Cartridge Connector for the 2600

[Dastari Creel]

Best Electronics sells the Atari 2600 cartridge connector. Does anyone know if this is a reproduction that is being manufactured or if they're tearing about old Ataris to do this?

 

Does anyone know of anywhere else where these could be obtained (preferably as reproductions, I hate the idea of destroying existing machines for parts even if those machines are currently plentiful).

[Kroko]

Best Electronics sells the Atari 2600 cartridge connector. Does anyone know if this is a reproduction that is being manufactured or if they're tearing about old Ataris to do this?

 

Does anyone know of anywhere else where these could be obtained (preferably as reproductions, I hate the idea of destroying existing machines for parts even if those machines are currently plentiful).

 

This one ?

http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=S3304-ND

[Kroko]

This one ?

http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=S3304-ND

Or do you need the plastic part ?

[A.J. Franzman]

Best are not tearing anything apart to sell the cartridge connectors and plastic guides. They and a few other dealers have acquired original unused Atari "New Old Stock" parts.

[Dastari Creel]

This one ?

http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=S3304-ND

Or do you need the plastic part ?

 

Well, the plastic part would be nice but just knowing that the connector is a part that can be bought from normal distributors is an excellent piece of information.

 

Basically I have a project that I'm starting now where I'm actually trying to build a hand-held system from scratch rather than the Ben Heck "destroy a system and and a portable TV to make a portable game system" method. Not that I don't respect what Ben heck has done. My work will build on his but I really hate the idea of destroying a piece of history to create something new. I'd rather use new parts and try to get them to work in the same method.

[channelmaniac]

I have a few in a bin from some that I parted out if you can't find any new ones.

[DementedPurple]

Yeah, I know this forum is pretty old, but I could use the plastic piece, I'm building a legal Atari 2600 emulator on the Raspberry Pi that uses actual cartridges rather then downloaded ROMs, hence it being legal. Anyway, do you know where I could get the plastic piece? Or is there a 3d model that I could 3d print?

[Andromeda Stardust]

For Atari 2600, place the 24-pin connector on the edge of a PCB with "fingers" on either side to engage the cart door. You will want the connector type with through hole pins on the bottom edge, and faux cartridge style contacts on the PCB. Then you place the connector on the PCB edge and solder each pin to the contacts. Now if the connector is straight and centered between the fingers, the cartridge trap door will open to accept the connector. It's much easier to get PCB made with the cartridge fingers sticking out than to mold or 3D print a custom connector.

 

For Atari 7800, use a 36-pin connector without the fingers or key pins. Atari 7800 carts are keyed to fit the custom connector in the 7800 but will also fit a straight slot as well. Do not attempt to insert 2600 carts into this slot as misalignment is likely to occur.

 

Nothing except a molded or 3D printed cartridge guide is fool proof. Some idiot will try to insert a cartridge backwards or stuff a 24-pin 2600 cart into a 36-pin 7800 slot. Nothing you can do but tell them not to do that.