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Ian Primus

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Posts posted by Ian Primus

  2. Posted

    Can anyone recommend a classic computer system with a good selection of games that can be found for cheaper than the Commodore?

     

    Well, the Commodore is already pretty darn dirt cheap. They sold more C64's than any other model of computer. Seriously - it's a world record that's not likely to be broken, since modern machines change models every month or so. Most of us that collect old computers have them stacked up like cord-wood. It's a bit of a joke, actually - the C64 is the Combat cartridge of computer collecting.

     

    I would point you in the direction of the Apple II line - the Apple IIe, specifically. It's cheap, available, reliable, and very, very well documented. The disk drives are very fast, and it's super easy to connect it to a modern computer through the Super Serial Card and transfer disk images - no need to buy expensive modern peripherals with flash cards (although they are available). There are a lot of classic games - they're different though, the graphics and sound you're used to from the Commodore aren't there, but the platform has lots of original titles that are fun to play. It's also a hacker's dream, because it's so expandable and flexible. With 80 column text on a monochrome monitor, you can use it as a terminal and do pretty much anything from it's fantastic keyboard.

     

    The Apple IIe is such an improvement over the C64 in terms of loading times, clear text, build quality, expandability and rock solid reliability, that it's rather hard to go back to the C64 after using the Apple II for a while.

     

    But, then again, it's a holy war that's been going on for years - Apple vs. Commodore. I like both platforms, but... I love the Apple II.

     

    -Ian

  4. Posted

    I love this game. This is definitely one of my favorite 2600 games. Many years ago, unable to find a physical copy of the game, I made one: http://www.atariage....ttach_id=124352

     

    And I still hope one day to run across it. You'd think eventually it would turn up, but it's been a tough one to find. In any event, it's an awesome game, and I really recommend that everyone play it. I know I've spent many, many hours playing it. And, you know, if you run across an extra copy, let me know ;)

     

    -Ian

  5. Posted

    I'm just getting back to the wonderful world of Atari myself. Been focusing on other hobbies the last few years, but never really stopped playing Atari - just kinda stopped looking for stuff since I had most of it already ;)

     

    So, I missed the introduction of things like the Harmony - the only thing available at the time was the Cuttle Cart, and it was expensive.

     

    Personally, I find it fun to collect the real games, but, the Harmony is probably fun too. I found though, that the problem with having hundreds of games is that you tend to get impatient and keep switching games without spending any real time with one, and that's a hard habit to get out of.

     

    Sounds like you need a power supply and an RF adapter for your 2600, and some games. The power supply is really easy, you just need to find any 9v DC power supply (500ma or more preferred) and solder an 1/8" mono headphone plug onto it (tip positive). The voltage doesn't even matter too much either, since the supply is unregulated, but 9v is so common. Anything 7 - 12v is perfectly safe to use.

     

    For the RF, go to Radio Shack or similar and get an RCA to F connector adapter. Replaces the switchbox entirely and connects the RCA cable coming out of the Atari directly to the screw-on cable connection on the back of the television. Lots less interference with this too, the picture will look a lot better.

     

    Welcome back to Atari!

     

    -Ian

  6. Posted

    Can I be your friend? By the way I have this TV that won't turn on....

     

    Haha. Pretty much. One time someone managed to get me to rewire a motorcycle. When asked, I pointed out that I know *nothing* of motorcycles, I don't even know how to ride one. He managed to convince me that hey, it was just wiring, like in anything else... Yeah - never again. That was a royal PITA. Trying to get all those wires threaded through the chassis, secured so they won't catch on anything, all joints weatherproofed, etc. Ugh.

     

    And yeah, he never calls me or wants to do anything... unless something of his is broken. Don't hear from him for months, then "Hey, my TV won't turn on"... yes, really. (Bad capacitors on the LV power supply, yes, I fixed it, no, I don't know why).

     

    -Ian

  7. Posted

    My reputation precedes me frequently too. I'm not only into retro games, I also collect old computers. More than once I've had random co-workers approach me offering old hardware...

     

    Other problem - I also *fix* things. So that reputation seems to precede me more often than not, being asked by random people to repair game consoles, computers, televisions, arcade games, etc. Usually I enjoy fixing things, but it does get a little old. Some people just want to be friends long enough for me to fix their stuff, and that's very annoying.

