Got a CV yesterday with a problem.

[HollowBeers]

I got my first Craigslisted system that included a CV with 2 standard black controllers, Expansion #1, 2 WICO controllers, (15) 2600 games, (9) CV games, and an old 1981 Toshiba TV (Sweet and still works great!) for $30. In corresponding with the lady she had stated that some of the games did not work. When I picked up the system, she pointed to the coleco game slot saying that she thought it did not work. The expansion module was plugged in. I figured that they had not pulled out the expansion module to play the coleco games. After hooking everything up (using the RCA/Coax adapter), I tried the atari games with the expansion first and they worked great after getting the TV setup. I then tried the coleco games with the expansion pulled out. All coleco games pop up fine showing the name of the game, then after about 3-4 seconds the image begins to waver and goes totally crazy. I can see that the title/load up screen content is still there, however it looks like the vertical and horizontal holds (only a description, it's not actually the holds) are going nuts with lots of static. This happens on all coleco games and in the exact same way every time.

 

Questions:

 

1)What may be happening here? Power switch? Something heating up?

2)Is it worth it to try to get it looked at? Yurkie?

3)Could I post a video in this topic somehow to show what it is doing?

4)Yurkie, I was planning on getting a refurb and mod anyway, so could I send it in and have this problem checked out?

 

Thanks to all, HB

[newcoleco]

I've seen the exact same symptome after using my good old Commodore VIC-20 computer during more than 15 years... well, it became impossible to do anything with the computer and I've just stop to use it. Back then, my theory was simply that I've used too much the computer and now dying. So, I've just get another one... at the flea market, one even nicer than the first one (became yellow-ish with time).

 

Maybe, just maybe, someone good in electronic may find which part inside is doing this to your ColecoVision, but at first my suggestion is simply to look for another one and consider that the TV-set alone already worth $30.

[+5-11under]

My guess is a video mod will fix it.

[+Ransom]

If it's in really good cosmetic condition (and therefore worth putting money into), you may consider contacting Yurkie. He may be able to repair it. Otherwise, I agree with newcoleco that you may just want to look for another one.

[Yurkie]

I got my first Craigslisted system that included a CV with 2 standard black controllers, Expansion #1, 2 WICO controllers, (15) 2600 games, (9) CV games, and an old 1981 Toshiba TV (Sweet and still works great!) for $30. In corresponding with the lady she had stated that some of the games did not work. When I picked up the system, she pointed to the coleco game slot saying that she thought it did not work. The expansion module was plugged in. I figured that they had not pulled out the expansion module to play the coleco games. After hooking everything up (using the RCA/Coax adapter), I tried the atari games with the expansion first and they worked great after getting the TV setup. I then tried the coleco games with the expansion pulled out. All coleco games pop up fine showing the name of the game, then after about 3-4 seconds the image begins to waver and goes totally crazy. I can see that the title/load up screen content is still there, however it looks like the vertical and horizontal holds (only a description, it's not actually the holds) are going nuts with lots of static. This happens on all coleco games and in the exact same way every time.

 

Questions:

 

1)What may be happening here? Power switch? Something heating up?

2)Is it worth it to try to get it looked at? Yurkie?

3)Could I post a video in this topic somehow to show what it is doing?

4)Yurkie, I was planning on getting a refurb and mod anyway, so could I send it in and have this problem checked out?

 

Thanks to all, HB

 

I'd be happy to check it out and see if I can get it working. Send me a PM if interested.

[HollowBeers]

My guess is a video mod will fix it.

 

The atari expansion video is going out just fine though.

 

This TV is a Toshiba Blackstripe (man. 1981) with Bias pots for R G B on the back and some old ass way of doing channel presets behind a front door. Probably common, but cool old school features non the less. The picture is awesome after all these 30 years! edit HAHAHA! Someone posted theirs on YouTube!

Edited March 24, 2011 by HollowBeers

[ColecoDan]

When the atari expansion is in the colecovision all processing and video comes from the actual atari expansion and uses nothing in the colecovision except the connection to the RF. So all you know is the atari expansion works perfectly and something in the colecovision doesn't.

 

 

 

 

[FABombjoy]

I had a CV with the exact same symptoms. In my case, the heatsink had fallen off of the TMS9928 chip and fried it. If I kept it cold with freeze spray it would work, but at room temp it was acid trip time.

[Rik]

I had a CV with the exact same symptoms. In my case, the heatsink had fallen off of the TMS9928 chip and fried it. If I kept it cold with freeze spray it would work, but at room temp it was acid trip time.

Yikes!Thanx for mentioning that, that's something I'll look out for when opening up my CV's