Vader 2600A showing no signs of life

[wwwyzzerdd]

I know I'm new, and I hate to just bust in here with a problem like this, but I really don't know what else to try. I'll appreciate any help I get. I recently found this 2600 in a shed and was really excited to get it hooked up since my original 2600 was stolen a couple years ago. Well I got it all set up, turned it on expecting to see Maze Craze(love that game, don't know why), but nothing happened... tried a few more games.. still nothing.

 

So I'm just gonna go right into details on this and try not to make it too long of a post. I have a feeling it might be one of the IC chips, but figured I would ask before I looked into replacing them, or finding a new system.

 

I have it hooked up to the same tv that I play my telegames system on, so it should work since it's the same setup as the 2600, right? When I turn it on I get nothing, not even a blip in the picture, just static from the tv. Could it be the rf box on the motherboard? I've tried several different games, and cleaned the cartridge slot and cartridges. Motherboard appears to be in great shape, no dust or anything. I tried a different cable running from the rf box on the motherboard to the tv, still nothing. AC adapter seems ok, works on my telegames system, and the power regulator on the motherboard puts out 5.18v(don't know if thats too high or what), the ICs all have power at about 5v and good grounds, none of them get warm though.. They're soldered on so I even went as far as redoing the solder points on all the chips and also the cart slot. I've looked all over the board for broken solder points, but its hard to tell. It's a rev 16 if that matters.

 

After all of this it still shows no signal. I haven't tried cleaning the channel select switch, but I have flipped it back and forth several times, you'd think it would do something, anything, a pop noise or a change in the static from the tv, right? I won't rule that out, but its already put back together and wanted to ask someone before ripping into it again.

Edited January 15, 2013 by wwwyzzerdd

[kennetzel]

Seeing that you are getting just the TV snow, and not even a click or disruption in the static when you throw the power switch, it sounds to me like the unit is getting no power. Are you sure the AC adapter is working? Is it gettig juice? Usually when these things show nothing, they at least get a black screen or some reaction...but being that you are getting just the static, I think it is getting no power. I have had adapters that work fine on one thing, and not on another...usually it tends to be a problem with making contact in the adapter plug on the unit. Dirt, carbon, corosion...anything on those fine contacts that may be blocking the power.

Edited January 15, 2013 by kennetzel

[Aamp]

The ICs are not even a little warm? Did you leave it on for a bit too? Are you able to try another TV? My LCD sometimes takes up to 5 seconds to go from snow to game while the CRT is instant.

[wwwyzzerdd]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Unless I'm missing something, I assume its getting power as the regulator is sending about 5v to the rest of the board, and poking around with my multimeter shows that most of the components on the board have power. I did however try another 9v ac adapter from a phone. I measured the voltage to be safe, made sure I had the polarity right, and pressed the contacts right onto the end of the traces leading to the ac adapter points and saw a small spark, but got the same results.. though that plug only put out 210mA. The original plug sparks too when I plug it in, figured that was normal but not sure, its a very small spark, but a spark. Probably should have mentioned that..

 

I have tried a couple tv sets, my old CRT that I have my telegames system hooked up to, and my LCD. Both of them work with the telegames system, but show nothing with the 2600. The LCD does go from its blue 'no signal' screen to static after turning the system on, like its getting a better air signal or something, and that happens no matter what channel I have the tv on. I guess I should have mentioned that too, lol.

 

The chips don't seem to warm up at all. They do get power though which I don't understand.. I've stuck a few games in and left it on for about 5 mins or so each time, and the only thing that gets warm is the power regulator.. I wanna say that I feel some sort of heat coming from under the cartridge slot, but it's so insignificant that it's hard to tell if its actually heat, or my mind wanting to believe that there is life in the system after all. lol

Edited January 15, 2013 by wwwyzzerdd

[Aamp]

Hmm. All 3 chips generate some warmth to the touch on mine as well as the regulator which is quite warm. Even without a cart. Someone would have to chime in as to how the chips work, but IIRC I heard something by a tech along the lines of all 3 chips are run together in a way that if one can't start up then the others don't either? Sorry, ima noob but I think after 5mins there should be a noticeable warmness to them? but it's probably not a very technical way to diagnose

[wwwyzzerdd]

Turns out I was wrong about the chips not getting warm. Lucky for me, I happen to have a thermal imaging camera, so I decided to break it out and take a look at the motherboard while turning in on. So I took it back apart, and as you can see below, the regulator, and the ICs actually do heat up. So if thats true about the chips running off each other, then maybe this is a good sign that the chips are good?

 

This is just about 30 or so seconds after turning it on, so I figured maybe I'm not leaving it on long enough to feel it. After leaving it on for a good 10-15 mins or so I can feel with my fingers that the TIA and the 6507 warming up. The RIOT produces some heat but still stays pretty cool, but the camera can see heat coming from it.. just not quite as much as the other two.

 

 

Just wanted to post back, because this seems to totally change the diagnosis, lol

 

EDIT* It has now been about 30 mins since I turned it on and now I can feel some heat from the game cartridge itself.. so maybe the game is actually being read, and maybe the rf box is the problem?

Edited January 15, 2013 by wwwyzzerdd

[shadow460]

I was gonna suggest the RF box. If you're using an automatic switchbox, it's simply not gonna work. To test the unit, you need to hook it directly to an RF input with an RCA to coax adapter.

Speaking of RF, the modulator inside the unit could also be causing your problem. When the one in my heavy sixer developed problems, it acted as if it had no power to the system at all. Failing that, you'll have to swap chips to see which one is bad.

 

I don't think the chips run off of each other. I saw a console with a fault on the TIA generate weird colors. The other two chips were running fine even though the TIA was not.

[wwwyzzerdd]

Thanks for the help, I guess I'll start messing with the rf box and post the results, is there any info on repairing the rf modulator instead of replacing it? I can't seem to find anything. It's hooked up through a coax to rca straight through, I lost my switch box in the early 2000s, lol

Edited January 16, 2013 by wwwyzzerdd

[Ian Primus]

5.18v from the regulator is too high, really. It should be right on the money, it's a fixed linear regulator. Now, the chips in the Atari should still work at that voltage, but it still points to a problem.

 

Also, check the solder joints at the clock crystal - if it breaks free, the CPU won't run, and neither will the TIA.

 

You have tried both channels, right? The switch on the back can set it to channel 2 or 3, and sometimes it breaks, and the thing still outputs on channel 2 when it's set to channel 3, etc.

 

-Ian

[shadow460]

Thanks for the help, I guess I'll start messing with the rf box and post the results, is there any info on repairing the rf modulator instead of replacing it? I can't seem to find anything. It's hooked up through a coax to rca straight through, I lost my switch box in the early 2000s, lol

 

I don't know much about the RF modulator. I did manage to ground parts of mine on my heavy sixer, causing the unit to act as if there was no power until I fixed it. You have to do some desoldering just to open the thing.