Casey1334 Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Hello folks! At the beginning of the month I found a sweet deal at the Flea Market. My girlfriends uncle sells collectable toys such as transformers and the like as well as old games. He sold me an Atari 2600 with games and paddles for 25 dollars. It even comes with one of the storage units that can hold the games and manuals. I got a very sweet deal on this thing and even found a receipt in here for a transaction on brand new atari games from back in the early 80s! (Will post photos if you guys would like me to!) I all ready own an Atari 7800 and being born in 1988 and having older step brothers I was able to spend some of my early youth enjoying the Arcade/SNES/Genesis era. It's been my dream to own an Atari 2600 and actually play one. I had to buy a RF converter from radio shack to get my Atari 7800 to work on a TV and I figured I could do the same with my 2600 but I found that the thing only works with UHF based Televisions from the 1970s and 1980s. As cool as it would be to still have one of those bad boys lying around, i have to accept that its 2014. I don't have an HDTV I have a basic "Boob-Tube" as my buddies like to call it. But I do have that weird UHF cable box thingy that the Atari 2600 came with. I'm sure you guys at Atari age get asked this plenty of times, but what would I need to procure to hook this up to a TV from the 1990s or modern age without modding my Atari 2600? Secondly? How do I know it works? There is no power light unlike the 7800 and I can't tell if it even works. Does it make a whirring noise? Does it do anything when powered on to let you confirm it works? Or will I not know until I get it properly set up? Either way, at least I have my bad-boy 7800. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to ask this in the 2600 forum but since I'm writing this all out, I'll ask anyway and one of the mods can just edit the post if I happen to be breaking a rule, How many "Super Carts" were released for the 7800? I'm enjoying Ballbalzer a great deal. I managed to find some sealed 7800 games (with dents on the boxes so they were not necessarily brand new) for 8 dollars a piece at my local hobby shop. They were ballblazer, Centipede, Ms. Pac Man and Asteroids. Two of them came with these awesome posters! I plan on visiting the hobby shop today to see what else they got. mostly 2600 stuff but 7800 carts really tickle my fancy.Let me know what your reccomendations are! (Looking to buy Midnight Mutants at some point!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kb9snl Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 There are connectors out there to hook them up to cable ready TV's, such as: http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=WMXFMR&d=Perfect-Vision-Push-On-75-to-300-ohm-Transformer-(PVAB10)&utm_campaign=base&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google_base This will allow you to connect the switchbox to any TV without screw terminals, including some HDTV's with an analog-capable (pre-2009 made in particular, but not exclusively) tuner in them. It will make no noise and as you noted has no LED or anything, but when on Channel 2 or 3 it should do at least something once hooked up, black screen when powered, game screen, whatever. Not sure on the super game labeled carts on the 7800. I think it was more of a marketing ploy than anything else; not necessarily anything different about those carts overall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 For cleanest image, get one of these to connect your Atari to the TV's antenna input. Then tune to channel 2 or 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Long version: https://atariage.com/howto/connect.html Short version: If you are not switching anything to the tube, use this: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Phruby Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Just buy a Coaxial (f-type) to female rca plug. Plug it into your cable/antenna port and the other end into your RF cable. or just watch this. You could always have you 2600 and 7800 modified for component a/v ports. http://www.vintagegamingandmore.com/guides/mods/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey1334 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Okay I might sound a little stupid here but how does that connect to this exactly? I only see one part of it and can't really put two and two together with that image. Long version: https://atariage.com/howto/connect.htmlShort version: If you are not switching anything to the tube, use this:detail_42_rca_ftype_detail.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Phruby Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 You throw the switch box in the trash. You don't need it with the coxial plug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kb9snl Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Yup, do what they said. I forgot about the direct connect method...