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Hi all. Happy new year! For the past ten years or so, I have been fixing Atari consoles and often I install AV mods as part of the process. At the beginning I was using a simple amplifier as many projects on the internet do, but I was not very happy with the video quality, so I quickly moved to the digital buffer approach. As I convert a far number of consoles every year, from time to time I will run out of PCBs and, instead of just re-ordering the same design, I try to improve it and make it easier to install, better video and audio quality, etc... Around 2018 I joined my AV design with my game pause mod: Here are some examples of my previous mods: The last PCB on the right is the one I used until mid last year. There were a few things I liked about it: It had AV and pause integrated, so it was easier to install than two separate mods There was no need to modify the console case for the AV cable The pause was controlled by the COLOR switch, so no extra switch installation The pause could be completely deactivated and the COLOR button could be used to switch the game to BW It could be mounted directly on top of the TIA and the labels on the pins made it easier to know which pins to connect for NTSC and PAL consoles. The connections were made straight down which avoided making wrong connections As it was time to order PCBs again, I started working on a new design to include some features I collected on my wish list: An easier way to configure the board for NTSC or PAL. On the last board I made, a resistor network for this, which meant I needed to decide if I wanted it to be used for NTSC or PAL as I built the mod and it was not possible to change it afterwards Gemini support. As the Gemini has a different TIA, I had to reroute the connections manually, which made the installation much more complicated and error prone An LED indicator for the pause state Better connections for the AV cable A better solution for the audio and video chaos while the game is paused. The old board had addressed a lot of the problem, but that was a lot of room for improvement So I came up with the design above which has a single jumper to configure PAL, NTSC and Genesis and the legends next to the pins show which TIA pins should be connected for each console type. This makes it easier to install the mod and also change the console type after the board was build. The other features are also included: 2600Mod_en.mov This is how it looks like installed in a Gemini: So far I have converted a couple of dozens of PAL, NTSC and Gemini consoles with this new mod and I am quite happy with the result. This time I ordered a larger number of PCBs though, so if anyone would like get one of these mods, I will soon put them on eBay for 29€, or you can pm me here. Cheers.
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- atari 2600
- atari 2600 jr
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Hi everyone, I got this drive a couple of days ago, I always open them up before powering them up, and this one has a loose wire (the white one, in the second photo). I'm pretty sure it's part of a switch+light front panel assembly, and is part of the write-protect circuit, but I have no idea where it should go/be re-attached to. It comes from the J11 pins (on the underside of the PCB), which is in the schematic on Page 5-4 of the 1050 FSM (right page, bottom left corner of https://archive.org/details/1050FSMRebuiltAKH/page/n63/mode/2up). Can anyone take a stab at where I should try and reattach it? The wiring is a bit ropey, and it kind of looks like the wires are shorting on the underside anyway, though I'm not sure if the circuit has been altered as it's also connected to a resistor at the front of the PCB near the power switch (which has also seen better days). I'm quite reluctant to power it up as is, but I'm also a bit out of my depth on how to fix it. Incidentally, the advert (on Ebay, from a seller in Belgium) showed it working/powered up. Also guessing it's a Happy clone board, but waiting to fix the wire before testing it. Any help would be appreciated!
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I shared this in my regular retro-gaming discord and someone suggested I post it here... I recently picked up a 2600 Junior for a tenner from ConsoleMad; price reduced because the cartridge interlock tabs were broken. As I researched various fixes for this I noticed all the fixes involved butchering the case in some way. I know a lot of people aren't bothered by that kind of thing but I like to preserve all the hardware I own in as close to original condition as possible - so I came up with this solution. It's just a small 3D printed plate that sits on top of the cartridge slot and releases the mechanism as the original, fragile, tabs would have done. I've stuck it down with double-sided tape so it's completely reversible. I've tested it with Combat, Warlords, Pac-Man, and Breakout and they all work perfectly.
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Hi, ever since I bought a donor board to repair my 600xl with, I've had a spare, perfectly good Pokey chip just lying around. I'm thinking of using it for a stereo mod, but I can't seem to find where to purchase a stereo pokey board. Does anyone know where I can get one?
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Hello! I'm looking for someone to do an AV composite mod for an Atari 7800. I already have the mod for it (see picture), but I don't know how to install it myself. Guessing the console could use a recap and all the good maintenance type of stuff one would do for aging hardware. Additionally, paddle controllers do not seem to work on this console when playing 2600 paddle based games. I would like for that issue to get fixed, as well. Otherwise, I've not really experienced any issues with the console. Plays 7800 games fine and most 2600 games (a few Activision games won't boot up, but think that's expected). If there are recommendations on who to contact or if you're interested in doing the work, please let me know! Thanks ahead of time!
