Trouble with the force

[YANDMAN]

I am probably very lucky in that iv'e never had any working issues with any of my Atari 2600 systems. My go to unit is my trusty Vader. I haven't fired it up for four or five weeks but when last used as always has been perfect. I attempted to get a few games in earlier but when powered up it simply does nothing. I tested the power pack with another system and it worked fine so i know it isn't the power supply itself.

 

I'm no expert on the repair side due to my systems never letting me down before, i'm just looking for some advice or pointers as to where i might begin to look. The console itself is absolutely mint and i really want to get her going again.

 

Thanks in advance for any knowledge you can share my way.

 

Cheers

[+DrVenkman]

You're gonna have to open it up and start looking for trouble. If there's nothing physically obvious like burst or leaking capacitor, you'll probably need a multi-meter at least. Check the output of the voltage regulator - with the power connected and the switch turned on, it should be in the general range of 4.95 to about 5.05 V. If you're too high or too low, that needs to be replaced right off. After that, it's down to probably swapping chips. Unfortunately, a good number (half? most?) Vader boards are have soldered chips. Removing chips and replacing them is possible. It's not terribly hard, but it takes time and some patience to avoid damaging the board or the chips you're trying to remove. And once you've got the old chips out, you'll want to install sockets so you can swap replacements in and out while you're testing out possible sources of the issue.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I am probably very lucky in that iv'e never had any working issues with any of my Atari 2600 systems. My go to unit is my trusty Vader. I haven't fired it up for four or five weeks but when last used as always has been perfect. I attempted to get a few games in earlier but when powered up it simply does nothing. I tested the power pack with another system and it worked fine so i know it isn't the power supply itself.

 

I'm no expert on the repair side due to my systems never letting me down before, i'm just looking for some advice or pointers as to where i might begin to look. The console itself is absolutely mint and i really want to get her going again.

 

Thanks in advance for any knowledge you can share my way.

 

Cheers

 

Define... "Does nothing"?

As in just a solid black screen? Or wavy lines...or static lines on the screen with a high pitched squeal? or....?

[YANDMAN]

 

Define... "Does nothing"?

As in just a solid black screen? Or wavy lines...or static lines on the screen with a high pitched squeal? or....?

Literally nothing, does not power on, no screen connection at all. The TV does not notice it's there.

[YANDMAN]

You're gonna have to open it up and start looking for trouble. If there's nothing physically obvious like burst or leaking capacitor, you'll probably need a multi-meter at least. Check the output of the voltage regulator - with the power connected and the switch turned on, it should be in the general range of 4.95 to about 5.05 V. If you're too high or too low, that needs to be replaced right off. After that, it's down to probably swapping chips. Unfortunately, a good number (half? most?) Vader boards are have soldered chips. Removing chips and replacing them is possible. It's not terribly hard, but it takes time and some patience to avoid damaging the board or the chips you're trying to remove. And once you've got the old chips out, you'll want to install sockets so you can swap replacements in and out while you're testing out possible sources of the issue.

Thanks man, thats really helpful. That sounds probably beyond me, i'd be ok checking but i'd fear damage with the removal part. I have a friend who is fantastic at electronics that im sure could handle this.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Yeah..if it doesn't do anything at all...then it is likely the voltage regulator. But you have to get a multimeter on it and apply the probes on the 1st and 3rd pins off the voltage regulator to check for the +5 reading coming off it. But if you don't even see the screen blink when flipping the switch, then it is likely the regulator.

 

Easy...and cheap fix on the 2600. So that is a good thing.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Yeah..if it doesn't do anything at all...then it is likely the voltage regulator. But you have to get a multimeter on it and apply the probes on the 1st and 3rd pins off the voltage regulator to check for the +5 reading coming off it. But if you don't even see the screen blink when flipping the switch, then it is likely the regulator.

 

Easy...and cheap fix on the 2600. So that is a good thing.

I was in a hurry typing that. You need to attach the probes to the 2nd and 1st or 3rd pins to read the incoming voltage and output voltage from the regulator. Not the 1st and 3rd as I previously stated.

[YANDMAN]

Excellent, thanks guys for all your info, this is really helpful.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Before you start spending a stacks of cash on multimeters and other tools that you've probably never used before and might not know what to do with I'd recommend keeping your troubleshooting simple and try replacing the power supply first. Those things can and do go bad from time to time, so it's entirely possible that could be the source of your trouble.

[+DrVenkman]

You can but a cheap and very serviceable digital multimeter on eBay for under $10. If you're gonna have old systems you should at least be able to test power supplies and voltage regulators. They fail and they can easily fail "hot" and destroy a system.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Before you start spending a stacks of cash on multimeters and other tools that you've probably never used before and might not know what to do with I'd recommend keeping your troubleshooting simple and try replacing the power supply first. Those things can and do go bad from time to time, so it's entirely possible that could be the source of your trouble.

 

You didn't read his entire post. He stated he tested the PS using another atari and it worked fine on that one. So that is why the Dr. and myself didn't suggest him replacing that and instead stated the voltage regulator. It is a pretty common failure point since the original Voltage regulators were only rated for 500ma same as the power supply itself. In reality they should have put 800ma to a full 1amp load capable regulators in them. Refurbish kits from Console 5 and MojoAtomic contain 1amp regulators as replacements.

[YANDMAN]

Before you start spending a stacks of cash on multimeters and other tools that you've probably never used before and might not know what to do with I'd recommend keeping your troubleshooting simple and try replacing the power supply first. Those things can and do go bad from time to time, so it's entirely possible that could be the source of your trouble.

Yeah i already tested it with another system and its fine.

[Jeremy Popp]

Overall, it sounds like your problem is power related (possible voltage regulator as stated above), but one thing to check is that the power jack isn't loose, which could indicate a broken solder joint. Easiest fix ever with any cheap soldering iron. Also, there is a small tab inside that could have broken, but a replacement jack is easy to find:

https://console5.com/store/atari-2600-vcs-dc-power-jack.html

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Overall, it sounds like your problem is power related (possible voltage regulator as stated above), but one thing to check is that the power jack isn't loose, which could indicate a broken solder joint. Easiest fix ever with any cheap soldering iron. Also, there is a small tab inside that could have broken, but a replacement jack is easy to find:

https://console5.com/store/atari-2600-vcs-dc-power-jack.html

Good point I hadn't thought of that. I should have asked if he can see sparks when he plugs in the power supply to the back of the atari. If the ground isn't secured due to a loose jack, then you don't usually see the sparks upon plugging it into the back. Also the Console5 refurb kit includes a replacement power jack and I know that Mojoatomic has the power jack available as well.