Atari stopped working?!

[krambigmac]

Forgive me for posting on this board about my 7800 but since it is the most active board and I only really play 2600 games, I hoped it would slide.

 

The system is clean and the games are clean. What happened was I was playing Enduro and the game just went black on me so i turned it off and then on again after a few seconds. The power light turns on but the picture is black and occasionally there is a strange noise when it turns on. The noise is kind of high pitched.

 

I tried changing the TV cable from my gold plated phono cable to the original Atari brand phono cable. I use the phono-F connector so no switchbox needed. This changed nothing. The power supply is new from Atariguide.com and seems fine since the light turns on.

 

I opened up the system but that RF shield is in the way and I don't want to break the tabs by mistake. I've blown canned air into it before and after this problem started. It isn't the TV that's the problem or any of my cartridges. The only thing I can imagine that I may have done was not letting the rubbing alcohol dry totally before playing the game but the game did work for around 10 minutes before it went black.

 

Fortunately Super Smash Bros comes out today so I have something to play but I miss my Atari already.

[rockman_x_2002]

What happens when you try another game in it?

 

With my 7800, sometimes it's a bit finicky about playing Activision carts. It doesn't get a good connection sometimes and required reseating the cartridge.

[shadow460]

Don't worry too much about breaking the tabs off--they just twist straight and you're good. I'm not real sure how 7800 systems die, but there are others who know more than I do. I know I've done some stuff to my 7800, including trying to run a bare board installed backwards!

Does your system have a full expansion port on the side? If so, the IC's within the shield may be socketed. If that's the case, re-seating them in their sockets may help. By the same token, if you have a ot of patience and some good soldering skills, re flowing the entire motherboard may be an option. I've never heard of that being done before, though.

Does the cart warm up with extended play? A voltage regulator behind the cart slot normally causes this. If the cart doesn't heat up after a while, perhaps the voltage regulator has died. It'll heat up in the area where the word "Enduro" appears, assuming you have the original green cart.

 

If it turns out to be the Activision carts, there is a very easy way to make them all fit correctly.

[krambigmac]

I'm leaving it on for a few minutes to see if it heats up but I'm getting that high pitched noise. It isn't just Activision carts because Skate Boardin' used to work and now it doesn't. I played a bunch of Activision games before Enduro the day it died and the previous few days so I wouldn't blame it on Activision at all.

 

Edit: I checked for heat and there definitely was some. When I move the phono plug around, the tv will sometimes go snowy but the beeping stays constant throughout. I've tried 2 sets of cables but I wonder if the port is the problem.

Edited March 9, 2008 by krambigmac

[Rik]

Hmmm,thats strange,my Enduros all do that also.And all my stuff is immaculate,cleanliness wise.I have 4 Enduros,and all do exactly what you said,on my VCS'S,and all my other 2600,compatables.I have to insert them several times to work,just those and my Pitfalls do that,dont know why though

Edited March 9, 2008 by Rik

[shadow460]

I'm leaving it on for a few minutes to see if it heats up but I'm getting that high pitched noise. It isn't just Activision carts because Skate Boardin' used to work and now it doesn't. I played a bunch of Activision games before Enduro the day it died and the previous few days so I wouldn't blame it on Activision at all.

 

Edit: I checked for heat and there definitely was some. When I move the phono plug around, the tv will sometimes go snowy but the beeping stays constant throughout. I've tried 2 sets of cables but I wonder if the port is the problem.

 

Hmmm, this is beyond my limited troubleshooting capability. Other than re-seating ships, I don't know what's going on. Some folks in the 7800 forum will probably know more about it.