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Does a NTSC 2600 RF modulator look like this inside the metal can? The PCB is marked „ATARI © 77 CO12171 REV. 3“ and „BP3732“ as you can see. Google gave me no hits for the search terms CO12171 or C012171, unfortunately. I only found photos of modulators still inside the can, the exposed part of the PCB in those looks identical but I couldn’t check the rest, including the marking. The transistor is a 2N3906.

I have a 2600 that won't come in on my TV. I have the RF plugged into an RF>coax adapter and into the (CRT) TV and when I turn it on the TV static goes wild but no picture. So I know it's getting power. I cleaned the game. I tried both channels 2 and 3 and even did a channel search but still nothing. Any suggestions? Could it be a bad adapter? I know the TV is fine because I just used an NES plugged with RF earlier.

Hi everyone! I am attempting to play an Atari 2600 on a modern-day television. Specifically, on the LG - 77" Class CX Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV. Its specs are a little different than your average digital TV, I believe. At least different enough to not be compatible with the recommendations I see for using an upscaler. Because it's not a 60hz TV; it's 120hz. And apparently that causes...interface problems with upscalers most ppl are using. So that's fun, right? LOL.... There is also some question as to HDMI being used, tho I am not entirely clear on the reasons associated with that. This model encompasses both HDMI 2.0 as well as HDMI 2.1 (thank goodness)....which other LG OLED models do not. Apparently HDMI 2.0 is getting "phased out"....but this model, thankfully, still allows its use! Something else of note....is the "Resolution" with this model. It's listed at 2160p (not 1080p)......is that unusual? I expected it to be 1080p. And since that is double what other models I've seen list, how does that impact use of an upscaler, or even use of an Open Source Scan Converter (OSSC) in this process of getting the Atari 2600 to play (well) on this model of TV? Here are the full specs of the TV in question, the one that will be used to play the Atari 2600 on. From the BestBuy website: ___________________________________ Specifications Key Specs Display Type OLED Resolution 4K (2160p) Screen Size Class 77 inches High Dynamic Range (HDR) Yes High Dynamic Range Format Dolby Vision, HDR 10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) Refresh Rate 120Hz Specific Manufacturer Technologies HDR Dynamic, Tone Mapping Pro, Advanced Contrast Enhancer, Face Enhancing, Ultra Luminance Pro, Billion Rich Colors, True Color Accuracy Pro Smart Platform webOS Featured Streaming Services Apple TV+, Paramount+, Crackle, Disney+, Fandango, Google Play Movies & TV, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Peacock, Prime Video, Redbox, SHOWTIME, SIRIUS, STARZ, Sling TV, Spotify, Twitch, Vudu, YouTube, YouTube TV, iHeartRadio Number of HDMI Inputs (Total) 4 Works With Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant Voice Assistant Built-in Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant General Product Name 77" Class CX Series OLED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV Brand LG Model Number OLED77CXPUA Series CX Series Model Year 2020 Color Silver Color Category Silver Dimensions Product Height