nice find today and why do activision carts have to suck???

[inextremis staple]

ok

got:

circus atari

cosmic ark

demon attack

freeway

ice hockey

indy 500

name this game

solaris

and venture

 

1. why do activision carts never work for me

all i ever get is a scrambled screen and the ones i do get to work i have to have them pulled half way out of my 6er

 

2. my indy 500 end label is weird: its goldish instead of black with white border and lettering

 

anyhelp on any of these

 

is

[King Atari]

I've had Activision carts act up on me too, just goofy, I guess.

 

I have a text Breakout with the golden boarder end label. Just a variation, I think.

[MaxSpeed]

I can usually get Activision carts to work, but sometimes they require a lot of cleaning. Maybe bacause the connector is always exposed unlike the Atari carts. Maybe because they were played so much and have more ware & tear. I have often wondered if their PCBs are thinner as well.

[MegaManFan]

I can usually get Activision carts to work, but sometimes they require a lot of cleaning. Maybe bacause the connector is always exposed unlike the Atari carts. Maybe because they were played so much and have more ware & tear. I have often wondered if their PCBs are thinner as well.

 

I've spent a lot of time cleaning Activision carts myself, and I always assumed it was their lack of dust covers. The only one I could never get to work was a copy of River Raid.

[oesii]

I spent a long time cleaning up a copy of Pitfall that finally worked but I have a dead Freeway that never got started up. I've noticed Activision carts have more problems than usual.

[Big Player]

I think--and have nothing to base this on but a gut feeling--that Activision used cheaper materials than Atari and others in manufacturing their cartridges.

 

However, their games are the best and worth the hassle in getting them to work.

[SS]

I think--and have nothing to base this on but a gut feeling--that Activision used cheaper materials than Atari and others in manufacturing their cartridges.

 

 

How do you think I got "So Rich"?

[Yar]

It's probably due to the exposed connectors. I wonder why they chose to go with exposed ones-ease of manufacture and reduced cost? It doesn't seem all that hard or expensive to make.

[inextremis staple]

well i finally got freeway to work

i have to just barely set it in the slot and turn on the power

i still have an ice hockey and kaboom! id really like to see working

oh well

im trying alcohol and eraser

any other ideas?

thanks guys

its good to know im not alone with the perpetually dirty activision carts

 

is

[MaxSpeed]

Last resort, use very very fine sandpaper to clean the connectors. Be careful, once they are shiney; they are clean !

[inextremis staple]

sand paper eh

thats safe

i suppose i could as a last resort

ill try a few more times of alcohol and eraser first tho

thanks

 

is

[D.Yancey]

I've experienced this problem also. Alcohol usually works for me. Some of the carts remain "touchy" even after cleaning. The slightest touch or vibration can cause them to "wink out" during a game. I have found that they tend to "warm up" or "settle in" on the VCS after you play them for a while and cause no further problems.

 

Perhaps they were just lonely after not being cared about for soooo long. Talk to them and make them feel better in their new home. Tell them you will take wonderful care of them always.