modifying the 2600 cart slot to take damaged carts

[BSA Starfire]

Hi all,

 

I have a six switch PAL VCS and a number of games with one or both of the tangs that open the dust protector on the slot missing. This makes it either very hard or impossible to insert the carts into the machine. Is there a way of safely removing the dust protector from the console so I can use these carts(why is it always the rare stuff missing these tangs?). I would use the 7800 instead but the cart slot on that is too tight to take a lot of my 2600 carts.

Thanks folks!

Chris

[alex_79]

The plastic cart guide is assembled with the connector by screws. Unfortunately, to access them (so that you can disassemble the cart guide and remove the dust protector) you have to desolder the connector from the main board.

 

I suggest you to modify the 7800 cart slot instead.

The problem with the 7800 is that the corners of the plastic cart guide are bevelled. Carts with squared corners (those by Activision and Imagic, for example), are difficult to insert or they don't fit at all.

 

 

 

 

To modify it, disassemble the console and remove the shielding from the board. The screws which connect the plastic guide are accessible from the bottom of the board. Once removed, simply cut out the corners of the guide and reinstall it.

 

 

 

Since the cart guide is quite recessed in the 7800 case, the mod is hardly visible once you have reassembled the console.

 

 

 

Another solution is to buy a atari 2600 "junior". This model does't have the dust protector and accepts all type of cart without the 7800 issues.

[BSA Starfire]

Thanyou very much, I agree the 7800 is definetly the simpler solution as I have soldering skill akin to those of a three toed tree sloth.