atari2atari

Greetings, Atarians. I have a vexing problem I would appreciate some assistance on. I've been having myself a good time installing a batari/longhorn engineer designed 7800 video board into my personal "keeper" 7800 unit. I purchased it from "electronicsentimentalities," a member here who has taken batari/longhorn's open-source design and crafted some nice boards: http://electronicsen...led%20Mods.html And, his instructions are quite easy, too: http://electronicsen...structions.html The installation is done, and sound and video head on out the composite and S-video jacks as expected . . . . . . but I'm getting those pesky, rolling diagonal lines that others have talked about in the past! The diagonal rollers show up in both the composite AND the S-video outputs. It DOESN'T show up in 2600 mode, only 7800. I have done my research, and tried multiple things in an attempt to solve the problem - - Detached the 4-pins that go to the RF modulator (the above picture shows them as attached; they are no longer) Removed the Q8 transistor (as was suggested here: http://www.made-by-b...101&t=842#p3415 ) Removed the Q1 transistor (from the AtariAge 7800 FAQ: "In order to prevent the audio from interfering with the video signal, the mixing oscillator must be disabled on the main circuit board. On a 7800, remove the base lead of Q1. It is located near the RF modulator." [click on text to link to page] So far, no luck! This post cryptically offers some advice - - http://www.atariage....ost__p__1543423 "I disconnected the audio from the video in order clear up the diagonal lines. Where it is disconnected I added a cap to amplify the audio. Where did you get the audio signal?" But I could not determine exactly what was meant . . . ! Maybe I already did that by removing some of the transistors And, this post also offers some hope . . . http://www.atariage....ost__p__1524023 "I had to disconnect at R3 to remove all interference to the composite signal." But again, I am not certain what is meant? I am going to have to go look for "R3" on the board after I post this! Does anyone have some advice? The picture is great - - nice and crisp, no shadows, but those diagonal rollers, especially on a dark background, are VERY noticeable! Thanks SO much for any and all ideas!! -a2a

Still looking!

Hello! I am looking for a CLEAN and WORKING set of ATARI 2600 Wireless Controllers. Not the off-brand ones, but the actual ATARI ones with the power adapter, etc. Physical condition DOES matter, but the set does not have to be boxed or pristine! Check out my for sale thread (link in my signature, below) if you would like to trade, OR PayPal is always an option! THANKS! -a2a

PM deployed! -a2a

Good advice and information, thanks! I didn't know that compatibility fact about resistor versus transistor mods. I agree on the gold - - it's a gimmick! Ah, I figured it out, "electronicsentimentalities" is LittleJoe here on AtariAge - - http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/176257-lets-design-a-new-video-mod/page__view__findpost__p__2349210 And, looks like many people are happy with his version of your board, Batari. Moonpig, if you are interested, it looks like his board will indeed work with PAL units - - http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/176257-lets-design-a-new-video-mod/page__view__findpost__p__2251727 Best of luck in whatever you choose! Let us know what you finally end up going with, and how it works! -a2a

Interesting, though, isn't it, in its simplicity? I gave it a go yesterday on a spare unit, and despite being a pile of resistors, I was pleased with the output. Mind you, I took it all back apart, and am considering a board for all the components, but I liked how cheap and fast it was. As for better mods, I have ordered a few of these, which I think are great for the price - - http://electronicsen...led%20Mods.html I think you know this fellow, Batari? He mentioned you when I was purchasing them from him online. Very professional, and a nice price! The other mod units that the original poster mentioned as for sale in his first post here eBay Auction -- Item Number: 300592126324 by Mike Pagano are just these - - Also inexpensive and effective, for a transitor mod, but for barely $10 more, you can go with the very nice pre-printed PCBs of "electronicsentimentalities" . . . -a2a

I am looking for a nice, clean ATARI 2600 Junior case - - I don't need the innards! I really only need the TOP of a Junior, more specifically, but I would be interested in complete units, too. Appearance, condition, and funtion is important - - it needs to have the cartridge-opening tabs, for instance, and the mylar Select/Reset switches need to work. A few scuffs on the case or metal bezel are okay. Thanks to any and all that can help!! -a2a

