Heavy Switch Switch Quit Working- any advice?

[Ataricade]

Recently my trusty switch switch quit working. It had occurred after moving the difficulty switch from A to B (in space invaders) and an odd screen appeared. Afterwards I turned off the Atari, re-turned on and all that appears is a black screen with two slightly colored thin bars on both sides.

 

I checked the power supply with another Atari and it seems to be working, the cartridge is not an issue of course, and after looking around online I would assume that it is the power/voltage regulator?

 

Any advice would be appreciated- it truly saddens me when such events occur, a light six switch simply isn't a heavy one

[shadow460]

The few times I've had that screen, it's been caused by a faulty RIOT. I've read here of it being caused by a faulty CPU.

 

The first thing I'd do is open and clean out both difficulty switches. I'd probably do the power and TV Type ones too, but the Select and Reset switches are a different story with that spring inside them. I'd probably check the voltage regulator. That's easy--going from each leg to ground only one of them should show continuity. Between each of the other legs and ground you'll have 9 to 13 volts on one and very close to 5 volts on the other. If that didn't solve the problem, I'd swap the RIOT first and then if that didn't work I'd swap the CPU.

 

I don't know how to properly troubleshoot the motherboard itself to find out if something on it is causing the RIOT or CPU to malfunction. I've run across one board that I just cannot get to work, and it's in my pile of electronic scrap.

[Ataricade]

Thanks for the tips, I'll be sure to check the in/output of the regulator first to ensure whether it is the issue and then see what is needed afterwards,

 

it may take time though, as I haven't had much spare time lately