Question about the vcs adapter

[4Ks]

I read in an ebay auction for the 5200 vcs adapter that it will only work on 2-port systems or 4-ports that have an * in the serial number. Is this true? And if it is, is there any way to mod a 4-port to play it?

[SoundGammon]

...Atari service centers use to do it. It can be done, there are a couple of pins that have to be isolated on the cartridge port and a couple of jumper wires put in to carry the video and audio to the 5200 mother board...

[segasaturn]

...Atari service centers use to do it. It can be done, there are a couple of pins that have to be isolated on the cartridge port and a couple of jumper wires put in to carry the video and audio to the 5200 mother board...

 

Is there still Atari Service Centers? After all these years?

 

 

And to answer your question, yes, only a 4-port with * or a moded 4-port will work. But ALL 2-ports work with it.

I don't now the mod, because the 5200 I got of ebay, already had the * in the serial number.

[Lord Helmet]

...Atari service centers use to do it. It can be done, there are a couple of pins that have to be isolated on the cartridge port and a couple of jumper wires put in to carry the video and audio to the 5200 mother board...

 

Is there still Atari Service Centers? After all these years?

 

 

And to answer your question, yes, only a 4-port with * or a moded 4-port will work. But ALL 2-ports work with it.

I don't now the mod, because the 5200 I got of ebay, already had the * in the serial number.

 

No service centers anymore. Hell, no Atari anymore...at least not in the capacity that it was around during the golden era. Now its just a brand.

 

I would imagine there are instructions to do the mod yourself. If so, someone that knows will post a link to them.

[Bruce Tomlin]

...Atari service centers use to do it. It can be done, there are a couple of pins that have to be isolated on the cartridge port and a couple of jumper wires put in to carry the video and audio to the 5200 mother board...

Have you ever found a board that was modified in such a way? (Or do you even know of any random person who has actually made this modification?)

 

Over the years I have personally found two circuit boards, which can be identified by "REV 3" appearing through a corner of the base, that support the adapter. These in no way appear to have been modified from an original board. (And I would have noticed, because I had to replace a CMOS keyboard select chip in one of them.) In fact, I think it would be unlikely, since I think some of the pins involved were orignally wired to ground, and would likely have been "flood" traces that would be almost impossible to "isolate"... especially if they were on the top side.

 

My suspicion is that (when requested) Atari "modified" units by replacing the main circuit board with the compatible revision. I also suspect that this board revision may never have been shipped in a retail box.

 

As for identifying them, flip the 5200 over, and look through the case in the lower right corner (the corner under where the power button is) and look at the board revision for REV 3. I don't know the CO-number, but I don't think any other 4-port CO-number revision ever had a REV 3. (If absolutely necessary, I could go dig one out and look for the CO-number.)

[+Allan]

...Atari service centers use to do it. It can be done, there are a couple of pins that have to be isolated on the cartridge port and a couple of jumper wires put in to carry the video and audio to the 5200 mother board...

Have you ever found a board that was modified in such a way? (Or do you even know of any random person who has actually made this modification?)

 

Over the years I have personally found two circuit boards, which can be identified by "REV 3" appearing through a corner of the base, that support the adapter. These in no way appear to have been modified from an original board. (And I would have noticed, because I had to replace a CMOS keyboard select chip in one of them.) In fact, I think it would be unlikely, since I think some of the pins involved were orignally wired to ground, and would likely have been "flood" traces that would be almost impossible to "isolate"... especially if they were on the top side.

 

My suspicion is that (when requested) Atari "modified" units by replacing the main circuit board with the compatible revision. I also suspect that this board revision may never have been shipped in a retail box.

 

As for identifying them, flip the 5200 over, and look through the case in the lower right corner (the corner under where the power button is) and look at the board revision for REV 3. I don't know the CO-number, but I don't think any other 4-port CO-number revision ever had a REV 3. (If absolutely necessary, I could go dig one out and look for the CO-number.)

I still have my original 4-port which I had modified so I could use the adapter. They modded the original board. Sometime I'll open her up again and take pictures.

 

Allan

[Evidious]

I hope this helps..

[Bruce Tomlin]

Very interestring. Even more so when there is one 4-port board revision in existence that already had the update built-in.

[atariksi]

I hope this helps..

 

Is there some troubleshooting guide for the VCS adapter itself? I have one that doesn't show anything on the screen when plugged into the A5200 (4-port or 2-port). Is it suppose to show something when it's plugged in?

[poker_plus]

I hope this helps..

 

Is there some troubleshooting guide for the VCS adapter itself? I have one that doesn't show anything on the screen when plugged into the A5200 (4-port or 2-port). Is it suppose to show something when it's plugged in?