With Stand 40.3 inches Product Width 67.8 inches Product Depth With Stand 10.6 inches Product Height Without Stand 39.1 inches Product Depth Without Stand 2.2 inches Product Weight With Stand 79.1 pounds Product Weight Without Stand 58.9 pounds Adjustable Stand Width No Box Dimensions Height 44.5 inches Width 74.6 inches Depth 11.2 inches Display Display Type OLED Resolution 4K (2160p) Screen Size 76.7 inches Screen Size Class 77 inches High Dynamic Range (HDR) Yes High Dynamic Range Format Dolby Vision, HDR 10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) Picture Quality Enhancement Technology Cinema HDR Curved Screen No Refresh Rate 120Hz Closed Captioning Yes Language(s) Displayed English, French, Spanish 3D Technology No Features Remote Control Type Magic Specific Manufacturer Technologies HDR Dynamic, Tone Mapping Pro, Advanced Contrast Enhancer, Face Enhancing, Ultra Luminance Pro, Billion Rich Colors, True Color Accuracy Pro Smart Capable Yes Smart Platform webOS Featured Streaming Services Apple TV+, Paramount+, Crackle, Disney+, Fandango, Google Play Movies & TV, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Peacock, Prime Video, Redbox, SHOWTIME, SIRIUS, STARZ, Sling TV, Spotify, Twitch, Vudu, YouTube, YouTube TV, iHeartRadio Screen Mirroring Yes Screen Mirroring Technology Miracast Indoor Or Outdoor Use Indoor Text-To-Speech Yes Video Description Yes V-Chip No TV Tuner Digital Connectivity Number of HDMI Inputs (Total) 4 Number of HDMI 2.1 Inputs 1 Number of HDMI 2.0 Inputs 3 HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) Yes Number Of USB Port(s) (Total) 3 Number of USB 2.0 Ports 3 Ethernet Port(s) Yes RF Antenna Input Yes Bluetooth Enabled Yes Bluetooth Version 5.0 Network Compatibility Built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet Number of RS-232 Inputs 1 Headphone Jack Yes Number of Digital Optical Audio Outputs 1 Number of Component Video Inputs 0 Number of Composite Video Inputs 1 Number of DVI Inputs 0 Compatibility VESA Wall Mount Standard 400mm x 200mm Works With Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant Voice Assistant Built-in Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant Audio Built-In Speakers Yes Built-in Speaker Type Front firing Surround Sound Supported Dolby Atmos, OLED Surround Speaker Output 40 watts Power ENERGY STAR Certified No EPEAT Qualified No Estimated Annual Operating Cost 38 United States dollars Estimated Annual Electricity Use 313 kilowatt hours Rechargeable Battery (Remote Control) No Number Of Batteries Required (Remote Control) 2 Number of Batteries Included (Remote Control) 2 Included Stand Included Yes Cable(s) Included AC power Warranty Manufacturer's Warranty - Parts 1 Year Manufacturer's Warranty - Labor 1 Year Other UPC 719192637177 ___________________________________ Thoughts on what type of upscaler (if any) or OSSC (if any)......to use to get this done? Really need to play the Atari 2600 on this TV!! Man I hope there is a solution to be found. I'm open to any and all suggestions!!! Please let me know what should be used; the things to get and use, etc....even if they are not OSSC or an upscaler. I just want to know how to play Atari again, on a modern TV; how that gets done though eludes me. Pls forgive the n00bishness. <3 Thanks in advance for any and all help! With appreciation, froggerchamp ---