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Hey peeps. I suddenly became interested in gaming options with NEC. I want to.be able to play Cd games and play foreign and US hu-cards. I also want to play them on my 4k tv. What do I look for without breaking the bank? (lol)
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Honest question: I've got a PAL Jaguar I bought in the UK years ago, which of course was set to 50hz. I finally decided it was time to look at modding it to 60hz, which I've always avoided because I didn't want to cut the case and add the switch most tutorials discuss. I didn't realise until now that the significant part of the mod is whether R140 bridges two points on the underside of the board, and the switch only acts to connect/disconnect those points. So I simply took R140 off the board, and now I have my 60hz Jaguar. Which leaves me with the question: are there good reasons to add the switch in the first place, good reasons to switch back to 50hz? Should I truly want to cut the case to install a switch? I like to keep as close to factory as possible.
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Obliterator - Amiga 4 Channel. My Version Of The Obliterator in game Theme on a Classic Amiga 500+
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Morning all, I’m very close to getting my original Magnavox Odyssey console back to life – I’ve Frankenstein’d together a working power solution from an Atari 2600 after-market power adapter, with a travel adapter and a 3.5mm-to-2.5mm tip adapter. I also got a multicard from @Boojakascha and @Mikebloke (thanks guys ), and got a handle for it from Laserbear The only remaining problem is the video cable. I mentioned previously in this post that original Odyssey RF cables are rarely listed for standalone eBay sales, and looking for other Odyssey pong consoles (100, 200 etc) with Magnavox’s weird proprietary RF connector hasn’t brought me any luck either. So I think the most practical solution would be to solder a new video cable to the back of the console’s main board, and that this cable will probably need to be at least 7 feet long. Question 1 (RF or composite?): In this video (around the 54min20sec mark) That Tim Guy from YouTube, soldered video and ground directly to the console's motherboard but it's not clear (to me anyway) exactly what cable he's using - in the most recent comment at the top of his comments section, he refers to the cable as carrying a composite video signal. And I guess in theory it's possible that the console could maybe generate composite video on the board, and the original external RF box turned it back to RF? But I'm a little bit confused by this as 1) I had always assumed a stock 1972 Odyssey only outputted RF, 2) I thought you could need something like @Boojakascha's mod board to output composite, and 3) later in the video, he appears to de-modulate the signal through a VCR to get to the CRT, which seems to suggest that the console itself is outputting RF. It's not going to make a huge difference to my setup - the Odyssey doesn't output sound, so either way, I'm going to be running a single cable with either an RCA or a coax connector. I have a well-shielded 7 foot RF video coaxial cable from Blue Jeans Cables (Belden 1505A) that I'm not using at the moment - does anyone know if this would be a good cable to use? If so, I could remove one of the connectors, and solder it to the two points on the board, as per the video. Question 2 (Safety) The video from That Tim Guy is quite long, but the relevant part where he displays the cable solution is only from 52m50s to 54m40s I don't know very much about soldering, and this would be the first mod I've tried myself, but I'm a little bit apprehensive because it seems like this should be more complicated than what's presented in the video (which shows that it's as simple as soldering two wires). It seems to me that there should usually be a little more to it than this. If he is pulling the video signal in this way and the youtube video isn't skipping over anything, does anyone have any opinion on whether wiring it directly in this way is creating a circuit that is safe, and not going to damage the console? -
Hello, I hope you can help! I have installed an s-video mod board from here to my pal, black label Atari jr. When I boot a game the picture looks clean and bright for about 12 seconds, before turning very dim and losing colour. The game plays fine, and there is no issues with sound, just really dark after 12 seconds. So far I have checked all my soldering for continuity, pins 9 and 13 are lifted, the bottom of the mod board is taped, and there are no visual signs of bad capacitors (my initial thoughts). Any ideas what could be going wrong or what I should check next?
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I recently (and belatedly) jumped on the mini console bandwagon and managed to pick up an Atari Flashback X in good condition, and I find it rather charming. I've tinkered around some of the firmware mods here on the forum, of course. And now it's got me thinking. Has anyone ever attempted to take an original model Atari Flashback (the one modeled after the 7800), replace the guts of it with something newer (say, the FBX board or a retropi) and flash some new games on it to make it a proper 7800 mini? Unfortunately, I have no experience in such mod projects myself, just a hairbrained idea that I thought I'd toss around amongst likeminded people and brainstorm how to go about such a project. I did manage to grab a FB1 off of ebay for dirt cheap. At the very least, I might see how hard it is to repaint it to look like a 7800 mini. I'll update this thread if I make any progress.
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I'm looking for someone in the US who can install the RGB Tim worthington mod with component output in my light 4 switch Atari 2600 system.
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Just wondering - the technology used for Adventure was simple enough that just about any 8-bit home computer or newer should be capable of emulating it. I'm wondering if anyone has done it in BASIC (maybe compiled, or with some minor ML routines, or using some BASIC expansion library, for more speed etc.) ? It would be cool to have such a code base to work with, making it easy to modify and create custom adventures...
