Single Switch Region Mod

Ok grabbed a console from Game Traders and have done this with a 4.433619Mhz 4 pin oscillator to a MD2 (VA1.0 but that don't matter).

4.433619Mhz 4 pin oscillator
http://i.imgur.com/dr3Lm.jpg

Where to connect 2. Cut here 1 disables the existing frequency to allow for the new one added. Cut here 2 disables the encoder mode (PAL/NTSC) to allow for us to connect pin 7 to GND to lock the encoder in PAL mode.
http://i.imgur.com/BaVqa.jpg

Connect the oscillator
http://i.imgur.com/lRYIW.jpg

Switch in PAL
http://i.imgur.com/U30ZM.jpg

Switch in USA
http://i.imgur.com/YhKAs.jpg

Switch in JPN
http://i.imgur.com/BeeUI.jpg

3 position 4 pole switch (2 poles shown, 1 pole used) note pin "2" is not connected as this is USA (so no connection).
http://i.imgur.com/Ndf65.jpg

When I mod the next one (my VA2.3 Genesis needs a LED as the original was broken) I am going to wire up a bi-colour LED (red/blue) to switch between the different regions on one of the other spare poles. So PAL will be red, USA will be blue, JPN will be purple.

Nice work Omp, thanks for the pics too! Definitely going to get some 4.433619Mhz 4 pin oscillators and give this a go, and seems a lot easier than the "standard" colour fix mod.
You switch is an "On, On, On" switch?
If so, as Pin 2 is not connected, (because it's the USA one), could I use an "On, Off, On" 3 way switch instead? If not, I'll just get the same type of swicth you used.
Thanks again mate, very helpful!
:)

Yes you can use an on-off-on switch (as per Devil-N's guide).

I also use another on-on-on switch, which is slightly different to the above. Instead of having 1 common + 3 pins it has 4 pins that are in pairs. eg position 1 = pins 1 + 2. position 2 = pins 2 + 3, position 3 = pins 3 + 4. On this switch GND goes to pins 2 and 3.

BTW is your username anything to do with this? http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/%27E...0#.T1IM1PW-Z6g

Hey omp, cheers mate, and great work again! Going to order some oscillators soon and try myself.

lol, no, my username isn't related to that link, although interesting find! :)
My usrname is related to the English football style chant, "Here we go, here we go, here we go..." etc, except of course it sounds like "'ere we go, 'ere we go, 'ere we go..."

Just a username I started using when joining the sensiblesoccer.de forums, and used during my modding phase for Sensible Soccer 2006 on the Codemasters forums. I actually was one of the winners in a Codemasters contest for the Custom Teams included with the new XBLA SWOS, where you had to name a team etc, think mine was "Chanting Athletic/United" or something, and the manager is "Ere WeGo"
I tend to use it for any retro-based forum or group, as Sensible World of Soccer was/is one of my all-time favourite games.

So where does "omp" come from anyway, part of surname or similar?
:)

omp=Old Man Pete had it since I was 19 or so. I was the mate in the group that said "Oh I wouldn't do that, you might put an eye out" and the like. Also if one friend wanted to murder another friend, I was typically the calmer-downerer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by omp

omp=Old Man Pete had it since I was 19 or so. I was the mate in the group that said "Oh I wouldn't do that, you might put an eye out" and the like. Also if one friend wanted to murder another friend, I was typically the calmer-downerer.

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lol, I like it. :)
Yeah, I was a bit of a "peace-maker" back in the day too. Just one quick question about your new mod: The white wire from the oscillator is just going to one of the standard ground points? Also, the green wire from the oscillator is going to 5v, where on the board is it getting that from?
Can't wait to try this out!
:)

I have taken both points to the voltage regulator. Sega was nice enough to label it on the board "O" (output) "G" (ground) "I" (input). So the white goes to "G", green to "O". You can if you like, get +5v from a closer (slightly) leg of a capacitor, but taking it from the regulator is easy enough.

Fantastic, thanks for the clarification omp, and for putting up with all my annoying questions! ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by omp

Yes you can use an on-off-on switch (as per Devil-N's guide).

I also use another on-on-on switch, which is slightly different to the above. Instead of having 1 common + 3 pins it has 4 pins that are in pairs. eg position 1 = pins 1 + 2. position 2 = pins 2 + 3, position 3 = pins 3 + 4. On this switch GND goes to pins 2 and 3.

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Hey omp, just wondering if you could give me some advice - I've modded a Megadrive 2 with the single-switch mod, using an ON-OFF-ON switch as I mentioned. Finally got an oscillator, and followed your pics for cutting the traces, and connecting the crystal. I can now get Full colour in US and Jap modes, (awesome!), but now my Eu/PAL isn't showing correctly, (no colours/flashing etc, just like tje Jap and US modes used to do without the colour fix) - any idea where I might've gone wrong?

The region switch used to work fine, and when I used and RGB-Scart cable can verify that all regions used to show in full colour okay...is it the ON-OFF-ON switch, and the way it's wired?

Did you dis-able the line to pin 7 and then ground pin 7 to the video encoder? The switch chouldn't be the issue as the encoder is tied directly to the video encoder.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by omp

Did you dis-able the line to pin 7 and then ground pin 7 to the video encoder? The switch chouldn't be the issue as the encoder is tied directly to the video encoder.

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After I posted, I thought about it a bit more and thought it must be a trace or something I missed. I definitely "tried" to cut that trace, but will re-check in case there is still continuity there.

btw, how did you get on with the heat-shield? I attached my crystal as per your pic, and found the shield wouldn't quite fit around/against it, without some "tweaking" ;)

Yea I just cut out a section. Any place where a wire is close, I insulate that section with electrical tape.

Do you have a multimeter to test continuity?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by omp

Yea I just cut out a section. Any place where a wire is close, I insulate that section with electrical tape.

Do you have a multimeter to test continuity?

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Hey mate, yeah I have a multimeter - what should I test?
I'll open it up again tonight and check traces/soldering etc.
:)

Set your multi-meter to continuity (buzzy thing) and test between pin 7 and original trace (you will have to follow the trace). Also double check you have disabled the line to R61, that maybe an issue to.

Hope it works out for you, I can take a pic later of where to test if you like?

Thanks again omp,

had a chance to check tonight, all seemed okay, but looks as if there's a slightly "sensitive" connection somewhere. I thought I'd found it, but after re-soldering and reassembling, issue came back. I'm oretty sure it's just some of the soldering, so I'll get some decent wire, and resolder the crystal again.

One thing I noticed, it seemed quite hard to solder just to the ends of the legs of the crystal, (the solder doesn't "stick" very well, wants to run down the leg), any tips on soldering to them?

Cheers mate!
:)