Have a multicard for the Magnavox Odyssey from @Boojakascha and @Mikebloke and got a handle for it from Laserbear. Took measurements and with the new handle, it's about 11cm x 9cm, and about 1.5 cm thick. I'm looking for a hard case or possibly a shock box to store it, ideally with a little bit of extra space, so I can line the case with antistatic plastic to protect the PCB Does anyone have any ideas on what the most similar cartridge would be in terms of size? (NES, SNES, Megadrive...?) Or if repurposing one of those wouldn't work, does anyone make custom cases that would fit it? Thanks!

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?

Have spent a long time waiting for an original Magnavox Odyssey video cable to come up for sale, or looking for other Magnavox consoles with the same weird proprietary AV connector with no luck. So I think the most practical solution is probably to solder an RF cable to the back of the board (seems like there's only two points to be soldered - ground plane and video signal) and connect it up to a composite demodulator/VCR. Wouldn't have been my first choice as I'd like to keep the console in stock condition, but I'm sure it'll be fine. Does anyone happen to know what the length of the original video cable was? Just want to make sure I leave enough slack when it goes into my setup, as the controller cables are quite short. Many thanks @Boojakascha @Mikebloke @Odysseus

Morning all, poster from Ireland here, TLDR version: I am utterly clueless when it comes to AV hook-ups for the original Odyssey (and also when it comes power networking more generally). Would really appreciate if someone could review my Youtube/Wikipedia research, so I don't destroy a vintage console. The Console: I have an original Magnavox Odyssey (1972) that I picked up from another guy living in Ireland. I don't know much about Magnavox's distribution history (was the idea of PAL consoles even a thing back in 1972? ) but I'm assuming it's a standard NTSC unit that was imported, as there's a sticker on the bottom saying 120V/60Hz. The guy I bought it from just had it out on display, so there's no game power cord or antenna game switch with it, and I'm just trying to figure out what my best options are to power it on (without wearing out the battery compartment), and connecting it to a CRT. Power (Problem): In Ireland, we run the UK-style "Type G" electrical sockets, that output a standard supply of 230 volts AC (frequency 50Hz). I do have a step-down transformer but would prefer not to use it if possible, as it heats up very quickly. So I guess what I'm looking for is a) a modern power supply that can accept an input range of 100-240V, 50/60 HZ), b) that's well suited to the MA1 console, and c) that has those Irish/UK style pins. Like I said, I don't have one of the original power supplies that Magnavox manufactured for the Odyssey (I have been waiting for a few months for one to pop up on eBay with no joy...), but in an earlier thread linked below, @Clong80 notes that the specs on the original power supply are: INPUT 117 VAC 50/60HZ OUTPUT 9 volts 400ma 3.5mm mono headphone jack Tip positive for polarity Power (Solution?) So after a bit of online browsing, I found this website that sells modern power supply adapters for the Atari 2600. The specs on this unit are: 9V DC 1A Tip: 3.5mm jack (Centre tip positive) https://www.retrosales.com.au/collections/atari-power/products/accessory-power-supply-atari-2600-power-supply-adaptor-pack-9v So that will supply more current than the console needs; I know these numbers don't need to match exactly, but is the difference (9V, 1A vs 9V, 400ma) reasonable enough? I'd also need a standard travel adapter to convert the Australian plug to UK pin-style. Found this unit on Amazon ("This Adapter does not convert Voltage. Please make sure your device supports 220-240 Voltage.") Per Jakob Schuler on YouTube, it looks like the Magnavox Odyssey needs a 2.5mm tip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzXlJSa_VP4&t=6m22s), so I found this 3.5mm-to-2.5mm adapter on Amazon AV Hookup: I don't have one of the original antenna game switches with the hanging hooks, but my CRT doesn't accept NTSC RF anyway, so I don't think that would be the best option for me. However, it will accept NTSC through the composite ports. And I have an NTSC RF-to-composite conversion box, which works great either on its own or with composite switches. I've had no luck finding an original MA1 video cable like this one https://atariage.com/forums/uploads/monthly_06_2016/post-32949-0-81329000-1466475134.jpg On the TV end, the little RF adapters are obviously no problem to get from Amazon, but I understand that the other end which connects to the console is proprietary? (I'm not 100% sure about this). End of an entirely-too-long post Would be super grateful if anyone could advise me on 1) whether I've made any huge screw-ups in my choice of power accessories, and 2) how to find a video cable that will connect to the console Many thanks if you stuck through to the end of this post

Got a Unicron from ebay. Initially I could not get any video upon power up. After testing the power supply, cables, and the voltage regulator successfully, I decided to fiddle with the pot on the RF modulator with my hex screwdriver. It started to turn and I did get some video but now it broke and released this graphite-looking pieces. I don't think it turns anymore. What is the most logical course of action here? Is there an easy fix for this pot? Or do I go with composite mod knowing that the machine is working? This is the only reference I could find online regarding modding a unicorn. https://theokoulis.com/index.php/2018/09/27/the-unicorn/ Ps. I was hoping it landed on a different frequency around channels 2 and 3 but reprogramming TV did not work.

So you've got a console (or perhaps several) that is/are RF-only but your TV of choice either doesn't have an RF input or it's otherwise not playing nicely with your console (I can relate to the latter, as my 2011 flat screen's RF input doesn't work with ANY consoles)? You're basically left with two options: perform a composite AV mod on your console OR get an RF demodulator, which converts the RF signal to composite. VCRs can act as demodulators, but they take up a decent amount of space. Devices actually marketed as RF demodulators tend to be *pricey* to the tune of $85-90 shipped.* I have found that 1980s/90s tv tuners and cable boxes make fantastic RF demodulators for video game consoles and they take up less space (and weigh less) than VCRs. I've got some spare "old school" tv tuners and cable boxes available. If you could use a device like this, shoot me a PM and we can discuss. I can assure you it'll be way less than $85-90 shipped! Thanks for the interest. *Don't accidentally buy the much more common (and cheaper) RF modulator, as that takes composite and converts it into RF! **SOLD OUT right now. May restock in the future but no plans to at this time.**

