zebracorp Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 I just got the deluxe edition of the Harmony cart, so everything came with it, including the SD cart and so on... so I loaded files onto it, and while it appears that it can indeed read what's on it, the screen keeps spastically switching to some sort of firmware information/credits page, and I can't get any further than that. This is an Atari 7800. I'm in Toronto, so it's NTSC. This is a CRT television. Atari 7800 and 2600 games work perfectly with all my controllers, so it's not the console. Naturally, I'm trying with a 2600 joystick, the typical one, but I have also tried with some other controllers. I tried holding down the button when it started, nothing works. Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 the info screen's accessed by hitting the firebutton. Are any of your other games doing odd things such as shooting all by themselves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 The credits page is displayed when pressing the fire button at the [.] entry in the root directory. Usually you should be able to go back with pressing the fire button again. Does it also switch with no joystick plugged in? Or a different controller? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebracorp Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 All other cartridges and controllers check out. It's not doing anything weird with any other combination of everything. Even a 7800 controller works with a 2600 game and so on. Everything checks out with everything else. But it still keeps messing up. I tried attaching a movie, you can see what it looks like. Yes, this happens with no joystick as well. It isn't even consistent as to how it messes up. Sometimes I get other garbage. Once in a blue moon I get some game happening, but not usually. I'm doing a lot of fiddling with the console that I'd rather not do, because I just bought it. Everything else works fine, so I'm not sure what to do here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebracorp Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 (edited) I can't figure out how to upload the movie, but here's a simple dropbox link, check this out. It's not just flickering between the menu and the credits; it's also garbled. And that's the best it can do, sometimes it's just junk. https://www.dropbox.com/s/tnvisz2qst42r4s/IMG_6643.MOV?dl=0 Edited March 24, 2017 by zebracorp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cd-w Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 From the video, this looks like a power supply glitch that is causing a "frying" effect on the console. The Harmony cart draws more power than a standard Atari cart and this can be problematic with aging power supplies. Try the following: 1) Clean the cartridge port carefully - if there is a poor contact it can cause issues 2) Purchase a new power supply - a modern switching power supply will perfrm much better (there are lots on eBay) Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr SQL Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 I've seen a related phennomena before and was able to reproduce it easier on a Jr in an unheated workshop, but it took a few hours - on your Atari I bet it would happen right away. Try turning the themostat up in the room with the Atari for a few hours before you turn it on; it's possible for the paddle cap to trigger with no paddles plugged in, this changes the paddle RAM (there are more than 128 bytes on board the Atari) and can trigger the Harmony menu; if there's a Harmony BIOS available that doesn't check for paddles that should also work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebracorp Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 OK, no. I will not be getting a new power supply if this thing draws far more power than a normal cart. I don't want to change the temperature of the room or anything like that. I won't be putting this thing in my Atari again. I just want to pack it up and mail it back. I respect the community you have going here, and it looks cool, but this isn't for me. I'm not happy with it, and I just want it gone so I can be on my way. Can somebody please explain to me how I can get a refund on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 It doesn't draw "far more power" than other carts (just a bit more than the ordinary ones). It is fully withing the spec of Atari. So, if your power supply is aging, the problem occurs first on carts which draw a bit more power than others. And cleaning the cartridge port is always a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebracorp Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 But we don't even know if that will for sure solve the problem. I will clean it from time to time, but it's not a problem with any other cartridge. This seems like a lot of effort just to make this thing work, and then it might not even work, or not for long. Again, I'm sure other people have had a lot of fun with this but it's not for me. I'm fairly set on sending it back. The site itself doesn't have any contact information except for this site. I PM'd the person they said to PM, but they didn't get back to me. And it "hinted" at a hotmail address without actually giving one. Does anyone know how to go about this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cd-w Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 (edited) Your Atari is nearly 40years old - if you bought a 40yr old car, would you expect it to perform like a new one? If the power supply is going bad it will affect your other games soon enough, and cleaning the cart port is something that needs to be done regularly. You can get a new power supply for around $10. If you really want to get rid of it, sell it on the marketplace forum. I don't see why Fred should take a loss when the cart likely works perfectly. Edited March 27, 2017 by cd-w 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebracorp Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 (edited) I just finished explaining, it does not work "perfectly," it doesn't work. The Atari does. I just said that. And how is that a loss? I send it back, and either it doesn't work - in which case I definitely deserve a refund - or it does, and he can just sell it to someone else, right? What's the big deal? I cannot sell this to someone else because it doesn't work. It is faulty. Edited March 27, 2017 by zebracorp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 If you really want to get rid of it, sell it on the marketplace forum. I don't see why Fred should take a loss when the cart likely works perfectly. Unless the cart is really broken, the buyer should pay all extra costs (e.g. shipping, fees...). BTW: In China they sell new power supplies on eBay for ~$3. You just have to wait some weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebracorp Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 (edited) What is this nonsense about "unless it really is broken"? I posted a video. You see the video. I want this to work very much. That's why I bought it. You can see it doesn't. Are people here 100% certain that a new power supply would DEFINITELY work? Because anything short of that, and I think this treatment I'm getting is pretty unfair. I'm just trying to be reasonable. If someone can post a link to a power supply I can order and assure me 99% that this will solve the problem, fine. I'll do it. If not, I deserve the right to send it back since it does not work out of the box as the deluxe edition is designed to do. Fair is fair. Edited March 27, 2017 by zebracorp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 I get the impression that you never really wanted a Harmony. If you really wanted it, then you would try to get it working. People here were trying to help you with that, like they did with numerous other people asking questions here. Its not our fault, that you are not interested. BTW: English is no my first language, but your tone doesn't sound nice to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebracorp Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 But I just said that I would indeed be willing to go get another power supply, and I even invited you to post a link. I just asked whether people here were generally fairly certain that this would work or not. Are you fairly certain that based on this video, that's definitely the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebracorp Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 I would just like to announce that I received a very nice response from the person who sold me this. I am now perfectly satisfied. He really rose to the occasion. He was apologetic, and agreed that it probably didn't work. I am tremendously satisfied with it. He's sending me a new one. If it works, I would like to continue to be part of this community. I was very humbled by this, he really made things right. Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari2023 Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 Hi I just got the Harmony Cartridge. When I put *.bin games with folders, but none of the folder or files show up. Just the credits with [.]. Also on the left side of the screen there are these green artifacts. Is there are reason why I am not seeing the files I put on the sd card? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari2023 Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 Alex suggested something and that resolved it. I changed the SD card, and now able to see the files 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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