Sega Master System 3D Glasses - Help needed troubleshooting and repairing

[Razzie.P]

I've had these glasses on my shelf (boxed) for a while, but never tried them out.  Now that I have, it doesn't seem they're doing anything.

 

Any tips for how I can verify that they're not working properly?   I'm a bit ignorant on what the game(s) SHOULD look like, so I'm not able to say "oh, this is where it's going wrong."

 

Missile Defense 3D looks "clearer" but not really 3D

Zaxxon 3D doesn't seem to change at all

 

 

 

Also, any tips on repair steps?  Not sure if the thing to check would be the card that goes into the system, or if there's a way to remove that and test that things a working in the glasses themselves.  So yeah, at step 0, at the moment.

 

Thanks in advance for any help and insight!

 

 

[Lord Innit]

Are you using a CRT TV? 

Also might be worth cleaning the contacts of the connector and card slot.

[Razzie.P]

On 8/14/2022 at 5:57 AM, Lord Innit said:

Are you using a CRT TV? 

Also might be worth cleaning the contacts of the connector and card slot.

Yep, using a CRT TV (I've tested with component connections as well as composite) and the connector and slots have both been cleaned.  Card slot works fine with games.

[Zoyous]

It's been a while since I've used mine, but the illusion of depth was very striking. Although the lenses would not go 100% completely opaque, there was no question that it was creating a very deep image that seemed to recess about two feet behind the actual surface of the screen.

[roots.genoa]

Yeah, I can confirm you would see it if it worked properly.

[MrTrust]

I haven't seen the SMS 3D since I was a kid, but if you can't see anything with Zaxxon there's got to be a problem.  I remember vividly that corridor extruding way out of the screen.  I don't think I've seen any 3D since that rivals the effect.

 

Could be age/memory, plus I'm somewhat stereoblind, but everyone I know who's seen it in person has said the same or similar

[Zoyous]

It was really an unsurpassed 3D effect for consumer gear until the 3D TVs of the 2000s. I'd try just holding the glasses up to a light while the console is on and then you can see if the shutters are alternating on and off.

[+pboland]

On 8/13/2022 at 3:26 PM, Razzie.P said:

I've had these glasses on my shelf (boxed) for a while, but never tried them out.  Now that I have, it doesn't seem they're doing anything.

 

Any tips for how I can verify that they're not working properly?   I'm a bit ignorant on what the game(s) SHOULD look like, so I'm not able to say "oh, this is where it's going wrong."

 

Missile Defense 3D looks "clearer" but not really 3D

Zaxxon 3D doesn't seem to change at all

 

 

 

Also, any tips on repair steps?  Not sure if the thing to check would be the card that goes into the system, or if there's a way to remove that and test that things a working in the glasses themselves.  So yeah, at step 0, at the moment.

 

Thanks in advance for any help and insight!

 

 

I'm assuming you have everything plugged in, including the 3D adapter that plugs into the card slot. I'm also assuming you cleaned the contacts on the 3D adapter and cleaned the phono jack on the adapter that the glasses plug into. Now, I know this may seem like a dumb question but, have you ever used the card slot on the console before? I ask this because I once got a console from a person who never had any card games and it turned out that the contacts inside the card slot were so dirty that my 3D adapter didn't make good contact.

 

If all of that is good, chances are the cord is bad on the glasses or the jack in the 3D adapter. To test this, plug in the glasses and slowly move the cord around (in a circle) near the connection point. If the glass start working (you will know because everything looks flickery when looking through them) then you have a break in the cord or bad/broken solder joint on the phono jack on the board of the 3D adapter. To fix this issue you will need to be able to solder. Either a new 1/8" stereo TRS connector or re-flow the solder on the phono jack conections inside the 3D adapter.

 

Sometime the break (if it is a break) in the cord is not near the connector, look for a knot or bulge in the cord. Chances are that is were the break is. Again, test by move the cord around at the suspect location. I hope that helps.

 

P.S. I almost forgot to ask. When the glasses are not plugged in, are the shutters clear? I'm ruling out broken LCD shutters.

[Austin]

I can't help with fixing your existing set, but these modern 3D glasses were recommended here last year and are compatible with the SMS adapter and apparently work quite well. Worst case, you'll want to just drop the cash on them: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324083725444

 

Regarding the original SMS 3D glasses, the 3D effect is pretty obvious, so if they were working you would definitely know. You'd also see the shutters bouncing around, especially on startup.

[+pboland]

17 hours ago, Austin said:

I can't help with fixing your existing set, but these modern 3D glasses were recommended here last year and are compatible with the SMS adapter and apparently work quite well. Worst case, you'll want to just drop the cash on them: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324083725444

Thanks for the link. I ordered a pair since my original pair have seen better days. The originals still work, but the arms broke off decades ago (sometime in the early 90's) and at the time I epoxied on arms from an old set of glasses (they are still holding up surprisingly).