IMG_1069.MOV I pulled out my old 800xl. It seems to work but there is interference in the RF output. It’s pops and clicks with lines like an old VHS tracking disorder. The monitor output has never worked on this machine. The hole in the case isn’t even large enough to fit the monitor to RCA cable. I have tried many different RF cables, switch boxes, and adapters and different monitors and TVs. What do you guys think? Would it be the power supply or the graphics chip? Should I open her up and reseat chips or something? Or does it seemed trashed? I’m trying to upload a video but it doesn’t seem to work IMG_1069.MOV

Is it possible to fasten this female into shielding like it originally was? It seems to have slipped out everytime I put in a coaxial. Otherwise it is fine. I have no clue how it originally was.

Hello all, long time reader, first time poster on the forums. I recently picked up a junk Coleco Telstar Combat system made in ‘77 for a couple dollars. It was pretty roached, but it’s a rather obscure system so I couldn’t pass it up. However, after getting it all cleaned up, I plugged it to my TV to test it out, but all I got was static and no signal. I tried many times turning the system off and on but mostly no signal would appear at all. Sometime a staticky signal would fade in and out, but it was very inconsistent. Once, I even got a vague image of the actually game screen to appear for a few seconds. I’m fairly confident that the video cable coming from the system itself is not the issue and I have it hooked up to a known working RF switch that works well with my Atari 2600. So, I opened the system back up, removed the RF shield, and began to adjust the RF inductors (I’m using a modern tv). ( I attached pics for reference) There appears to be 2 RF inductor adjustments under the shield, and a screw adjustment at the top right corner of the board. I started adjusting the orange (bottom) inductor but that only caused the video to go from no signal, to staticky image, back to no signal. So I tried to adjust the white (top) RF inductor, but it wouldn’t budge. Upon further inspection, I saw the slot inside this inductor had several cracks. I desoldered the inductor from the board to examine it further, but couldn’t get it to budge. After resoldering it back on, I still have the same issue, however, the static signal seems to become more and more scarce, leaving me with no signal as I fiddle more and more with the inductors. I also tried adjusting the screw adjuster to no avail, but I’m not really sure which RF adjusters I should/need to adjust. Would the cracking in the inductor be enough to inhibit the video signal completely? Is there anything else that could be causing this issue besides the inductors? I have a rather limited knowledge on electronics as I have only been attempting retro repairs for about a year and a half, so any new nuggets of knowledge are greatly appreciated! This is a really neat and rare system that I would like to have working in my collection. Feel free to ask questions if something isn’t clear. Thanks in advance! (Note: I have the same problem regardless if I’m using batteries or the power supply).

I have a very old, crusty RF modulator for the VIC-20. Of course it worked at one point in its life but I cannot guarantee it still does and I no longer have any VIC-20s with which to test it. Yours for the cost of shipping, your choice: padded envelope for cheap or USPS Priority Flat Rate Small Box. The former will be a few dollars, the latter around $7.20.

Hi all, I recently pulled my Atari 2600jr from storage for testing. I only have one cart to play with (Battlezone) and it's not really working. I'm connecting it via RF using the original cable. There is sound but video is very very distorted and from time to time disappears altogether. Basically it's unusable in this state. What could be the culprit? Thanks

I've got an older Odyssey 2 (the kind with the beige switchbox that it needs), and I'm having video trouble. I've attached a quick video of what it does. It looks like it switches on for a split second, turns off, repeat..? I had a buddy go over and check the power supply, check the traces on the board, and still no difference. We also tried tapping the RF directly off the internal RF convertor, bypassing the proprietary cable that comes off the back. I'm hoping this is a problem someone else has encountered.