     

    -Ian

    • Like 1

  9. Posted

    What he means by "DIY" is that he's providing the schematics and everything for you, and that's how you get a mod now that he's not selling it. Many years ago, when he first came out with the mod, he also provided the schematics - and I just built my own from scratch (too lazy to wait for boards in the mail, etc). It's not a complicated circuit, the only annoying thing is that one of the components is only available as a surface mount 8 pin package, so some experience soldering itty bitty stuff is recommended ;)

     

    -Ian

  10. Posted

    5.18v from the regulator is too high, really. It should be right on the money, it's a fixed linear regulator. Now, the chips in the Atari should still work at that voltage, but it still points to a problem.

     

    Also, check the solder joints at the clock crystal - if it breaks free, the CPU won't run, and neither will the TIA.

     

    You have tried both channels, right? The switch on the back can set it to channel 2 or 3, and sometimes it breaks, and the thing still outputs on channel 2 when it's set to channel 3, etc.

     

    -Ian

  11. Posted

    The bottom chip is the TIA. There are three main chips in the Atari - the RIOT, the CPU, and the TIA (top to bottom). The RIOT contains the system RAM, the interface for the joysticks, and the system timer. The CPU is the main processor, and the TIA handles the graphics.

     

    Your problem is one of those annoying ones that's hard to diagnose without a working Atari to swap chips with - the black screen means that something is seriously not right. It could be a dead CPU, or it could be a dead TIA, etc. Normally, you should be able to turn on the Atari with no cartridge and get "humming bars" - vertical colored lines and an annoying tone, that's different every time.

     

    Is one of the chips getting abnormally hot? Feel them with your fingers, right in the center while it's on. One chip getting super hot will be a dead giveaway.

     

    -Ian

    • Like 1

  12. Posted

    This isn't a simple "adapter" that you are looking for. A VGA monitor signal is fundementally very, very different from a TV signal - and for good reason. If you are looking for a simple, passive components sort of adapter, you CAN actually do it. But... you won't get color, and you need special software to trick the video card into outputting a signal at a low resolution and a low sync frequency that the TV can actually display.

     

    There are numerous standalone converter boxes that can do the conversion for you, and give you color, and require no software. But they're pretty expensive, because they are complicated devices.

     

    The cheapest solution is to just get yourself a video card that can output composite video. For a few bucks, you can get an older GeForce card with TV-out. They work quite well.

     

    But no matter what kind of adapter/video card you have, you're going to be limited to 640x480, or some weird interpolated higher resolution that will come out blurry. A TV set just plain can't display high resolution anything, unless it's HD, in which case, it would already have VGA or HDMI input that you could connect to.

     

    -Ian

  13. Posted

    You probably blew up more than the 7805. IIRC, the original Famicom uses DC, not AC (like the NES), and the Atari 810 used AC as well. You likely toasted the filter caps/etc in the power regulator circuit. Are you getting 5v output from the 7805?

     

    -Ian

  14. Posted

    There is a heavy amount of corrosion in this area. I tried getting rid of that, but it looks like I made things worse. Just a black screen now.

     

    Well, in hindsight, I probably would have used a different approach in cleaning up the unit... such as asking first :-). Well, some new games for the 7800 at least.

     

    Should not be hard to repair. Simply desolder and remove the old socket, and replace it. Clean the legs of the TIA to remove the corrosion, and plug it into the new socket.

     

    -Ian

  15. Posted

    Every 2600 I've seen on the inside has its capacitors mounted rather haphazardly; typically with lots of space between the body of the part and the board. Usually one or more is cracked. Is there any advantage to desoldering these and replacing them with more compact modern caps?

     

    If you're referring to the liberal sprinkling of ceramic capacitors - then no. It's pointless to replace them unless they are faulty/smashed. They'e very reliable, and in this application, they're only used to filter noise from the circuits. Value is not particularly important. Mounting ceramics above the board is standard practice, if you were to mash them all the way down to the board, every one of them would be cracked. The cracks are undesireable because they can allow moisture from the air to contaminate the inside of the cap... but once again, in this application, it doesn't really matter.

     

    -Ian

  16. Posted

    Half of the sounds are missing. Space invaders is an example. The back ground sound is there, but every time an invader is hit, there is no "blump" sound. In air sea battle, there isn't any sound at all. Both sound fine in the 7800.

     

    So maybe it's more correct for me to say that certain frequencies are missing.

     

    There are two sound channels coming off the TIA. Pins 12 and 13. They are both supposed to be connected together on the board. Ensure that the pins are making good contact with the socket, and that the solder connections on the bottom of the board are good. Could also be a faulty TIA.

