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RamrodHare

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Posts posted by RamrodHare

  2. Posted

    I've tried my hand at doing some graphic hacks, using Stella. Some games are easier to hack than others, so your game choice is going to be important. There are a lot of tutorials on the forums explaining how to do simple hacks with Stella. Doing it yourself would be the way to go, since hiring a good programmer would be cost prohibitive.

     

    I don't know if you could do the hack, but "Fast Food" may be a good game to start out with, since it's an eating game. I know there are already a few different hacks of it, so it's possible it might not be too hard to work with.

     

    I wish I could be more help, but that's really about all I can tell you. :)

    • Like 1

  3. Posted

    Well, my plans to get a sixer may have just been ruined. I was on my way home from my father's house tonight and my headlights went out and so did my heater. I checked online and it turns out that Ford, it their infinite wisdom, linked the climate control module to the automatic headlights. In the process of doing so, they introduced a bug into the system that causes different electronics to just shut down. It can be the power windows, the headlights, the heater/ac, the radio, the advanced traction system, or any number of other important things. That means I HAVE to get it fixed. I can buy a working used unit for around $50, but there's no guarantee on it. I can send mine off to have it rebuilt (meaning I have no vehicle for a couple of weeks) but I get a 90 day warranty for $150, or I can order a new module for around $400 that may be a permanent fix or it may fail after 90 days, just like the rebuild. So I'll definitely be selling stuff now. :(

  5. Posted

    DrVenkman,

    Thanks for the answers. That cleared up most of the things I was wondering about. Now I have a good enough understanding of the differences to help me make a better decision. It sound like the hardware improvements on the Light Sixer might be enough to push me toward getting it instead of a heavy.

     

    As far as looks go, I'm not sure I would really notice enough difference in the shell of a Light and a Heavy. I'm still on the fence between the Sears and the Atari. That Sears woodgrain is just SO much better looking. I just don't know how I feel about the silver around the switches though.. In a perfect world, I'd throw together a Sears Heavy, with an Atari switchplate and light sixer guts. I think I need to just look at more pictures of the consoles and try to decide between the Sears and Atari.

     

    I'm not interested in how rare it is, since I will be buying it to play, not to sell. So I'm not really concerned if it's a Sunnyvale or not.

     

    Darryl,

    Thanks for the reply. It's looking like a Light Sixer is the way I'll go. As far as soldering, I'm good enough to to replace the capacitors and stuff. Desoldering things like joystick ports is where my skills need more work. I figure it's due to a lack of proper desoldering equipment. With help from members here, I could do the necessary troubleshooting and repairs, but I'd feel better just buying a working/refurbished console. Since I'm almost 100% sure I'm going to go with a light sixer, I'm not as concerned with not being able to afford it. I'm sure my Vader and 7800 will bring enough money to pay for a nice console. I already have the carts, joysticks and paddles.

     

    Now I just need to decide, Sears or Atari and get to work selling stuff. :-D

  7. Posted

    SECAM colors were very limited, so I'm sure Pal and NTSC games will look different.

    No emulator ever feels "right", unless you have a good joystick.

    I love Stella, but I play on real hardware because none of the PC controllers/joysticks have the right feel.

    Most of the flight simulator joysticks probably don't have a short throw, so they won't be as responsive as they need to be. The original joysticks had switches, the one you have might be analog. If so, that's your problem.

    Someone else may be able to give you advice on what type of joystick they use with Stella.

    • Like 1

  8. Posted

    Games played perfectly yesterday before modding. Could it be audio/video shorting/interference? Problem is that I've rechecked all the solderings and none of them is touching the other so I don't know where to look.

    It's possible that something got fried during the mod or a component was somehow damaged. This could be one of those cases where something unrelated decided to kick the bucket at the same time you were doing the mod. If that's the case, it could be anything. When you were modding it, there could have been a static discharge that messed up the TIA chip. Static can ruin electronics.