NOTE: THIS GUIDE IS NOT YET COMPLETE IN THIS ONE POST! THERE IS PLENTY MORE TO KNOW AND I'M JUST GETTING STARTED! CHECK BACK IN LATER POSTS FOR MORE INFO! Hello AtariaAge! This is a guide I've wanted to put together for a while about getting the best possible image (and audio!) quality from all of your retro consoles, including Nintendo, Atari, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, and even other consoles like the Colecovision, TG-16/PCE, Neo Geo, and Intellivision! IMHO one of the coolest things about collecting games today is the fact that we can experience them better now than we did years ago with the new technology available to consumers via the magic of the internet. If you've ever wanted to make your games look amazing on real hardware, this is the guide for you! Check out this comparison! It is truly stunning to see. For starters, you need to understand the issue non-HD consoles present: to plug into the largest amount of standard consumer televisions, all consoles from the Atari 2600 all the way until the Wii were packaged with either a Coaxial RF (Radio Frequency) cable or composite RCA cables. These pack all of the audio and video into one and three cables respectively. The video is condensed and is ruined before it even reaches your TV. However, with the power of better cables many systems can output superior quality right out of the box! Take the SNES (non-mini) for example. It can output a superior Video signal! Check out this comparison! It is even more stunning in person! However, the SNES can still do even better! RGB is a video signal that carries the video and audio over even more pins than S Video, separating the red, green, and blue parts of the image. Most RGB signals are carried over SCART cables, which were popular in Europe but never available in the USA: Here it is! The glory of RGB! However, you may have already noticed an issue here: even if your console does output a superior signal like S Video, RGB, Component, or VGA, how do you display it? Like I said no American TVs had SCART inputs ever. Also, what about systems that don't output anything anything above RF, let alone RGB, like the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision? Don't worry, there's much more to come very soon! This is just a teaser post for anyone who hasn't been lucky enough to see the glory of RGB and retro consoles looking their best.

Hi. I have a question related to compatabilty and modification of an Atari 5200. I know it is recommended that you purchase a 2 port system since the 4 port ones run power and rf through a proprietary prone-to-breaking switch box that is hard to replace. However, if I purchase a system I will be getting it s video modded. Does anyone know if the modification bypasses this switchbox (I know there is a power jack mod too), which would negate any issues and actually make the 4 port a superior option? Thanks

http://www.l-com.com/audio-video-rg59a-coaxial-cable-rca-male-f-male-60-ft I've seen mentions of F-Type/RCA adapters, but I was wondering if a CoCo 2 will work with one of these for display on a coax input on a TV. I like the all-in-one-ness of this solution if it will work.

Hey guys, so a few weeks ago I purchased an "as-is" ColecoVision off eBay. The graphics were all garbled on the display, so I assumed it was either a power or video RAM problem. Being a very novice electronics tinkerer, I figured I could give a go at repairing the console. After replacing the power switch, verifying the power supply was providing the appropriate voltages, replacing the video RAM with the 5v RAM mod, and repairing some broken traces on the RAM bus I got functioning video! However, I am not getting any audio out of the Coleco. I next wired an RCA cord to Pins 7 and 8 on the audio chip and confirmed it is outputting audio. Suspecting a broken trace somewhere between the audio chip and the RF modulator (due to my experience with the memory bus) I used my multimeter to follow the signal from Pin 7 (audio out) along the various hops on the board. Confirming no break between pin 7 and the last point before entering the RF modulator, I removed the metal box from around the modulator, separated the daughterboard from the modulator, and reconnected the board with wires so I may explore inside it. I have found no broken trace or component between pin 7 and C88. The only symptoms I now have are the staticy audio (and no game audio as far as I know), and the video signal occassionaly gives out. I'm stumped as to what the possible issues could be. I've made a YouTube video of the issue in hopes of getting some interesting leads from those on this forum. That video may be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME-nVOafMpA Thank you for any time and advice provided for this.

I am having an issue with my coleco gemini's RF signal and I need some help trying to fix it. To see the issue check out this youtube video: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8lA3OfZ3JA) Any responses would be appreciated Thanks.

