loud buzz (MD1, AC adaptater issue) [SOLVED]

[MLowther]

just got a new cable today (yay) so i went to set it up and put my copy of Pier Solar in, only downside is my console seems to have a really loud buzz that is ruining the experience for me

I've tried using both the headphone port on my screen and the one on the console itself.
is this normal for a Mega Drive 1 or is there something i can do to sort it out?
thanks, if there's nothing i can do then it looks like I'll be buying a Sega CD, i don't want to play the game with that horrible buzz D:

edit: i originally thought i had this problem because i was using an RF cable but it turns out it wasn't.
my video is better with this cable though

[Thorium]

I guess you have connected both audio channels. The MD1 does only output one channel on the AV connector. Just unplug one of the 2 audio connectors and the buzz will stop.

[MLowther]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... nfobox.png

the console on the left is what i have, just making sure that it's definitely a model 1 (I'm fairly sure it is)
I've tried removing the left cable, and i only lose sound from the left hand side while the buzz staying on the right and vice versa.
by the looks of it it's stereo, or at least trying to be stereo.
I'll try to see if there's anything else i can do, any input would be appreciated though, I'm clueless when it comes to this sort of stuff

[Thorium]

Interessting. Yes it's a model 1.
My model 1 does output only one channel and only a buzz on the other. And i read that this is how it is on a model one and you can get the second channel from the headphone port.

Have you opened it up and checked all the cables and cleaned the unit?

[MLowther]

not yet, i was just thinking of doing that though, I'll see about doing that now.

[MLowther]

as far as i can tell, the cables all looked fine, there was a bit of dust/fluff so i got rid of it and it's still exactly the same.
kinda annoying since the buzz is so loud i can barely hear the music/sound fx.

edit: just found something from a few years ago on Sega-16 and it says you can get a buzzing when low on power.
this could possibly be my problem, how powerful does the power supply need to be?

[Thorium]

how powerful does the power supply need to be?

It must output 10V and be capable of minimum 1.2A.

[MLowther]

that's probably my problem then, I'm using a 9V power supply, don't know how many amps it is >_< (it's my NES power supply, don't have the original MD one anymore)

P.S some random metal thing fell off when i opened it and i have no idea where it came from.
it's shaped like an M with a hole in the middle (or a W, E, or a 3 depending on how you look at it)... my console seems to work without it but I'm wondering where it came from.

also, i started playing the game using the headphone port, i can hear the music now, so I'm trying to ignore the buzz xD
loving the game so far and I've barely gotten anywhere, especially that NPC who lectures you

"it's cool, we're just chilling, bro"

[Thorium]

You shouldnt just use a random power supply on any device. It's very important to use one with the correct specifications. If you use a power supply with to high voltage you can destroy your console. If the console sucks more amperage than the power supply can supply it can destroy the power supply.
Specifications for power input are written on the back of the device in most cases.

[MLowther]

i don't really know much about that, ignorance made me overlook it. >_<

i take it, i should never use a power supply that gives more volts or amps than the device needs?
i have a power supply that outputs 2 amps, would that be too much and may damage the console, or does it only use how much it needs?
also, what polarity does the mega drive need?

edit: that's a different one to what I've been using, the one i was originally using had way too low amps (only 0.4, 1/3 of what it needed)

[Thorium]

Volt must be exact the number. Ampere can be higher but not lower.
Volts are given from the power supply to the console and the console just takes how much ampere it needs, so ampere can be higher.

[MLowther]

well, the second power supply i found works, no more loud buzzing!
it's 9 volts and 2 amps, I'll have to look for a 10 volt one sometime.

had to switch the polarity on it though, i found out the MD2 needs centre positive and the MD1 needs centre negative and it was originally centre positive.

[Zebbe]

Since this isn't related to the game, I will move this thread to "off topic".

[Blammo]

P.S some random metal thing fell off when i opened it and i have no idea where it came from.
it's shaped like an M with a hole in the middle (or a W, E, or a 3 depending on how you look at it)... my console seems to work without it but I'm wondering where it came from.

Your metal thing came from inside the plastic case, just near the back. Look at the reverse of the unit - at a point roughly in line with the middle of the cartridge slot there's a small hole in the back of the case about the size of a headphone jack, except it's just a round hole in the plastic where the two halves of the case meet. The metal thing rests in a little slot directly behind that in the bottom half of the case.

I don't know what it's for either.