Hello I've been having trouble with my Intellivision

[stencullz]

I just got an intellivision a couple months ago, but the audio/video port is loose and worn out, I've tried holding it in a specific way so that it will make contact, but that only worked once, I've tried using similar cords like the one that came with my TSR-80, the cord that come with my sega genesis model1 as well as the one with my SNES and they didn't work. So I can confirm that it isn't the cord. Is there any quick or long term fix for this? Thanks

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

You cannot use nes/snes/genesis rf adaptors with auto switching, you need the earlier type with selector or a rf to coaxial adaptor......

 

http://atariage.com/howto/connect.html

[intvnut]

If the RF connector is actually worn so it's not making good contact, you can try replacing the RF modulator. In fact, I still have a few in stock. :-) (You can call it shameless promotion, but dude, they're $4 ea. They're New Old Stock that I picked up when Alltronics decided to purge them from their inventory.)

 

I would try the phono-to-F connector approach first, and only try replacing the RF modulator if that doesn't work out. Replacing the RF modulator isn't complicated, but it does require a lot of soldering on an Intellivision 1, mostly to open its metal sarcophagus shielding. You can go through a lot of solder wick getting those huge blobs of solder off there....

[+intvsteve]

If the RF connector is actually worn so it's not making good contact, you can try replacing the RF modulator. In fact, I still have a few in stock. :-) (You can call it shameless promotion, but dude, they're $4 ea. They're New Old Stock that I picked up when Alltronics decided to purge them from their inventory.)

 

I would try the phono-to-F connector approach first, and only try replacing the RF modulator if that doesn't work out. Replacing the RF modulator isn't complicated, but it does require a lot of soldering on an Intellivision 1, mostly to open its metal sarcophagus shielding. You can go through a lot of solder wick braid getting those huge blobs of solder off there....

Watch out using the term "Solder Wick"! I actually got contacted w/ a series of nasty emails (what amounted to Cease and Desist) warning me about using that term on the ol' Funhouse years ago from someone "protecting their trademark". Might have been some kind of troll, but after writing a nasty reply, I tucked tail and tweaked the website. Not that it annoyed me or anything. Honestly!

[intvnut]

Watch out using the term "Solder Wick"! I actually got contacted w/ a series of nasty emails (what amounted to Cease and Desist) warning me about using that term on the ol' Funhouse years ago from someone "protecting their trademark". Might have been some kind of troll, but after writing a nasty reply, I tucked tail and tweaked the website. Not that it annoyed me or anything. Honestly!

 

Geeze, really?

 

Well the stuff I have here is called Super Wick, and I have to say, it does work and works quite well. And so far, has been 100% trademark troll free. It's a fine example of solder wick desoldering braid.

 

If someone comes crying to me about this endorsement of their product, I'll hand them a Kleenex^® ... facial tissue ... no, wait, actual Kleenex^®, because I actually have a box of Kleenex^® brand tissues right here.

[+wongojack]

Just inspect it with the case off first. It's possible you can make the connection more firm by just heating up the solder that is already there and letting it harden, or by adding a tiny bit more solder. Inspect and make sure the connections are solid. You should see the port or the modulator wiggling a bit if there is a poor contact.

[intvnut]

Just inspect it with the case off first. It's possible you can make the connection more firm by just heating up the solder that is already there and letting it harden, or by adding a tiny bit more solder. Inspect and make sure the connections are solid. You should see the port or the modulator wiggling a bit if there is a poor contact.

 

I'm not sure that advice applies to the RF modulator on an Intellivision 1. I went through a ton of desoldering braid just to get the metal shield off so I could see it (see first attached photo). On the Intellivision 1, the main logic board is encased in two thick metal shields. The RF modulator is inside those shields. I changed an RF modulator in one of my units earlier today, so I have some handy photos. :-)

 

The typical failure mode I've encountered is that you only get good reception from the unit if you hold the connector a particular direction. I think what's happening is that the metal piece that touches the center tab of the RF connection gets pushed back away and no longer makes good contact.

 

I haven't tried this, but if you want to actually try fixing the unit without changing the RF mod, you might try this instead: Pop the metal cap off the RF mod. You can do this by carefully bending a few of the tabs back on the lid with a small flat-head screw driver until you can effectively pry off the lid. You should see something like the second and third attached photo to this post. (These pics are of the RF mod I removed from my system. Obviously, if you are tweaking yours in-system, you'd still be soldered to the main logic board.)

 

Carefully bend the metal tongue on the back side of the connector down and inward slightly. It's this tongue that presses against the middle post of the RF connector. If you're lucky, it's just been bent slightly back and isn't making good contact.

 

What I discovered the RF mod that I just replaced today, the whole tongue assembly is actually loose, and the resistor that carries the RF signal has actually wiggled loose of its solder joint. When I press on that metal tongue, you can tell it's just "floating" there. If I wanted to rehab this RF mod, I'd also have to re-solder that resistor.

 

You can get to the top of the RF mod just by desoldering the top metal shield on the Intellivision logic board. To get to the bottom of the RF mod (to fix that resistor), you have to desolder the bottom RF shield, and desolder the RF mod itself. The RF mod is soldered to the main board via 4 metal tabs that go to the main body of the RF mod, not the bottom cap.

 

By the time you've done all that, you may as well just solder a completely new RF mod into the system. :-)

Edited April 20, 2014 by intvnut

[+wongojack]

/\/\/\/\ Cool! Thanks for the pics and explanation.