Broken Atari 2600 6-switch- how can it be fixed

[Spector]

I'm in the UK, and I bought an old 6 switch woody from America, but it was faulty, with odd glitches showing in the graphics. I got a refund, and I've got it still sitting in a box in my bedroom. I don't want to throw it out, and I'd love to get it working with a good picture because the original 6 switch model is such a classic design, but I'm wondering if there's anyone with the expertise to be able to do something like that. Are there any Brits/Europeans who would be willing to sell their services and repair it?

[Wyluli Wolf]

Have you tried multiple, known good, games in the unit?

Can you perhaps post some pictures of the issue?

Are you using an NTSC Atari system on a PAL television set?

[Spector]

Have you tried multiple, known good, games in the unit?

Can you perhaps post some pictures of the issue?

Are you using an NTSC Atari system on a PAL television set?

 

First of all, it's not a PAL-NTSC problem. as I have another NTSC Atari that works fine. The glitches on the six-switcher include Combat tanks jumping randomly and instantaneously around the screen, ghosts in Pacman moving in slow motion and games starting with the score counter at 999999 with a malformed power pill, and general graphical glitches in Ms Pacman. It's more than just a dodgy composite mod, and it's a problem that's out of my league to fix. But maybe there are some potential genuises on here who can fix it!

[Wyluli Wolf]

It sounds like it could be the TIA chip to me. It's a pretty common thing to go out in these older systems. If the chip is in a dip socket it's as easy as pulling the old one out and dropping a known good chip in it's place (no soldering even).