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PS3 and 2nd Gen MDX

3K views 15 replies 4 participants last post by  thegazelle 
#1 ·
I see there are threads in the 3rd Gen forum and some in the 1st Gen but none here so here goes. My 08 MDX has the RES and as such has the household 110/120V plug in the storage console. Given that the Playstation 3 (PS3) has an adapter for RCA video and audio which I can plug into the console back in the second row I thought I would try it out.

PS3 powered up but nothing came on the screen. Turns out it was still thinkng it was HDMI. Quick fix was to restart and hold the power button on the PS3 as that detects video source. From there I saw everything on the screen. Ao I handed the controller to my daughter to play some games

A couple of things:

When plugged into the car there is a buzzing noise coming out of the PS3.

Also the PS3 intermittently shuts off without notice. We can restart this and it reboots and such but after a few minutes of gaming it shuts down again. It does not do this at home.

The car is running and I am driving it when this happens. The battery is also brand new

Anyone ever got this going? Or knows why it is doing this?
 
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#2 ·
The DC/AC power inverter built-in your 'X' is too small for the power required by the PS3. This makes the voltage going down and under the minimum required by the PS3. The humming noise coming from the PS3 is due to the wave form generated by your inverter because it is not a sinusoidal wave as commercial AC at home.

Solution: You have to use an external inverter for a higher wattage load and better waveform output.
 
#4 ·
The DC/AC power inverter built-in your 'X' is too small for the power required by the PS3. This makes the voltage going down and under the minimum required by the PS3. The humming noise coming from the PS3 is due to the wave form generated by your inverter because it is not a sinusoidal wave as commercial AC at home.

Solution: You have to use an external inverter for a higher wattage load and better waveform output.

hanks very much for the response. I actually have no idea what an external inverter is. A quick google search doesnt lead me to any particular product since i am not sure what the one for the mdx is supposed to look like. Any suggestions?
 
#3 ·
Agree. The internal DC/AC converter is way too small to handle the PS3 Load... Even the new Slim which is more efficient is above the spec of the internal AC inverter.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
Ok thanks. So this has to plug in with a cigarette lighter huh. My cigarette lighter already has a dual adapter for my dashcam and cell phone. So do they make one that plugs into the 2 prong household receptacle in the console? Sorry I am totally not technical so really appreciate the input. I suppose if it has to plug into the cigarette plug i can probably find another one in the trunk area hopefully

The other question is. Will this drain my battery? Assume using the ps3 would be with rhe car on and engine running. Would hate to enable games for the kids. Or me if i have to wait for them somewhere only for my car to not start
 
#7 ·
Yes the MDX has a secondary 12v outlet near inside the trunk near the rear fuse box.
You MUST have the engine running as Inverters use a lot of Amps (They are inefficient by design) so it will kill your battery and fast if the engine isn't running.

You could in theory use a volt-e-meter with the engine off but you MUST keep the battery above 11.8v in order for the MDX to start.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the response. May try plugging in a first gen nintendo to see if that works better. So i guess the default is that the console receptacle is more for things like laptops instead of things like hair dryers and ps3s. I would love to try plugging in a keurig. Coffee on the go. My daughter wants to see if we can run a mini christmas tree on it but i was like "novel idea but where would we put it? On your lap?"

Right now i have a brick plugged in with a usb cable for passengers who want to charge devices. I personally prefer the coffeemaker
 
#10 ·
I tried my son's old Vsmile and it worked flawlessly. I thought because my PS3 was a slim it may be similar power wise. Obviously I was wrong.
Wii in the car would be interesting but not sure i would be crazy about potential controllers hitting the other siblings.
 
#11 ·
I always used 1000W inverters for our family trips and never had a complaint plugging in anything. From Nintendo's to Sony's to DVD players and small TVs (Yes, my minivan did not have built-in DVD). I bought my inverter in SAM's. But, you can also get them in Amazon for about $60 to $100 (search for 1000W inverter). The inverter will only use the AMPs that the load requires.

With 1000W, you have enough power to cover for the inrush or startup currents sucked by internal capacitors in the power supply of the device you are plugging into the inverter.
 
#12 ·
PS3 will require a more stable power supply. Its really not an efficient system. Its really not a great "on the road" gaming system because its abilities far outweigh whats usable. 1080P HD and dolby digital surround are not usable with the RES.

The RES is probably perfect for a retro game system like Nintendo (8bit), NES or genesis. Plus you can show the kids the games you grew up on!
 
#14 ·
PRGonzalez, my friend, there are many of us from that vintage. I would like to say that we experienced the renaissance of video games. I actually have a Sega Master system from 1987 in my garage. Will try it out on the vehicle if the mice havent chewed through the wires over the years. The ultimate MDX Geek rig would be a Commodore 64 on RES. Or a Vic20 if I could get one. Loading games on cassettes. That is about as old school as it gets

I should try my record player in the MDX though it would be highly impractical while driving


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#15 ·
The original Sega Master??? Wow! Don't see those very often. I actually had a Turbo Grafx 16, go ahead and look that one up!

Can't beat the wood grained finish of the original Atari 2600... my first game system. With that hooked up and a box of games, I could stay in the back seat of the X from Boston to Baton Rouge!

Too bad the kids cant drive!
 
#16 ·
The original Sega Master??? Wow! Don't see those very often. I actually had a Turbo Grafx 16, go ahead and look that one up!



Can't beat the wood grained finish of the original Atari 2600... my first game system. With that hooked up and a box of games, I could stay in the back seat of the X from Boston to Baton Rouge!



Too bad the kids cant drive!


I know exactly what a Turbo Graphix 16 is! [emoji3]I wanted one so bad. [emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]But my parents, being the stereotypical Asian cheapskates that they are, said, "no, you play on Sega. Cost us lots of money". [emoji857]

Man, imagine a 2600 in an MDX. You can charge a quarter for people to play a round just like the old days.


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