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Any way to tell Colecovision "powers on" without a TV?


sixersfan105

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I'm considering getting into Colecovision. It would be my first Colecovision console. The seller claims the console is "untested" but that is "powers on." When I inquired what he meant by powers on, he told me that the light goes on on the console when plugged in. I'm confused by this characterization, as it was my understanding that the Colecovision does not have a power indicator of any kind, so when I mentioned that to him, he backtracked a bit, stating that he can't double check because it's all packed up but that "There must of been some indication that it went "on". I wouldn't have made it up. Maybe the AC adapter had an indicator light." To which I responded that the AC adapter does not have an indicator light, but that maybe he plugged it in to his TV (with his own video cables, since no video cable is included in the listing), flipped the power switch and got a black screen to appear or saw a spark when plugging in the power supply (I've seen that with Ataris) or something, basically something that showed signs of life. To that, he replied that he never hooked it up to a TV but plugged it in and that "Something must have go on to indicate that the power was 'on'."

 

What do you guys think? Head to the hills as this guy is full of it, and look for a different console?

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58 minutes ago, sixersfan105 said:

I'm considering getting into Colecovision. It would be my first Colecovision console. The seller claims the console is "untested" but that is "powers on." When I inquired what he meant by powers on, he told me that the light goes on on the console when plugged in. I'm confused by this characterization, as it was my understanding that the Colecovision does not have a power indicator of any kind, so when I mentioned that to him, he backtracked a bit, stating that he can't double check because it's all packed up but that "There must of been some indication that it went "on". I wouldn't have made it up. Maybe the AC adapter had an indicator light." To which I responded that the AC adapter does not have an indicator light, but that maybe he plugged it in to his TV (with his own video cables, since no video cable is included in the listing), flipped the power switch and got a black screen to appear or saw a spark when plugging in the power supply (I've seen that with Ataris) or something, basically something that showed signs of life. To that, he replied that he never hooked it up to a TV but plugged it in and that "Something must have go on to indicate that the power was 'on'."

 

What do you guys think? Head to the hills as this guy is full of it, and look for a different console?

There's a slim chance that it's been modded with a power LED.  Irkrananka recently created one that also adds a pause mode switch which has the LED on solid for normal use and blinking when paused.  But the simple power LED mod has existed for a while.

 

That said, I never expect an "untested" unit to work on arrival, but I got an "untested" expansion module 1 that did.

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Seller doesn't know what he's talking about. If he had put a volt meter on it he would have said so. 

 

If it's a fair price, you could take a chance on it and return it if it doesn't work. He will protest and say "it was untested" but eBay doesn't want unhappy buyers who get stuck with useless bricks and you will win any protest. 

 

I've been on both sides of disputes like this and have learned not to list dodgy/untested stuff on eBay. 

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1 minute ago, ChildOfCv said:

There's a slim chance that it's been modded with a power LED.  Irkrananka recently created one that also adds a pause mode switch which has the LED on solid for normal use and blinking when paused.  But the simple power LED mod has existed for a while.

I've seen pictures of it and it's hasn't been modded. I looked closely, as that was my first inclination, too. 

 

2 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

Seller doesn't know what he's talking about.

That was my take; glad you agree. I was contemplating taking a chance on it, as it's only $35 and I would be picking it up locally so no shipping to speak of. Hell, I've seen colecovision power supplies alone go for $35+. It's a really clean unit, but of course that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Since he mentioned in the listing that it "powers on," I could test it and if it doesn't "power on," return it through the Money Back Guarantee as "item not as described."

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Is it possible he connected it up to a TV to power it on and just didn't plug a cart into to fully test it? The CV does have a splash screen and message telling you to insert a game cart when powered on and there isn't a cart plugged into it. If he at least connected it to a TV and got that far, it would be a indication of it powering on?

 

** Disregard, I see that you mentioned the seller stated they never actually connected it to a TV... 

 

 

Edited by -^Cro§Bow^-
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5 hours ago, sixersfan105 said:

What do you guys think? Head to the hills as this guy is full of it, and look for a different console?

Look elsewhere.  You should never, ever buy an "untested" ColecoVision.  For that matter, they're so temperamental that it's debatable whether it's really worth buying any ColecoVision over the long run at this point.  I second AtariBrian's suggestion that you might want to look into the Phoenix if you're seriously looking to get into Coleco gaming.

 

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23 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

If it's a local pickup, you could bring along a small thrift store CRT TV and test it on site.

Yeah it's a guy local to me on eBay, so I would meet him somewhere convenient for both of us. 

 

10 minutes ago, -^Cro§Bow^- said:

** Disregard, I see that you mentioned the seller stated they never actually connected it to a TV... 

Yup. All seems odd. Or he's just flat-out lying. He also said he'd do local pickup but instead of simply adding that as a "shipping option," he said I could buy it and pay for shipping and then he'd refund me at pickup. 

 

Just now, Psionic said:

Look elsewhere.  You should never, ever buy an "untested" ColecoVision.  For that matter, they're so temperamental that it's debatable whether it's really worth buying any ColecoVision over the long run at this point.  I second AtariBrian's suggestion that you might want to look into the Phoenix if you're seriously looking to get into Coleco gaming.

 

Got it. Appreciate that heads up. Didn't realize they often have issues. You don't even think a known-working Colecovision acquired from someone here on the Forums would be a good idea? I looked into that Collectorvision Phoenix thing and I dunno, seems kind of like cheating and I'm a fan of retro/original equipment. 

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44 minutes ago, sixersfan105 said:

Got it. Appreciate that heads up. Didn't realize they often have issues. You don't even think a known-working Colecovision acquired from someone here on the Forums would be a good idea? I looked into that Collectorvision Phoenix thing and I dunno, seems kind of like cheating and I'm a fan of retro/original equipment. 

If you're dead set on playing original hardware, then yes I would strongly suggest buying a working and fully tested unit from someone here on the forums as opposed to buying one locally.  Unless there's one available locally from someone you trust or that you have an awful lot of time to test.

I'm not trying to chase you away from buying one at all.  It's a cool system with a unique game library.  I just want you to have realistic expectations.  The power switch, power supply, and various ICs are all prone to failure over time.  Finding working power supplies is a problem.  They were temperamental systems from the get-go due to poor engineering and haven't gotten better with age.  It will be well worth your time (and money) to find the right unit before forking over the dough.  Don't buy the first unit you see.

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I'll tell you what.  If you get it and it doesn't work or you can't get it to work, send it to me.  If you pay for any parts that might be needed for any repairs and return shipping, I'll repair it free of charge.  

 

It will be my good deed for the month. :)

Edited by Ruggers Customs
bad grammar because it's late
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On 8/8/2019 at 11:27 PM, Ruggers Customs said:

I'll tell you what.  If you get it and it doesn't work or you can't get it to work, send it to me.  If you pay for any parts that might be needed for any repairs and return shipping, I'll repair it free of charge.  

 

It will be my good deed for the month. :)

That's a really nice offer! I opted to pass on that eBay CV b/c I didn't like that the seller was lying to me. I'm likely going to wind up with a CV console and a lot of games from an AA member. Cheers. 

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