Purchased used XEGS. Finicky with cartridges.

[AtariSociety]

Advice needed. Purchased a used Atari XEGS. Boots fine to Missle Command & Basic when keyboard is connected. Having lots of issues with any cartridges. Takes about 10 powering off and re-connecting cart before it finally accepts I have it connected and boots to the cart finally and game then works. When it does not boot, normally either it goes to the memory test screen or sometimes it is almost about to boot to cart and there is a cursor block upper left corner of screen and it just hangs there.

 

So, it is like the cart is just not seating perfect or could it be real dirty 20 year old connectors needing serious cleaning on the cart connector in Atari side?

 

Anyway, any advice would be great. Would be nice to just plug in cart and it work right away as I don't want to kill the power button having to use it so much just to play one game.

 

Thanks

 

tj

 

*** EDIT **** I think I got it tackled.... I sprayed PC Board cleaner on the cart port and erasered one of the carts and also sprayed contact cleaner on the connectors also and now she boots it seems everytime so I think we are good.

Edited May 30, 2010 by macsociety

[AtariSociety]

NOW, I just need to bypass the old style TV connector and see if I can run audio and video over to the components ports on the back of my 8 year old 40" Panasonic rear projection style LCD TV. Kind of a 1/2 breed TV that came out right before the real lite weight LCD we see now. The GUN games don't seem to work. Not sure if the TV and gun don't like each other but I will have to connect it to my Commodore 1702 and see what happens.

 

tj

[ApolloBoy]

NOW, I just need to bypass the old style TV connector and see if I can run audio and video over to the components ports on the back of my 8 year old 40" Panasonic rear projection style LCD TV. Kind of a 1/2 breed TV that came out right before the real lite weight LCD we see now. The GUN games don't seem to work. Not sure if the TV and gun don't like each other but I will have to connect it to my Commodore 1702 and see what happens.

 

tj

Most light guns don't work on anything except a CRT TV. The XEGS also has AV ports on the back so you can hook it up to almost any modern TV.

[AtariSociety]

Looks like I still have issues and maybe someone that knows Atari XEGS can answer. I continue to have finiky cartridge use. It seems unless the cartridge is just 100% perfect, it will boot to either basic screen or diagnostic screen. I have removed the case and sprayed the whole PC Board down with electronics cleaner. I re-assembled and was hoping that would do the trick but no. The cartridge always feels like it gets installed fine but I keep having to remove it and reseat it, turn it on, and after a few attempts, it works.

 

To me it just seems like the contact between cart and cart connector is not perfect. If I get it to work and just slightly move the cart forward or backward, the game screen freezes up and gobbly gook gets on the screen. So, that tells me the cart is just not seating perfect but what else can I do? The cart seems like it ALWAYS seats in nice but I guess it does not.

 

Anyway, is this a common issue with XEGS? So far on my A400, A800, and 2600, never a cart seating issue.

 

tj

Edited June 8, 2010 by macsociety

[jaybird3rd]

The XEGS is the only model that has an open vertical cartridge port. The 130XE/65XE and 1200XL cartridge ports are horizontal, and all the others had dust doors to prevent them from accumulating dust and other debris, so perhaps that has something to do with it.

 

It sounds like the cartridge port might just need to be cleaned out more thoroughly. I sometimes wrap a piece of paper towel around a popsickle stick or a narrow strip of stiff cardboard, dip it in rubbing alcohol (just enough to moisten it, but not dripping wet!), and use that to scrub the card edge connector inside the cartridge port.

[Rybags]

It's easier to pull the machine apart, then remove the plastic protector with the interlock tabs. Sometimes it'll be held in with a bit of silicone gunk, but that's easily removed.

 

Practically all my machines have had this kind of problem - it's a combination of oxidation, plus the springy contacts in the cart connector probably lose a bit of their pressure.

[AtariSociety]

It's easier to pull the machine apart, then remove the plastic protector with the interlock tabs. Sometimes it'll be held in with a bit of silicone gunk, but that's easily removed.

 

Practically all my machines have had this kind of problem - it's a combination of oxidation, plus the springy contacts in the cart connector probably lose a bit of their pressure.

 

Yes, I had taken it all apart and removed the out plastic cartridge casing from the unit.

 

In fact, somehow in the process I killed color!!! argh!

 

Don't know how the heck I did that as I wore a wrist anti static guard the whole time but somehow now I only get black and white from both composite ports and RF port to TV. 8-(

 

Oh well, looks like I killed the XEGS!

 

Anyone know why I would only get color now? Is there something I can check or replace to bring back color.

 

Otherwise, she works.

 

What I did goof up on is I cleaned the cartridge ports and made sure all the prongs were clean. In the process I get the prongs all closer together in hopes to get a better seal on the carts as inserted. What happened though is on insert of the cart, it bent a pin and I killed the XEGS for about 15 minutes. Saw the bent cart pin and bent it back into usable shape. I wonder of that killed color?

 

tj

[Lord Thag]

I've had an XEGS since release. They're ALL finicky. It's because the cart port is so loose. The slightest bump will result in freezing too.

 

Once you get the trick of it though, it's no big deal. One cheap thing that helps is cutting a couple of small pieces of styrofoam (or suchlike) and using those to kind of keep the cart plugged in snuggly.

 

They're tough as dirt, but fincky with carts.

 

As to the color, you could have damaged a trace or shorted something out. It's probably an easy fix, but I'm not much of a tech. One of the modder types on here can point you in the right direction.

[Fox-1 / mnx]

Is there something I can check or replace to bring back color.

 

XL's and XE's have a trimmer on the PCB (variable resistor). I suppose the XEGS has one too.

 

When turning this thing you'll get more or less intense colors. If the trimmer is too dirty the internal resistance may be too big and no colors will be shown. Slightly turn this trimmer a bit to the left and right with the Atari turned on. If colors will show up (may be as short flashes while turning) turn off the power and spray a little contact cleaner on/in that trimmer and turn it back and forth a few times. When the contact cleaner has vaporized turn on power and check the display again. Chances are colors now show.

 

If it works, and you want a more permanent solution, replace this trimmer with a new one. Contact cleaner is not a very long term solution but will do for at least several months, possibly even years.

[AtariSociety]

Is there something I can check or replace to bring back color.

 

XL's and XE's have a trimmer on the PCB (variable resistor). I suppose the XEGS has one too.

 

When turning this thing you'll get more or less intense colors. If the trimmer is too dirty the internal resistance may be too big and no colors will be shown. Slightly turn this trimmer a bit to the left and right with the Atari turned on. If colors will show up (may be as short flashes while turning) turn off the power and spray a little contact cleaner on/in that trimmer and turn it back and forth a few times. When the contact cleaner has vaporized turn on power and check the display again. Chances are colors now show.

 

If it works, and you want a more permanent solution, replace this trimmer with a new one. Contact cleaner is not a very long term solution but will do for at least several months, possibly even years.

 

Nope, no color what-so-ever. 8-( Turned the one pot I see back and forth and no glimpse of color at all. Other than, maybe, and it is always there, the very bottom corner left and very bottom corner right, maybe a couple pixels, appears yellow. The whole screen is black and white to the max and no flickers of color at all every appear as I turn the one pot I see next to the cart port.

 

Must be a chip that handles color that I blew out?

 

tj