FamicomDiskSystem RAMAdapter loud buzzing sound, rolling bar

[Zets13]

Pretty much the title. When I "play" my RAM Adapter there is a loud buzzing sound and sometimes a rolling black bar, both on the insert disk screen and when running a game. It does so even when unplugged from the FDS drive, but becomes noticeably louder when it is plugged in to the drive (running from batteries, so not a power issue). Opened the adapter, cleaned contacts, didn't see anything obviously wrong, etc, but still hear the very irritating buzzing.

Any ideas?

[ApolloBoy]

Bad caps in the RAM adapter perhaps?

[McCracAttack]

As a last resort the RAM adapters by themselves are relatively cheap on places like eBay so you could always replace it.

[Zets13]

Yeah, I might try replacing the caps, though on the one I opened they appear fine (which I know doesn't necessarily mean much). Funny thing is, I have another RAM adapter that I found this afternoon, and it has the same issue. Buzzing sound that becomes significantly amplified when connected to the disk drive. Going to clean this one up to be sure that isn't it, and then I'm going to try looking at the AV Famicom that I'm using it in. I'm wondering if there is something going on with the expanded audio that is causing the interference (I don't think have a non-disk game that uses expanded audio to check if they exhibit similar interference), since my cartridge games run fine with no interference.

I have noticed this problem for a while, but I always just assumed it was getting a bad connection with my composite cables or something. Now that I'm using the NESRGB, it is clear that that ain't it. Don't remember having this issue years ago, but then again, that was years ago.

[ApolloBoy]

Now that I'm using the NESRGB, it is clear that that ain't it.

Hm, did you use the new audio amp with your NESRGB?

[Zets13]

Just using stock audio.

OK, I tried Moero!! Pro Yakyuu, which apparently uses expansion audio, and no interference that I can see or hear. Cleaned the cart slot with the cloth+card method and a pick, so that's clean. I also tried a HVC-TK22EPROM board that's housed in a RAM adapter shell to see if it has something to do with the connector pin style, but it runs just fine.

So far, only my two RAM adapters have issue, and both have the same issue.

[Zets13]

Well I swapped the power adapter for the AV Famicom for some generic one and it seems to have resolved the problem for now... Guess the Nintendo one wasn't up to spec to power both the console and the extra stuff in the adapter. A bit odd that I never saw any problem with regular games, but oh well!

[Ed Oscuro]

Just for the sake of completeness / future reference, could you say what extra hardware you've got in your setup, and what the back label of the generic adapter specifies for power? Could be interesting.

[Holograph]

As a last resort the RAM adapters by themselves are relatively cheap on places like eBay so you could always replace it.

Thing is equipment that age, even if not yet bad, will still need capacitor replacements soon, most likely. Best to replace the caps on your stuff or buy gear that's already been recapped. Even relatively good electrolytic capacitors don't last forever.

[Zets13]

Just for the sake of completeness / future reference, could you say what extra hardware you've got in your setup, and what the back label of the generic adapter specifies for power? Could be interesting.

Yeah, I will update later tonight.

As for what my setup is, it is an AV Famicom with an NESRGB board powered via the AV Famicom, connected to an FDS which is operating on batteries.