Identifying 7800 cartridge types by weight

[gdement]

There are many 7800 games which are known to have used a few different internal PCB's. Homebrewers will want to know what PCB's are inside the games they consider modifying, but you can't open an Atari cart without damaging the label. There could be a way around that - if we can establish the weight of different types of Atari carts, we could identify PCB's quickly and harmlessly using a scale.

 

I weighed all my cartridges, but I haven't opened them so this information isn't as useful as it could be by itself. But with more contributions we could find what weights are typical and what isn't. The only cartridge I've opened has already been heavily modified, so the weight of that cart is no longer original. I might be able to reverse calculate it sometime. I've left the board types blank even for Ballblazer, because on principle I don't want to record unverified assumptions.

 

 

Game			Weight(oz)	Board Type
---------	   --------	  ----------------
Ballblazer	   2-5/8
Centipede		2-1/8
Choplifter	   2-1/4
Dig Dug		  2-1/8
Donkey Kong	  2-1/2
Donkey Kong Jr   2-3/8
Food Fight	   2-1/8
Food Fight(#2)   2-1/8
Galaga		   2-1/4
Joust			2-1/8
Ms Pac-Man	   2-1/8
PolePositionII   2-0
Robotron:2084	2-0
Tomcat		   2-0
Winter Games(#1) <??>		  C100339 w/ RAM
Winter Games(#2) 2-5/8
Xevious		  2-1/8

Boxed Games								Weight(oz)
-------------------------------------	  ----------
Ballblazer (boxed+shrinkwrap+hangtab)	  5-1/4
Centipede (boxed+shrinkwrap+hangtab)	   4-0

[Dragnerok X]

...Homebrewers will want to know what PCB's are inside the games they consider modifying, but you can't open an Atari cart without damaging the label...

 

Damaging the label, eh? Have you considered heating the label before trying to take it off? It really works well for me, peels off easily. Still leaves a little residue, though.

Edited January 28, 2007 by Dragnerok X

[+Mitch]

I just look in the end of the cart and can tell from the board markings which model is used. It's really not that hard.

 

Mitch

[gdement]

I just look in the end of the cart and can tell from the board markings which model is used. It's really not that hard.

 

Mitch

 

You're right - I looked mine over and it's pretty easy to match up the pattern of solder holes with the pictures on Dan Boris' web site. That's much better than what I was trying to do.

 

I also discovered why one of my Food Fight carts wasn't working - the previous owner apparently took it apart and turned the PCB upside down.