I liked it, too, and was tempted - - but that's a European plug. I don't think there is a way to switch out that double-prong and put in a U.S.-compatible one, is there? Some things like that are modular, and include the different sets for each country, but that thing looks kinda' welded on there . . . -a2a

Those kits you reference in the eBay link are Mike Pagano's mod kits and service - - he is an EXCELLENT individual to deal with and sells a very simple and effective pre-made mod kit for all models of ATARI 2600s. I have purchased multiple mod kit units from him, and have been very pleased. HOWEVER, from personal experience I have determined that the kits were designed primarily for NTSC units. I think that his mod kits MIGHT work for some ATARI 2600 PAL models, but I attempted to use one on a PAL ATARI 2600 Jr and was only able to get black and white, which means it is not pulling the components from the right place. Further testing on all the known "pickup points" on the PAL board still did not produce results with that mod kit, and so I moved onto other methods. You mileage may vary, though - - I want to stress that Mike is a VERY helpful individual and would do his best to get your system correctly set up! You might do better sending it to him for the service, rather than buying a kit, though. **OR, might I suggest a mod for a PAL Atari 2600 Jr system that I found on a German forum? See the attached PDF. Junior Atari 2600 video mod without additional board.pdf This is very specific for a 2600 Jr, but it might be adaptable for whatever unit you are working on. What type of ATARI 2600 are you working with? A four-switch woody or Vader, perhaps? I am planning to implement this method myself (I was actually just laying out the parts this morning) and I will let you know how it goes. I plan to use a small board, rather than going direct to the PCB as the author seems to prefer, but that's just personal preference. Best of luck! -a2a

Ah-ha, thanks for that info! Good to know that it really is sending it all directly to the RF adapter, and THAT is what is being bypassed here. Not that I *need* the ATARI 2600 adapter to work for the 5200 - - it's not like I don't have enough things around as it is that are quite capable of running 2600 carts - - I was just curious! Yes, those stand-alone VCS Adapter mods are very cool! I might give that a go, after I clear my deck of the current queue of soldering that seems to be piling up on the workbench . . . ! I'll subscribe to this thread, and keep an eye out for when the ver 2 board is released. Thanks again for your AWESOME contribution to the community - - it's excellent! -a2a

Seriously you can play Jumpman JR on a 5200? Can you post the link to the XL conversions? Thanks, NP I think you will find this link to have what you need . . . http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/173573-atari-5200-ultimate-sd-cartridge-project-update/page__view__findpost__p__2250138 -a2a

Well, hello! Excellent to meet you, and your mod! Thanks for the hard work of puzzling this all out - - I'll be interested to see what version 2.0 looks like! I note that the process of installing the mod board disables the ability to use the ATARI 2600 adapter - - do you think that in later versions of the board, that might change, and the compatibility will come back? Or, in order to get this to work is it just a necessity and "how it is" - - I assume there are some traces to cut or things to desolder in the process of installing that makes it incompatible? -a2a

Gotta say, Bradley's "Gold Dot" upgrade is WELL worth the money. (http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/5200.htm) It's amazing how well it works, with no mushiness or issues - - although, it still doesn't self-center, oh well! Combine those controllers with an ATARIMAX SD cartridge, and you will be where I have been for several days - - playing a lot of 5200! The XL conversion games are fantastic. JUMPMAN JR forever! (. . . and GATEWAY TO APSHAI is an old friend I was happy to find again!). One note with the new controllers from Best Electronics, you often have to adjust the potentiometer inside the 5200 in order to get the "center" and sensitivity right on the unit. I just did it over the weekend for someone who bought the Gold Dot units at my recommendation and then was confused as to why the controllers didn't seem to work! -a2a

PM sent! -a2a

BUMP for the thread-cleanup! Sold the black vinyl dye SNES set over the weekend on craigslist. Tidied up a bit in preparation for listing some composite output modded ATARI 2600 Jrs, Vader, and a special modded PAL 2600 Jr, plus a SURPRISE mod project ! -a2a

