RodLightning

You might try the ms-dos tools 'Makedisk' or 'imgbuild' for reading/writing Atari ST disks linked above by Hatta. The complicated part would be getting ms-dos running on one of your macs. What models do you have? Edit: If you buy a 1.44mb internal floppy drive, your PC needs to have a floppy controller and cable. Newer PCs often don't have floppy controllers anymore so check first to see if yours does.

I managed to get one of the Genesis handhelds by AtGames for cheap at Dollar General on Thanksgiving day. They sold out quickly and I had to go to three different stores to find one. It does everything they claim including running games from SD card. The power switch on mine went bad the next day and I have just now gotten around to repairing it. No replacement warranty seems to be offered on the things in any case. I also saw the console version being sold at Dollar General that same day. I have mixed feelings about this particular model. It's small, cell phone sized in fact, but a bit of a thumb buster when playing for extended periods. I posted a pin board with pictures of the tear down and switch repair for those interested: http://pinterest.com/rodlightning/atgames-genesis-ultimate-portable/

I would carefully re-seat all socketed chips and then try inserting a cartridge if you have one. Yes it should indeed boot without a keyboard. If yours has the clear membrane type cable, I would be very careful when plugging and unplugging it. Those contacts scratch easily.

I love the 600XL but my first one had a really cheap membrane cable. It shorted out easily and the traces eventually became scratched up beyond repair. Later on, I found a couple of 800XLs with better quality keyboard ribbon cables. It's a delicate connection, especially on the first 600XL I owned. I have always wondered how many different versions of the 600/800XL keyboards exist. One of my 800XLs has a tough looking green rubbery cable with metal contacts. I wish they were all made that well!

I had a dirty power switch on my 4 switch 2600 that caused power problems. The switches can be cleaned with a drop or two of isopropyl alcohol. The on/off style switches on the left can be carefully taken apart without desoldering. Inside are two removable metal contacts, but they are delicate and can be difficult to tightly reassemble with their bottom halves still soldered down! I would try taking one apart only as a last resort. Mine is ntsc but I doubt the power switch is any different.

Interesting that the video says never use a file on the tip while I actually advised doing so! For me, it's just a matter of economics. The tip and coating will eventually wear down under heavy use, no matter how diligent you are with maintenance. Using a file can add life to a worn out tip so you can put off installing a new one.

That TG-16 is the best find of the week in my humble opinion! Bummer about the missing controller. Still, getting a system together for under $40 is a win win!

Lynx needs a larger power supply than the Atari 2600. Even with the right tip spliced or soldered on, a 2600 transformer would be severely overloaded. The original 2600 supply is 9 volt dc at 500ma. As I recall, a Lynx needs around twice the milliamps. I got a rechargeable battery pack from Best Electronics to run mine since I am very paranoid about frying my Lynx with bad power.

Solder flux/paste/rosen is a what I use for most connections. It makes all the difference when trying to get the solder to flow where you want. I agree with Rex about 15 watt being too low. For me personally, a 30 watt iron does the job. I still frequently use the Radio Shack 30w I bought decades ago. As for tips, whatever suits the job I guess. I tend to use a fine point most of the time. Taking a metal file and sharpening an old tip saves time and money down the line. For quick repairs, I used a butane powered iron from Radio Shack, Catalog #: 64-2188 for several years before it developed a dangerous gas leak. I loved that thing until it began spewing random fire balls out of the adjustment valve! I have one from Lowe's hardware store presently which I like much less. Butane irons tend to spoil you because they can be unpacked from the tool box and ready to use in seconds instead of minutes waiting on an electric iron.

I understand what you mean to a point, but the hunt is part of the fun for me. I think of it in terms of what fishing was to my dad. He went all the time, whenever he could anyway. He even goes ICE FISHING in the UP of Michigan, so you know he's hard core. More often than not, he would catch fish, bring it home, and we'd eat it for dinner. It's not like we couldn't just buy it, but that wasn't the point to him. It also depends on if you resell or not. Hunting in the wild, you can find all kinds of crazy stuff, not just game stuff, that you can resell and more than make up for what ever gas you spent. If you keep everything you buy, then it could end up being a pretty expensive hobby. Usually I can pick up a lot cheap, cherry pick what I want, clean it up, test it and sell what's left for more than I paid. And I know I'm not the only one around here that does that. For the most part, in spite of having a pretty extensive collection, I'd say at worst I'm at the break even point. So in a way, my collection hasn't really cost me anything! My thoughts exactly. I love the hunt and finding a little, a lot or nothing is still a great time. And yes, I do resell most of the stuff I find. If I kept everything I found - man, I wouldn't still be married. Uh, no thanks. Plus, I wouldn't have the storage space required!!! Helloooooooo!!!!!! (echo, echo) I usually find non-gaming items almost 5 to 1. Many of the gaming items I do keep but there are some systems I do not play or collect for so it is easy to get those and resell them. I actually do this to supplement my income since California takes 5% of my salary for budgetary reasons. I'm really in to 70s and 80s pop culture but most of that stuff is smaller and can fit inside my curio cabinet (like Rubiks stuff or action figures from Tron or something like that). Yes, I also cherry pick - sometimes I'm really lucky and I can replace a worn item with a much better looking item and sell the worn one (makes a lot of hunts all worth it). PS - LOVE the fishing reference! Freshly caught/cooked fish is oh so good. I agree with you guys about the hunting and fishing comparison. If doing thrift store runs is not for you though, I understand that also. Some of these places can require long drives and are pretty rough around the edges. I'll sometimes go weeks at a time between thrift shopping until the urge strikes and often times I attribute it to some sixth sense. I often find good stuff after taking a break! I have been feeling the tickle lately. Pictured below are items picked up today at a fair discount from Big Saver. I couldn't resist the i-rocks glowing keyboard. It had a few scratches but is otherwise ok. Also got the Xbox memory card I saw earlier and found a Sega Genesis power supply. All in all, a nice run.