<facepalm>. Toss aside the switchbox and use the RCA to Coaxial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey1334 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 I think I'll keep the switchbox for old time's sake. It says "computer on it". I can only imagine what type of Computers back than used UHF input. I'll post some more photos here in a second. I think someone around here will want to see this vintage receipt. I'm sure of it. <3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey1334 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 (edited) Wonder how much that is in todays currency. Edited May 20, 2014 by Casey1334 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey1334 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Phruby Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 (edited) That would be $168.84 in today's money or about $42 each. I would never pay that new for those four games. Most home computers back then used the RF port with the switchbox. The Atari 400/800, Commodore 64,TI, Apple, etc. Edited May 20, 2014 by Master Phruby 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey1334 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Yeah, really. But than again, it was 1982 and games were still fairly new. I don't think anyone back than knew what games to buy and what to avoid. It's interesting none the less to see how consumers were picking and choosing their carts. I have another receipt from target but it doesn't list what was bought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kb9snl Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 That sales receipt is pretty cool! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wongojack Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 I think I'll keep the switchbox for old time's sake. It says "computer on it". I can only imagine what type of Computers back than used UHF input. I'll post some more photos here in a second. I think someone around here will want to see this vintage receipt. I'm sure of it. <3 Just to be the overcorrecting nerd on the thread. The 2600 IS a computer. Enjoyed seeing the receipt. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+cvga Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Congratulations on your atari purchase. Thanks for sharing all of the additional information. The receipt was very interesting. Tennis, Golf, Bowling and Bridge. I'm willing to bet you have an atari that was owned by an adult, maybe even a senior citizen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 I think I'll keep the switchbox for old time's sake. It says "computer on it". I can only imagine what type of Computers back than used UHF input. I'll post some more photos here in a second. I think someone around here will want to see this vintage receipt. I'm sure of it. <3 Sure you can use that, but connecting without it, (with the adapter piece I showed in my post), gives a much better picture. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey1334 Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) Just got back from the Hobby Shop. Here are today's pick-ups. All games cost $1 - $3 each! Xevious - Atari 7800 Pole Position II - Atari 7800 (Very common, I know) And some 2600 titles Defender Crystal Castles Asteroids (Much prefer the 7800 port) 21 Video Olympics Swordquest - Earthworld and StarMaster Star Master, disappointed me. I tried all four modes on it and I just float out into the ether and nothing happens. No ships to shoot at or anything. Maybe I just don't know how to play it. All were loose carts by the way. Edited May 21, 2014 by Casey1334 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) "UHF"...You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. (I'm assuming you mean RF, but why pass up a chance to make a Princess Bride reference? ) Edited May 21, 2014 by BigO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey1334 Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 UHF is any TV that uses forks/rprongs for connecting cable and RF as well as an Antenna. Am I close at least? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigO Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) I got the impression that you were from the US. In the US, the 2600 worked on the VHF band. UHF is the channels 14 - 83 that had to be tuned with a separate tuner on the old-timey TV's. RF (Radio Frequency) is the general term that more or less describes the frequencies you'd receive using some sort of antenna. Typically people say RF to differentiate from baseband composite video or component video or similar sort of "non-antenna" type of input. Welcome to AtariAge, btw. Edited May 21, 2014 by BigO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey1334 Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 Ah, so THAT is why that Weird Al song was so famous back in the day!"Don't touch that TV! Don't touch that dial! We've got it all on UHF!" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 2600 Asteriods: Only play 10, 12, 14, or 16 - single player, or 43, 45, 47, or 49 - 2 player. Those have shields and Asteriods that move the most arcade-like. Difference is extra life at 5, 10, 20, or none. Just recently got Video Olympics because there are 4-player paddle games on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas10e Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) Starmaster used the b/w switch on console to switch to galaxy map ... fly to a quadrent where teh bad guys are @ http://atariage.com/manual_thumbs.html?SoftwareLabelID=507 many games aren't always intuitive diG through hobby shops manuals also ... kind of nice to have them in hand Star Raiders it pretty much the same game as Starmaster but requires an additional keypad congrats on your new purchase \o/ Edited May 21, 2014 by chas10e 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accousticguitar Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 In Starmaster use the black and white switch to turn on the map. If you go to the top of this page and click on "2600" you can then search "Starmaster" and it will bring up a link to the manual which will be helpful for playing the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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