Getting the Right Atari 2600 Power Supply

[jarrodparkes]

So I have an Atari 2600 4-switch wood grain which I am currently developing homebrew code for. I am obviously invested in keeping my Atari clean and well-functioning for the long haul so that I can continue to test my homebrew on real hardware.

 

With that said, the power adapter I have for the console is not original. It is a generic power supply from China that reads the following: "AC Adapter, Input: 100-245 VAC 50/60 HZ, Output: DC9V - 500mA". The coord works, it powers the system; however, I am not a fan of using this power supply that did not come with the system. I worry that it could eventually damage the board, etc.

 

I have seen links for an "Atari 2600 Deluxe Power Cord" that was made in Europe (Italy? i think), but I am not sure they are still in stock. Anyways, I would like to get a better/safer power supply.

 

Any suggestions?

[RickR]

That power supply is probably fine. The specs are all correct. Keep in mind, original Atari wall warts were never the highest quality.

 

If you really insist on getting a "real" one, then I suggest doing exactly that. Get one made by Atari. They are about $15 on ebay.

[mkiker2089]

Agreed with the above. The original power supply was linear and they wear out in time. The generic one is most likely a switching power supply that wastes less power and probably gives a cleaner signal.

 

Is the MA rating enough though? I thought you needed closer to 1 amp.

[RickR]

500mA is the correct amperage for the 2600.

[Rik]

Yeah, I use exact equivalents or the original. I ordered an exact equivalent from AtariGuide years ago. The adapter has " AtariGuide " printed on the specs. They get them made new and sell them as their own. VCS/2600 exact adapter specs are:

 

Input-120 VAC 60Hz 200mA

Outptu-9VDC 500mA

[thegamezmaster]

Is one with 9vdc and 600mA ok to use? Need to put a jack on it.

[mkiker2089]

The mA rating doesn't need to be exact because modern power supplies are made to give less power as needed. As long as it's higher than the required amount it is fine. Yours should work well but they are so cheap online that it may be more cost effective to buy a new one than to change the tip.

[metarog]

I made 2 power supplies in the past few months for about 2 dollars! Essentially I had two old Atari power supplies that died on me and were no longer supplying power at all. So I went to a local thrift store that has all kind of adaptors and PS in bins for $1 and got two with the same specs as the Ataris except they output 1 amp instead of 500 MA and had a different tip. They had screws holding the two halfs of the plug together so I unscrewed them and replaced the Atari cords from the old PS inside the new PS. You can't even see the splice as it was done inside the PS. I now have two new PS for my Ataris and I have used them for several months with no issues at all.

Edited October 2, 2013 by metarog

[Osgeld]

The mA rating doesn't need to be exact because modern power supplies are made to give less power as needed. As long as it's higher than the required amount it is fine. Yours should work well but they are so cheap online that it may be more cost effective to buy a new one than to change the tip.

 

your system will draw whatever it needs to function, if your power supply can provide more than that draw its fine, no matter if its old or new. The opposite is where age comes into play, a proper switching supply will shut itself off when too much current is being drawn or its getting too hot ... the old coils of wire supplies will simply burn up.

[shadow460]

I've run a 2600 successfully from as little as 200 mA. I tried 100, but it wasn't enough to keep the system going. IT would just shut down as described above.

 

The 2600 isn't picky about the power supply. It'll run on anywhere between 5 and 12 volts DC. Power is regulated down to 5 volts inside the unit anyway. It's really more a matter of how much voltage the 7805 can handle. More voltage = more drop = more heat and more chance of failure. I've read it can handle as much as 35 volts DC. Don't try that--it will generate a painful shock if you touch the tip.

[mkiker2089]

My understanding was that the old ones would put out too much voltage is you didn't use 50-75% (depending on whom you ask) of the mA. Then again there have been so many designs it's probably not as easy as generalizing by age anyhow. I may be thinking of REALLY old ones like 1960s or so.

[mkiker2089]

I've run a 2600 successfully from as little as 200 mA. I tried 100, but it wasn't enough to keep the system going. IT would just shut down as described above.

 

The 2600 isn't picky about the power supply. It'll run on anywhere between 5 and 12 volts DC. Power is regulated down to 5 volts inside the unit anyway. It's really more a matter of how much voltage the 7805 can handle. More voltage = more drop = more heat and more chance of failure. I've read it can handle as much as 35 volts DC. Don't try that--it will generate a painful shock if you touch the tip.

 

So would it be better to get a 5 volt PS then and save energy and heat? I've read that with other consoles. The NES 2 for example comes with a 9-10v AC unit but some people have found using a DC brick reduces load slightly. I can't remember the voltage though.

[Osgeld]

the 7805 regulator requires a minimum input of 7.5 volts to operate correctly, so you would have to bypass that but at the currents were talking about I think the old arse chips in the atari actually get hotter than the regulator (and dont even think about using a transformer based supply, you will fry things)

 

yes unregulated power supplies will put out more voltage when not loaded, 9v when plugged into the atari might be 12 unplugged, but it still doesnt matter cause of the internal regulator.

 

my jr takes ~280ma stock with a 4k cart in it so I guess one could run it off of a transformer based 200ma wall wart, but it would get a little warmer, a switching supply may or may not cut off depending on a number of factors cause its a little difference.

 

Where you start getting into serious problems is 1amp and above, crowbar a 500ma supply with a 2 amp load and it will instantly clamp, whereas a transformer based supply will just smoke

Edited October 3, 2013 by Osgeld