My Genesis is messed up.

[Jason Allen]

OKay, I have more than one, but My good old trusy first generation Console is having some problems. It gets power, but it won't display any image other than a black screen. You can still hear sound though. My RF Box wasn't the problem, and niether was the AV cables.

This normally wouldn't bother me since I have 2 other Genesis systems, but this was my very first one. I got it for Christmas in 90, in '99 is when this issue came about. If it's fixable, that would be great.

Anybody have any ideas?

[Knuckle Duster]

This could be anything, but I ran into a problem just like it on a Gen-1.

The problem on mine was the ch3-ch4 switch, Neither side worked for picture. I gutted the system and played with the board around there (Didn't do much) and she surprisingly works fine now. Except both chans 3-4 only fire out to chan3. (dead switch.)

Don't really know if this information will be of any use to you though.

[lordofduct]

OK your saying that both RCA composite cables (Red, white, yellow) AND your RF don't work? Hrmmm...

We can rule out the channel 3 and 4 thing then as the A/V cables are not dependant on it.

Because both ports are giving the same problem I will take a guess at what may be happening (as they run on different ports, the standard RF plug and the round Commodore midi plug).

Those to video strands split at the RF modulator in the genny where the audio is mixed into the composite picture information and then are broken up between the two. I will guess that this may be broken.

A quick fix is you can go in and solder directly to the video chip.

locate the CXA1145 chip. Solder a wire to the composite pin (locate a datasheet on the internet for the CXA1145 or is it 35? eh.. try both.) then to the wire connect a 75 ohm resistor and a 220uf capacitor for good measure then connect it to the correct pin of the Commodore midi port on the bottom of the board (it's pin out is also located on the web at several places, gamesx.com is the best place to go).

(I believe the Comp. pin is pin 20. From the notch in the chip there is a circle in the corner, that circle is above pin 1 and it goes up sequentialy around the chip. Don't hold me to the pin 20 though)

Then just plug the A/V cord into it like usual and go (RF will not work still though). If this doesn't work then you may have a problem with the video encoder chip itself.