Airsoftman819
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Posts posted by Airsoftman819
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I love the 2600. By far my favorite retro console. I have many games and I also enjoy collecting the different console variations. The Coleco Gemini kind of caught my interest being an Atari clone and all. Normally I steer clear of clone consoles. But being such an old clone. And coming from a company such as Coleco. Is it worth putting on a shelf with such legendary consoles as the Heavy Sixer?
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I suppose. All that really means is that your VCR is better at handling RF than your TV
You're still limited by the initial RF signal.S-Video will be clear as day compared to stock output.
Oh I'm sure it will look clear as day. And my VCR is very good at demodulation. It's a very high quality theater grade unit. But as you said I'm still limited by the RF. God I hate RF. No doubt I'm having the Mod done. But I'm stuck between having it done on my Light Sixer. Or Vader.
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It's more than just "pass through". Having an AV mod totally removes the modulation and demodulation aspect. Whether you hook RF directly to the TV(demodulation by TV) or to a VCR(demodulation by VCR), you are subject to the same low quality caused by the modulation process. The only benefit of using a VCR to demodulate, is if you want to feed the signal to a device that can't tune analog TV signals. I use a VCR to demodulate to S-Video so my upscaler can handle it.
However, an S-Video mod would look 10x better.
Well it does benefit being ran through the VCR because the Audio/Video are split up to RCA composite which greatly improves the picture over the straight RF. But the picture is still a bit fuzzy and there is a bit of static noise as well. So I'm sure an S-Video mod would greatly improve that. And my CRT supports S-Video
So I may just have it done on my Vader when I get the money. -
I have a Jr. with an A/V mod and I am very happy with it. It's not as sturdy as the other Atari consoles but I think the quality is still good, certainly MUCH better than the NES with it's horrible cartridge connector and Bi-Polar 10-NES lockout chip. The only actual benefit I've found vs earlier VCS consoles is the small size which can be handy for certain applications, and it's 'cool' looking modern appearance that some folks might prefer. If you have a VCS already I think there is no reason to buy one, but also there is no reason to NOT buy one - it's really just an optional thing to collect.
Personally, I think you should consider getting a Sears Video Arcade II Atari clone with it's combination paddle / joystick controllers before getting the Jr. In my opinion it's much cooler than the Jr. and very unique.
Funny you should mention the Arcade II. I've been wanting to get a hold of one. Along with a Coleco Gemini. They would be much better additions to my collection anyway. Due to their rarity.
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I have the same issue with my light sixer as well no matter how many times I have tried to line up the cart slot. Some carts just refuse to go in smoothly.
I find that the only games that have issues are later games made by Atari. The specs on the carts are just different enough to cause an issue. I believe it's due the the metal RF shielding being a bit out of spec. Might have to take a file to it to smooth it out as I was advised to do. Although I haven't done it yet.
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In all likelihood, something is out of spec in the shield/lid/motherboard assembly, or that assembly has been taken apart and reassembled not quite right. It can be fixed either way. See this post I just made.
My issue isn't the connector itself. But the bezel or the metal RF shielding. Because the actual plastic of the cart rubs and makes a tight fit. It actually leaves scuff marks on my games which is why I don't use the console. The molding of the metal shielding is very rough. I may just have a defective console. Because I've double checked it was assembled properly. And the motherboard has never been pulled out.
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What type of cartridges don't fit in your "light sixer"?
The later games made by Atari. Mostly the Red and Silver label games. They fit. I just have to force them lol.
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Juniors are good due to being compact, but you don't get the best high quality out of it. But if you want to collect for the systems, sure pick one up. I personally don't like them myself. But I got it so I can have all the different variety of 2600 consoles. I prefer toggle switch systems personally; be a Heavy Sixer, Light Sixer, or 4 switch woody. I love the 70's look to it and that is what defines the Atari 2600.
I have to agree. The Junior just doesn't have that 70's look that made the 2600 iconic. Not to mention the notably cheaper build quality. I might buy one just for the sake of collecting. Or maybe use it as a beater console. But as for collecting I'd rather have more rare consoles. Such as the Coleco Gemini. I'm just not sold on it. I'd have to run into one cheap.
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I use the Junior in my entertainment center for the Big TV. It takes up a lot less space. Modded it for Composite output.
I've thought about having the composite mod done to my Vader. But I run my consoles through a VCR that has composite video out. So I get composite out of consoles. But I'm sure the straight AV mod would look a bit better because it negates the whole pass through thing.
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I have never had a cartridge not fit into the Junior.
The only one of my consoles that has that issue is my Light Sixer. My Heavy Sixer and Vader fit all carts I've tried. I'm actually not the biggest fan of the Light Sixer. But it looks pretty lol.
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Okay, so I own a 4 switch Vader, A Light Sixer, and a Heavy Sixer. I mostly play my Vader due to it being a newer more reliable console. But also play my Heavy often, due to the better video quality. But my question is. Is it worth owning a Junior? They look cheap and ugly to me and it just seemed like Atari's last ditch effort to breath life into a dying console. Even though I do consider myself a collector of Atari 2600's. I still need a legitimate reason before I spend my money on a console. So is there a real reason to buy a Junior? Or am I good with what I already have?
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Nothing that useful to add other than to agree with all the games that have already been mentioned. Space Rocks and Juno First are excellent shooters. Since you're into that genre you really can't go wrong...
To be honest, I don't actually own Juno First. I just play it on my Harmony cart at the moment. As soon as the Atarivox+ is back in stock in the AA store I'll be buying both!
How do I get a hold of one of those Harmony carts? I'd love to pick one of those up as well.
