Heavy Sixer Serial Number Thread

[Christophero Sly]

Here's mine:

 

Sunnyvale CA - 168543

Can you post a photo of the serial number label?

Edited August 10, 2006 by Christophero Sly

[gogoric]

Here's mine:

 

Sunnyvale CA - 168543

Can you post a photo of the serial number label?

Here ya go!

[A.J. Franzman]

How about a shot of the front of the console? I think it's a light sixer.

[gogoric]

How about a shot of the front of the console? I think it's a light sixer.

You be the judge....

[hbomb]

Definately a heavy. What's up with the grain on the front? Is it just the picture or is it actually a grayish color?

[Christophero Sly]

How about a shot of the front of the console? I think it's a light sixer.

You be the judge....

It's a heavy, but that sticker is puzzling. It's similar to the label that was on Tempest's heavy sixer.

 

Is there another sticker underneath the sticker?

Edited August 12, 2006 by Christophero Sly

[gogoric]

Definately a heavy. What's up with the grain on the front? Is it just the picture or is it actually a grayish color?

Nah, just the camera flash.

[gogoric]

How about a shot of the front of the console? I think it's a light sixer.

You be the judge....

It's a heavy, but that sticker is puzzling. It's similar to the label that was on Tempest's heavy sixer.

 

Is there another sticker underneath the sticker?

 

As luck would have it, the sticker is actually lifting on 2 corners...so I don't have to go prying it.

There isn't anything underneath ('cept a 2600).

 

And if anybody is interested...it's up on eBay

Edited August 12, 2006 by gogoric

[Wester]

Thats an odd one, maybe they refirbed it and took the old sticker off. I'll put it on the two sticker list for now.

 

Edit: Since it is a silver sticker like the other two sticker units I'll put it there.

Edited August 12, 2006 by Wester

[dangevin]

This kind-of almost confirms the point made earlier...

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...st&p=944408

 

Except it's six digits, not five. Could it be that the 3 on the end, like an A or a V, is another batch number, and not the "ones digit"? There obviously weren't 999,999 consoles made before they cut to lettering (as this s/n implies), more would have shown up on the list. But perhaps early batches were small due to initial market trepidance and low-but-building investment capital limiting batches to hundreds or the low thousands. Perhaps instead the batches were bugfixes, or denoted different hardware configs early on and then later after hardware became more finalized, just represented production batches.

 

At any rate, there's no channel switch hole on top, can we agree this is potentially the oldest one we have on record here yet?

[Wester]

I'd agree if the sticker weren't silver like the other two sticker units we have seen. But since it is I'd have to guess that it is a refirb or something. If anyone has any other input, let me know. As for now it will go in the Two Sticker Unit catagory with the other silvers.

[Christophero Sly]

Thats an odd one, maybe they refirbed it and took the old sticker off.

That's my guess. I think the silver stickers indicate refurb units. Temepst's heavy sixer had a silver sticker covering a "normal" label and serial number.

 

Edit: Since it is a silver sticker like the other two sticker units I'll put it there.

Only Tempest's had a silver sticker. The only two heavy's listed under the two sticker heading are mine and grimbasement's. Both have regular white labels covering regular white labels. It's possible that the double sticker indicates they are refurb units, but it's also possible that it was simply the result of a mechanical error that occured when the labels were applied causing two labels to be stuck to the units. Many people report double labels on carts and it's likely that a mechanical error during manufacture is the reason for them. It's interesting that the labels on his and mine lack letter suffixes. I'd really like to hear from adams_ale if his heavy that also lacks a letter suffix has a double label. That would really add to our understanding.

 

This kind-of almost confirms the point made earlier...

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...st&p=944408

 

Except it's six digits, not five. Could it be that the 3 on the end, like an A or a V, is another batch number, and not the "ones digit"? There obviously weren't 999,999 consoles made before they cut to lettering (as this s/n implies), more would have shown up on the list. But perhaps early batches were small due to initial market trepidance and low-but-building investment capital limiting batches to hundreds or the low thousands. Perhaps instead the batches were bugfixes, or denoted different hardware configs early on and then later after hardware became more finalized, just represented production batches.

It's five. Five numbers and a letter. It should come out to ~100,000 per batch. If our current hypothesis about all this is right, that means about 1.6 million heavy sixers were produced. That figure includes Sears heavy sixers. That figure has always seemed very high to me, but it's reasonably close to the production figures Jerry Jesop gives.

 

At any rate, there's no channel switch hole on top, can we agree this is potentially the oldest one we have on record here yet?

I don't think it could be considered the oldest. I think it's still up in the air as to whether labels without letter suffixes really represent the earliest heavy sixers or whether those serial numbers indicate refurb units. Also, the silver sticker is out of place.

[A.J. Franzman]

At any rate, there's no channel switch hole on top, can we agree this is potentially the oldest one we have on record here yet?

