Difficulty A

Being a diehard Atari VCS/2600 fan, I just had to do it. Bye bye Apple, hello Atari. Enjoy. =) http://www.leftylimbo.com/2012/10/atari-logo-sticker/

I cleaned one paddle using the AtariGuide. It indeed involved careful dis-assembly and cleaning with 91% (or higher) alcohol and a toothbrush, but the results were totally worth it.

Thanks for your input, folks. I'm wondering if Best Electronics sent me a faulty chip. Everything was fine beforehand (aside from the "endless game select mode" which was why I started this topic in the first place). I wish I had another RIOT chip to swap it out with to troubleshoot.

Ah. Just realized I can attach photographs here. Well, here you go. Sorry I couldn't block out the light coming in from the windows.

Ok folks. Been a long time but I'm back with an update. With not-so-good news. My pop-in-law was able to find a socket, and he went ahead and applied it to the board and plugged the RIOT in. He told me to take it for a spin, and I did...and the screen is just blank—completely black with a thin vertical blue/purple line on the left side of the screen. It does this with or without a cartridge plugged in. I took shots of the TV screen and will gladly send them to anyone who would want to help out. He's always ultra-meticulous and super-careful when he does work, so I can't figure out what went wrong, unless somehow he touched something he wasn't supposed to by accident? Any thoughts? I'll definitely try it when we take the switch out. Thanks for the tip. Awesome schematics! Thanks for the link, I'm sure he'll find it useful when we pursue the composite mod which Best Electronics has for $20. That'll likely be the next project after I get this Vader system back in shape.

@AussieAtari: I've been wondering the same thing. Atari2600.com doesn't even advertise it on their site anymore (from what I could tell). I inquired via their "contact us" form and am waiting for a reply.

I'll definitely try it when we take the switch out. Thanks for the tip. Awesome schematics! Thanks for the link, I'm sure he'll find it useful when we pursue the composite mod which Best Electronics has for $20. That'll likely be the next project after I get this Vader system back in shape.

Thanks for the offer. I went ahead and ordered a new momentary switch from Best Electronics after consulting with the rep on the phone, who recommended testing the OHMs on the switch for any inconsistency. Thanks to my pop-in-law, we did find something weird with it, so we'll start off with the switch replacement. It'll be fun learning how to solder, and hopefully the switch is what's causing the problem. I'll keep you posted on results. BTW, Best Electronics is amazing. I had no idea there was such a huge resource for vintage Atari fans. They rule! =) Sorry, I don't sell parts. You can get one from the same place that I usually buy from, Best Electronics. Unfortunately, they have a minimum order total. I think it's $25 before S&H. I am in eastern L.A. county, so saving shipping charges by in-person delivery might be a viable option depending on what part of L.A. you're in, if you change your mind and decide to let me to have a go at fixing it. Cost would be $12 for service, $10 for the RIOT and $3.00 for a socket, if my remote diagnosis turns out to be correct. So, it would cost about the same as getting the part yourself from Best, but you'd miss out on the fun of fixing it yourself learning how to fish.

Hmm. I get reminded of that "give a fish/teach a man how to fish" story. Anyways, I've consulted with my pop-in-law who's an electronic engineer and has the tools to replace the RIOT chip, so we'll try it together. I suppose I can buy that part from you, AJ? And yes, my Lunar Colony is situated in Los Angeles. My original intent (before finding out it was screwy) was to get this Vader system modded for composite connectors, or better yet(?) the Cybertech S-video mod, which I noticed is no longer available anywhere (were they that popular or what happened?). By the way, I'm sure there's threads on this somewhere, but does anyone have any recommendations regarding these mods?

Ok, so I popped off that silver cover with my fingers crossed. No luck, the chips are soldered. AJ, are you local (L.A.)? I'll msg you regarding a fix, if possible. Thanks!

Yep, I think it is that "Once Upon Atari" after all. I remember that title. When I saw it years back, it was only available on VHS. Yes, there was a website devoted to it and everything. Then next time I checked back months later, it was gone. Cool, well thanks for the input and info fellas! Totally interested in getting it!

Just wondering if anyone heard of this. I saw it a few years back advertised online, and from what I remember, it was a 3-tape set with 2-3 hours worth of documentary footage and interviews with former Atari employees and what not. I also heard there was a lot disgruntled information revealed in the interviews, which may have caused it to somehow "disappear?" Or am I imagining things? I should have bought it while it was available. Looked totally lo-fi but interesting nonetheless.

Hoo boy. Totally clueless on testing for short circuits and grounds--the closest I've gotten to that was the movie and making coffee. Never worked on electronic components before aside from cleaning. Is the RIOT chip replaceable or cleanable? Let me know if any of these are really involved processes meant for those with advanced knowledge. Also, I notice you work on the consoles yourself--how much would you estimate for service on this to get it running? Thanks for your input, it is appreciated.

@Benzman: Thanks! I'll try that. @tz101: You know, I've always wanted to learn how to solder. My pop-in-law's an electronic engineer, does that stuff all the time. ::taps on shoulder:: Thanks for the tip! I'll keep everyone updated on progress.

Howdy folks and Happy New Year. Been a long time since I've posted here, but still happy to say that my "Cleaning my Atari 2600" story remains the most popular post on my blog, getting about 12-20 hits a day. Anyways, I was hoping to write yet another romantic/übergeeky story of how I brought a Darth Vader model from dusty bin to shining (death) star. Specifically for this resto project I bought Mother's Back to Black potion, as it had been recommended over Armor All, and I thought it'd be perfect for the all-black finish as well. But of course, before any cleaning was to be done, I plugged it in to see if it worked. It turned on like a charm, but it's stuck in "game select" mode, as if someone was holding down the Game Select switch. It even ignores my attempt to start a game as well. Ugh. I opened it up, and can't find any apparent reason for this; it actually wasn't too dusty inside either, and no obvious signs of corrosion anywhere. I gave it a once over with an air can but still no go. Should I try to clean the contacts within the Game Select switch housing? Or... Thanks in advance for your help and/or suggestions. I was really looking forward to cleaning this baby up…I'll still do it, most likely, but I just wish it worked.