Replacement Atari 5200 RF Adapter solution?

[Sky7]

The original RF adapter for my Atari 5200 finally died. No click when powering on the console. No output signal. So I ordered a replacement and while the replacement RF adapter works, it is already showing signs of age. The quality of the signal output is poor.

 

In doing some research, this is caused by the aging capacitors and some IC components within the RF adapter. Short of sourcing all of the replaceable capacitors and IC chips, de-soldering and re-soldering all the components, is there a third party Atari 5200 RF adapter available?

 

 

[jaybird3rd]

The RF adapter is pretty proprietary. I could be wrong, but I don't believe that a third-party replacement was ever developed, perhaps because the 4-Port 5200 wasn't around long enough. If you're having trouble with multiple RF adapters, the problem could be a faulty power supply.

 

The best solution would be to perform a power and A/V upgrade on the console, which would eliminate the need for the RF adapter entirely, and would also leave you with much cleaner audio and video signals. If you'd prefer to simply replace the RF adapter, I still have a working adapter and power supply left over from my upgraded 4-Port 5200; send me a PM if you're interested in them.

[ruthsarian]

Section 4.14 of the 5200 FAQ has instructions on how to build a simple replacement RF adapter. Check out this thread about someone else building a box.

[rayik]

I built a replacement adapter years ago. Super simple DIY.