boxpressed

Some pics to clarify. I have one of these: and one of these: No video signal on the monitor with the 2600. Works fine with the PS2 when I have S-Video input via the included dongle (not shown).

Not sure whether you mean the console or games auction, but I'm pretty sure I sniped one of them. The console arrived today. Couldn't get it to output a video signal until I realized that this was a channel 4 model. Now it works great. Original paddles are jitter-free, and I love the original gray AC adapter. The unit is as dirty as I thought it would be, but the case looks to be in good shape otherwise, minus the orange trim, which is almost all gone. This must be a later model because later "fat" carts fit into the slot whereas they don't even come close to fitting in my other HS.

Right - I meant the original-issue driving controllers that came with the Indy 500 game. The CX10 is not perfect and will stay "stuck" on the left side on occasion. Not sure if that's easily fixable.

At the risk of heresy, I'll admit to being curious about whether I can play my 2600 and other RF / switch box consoles on my LCD monitor via a VGA box. I do have a CRT for retro consoles, but desk space is becoming a premium. I have one of these: K-World 1440 It works great with my PS2. I've tried to hook up my 2600 to the coax input on the VGA box using the RCA-coax adapter, but I can't get a signal on my monitor. I was just wondering if this setup is even possible since I don't know much about the types of signals that are being output by the 2600 and can be received/converted by the VGA box. Thanks in advance!

Thought I'd revive an old thread for a cool controller. Mine arrived today from seller on eBay: Very fun. Great for Asteroids and Space Invaders and probably many other games. The thing was new in box. The woodgrain sticker is peeling up a little, which I guess is to be expected. The seller still has some, if you're interested. Recommended!

The console arrived yesterday. After sending back a couple of Astrocades, it's nice to have something work as described. Only one of the six joysticks is an original CX-40, and neither the driving controls or paddles is original heavy sixer issue. Still a thrill to have an original heavy sixer after so many years: I also took a chance on this auction: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 120751990128 A $30 gamble. If the console isn't working, I may be able to use it for parts. Looks really dirty but comes with the original power supply and heavy sixer paddles that the first auction was missing. Snagged these too: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 220817903482 Couldn't resist since they weren't coming from Venezuela.

Thanks! In anticipation of its arrival, I picked up a couple of others things today: Starplex Controller (I remember seeing these advertised back in the day in my video gaming magazines -- always wanted one!) eBay Auction -- Item Number: 190552845412 Four Sealed 2600 Games (A little ambivalent about this one because of the international shipping -- I should have read up some more on these South American 2600 games. Probably PAL, no? Still seems like a decent deal, even with the expedited shipping.) eBay Auction -- Item Number: 250857919642

Won this auction tonight for about $68 shipped: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 120751270632 Was about as much as I wanted to spend on one without a box or quality extras. Looks like the console may be the only original component. But, it's working and doesn't have any chips or cracks. Should clean up nice.

I just got an Astrocade through eBay -- my second in a couple weeks. It's about the second in two weeks to be returned. Before I do, I wanted to find out if there is an easy fix for what's wrong with it. When I turn it on, the screen image slowly scrolls downward, making the system unplayable. I've tried this on two TVs and on both channels 3 and 4. There's a fuzzy horizontal band across the middle of the screen also. Is this a problem someone with an Astrocade has seen before? I'm not the handiest guy with a soldering iron, so I'm inclined to just send it back. Thanks for any advice/opinions.

Saw this a little while ago. Been up for about four hours now: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 110718573071 Not a steal by any means, but not too bad of a deal if you're really looking for this cart. 12 games, a couple of them sealed. Working INTV II.

Boxpressed, I guess I was bidding against you, sorry about that. I also suspect that the seller may be full of it, you got it for a very good price, probably didn't sit too well with him. cheers, c I'm encouraged that I'm not overbidding for stuff (I would have gone about $80). I actually suggested to the seller that he contact the second place bidder to see if he/she wanted the lot. I guess he didn't.

I agree with others. looks like a person that did not like bids received and backs out with a "loft fall" story after bidding ends. I guess I should have asked for advice from friends at AA before agreeing to cancel, lol. If the seller were lying, I find it a little odd that he would pull a stunt for such a small sum. I'm a novice when it comes to 8-bit values, but how much more could he have expected from this auction? $30-$40? Or maybe I'm way off...

