Atari 2600 strange colors

[rtwo]

Hello, I am new to this forum, signed up to day because I got myself (yesterday) a light 6 switch 2600.

Connected it to 3 different tv's but the colors seem to be a little strange.

PacMan for example, the field should be blue but it looks pink/purple. Space Invader gives me a funy fluor green shuttle (above) and my ship is green also.

It looks like some color is missing. The guy I bought it from said to me it worked without probs.

Anyone recognize this problem, does it has to do something with adjusting the TV or can I adjust something on my 2600?

Have used the channel select switch also, but no difference.

It's an european version, I live in the Netherlands, so no NTSC version.

Oh, and I did a search on this forum, but I could mainly find problems with NTSC versions where you can use a coaxial to rca adapter.

[Benzman66]

I would think the guts are pretty much the same as the NTSC version. If that is the case, it probably needs the color wheel adjusted. Remove the 6 screws underneath the console (not the two in the middle center of the console), and remove the top. When you open the console, you will see a silver housing that contains the motherboard with a few holes drilled in on the top. If you use a flashlight and look in the 2nd hole up from the edge, there should be a "wheel" like control with a flat edge slot (could be either white, blue, or green colored). Use a small screwdriver and turn the wheel either way til you get the colors that should be coming up on the screen for the game you have in. Best game to use for color setting would be pac man or combat, at least for me it is. Good luck.

Edited May 17, 2010 by Benzman66

[tremoloman2006]

Hello, I am new to this forum, signed up to day because I got myself (yesterday) a light 6 switch 2600.

Connected it to 3 different tv's but the colors seem to be a little strange.

PacMan for example, the field should be blue but it looks pink/purple. Space Invader gives me a funy fluor green shuttle (above) and my ship is green also.

It looks like some color is missing. The guy I bought it from said to me it worked without probs.

Anyone recognize this problem, does it has to do something with adjusting the TV or can I adjust something on my 2600?

Have used the channel select switch also, but no difference.

It's an european version, I live in the Netherlands, so no NTSC version.

Oh, and I did a search on this forum, but I could mainly find problems with NTSC versions where you can use a coaxial to rca adapter.

 

According to the AtariAge FAQ:

 

"If you ever wish to adjust your color (chroma) there is a "POT" that you can tweak. It can be found near the OFF/ON switch. It is the only pot on the left side of the board."

 

Simply take the cover off and load your game. Try adjusting the pot to the desired color setting and away you go! It is touchy and a minor adjustment makes a major difference. Just make sure regular TV looks normal before you adjust it.

[rtwo]

Found the wheel in the silver housing, tried to adjust it carefully, managed to turn it in all kind of colors, but could not find the right colors.

Tried it with pacman loaded. Maybe a good idea to give the 2600 a good clean job, or are there any other ideas.

Oh, and when I am close to the right colors, screen starts blinking, between BW and Color.

Edited May 17, 2010 by rtwo

[Nukey Shay]

The color differences you mentioned in the OP jive with the NTSC versions of those games displayed on a PAL television. NTSC Pac-Man's blue backgound = purple on PAL display, etc.

 

Are you sure those carts are PAL?

[rtwo]

Could that be it, I've been told that a several games where bought in the USA and Japan. I have three copies of Pacman, and only one is giving me colors close to original (have to finetune), the other two are purple. What color would I get if I use a NTSC version of Space Invaders, I have two cartridges, both give me strange colors, fluor green ship and spaceshutle and almost white aliens.

How can I see if a cartridge is PAL or NTSC?

Edited May 17, 2010 by rtwo

[Benzman66]

 

According to the AtariAge FAQ:

 

"If you ever wish to adjust your color (chroma) there is a "POT" that you can tweak. It can be found near the OFF/ON switch. It is the only pot on the left side of the board."

 

Simply take the cover off and load your game. Try adjusting the pot to the desired color setting and away you go! It is touchy and a minor adjustment makes a major difference. Just make sure regular TV looks normal before you adjust it.

 

If it was a 4 switch woody or vader, this would be true, but on the 6 switchers, the color pot is inside the silver housing. (Albert, you might want to make that change on the info).

[Herbarius]

Could that be it, I've been told that a several games where bought in the USA and Japan. I have three copies of Pacman, and only one is giving me colors close to original (have to finetune), the other two are purple. What color would I get if I use a NTSC version of Space Invaders, I have two cartridges, both give me strange colors, fluor green ship and spaceshutle and almost white aliens.

How can I see if a cartridge is PAL or NTSC?

Yes that could be it.

 

How you can see if a cartrdige is PAL or NTSC differs between the game companies, for some you can't easily tell at all. Here is what I can say about Atari and Activision games:

 

For Atari cartridges with picture label: You'll see a little letter "P" on the end label of PAL games, which isn't there on the NTSC version.

For Atari cartridges with text label: On the front label of PAL games, there is a suffix "-P" appended to the serial number of the game ("CX number")

 

For Activision cartridges: You'll see the words "International Edition" beneath the game title on the front label of PAL versions.

 

However, as far as I know, to all those three rules are some exceptions (meaning, there may be Activision PAL games without "International Edition" on it, and also Atari PAL games which are missing the "P"), but for most of the games it holds up.

 

 

green ship and spaceshutle and almost white aliens

sounds about right... however, I don't have the 2600 Space Invaders, so I'm not 100% sure. Edited May 17, 2010 by Herbarius

[Nukey Shay]

Space Invaders is kind of a unique case, because there are 3 PAL variations. The original one released didn't have PAL colors or timing adjusted for 50hz, the next solved those issues but introduced a bug in some of the co-op games. The third one fixed the bug.

 

Anyway, this is an approximation of what you should see if you are running the NTSC game on an NTSC display, the NTSC game or the first PAL game on a PAL display, and either of the later two PAL games on a PAL display.

[DickNixonArisen]

Even though your icon gives me the gullywumpers (i been fraid of anyone with cloth on the head since I been watchin fox) i gotta say you know your shit pretty good

[classicgamingguy]

Nukey is a great information source for variations and whatnot on Atari 2600 games.

 

Don't worry, he's lovable at heart.