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Need advice to get my 2600 repaired


gardenmaniac

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hey all.. I'm new to this board.. I have our original 2600 up in the attic, I brought it down about 5 years ago after it had been packed up for 15 or so years. Basically it wouldn't work.. did some research at the time, some common issues needed to be addressed, packed it back up and did nothing. While recently looking at some ads & running across the Atari Flashback systems, I am thinking about our little attic stash again. Is there a reputable someone or several someones that will go through this thing and repair it? Sounds like alot of you do your own work.. not feeling like that is a good idea for me! :)

 

I might invest in a flashback system to give to my son to play with his kids, but the games are not the ones they used to play. ( Frogger, River Raid, Fast Food ) And sounds like reviews for the new Flashback 4 are not all that good.. so thinking I might look for a 2 on ebay. Would appreciate thoughts on that as well.

 

Thank you!

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Like Thomas said, it's probably something simple and mundane. Atari systems rarely die from just sitting around. It could be something as simple as giving the power switch a good cleaning. But we need more info, man! :)

 

Although, as a general rule, I wouldn't store electronics in an attic if it's unfinished or uninsulated, since they can get very hot and very cold. The wild swings in temperature can warp boards and unseat chips and break other connections.

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@gardenmaniac

Most of the most common problems are easily fixed, even for someone with limited technicjal skills. Probably just a good cleaning. We are always available to answer questions.

 

If you decided to ship it to someone here to fix (there are plenty of us with knowledge on it) you'd have to consider shipping and payment for services, unless whoever did it went gratis. Is it worth it to you? You'd also probably want to send us your games to be cleaned, as that is an important part of the process.

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Some general cleaning tips include:

 

Spraying switches with contact cleaner. Give it a good shot of contact cleaner and work the switch up and down. Allow to dry.

Using a Q-Tip with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol on the contacts of the cartridges (you can also use a pencil eraser to clean up the contacts on the carts.)

Taking a thin piece of cardboard/cardstock, wet with 91% Isopropyl alcohol and sliding it in and out of the cartridge port (gently) to clean those contacts. Allow to dry.

 

Depending on your soldering skills, if you find a loose or broken solder joint, just reflowing the solder will restore functionality. Most times, chips don't need to be replaced...just a little TLC will bring these things back to life.

 

Best of luck to you! :)

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No time to "play" before Thanksgiving as everyone is coming here for dinner. I will start with a good cleaning, etc as outlined above, then move on to checking broken solder joints. I'm kinda sentimental about old stuff.. kept most of the kids toys & the grandsons love them as they are "new" to them. If I need to send it off for repair, that's ok..

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No time to "play" before Thanksgiving as everyone is coming here for dinner. I will start with a good cleaning, etc as outlined above, then move on to checking broken solder joints. I'm kinda sentimental about old stuff.. kept most of the kids toys & the grandsons love them as they are "new" to them. If I need to send it off for repair, that's ok..

Tell you what, you pay for shipping both ways, and I'll see what I can do to bring that thing back to life. Unless there's a major part broken, I won't charge for general cleaning/refurb. I would want to receive all important parts, including power supply, console, cables and controllers. Would also like you to send me all of your games. I'll give it all my own touch.

 

See my console/controller cleanup thread here: http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/184296-slowcoders-guide-to-cleaning-up-your-2600/

and my cleanup video:

to see the detail I go to.

 

For honesty sake, I've rebuilt quite a few consoles, but all of them are my own. You'd be the first person I've done this service for. I could use a downtime project. :) I'm sure a few members here can give you positive references about me. If you're interested let me know and we'll sort out the other details.

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And by the way, the Flashback 2, 2+, or 3 are all fantastic. You should be able to find one complete on ebay for $20 shipped. It is a bargain at that price.

The Flashback 1, on the other hand ... bleh ... Not a bad console, but also not up to snuff when compared to the FB2 and FB3.

 

Unlike the FB1, the FB2 and 3 can be converted to play actual cartridges ... OR EVEN BETTER, to install a Harmony cart internally so downloaded game ROMs can be played. The big benefit of this is that the FB consoles are physically small and easily portable.

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Tell you what, you pay for shipping both ways, and I'll see what I can do to bring that thing back to life. Unless there's a major part broken, I won't charge for general cleaning/refurb. I would want to receive all important parts, including power supply, console, cables and controllers. Would also like you to send me all of your games. I'll give it all my own touch.

 

See my console/controller cleanup thread here: http://www.atariage....g-up-your-2600/

and my cleanup video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ocnQGPgLo&list=UUxhCr9eb2pLtUGhx3BD4TXQ&index=9&feature=plcp

to see the detail I go to.

 

For honesty sake, I've rebuilt quite a few consoles, but all of them are my own. You'd be the first person I've done this service for. I could use a downtime project. :) I'm sure a few members here can give you positive references about me. If you're interested let me know and we'll sort out the other details.

while your at it Im going to send some systems to you :grin: I wouldnt want you to be bored, I need some systems modded :P
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So today I plan to venture to the attic & haul down the 2600.. packing away the Fisher Price Little People ( the REAL ones that you can choke on :) , the FP music box record player, etc.. bringing down buckets full of Construx & Popoids, & some MicroMachines... anyone remember those??...( all grandsons.. so the Polly Pockets & Cabbage Patch Kids will have to sleep up there a bit longer)....

 

I'm going to connect the thing up & see what happens...

 

Thanks for the offer SlowCoder.. where are you located? I'm in Michigan..

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