Trellot

So I'm getting 5volts on pin8 of the 6502 chip and .016v on the SYNC pin7. Note: I was only testing with the mainboard and power supply powered up, no other connections. ~ Trellot

Thanks for the response! I'll try the above and post results. I have reseated all the ICs on this unit previously, hoping that'd get be booting but alas... ~ Trellot

Greetings all, Purchased an Atari 400 and all I get is a black/brown screen on the TV; with or without a cartridge. Channel select on 3 as is the TV. Heads up: I am using the following tech manual "Sams_Computer_facts_Atari_400" to troubleshoot from: http://www.atarimania.com/documents-atari-400-800-xl-xe-technical-documents_3_8.html Power supply voltages: (Note: this is the second power supply; first one was bad and I'm currenty recapping it.) CR206 BR Diode -> 11.58v CR208 BR Diode -> 11.79v VR A202 (5v) pin3 -> 5.06v VR A201 (12v) pin1 ->23.86v VR A201 (12v) pin3 -> 12.20v CR201 Zener Diode -> -5.12v Verify Oscillating Crystal on mainboard: (should be 3.579575mhz) X101 -> (using a multi-meter on Hz setting: I'm getting varied results across the board nothing particularly solid and the reading doesn't stay put, it zeros out after holding the probes for a while. Any tech tips on getting a good read on this part? All I have at the moment is this multi-meter. Thanks, ~ Trellot

Could have some funky traces based on your trouble description too.

Have you been able to duplicate this on a second monitor source? Also have you tried both Channels 2 and 3, or even a different RF cable? Are you using a TV Switch Box or an F-plug Female Adapter? That TV might not have very good internal RF shielding and with a troubled TV Switch Box right behind it... You might also try moving your RF cable around to see if anything clears up while moving it. I'm no expert but this sighting's gone stale, maybe this will jump start it lol.

Update: Brad finally did come through on those two items I called in for. A bit late and to the side, but who's complaining.

I have to agree as well. Who knows maybe my package will show up at some point, lol. Maybe the moral of my story is if you request a stock check...buy it!

Cancel this request, found these items already. Thanks! Trellot

Hey Fellas, Since BE has blacklisted me for some unknown reason and won't respond to email or put phone orders in after making the call, I find myself here asking about the following items and if any of you may have them for sale? Here's my list to BE: Looking for x1 of the following Atari 400 items: - Atari 400 US Power Side board - CA014155 - Universal Atari AC 50 WATT Power Adapter – C017945 I had more on my list to BE, but let's start with this shall we? Thanks, Trellot

Believe me, I regret purchasing mine! And I love remembering back when I did purchase it and was told, that the cost of the catalog would not be used to meet the minimum purchase price per order, bhahah!

Not a bad idea. Considering how things turn out on the BE end of things, I'm sure that's where I'll have to be. Being new the forums here I didn't even know there was a Wanted space. Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm glad @mytek that it went well. My troubles continue however. If you read back you'll see a post of mine where I called in and reduced my 9-piece order to only 2 of the most needed items. He took all of my information, double checked the credit card, etc. That was last Wednesday and to this day no charge attempt has been made on my CC account and no package. I'm really flummoxed. Did he recognize my order as relating to the emails I sent? IDK. I was never rude to him and my order email was similar to yours straight to the point and I had item descriptions with part numbers. I never get rude or nasty with anyone, the only thing I can think of was I had him check on some 2600 cart availability last winter and when he got back to me I had asked about one more title not included on the list. He got a little snappy and mentioned that stock check requests after initial stock check requests could take 3 weeks time; then he said he had more orders than could be shipped by the end of that month. Well, I needed those games for a birthday present sooner than that lol. I never made that purchase as a result of his last comment to me about the backup in shipping. That is THE ONLY thing I can imagine might have caused him to snub me, if he has. Maybe I'm just getting very unlucky...believe me, it's a thing with me...I don't gamble as result lol! This is too bad really, since I purchased a busted old Atari 400 hoping to restore it and yet now it sits... Makes one just want to drop the hobby. Ugg

I agree with this, which is why I will be willing to call in my order in small quantities so that I can continue to do what I enjoy. He has the goods and the way...well, ok!

I wrote many a story on my old 286 Packard Bell with a turbo button running DOS 5.0. I think the word processor was First Choice, but it never had word count, so when I got a copy of Lotus 1-2-3 I was very happy! I always kept detailed logs of my daily output and being able to add how many words were written per day was...satisfying ! My interest in useless facts continues today. I want to start of a Log of Generalities, such as knowing for sure how long that replacement light bulb lasted, or that it took 22.5 days for the spots on my carpet to return in full after a fast and furious low moisture top clean ... hahaha!

