TunnelRunner

I have yet to see a field service manual for a Jr or for the 7800. Atari seems to have stopped servicing these units, if they went bad they were replaced. I have the 2600/2600A manual, but you really don't have to be a rocket scientist to fix a Jr. Just run a normal diagnostic and replace chips. The most common failure is that weenie little reset/pause mylar switch.

Thanks, glad to hear I'm not alone on this thought (didn't really think I was, too many good folks out there in the Atari community). I'll try not to crash your bids, my Ebay user name is stellasboneyard. Okay, back to your Atari!

I don't know how others feel about bidding on Ebay, Yahoo, etc. against people they know and trade with. For myself, I tend to avoid bidding on items when I see the high bidder is someone I know. Not that I'm afraid of cheesing them off, but I just feel a sense of 'Atari Ethics'. I'll just wait for the next one, or until they are not the high bidder. I give up on many items I really want, but I've also formed some great friendships and trade relationships with folks I lost out to, or who lost out to my bid. Same goes for normal trade, keep the atmosphere clear and don't spoil a contact that is good to you, i.e., never screw over anyone. Any thoughts on the subject of 'Atari Ethics is greatly welcome. Geo

Marco, I have a spare Xonox Spike's Peak/Artillery Duel if you wanna trade.

Hey, new 7800 games are so easy to find, who needs used?

Just a word on the 5200 'prototype' board from the same seller. I was interested in that item (from the same seller), but only curious as it looked suspicious. My suspicions were confirmed by Curt at the Atari Historical Society, who advised me to pass up on it (he has several of these type boards, they don't say 'prototype' on them). Let us know, Tempest, what you get!

Come on, folks. The very worst 7800 game is that horrible Realsports Baseball, even worse than the 2600 version. You all just put that out of your minds because it's so bad, right? My Favorite: Xevious or Tank Command.

There is a solution to the PAL/NTSC problem. Best Electronics does carry an OS ROM kit that boots up Asteroids with no cart installed, and allows you to play PAL carts. PAL carts are not encrypted with the MARIA code, so they don't boot up (you get a black screen). Some PAL games are flickery (Fatal Run is too much so), but Impossible Mission plays well, and the PAL version is the only one that can be solved, since the NTSC version has a programming bug. The kit ususally requires trace cutting and soldering/desoldering, so only for the experienced solder jocks. Otherwise I have done a few, no problem. Another weird effect with the new ROM is when you run the 7800 diagnostic cart. Instead of the test screen you get an eerie frowny face against an orange background and the number 14 below it. But Planet Smashers runs great on my adapted 7800.

Ron, Looks like you have your work cut out for you! An RPG with raptors and baseball thrown in....hoohah! Call it Jurassic BallPark!

Here's another one - ever notice the boxes have the name and part number of the game running one way along the spine of the box, and the opposite way on the other spine? Turn it one way it's rightside-up, turn it around...upside-down!

Interesting, I'll have to Ballblaze soon and check it out. I hope you have the manuals for the Lucas games, they are as much fun as the games themselves!

I have yet to find an Atari power supply for any system that puts out exactly what is required. The 2600 adapters all put out around 13 VDC, just be sure the mA rating is correct (500mA). Higher is bad news, a little lower and you get a 60 ccle hum. The 5200 supplies range up to 15 VDC!

Here's a suggestion for replacement labels - find a really first class label for the cart you need and just color xerox it. Then apply a light coat of 3M Super 77 and paste it on. Labels come off pretty easy with rubber cement thinner (Bestine). I'm sure whatever you need JPEG-wise can be found at AtariAge, too.

Ron, Wow, what great news..new 5200 games! Even simple ones would be fun. As for my suggestion there are too many games I could volunteer. But how about Tunnel Runner by CBS Electronics? It was an expanded RAM 2600 game, and the eerie sounds and music would really shine on the fabulous 5200 sound generators. Adventure is a good choice too, they were planning on a 5200 version anyway. Maybe with more than just a pixel for a character. And you can put your own 'Easter Egg' in somewhere! But here's an idea for that one - a battery backup so you can come back to the game, like Zelda used for the NES. You'll get alot of votes for Adventure. Keep me posted, a Cafeman 5200 original will be welcome in my library (which I finally completed - yeah!). Geo

Hey, this IS George Reese! Not sure what Ian's got up his sleeve, but he is very excited about getting another Atari (what kind of craphound would steal a brother's Atari?!). Okay Ian, you stepped onto the soapbox. Let's see what you are up to! And if you told me already, I forgot. It's the Atarizheimer's, you know! Geo

