eatenbygrues

Ok so I managed to get it working again, but I think we will eventually need to source some replacement contacts for these things because they aren't going to last forever. What ended up working for me: I removed the black cover of each switch and sort of 'massaged' them back into the correct position. I left it like this for about 2 days, and the rubber button contacts took their original shape. I'm not sure if it was moisture or what the deal was exactly. I also noticed that the solder joints on a few of them had become broken, so I had to reflow those joints. So all four buttons work, but with the 'bottom' two I get a nice tactile response. The top two buttons work fine in that they register presses but they don't 'bounce back' like you would expect.

So I recently acquired a roller controller in pretty bad shape (it was filthy), anyway I got it all cleaned up and amazingly the optical sensors still work fine, the buttons on the other hand do not. I managed to open the buttons (you can remove the black piece by snapping it out of the top) and found that all they are is little grey rubber contact buttons (like you would find in say a SNES controller). It looked like the rubber domes had become worn/brittle with time, two of them were torn. 1. Does anyone know of a replacement for the button contacts? (the grey rubber piece) 2. Does anyone know of a complete replacement for the switch? (as in de-soldering the old switch, putting a new one in). (I can post pictures if needed)

Do you offer the mod as a DIY kit, or is it only as a service for the time being? EDIT: Actually disregard that, I see in that thread that it's only a service at this time.

Ah thanks for the tip. I'm already using de-oxit actually, it's great stuff. So I pretty sure my switch is no longer the issue and I'm running into kind of a strange issue. There are certain titles that have to be 'rebooted' before they work correctly. For instance I'll put the game in, and I'll get either The copyright screen with noise (Pepper II, Congo Bongo, Spyhunter) static (as if it isn't powered on at all) (Frenzy, Space Fury) simply hitting the reset button will fix it. I don't even have to touch the power switch. As soon as I hit the reboot button (or cycle the power switch again) it works fine. I can keep reseting it and it keeps working, it's just when I first insert the cartridge.The vast bulk of my games work with no issues. I have cleaned these games fairly thoroughly and yet I keep running into this. Any ideas? - thanks.

Ah ignore my previous post. I just figured out my issue. I didn't fasten the top/bottom halves of the switch together properly. I desoldered, fixed the switch (added a bit more grease), re-soldered it down and now everything works.

Using that pdf posted earlier in the thread I went ahead and refurbished my power switch. It made a substantial difference in the graphical quality (no more weird issues) that being said I did mess up my first try putting it back together (I didn't solder down one of the large mounting brackets properly and so when you pushed on the switch it lifted up and you wouldn't get power at all). Granted I'm still occasionally getting some weirdness like every 15 or so tries such as Spyhunter making noises at the title screen (often times a reboot will fix this). Is that kind of stuff just unavoidable with the coleco (I mean it is 35 years old) or did I mess something up with the refurbish? (maybe it needs more grease?). So some quick questions: When cleaning the internals is it ok to use something like brasso? I found that it cleans copper contacts very well, though it is abrasive. How tightly should the top of the case be pushing down on the switch? Should it move freely or is it better to have some resistance? I know some people like to pad the switch with paper towels. Does that sort of thing still help even after refurbishing the switch? Anyway, thanks for the help!

I apologize if this is a redundant thread, but I was having trouble finding information on this. While I think the f18a mod is cool I mostly use an XRGB framemeister for upscaling older systems and currently don't have any displays that accept VGA input (it's sadly getting phased out of modern televisions). I know there are now 2600 and NES RGB mods but I wasn't sure if there was a Colecovision one in the works as well. Does the F18A mod support RGB Scart or is it VGA only? Are there any plans to produce an RGB scart version? Is Yurkie still working on his RGB mod? I saw the youtube video which is from 2015. I realize that translating VGA to RGB Scart isn't that difficult but the main issue is 'sync'. VGA has multiple sync lines while RGB scart has one and I imagine that could cause issues. If there is a good/reliable method to translate a VGA signal into an RGB scart one I would be interested in hearing about it. Thanks. EDIT: Of course I find this (UMSA ultimate scart adapter) right after posting this thread. Does anyone have any experience using this in combination with the F18A mod?

