Redcurrie

So does this mean that if I got a PAL console , I could play PAL carts on an NTSC TV? For some weird reason, I thought that a PAL console couldn't play on an NTSC TV.....

The best deal is to figure out when your local grocery store marks down their meat (they mark down the stuff that expires the next day so it isn't rotten or anything!) Most of mine mark it down 50% at around 4:30 or so which coincides well with when I get off work. As most show the per pound price, it is easy to compare, just remember that bone/fat/gristle weighs something so the cheapest per pound may not also be the best deal. Either cook what you get that night or plop it in the freezer as it DOES expire soon. I'm a big fan of using the crockpot (as it can reduce even the toughest cut of meat to fork-tender)....fill it up in the morning and come home to a hot dinner with a house that smells great. Seasonings are the key and with all of the premixed packets available today, figuring that out isn't hard. Plus, you wind up with a ton of liquid that makes a kick-ass base for some soup. Essentially, I can take 4 chicken thighs, a packet of seasoning and a crockpot and with a few cheap additions, get 8+ meals out of it with a bunch of variety (2 servings each of 4 different meals). I cook meals for my office in which I provide a huge, gourmet meal, charge them $5/meal and make a profit so I'm good at this "cooking cheap" thing. And oh, if you have a Big Lots store near you, you're really in business for non-meat items!

To which model of Trak-ball are we referring?

I would like to trade for 5200 Space Invaders and Kangaroo. My trade list is in my signature. PM me if you have anything! Thanks, Laura

I saw one in a store for the NES the other day.

Well, after removing a mm of grime, fuzz and who knows what (plus the dead roach of course), I now have a working 5200 Trak Ball. Woo hoo! Thanks for all the help!

Are clothes required in the picture?

intvfunhouse.com has it as an ER1 with Truckin' and White Water as ER2s. That is a great website if you've never seen it. I need a couple more Activision INTV carts to complete that group.

I do collect INTV but I'm short by more than 3. Which ones are you missing? I have extra overlays for a bunch of INTV games (some Imagic) if you need any. I only have B & t B, Atlantis, Demon Attack, DragonFire, Microsurgeon and Truckin'. I'm awaiting the arrival of a couple of those so I don't even know if they'll work or not when I get them. Do you have a place that you can get them because the classic game stores here are nonexistent.

I need Fathom, Quick Step and Solar Storm to begin rounding out my Imagic collection. (I need Subterranea and Atlantis II as well but those may be out of my reach at the moment.) The trade list is in the signature and is update and complete. PM with trade or cash proposals....

Bump!

When I opened up my other trak-ball, there was grime and lint all inside it (oh, and a dead roach). I removed the board from the plastic and cleaned all of the plastic with soap and water . What can I use to clean the board as just air isn't getting this stuff off! Thanks, Laura

Do you just want GBA games or do you want GB and GBC as well?

You guys are awesome!!! I checked the voltages and everything was okay there (thank heavens because that voltage regulator seemed like it would be a bit more challenging to change). I switched out the TIA and voila, a working 2600. Between fixing this and the Trak Ball, I feel like I have accomplished and learned a whole lot this weekend. Now for the big question, where can I snag another TIA to replace in my other unit? Thanks again SO much for the help and detailed directions!!! Laura

Okay, I am really proud of myself because I actually fixed this thing!!!! It had several problems, the first being that the rollers weren't spinning correctly because it looked like someone had barfed in it. That was easy enough as the electronics come out of those quite easily and cleaning it is no big deal. The second problem was that the fire buttons didn't work because the metal connectors that clip the wires to the boards under the fire buttons had come off. I went to put them back and they were so corroded that they just fell apart. I went to Rat Shack to get some new ones only to find out that they apparently don't make that kind anymore. (They have 2 leaves instead of the rolled edges like the ones now have.) I just got those and managed to unroll the edges so that they were like the others (I was just hoping that they would work "as is" but no luck). After clipping them a bit and mangling them a bit more to make them fit when the board was popped back in, I had a working Trak Ball. I am SO excited!

I am far from an expert on this but my understanding is that the trak-ball (at least the CX-22 which is what I have) can technically be used with any games that use a joystick. It has a switch on it that can be either set to joystick or trak-ball. From what I've read, Atari never actually released any games that used it in trak-ball mode, it has to always be set for joystick. While technically it can be used in any joystick-compatible game, some are better suited than others. You'd never want to use it for Pitfall for example because you would have to be constantly be rolling it to keep moving and you would never have the control to make it across the gators. As you might expect, I've seen it recommended most for games that had a trak-ball like Centi and Millipede and Missile Command. I'll let you know what I think if it survives tomorrow's surgery.....

quote] That did it, I got it open. Hopefully after a trip to Radio Shack tomorrow, I'll have it fully functional. Let me just say that willingness to force something with no fear of breaking it is definitely a Y chromosome-linked trait....

Okay, I have two of them open and have IDed the TIA. What is the easiest way to pop the chip out without breaking anything? Are the "teeth" on the sides part of the chip or are they what is holding the chip in? Also, I have to go to get a voltmeter from Radio Shack (and some parts to fix my trak-ball as I think I've IDed its problem). As I want no chip frying, how (and where) do I check the voltage? E&M in Physics lab was a while back......... Thanks for all the help and patience! Laura

I did a search and this didn't pop up. Thanks!

I have had a completed Epyx collection for months and didn't even know it! Thanks to CPUWIZ, I also have a complete Data Age collection and Mythicon (I know everyone is impressed) is next pending the arrival of a cart. (Activision was my first complete collection and I am most proud of that one!) I know that these are drops in the bucket compared to some people's collections but you have to start somewhere!

I saw that. I guess that if you're willing to pay the seller's fees when you get stuck with something you own and bid on, it's the only way to "buy" positive feedback!

There is a way to get the ships to never fire a single shot after the first round: Leave the two bees on the bottom left corner until they are the last two ships on the screen. Let them keep diving at you until they no longer drop any bombs. Then kill them. The ships will never fire another shot for the remainder of the game. This takes about 10 minutes to do and can also be duplicated on the PS2 Namco Museum emulated version. I was playing this the other day and thought about the cheat. Does it work on the 7800?

I think that this guy is bidding on his own auctions. I bought some carts from him and the PayPal address that I sent payment to was [email protected] http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=3056262616 The carts arrived as promised and he is a good seller.....I guess that auction hadn't gone high enough for him!

Okay, I got a CX-22 Trak Ball that doesn't seem to work at all. I tried to take it apart by unscrewing the 4 screws but something is still holding it together. I can see two holes that appear to have some rivet in them but I'm not sure what to do. Can anyone tell me how to get this thing open as I received enough tips for fixing my 5200 Trak Ball that I'm sure that I can repair it if I can ever get it open!!! Thanks, Laura

It is a great game! I loved it as a kid and played it again when I first got back into classic gaming. (Maybe "got back into" isn't a correct term because the first time was when it was "State of the Art" but I digress....) As for the earlier comment about the annoying Black Calves, just remember that they can only show up when there is a "hole" so herd appropriately and control where you leave "holes"!