Fish! Hear's how I disengage tough labels of all kinds: apply a few drops of rubber cement thinner (Bestine is the brand I use). This melts the glue and also makes for a good way to clean up crayon marks on carts, remove stickers from boxes, and clean 'mystery goo' off consoles, joysticks, etc. A tool I would not be without! Geo

I believe I got my money's worth out of Tunnel Runner and Beam Rider. Robot Tank was another real favorite, and one that I actually did better at many years later (held the Twin Galaxies record for a short while!). The best memory was playing Battlezone with a good friend of mine. We would crack a couple beers, and hand off the controller when we lost a man. "Here's a little American copper tip for ya, Abdul! (missile fired - Blam!) Not politically correct, but no injuries were incurred. And many hours spent solving Mindmaster and Dragonstomper by Starpath (remember how cool waiting for the Supercharger to load was?). And that's why we are here, now.

So glad to see my friends Joel and Marco here! I bought my 5200 back in 1984, and bought a second system for my family. My folk's were hooked on River Raid and Dreadnaught Factor (what a great time that was, maybe why I still love these old games is the memory of my folks nervously zapping alien spaceships and laughing when they got zapped). The 5200 has since been resurrected in my folks place, and Dreadnaught Factor is at the top of the stack of games, although I don't think they really play them any more. But it makes me happy to think they could if they wanted to.

Nope, no such thing as a heavy 4er! Atari did just keep pasting new tops on the old artwork for the box. If you compare the original heavy sixer (1977) box to the 1980 or later four switch you'll see the same pictures in the background, just rearranged (the '77 box has the pictures suspended behind the unit, later boxes had the background chopped clean at the bottom). And the weird controllers you see are handheld PONG controllers from a couple years earlier.

It's a sad thing to see what's happened to Atari7800.com. I was approached by Chuck back in October of last year for some 5200 items for their inventory. We always had a good rapport, and he always paid for supplies right away, even asked me to field 5200 tech questions and repairs that might arise. The trade I made back in December 2000 of some repair parts and a 5200 paddle for a couple 7800 games was never honored, true, but that is apparently Justin's fault. The shipping comes out of Texas (where Justin is), and Chuck is in Michigan. Chuck truly meant well, his partner let us all down. Their site is really a well executed web page, and we should be sorry when it's gone. If only the shipping department had it's act together. And kudos to Curt Vendel for honoring HSC orders made to 7800.com, something he doesn't have to do! G. Reese

Okay, here's the scoop: Yes, there were only about 5000 of the expansion ported 7800s made in 84, they went into storage thanks to the beloved Tramiels. After Nintendo and Sega came on strong they released the 7800s to try to 'compete' - fat chance, right? Anyway, you do have to look at the board on the solder side under the RF shield. Look for something like 8425, which would mean a board from the 25th week of 1984. The 84s are fully compatible with all 2600 software and the Supercharger (some carts physically won't fit, such as Telesys carts). The 84 box shows a picture of, not Sky Fox, but Rescue on Fractalus, which never made it to the 7800 (maybe a proto out there?). The 84s are all socketed boards for the major chips, and don't have weird items such as resistors soldered to various spots. A real trip is to get an OS ROM upgrade chip from Best Electronics. You can actually play PAL 7800 carts on them (some degree of screen flicker, though), where with the standard unit all PAL carts show black screens. And if you have a 7800 diagnostic cart you'll see a truly weird apparition on your screen - an eerie 'frowniy face' against an orage screen, and the number 14 below it. I was one of the lucky purchasers of the first batch of 7800s released back in the summer of 1986. Still mint condition, wouldn't sell it for a box of Chuckwagons!

What a good idea for a folder! I wish I had saved the really classic ones, like the poor fellow who paid $685 for a boxed heavy sixer (he was genuinely happy paying that price), or the lady who paid $1100 for Chase the Chuckwagon. Folks, they're just toys! I thought I was nuts paying $150 for K-Razy Shootout and Bounty Bob.

Wico Command Control with the Wico Keyboard, best combo possible. The standard CX52 is still the best single overall choice, since it's still available and since most 5200 games were designed to respond to the analog control. And the CX53 Trak-Ball may be the most reliable 5200 control of all time. Keep your Comp Pros and Masterplays, Wicos and fresh River Raids for my men!