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Does it increase the value of an Intellivision if you composite mod it? Or do people prefer it kept in it's original condition? I just got a bunch of old Intellivision 1s from a second hand store and I'm wondering if composite modding them would increase or decrease their value.
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Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone has done any fancy mods to their ST's to change the way they look. My Atari ST had cracks all over the plastic which I fixed with Epoxy, but this still left it looking damaged. So I decided to get some vinyl wrap and turn it into a little DIY project. I've attached a WIP photo below, still a long way to go. Anyway, I'd love to see what others have done with their ST's and to hear about how their project went on.
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Hey everyone! I'm currently trying to repair a ColecoVision and my Google searches make me believe that this is the forum where the experts reside Originally the CV just produced a black screen and made a weird droning noise. I found that one of the SRAM chips and one of the DRAM chips had heavily corroded legs. I also checked all the busses with my logic analyzer. CPU-side looked normal to me, but the data bus of the VDP just remained low aside from a couple of quick bursts at the beginning. So I decided to change all the RAM chips and do the 5V mod along the way. The solder at the legs of the corroded DRAM chip unfortunately was like stone and I did not manage to get it out without destroying a couple of traces and had to add a couple of botch wires. (Overall I have to say the CV is the worst soldering experience I had so far, I constantly have to work with 400dC+ and still have a hard time getting the solder to meld). Added the new chips (SRAM: Intel SAB2114PTL, DRAM: TI TMS4164-20NL), powered on the console and... garbled graphics... But well, clear improvement over a black screen. First thing I thought is that I didn't solder properly somewhere. In the meantime, however, I checked for continuity and shorts 3 times and am fairly certain that everything is connected properly. So I assumed that maybe one of the DRAM chips was bad and replaced them one by one. Replaced the 4th, and.... SUDDENLY THE PICTURE LOOKED PERFECT! YAY!!! Until I tried to switch it on again the next day. Back to garbled graphics... Coincidentally I also had a C64 with bad memory laying around, so I replaced the chips in there with sockets, added a new batch of my TMS4164 and ran a RAM tester for a couple of passes - it did not find any problems. Then I moved the whole batch of tested chips into the CV. Turned it on and... everything was fine again! Until I tuned it off and on a couple of times. Back to garbled graphics... So I moved the whole batch from the CV into the C64 and reran the RAM test. And this time, one of the chips reported as bad. This makes me think that the CV kills the chips somehow. Voltages at the chips are too low rather than too high for my taste: 4.5-4.7V when turned on. PSU when CV is turned off gives about 5.1V. I found someone else in this forum reporting the same voltage drop problems after doing the 5V RAM mod, but there was no resolution (I unfortunately can't find the post anymore). I checked for shorts and found that I have a resistance of about 340Ohms between GND and +5V, which seemed weird to me. But according to this post, it seems to be normal. I did the 5V mod following this document. I'm not really comfortable with the A7 pin of the 4164 being connected directly to VCC. I'm not super experienced with electronics, but shouldn't there be a resistor inbetween to limit the current flow when pulling that pin high? Any ideas about what might be going on are highly appreciated!
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I recently bought and installed a ColecoVision AV mod kit from Console5. It's a pretty easy solder job, everything on my end soldering has been hunky dory. No accidental bridgings, no cold solder joints, pretty as a picture. Turn it on, looks fine to start, but then slowly the picture dims until a scrolling, dim, fuzzy image. I suspect something to be wrong with maybe my power supply, but just to be sure, I hook it up using the normal RF and turn it on. I still had it on the composite input, and lo and behold, I get a beautiful, stable image! I unplugged the RF cable and immediately the picture turned to a dim mess. Plugged it back in, composite video looked great. What the hell is going on here? (Below is the wiring diagram for this mod)
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Hi, I found several topics on disk drive modifications, alternative roms, etc. and the Atari 8-bit FAQ mentions several mods for the 1050, but nothing in one place. Here's an attempt to gather that info in one thread. I have several 1050s in my possession, of which some have been modded by their previous owners. Previous attempts at consolidating information regarding 1050 drives I could find are: Let me start with a mod I found in two 1050 drives in my collection. It seems to be a happy clone, which probably originated in Germany, judging by the text on the board. The happy companion disk 7.1 recognizes the modded drive as 'happy'. ROM: rom.d2 I dumped the ROM using @E474's DUMP1050 tool, which can be found here: https://github.com/e474/DUMP1050/ ctab.d2
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Hello all, I'm looking to modify my Hyperkin Ranger controller to make it fully compatible with all my 7800 games. It looks like all the pins are in use already. Can anyone give any suggestions on how to add a second fire button?
