The 32x make my Genesis games actually not look like crap on my HDTV

[16-bit]

I got my cable from ebay that connects the Genesis to the 32x and I played it for the first time using Sonic The Hedgehog 2 for Genesis, the lines that were once there in the sky are now gone! Amazing, now I don't have to pay a ton of money for an S-video mod. The only problem now is the thing is sensitive, and if it's not perfectly in place it doesn't turn on.

[kool kitty89]

Did you clean all the contacts to ensure a good connection? (and are you using a spacer if on a Model 2?)

[16-bit]

Did you clean all the contacts to ensure a good connection? (and are you using a spacer if on a Model 2?)
I cleaned the cartridge connectors and the inside of the system not the inside of the cartridge slot though (what would I use to clean that?).

And I am using the spacer.

[kool kitty89]

You clean the cart slot with a cleaning cart, or a credit card (or similar) covered with a thin cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2-wHCheZvs&feature=channel_page

I don't have personal experience with this, but I've read that the 32x's ribbon cables can have problems. (though what you describe doesn't sound related, more like a 32x-genesis connection issue)

[17daysolderthannes]

if the pins are corroded, you can use an emery board to sand the corrosion off. This is only if you can visibly see green or if alcohol simply won't clean it.

[kool kitty89]

Is very fine sand paper (upwards of 500 grit) better to use than an emery board? (which tends to be a bit coarser)

[Chilly Willy]

Is very fine sand paper (upwards of 500 grit) better to use than an emery board? (which tends to be a bit coarser)

Could be, but it's harder to handle. The point of using an emery board is that it gives you something stiff and flat that easily fits in the space to make it easy to do your sanding. I suppose you could also glue some of the fine sand paper to a Popsicle stick. :D

[kool kitty89]

Depending on the thickness, folding the sand paper in half can make it stiff enough, and of course you could use a credit card or similar (I use an old gift card), and I wouldn't use glue as it can screw up the sand paper if it starts to bleed through. (with standard whie glue used sparingly, it'd probably be ok)

The credid card thing is probably most useful when cleaning a large number of contacts at once, when only a couple contacts are clearly dirty/corroded the emery board is probably more useful, especially for cartridge boards. For cleaning/polishing an entire connector slot the sandpaper over card works pretty well.
Often simple cloth+alcohol is sufficient, but if there's corrosion, or simple oxide build up as is often the case for aluminum contacts -notoriously on the toaster NES- sanding/polishing will be necessary. (in the NES's case the ZIF connector has the added oddity of having the bottom row of contacts perpherated/sloted and the top row recessed behind a kind of plastic grill)

[gamegenie]

are you using a RF connection? If so, you ought to switch to composite.

only difference I noticed the 32X done to my Genesis games is that it added more color to them, e.g. MK3 it made the background on the battle mode screen more red.

[kool kitty89]

I think it depends on the model, I've heard some have really crappy composite output, while others are pretty good. (I'm not sure if it's a difference between M1 and late M1/M2, or if they improved in later models, or if it jumps arround through the various revisions, though I'd immagine the early ones with more video RF sheilding would be better, like the NES vs NES 2)

Also, RF is only slightly worse than composite in terms of video, mainly just a litte RF noise, and of course, the RF quality is directly dependent on the composite quality as the RF video is derived forom the composite signal.

[Chilly Willy]

I used to use an RGB cable hooked to an Amiga 1084 monitor. That was awesome. I'm currently stuck using RF to a small LCD TV until I can get an RGB to Component adapter made. The difference between RF and RGB is considerable. :D

[kool kitty89]

I used to use an RGB cable hooked to an Amiga 1084 monitor. That was awesome. I'm currently stuck using RF to a small LCD TV until I can get an RGB to Component adapter made. The difference between RF and RGB is considerable. :D

Don't they sell RGB SCART to VGA adaptors? (of course you'd need a Mega Drive SCART cable) You'd be able to use it on a VGA monitor, or an HDTV that supports VGA. ("PC in")

[Chilly Willy]

I can make my own cheaper. I made my own RGB to composite adapter for the Amiga, and the circuit isn't any more complex for RGB to component. I just need a few more parts (notably the video opamp). So a DB9 to connect to the RGB cable, a proto-board, a triple video opamp, misc resistors and caps, and the component lines (already got that). I'll post a picture when I get it put together.

The RGB cable is nice - I had a custom cable made that gave me stereo audio RCA connectors and an RGB connector for the A1084 monitor. I've used it for more than a decade, but now I'm trying to go to component in on an HDTV.

[16-bit]

are you using a RF connection? If so, you ought to switch to composite.

only difference I noticed the 32X done to my Genesis games is that it added more color to them, e.g. MK3 it made the background on the battle mode screen more red.

Nope, I've been using composite for several years now.