Turbo Grafx 16 Add on CD Unit Question

[agranger5]

Will the AC Adapter that comes with the TG16 power both the TG 16 and the CD Add On Unit or is there a special AC Adapter that comes with the CD Unit that you have to use in order to power both?

[Black Tiger]

Will the AC Adapter that comes with the TG16 power both the TG 16 and the CD Add On Unit or is there a special AC Adapter that comes with the CD Unit that you have to use in order to power both?

The Turbo CD has a special AC that powers both.

[nat]

Good luck finding one.

I have a cheap, easy replacement option if any one is interested. A while back when the Turbo-list was still thriving, me and another member did some testing and found that the output specs listed on the adapter for the TG-CD unit are not accurate. Why this is so is unknown to me, but the good news is that Radio Shack makes a cheap AC adapter that outputs the correct voltage and amperage needed by the TG-CD deck (at least, they used to).

IF anyone is interested I will find my old data and post it up. Surely a much cheaper and easier choice than trying to hunt down an original NEC adapter.

[esteban]

Good luck finding one.

I have a cheap, easy replacement option if any one is interested. A while back when the Turbo-list was still thriving, me and another member did some testing and found that the output specs listed on the adapter for the TG-CD unit are not accurate. Why this is so is unknown to me, but the good news is that Radio Shack makes a cheap AC adapter that outputs the correct voltage and amperage needed by the TG-CD deck (at least, they used to).

IF anyone is interested I will find my old data and post it up. Surely a much cheaper and easier choice than trying to hunt down an original NEC adapter.

Dude, this is vital info! Please post it when you get a chance. In the meantime, folks with volt meters should try to verify this. I can test it out the next time my brother visits (he has a meter).

[Joe Redifer]

I wish the Turbo CD was more like the Sega CD with tons of AC Adapters everywhere.  More clutter = better. 

[nat]

Dude, this is vital info! Please post it when you get a chance. In the meantime, folks with volt meters should try to verify this. I can test it out the next time my brother visits (he has a meter).

I will dig up the info this weekend and post. Verify all you like, we tried handfuls of those stupid things and they are all the same as far as we could tell. 

I've used the Radio Shack replacements on all the TG-CD decks I've had in the last ten years (three or four) with great results. Actually, I haven't had a genuine NEC adapter in at least five years and I've been running my current TG-CD with the Radio Shack replacement for that duration of time. The Radio Shack unit generates a lot less heat than the NEC adapters did and just feels more "durable" to me.

[Keranu]

I wish the Turbo CD was more like the Sega CD with tons of AC Adapters everywhere.  More clutter = better. 

I almost wish for this too since the ACs for TGCD and PCE CD are so damn hard to find. However, I like to have my power strips as least cluttered as possible, you don't want to know how many power strips we hork up in this house.

[vestcoat]

I wish the Turbo CD was more like the Sega CD with tons of AC Adapters everywhere.  More clutter = better. 

I almost wish for this too since the ACs for TGCD and PCE CD are so damn hard to find. However, I like to have my power strips as least cluttered as possible, you don't want to know how many power strips we hork up in this house.

I live in an old house with an average of one electrical outlet per room.  Last time I counted I had 25 devices plugged  into power strips connected to one wall outlet.   

[guyjin]

one AC adaptor for the TGCD and TG16 - i wish my Genesis/Sega CD/32X setup was like that.

Do the PCEngine CD units do the same thing?

[termis]

I dunno about the briefcase systems, but for the grey piggyback Super CD-ROM system, you also only need one cord to power up both the PCE/CoreGrafx + the CD unit.

But NOT the SuperGrafx - you need the power unit for both the SGX AND the SCD Rom system.

[Keranu]

I live in an old house with an average of one electrical outlet per room.  Last time I counted I had 25 devices plugged  into power strips connected to one wall outlet.   

I have an old house too, from the late 1800's and let me tell you, this house does NOT like electricity! Every time I move a cable around, all the electricity in the room like the lights flicker, sometimes things will even spark. 25 devices plugged into one outler? That's pretty hardcore man  . I have around 16 devices plugged into my room right now, but that's pretty generous since I have some things that are out, but not plugged in.

[nat]

Following this are some quotes from old Turbo-list posts regarding what we found with the TG-CD adapter:

Hi all,
I posted about this earlier, and didn't get much agreement at the time,
but I feel I must speak out again.
I own the original TG-CD player, and I have a degree in Electronics, so
I felt justified in doing some experimenting. I was able to find out the
following:

-Although the AC Adapter SAYS the output is 11V, and max draw is 1.53A,
these numbers are not completely correct. Any voltmeter will tell you
that the unit actually puts out 15.3V.

Think about that...it SAYS 1.53A, it GIVES 15.3V.
I personally do not believe this is a coincidence. They're the same
numbers, with a different decimal point! I believe this was a
proprietary measure by NEC to prevent people from buying third party
adapters, although Steve from TZD gave me a pretty convincing argument
that it was unintentional even if true.

So, my point is, for those of you who are looking for an AC Adapter for
your TG-CD: go to Radio Shack and buy a 15V adapter, and match up the
plug(I think the one for this system is "M", but you should check for
yourself). And I wouldn't be overly concerned about the current...you
won't need a 1.53A max draw...1000mA or 1200mA should be fine,
especially when you consider that 1.53A is enough current to kill a
grown man 10 times over.

You won't fry a system from too much voltage...it doesn't work that way.
Electronic appliances have what are called Voltage Regulators where the
power meets the PC board(although sometimes on the adapters themselves).
What this means is if you WERE to put a 15V source on an 11V system, it
takes what it needs voltage-wise and converts the rest of the power to
heat.

Keep in mind these messages are several years old. Since then, I have done a bit more testing and can confidently say the TG-CD's actual power draw is closer to 12 volts despite the fact that the NEC adapter puts out 15.3. The Radio Shack adapter that has worked so well for me over the years is the 12V/1.5mA adapter. Part # 273-1779. The correct tip is actually "N" not "M".

It looks like Radio Shack still has the adapter on their web page:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049715&cp

Although it's worth noting it is "Out of stock". I don't know if this means they don't make it anymore or what. If you can't find this one anywhere, you would be OK with anything 12 to 15V and an amperage rating of 1000 (1mA) to 1.5mA. After all, the NEC adapter puts out 15.3V which is why it runs hotter than the Radio Shack replacement (unused energy=heat).

[Joe Redifer]

one AC adaptor for the TGCD and TG16 - i wish my Genesis/Sega CD/32X setup was like that.

The sad thing is that the Sega CD has the ability to pass power through to the Genesis from what I have read, so it is technically possible.

[Black Tiger]

one AC adaptor for the TGCD and TG16 - i wish my Genesis/Sega CD/32X setup was like that.

The sad thing is that the Sega CD has the ability to pass power through to the Genesis from what I have read, so it is technically possible.

Plus it didn't take them long to make the CDX and the Wonder Mega came out early on. At least Sega upgraded the hardware with their CD-ROM.