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Ian Primus

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Posts posted by Ian Primus

  4. Posted

    The Atari I use a lot is a Sears Tele-Games light sixer. It lives on top of a 13" television set. The thing was pretty dusty from being out like that, so I decided to clean it. I took it apart so I could use water on those little grooves without getting any in the cartridge slot. While I was cleaning, I found that on the left and right side of the top panel, there are little slits down in the grooves, much like the slits in the grooves on the front of a television set, right where the speakers are. Was the Atari intended to have internal speakers? They couldn't be for heat, I mean, the Atari doesn't really heat up. Any ideas?

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

  5. Posted

    My Mario Bros cart is annoying. The &%$# thing doesn't fit into the Atari. You can get it in if you force it, but it's hard to get it out again. I compared it to another cart, and it actually is a bit thicker than normal carts. Anyone have any ideas as to why this thing is bigger than normal? It's an Atari made cart. I can't even play it in my 7800, seeming as though it has a slightly smaller slot. Is this normal? Thanks.

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

  6. Posted

    I came up with this while playing the arcade version of Pac-Man on my MAME machine.

     

    There was a programmer for Atari.

    He wrote Pac-Man (he said he was sorry)

    He wrote it in 4k, but it had to be smaller,

    but when trimmed to 2k, it makes us all holler.

     

    So, what do you think?

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

  7. Posted

    What you really need to do, is release a set of controllers along with the games, I mean, the biggest problem with the Activision classics collection was trying to play those games with a Playstation controller. Kaboom needs a padddle, not an analog stick. Either an adapter to use old Atari sticks, or, a controller that is built almost like the old Atari sticks, only that will work on a PlayStation, as well as some paddles. Preferably not an adapter, seeming as though all of the original Atari stuff is 20 years old and worn out. We need some new, Atari-styled controls for the PS2.

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

  12. Posted

    I have posted this before, but I got no response. I have been trying to hunt down a broken Atari 2600, and I just lost an ebay auction for 13 broken Atari boards, so I thought I would give this message board another try. I need a console to take a cartridge connector from to use in a RAM cart reader/writer project. I hate to tear one of my Ataris apart, seeming as though they all work, and they are different models and are all in good condition. What I need is a broken or otherwise damaged console to take the connector off of. I do realize 2600 systems rarely break, but maybe I can get ahold of one that doesn't work. Thanks!

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

  17. Posted

    If you are using an RF box, junk it and get the adapter. It's only $3 and worth every penny. Double-check to ensure that all the connections are made well, and that you have used sheilded cables. A crappy cable can cause a bad picture. In particular, check the cable that leads from the back of the composite monitor to the VCR (if using this setup). If you are using a cheap audio cable for this, this is not good enough. Get a sheilded cable, or at least a decent quality audio cable. Also, if you are using a TV set, make sure that the tuner knob is set correctly. Check the fine tuning adjustments. Also, try jiggleing the knob, that sometimes helps too. If you are using an old enough VCR to hook the thing up through, it should have a flip down panel with itty bitty dials in it to set the channels with. Try adjusting those. If all else fails, you can do the composite mod, easy if you are good with a soldering iron. There are instructions for doing this for other models, look around on the 'net.

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

  18. Posted

    If you connected it directly to a composite video monitor, it won't work. Although the plugs are the same size, they carry different signals. You must use an RF box and a television set. A composite monitor (such as those meant for Apple II series computer) will NOT work. If you don't have the RF box, go to Radio Shack and get a Coaxial(F-type)to Female RCA Adapter, it should be about $3. It works much better than the RF box ever did. For more info, visit: http://www.atariage.com/howto/connect.html

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

  20. Posted

    I am 17, and I have an the odd hobby of collecting obsolete computers and video games. I have an awful lot of equipment, some of which takes up a lot of space. I have over 80 computers, as well as many video game machines, I even built my own arcade machine. (That took some doing convincing my parents that I needed to get an empty arcade cabinet...) But, even though I have a lot of hardware and I spend most of my money on my hobby, they don't mind, except when I come home with a carload of stuff. (Did you know that you can fit about 30 computers including monitors in a Toyota Camry?) But, they would rather have me at home repairing obsolete computer hardware than doing something stupid like going out and getting drunk or something, and they put up with it to some extent. Here's what you should do. Go out to a local thrift store, and try and find a bowling ball, preferably two or more. Claim that you decided you want to start collecting bowling balls, seeming as though they didn'y like your idea of collecting nice small Atari carts. Then say that if they want, you can collect something even bigger, like broken television sets or washing machines. Maybe they'll realize there are a lot worse things for someone to collect than Atari carts. I mean, at least Atari carts are small, light, easy to store plastic squares... Bowling balls are really hard to store.

