ChristopherDrum

I feel ridiculous for asking such a noob question, but nothing is working. I just got a new Windows 10 laptop, so maybe it is is Windows 10 learning pains? I installed 64-bit Stella. Made a shortcut and attached a cute 2600 icon to the shortcut. Pin the shortcut to the Start menu. Icon is the default Stella Atari symbol. Unpin the icon and delete the icon cache. Restart. The shortcut shows the proper icon, so pin it to the Start menu. Icon in the start menu is the default Stella Atari symbol. Any ideas what is going on?

You know, I feel kind of lame for not having checked Flickr. That said, I found a couple of decent shots, but the same problem sort of persists. Everyone wants to show off their Atari in the most glamorous way possible, at a nice angle with nice perspective. But I really need very boring photos. However, I believe I have fulfilled most of what I need, minus the side view. Nobody seems to want to take a photo of the side of the unit, so if anyone in the community can assist with this, I would be most appreciative. The shots I found for the back and front are better than I had before, but still have a fair amount of 3D perspective on them, making it difficult to judge the exact silhouette of the console shape. Thank you for your research, Moonsweeper.

Hello everyone. Its been some time since I was last wandering these forums, and I come to you today with a small request of the community. I have a project in the works that may even become something-published-in-a-box-that-you-can-buy, but I need some reference photos and I simply don't have access to my personal collection at this time. Basically, I need shots of a silver box Atari game. It doesn't matter what game, but the important thing is that the photos/scans of the BACK of the box be of very high resolution (5mp, minimum). Shots of the other sides of the box only need to be about 2mp, as they are very similar to the 2600 silver box work I did for Swordquest: AirWorld. If anyone can assist me with this project, I would be very appreciative. I'm also humbly begging for some help with my 2600 3D modeling project, so if you might be able to assist then check out the 2600 forums for that posting. Thank in advance for any help anyone can give, and I look forward to being able to deliver something kind of cool to the group in the not-so-distant future.

Been a while since I've wandered these forums, and I hope everyone is well these days. Have a request, that may be a bit much to ask of the group, but it never hurts to ask. I'm working on a 3D modeling project for a Cinema 4D class. I got the OK to do a 2600 (would prefer to model a 6-switch) and joystick, and will probably put them into a kind of dynamic pose with 70's television in the background (thank you Stella and your new CRT-mode), kind of a living room scene. However, I'm being graded in particular on my modeling ability with the system and controller. What I'm lacking are good reference photos of the unit and stick. My system is stuck in a box in a storage locker in another part of the state, and the internet has been surprisingly lacking in good reference shots. Everyone always takes kind of glamorous, advertising-esque pictures with macro lenses and beautiful lighting. I need exactly the opposite of that. Basically, I need a decent resolution (1024x768 minimum) of every side of the unit and stick, with as little perspective as possible. So, front, sides, top, back, bottom of the system and stick. If anyone can help me with this, I would be greatly appreciative. In the meantime, I have a project I've just started on recently to return to the community. It is 5200 related and a small reference shot request has been posted in the 5200 forums as a completely separate, real-world, may-even-be-published-in-a-box-so-you-can-buy-it project. In the meantime, cheers to everyone and thanks in advance for any help.

Well, I tried adjusting the brightness of the screen as you suggested bjk7382, but to no avail. Even when the screen was set very bright, the Sega Menacer game kept telling me that the screen was too dark. Clearly something is confusing these poor little brain-dead lightguns. I think you may be on to something Mitch. The refresh rate is a good theory. Now if only there were some way to get around that problem...

Just curious to know a rough timeframe for a true 7800 version of this fabulous modification.

Does anyone out there know of any known problems with hooking up lightguns to modern television sets? I have the NES Zapper, the Sega Genesis Menacer and the Sega Master System Light Phaser. The NES is hooked up through A/V jacks into the TV, while the Genesis and Master System go through the RF Adapter (A/V cables are on order for both of those). The television is a Sony 32" HDTV. Lightgun games just don't seem to work on this thing. The Menacer targeting reticule in the Menacer game cartridge vibrates violently in random directions. Duck Hunt on the NES seems to register the shots, but good luck actually hitting anything. Same with the Master System gun. The guns seems to actually WORK, but the television isn't bouncing back the right signal or something. I just don't know. My friend has a 36" Sony HDTV and he has the exact same problems with the his own guns. Is there any way to get these gun games to work on modern televisions? Presumably they wouldn't work on LCD or Plasma TVs, right? Any insight out there?

I "set" the game volume down the way I typically do with other game systems: adjust the volume of the TV. I didn't realize the Channel F had it's own speaker. So, that explains the static I hear... the game just isn't supplying sound through the RF cable. No problem. And, really, the stray pixels are not a huge deal for me. I'm just trying to see if there was some known "fix" for this (like an NES blinking system). If not, that's fine. I'm MORE than satisfied with the purchase. The system came with cartridges 1 and 12. So, that gives me Tic-Tac-Toe (which stopped WOPR from launching a nuclear strike against Russia), Shooting Gallery, Doodle, some auto-doodler and Baseball as well as it's built in Hockey and Tennis games.

I'm not using a switchbox. Thinking that might be part of the problem, I bought a gold-plated RF-Coax thing at Radio Shack to get as clean a signal as possible. The pixels still show up. I suppose it could be dirty cartridge contacts, but the stray pixels show up even without a cartridge in the slot.

