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Showing results for tags 'Fairchild Channel F'.
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Note (Dec-11-2023): I will be out of the country for ~2 months, so selling/shipping won't occur until then at the earliest. I'm bringing my Channel F with me though, and expect the development to be completed before I'm back Videocart Pi This flashcart (powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico) allows games to be loaded from an SD card and played on a real Fairchild Channel F. It supports loading both official games, and homebrew, through the built-in multi-menu. Using a μcontroller also allows for additional features like FRAM & timers. It's currently in the final stages of development, as there's a few bugs left to tackle (particularly with non-NTSC units). Thus price/release date are TBD. Prototype units were shipped and are being tested by two other users. The 3D files for the case were provided to me by e5frog. Development Log The remaining tasks to be done before release Adjust timing to be within spec Resolve cache issues Investigate issues with hangman custom words Support for directories in multi-menu The following tasks can be done after release (as a firmware update) FRAM drivers MK3870 / MK3853 port emulation Any other interesting uses I can think of for the μcontroller Waiting List First come, first served, but there's obviously no obligation to purchase it upon release. This waiting list just helps give me an idea of demand, as it's cheaper to buy the parts in bulk. Comment below or send a PM if you think you'd be interested! atari2600land Sonaru eebuckeye Killjoyy27 retrogmr fdr4prez cjherr Dopy25 ianoid Rick Reynolds thevnaguy Ron Peters CoachOta GDT2019 Rob Mitchell jgkspsx Mooreshire iddod SkydivinGirl skosh Chuck D. Head swlovinist mckafka99 TheCoolDave stupus KylJoy fred TPR CRT_rex ZeroPage Homebrew Revontuli lucifershalo crux
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Fairchild Channel F System II Badge Replacement
mischna posted a topic in Classic Console Discussion
I acquired a Fairchild Channel F System II several months ago and, while it was in pretty good shape (and working!), the badge/label/text 'Press to Eject Cartridge' was missing. I don't know how common this issue is, but I just finished making a reproduction using a laser engraver, and thought I'd share the LightBurn file with anyone who might happen to come across this same issue. Thanks to folks on the Facebook Fairchild Channel F Fan Page for providing a hi-res version of the badge. Using LightBurn, I was able to trace the text and clean up the edges. I used a Creality Falcon 2, 22W laser for the engraving, on 0.8 mm black anodized aluminum. After rough cutting the badge out of the blank, I filed down the aluminum to the inner edge of the border, using a needle file to round the corners, since the 22W laser cannot cut through aluminum. Settings in the attached file worked for my system, but YMMV. Is it perfect? No. You can see laser dithering if you look close up, but from anything more than 12" away, it looks just fine. I'm sure there are ways to improve the process, and so I encourage anyone needing/using this file to adapt it appropriately. Enjoy! Fairchild Channel F System II Badge.lbrn2
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Troubleshooting a Luxor Video Entertainment Computer. It has detachable controllers so it's a Luxor Video Entertainment Computer "II" I guess (?) Is there some schematics for the Fairchild channel f II ? The ones I have seen seems to relate to the first version. When starting it I get video like on the attached photos, for a couple of seconds, then the video just cuts out and nothing more happens. When I start it the first time after some rest, I get a couple of seconds more than after just a quick off/on (so I'm thinking some capacitors, possibly power supply is involved). With somewhat limited electronics skills I have examined the 8-wire cable from the transformer/buttons board to the mainboard and my theory is that the pins are: 1. Power (unregulated 5V?) - 9.5V on my unit 2. Power (unregulated 12V?) - 19V on my unit 3. MODE button 4. TIME button 5. HOLD button 6. RESET button 7. START button 8. GND Any comments or tips on how to proceed is welcome !