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

     

    P.S. Nateo - where in New York do you live?

  21. Posted

    Sounds like a cool project, but I just wanted to warn you of a few things, and remind you of some others.

     

    1. TV sets contain high voltage!!! Around 60,000 Volts! This can be stored in the video tube for months after it has been powered down. Be careful. Don't touch any big capacitors or the video tube, besides, you shouldn't need to.

     

    2. Be sure to shield the 2600 a little (this can be done with the shielding already present) as there are some parts, most notably the RF circutry and the voltage regulator that could goof up the picture if placed right next to the tube (I could be wrong though).

     

    3. You mentioned that the 2600 had a damaged cord. This is an easy fix. Take it apart, and you will see that that RF cable has a connector on the Atari end too. It just plugs into the RF modulator. This can be replaced with another shielded cable. Try getting some coax and putting the RCA plug on one end and a standard TV type screw-on connector on the other, then you won't need that interference-ridden switchbox. You can then buy a coax switch box if you want to still be able to use the TV as a TV.

     

    4. The Atari does not put out a strong enough signal to trigger an automatic switch-box like those found on the Nintendo. You have to use the old type switchbox, or just use a cable with RCA on one end and TV connector on the other (see above)

     

    5. To supply power to the Atari, just crack open (or build a similar transformer circuit for that matter) the Atari power transformer. From there, remove the outlet prongs and solder in a length of power cord (just get it from a broken lamp/radio/record player, whatever) and connect it to the TV's power cord where it connects to the TV's power supply. Or, to avoid breaking open the Atari's power supply, buy an extention cord, plug the Atari power brick into it, and cut off the plug end, not to mention the extra wire you won't need, leaving a foot or two (whatever is needed) on the outlet end, and solder the short end with the power brick plugged into it to the place where the TV's power cord connects to the TV power supply.

     

    6. If you want to make the controller ports look nicer, desolder them from the Atari PCB, and solder some wires into the holes, and connect them to some DB-9 Male connectors (available at Rat^Hdio Shack). The new connectors should have the wires soldered to them first, so that they will fit through holes in the front of the TV. The new connectors will be metal, and have things on the side with screw holes in them. That way, you can easily screw them to the front of the TV, and you won't have to worry about plugging in a controller too hard and knocking the connector back into the set...

     

    I hope my ramblings are not too incomprehensible, if you need me to explain, just email me.

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

  22. Posted

    I once found an Activision Tennis game in a Coleco style cart, it was almost as if someone had a Tennis with a damaged cart casing and swapped the board with a Coleco Donkey Kong cart. When you get it, open it up, since there is no label to mess up, there is nothing stopping you. What I found in mine was a normal production board, exactly like those in normal carts. You may discover the same thing. If it is a board with an eprom in it, however, you have something more interesting. At any rate, you have a copy of Omega Race, and the way I collect games, I just enjoy playing them and finding different titles.

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

  23. Posted

    Has anyone _successfully_ made a RAM cart system for the Atari 2600? I once found schematics, but I never got the thing to work at all. I am still interested in creating a RAM cart reader/writer and carts for the 2600. Is there a place on the internet that has schematics/software to go with it? Thanks in advance.

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

  25. Posted

    I got my first Atari about two years ago at a flea market. I had been wanting an Atari for the longest time, to go with the $2 carton of carts/joysticks I found at a thrift shop. After visiting every flea market in the area, I was trudging out of the rows of booths of the last flea market with my dad, I happened to see what appeared to be an Atari paddle controller hanging out of a dingy cardboard box. I went over to investigate. In the box was two sets of paddles and a couple of joysticks, but no VCS... I asked the owner of the booth if she had the machine that went with this tangle of wires. 20 minutes and some digging through cartons later, she uncovered a VCS - the Darth Vader model, it had a chip taken out of the corner of it, but it looked as though it could work. $10 poorer and one VCS richer, I headed home. Unfortunately, she didn't have the power supply for it, so I had to shell out another $15 at Radio Shack to get one. I hooked it up, plugged in Pac-Man, switched it on and was instantly hooked. Soon I was spending more time blasting rocks in Asteroids than I was blasting enemies in 007 on my Nintendo 64. Even now the Atari gets more use...

     

    Ian Primus

    [email protected]

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