DIY modifications for ColecoVision

[Yurkie]

My DIY composite mod is $29 shipped in the USA and comes with cord. Info in my marketplace thread.

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/172279-yurkies-colecovision-hardware-mods-feb-2014-blinking-pause-mod-led/

 

You get the module and the cord. Solder 4 wires in place, drill one hole and trim a little metal on the shielding. PDF Instructions link in my Marketplace thread linked above.

 

 

 

 

[parkfun101]

Pause Mod: The easiest way to view the image is click on it and then save the image to your desktop and then open it with a picture editor. This site doesn't seem to let you display images at their full size.

http://atariage.com/forums/gallery/image/10335-colecovision-pause-mod-example/

Also, note there is more than just 1 place you could solder the Audio Out line to in the link above. This is just 1 way to do it.

This is for options of locations on the board for where you can do the line for the Pause "Wait" portion of the mod:

http://atariage.com/forums/gallery/image/10319-colecovision-pause-location-options/

If anyone has an easier way to do this, please post.

[jesusc]

I have 3 colecovisions which all have some sort of issue. I decided I'd sacrifice the worst looking one and try to do a composite AV mod (as well as power switch cleaning). I grabbed 5-11 under's instructions and went to Radio Shack.

Grabbed the potentiometer and transistor no problem, but didn't know which resistor to get. They come in various wattages and I didn't know which watt I should get.

Help?

[+5-11under]

I have 3 colecovisions which all have some sort of issue. I decided I'd sacrifice the worst looking one and try to do a composite AV mod (as well as power switch cleaning). I grabbed 5-11 under's instructions and went to Radio Shack.

Grabbed the potentiometer and transistor no problem, but didn't know which resistor to get. They come in various wattages and I didn't know which watt I should get.

Help?

 

1/4 Watt (or anything higher, such as 1/2 or 1 Watt, etc.) will be good.

Also, if you need to substitute parts, there's equations online for that (to double the resistance value, put two the same in series; to halve the resistance value, put two the same in parallel).

[jesusc]

thanks!

[Lomax]

Does anyone have a fix / replacement part for broken metal "bridge contacts". As you can see from the attached picture, one is cracked through, and the other has broken with one half completely missing!

[ChildOfCv]

15 minutes ago, Lomax said:

Does anyone have a fix / replacement part for broken metal "bridge contacts". As you can see from the attached picture, one is cracked through, and the other has broken with one half completely missing!

I wonder if one of those dome tactile switches could be adapted for this purpose?  https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/k/keystone/metal-key-pad-dome-switches

 

You'd want one that's as big as possible so that it doesn't make contact just by sitting there, and you'd have to solder on some legs to reach the old mounting holes.

 

[Lomax]

Well, I'm going to have to try that. I have a bunch of those domes from some Atari joystick restores I did recently.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

18 hours ago, ChildOfCv said:

I wonder if one of those dome tactile switches could be adapted for this purpose?  https://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/k/keystone/metal-key-pad-dome-switches

 

You'd want one that's as big as possible so that it doesn't make contact just by sitting there, and you'd have to solder on some legs to reach the old mounting holes.

 

Not sure the standard domes will be tall enough as the original leaf spring switches stand a good 1.5-2mm off the surface of the PCB. Even with wire leads added to them on each side, it might still have too much lateral movement to stay put when the controller nub tries to press on it causing it to move to the sides?

 

I've honestly had to use other broken CV controllers in the past to scavenge these leaf contacts from. If you didn't know the Coleco table tops of the 80s used the exact same contact leaf switches in them as well.

[ChildOfCv]

37 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Not sure the standard domes will be tall enough as the original leaf spring switches stand a good 1.5-2mm off the surface of the PCB. Even with wire leads added to them on each side, it might still have too much lateral movement to stay put when the controller nub tries to press on it causing it to move to the sides?

Yeah, that's a potential snag.  One mitigation there might be to drill new holes and bend the legs through them.  You can buy domes as large as 80mm, which is pretty impressive.

 

I see a company called Snaptron offers spring steel rectangular pieces too, but they seem to be a mass manufacturer, so you'd likely have to buy from them in thousands or tens of thousands.

[Lomax]

Yes you are both correct. The domes do not sit high enough and are awkward to position correctly.

[Lomax]

Has anyone got a couple of spare leaf spring switches they can send me?