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Do you have 3rd party carts that won't fit properly into your 7800 or 2600? I've personally experienced on a few of my systems; this is why I created the "Lock-On 2600", the Tight Cart Fix for 2600 games. No modding needed, just attach the Lock-On 2600 to your cart and plug it into your system. It couldn't be easier! This has been tested with many systems and the compatibility is stellar, see all the reviews in this very thread! Updates: 03/26/2022: The items from Winz were returned and the hardware is being reused, sadly the 3D prints are not in a usable state and will be recycled. I received the shipment of 100 circuit boards and 100 card edge connectors, this means I can make a good quantity of these for a while. Extra m3 12mm screws have been ordered, should be here in the next week. Each cart takes 3 screws for stability. @Albert has the test unit, hopefully no issues arise. 03/19/2022: A new version was created, now v3. Each case now includes clips on the front to help remedy separation and some side grips for easier removal. https://twitter.com/ChrisKewlTV/status/1505309243502649349 The Lock-On 2600 will no longer be sold by @winz_mod. The remaining stock will be sent back to me. Once the stock is returned they will be rebuilt and sent to @Albert for the AtariAge's store. 07/28/2020: Round 3 carts have been shipped out by @winz_mod. Everyone should've received a DM on tracking. If you haven't please let me know. We are still evaluating our options on placing stock in the AtariAge store. 07/23/2020: Round 3 carts are being sent to @winz_mod , they should be there on Monday. Then it'll take another week to prepare for shipment. Expect these to go out around the first week of August. I will send tracking numbers once we are ready for that I do apologize for being a week late, I fractured a bone in my foot. Everything is good now We are evaluating our options on further releases. One option we are considering is placing them on the AtariAge store. 06/30/2020: Round 2 carts will be shipped out today. Everyone should have a tracking number. Round 3 carts are being 3D printed as we speak. @winz_mod has ordered more stuff to make sure we can accommodate everyone in Round 3. Expect these to be ready around July 15th. 06/26/2020: Round 2 carts were shipped to Winz. There are 10 more carts we are sending. Each cart was tested twice before being sent out. People who requested, in order, are being contacted to see if they still wish their order fulfilled. Carts are the v2 version so they are a bit slimmer. Due to this we had to use some glue with the screws used to connect the top and bottom parts. We also tried a new method of bonding the shells to the 3D printer bed so the back logo may seem a bit cloudy. A bit of high-grit wet sandpaper to polish should give you a nice clean finish if desired. 06/21/2020: Round 1 shipments are all delivered but one, the USPS machine ate it. So we owe a lucky person a new cart. Speaking of new carts, take a look at the v2 case. Slimmer and with logos! https://twitter.com/ChrisKewlTV/status/1274581215119638529 The new PCBs should arrive next week and they are quite pretty as well. I will be showcasing those when I have them in hand. 06/10/2020: Round 1 shipments are going out today being shipped from Brooklyn by @winz_mod. Tracking numbers will be given once available. Round 2 boards have been ordered and should arrive by the end of the month. 06/03/2020: We are out of stock but we have ordered more. @winz_mod is waiting for the card edge connectors and shells so he can build them and ship them out. Demos: Atari 7800: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCnQamrC4s4 Atari 2600 Light Sixer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbDyTvMgnGk Contact: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ChrisKewlTV
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Good day all this is my first post and hopefully it’s not redundant. So I Had my faithful 800xl running smooth but was in dire need of decent graphics. This site was a great source of info and I found/ordered the UAV. I did the install. Not too tricky. However, since then I have not been able to get her to boot. Using this gorum i did some testing with differing results. RAM hasn’t changed, tried no bios/bios, cart boot etc... I’ve seen a blue screen, a screen with vertical lines. Sadly though I have yet to hear the warm bleeps of the xl booting/loading floppy. What am i misding?
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I recognize I’m late to all of this, but is there anywhere/way to get a modded Jaguar controller for Colecovision? I recently got ahold of the SGM and a dozen or so games, love them! ...but, the standard and SAC don’t quite cut it with those games and I feel like the Jaguar controller is where Coleco would’ve went to. I’ve found a handful of pics online, but no solid contact. The below image is perfect, if it’s real. Thanks!
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Hey all! I'll be getting my Sega Master System pretty soon. I'm so psyched about it! Does anyone here do modding for the system? ...HDMI, capacitor replacement, or the beloved FM synthesizer mod? I look forward to your posts! Thanks!
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I was hoping to find some information about if the Atari Flashback 9 firmware is able to be modded to use something like the Genesis Game Manager. I can't seem to find any information about the Atari FB9, only info about the 2018 Genesis HD. Anybody more knowledgeable than myself able to shed some light on the matter? -
Modded my Atari paddle to a new design with an aluminum volume knob and some adhesive woodgrain drawer liner. Here's how I did it:
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