Voxel

I apologise as this is not personal... These circuits are getting old and some components will drift out of tolerance over time as a result. This will often result in poor video performance. It is quite common to see the band-aid approach where the AV mod is reached for. However on the odd unit the indication is the components should have been checked and rectified before reaching for the AV mod. With that out the way... You've got a dim display indicating there is a component (at least one) which has drifted out of tolerance and there is increased resistance as a result. You can check the components for the culprit(s) and replace, or take the lazy route and use a PSU with slightly higher amperage (I'd suggest keeping it under 2 amps).

I've borrowed from your image. The circle marks a boundary. The inside is the chassis socket and outside is the retaining nut. The whole part seems to have corroded and some oil may assist in getting the outer retaining nut to undo. As for the switches I'm interested, having just today got one to accept power, I'd like to know what else it can do. I understand Super Pong may allow speed control and additional players but as for regular Pong, I'd be impressed if it can do more.

Once you get to a look you like, get a can of automotive clear lacquer, mask off around the switch and give it a nice coat which makes it real look nice.

Please count me as very interested.

You can work backwards or forwards. Forward: Follow the power through the circuit and find where it stops. Backward: Follow from the signal output back towards the faulty component. Have you tried checking the channel select switch which may have oxidised and stopped the signal.

Is that Joust? A few suggestions: Open it up and check if any chips are socketed that they are seated correctly. Check the channel select switch is operating correctly (wiggle it a few times). Adjust the tuning pot for best picture.

They are aluminum so be gentle with them. Also they can become loose and will rotate (which glue can fix). Having said that you can try buffing them up with aluminum foil. Scrunch the foil and wrap around the stalk of the switch and rotate (applying light pressure either side with your finger and thumb). When done, get a cloth or tissue and wipe off the grey residual particles from the abrading.

Interesting, after owning about half a dozen 130XE's BITD and a few from new after 1986, I've not seen any in the UK with 4 RAM chips.

Have you knocked your machine. Also are you able to open it, re-seat the IC's and check nothing has fallen in (including fluid), causing the moving parts, connectors (inc cartridge), switches, leads, etc to be affected in any way. I'm also wondering if one of your capacitors may be on the way out, or is being shorted out by dust or debris.

From memory the third digit (8), is the year A1"8"....., I translate to 1988. As for the cracks they are from mis-handling, and I would certainly glue them before they suffer another impact and crack off, which would be unsightly. Superglue will do a good job.

If you like touch typing the squared off keys on the stepped keyboards are for you. Otherwise they are all great for typing.

You're at the point where you need to take a step back. Check the voltage line, is power getting through the circuit. Can you check continuity through the circuit and confirm it is. Check your grounding is there a short. Your "onboard" work, does it have continuity to the AV mod (check also the continuity through the circuit to the IC's).

Do it!

I'm liking the real world physical sound suggestions and there is the keyboard too very subtle but unique to the 800.

First of it's any sound generated by the internal speaker, that's very unique. I guess it also depends on what you were exposed to in the early days before the XL range. For the Pokey sounds, I vaguely remember an early tune was put out, think it was called something like "Amorada". I was thinking along the same line.

Nice work, spreading the word.

Wow!, wide screen on the A8.

Just placed my order - thanks!

I appreciate you sharing the love for many systems, can't be easy.

Hope you recover soon. Right now you're in the best place.

I still think it's the video mod I still think it's a voltage issue ?

Q*bert

Thanks for confirming. I would be interested to know if it's always the same amount of time the display goes out, or if it varies a little. If the time is pretty much consistent I'd suspect another component in the supply circuit, like the capacitor or a diode. However if the time for the display going out varies I'd also then suspect a solder connection, like on the power jack.

When you grew up with Atari, seeing what happened hurts, but then I tell myself, that wasn't Atari, that was just some tribute company to Atari.

Had a very good experience with foft as a seller, even though my purchase quantity was below his requested amount. He sourced the manufacture of SIO connectors for the A8, and offered them to the community in the post below.