    If you have another mod board, you could try swapping it, in case there's a problem there.

    Did you mess up any of the RF components when you removed them? If not, I'd try reconnecting them and see if it works right. If it does, at least you know it's an issue with the mod and not the 2600.

    • Like 1

  9. Posted

    Yeah i know sizes aren't an issue with tiny sized games. I was just curious about performance issues if there were any. Id rather have someone over explain than not at all :P

    Performance wise, it's gonna be a tie. There are different classes of cards with different read/write speeds, but even the slowest card will have no problem keeping up with the demands of the 2600. I had a 1080p video camera that recommended at least a class 6 micro SD card, but I never noticed any difference in the picture quality or the number of frames per second with a class 4 card. So I'm sure a class 4 or better would be fine for the Harmony Encore......

     

    I just checked, I have a class 6 in my Encore right now, so I can verify that a class 6 work perfectly. :)

     

    If I recall correctly, the Harmony pulls the bin files from the card and loads them into the RAM on the cart. I know that's how my EZ Flash 4 cart works on my GBA. If that's the case on the Encore, then card speed doesn't even factor in. (If I'm wrong about that someone feel free to correct me please.) :ponder:

    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    Ok, I have a Vader, a Jr. and a 7800. I use the Jr. 99% of the time and I'm really happy with the performance of it. I find the picture quality to be better on the Jr. than on the Vader. I'm considering selling the Vader and the 7800 and putting the money toward a decent sixer. Don't get me wrong, I really like the 7800, but don't play it very often. I only have 4 games for it and I just can't afford some of the games I'd be interested in having for it. I figure there's someone out there who could give it a better home and actually get some enjoyment out of it. ;-)

     

    I've always like the look of the sixers, but when it comes to the difference between the light and the heavy, is it purely cosmetic or are there differences in the the actual electronics? :?

     

    Is the Sears version any different/better than the Atari version or is it just a matter of looks? I can tell you I like the look of the wood grain on the Sears more than the Atari, but I'm on the fence about the silver around the switches, so it's 50/50 for me. I wouldn't mind hearing how many people prefer the look of the Sears and how many like the look of the Atari version and why. :?

     

    I'm interested in hearing opinions on how people feel about the price difference between the light and the heavy. For someone on a tight budget, is it worth it to try and get a heavy or just be satisfied with the light sixer? :woozy:

     

    I know the ones made in Sunnyvale are higher priced, for someone who just wants a nice looking sixer to play, is it worth the difference in price? :-o

     

    Some of you know, I'm on a fixed income. So price plays a big factor in everything. The way I figure it, all I can spend is what I make from selling my Vader and 7800 and possibly some other stuff. I don't know if it will be enough to get a decent Heavy sixer or not, but that's my goal. :thumbsup:

     

    I guess what I'm looking for is some reassurances that a light sixer is just as good, in case I can't raise enough money for a heavy. However, if you convince me that only a heavy sixer will do, then it might force me to dig up more stuff to sell, so I can get one. :grin:

     

    (I've got another stone lodged in my kidney, so if my post is a little "weird", it's because I'm on some serious pain medications right now.) :P

     

     

  12. Posted

    The carts are exactly the same, other than the card slot. As far as SD vs Micro SD, there's no real difference other than size. Both do the same thing and cost around the same price now. I chose the Micro SD version, because I had quite a few of the micro cards already. I also have the little USB reader/writers that the Micro card slides into, so it can double as a thumb drive. That makes it much easier to add roms to the card, instead of having to use one of the older bulky card readers. Some laptops have an SD card slot though, so it really comes down to personal preference. One thing some people might not think about, is taking the card out and putting it back in. The bigger SD card would be easier to deal with because it's not tiny and hard to maneuver into the slot. The entire library of 2600 games can fit on a 32Mb card, with room to spare. Yeah, 32 "Mb" not Gb. I have over 750 games on my card. That's around 7Mb. Most of your modern cards are going to be 1Gb or larger, so space will never be an issue and you can find the cards for just a couple of dollars. There's even a chance that someone on the forums may have one they would just give to you. A Micro SD card could be sent in a plain envelope for just the cost of a stamp. Heck, if you need one, PM me and I'll see if I have an extra I could send you.

