Atari fans, I need your help!

[atari52]

I need some help from you Atari fans.I bought a heavy-sixer from e-bay the other day.I bought it as-is,but I thought it would still work since it is an Atari.I took it apart and noticed that someone has daisy chained a red jumper wire from switch to switch. I also noticed that the power adapter switch is shot.even the bord has a burnt spot.My question is,do you guys think I should restore it?It would be no problem for me if the case was in better shape.The front bezle is warped,and the casing is pealing.the wood grain is also faded(turning black) I just don't know what to do with it.I want to restore,but is it worth it.It as a heavy sixer and,it does have a low S.number.Does best electronic sell a new mother bord and,control bord? Can the top and,bottom case be restored? I have never posted a picture on this site,but I will try to get you guys some pictures. Please let me know what you think.Thank you.

[+save2600]

Sorry, but that thing looks like a real hunk-a-hunk-a- burning shite! lol IMO, you'd be better off just finding a new machine before trying to repair any of the cosmetics. The power switch is an easy fix or replacement (first trying touching up the solder joints) and that wire going from switch to switch may just be a ground reinforcement. May as well leave it if they all work.

[jaybird3rd]

There are a few things you could do to clean up the case (light scrubbing of the smaller scratches with Magic Eraser to smooth them over, some careful painting on the worn areas of the bezel and woodgrain), but I think save2600 is right: that case is really too beat up to be worth the effort. I'd concentrate on getting it working first. I don't know about heavy sixer boards, but Best Electronics does sell replacement switches if you need them. I can't say I've seen a 2600 with a wire across all the switches before, but I have seen them with foil tape connecting all the switches, so it probably is for ground as save2600 suggests.

 

Assuming you get this one working, you can keep it for everyday use and get a nicer one for your collection, or you can get another (non-working) 2600 just for the case.

[atari52]

Thanks guys for your input.I just don't know what to do with it. I hate to throw it out,because it is a heavy sixer! If I decide not to fix it,would any of you be interested in it? I think I got like $15.00 in it.I can say that the red wire is not factory.Makes me think there is a short in the switches or in the bord.I wounder if a light sixer top case will fit.Maybe I can transplant the guts from a light sixer to this heavy sixer case.

[jetset]

I bought a heavy-sixer from e-bay the other day.I bought it as-is,but I thought it would still work since it is an Atari.

 

Ebay + "as-is/untested" = busted.

[Kurisu]

Thanks guys for your input.I just don't know what to do with it. I hate to throw it out,because it is a heavy sixer! If I decide not to fix it,would any of you be interested in it? I think I got like $15.00 in it.I can say that the red wire is not factory.Makes me think there is a short in the switches or in the bord.I wounder if a light sixer top case will fit.Maybe I can transplant the guts from a light sixer to this heavy sixer case.

 

I would take it, or whatever you "don't use" of it.

 

I am known for taking random junk. Hehe.

[tetrode kink]

...I can say that the red wire is not factory.Makes me think there is a short in the switches or in the bord.

One of the Atari 2600 service bulletins instructed repair technicians to put anti-static strips across the switches of any Atari 2600s they received for repairs. Maybe the previous owner of your 2600 couldn't get the specially-made strips so he improvised with the red wire hopscotch. In your 3rd picture, is that long red wire going off the bottom of the pic attached to a ground point? If so, that's probably what he was doing.

 

As I read through this thread, you didn't actually say anywhere that your 2600 doesn't work. I'm assuming it doesn't work because you said "the power adapter switch is shot." So I assume you mean the power switch. Have you tried jumping the switch to see if the machine powers up?

 

-tet