[the official Channel F thread!]

there was something rattling around inside one of my carts.  So I opened it up and found a small black disc cover .. Q: what is it for?

 

Q:  is there a collection of game manuals somewhere?

[the official Channel F thread!]

Again I totally disassembled this bank of 5 pushbuttons .. I had it apply detoxit to all springs before reliability restored .. Now System II together and working.

 

Note System II buttons are all normally closed, momentarily open with the exception of Reset which is momentarily closed, normally open.

[the official Channel F thread!]

Ok ... so I totally disassembled this bank of 5 pushbuttons .. despite my best efforts I can only get 2/5 working reliably .. I’ll look at it again this weekend.

 

weirdness:  whereas all five buttons on model 1 are momentary contact .. on model 2, only reset is momentary contact, the other four are momentary open when pushed (normally closed).  Anyone ever notice this?

 

 

[the official Channel F thread!]

I’m currently attempting to fix ChF II.  I have replaced the F8 cpu and now have the G?   Buttons are crap so I have desoldered the bank of 5 push buttons and I will attempt to disassemble them to repair.  Pic to follow ..

[Asking opinions on controller mod ports]

The ones which have the controllers hardwired to the console require ports added somewhere .. I will probably put mine in front for easy access and make them Atari compatible.

[Interview with Gilbert Duncan Harrower, inventor of the AY-3-8500]

Nice

[Coleco Telstar Combat! No Video Repair HELP!]

Please keep posting of progress .. I would like to modify mine as well.

[Untapped Potential]

The built in Gunfight is perfect!

[Magnavox Odyssey 500 voltage input?]

What is the voltage input for the Magnavox Odyssey 500?

 

thanks 

[who would buy 5200 paddles?]

Those of you with the Wico splitter for the 5200 can easily wire up a paddle to go into it to play analog games. Thats what I did.

 

Also I wired up a paddle for the Vectrex ..

[Microvision replacement screen project - pre-order & purchase here]

If this project comes to fruition, I would like to be in on it.

[Vectrex games that use two controllers?]

Chris Binarystar has been making some 2 player controller hacks of the original games.

Im working to install the new repro Vectrex circuit into my sit down Asterioids cocktail arcade game. So with a switch I can select Asteroids arcade or Vectrex. Because there are two sets of buttons, Chris has modified some games to use both in games that alternate gameplay. So when one player loses a ship, the other player across the table can play.

[Did you get Adventure the month it was released?]

I got my Adventure sometime in 1980.

[My homemade 5200 controller]

Many thanks .. off to find two 10k resistors ..

 

Q: what do JP4, SV3, SV4 do?

[My homemade 5200 controller]

Anyone?.

[My homemade 5200 controller]

I ordered all parts for myself and a friend from Digikey ..

 

Q: the BOM does not list the two resistors .. are they necessary??

[Coming Soon! Drop in tactile switch controller boards]

I just installed two this weekend. .. I broke my high score in Berzerk!

 

What others have said, they are more responsive than the new Best circuit with dome switches ..

[Many questions about GRAVITAR]

Yes .. both great games on the 2600 .. as well as the same named games for the Vectrex too. All are best played with 5 button Asteroids like controllers.

[Coleco Combat — what could have been ..]

Color chip is AY-3-8615. It is also listed in the 1978 GI catalog.

[Coleco Combat — what could have been ..]

So, it is possible to "upgrade" the console by swapping out the chip?

Yes .. add a switch to toggle between barriers no effect and barriers stop tank travel.

[Coleco Combat — what could have been ..]

Heres a catalog ref.. funny they could not get two pairs of hands when taking this pic.

[Coleco Combat — what could have been ..]

The 1977 dedicated console Coleco Combat is an impressive piece of engineering .. they were attempting to replicate the gameplay of the Atari Tank Arcade game.

 

Two sets of tank levers with leaf springs for controllers .. two speakers built in .. well made!

 

Sadly they used the inferior GI AY-3-8700-1 chip which allows the tanks to drive over the barriers and leave the screen entirely. Also B&W ..

 

Later the January 1978 General Instruments catalog lists the backward compatible AY-3-8710-1 chip where the barriers and screen boundary are true obstructions like Atari 2600 Combat. Also theres a color chip which will make this game into a more pleasing experience. I have the color chip ..

 

The GI AY-3-8710-1 chip was listed in an article about building your own tank game in Radio Electroncis magazine 11/1978 and available via mail order.

 

Anyone know of this chip and if it is stil available? Google searches and chip suppliers have not found it.

[Stunt Cycle proto vs. standalone console vs. arcade]

I played the arcade version back in 1976 and the gameplay and physics were awesome .. I spent about $10 trying to master it.

 

When I got the home console at discount in 1979 ($20) , I was disappointed in the weird physics .. cycle hangs low, high, low for the first few busses. Later busses show more realistic jumps.

 

What surprises me is that the engineering is Atari but the stunt cycle chip is made by General Instruments in 1977. So the GI engineers saw the arcade game, talked to Atari and made the chip and sold Ataris game to them. They must have been working together. And the Sears version which has the pong games must have used a GI Pong chip to make the unit electrically compatible. The Atari version of SC has a volume (low / high) switch instead of the PONG / SC switch. Also has a plastic insert in the side where the Sears Pong controllers plug in.

 

Inside the Atari is the same circuit board which has connections to add the four Pong controller ports ... my plan is to install a port there to allow the Atari SC to function as a throttle controller for both the Atari 2600 proto and the Vectrex version of SC which is due to be released soon. Also I plan to use it as a throttle controller for my arcade Asteroids Cocktail which has the Lunar Lander arcade ROM built in. That will allow for analog thrust instead of digital button thrust!

 

In Radio Electronics magazine, January 1979, theres an article about building the SC with input from the GI engineers. All parts including the circuit and the AY-3-8760 SC chip were available for purchase for $61.75 from an outfit in Mesa, AZ which sadly does not exist anymore. Of course the spring loaded pot was not available then. I imagine that by Jan 1979, GI was unloading these chips ..

 

I havent looked at the 2600 proto of SC in years .. I would love to see / play the arcade version again!!

[WHERE Are The Paddle Homebrews?!]

I prefer a WHERE are all the Driving Controller Home-brews?! Rant!

[Arnold Greenberg]

Nice .. thanks!