2600 repair/modding?

[Yosikuma]

So let me preface by saying: I do not feel comfortable at all with doing any kind of work on my 2600 system, as I have zero idea what I am doing with hardware. I have never soldered in my life. The end result will probably be me having to give up the 2600 for parts, if I were to do this.

 

I have a six switch that is in the need of repair and attention, and my question is: where does one find someone who'd be willing/has knowledge on working on a 40 year old piece of hardware? I am in Central Illinois and very open to suggestions.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Osgeld]

Can you describe what's going on, there's plenty of people that can fix it around these forums though

[H454]

Can you describe what's going on, there's plenty of people that can fix it around these forums though

 

Very true, Plus A LOT of problems can be fixed by cleaning( you'd be surprised what detoxit can "fix"). All easy to do.

Most RF / picture problems are bad cables, connectors and switch boxes. Also all easy to do.

The 2600 are simple and built like a brick. It's the console most people learn to fix basic electronics on.

And its the cheapest console to replace if you have unfixable problems.

[+sramirez2008]

I recommend atariguy1021. He has repaired a heavy and a lite sixer for me. He does excellent work.

[RamrodHare]

I recommend atariguy1021. He has repaired a heavy and a lite sixer for me. He does excellent work.

I second this. There are quite a few others on the forums who are more than qualified to do the repairs, if he isn't able to right now. Just make sure they have a good reputation before shipping your system to them.

[Yosikuma]

Can you describe what's going on, there's plenty of people that can fix it around these forums though

I think it might be a faulty TIA. Color rolling (Stampede's grass turns blood red eventually, which looks kind of hilarious but makes games like Pressure Cooker impossible as green and red look identical!), some sounds don't play when they should.

[Osgeld]

six switch the main 3 chips should be in sockets, so if you can operate a screw driver, which based on your beard you might you can take it apart and pop it out

 

if you want to try I got a few I got for like 5 bucks + postage, ill ask postage if it works great, if not send it back

[RamrodHare]

I'd take Osgeld's advice. Socketed chips are super simple to swap out. All you do is carefully pull out the old chip and plug in the new one. It's about as simple as changing a lightbulb.. Also, you won't find a better deal than that on a TIA!

[Keatah]

If you've never pulled an IC before..

 

People start forcing and pulling hard when the chip is in there good and tight. Like in old electronics. Then it breaks free and wham! Bent pins or stabbed fingers, or even cracked chips. They should be loosened first with a rocking motion via a mini pry-bar, screwdriver, plastic tool.

 

And don't pry on the socket! And don't lever the fulcrum against other parts. Or you'll crack them. Wedge in some wood or popsicle sticks as the pivot point. Contradictorily it will help to loosen and break the years of oxidation-adhesion if you push down and hear a scintillating screech/crack sound. That's it breaking loose. For super difficult-to-remove ones, you can use a bit of Deoxit. 1 drop's worth spread over 40 pins is more than enough.

 

They have IC pullers, too. I prefer the simple U-shaped ones. Less physical shock compared to the rectangular syringe-action type. Those snap too hard and stress the silicon. The U-shaped jobbers need a little more dexterity and can sometimes lose grip, grating across the top, however.. The U-jobbber works best on pre-loosened ICs. Apple always shipped these with their kits and stuff.

 

Never forgot the first time I pulled out a chip! No tools or anything. I embedded a 14-pin dip in my finger. All 12-pins. The other two were bent at 90` angle. I ran around screaming like an idiot and everything thinking it would never come out. The thought of pulling this fucking chip out twice, once the socket, once me, was terrifying.

 

I must have been 5 years old at the time. Still gives me the HeebieJeebies.

[Osgeld]

yep I have had a few smaller chips socketed in my finger, hurts worse pulling them out (mainly working with perfboard though)

 

a lot of times if you get a thin flat head screw driver you can rock chips out gently going from end to end and using the socket itself as the pivot point, just be gentle and go slow its no big deal, like K said its when you start applying force is when things go wrong

[Yosikuma]

So great news: this worked like a charm. No colour rolling (though some colour bleeding is still a thing, but I'm fine with that!). Also, the old TIA was apparently the reason certain games (my EPYX Games) wouldn't boot up. Thank you for the suggestion!

 

But my GOD, it took forever to unscrew screws that have been on for 30+ years!

Edited September 22, 2017 by Yosikuma

[mannye]

So glad it worked out. The biggest hurdle when deciding to work in electronics is getting over the "magic" factor. These things aren't all that difficult to fix. The real magic is in the design and engineering of the systems but once the wizards do that, it's all just carpentry. Pull this, push that and screw there. Easy peasy.

[Yosikuma]

Yep, I was amazed how easy it was. The original TIA took quite a bit of gentle pressure to get out of the socket, and I may have put the machine together with the cartridge slot askew before taking it apart and putting it back together the right way (heh ^^;; but it felt good to finally do something like that myself. I have never been a particularly handy person, so the chip working on the first try was admittedly sort of mind blowing.