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For best regular use, I would choose L6er with channel switch with any 4sw using Rev-14 as close 2nd choice. For someone unable to solder, then the 4sw would be more appropriate.
I can solder.. I'm a trained PC tech. I just don't have an iron cause I wore my old one out. And my setup right now is a 4sw Vader ran straight through a VCR so it can output composite video without requiring an av mod. As I do not like modding my consoles unless it's for repairs. The picture is very crisp and clear. No fuzz on screen and crisp stereo sound ran through a surround sound system on a Zenith CRT
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This one sounds like a bad IC.
Seems like the heavy's have a higher failure rate than other models... Or is it just me? I've had 2 of them and both have had issues. Well it could just be due to their age. But jeeze.
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Robot Tank by Activision is a better game on the 2600. I like Battlezone on the C64.
I like Robot Tank. But I absolutely hate the fact it lacks a traditional scoring system. I own Robot Tank and Battlezone. Battlezone isn't bad. But I do agree the difficulty makes it a bit frustrating.
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Got a Sears H-6er. At first it just showed diagonal lines, black and White. On some carts it show color vertical strips and sound a steady tone. The color of the stripes and their width change when powering on and off. I inspected the Mo-board, is looks good. I reseated the chips, no improvement. Did resolder the device with the heat sink. Switches seem solid. This unit shows little use and is really clean. Would love to get it going again, just don't know where to begin.
The internal RF Modulators in heavy's have a rep for failure... Same thing happened to my Sears heavy. I'd say that is the likely cause.
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Definitely Juno First then. Amazing shooter.
Ladybug, Stay Frosty 2, Toyshop Trouble, Blinky Goes Up and Fall Down all are great as well.
I'm definitely getting Juno First. I've heard nothing but praise for that game. And as far as gameplay its right down my alley.
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Space Rocks?
Honestly there's too many games to name off without knowing what type of game you're into. Many store games have videos, screenshots, and reviews posted.
BTW, you can't buy just one game. I started in 2012 and no have a metric ton of Atari Homebrews now.
Well I'm a big fan of shooters like Defender, Space Jockey, Also games like Asteroids.
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Awesome Heavy Sixer that is a beauty! Keep her forever and cherish it. Heavy Sixers are flat out awesome and you will not be disappointed with it. One more question. Does it have the channel select switch on the bottom? If so it's a 1978 model Heavy, if no channel select switch it's a 1977. I can tell by the box I think it's a '78 model Heavy. Most '77 models have the knight chess piece underneath the ST.
No it has no channel select. When I took it apart it looked like a 77 on the inside. But no channel select. It's possible the box is mismatch. Or perhaps its an older stock 77 in a 78 box?
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I hear nothing but good things about the homebrew games for the 2600. So I'm definitely going to start adding them to my collection. But what would be the best few to get me started? For me to get addicted I have to get a good taste. So what homebrews should I start with?
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I'd hang on to the Sears Heavy Sixer. I think down the road you will get the RF modulator fixed. And also that's great you are getting an Atari branded Heavy Sixer!
Glad Zylon got to see the thread and diagnose the problem. He is a valuable asset to the AA community and can easily diagnose what is wrong with 2600's, 5200's, and 7800's. Good luck with your new Atari Heavy Sixer. You will enjoy it!
Thank you for the offer Zylon. But I have donated the console to my local retro games store. In exchange I was given a great deal on a CIB Atari branded Heavy Sixer. I'll take a pic of it in a sec. It's pretty sweet.
Well that's really too bad. I wouldn't part it out though if it were me. I'd keep it and do as much of a cosmetic restoration as possible and then work on getting it actually working. SOMETHING isn't right but it can almost certainly be fixed pretty easily once you narrow down the problem. Photos of the boards would help, as would checking a few basic things with a multimeter.
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That should be the channel 3 only modulator with only 3 pins. I have some of those "used" if you need/want one.
Thank you for the offer Zylon. But I have donated the console to my local retro games store. In exchange I was given a great deal on a CIB Atari branded Heavy Sixer. I'll take a pic of it in a sec. It's pretty sweet.
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For a daily driver I use a expansion module #1 and CV
I've wanted to get a hold of a Colecovision... My goal is to collect every single 2600 variation. And I think a Colecovision with expansion module would fit in there somewhere
. Of coarse there is also the standalone 2600 made by Coleco... The Gemini. -
Yes and you are correct, the Vader was produced in much lesser quantities than the 4 switch woody. That is why I prefer the 4 switch woody. If it's dead it's easy to replace. I'm the same way, I occasionally play my Heavy Sixer but I want to keep it in fantastic condition and not put so much use into it. I can't argue with the picture quality, it is top notch. I use the Light Sixer a good chunk of the time also. I don't care for the Junior models. They feel and look cheaply made. And the parts seem to be off the shelf.
Yeah lol. The first time I held a Junior I was like "This cheap piece of s*** is a 2600?" I like my Light Sixer and it has a good balance of Cost/Video Quality. But it seems the Inflated Ebay Price craze has hit the Light Sixer now. It's hard to find one for a decent price.
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Is a Coleco Gemini worth adding to my collection?
in Atari 2600
Posted
I'm going to have to disagree. Wanting to collect all of the DIFFERENT console variations should not be classified as hoarding. It's collecting, hoarding is something different entirely. Hoarding would be owning 17 4 switch woodys and buying every single one you come across so others can't have them. THAT my friend hoarding. Wanting to have ONE example of every console variation is not. It's called collecting, and all my consoles get played. Even my Heavy Sixer :-)