From what I have read here and elsewhere, MANY if not most of the "high-demand" titles have been converted over - - http://www.atariage....ost__p__1521764 http://www.atariage....ost__p__2251911 Others before us have wished there was an easy list to look at for what has/hasn't been converted - - http://www.atariage....ost__p__1003045 And, I concur, it would be handy! And, finally, just recently in the AtariMax SD card there was this interesting link to an article on the effort required to convert 800 games, to answer your "how hard are they to do" question. -a2a EDIT: and, for some reason, I forgot to put the link to that interesting article I just mentioned! Here: http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/5200/conv_to_5200.html

Was just about to say the same - - that "hump" is created by not placing the face-plate back into the unit correctly. There is a final tab that needs to "click" and the hump will leave, but don't force it too much . . . ! As to being black with no trim, that could also be another re-assemly issue - - someone used a "VADER" unit face-plate, perhaps, or as zylon pointed out, it does sometimes rub off! -a2a

Just played the demo for a bit - - FANTASTIC Jans! I found myself drawn in by the character design - - BLINKY is appealing as a hero, and I feel compelled to help him, well done. The physics feel good, although the edges of ledges seem "magnetic," and I discovered I don't have to precisely hit them, and get drawn in? Or maybe it is that the "edges" project out a bit invisibly? Either way, the edges are not quite where I expected them, but then I started compensating for or relying on that "invisible" or magnetic part. On colors, I am not a fan of the yellow-green scheme on LEVEL 2. I prefer the red of level one, and have a second favorite of the blue on level 3. The enemies are good, with a nice variation of types/challenges. I REALLY like how you have positioned various enemies in different spots, like the BOUNCERS right next to or on single brick widths, and then the parapets or "pits" on LEVEL 3 with the horizontal DASHERS is very fun! I like how the gold nuggets are cumulative for extra lives, even between levels! Once I figured that out, I was encouraged to go for them more. Like others have said, this is a GREAT game engine! You can choose to go a lot of ways with this! Some said "bosses" - - I think the levels are "boss" enough, personally. Music, at least one simple melody that plays ocassionally (not all the time!) and some other background would be nice. That's what I have for now . . . time to go try and beat LEVEL 3! -a2a

Well, cool find! Pictures? Also, as an aside, an interesting read for A8 rarity - - http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/153540-top-5-rare-atari-8-bit-carts/ -a2a

It's a he and his name is Blinky! Hmm, how about . . . THE ADVENTURES OF BLINKY ! or . . . maybe . . . BLINKI VERSUS THE SLINKI ? I think I need some plot and backstory here to help out - - perhaps an epic COVER ART image as was done in the days of ATARI yore . . . like this one, a personal favorite of mine . . . MEGA FORCE AWW YEAH - - "Deeds Not Words!" Anyways, sorry, I'm derailing the conversation here a bit . . . -a2a

It's challenging judging the "value" of A8 software, in my opinion. Particularly the more obscure titles. There are not a lot of sales to go by, which to me means there is low demand, and so that sort of answers the "value" question. To me, the lack of listings and sales is not due to rarity, just lack of interest . . . Quality/completeness helps, but I have been pricing it by the following VERY complex formula - - "shot in the dark" plus "half of the value of 1 single eBay listing from a year ago" minus "all reasonable offers accepted" Hmm, maybe we can trade A8 educational software - - SAMMY THE SEAMONSTER, perhaps? (See listings link below!) -a2a EDIT: I was just reading more on ROKLAN SOFTWARE and found a fascinating thread from 2008 - - http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/133687-lifespan-cart-by-roklan-how-many-found/ Your cartridge may be harder to find that I thought . . . And, the game LIFESPAN sounds like a TRIP! Read the description on the Atarimania page - - http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-lifespan_6907.html I'm going to have to load that up on the ATARIMAX MAXFLASH and give it a whirl . . . quite literally!

Wow, Jans - - thanks for your hard work! This is really fun! I like the idle "blink" animation, by they way, and he's (she? it?) is a GREAT little character! The game is part puzzle, part action, and so clever level design will come down to nicely blending those two elements. Any chance you will release the level editor for all of us to try and "compete" to make fun levels? You could always do a fun competition, and we could all vote . . . ? Just an idea! Bravo! -a2a

Prices adjust-ta-ma-cated for maximum attract-a-ma-cation! -a2a