The Blog

IBM PS/2 Model 30 8086: External Overview

Nix McRetro // 23rd September 2012 // IBM PC, YouTube

Apparently one video wasn’t enough, so here are four of them. This is the original 8086-based IBM PS/2 Model 30 rather than the later Model 30 286. It runs an 8 MHz Intel 8086 with 640 KB of RAM and uses 8-bit ISA expansion. Depending on the Model 30 configuration,... Continue reading

Sega Mega Drive Model 1 CXA1145P Video Repair

Nix McRetro // 13th September 2012 // Repairs, Sega

Success! Replacing the Sony CXA1145P video encoder fixed the yellow and green flickering completely. This was the Mega Drive that behaved badly from a cold start and then settled down after warming up. Sony designed the CXA1145P to convert analogue RGB into composite video, so replacing it was a reasonable... Continue reading

Sega Mega Drive 32X Repair: No Display, No Sound

Nix McRetro // 13th September 2012 // Repairs, Sega, YouTube

No life from your Sega Mega Drive 32X? It might just need a bit of TLC. Disconnect it from power and start by cleaning the contacts with high-purity isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free swab. I used sandpaper during this repair, but I would not recommend abrasive paper on plated connector... Continue reading

Sega Mega Drive 32X Jittery Video: Initial Investigation

Nix McRetro // 12th September 2012 // Repairs, Sega

I picked up three 32X units from the internet, all sold as-is. Surprisingly, all three work to some degree. The bad news is the jittering and distorted video shown above. At this point it looked as though the same problem might be affecting every 32X I owned, which made me... Continue reading

Photographing the Sega Saturn Collection

Nix McRetro // 27th August 2012 // Sega

Photographing the Sega Saturn Collection

Sophia is still out and about. Today I gave her a careful dusting with a paintbrush to remove the top layer of smoky dust. She looks considerably cleaner now. You won’t see that in the photos above though. Those were taken before the cleaning. I’ve also started retaking photographs of... Continue reading