Thought I'd resurrect an old thread. I want to get an 8-bit and have narrowed down the choices to the original 800, 800XL, and 130XE. I'll use the computer to play games almost exclusively (no programming), and right now I'm expecting to play cartridge games. I'll probably want a multicart at some point. I like the original 800 for the retro look, but will I be able to play any cartridge game on the original 800? And do games look better on the 800XL because of the GTIA chip? Thanks in advance!

I thought about that, but the seller had a perfect feedback rating. Also, if the item weren't broken and he was lying, I wouldn't want to do business with that kind of person, even if I were getting a bargain.

Last night, I thought I'd found my way into the wonderful world of Atari 8-bit. I won this auction on eBay: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 110716791442 Soon after the auction ended, the seller told me that he couldn't get the 130xe to output video anymore. We decided to cancel the transaction, but I was sorry to miss out on what seemed like a good deal. I was really interested in the SIO2PC, too. I'd done my research on Atari Age, and I want a 130XE or 800XL. I'm leaning toward the 130XE because of the S-Video output. The search continues.

Controller only for $74 eBay Auction -- Item Number: 160617468576 Minestorm overlay only for $47 eBay Auction -- Item Number: 260814516536 Now's the time to sell off your extras if you want a good price, it seems.

Thanks, Jason. Great advice. Are the Troubleshooting Guide and the Service Manual the same thing? I have the Service Manual. One more question: As I'm adjusting all the pots, what part of the machine should I avoid touching so that I'm not shocked. The warnings about killing yourself while servicing your Vectrex have become legendary.

Hi. Thanks for responding to my other post about the XY pots, and I wish I could help you here. If you decide to break up the controller, I could use the joystick assembly. Thanks!

I saw that notice too. As I understand it, it seems as though a seller is somehow penalized if a buyer opens a case. What this change means is that the seller will no longer be penalized if a case is opened. I actually agree with this, so it makes even more sense to open a case if you want to protect yourself as a buyer.

I did that, but the seller seemingly ignored my request for return shipping. I don't know if the seller can add an extra amount to the refund for return shipping when she clicks the "refund" button. Do you? If not, there may have to be a manual PayPal transaction in that case. If the seller refunds your money before you open a case, eBay can't help you, so I'd rather begin communications by opening a case.

Oh, that's interesting. It makes some sense then that eBay couldn't do anything for me because they had no "leverage" on the seller once the money had been refunded (at least, that's what the agent told me). The agent also told me that I was under no obligation from eBay to return the item (that is, there would be no punitive action from eBay if I didn't) since my money had already been refunded. I said that that didn't seem right to me; I'd rather eat the return shipping than pull something like that.

Thanks for the tip. Any idea where on the Vectrex those pots are?

I've had good experiences using eBay's Buyer Protection, but I just learned something new that I wanted to share here. Before I go on, here's the gist: always open a case through eBay's Buyer Protection before contacting the seller yourself, even though eBay's message system. Here's why. I received an Astrocade that was described as working and, sadly, wasn't when I received it. I followed the instructions on eBay's Buyer Protection page and contacted the seller to try to work it out between us. The seller, to her credit, gave me a very quick refund, including shipping. Now she wanted the item shipped back to her. I'd heard that eBay would pay for return shipping in cases like this one -- a business expense that's part of running an auction site, I suppose. I read that it was best to call customer service, not email. However, when I did so, I was told that eBay could not issue a shipping label because the money had already been refunded! In essence, eBay was "out of the loop." There was nothing they could do. I said that I was just following the instructions on the website: contacting the seller myself before opening a case. Well, eBay needs a case to exist before it can proceed, apparently. I should have begun communications with the seller by opening a case. eBay made it right by crediting me some seller fees to make up for the return postage, but things would have been a lot smoother if I'd just opened a case to begin with. The cynic in me thinks that eBay WANTS you to take them out of the loop so that they have less exposure and liability, and thus the information on the Buyer Protection page is intentionally misleading. Lesson learned, though: always open a case to begin communications about a problem auction.

Well, I took off the back of the case to poke around, and I'm still alive. Here's a photo of what I think may be the X-Y pots (the two beige wheels on the right side of the photo). It would be great if someone could verify: Also, a recent auction on eBay had a guy trying to sell a similarly-afflicted Vectrex. He posted this screen shot, and I'm wondering how he accessed it. Does anyone know? Thanks again!

One other question: I've read a lot about being careful when opening the Vectrex because of the potential for being shocked. If I decide to open the back to look for the pots, what danger zones should I be on the lookout for or steer clear of? Thanks again.