What is my Atari?

[SlowCoder]

I'm pretty sure it's a light-6, based on the thinner molding on the sides and bottom. Unfortunately there is no manufacturer's sticker on the bottom of my unit. But what puzzles me is this: I've been researching and I've seen images of some of the light-4's. I've noticed the mainboard shielding is not as thick on them as it is on my machine.

 

To see an example of what I have, take a look at the following link: http://news.cnet.com/2300-1043_3-6239426-9.html?tag=mncol, and navigate to the image of the shielding surrounding the mainboard:

 

And here is what all of the 4's I've seen appear to have: http://www.leftylimbo.com/2010/04/cleaning-my-atari-2600/

 

I could not find an example of a light-6 disassembled.

 

Do all of the light-6's have this heavier shielding, or could mine be some sort of hybrid, previously repaired, etc.?

[Deteacher]

Looks like a Heavy Sixer to me. If you look at the first pic, the curved molding is the way to tell if it's a heavy or not.

[horseboy]

Post a picture of the front of your atari. The easiest way to tell is from the front of the case.

[A.J. Franzman]

Your first link is not working. Heavy sixers and light sixers have the same metal shielding. The weight difference is due to the insanely thick bottom plastic casing of the heavy sixer. If your bottom casing is mostly the same thickness as the top, it's a light sixer. Also, you wrote "light-4" as if there is such a thing as a "heavy-4", but there isn't. Some console boxes show what looks like a "heavy fourer", but that's because Atari was too cheap to re-shoot the photo and simply doctored the image of a heavy sixer.

[SlowCoder]

Heavy sixers and light sixers have the same metal shielding. The weight difference is due to the insanely thick bottom plastic casing of the heavy sixer. If your bottom casing is mostly the same thickness as the top, it's a light sixer.

I think this may be the answer. But this is the first time I've heard that a light-6 and a heavy-6 share the same shielding. I'd heard that the metal shielding was different between the heavy and light, not just the chassis. Hence my confusion.

 

My chassis is a light-6.

 

Also, you wrote "light-4" as if there is such a thing as a "heavy-4", but there isn't.

Yeah, my dumbassedness. I actually knew that.

[Benzman66]

The only difference in the metal shielding is between the 4 switch and 6 switch models.

Whether it is a heavy six or a light six, the shielding is the same, thick and heavy, however, in the 4 switchers, whether a woody or vader, the shielding is very thin, almost like tin or aluminum.

[dooglehead]

On a heavey sixer, the plastic below the woodgrain is more curved. On a light sixer, the plastic is more angular.

[A.J. Franzman]

I'd heard that the metal shielding was different between the heavy and light, not just the chassis. Hence my confusion.

That's because once a piece of misinformation gets on the internet, it never, ever goes away. Some "Mr. Know-It-All" types even continue to spread it, making the problem worse instead of better.