Yeah, I remember once he responded back to me regarding a stock check request of Atari 2600 carts. He had them all; but I then inquired about the availability of one more title. He jumped on me quick and responded back saying that they were were very very busy and a second stock check like that, after an initial stock check was already performed, could take up to 3 weeks time...?. Bahahah! Then in closing he said that they had more Atari orders than could be shipped out by the end of the month. I've seen that one in other complaint posts here as well. Sounds like some boiler plate text to me and maybe a keyboard combination to summon it forth at will in an email lol. So perhaps I am blacklisted as well, but for what I have no clue. I did send multiple emails regarding the same order, but days apart. But that doesn't explain his first non-response to my initial request. Thinking about it now...that stock check scenario I shared above...I never did make the purchase because I needed the items within a week for a birthday present and I took his word when he said they had more orders than could be shipped before the end of the month. So I left it at that and said no more. Might that have made him mad enough to kick a cat...idk... ?

ROFL! Now let all the creative juices start flowing to begin to understand their meaning!

Yeah figured as much, very cool. I've had my credit card on file with him as well, on my number, and it's worked well in the past until recently.

Lol! I thought about trying the FAX route too, but he's using E-fax so it would just be another email in PDF or TIFF format wouldn't it'? Bam, straight to SPAM again lol

Mine is BT14 from just the last couple of years. But his site says you can use this number if you ordered in the last year or so -> Best Customer number (if you are placed a Best order within a year and have not moved) Does this mean you lose the number otherwise? Have you ordered something every year from the first order you placed?

For sure I had "Atari" in the title for all of my email inquiries, however there was one that I had FWD in it since I forwarded the initial email to my work and resent from there ... that's when I started looking on his site and found the Atari requirement in the title and the SPAM Filtration System he has enabled and all the different ways to end up dead in the SPAM pot. However, to my mind, there's no way all 4 of my email addresses ended up as SPAM. I had 9 items on my list with a request of x1 of each, perhaps that was more of the reason + a particularly bad couple of weeks on his end? IDK. I've got two things coming, yay! I'll let him cool down now and order the rest in small fits, and starts and half-breaths, ha!

UPDATE: Just called in and spoke to Brad and only ordered 2 of the most necessary items on my list of 9...I resisted adding more! hahaha! That will be for another call. Ah well...If it's small orders he wants I suppose I can comply. The call went like this, "Hi, Brad got a couple items for order" ... "Hold-on..." then much rummaging and backround noise, sound of boxes dropping, then the sound of a television, finally back to phone "Ok, got a pad and pin shoot". Hehehe

It's kind of amazing they'd have this stuff listed at all. I'd have thunk that Sears would have sent it to landfill or recycle oh so long ago! At any rate I took a look but there's nothing I need. I can't get Brad from BE to respond to any of my emails anymore...maybe he's going OOB, like Sears... ?

I've ordered via email a majority of the time, one phone call only. Never experienced a complete Black Out like this though. I can't believe that ALL of my emails have become subject to his SPAM Filtration System however! I did read through the Worst Electronics thread posted here with much mirth and hilarity! ? Perhaps knowing now that Brad is every bit the curmudgeon...something that, as I look back on some of our email exchanges from the past, explains a few things...I wonder if he hasn't Blacklisted me due to having more than 4 items on list for purchase? Ha!

I'm having a devlish time getting a response from BE! I've sent like 7-8 emails from 4 different accounts over the course of several weeks; no response. His site talks about a SPAM filter, so I changed my titles on the emails and on and on. Then I called it in and left a message and return number...nothing lol! His hours are like a few hours in the afternoon, so I'll probably have to call in although i'm so busy during that time ugg lol! Anyone else having similar issues? Note: I've used all these email accounts in previous purchases with Best, so I don't get what's going on... I know this isn't necessarily 8-bit related, although the parts are all for an Atari 400 repair so figured why not here lol! ~ Trellot

FINAL UPDATE: I realized I never finalized this post with the latest details. What I ended up doing with this unit was to perform an AV Mod upgrade on it and and pulling out that RF Modulator. Now the unit looks great, plays great and sounds great! I recently gifted it to my brother who is having a blast with it. Well, that's it! Have a great day everyone! ~ Trellot