Hi @ all, i'm new to atari 28 years old and my first console was a SEGA Master System 2. Atari 2600 was a few years before my time;) but i wanted to give it a try and have some retro fun. So i bought a big package containing a woodgrain light sixer, a Junior, 8 controllers and 35 games. So far so good... I connected the antenna cable of the Junior to my television (modern LG Flatscreen) and it worked perfectly. Colors and sound were all right. But the light sixer seems to have some problems. As far as i know they both use RF and both should output the same picture to my tv. But the light sixer just gives a bad picture with totally wrong colors (always the same way wrong.... see Pictures) or just Grey (and even that very poor). I tríed it on different channels (switch A-B on the console and different settings on the tv) and i even tried it on an old TV (also see pictures) Had anyone this problems too? Is something broken? What could it be? Can it be repaierd? I planned to do a AV Mod. I already ordered this kit (still waiting for it) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Atari-2600-7800-A-V-Composite-Video-Mod-Kit-NTSC-PAL-DIY-/171149875461?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27d953d905 Could this mod help with the picture even if it's that bad rigjt now? I'm unsure what to do because the light sixer should already output the same Picture as the Junior... and if i do this mod and it's still the same the broken light sixer is even less worth and i put the work into it for nothing Any idears? EDIT: i only got one PSU with both consoles... no idear if it could make a difference... it's one like this http://www.konsolenkost.de/images/produkte/i90/9030262.jpg http://www.konsolenkost.de/images/produkte/i90/9030262-1.jpg EDIT: as far as i know my light sixer should be PAL. At least the seller told me that. Sadly there's no sicker on the back... how can i find out if the light sixer is PAL or NTSC? Any internal part that Shows this clear? If the console is NTSC i contact the seller and want my Money back.

Can the RF box be disabled by cutting the four pins that connect to its PCB? I'd like to disable RF without physically removing it.

Hi everyone, I'm trying to connect my old Atari ST to a flatscreen TV (Toshiba model 37RL853). I'm not 100% clear on all of the AV terms when it comes to connecting things, so bear with me, but this is what I've got so far: -- Atari ST - connected to mains (duh) and connected directly to the TV with a phono-to-RF connector (i.e. plugs into the coax input on the TV). -- TV is on ATV mode, not digital, and I've run a scan to tune it in -- It finds the Atari signal on Channel 50 but no matter how I try to fine-tune the signal, the best I can get is a dodgy, fuzzy signal which flickers and jumps about and also sometimres flickers red/B&W. -- The cable I'm using to connect is brand new from Maplins today so I doubt it's a faulty cable? Any ideas what might be happening here and more importantly, how I can get the Atari to work on the TV? Many thanks in advance for any help :-) Danielle

Hello! I'm having a problem with my Colecovision the past couple of days. It's been working great for a couple years now. It was working fine just a couple days ago, but suddenly now it only displays mostly static on the screen when I turn it on. There is no visual of any game/startup screen. The attached pic shows the pattern of static I see. Sorry, it's sideways. The top quarter of the tv is plain black, but then there's like a reddish line and the rest is static (although the bottom quarter seems yellowish). I've tried using different RF Adapters and cables and it's the same problem (maybe the colours a little less noticeable, but same issue). For now, I'm just using a direct cable connection to the tv. I've already taken apart the power switch to clean the contacts on its top and bottom halves. No change. Another piece of info. I recently checked out the voltage readings reaching the main board from the power supply. When the power is off: Blue: -4.6 V White: 4.75 V Red: 9.7 V --Wait, isn't that a bit far off? Then I turn the power on and here are the readings: Blue: -4.6 V (same as before) White: 4.75 V (same as before) Red: 6.4 V -- Is this supposed to happen when the power is turned on?? I'm worried that the problem could be the RF Modulator. But those power supply readings seem strange, but I don't know why the system would work fine for years and then suddenly this would be the problem. Anyway, based on this info, and the picture attached, does anyone have any suggestions/ideas of the problem and how to fix? Thanks, all.

Hey Everyone, I am currently trying to research and write an article for Hardcore Gaming 101 about Gulkave for the SG-1000/ColecoVision. I have a question though. At the bottom of the screen, there is a long power-up bar with squares. The power-ups come in 1, 3, or 5. Collecting these moves you up that many squares. I am confused as to what happens when that power-up bar fills up and resets. P.S. Is there anyway to take screen captures from an rf video game system? SG-1000 is RF only, and becuase it's so rare, I don't want to get it modded. Also, HG101 articles require lots of screenshots, so this is essential. Any help would be appreciated.