That is a great guide! I didn't realize it was possible to disassemble the switch without destroying it.

I think everyone is well aware how finicky the power switches on the coleco can be, and that there are numerous ways to address the problem. I have seen the popular mod where people replace the switch with a 'rocker' type switch, but I feel like there has to be a DPDT slide switch that is closer to what the Coleco originally used. Just some cursory searches on ebay I have found: http://www.ebay.com/itm/GC-Electronics-35-222-BU-DPDT-Slide-Switch-ON-ON-Double-Pole-Double-Thr-10-pcs-/112231680929?hash=item1a21878ba1:g:nboAAOSwImRYSsCJ Or a more general search: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.Xdpdt+slide+switch.TRS0&_nkw=dpdt+slide+switch&_sacat=0 Has anyone had any luck with sourcing something like this (either through ebay or aliexpress)?

Virtua Fighter on the 32X is a lot better than Virtua Fighter on the Saturn. (not counting Remix or VF2). There are a number of genesis games that are better than their SNES counterparts (Thunder Force III > Thunder Spirits) but I don't think the SNES is necessarily technically superior to the Genesis in all respects. While the SNES had more memory and a much larger color palette (amongst other things) the Genesis was indeed quite a bit faster. EDIT: Oh yeah same for Virtua Racing. The 32X port is a lot better, but I believe thats because AM2 did the port themselves while the Saturn version was done by a third party.

In regards to the NES top loader issue. As I understood it the main problem with the top loader is #1 The american model only has RF out, no RCA connectors and #2 it suffers from a lot of RF interference due to poor shielding so you get a lot of vertical bands on the screen. I have both a toaster and a modded top loader and even with the video mod you still get the RF interference on the top loader. I think the famicom AV might look a bit better than it's american counterpart though. It would be interesting to see a comparison between these three models as well as a RGB modded toaster. Speaking of the gameboy variants I know the Gameboy Color occasionally has some weird non-graphical side-effects on original gameboy games. There is a 'bug' where it will actually change certain behaviors in Final Fantasy Legend such as causing mutants to gain abilities faster, or to randomly lose half their spell uses. I haven't seen this personally but there is a list of stuff over on gamefaqs.

Personally I have been using Brasso for years. It does wonders for carts and really any sort of copper contact (such as the one between the sega genesis and the sega-cd). You can usually find it at your local grocery store for about a $1. I know there is some concern about it eating away at the contacts, but honestly the contacts are so thick on older cart systems it really isn't an issue. Plus how many times are you going to need to clean it? I have used it on my entire NES collection and every cart will start first try with no fiddling now. One thing to keep in mind is to make sure you wipe the contacts off after using it as it tends to leave a residue.

So I know the opening theme is the rondeau from 'Abdelazer' by Henry Purcell, and that the in-game music is Schubert's 8th Symphony but does anyone know what the fanfare music that plays when you get 'powered up' is? I have heard it before outside of the game and I know it's another classical work but I have no idea what it is and it's making me crazy. Hopefully we have some Classical / Intellivsion fans in here.

Very cool. I'm trying to build this myself as I had an old sears video arcade II controller lying around but I can't figure out how to remove the stick from the top part of the 5200 controller. I have taken the top part off, but how do you remove the rubber boot and the stick itself?

Since it has direct pass-through for playing 2600 and 7800 titles have you guys made the cart slot bigger so that it plays weirdly shaped 2600 carts like Imagic games more easily than the vanilla 7800 slot?

I just snagged a copy of Slam Dunk Super Pro Basketball on ebay for less than a dollar. I'm glad none of you guys saw the auction. It's loose and it looks pretty worn, but hey under a dollar!