[Razzie.P]

On 8/16/2022 at 6:24 PM, pboland said:

I'm assuming you have everything plugged in, including the 3D adapter that plugs into the card slot. I'm also assuming you cleaned the contacts on the 3D adapter and cleaned the phono jack on the adapter that the glasses plug into. Now, I know this may seem like a dumb question but, have you ever used the card slot on the console before? I ask this because I once got a console from a person who never had any card games and it turned out that the contacts inside the card slot were so dirty that my 3D adapter didn't make good contact.

 

If all of that is good, chances are the cord is bad on the glasses or the jack in the 3D adapter. To test this, plug in the glasses and slowly move the cord around (in a circle) near the connection point. If the glass start working (you will know because everything looks flickery when looking through them) then you have a break in the cord or bad/broken solder joint on the phono jack on the board of the 3D adapter. To fix this issue you will need to be able to solder. Either a new 1/8" stereo TRS connector or re-flow the solder on the phono jack conections inside the 3D adapter.

 

Sometime the break (if it is a break) in the cord is not near the connector, look for a knot or bulge in the cord. Chances are that is were the break is. Again, test by move the cord around at the suspect location. I hope that helps.

 

P.S. I almost forgot to ask. When the glasses are not plugged in, are the shutters clear? I'm ruling out broken LCD shutters.

 

Yep, everything clean and plugged in.  The card slot works with games, so I assume it's all good, unless there's something more to it.

 

 

When not plugged in, they're clear(ish) -- heavily darkened, but can still see through them.

 

Happen to know how I could determine if the issue is with the adaptor instead of the glasses?  I'm no electrical guru or anything, but any test I can run (with multimeter, perhaps?) to confirm that it's doing whatever it's supposed to do to power the glasses?

 

 

 

 

22 hours ago, Austin said:

I can't help with fixing your existing set, but these modern 3D glasses were recommended here last year and are compatible with the SMS adapter and apparently work quite well. Worst case, you'll want to just drop the cash on them: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324083725444

 

Regarding the original SMS 3D glasses, the 3D effect is pretty obvious, so if they were working you would definitely know. You'd also see the shutters bouncing around, especially on startup.

I think I'll order those.  Should properly make sure my adaptor isn't the "defective" part first though, since it seems these glasses rely on that as well.

[Austin]

Not to say it’s not possible, but I’d wager it’s more likely the glasses are bad, not the adapter. No moving parts in the adapter, but there are in the glasses.

[eightbit]

Well, the stereo plug inside of the adapter could not be making connection. There are these little pins that touch the 3.5mm plug that get bent outward over years of plugging and unplugging. I have had one that did not work and had to open the adapter and gently push the pins back into shape with a very small flathead (jeweler type) screwdriver.

 

If it is connecting properly and you have a good working pair of glasses you will immediately know when you turn on the master system as one of the lens shutters will get much darker than the other. That is without any 3D game....just wearing the glasses plugged in and turning on the console. If you are doing that and you do not see anything going on with the shutters....well...something is wrong. Glasses or adapter.

 

By your original post I know something is not working properly....because the effect is not just "clearer". The effect is more like "Holy sh*t this looks awesome"

Edited August 19, 2022 by eightbit

[Austin]

I mean, sure, anything's possible. Everything breaks and those 1/8" ports have been known to come loose on other devices. That said, I'd be surprised if many SMS 3D glasses sets got enough use over the years to where wearing out that port is a common problem, heh.

[+pboland]

On 8/18/2022 at 2:35 PM, Razzie.P said:

I think I'll order those.  Should properly make sure my adaptor isn't the "defective" part first though, since it seems these glasses rely on that as well.

I hope the new glasses solves your problem. For what it's worth, I got the new glasses today and I wrote up a review for those interested. Spoiler: they are a good option!

 

I decided to make a separate topic about these ASUS glasses as I didn't want the info to get lost in a repair topic.  I wish AtariAge had a section for Sega Master System (other than just a HSC). I would have put it there, but this hardware section seems to be the best place to put it right now.

[Austin]

On 8/20/2022 at 8:13 PM, pboland said:

For what it's worth, I got the new glasses today and I wrote up a review for those interested. Spoiler: they are a good option!

Good stuff! I'm glad to hear they work well. Mine are currently sitting in the closet. I don't have a Power Base Converter or a SMS console at the moment (or the 3D glasses dongle/adapter), so I have no way to test them. Hopefully in the near future. The 3D games for SMS are pretty cool, especially Missile Defense 3D.

[Zoyous]

I really like Space Harrier 3D - it's quite weird and creative, and the 3D effect makes it easier to avoid getting hit.

[Razzie.P]

On 8/20/2022 at 8:13 PM, pboland said:

I hope the new glasses solves your problem. For what it's worth, I got the new glasses today and I wrote up a review for those interested. Spoiler: they are a good option!

 

Mine arrived today, so I'll get to check them out this evening!