     

    -Ian

  18. Posted

    The only problem I have at this point is weak solders on the joystick connectors.

     

    You can just open the console up and resolder them - it's not that big of a deal. It'll take all of fifteen minutes, tops...

     

    If you've neer soldered before, then here's a chance to learn! It's a very simple job. Just heat the connection with the iron, and flow in a small amount of new solder. Flow the solder onto the connection, not the iron. You use the iron to make the connection/pin hot enough to melt the solder.

     

    If you want to go all out, desolder the pin first, then resolder it with new solder. That way you don't wind up with too much solder on the board, and you get rid of that old, oxidized solder.

     

    -Ian

  20. Posted

    Well, the switch could very well be bad, and require replacement. Or, the solder connections could have just cracked. I have seen this more than once. Examine the back of the switch where it connects to the board, and look at the solder pads. If they're dull or cracked, reflow them with fresh solder.

     

    The switches can get dirty sometimes, and cleaning is possible - using isopropyl alcohol, tuner cleaner, or similar solvents - but if it's worn out, then no amount of cleaning will work. Also, dirty switches tend to get better with use - not worse...

     

    If the connections are good, then it's just a bad switch. Your only option is to replace it. An exact replacement should be easy enough to find - but if you want, you should be able to replace it with whatever switch you can find that fits, and you can still access with the covers on.

     

    -Ian

  21. Posted

    A simple socket adapter as proposed will work on the Retro Duo. The Zapper, however, will not work. It requires additional lines that simply are not provided for in the Retro Duo. Similarly, the Arkanoid controller will not work. But the real NES pad will work just fine - and it'll be much nicer than those nasty pads the Retro Duo came with.

     

    -Ian

  22. Posted

    It could also be that the difficulty switch on that particular Atari doesn't work. Quick test, plug in Space Invaders. Flipping the difficulty switch should make the laser base wide on the hard setting, and narrower on the easy setting. If it's stuck on "hard", check the solder connections on the back of the switch.

     

    -Ian

  23. Posted

    Nice work! There's not too many other games I would consider more worth saving than a Robotron. Glad this one didn't end up on the burn pile like so many others do.

     

    Thanks! Yeah, I really don't know what would have happened to this game, had I not bought it. A more purist collector might scoff at the fact that the cabinet has Joust side art - not Robotron. But the cabinet wasn't really all that horrible, and it _is_ the proper cabinet style for Robotron. It shows it's age, for sure, but it's solid, and cleaned up well. The guy that I bought it from, initially bought it to fix and found himself in over his head with the electrical problems.

     

    But, either way, it's alive and well now. I got it down into my basement, and it's living happily next to Galaga. I've got a few more games to rebuild - a couple of which are nearly lost causes, much worse than this one, that I fully intend to repair. (Although, that Tempest that was converted to Birdie King might be a ways off).

     

    Next time, I'll try to take some better before pictures, and more during pictures...

     

    -Ian

  24. Posted

    I've had more problems with newer TV's, to tell you the truth. My old sets behave themselves. I guess it's because they know I know how to fix them, and that keeps them in their place. Those young wippersnappers just like to act up for the attention. :)

     

    Also, people tend to give me their broken TV's, because I fix them - so I wind up with more than the usual share of broken sets. And, I pick up free TV's when I find them at the curb. The funny thing is, that the older the set, the more likely it has been that it works just fine.

     

    I've got this one set, late 90's, that likes to fold up at the top. I've changed every cap in the deflection circuit, and checked all the voltages with the schematic, and still - folds up. I bought a new deflection IC (stupid integrated junk), and need to replace it and see if that fixes it.

     

    I had another late 90's set that would always stay on channel 3. (supid digital tuning). You could type in another channel with the remote and it would go there. You could tell it to scan channels and it would add them. But if you turned it off and back on again, it would stay stuck on channel 3 until you scanned all the channels again. Bad NVRAM chip. But it's a special chip, with combined functions. Not worth fixing. I think I gave it to someone that only wanted it to play video games on.

     

    The TV I use here in the computer room was made in 1976, and works perfectly.

     

    The TV in the bedroom is an early 80's set I found at the curb - it had color bleeding problems until I cleaned all the controls. Works fine now.

     

    In the basement I've got a console color set from the early 60's. It has a 21" round color picture tube. That one I had to replace a couple burned resistors and a couple tubes - but it works really well too now. That one gets cranky at times - but hey, grampa is allowed to do silly things on occasion :)

     

    -Ian

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