INTV 1 overheating?

[carlsson]

Hm. Perhaps the NTSC model was developed first, with RF shielding in place but positioned in a such way it wouldn't cause overheating. Then PAL versions were developed, of which the UK as usual (*) don't bother about shielding, but the Germans and rest of Europe do, getting improperly designed shielding causing overheating?

 

(*) See the Acorn BBC Micro, which required a good amount of extra shielding to be sold in Germany, and even more shielding, increasing its weight by nearly 50% in order to be exported to the USA (where it didn't make much of a difference anyhow, but that is another topic).

[+nanochess]

 

Are they PAL versions? It appears that the inside layout of the components is different in the PAL console, affecting heat dissipation.

NTSC version.

[+DZ-Jay]

Hm. Perhaps the NTSC model was developed first, with RF shielding in place but positioned in a such way it wouldn't cause overheating. Then PAL versions were developed, of which the UK as usual (*) don't bother about shielding, but the Germans and rest of Europe do, getting improperly designed shielding causing overheating?

 

(*) See the Acorn BBC Micro, which required a good amount of extra shielding to be sold in Germany, and even more shielding, increasing its weight by nearly 50% in order to be exported to the USA (where it didn't make much of a difference anyhow, but that is another topic).

 

 

Well, the NTSC version was definitely designed first. It was intended originally for the USAian market.

 

NTSC version.

 

Ah! I guess Mexico is not in Europe..?

 

In any case, I guess I've been very lucky with my Intellivision consoles so far. I wasn't as lucky with the C=64, though. I burnt through three of those, including one from my neighbor, who lend it to me. He got in trouble with is parent and never let me play with his toys again.

 

-dZ.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Hm. Perhaps the NTSC model was developed first, with RF shielding in place but positioned in a such way it wouldn't cause overheating. Then PAL versions were developed, of which the UK as usual (*) don't bother about shielding, but the Germans and rest of Europe do, getting improperly designed shielding causing overheating?

 

(*) See the Acorn BBC Micro, which required a good amount of extra shielding to be sold in Germany, and even more shielding, increasing its weight by nearly 50% in order to be exported to the USA (where it didn't make much of a difference anyhow, but that is another topic).

 

Not really sure what difference having the RF shielding in place would make. The bottom RF shield doesn't actually make physical contact with the heatsinks and it is literally only soldered down along the main PCB outer ground plane. So there isn't any heat generating components attached to it. I actually have the large RF shield removed on my SVA that I use for most of my Intellivision playing and aside from the main transformer getting hot when it is plugged in and not in use, it doesn't get that warm since I changed out the VRs. In fact, I've never really noticed the ICs getting hot or warm to be honest?

[Bamse]

Pal is different yes but within pal there are differences. The Pal-b German version has the shielding were as the UK Pal doesn't.

I think the fact the main board that contains the STIC and CPU is all housed within the shielding is were the heat problem arises. Its harder for the heat to escape.

[carlsson]

Too bad I downsized ten years ago, otherwise I would conduct some measurements. But yes, replacing old parts for new and better parts surely will help. I'll have to check the System 1 at our computer club, though I believe it doesn't suffer from the same instant overheating issue as the one I used to own (2008-2010), the one a friend of mine used to own (same time period) and the one Bamse is describing.

 

In a discussion panel from 2009, Lars Jarhamn from Bergsala - who had made themselves a name by importing Nintendo Game & Watch - described how they acquired the distribution of Vectrex and Intellivision in the second part of 1983. While the Intellivision sold very well, they found it have problems with overheating and possibly even "catching fire". They visited the factory in Hong Kong, run by a "rude American" called Clark who didn't want to take responsibility for any faults. Bergsala claimed the motherboards were installed upside down and that would cause overheating, but this Clark guy said he didn't know the difference between upside or downside. Eventually the Intellivision sales went down, while Bergsala were waiting for Nintendo to export the Famicom in a PAL version. Obviously it didn't happen, but they got to release the NES a few years later.