Atari 2600 not working

[ydcl]

Hi all,

 

I have an Atari 2600 that's been dusting for a while and I've never gotten it to work.

I attempted to open it today, took 4 screws out and it would not open fully. I was afraid to put too much pressure and snap the thing.

I did use a couple of q-tips and clean a little of the board, but nothing changed.

 

It turns on but will not play any games.

Just shows a scrambled screen.

 

Any idea on how this can be fixed? my other Atari's work fine.

Thanks,

Yan

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Maybe the RF cable Is shot. Try using another RF cable. If it doesn't work, it could be the voltage regulator is shot.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Retrogamer81081

[ydcl]

Maybe the RF cable Is shot. Try using another RF cable. If it doesn't work, it could be the voltage regulator is shot.

How do I disconnet the cable?

 

What is a voltage regulator?

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Unscrew the 4 screws if a 4 switch woody or Vader or 6 screws if it's a Heavy or Light sixer. Take the top piece off. You will see the RF cable plugged In the motherboard If you have a spare RF cable remove the old one and try a new one to see if it works. This little chip is your voltage regulator. It's on the near bottom left of the circuit board. Check to see if it's soldered. If not it's a super cheap part sold at Atari Best Electronics. And an easy solder.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Retrogamer81081

[ydcl]

Ok thanks, I found the RF cable and took it out, I have 2 other Atari 2600, but since they work fine I don't wanna touch them and use those RF; I'll look on eBay to see if I find any cheaply.

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Ok thanks, I found the RF cable and took it out, I have 2 other Atari 2600, but since they work fine I don't wanna touch them and use those RF; I'll look on eBay to see if I find any cheaply.

No problem!!! Hope you can get it fixed! :-)

[freewheel]

Ok thanks, I found the RF cable and took it out, I have 2 other Atari 2600, but since they work fine I don't wanna touch them and use those RF; I'll look on eBay to see if I find any cheaply.

FYI you don't need to look very hard for an RF cable. It's just a standard RCA stereo cable - you know those red/white/yellow ones we used for so many years? Any of those will work - just pick the same colour to hook to the TV and the 2600. Heck, you can even use red/green/blue component video cables. They're just a straight-through electrical connection. It may not look pretty, but it's a good way to test if you have a bad cable. And everyone I know has these cords lying around.

 

There's only one caveat - the 2600 "stereo" jack (ie: what the RF plugs into) is a bit shallow. Modern RCA cables won't fit .. well. The prong in the middle is generally too long for a good fit in a 2600. You may have to play with it a little. But you should be able to at least get a video signal out of it.

 

That being said, "scrambled" video is usually a good sign of a bad TIA or possibly CPU. Hard to see a cable messing with the signal - they usually either work or they don't. It's also possible that the RF circuitry is buggered, which means a major repair - a composite or s-video mod, basically. Not trivial if you're not comfortable opening up the consoles in general.