I have never seen one before but that doesn't count for much. I worked in the coin-op industry years ago and was surprised by what some of the shop guys would cobble together using parts from other machines and conversion kits. Based on your pic, it's been out there a while. Are the sticks and buttons worth salvage?

Ah, I didn't pay attention to the 2k2 listed on the cover. It appears to be going for $5 on ebay, so much better for the collection than 2k1..I didn't know there was an earlier edition, the DC had such a short lifespan. I think the first one I saw was that Disney racing game. Not counting when DC was still retail, that is Come to think of it, I have seen more Dreamcast consoles (maybe 3 in 4 years) go through various thrifts than actual games. I wonder where all the games are going?

I have been seeing orphaned Flashback II joysticks going through Big Saver recently. I passed on a FBII console last month but grabbed one joystick for $2.99 last week. The major thrifts in my area started using a colored bar code system not long ago. Green tags were 70% off yesterday and I was happy to pick up another controller for .99 cents. My light sixer VCS could use a pair of new joysticks and now it has them! I did pass on a black label Combat cartridge priced at $3.99. Other items priced too high included PS one controllers, original Xbox controllers and one Xbox memory card priced anywhere from 4 to 5 dollars ea....doesn't seem like much but those 5 buck each picks add up over months and years! Salvation Army had Dreamcast; World Series Baseball and I just couldn't leave it there priced at .99 cents. It's the first Dreamcast game I have found 'in the wild'.

That would make sense if it was sold during the time the VCS was a hot commodity and everyone wanted them as Xmas presents.

Did anyone ever come up with a way to replace the capacitor with something less volatile, like a rechargable battery? I have a couple of Xbox1s and am now worried about these time bombs!

I definitely want to join. I have been hoarding two of these magnificent monsters for years. Both were acquired from thrift stores in the early 90s. I spent months looking for the special power/rf switchbox to use the 4 port model properly. I fixed one of the controllers using thin foil and super glue. I have a non-working 2600 adapter and a track ball that also needs work. It is my pledge (signed in blood) to restore the two aforementioned peripherals to working order when I can find the time and feel like it. I suppose the same goes for any remaining controllers in my possession. Who here is a Notary? Hopefully my internet word will do?

I agree. Unfortunately, too may android devices rely on touch screens for gaming. I guess this is a necessary evil considering the nature of those devices. I think some android based games support bluetooth controllers or keyboards if you have one. I don't have either so I haven't tried. I will reserve judgement on crazy cops until after the final release. I'm happy to see it as a new offering on the 'play store', sucky or not.

Ha, I just read this atariage entry and my confusion comes to an end. Shame on Zellers! http://www.atariage.com/company_page.html?SystemID=2600&CompanyID=61 Google play store says Crazy Police beta is incompatible with my device! Of course, I found the apk file and forced it onto my tablet anyway, It ran for me with no sound but otherwise quite playable. It's well worth a try. Now I want to try actual 2600 emulation on Android and play the real Keystone Kapers or even better, the Busy Police rom...

My 4 switch woody 2600 behaved like your sixer when the power switch started going bad. You might try cleaning the contacts on that switch as the next step. Next on the list of things to check would be the power adaptor, the power jack where it plugs in, and finally the voltage regulator. I will refer you to this thread by Trinity which helped me repair my light sixer: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/145631-help-me-fix-my-1st-2600/

Here are a few beginning techniques to try before going into more advanced troubleshooting: The 2600 junior might be easiest to fix. Try cleaning the contacts on the cartridge slot with isoproyl alcohol. A thin cardboard piece works in a pinch. Cleaning the metal contacts on the game cartridge can also work if you know how to get at them. The quick and dirty method of repeatedly inserting and removing a cartridge sometimes will result in a normal system boot up as it clears the contacts of corrosion for a short time. Keep the console powered off and unplugged when doing any contact cleaning! Try the same techniques on your light sixer. There are other things to check if all else fails on either system, including the power regulator, but checking for dirty contacts is always a good starting point.