9 replies to this topic

[thegamezmaster]

I was given an Atari 800XL with PS, RF cable. It was pretty dirty. So I took it apart and blew all the crud out and test and works! Yay! The problem I noticed is part of the top metal shield has rusted but hasn't damaged the pcb underneath. the outer casing isn't too dirty thank God. Any suggestions on how to clean or restore to keep from rusting again? Also what's good to wipe the cables with that won't hurt the outside of them? Thanks in advance for any help with this!

Edited by thegamezmaster, Tue Feb 5, 2013 7:41 AM.

[bust3dstr8]

Sand it down and use some zinc paint / cold galvinizer.

[thegamezmaster]

Thanks for the help. Much appreciated.

[atari8warez]

thegamezmaster, on Tue Feb 5, 2013 2:39 PM, said:

Thanks for the help. Much appreciated.

and keep it in a dry, low humidity room from now on

[thegamezmaster]

atari8warez, on Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:26 AM, said:

and keep it in a dry, low humidity room from now on

Do have it in one now. Trouble finding zinc paint / cold galvinizer in my area.

[atari8warez]

thegamezmaster, on Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:44 AM, said:

Do have it in one now. Trouble finding zinc paint / cold galvinizer in my area.

So maybe just sanding the rust away will do, you may want to try using a rust paint on it but I am not sure if that would affect the shielding properties that cover provides.
On the other hand many internal upgrades require you to put that shield away once the upgrade is installed. My 130XE for example doesn't have it anymore as the U1MB upgrade i installed in it doesn't leave enough clearance for the shield. I am not sure if it is affecting the performance of the video but I see no recognizable side effects on my monitor.

[Uzumaki]

Generally shield is there just to make the FCC people happy.  9 out of 10 times you won't have a problem without shield.  Take it off, hook up the system the normal way, and try it out.  If you don't see or hear interference on TV or monitor, and your radio or cell phone isn't acting funny, you should be fine.

[RickR]

Storing systems with a little desiccant pack helps keep them rust free.

[thegamezmaster]

Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.

[atari8warez]

Uzumaki, on Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:00 PM, said:

Generally shield is there just to make the FCC people happy.  9 out of 10 times you won't have a problem without shield.  Take it off, hook up the system the normal way, and try it out.  If you don't see or hear interference on TV or monitor, and your radio or cell phone isn't acting funny, you should be fine.

That's my experience too.