The Blog

Sega Saturn External PSU - Proof of Concept

Nix McRetro // 7th April 2012 // Hacks, Repairs, Sega

Success! It sure does taste sweet. Finally a proof of concept showing that this early Saturn PSU arrangement can be powered from an external DC supply feeding suitable DC-DC converters. This is very good news as it paves the way for me to spend some cash and invest in some... Continue reading

New Purchases Inbound: Sega Saturns and Game Gears

Nix McRetro // 1st April 2012 // Sega

I’ve got four Sega Saturns from two owners on the way: three functional and one broken. Broken in what way? Even the seller didn’t know. Should be very interesting. Three of them are Model 1s and one is a Model 2. I already have two functional Model 2 Saturns, but... Continue reading

Sega Game Gear Before Repair: No Video, Quiet Audio

Nix McRetro // 30th March 2012 // Repairs, Sega

Here’s the little Game Gear before repair. As you can see above, it has very quiet sound and no usable video, although the inside of the unit is in reasonably good condition. Failing electrolytic capacitors are a common cause of low audio and display problems in ageing Game Gears, so... Continue reading

Amstrad Sega Mega PC 486SLC: Coprocessor and 16 MB RAM

Nix McRetro // 29th March 2012 // IBM PC, Repairs, Sega

Amstrad Sega Mega PC 486SLC: Coprocessor and 16 MB RAM

The PC7486SLC-based Mega PC upgrade really is running at 33 MHz. Great news: the math coprocessor for the 486SLC has arrived and is recognised perfectly. It is a ULSI Advanced Math Coprocessor SX/SLC rated at 33 MHz, part US83S87. The diagnostic software also identifies it as a ULSI 84x87. I’ve... Continue reading

Amstrad Sega Mega PC 486SLC Upgrade Progress

Nix McRetro // 25th March 2012 // IBM PC, Repairs, Sega

Amstrad Sega Mega PC 486SLC Upgrade Progress

The replacement PC7486SLC motherboard is in. It passes POST and, unlike the original 386 board, recognises the hard drives perfectly. That strongly points to a fault somewhere in the original motherboard’s storage subsystem or related circuitry rather than the drives themselves. The old board will still make a useful spare.... Continue reading