How to hook up your SEGA Master System / Power Base
This page will show you the various ways to get your SEGA Master System / Power Base up and running!
SEGA Master System
Ports and Connections
SEGA A/V OUT:
NOTE: The SEGA Master System does not output sound in Stereo. So many RCA AV cables will only have 1 audio plug (Red, or White) not both. In this case you should plug the audio cable (regardless of color) into the White port on your TV, as most TVs will recognize you only having 1 sound cable plugged in (mono) and will still output the sound from both left and right speakers, which is better than having it only come out of one side of the TV.
CH3-CH4:
This switch is used in conjunction with the RF OUT port to pick which channel will display the game.
When you use an RF box to connect your game system, the game will display on either Channel 3 or 4. You should try and use a channel that does not have a local TV station on it for minimum interference, but really either should work just fine.
RF OUT:
This port is used with the SEGA RF Converter box MK-1603 to hook the unit up via your cable/coaxial connection on the TV. One end of the cable has a standard 1/4″ plug (to the Master System) and the other end is a coaxial cable that screws on the TV CABLE IN connection.
AC ADAPTOR:
This is the power supply port for the SEGA MK-3025 AC unit.
The SEGA Master System has several different ways to connect to your television.
RF: This cable was packed with all Master Systems, but provides the worst picture quality. You should only use this method if your television does not have RCA ports available.
COMPOSITE RCA: this provides a good picture quality from the Master System and is much better than RF.
HDMI: this has only recently become available and is the best option for new flat-screen TV’s
RF Switch/Box MK-1603
Standard Quality
RCA Composite Cable
Good Quality
HDMI Cable
Best Quality – Flat Screen
METHOD #1 – RF Connection
What you will need:
SEGA Master System
Power Base
SEGA RF Box
MK-1603
SEGA MK-3025
AC Power Supply
This is the method that most of you will remember if you were born before the 80s. It was the staple method of hooking game systems up to a TV starting with PONG and still used for the XBOX and Playstation 2 (never do this). It is by far the worst way to go for picture quality. The reason being is that all the video and audio signals are compressed into one coaxial cable and jammed into the TV, letting the television split it apart on its end. This causes a fuzzy picture, often accompanied by rolling lines! But if you only have a coaxial input on your TV, what else can you do? Let’s begin.
STEP #1 
Plug the SEGA RF MK-1603 Box cable into your game SEGA Master System. You use the cable with the end that just plugs in, not the end with the screw on it.
STEP #2
Attach the other end of the SEGA MK-1603 RF Box to your television cable port. (see diagram) If you are currently using this port for your Antenna, Cable or Satellite TV, and you only have one port (unlike the diagram), unscrew the cord, screw in the RF box, and then screw the TV Cord to the port supplied on the RF box (shown on bottom of illustration). This way your TV source will continue to work.
STEP #3 
Change the CH3-CH4 switch to desired channel. The channel shouldn’t matter. This channel would be your TV’s tuner channels or local channel. (Not a cable or satellite provider’s channel). On your TV’s INPUTS this is normally referred to as AIR.
STEP #4 
Plug the SEGA MK-3025 Power Supply into the game system.
STEP #5
Plug the SEGA MK-3025 Power Supply into the wall.
STEP #3
Change the CH3-CH4 switch to desired channel. The channel shouldn’t matter. This channel would be your TV’s tuner channels or local channel. (Not a cable or satellite provider’s channel). On your TV’s INPUTS this is normally referred to as AIR.
STEP #4
Plug the SEGA MK-3025 Power Supply into the game system.
STEP #5
Plug the SEGA MK-3025 Power Supply into the wall.
STEP #6
Plug in a game and turn on the SEGA Master System, even if you don’t see it on the TV yet. You should see the power light on the SEGA Master System light up (a good sign) and doing this first will help in finding the right TV settings. When you’re searching for the right channel or input and you see the game, you got it right!
STEP #7
Turn the TV to the channel you picked on the back of the game system. If you have a newer model TV, you probably have several INPUT SOURCES available from COMPONENT, VIDEO 1 2 & 3 and so on. If this is the case you will most likely need to change it to AIR, which you may also have more than one option (AIR 1 or 2 or A and B, as shown on the above diagram). To change to these different video signal options, you usually have an INPUT or SOURCE button on your remote or television. If everything went right (and your game works…) you should be in business!
STEP #8
Now go play some Phantasy Star!
METHOD #2 – RCA Connection
What you will need:
SEGA Master System
Power Base
SEGA Master System
RCA AV Cable
SEGA 3025
AC Power Supply
This method will give you the best picture quality you can get from the SEGA Master System when using a CRT TV. It is the method you should use whenever possible as the image quality of RF is very noticeable.
STEP #2
Attach the other end of the RCA Composite cable to your TV. You could have multiple options available like on the diagram. You can place it in any one that is not in use. YELLOW is always the VIDEO and should be plugged into the YELLOW port. RED and WHITE (right and left respectively) are the sound and should be plugged into the proper color for the cable. In the case of the SEGA Master System you will probably only have 1 audio cable as it does not output stereo sound. If you plug it into the WHITE port (even if the cable is red) your TV will probably play the MONO sound out of both speakers. If you plug it into the red only, the sound may only come from the RIGHT speaker of your TV or sound system (lame). Some TVs will not do this. If your TV is one of them you can buy a splitter from Radio Shack that you plug the single audio cable into and it has 2 outputs (RED & WHITE). It still won’t be true stereo, but it will at least be coming from both speakers.
STEP #3
Plug the SEGA MK-3025 Power Supply into the SEGA Master System.
STEP #4
Plug the SEGA MK-3025 Power Supply into the wall.
STEP #5
Plug in a game and turn on the game system on even if you don’t see it on the TV yet. You should see the power light on the SEGA light up (a good sign) and doing this first will help in finding the right TV settings, when you’re searching for the right channel and you see the game, you got it right!
STEP #3
Plug the SEGA MK-3025 Power Supply into the SEGA Master System.
STEP #4
Plug the SEGA MK-3025 Power Supply into the wall.
STEP #5
Plug in a game and turn on the game system on even if you don’t see it on the TV yet. You should see the power light on the SEGA light up (a good sign) and doing this first will help in finding the right TV settings, when you’re searching for the right channel and you see the game, you got it right!
STEP #4
Plug the SEGA MK-3025 Power Supply into the wall.
STEP #5
Plug in a game and turn on the game system on even if you don’t see it on the TV yet. You should see the power light on the SEGA light up (a good sign) and doing this first will help in finding the right TV settings, when you’re searching for the right channel and you see the game, you got it right!
STEP #6
Turn your TV to the appropriate VIDEO SOURCE. You probably have several INPUTS available from COMPONENT, VIDEO 1 2 & 3 and so on. In the diagram above you would need to change your TV to VIDEO 1. To change to these different video signal options, you usually have an INPUT or SOURCE button on your remote or television.
STEP #7
Now plug in R-Type and play some classic Master System!
Well, those are the basics. If you have any additional questions, feel free to send us an email. The Trog is always happy to help!
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