Just picked up a Channel F at the flea market today. Seems to work really well, but there are a couple of annoyances. One, the sound works fine, but I hear a ton of static coming through as well. I have to set the volume way down low to not go crazy. Two, when I hit reset, stray blue pixels (Channel F sized pixels, that is) appear on the right side of the screen in random spots upon each reset. Mostly relegated to the upper right corner of the screen, and it certainly doesn't affect playability, but I was wondering if anyone knows a cure for this. Perhaps an RF cable replacement is needed? Not sure how to troubleshoot things like this just yet. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Christopher

Went to CGExpo hoping to start rebuiding a collection lost due to circumstances well outside my control. The expo ripped me off just a bit (Atari 7800 in box with all hookups and like-new controllers for more than I would care to admit... I was at the expo ready to spend money, what can I say). Although I did get a new, unopened Atari track ball for $5.00 Since then, I've had a GREAT time at the thrift stores and flea markets. Thrift store in the L.A region, I walked in and there was the Coleco tabletop Frogger in the box with all manuals and advertisement paraphernalia. The unit is literally unused. Batteries inside were exploded and corroded, but the battery compartment and contacts are pristine. Go figure... All for $2.95. Damn lucky on that one. Work PERFECTLY, literally as though it just came off the assembly line yesterday. Bay Area thrift stores charge FAR too much for their stuff, so excellent deals are really hard to come by. For instance, they sell Genesis2 for $15, without any hookups or controllers or games. Just the box, sold as-is. Pretty much sucks. A buddy found in L.A a Genesis1, 15 games, all hookups, 2 6-button controllers and a organizer case for $25. In Bay Area thrift store, found a National Semiconductor Adversary for $5.00. Wico 2600 joystick, ball top, for $2.00. Tac 2 for 2600 for $2.00. All work great. Today, went to a flea market and found a guy selling all sorts of crazy stuff. If he still has his Virtual Boy for sale tomorrow, I just might add that oddball to my collection. Maybe just a wee bit too much for the units, but the bug bit me. Got an NES, almost like new (just needs some cleaning) in the box with the gun (NES Action Set) and all hookups and manuals with five games, an additional joystick, the cartridge cleaner and the Power Pad for $40.00 Intellivision in the box for $25.00 (bit high, I think, with no games) Fairchild Channel F (loose) with two games still in the boxes for $15. Basically works, with some video artifacts. Another shop I went to had a ColecoVision, no power supply for $10 and an Atari Video Pinball (tan) for $5. Pinball doesn't work though :-( Still tracking down a power supply for the ColecoVision. For the Bay Area, these are some of the lowest prices I've seen around. I understand they might not sound like steals to most of you, but you take what you can get. Besides, this is all for my personal collection, not a profit. All in all, not a bad week for me! That Frogger machine wins my personal "Steal of the Week" award though.

Funny you should bring up the Adversary. I just found one myself at a thrift store. I bought the Radio Shack 800mA universal power adapter, set it to 12V and used their tip "L". Works like a champ! It might only need 500mA, but the 800 is working just fine.

Hi Rob, Thanks for responding. The system seems DOA. Fresh batteries with a new RF box on channel 3 gets me nothing. Remove the batteries and try an AC adapter set as you specified gets me nothing. I am curious to know what you would ask for for the working circuit board. Christopher

Hi everyone, Just purchased an Atari Video Pinball C-380 unit. Put fresh batteries in, plugged it into my RF adapter, turned it on and... nothing. I could use a little help in trying to troubleshoot what's wrong with this thing. It appears to be in really great condition. Just two tiny nicks in the plastic housing. I opened it up and everything inside looks really clean. I don't see any broken wires or circuits upon inspection. Tried an AC adapter and I just don't get anything on screen. What I could use is some general knowledge about the unit. Does the TV need to be on channel 3? Does the RF cable running out of the unit typically plug directly into the RF adapter on the back of the TV or did it come with some other little device (the RF cable for my 7800 has some little black box that the cable passes through)? I know the RF adapter is good, as it works fine with my National Semiconductor Adversary and my Atari 7800. The power supply (known good; it runs the Adversary) is a universal with the 1/8" mini jack tip and set to 9V, but like I said... even with fresh C-cell batteries it gives no signal to the TV on channel 3 or 4. Does it run on batteries AND an AC adapter, or is this an either/or deal? Any likely suspects? Any real way to see if it's even getting power to the logic board? Am I fighting a lost cause? I'm new to this whole "resurrecting lost systems" thing, so any information will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Christopher Drum

Hi everyone, Just purchased an Atari Video Pinball C-380 unit. Put fresh batteries in, plugged it into my RF adapter, turned it on and... nothing. I could use a little help in trying to troubleshoot what's wrong with this thing. It appears to be in really great condition. Just two tiny nicks in the plastic housing. I opened it up and everything inside looks really clean. I don't see any broken wires or circuits upon inspection. Tried an AC adapter and I just don't get anything on screen. What I could use is some general knowledge about the unit. Does the TV need to be on channel 3? Does the RF cable running out of the unit typically plug directly into the RF adapter on the back of the TV or did it come with some other little device (the RF cable for my 7800 has some little black box that the cable passes through)? I know the RF adapter is good, as it works fine with my National Semiconductor Adversary and my Atari 7800. The power supply (known good; it runs the Adversary) is a universal with the 1/8" mini jack tip and set to 9V, but like I said... even with fresh C-cell batteries it gives no signal to the TV on channel 3 or 4. Does it run on batteries AND an AC adapter, or is this an either/or deal? Any likely suspects? Any real way to see if it's even getting power to the logic board? Am I fighting a lost cause? I'm new to this whole "resurrecting lost systems" thing, so any information will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Christopher Drum