     

    I know I probably over explained that. I've got in a habit of doing that lately, but I guess it's better than not giving enough info. :grin:

  13. Posted

    My guess is the idea behind the plastic being thin, was to keep from damaging the PCB and domes by flexing. As far as replacement inner handles, you can find them on Amazon and eBay. That's where I get mine. The replacements are made the same as the old ones, so if you get rough with them, they will break too. The 3d printed ones are considered by many to be very sturdy. You'll ruin the PCB and domes before you break one of those. There are a lot of people with 3d printers now. It may take some searching, but I'm sure there's someone who will print them for you. There's also Shapeways. I don't know how much it would cost for them to make some for you, but it might be worth looking into if you haven't already. I repaired a black inner handle from a Cirka A77 joystick with some thin plastic and a lot of "titanium" epoxy. People said it wouldn't hold, but I've put some serious pressure on this thing and it has no signs of coming apart. The white ones are a different story. They are made of an odd plastic that doesn't seem to like glue or epoxy.

  16. Posted

     

    Is it possible I just got a lot of bad carts??

     

    Thanks,

    Rob

     

     

     

    Out of 100 + carts, I've only had one bad one. For you to have 4 out of 6 be bad, well, that just seems odd to me. Common carts are cheap, you could buy a few from someone here who has verified that they work. If you get them and they don't work, then it's very possible that it's your console killing them.

  18. Posted

    Thanks for the assurances above, the power supply arrived and seems to be working fine. I think it may have cleaned up a little noise in the tv signal. Though I'm not really sure, as it still gets some noise. I have a ferrite core on the way for the rf cable to see if that improves the signal at all. Depending on the time of day it seems better or worse so that really seems like rf noise......

     

     

    I actually just placed an order for six of Best Electronics cx-40 gold replacement pcbs. From the looks of it, installing these should be pretty simple and involve no soldering at all, just slip the little wire clips off the old board and slip them onto the new board?

    I hope the Ferrite makes a difference for you.

     

    As far as the PCBs, that's all there is to it, unless you need new inner handles and fire buttons. The old white inner handles are really thin where they press the domes on the PCB. Over the years, they may have become brittle or been stressed due to hard use. The fire buttons are sturdy, but if someone was smashing that button for years, the little nub on the ned can become worn. That's two things I always check when I take a joystick apart. There are decent replacements for both parts and they are fairly cheap, so it's not a big deal to replace them, if you need to.

     

    Don't be afraid to pick up some aftermarket controllers, just do some research on them before you buy one. A lot of people love the Wico, Epyx, Competition Pro, Tac-2, and Starfighter joysticks. Those are pretty well made and work well, but they cost more than the average stick. Some companies made some amazing joysticks, some companies made junk. I've read about and experienced, some amazing results from the "junk" ones. Gemstiks are fairly cheap, but quite a few people use them. There are little tweaks you can make to some of the worst joysticks to get them working great, if you don't mind the work. Depending on your DIY abilities, you can even build your own controls using actual Arcade sticks and buttons, or modify an NES control pad. The options are only limited by your abilities and imagination. Some people just use Sega Genesis controllers and they work just fine. There's a ton of information on the forums about all this stuff, so just do some searches on things you are wondering about and you are sure to find plenty of info on almost anything. When I got started, I did nothing but search the forums and read. When I couldn't find an answer, I asked other members for help and they were happy to share their knowledge. :)

