2600 4 button - PCB is hand-written (no silkscreen). Rare? Comments?

[scottinNH]

I took apart my 2600 (4-port) in preparation to install the electronicsentimentalities.com S-Video board.

 

Compared to all the other 2600's I've seen, this one is odd because there is no silkscreen at all... all the component locations were meticulously hand-labeled with a fine marker.

The board is ©1980, rev 8. There is no serial number on the bottom of the case - just a red sticker "Atari Super Service".

 

 

I'm guessing this means nothing exciting (like a prototype), except this was a rebuild/repair (and Atari was cheap enough to recycle a batch of PCBs that came out without the silkscreen).

 

~~~

 

Unrelated - I'm excited to finish wiring in this video daughterboard (this is why some TIA pins are unseated).

I hooked the 2600 up to my LCD TV using the original RF, and it was unwatchable. On an older tube TV, it was a little better (but still full of static).

The photos I've seen for completed installs look awesome!

 

 

-Scott

[SlowCoder]

I can't answer your questions as to the writing, except that I don't think it's that rare. I do believe I've seen that before.

 

But what do you mean by "2600 4-port"? I've never heard of a 4 port 2600. Do you mean 4 switch?

[Syntaxerror999]

The really odd thing is that I believe the 4 switch (we all know what you ment to say) is version 14... maybe 15... of the PCB. Is that perhaps one especily made for referbishments?

[scottinNH]

Thanks for the replies.

 

If the 4 switch is normally a higher rev PCB, then it's probable this PCB was a repair swap. Perhaps they did A run of boards earlier, and forgot the silkscreen... Come repair time, this was a cheaper or available part. Nothing special then, oh well.

[SlowCoder]

... the 4 switch (we all know what you ment to say)

Yes, I was pretty sure. But just in case there was some model mixup, I was checking. Some of the 5200s are 4-port.