I was actually using my Hori Real Arcade Pro 2 on my 2600 a while back. I have it modded with a Seimitsu stick and buttons (mostly for ps2 and Saturn shmups). I manged to get it working by using one of those tototek ps2->megadrive convertors. While hilarious I don't think that is all that practical (I also suspect there was quite a bit of input lag). Most of the time I use one of the Chinese reproduction CX40s that are clicky or the 7800 gamepads. I have a Wico Command Control but I'm a bit mystified by it. I suspect I might just have a faulty/worn-out one because it is not very smooth and seems pretty imprecise.

I posted this in another thread but I think it's applicable to this: So it started with an issue pretty similar to yours where some games worked and some didn't.

I'm not sure about the 'wavy white stripes' but I have had similar issues with my Model 1. I would put in a game and get either a black or a solid color screen and everything was immaculately clean. Now the intellivision model 1 uses a fairly similar cart slot to that on the NES and they both suffer from getting loose over time. If you notice a lot of the later intellivision games, the white label ones, like thin ice and thunder castle tend to have much thicker pins than the earlier titles. Anyway what worked for me is I got a small screwdriver and slightly bent all the pins in the cart slot out so that they would make firmer contact with the carts. This took a few tries before I got it to consistently read all my games. You might want to look online for any of the guides on refurbishing a NES 72 pin connector, it should be pretty similar except you can't remove the connector on the intellivision like you can on the NES. Just be very careful about this. Those pins are pretty fragile and you don't want to snap them off. It helps to remove the case to do this. If you have any of the white label games it might be worth trying those first. Since they are a lot thicker they tend to work more easily.

Sorry to perform thread necromancy here but I can't seem to locate any of these guides for modding the cart slot. I recently picked up a 7800 and the activision carts are fairly difficult to get in and the imagic ones are pretty much impossible. Maybe I'm just using bad search terms.

I have been having trouble finding this spelled out online but can you just use a normal RCA cable for a 7800 video cable or is it a special size? I realize it's an RF signal but I figure the cable itself shouldn't matter that much. EDIT: I should mention I'm using one of those RF to coax plugs not a switch box. DOUBLE EDIT: Dur. Ok looking like five or so threads down I found my answer. Any recommendations on a good RCA cable to use? On a somewhat related note (but wrong sub-forum) does anyone know if it's possible to switch out a 2600 cable with something with better shielding?

Ah thats it! Same box too. It's actually a pretty nice stick despite being a knock-off.

So I recently came across a CX40 I had never seen before. It looks like your typical 40 except it's completely black (including the circle at the base) and the button looks more red than orange. The big difference is in the way it handles, there is a distinct click when you hit a direction (not a strong as a microswitch but you can still feel it). It's really an excellent stick. Now maybe it's just because I have never used a 'new' CX40 but the other 4 I have are either extremely stiff or really mushy feeling compared to this one. None of them have that distinct click if you hit a direction. Is this some sort of a third party reproduction? I bought it at a local used game store (which carries atari stuff) and they had it in an unmarked white box. The store clerk had no idea who the distributor was for it. I'm trying to figure out where he got it from. If anyone wants I can take a picture of it when I get home but it looks like a CX40.

Well I recently inherited an 800 in pretty good condition from a friend of mine and it works great but I'm having some sound issues. Now I ordered one of those s-vid cables off of e-bay so this whole thing might be moot but I seem to be getting a lot of interference from the power supply when I use the built in audio/video cable (the s-vid cable hasn't come in yet so I'm not sure if it affects it). I have got it hooked up to my TV using one of those f-plug adapters they sell on the site here (works great for my 2600) and regardless of what software I have loaded I'm getting anywhere from a low hum to pretty noticeable static on the audio channel. Now the static seems to decrease/increase when I wiggle the AC adapter hook-up which is what leads me to think it has to do with either poor shielding or perhaps just a loose connection. I opened it up a few days ago to clean the case and when I did I noticed that the video/sound cable is attached in the middle of the mother board and runs over back right area of the machine where the ac jack and sio port are. I wasn't sure if this was the default arrangement or if perhaps the cable had slipped over there over the years. Any ideas?