frenchmarky

What was the title of the 'song about golf' you guys found and put in the game? I don't recognize it but then I don't know ANY golf songs.

I've eliminated the dashed line/screen garbage problem on my System II by swapping in one of the four RAM chips from another Channel F. Success, now I can finally play all the new stuff that's on my Multicart! I'm still surprised this fixed it because it looked more like a 'video' problem.

I knew it was too good to be true, my Ch F played solid all yesterday and today after I reseated the socketed chip as I mentioned above, now I have this permanent dashed line going across the screen. The carts and internal games still play okay but reseating the chip one more time (the pins are very clean and shiny) did not help with this dashed line. This is really depressing. Any suggestions? Thanks

I experimented a little and found (with my particular 20-year-old projection TV anyway) that with the Ch F's RF wire spliced directly to the coax connector going to the TV (no RF/antenna or switch box) I get a beautiful picture, zero interference now.

False alarm, I reseated the chip again and unit is solid now so I'll clean the chip and socket too.

Whew, I did a better job of reseating that chip again and now the unit is working 100% so I will check the chip and socket for corrosion. As for the picture quality, it can gradually vary from bad with interference to fantastic if I move the cables around so I will dig up some better ones. I do have some standard RF boxes for my antique TV sets but they don't have an RCA socket for the Ch F wire. Would it work right if I use a coax-to-rca adapter plug between the Ch F and the RF box? Or just cut the end of the RCA cord that goes to the RF box and attach the wires directly to the antenna lugs on the box instead? Thanks

I just yanked my Fairchild Channel F console out of storage after 10 years and hooked it up. It had always worked before but now whether I have a cartridge in it or not, it will only work (game loads, buttons work etc.) for the first 20 or 30 seconds after I power up, after that it freezes up with accumulating garbage on the screen. If I turn it off/on quickly, it just starts out frozen, the game has to be off a minute or two before it will begin to load correctly. All I have done so far is reseat the one socketed chip inside but no change. Any suggestions on if it is fixable and what else to check, like the two big electrolytic capacitors are just dried out maybe? I really want to get this working because I just ordered one of those multicarts. Thanks!

Update #2: I reseated the one socketed chip in the Ch F but no difference. Then I noticed that if the game has been off for a minute or two, then it DOES begin to load either from internal memory or from my carts (backgammon in pic below), buttons work etc., but in about 10 or 20 seconds it freezes up with random junk slowly filling up the screen. If I turn it off and back on the freeze is immediate, it's as if something gets to a certain temp very quickly and then it won't load. I think I might be using the wrong type of RCA cord too because the video is still very grainy but... anybody have suggestions on this freezing up thing, like maybe the two big capacitors drying out could cause it (I hope because I could handle that!) Thanks!

I'm dusting off my Channel F after about 10 years of non-use but I can't remember what is needed to connect it to the TV. I played it on my current old projection TV back then (analog antenna input) so I know I've done it before, but there is that odd RCA plug in the back. Can someone remind me of what I need to hook it up to my TV? Thanks! Update: Okay I dug up one of my 'TV/game' rf boxes, switched it to 'game', ran an rca cord from its 'GAME' socket to the Channel F, then a coax plug connected to the TV's analog antenna input, the wire splitting into the 'TV' screws on the rf box. But all I get is this when I turn it on. This does not look good, I hope I'm not screwed. Can't see any response from the buttons, this is with no cart inserted. Boy I sure hope I just have this input hooked up wrong...

Ordered mine today, can't wait!

Please put me down for a Channel F multicart, how ever long it takes I can wait! mf101723 - msn.com Thanks!

Hey is there any remaining chance of buying one of these Channel F multicarts? Thanks!

I have a Channel F System II, and a bunch of carts for it, a few rare ones including Pro Football. My two nephews just LOVE this football game, and these are teenagers who were brought up on Nintendo, Playstation 3, all the super systems nowadays. One of them even said "it's just like real football." Really amazing that they enjoy such a crude game. Admittedly part of the fun is laughing at just how crude these games are, the slow speed, the flickering characters etc., but the football game really is FUN! Problem is today after they played a marathon session on it, I was playing myself and out of the blue the cartridge decided to commit suicide. I think it just plain overheated. I've checked and doublechecked and know it's not a dirty connector problem or anything like that, it's obvious it's a circuit board problem. I have another game that was bought dead that behaves the same way, Slot Machine, just boots up with random gibberish on the screen and noises. Question: are there any options available, where maybe I could modify the old circuit board with modern ROM chips, or build a new one with newer components? I've seen some info on the multicart someone built, and on new games being designed, but nothing that specifically shows how somebody could do this on their own with instructions or schematics. Can anybody assist with more info or links? Or am I just stuck with having to dig up another Football cart? Thanks!