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Hello all. I've been reading these forums for a few years now, but this was an odd enough issue I felt I needed to finally create an account and ask for help. Unfortunately I realized about 10 seconds after making it that this may have been a poor choice of username. Anyways, I've acquired a Fairchild Channel F (I believe the second revision, with four 40-pin DIP sockets) as "Not working" for fairly cheap off eBay. It came with two cartridges for an Arcadia 2001 and a video cable which had been chewed off. I figured I could probably get away with repairing or replacing the cable and the machine would likely be fine. Wow, was I wrong! Opening it up, it looks like it's been underwater for some time. Rust and corrosion everywhere, and it left dirt everywhere on my desk. Victim of a basement flood? Who knows. I spent a lot of time cleaning the entire machine inside and out to the best of my abilities, cleaned and reseated all socketed chips (Only one is not socketed), and threw the machine back together. After lubricating the buttons and controllers, the machine started showing signs of life, for example it would occasionally make a beep when you powered it on. Never anything on screen. I made sure the TV was working using an Intellivision I had laying around. Came through perfectly clear on the same setup. Since this was cheap and I'm not exactly attached to the machine, I just left it plugged in on my desk for a few hours. It appeared to be improving by doing this, as I started to receive a very odd looking pattern on screen: The pattern kept changing, coming and going, with various odd sounds from the system's speaker. At some point, I left the room to get something to eat. Coming back up the stairs, I hear an oddly rhythmic beeping coming from the machine, still no picture on screen. Eventually it dawned on me that it was now playing Hockey! This is a very, very good sign. Video I continued to let the machine run for a while longer but never really got much more on screen. Eventually, I got tired and packed the machine up for the night, which is when I made my account here and made a post on Reddit in "Console Repairs" asking for help. When I came back from work, I set it back up and the machine did have some very fuzzy video output, but it was only white vertical bars and it went away immediately as soon as you pushed any button or touched the controllers, at which point the picture went back to black and never came back. Following my policy of "Leave it running," the machine mysteriously has self healed a bit more. At the recommendation of a Reddit user, I used a plastic screwdriver to adjust both the slug inside the RF can (This made the picture significantly sharper and clearer, as you can see above, but didn't change much else, including that it would eventually disappear) and the variable capacitor on the oscillator crystal. Turning this had virtually no effect on the machine at all, if turned too far one way the machine stopped running and the video went to static, if turned too far the other way the machine stopped running and the video went to static. No help there, I just twisted it back to where I found it and put it all back together again. Now, on first power up of the machine, I receive these white bars until you push Reset. When you push reset, the bars clear and a garbled "G" appears at the top of the screen. Pushing 1 or 2 causes the screen to flash wildly and then a bunch more garbage is drawn on screen. If you push Start, the game will actually audibly start (you can hear the beeps and fiddling with the controllers will cause the game to change) but the picture is mostly unintelligible. In Hockey, the left player's score is repeated four times in two rows across the bottom of the screen, the ball is duplicated four times in two rows across the top of the screen, the paddles, goalies, and playfield are all invisible, and there is no color. It appears as if only every other pixel is being drawn. Video After a few minutes of this, the picture will eventually start to flicker and lose sync until it just plain goes away, fading totally to black and not coming back unless you unplug the machine for several minutes. Video The game logic is fully working for both Hockey and Tennis. I do not have any cartridges to test with at the moment. If you fiddle with the controllers enough, you can actually score points in Hockey and win a game! To me, this looks like an address problem. Maybe a crossed address line somewhere? I'm not sure. I'd love to hear any suggestions. The poorly scanned "Service manual" available here has a few photos in the back for "diagnosis." My output most closely resembles photo 114, to which the fix is replacing the PSU. However, I am lead to believe that my PSU is not bad. -The CPU is clearly running, which means that the instruction decoding MUST be working -Both games run and their logic works properly, which means that the internal ROMs MUST be working -Both games keep track of score, and the position of paddles and balls, which leads me to believe that the RAM is probably working -Both controller inputs and all hard keys on the machine are working, which means the IO lines MUST be working These are all functions of the 3899 Program Storage Unit, so I do not think mine is bad. tl;dr "Video output wrong but game is working, I don't trust the sketchy service manual I found online" If anyone has any further thoughts on what this could be, or if it turns out to be a PSU then has a spare I could buy, that would be very much appreciated.
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Hello there, After months, I'm still wanting to buy two Fairchild Channel F Model 2 controllers that are detachable and I can use those controllers on MAME. I could try getting the console itself but it's really expensive and the AC adapter is very, very old. Does anybody here have two spare Fairchild Channel F Model 2 controllers that I could buy? Please send me a PM if you have two spare controllers.
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HI! Looking for a functioning Fairchild Channel F -- preferably System II but not exclusively. If you have one you'd like to get rid of, please send me a message and we can work something out!
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Does anyone know if clear plastic cases exist for Channel F games? I know the other popular systems have fitted ones but I cannot find them for Channel F games.
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From the album: Fairchild main boards
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I am wondering if the Fairchild Channel F would be a good console to finish rounding out my collection on? Oddly, when I started into the whole retrogame bit in the late 90's, I used to occasionally run across these systems, but concentrated on Atari instead. Even a few years back I would still occasionally find a cartridge at Goodwill and probably should have picked those up.
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The Video Game Critic has now added the Fairchild Channel F to his game review library, the first 3 are up: http://videogamecritic.net/channelf.htm -
I just got a very clean Fairchild Channel F System II and it seems to work pretty well. The problem I have is that the color is really messed up. Is it true that there is an adjustment pot located inside? I tried opening it up to see for myself but only two screws are exposed and removing them got me nowhere. I am hoping someone can tell me whether or not there are screws located underneath the cork foot pads. They are in really nice shape and I don't want to remove them unless I am sure I have to.
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