I don't think so, I'm going along with the refurb theory. Possibly it was already missing its sticker when it was received for refurbishment.

 

BTW, six-switch units have the channel select hole on the bottom near the middle of one side (when present), not the top.

[Wester]

It's five. Five numbers and a letter. It should come out to ~100,000 per batch. If our current hypothesis about all this is right, that means about 1.6 million heavy sixers were produced. That figure includes Sears heavy sixers. That figure has always seemed very high to me, but it's reasonably close to the production figures Jerry Jesop gives. .

 

There is no guarantee that they fulfilled all the Serial numbers in those production runs. What I mean is they could run the production letter "H" for a a given amount of time starting with a new beginning number every day or week(whatever the production schedule was). It's kind of hard to explain what I'm thinking, but in essence no run would have a complete 00001H through 99999H run. They could have say a 10000H through whatever they could make that run then switch to 20000H for the next batch, untill they go to the next suffix letter.

 

So if they ran a new letter suffix say every fiscal quarter they would start with 10000A the first day in January run what they could while switching the starting number every day, then in April switch to to 10000B and on and on. Of course as with any mass production company there would be problems with some batches and other Q/C issues so there would be gaps in S/N's , dropping the production numbers even lower than the 1.6 million theory.

 

Possible something like that anyway...I just woke up.

Edited August 12, 2006 by Wester

[Christophero Sly]

It's five. Five numbers and a letter. It should come out to ~100,000 per batch. If our current hypothesis about all this is right, that means about 1.6 million heavy sixers were produced. That figure includes Sears heavy sixers. That figure has always seemed very high to me, but it's reasonably close to the production figures Jerry Jesop gives. .

 

There is no guarantee that they fulfilled all the Serial numbers in those production runs. What I mean is they could run the production letter "H" for a a given amount of time starting with a new beginning number every day or week(whatever the production schedule was). It's kind of hard to explain what I'm thinking, but in essence no run would have a complete 00001H through 99999H run. They could have say a 10000H through whatever they could make that run then switch to 20000H for the next batch, untill they go to the next suffix letter.

 

So if they ran a new letter suffix say every fiscal quarter they would start with 10000A the first day in January run what they could while switching the starting number every day, then in April switch to to 10000B and on and on. Of course as with any mass production company there would be problems with some batches and other Q/C issues so there would be gaps in S/N's , dropping the production numbers even lower than the 1.6 million theory.

 

Possible something like that anyway...I just woke up.

I agree. I doubt any batch is sequentially complete and I doubt they start at 00001.

[gogoric]

I didn't realize that there was a definite distinction between reconditioned/refurbished units and others where the serial numbers were concerned (so I failed to mention it before).

 

Here is a new pic with the complete back showing the "Factory Reconditioned" sticker prominently displayed. It has the date of December 10, 1981.

 

Also, I've noticed that there is no option for channel select anywhere on the unit.

 

I apologize in advance for the less than stellar picture

[dangevin]

I didn't realize that there was a definite distinction between reconditioned/refurbished units and others where the serial numbers were concerned (so I failed to mention it before).

 

Here is a new pic with the complete back showing the "Factory Reconditioned" sticker prominently displayed. It has the date of December 10, 1981.

 

Also, I've noticed that there is no option for channel select anywhere on the unit.

 

I apologize in advance for the less than stellar picture

 

Bingo...lol you guys are good I bow to the buddha nature in you.

[A.J. Franzman]

Also, I've noticed that there is no option for channel select anywhere on the unit.

The hole is clearly not present in the new image above. In that position, it would be in place of the 4 vent slots near the left side of the image. If yours is one of the rare ones with the switch but no access hole, you might be able to see the switch slide through those vent slots, and even switch it using a bent paper clip or other suitable tool.

[ditasw]

Thanks so much for all your help AJ & 5th Ghost & Wester. You guys are sooo nice! (I checked out digitpress.com...way cool).

 

After your help, I believe that I have a Heavy Sixer...or Big Sexy if you prefer. I took my Big Sexy apart, and found the followling # on register tape inside 99 34600004. I also checked my box, and it doesn't have the knight chess piece. Maybe some day...if I'm lucky...I'll get a 77 box.

 

I included some pics...thanks again for all your help!

[Wester]

Yep definately a Heavy, too bad on the box though.

[frankmcc]

Just picked up another Heavy Sixer, AT GOODWILL!!!! #295283. Gonna play the lottery this week too!

[Christophero Sly]

Just picked up another Heavy Sixer, AT GOODWILL!!!! #295283. Gonna play the lottery this week too!

Any chance you can post a photo of the serial number?

[frankmcc]

Yup, here it is...

[A.J. Franzman]

How about one of the whole console?

[frankmcc]

Still in the process of cleaning it up... I'll post one tomorrow. I'm curious if this is a 77, the circuit board is marked 77, could just be the copyright though...

Edited August 31, 2006 by frankmcc