    • Like 1

  19. Posted

    Some "Smart" TVs don't like the signal and running it through a VCR won't help if that's the case. I would recommend using a different TV. Of course an old CRT is best. Also, using the adapter shown in chas10e's reply is going to give you much better results than the old switch box that came with the console. You may also get a better picture on channel 2, so be sure to try it. As mentioned, most newer TVs will need to search for or have channels programed in. To do this, the TV needs to be able to pick up analog signals. The instructions for your TV should explain how to set analog channels. even though the end of the RF cable looks like an RCA/AV connector, it's not. You can't connect it straight to the TV. You either need that adapter or the switch box to connect it to the Coaxial input of the TV. That's where the antenna or cable connects to the TV. If you have an electric heater or a fan nearby, it may cause interference in the picture, so if the picture has a lot of noise or static, turn off anything within 10 or so feet of the TV and console. If there's still noise in the picture, you can put a clamp-on ferrite core around the RF cable a few inches from the console. If the console isn't working, post in the Hardware section. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message and I'll do what I can to help you out. :)

  22. Posted

    Even if it needs a little work, I think you got a great deal. The joystick looks to still have most of the orange paint on it, which means it may not have seen a lot of use. That's a good sign. The pots in the paddles should only need a good cleaning, so that's not a big deal. You got 30 games that will probably all work after cleaning the contacts. So, if the power supply is good, you've got your money's worth . If the Vader fires up and works, you got a real bargain! :thumbsup:

     

    The seller really had no clue how much shipping is. :-o

    Be sure to let us know how it goes when you get it. :)

  23. Posted · Edited by RamrodHare

    You have one good power supply it sounds like. Use it, don't worry about the other one, it's probably not worth the effort to worry about it now.

    For the carts, clean the contacts with 91% alcohol and something lint free.

    For the power jack on the console, it probably needs to be replaced.

    Forget about the original switch box and get a barrel type RCA to coax adapter.

    If you are going to get your replacement parts from Best Electronics, there's a minimum order, so get everything you think you need in one go.

    Console5.com has refurb kits that include the power jack and all the components that go bad overtime. The kit is cheap, so it's probably something you want to look into.

    If you are going to use those two joysticks, consider rebuilding them with the Gold PCBs from Best Electronics. You also need new boots for them and possibly the retaining rings for the boots. The paddles may need new pots, so think about that too.

    There's a lot of "ifs" involved in what you have and what you know about how well the stuff works, so it may come down to what you can afford to go ahead and replace and what can wait. Of course getting the console working is step one. Then you need working joysticks and paddles. You game carts are probably fine, they probably just need the contacts cleaned. The cart slot may also need cleaning. There are plenty of instructions online to help you with all the things you need to do or you can just ask the members here.

    Don't let my list of things overwhelm you, most of this stuff is fairly simple to work out. If you can't afford all the parts for everything, just focus on the console, then worry about the accessories later. There are plenty of members who have extra working joysticks or paddles they will probably sell for a reasonable price.

    If you don't feel comfortable with all the work involved, we can walk you through it step by step or there are members who will do the work for you if you don't mind the cost.

  24. Posted

    This seems cool. So sd slot for some games. Non replaceable battery once worn out it is junk. Limited supply usa only or ebay.

    Is all this correct?

    I have never seen a flashback in person. Funny they are on the 8th variety already.

    My brother in law called and said there was an atari flashback and coleco in Winnipeg 6 1/2 hours away.

    What stores to look for them bed bath and beyond only? Like why not wall mart and eb games etc. Probably want to take too much$$.

    Ok found on amazon 85 bucks before shipping..how long does the battery last on a charge?

    Seems pretty expensive. No cable to hook up to a tv?.(not needed anyways have a dozen better ways to play.)

    The Flashbacks have been around for a while. I don't own the Portable, so I don't have any info on that. Here in the USA, they have been showing up at Walmart. The Portable is $45, but the Flashback 8 is $88 I think. Locally, it seems like most stores have been carrying them for a while. Dollar General being one that has carried them since the beginning it seems. I have a Flashback 3 and a Flashback 4 with the wireless joysticks. They are pretty neat.

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