than the composite, won't you DarkMan? ^_^  In which case all that is needed is the switch mod.  I can't remember the exact details of the mod but a quick google should find you what your looking for (that is if it isn't on gmaesx allready, I don't check that often cause I just go straight to the board! ^_^)

EDIT: Watch out for games that are 60Hz protected.  The protection can be bypassed by starting in 50Hz and then switching to 60Hz once in the game, but it sends the timing for a loop.

[Darkman]

Yep, will be using RGB. And actually, it's not MD, it's MD2. The original Mega Drive is very rare here(for historical reasons), so nobody ever mentions the "2" bit. Does that make mods more difficult? Maybe I should pass this offer?
And another thing - is the AV connector on Sega consoles(apart from DC, obviously) a standard one, like DIN_something, or totaly proprietary? I'm asking this because the seller only has an RF adapter and you all know how bad that is :rolleyes:.

[atom]

Isn't the mega drive 2 a pirate mega drive? If I recall its poorly made but has a faster cpu?

[Endymion]

The MegaDrive 2 has a 9-pin mini DIN. Its RF cable connects there as does the composite A/V.

[Darkman]

Isn't the mega drive 2 a pirate mega drive? If I recall its poorly made but has a faster cpu?

Um, no. Mega Drive 3 is. I had a genuine Sega Mega Drive 2 back in the day. But if you go to the black market, you can find any kind of clone here, including ones marked as MD2. They are easily distinguished - different color schemes and all. I'm surprised they aren't making PSX clones...

Endymion, thanks. I hope my local radio parts store will have some of them.

[Martin]

Isn't the mega drive 2 a pirate mega drive? If I recall its poorly made but has a faster cpu?

Um, no. Mega Drive 3 is. I had a genuine Sega Mega Drive 2 back in the day. But if you go to the black market, you can find any kind of clone here, including ones marked as MD2. They are easily distinguished - different color schemes and all. I'm surprised they aren't making PSX clones...

Endymion, thanks. I hope my local radio parts store will have some of them.

but remember not to confuse it with the perfectly legal Genesis 3

[Darkman]

I don't confuse them anymore. When I saw a Gen3 for the first time I thought "wow, the pirates are finally going to the right direction", because all of the clones seem to be huge for what's inside. Later I found out I was all wrong .

[atom]

Oh ok, I saw a site that said it was a pirate system and I myself thought, wtf? It's just got fruity colors thats all!

[Darkman]

Well, it's here! Bought it for 5 pounds/9 bucks/7 euros . Man, that was probably the most abused console I've ever seen. Also it was the second non-clone Mega Drive that I've came in contact.
I restored the damn thing to playable condition. Gave it the old fashioned detergent overdose. But the scuffs and scratches will remind me about the average Lithuanian gamer.
I tried to do the 60Hz mod, but I discovered it involves cutting a track or lifting a pin on the 315-**** chip. I'm kinda chicken at these things...