 

I've done the mod. Then I played with it once or twice. It's quite inconvenient to set up this monstrosity.

 

To answer your question, you need a (working) 2600 game plugged in to the adapter or nothing will appear on the screen.

[atariksi]

I hope this helps..

 

Is there some troubleshooting guide for the VCS adapter itself? I have one that doesn't show anything on the screen when plugged into the A5200 (4-port or 2-port). Is it suppose to show something when it's plugged in?

 

I've done the mod. Then I played with it once or twice. It's quite inconvenient to set up this monstrosity.

 

To answer your question, you need a (working) 2600 game plugged in to the adapter or nothing will appear on the screen.

 

Technically, what is it using from the A5200 just the power and video output or can someone use A5200 features on an A2600 cartridge?

[frogstar_robot]

 

Technically, what is it using from the A5200 just the power and video output or can someone use A5200 features on an A2600 cartridge?

 

I'm pretty sure it works just like the Coleco one: pretty much a complete 2600 in the adapter.

[atariksi]

 

Technically, what is it using from the A5200 just the power and video output or can someone use A5200 features on an A2600 cartridge?

 

I'm pretty sure it works just like the Coleco one: pretty much a complete 2600 in the adapter.

 

Oh well, I thought perhaps one could write an A5200 program using A2600 cartridge and use the digital joysticks of the A2600 adapter for the 2-port A5200.

[undeadmechanic]

Necro bump, sorry...

 

I have all the pieces necessary to mod my 5200 4 port to get the VCS adapter to work, but I cannot determine where the 3.3kohm resistor goes in that god awful mess. The diagrams that I have seen all refer to them as r1, r2, r3. I'm guessing that the 3.3k is paired with the capacitor, but I really want to be certain before I hook up this kludge...

 

Thanks.

[H454]

Necro bump, sorry...

 

I have all the pieces necessary to mod my 5200 4 port to get the VCS adapter to work, but I cannot determine where the 3.3kohm resistor goes in that god awful mess. The diagrams that I have seen all refer to them as r1, r2, r3. I'm guessing that the 3.3k is paired with the capacitor, but I really want to be certain before I hook up this kludge...

 

Thanks.

 

This is a pic of what I inferred: - NOTE - I haven't done this mod, but I plan to.

 

I looks like the 3.3K goes is series with the cap to the top side of R12 on the board.

The blue lines are the direction the diodes go.

Edited May 22, 2017 by H454

[CZroe]

Necro bump, sorry...

 

I have all the pieces necessary to mod my 5200 4 port to get the VCS adapter to work, but I cannot determine where the 3.3kohm resistor goes in that god awful mess. The diagrams that I have seen all refer to them as r1, r2, r3. I'm guessing that the 3.3k is paired with the capacitor, but I really want to be certain before I hook up this kludge...

 

Thanks.

What guide are you following? The link Console5 provides with their kit if from the Atari service manual:

https://console5.com/store/atari-5200-4-port-vcs-compatibility-mod-kit.html

[undeadmechanic]

This is a pic of what I inferred: - NOTE - I haven't done this mod, but I plan to.

5200dia.jpg

 

I looks like the 3.3K goes is series with the cap to the top side of R12 on the board.

The blue lines are the direction the diodes go.

 

That is exactly what I needed and that is how I thought it was wired. The diagrams I have seen just didn't have the resistor values listed. I guess the reason why was because Atari provided them as a preformed kit to the service centers.

 

BTW: That's wired in parallel, not series.

 

What guide are you following? The link Console5 provides with their kit if from the Atari service manual:https://console5.com/store/atari-5200-4-port-vcs-compatibility-mod-kit.html

I'm using the official Atari service guide for it. As I said above, the parts list gives the quantity and value of the resistors, but not the individual positions in the circuit. Kinda goofy.

 

Thanks, guys.

[H454]

BTW: That's wired in parallel, not series.

 

Yea,thats what I meant - I wrote that at the end of a long day.

The "service updates" in the Atari manuals can be convoluted. I did the 2600 joystick circuit protection update and trying to figure out where it went took longer than it should have.

[MEtalGuy66]

One thing that is also worth noting is that if your 4-port 5200 has an A/V upgrade board (such as the one sold my electronic sentimentalities), the VCS adaptor is not going to work since the video output of the GTIA is being completely rerouted through the A/V upgrade board.

 

Someone should do a revised mod for those wanting to use the VCS adaptor with a 5200 that has on of the various A/V upgrade boards that have been sold in the last couple of decades.