Spotting a single chip Atari

[Dripfree]

Hey I  was watching Ben Hecks portable single chip Atari video. He showed a brief image of the bottom vents with a couple sentences on how to spot it. I got curious and started looking at my Jr. It kinda looks like his image... Im not sure it wasn't great instructions. I was going to open it but its never been opened before and I don't want to pierce the serial number label. Anyone got a sure way to spot one without opening it. Perhaps certain serial numbers, or physical differences in the casing or labels. Let me know if any of you have knowledge of this.

[ApolloBoy]

The 2600 Jr. doesn't have any screws under the serial number label, it's just the five screws on the bottom and some snaps at the front.

Edited December 10, 2019 by ApolloBoy

[Dripfree]

Ha you are correct! I only found 4 screws the fifth was covered with a video game exchange sticker! I am not worried about removing that. I could tell when I was trying to separate the halves there was another screw in the center, I felt a dimple under the serial number and assumed it was there. Now I got it open I have found it is indeed a single chip. My next question is how rare are these? A part of me wants to attempt Bens work but he made it sound like they were just insanely rare. Are they more rare than a heavy sixer? I got one of them too and felt like I struck gold when I found it. I actually traded a 4 switch for this. The guy just wanted the same 2600 he had as a child. I wonder if I should feel bad... Its CIB too.

[keithbk]

I personally don't care for the Atari Junior for the simple fact that a couple of games (like Space Shuttle) make use of the various switches (Space Shuttle even includes a cardboard layover for both 4 and 6 switchers) and my Junior will not give me double-shots on Space Invaders by "frying." Also, the plastic on the Junior is more prone to brittleness with age.

[ApolloBoy]

2 hours ago, keithbk said:

and my Junior will not give me double-shots on Space Invaders by "frying."

If you hold down the reset button while turning the system on you'll get double shots that way as well. 

[+save2600]

9 hours ago, keithbk said:

I personally don't care for the Atari Junior for the simple fact that a couple of games (like Space Shuttle) make use of the various switches (Space Shuttle even includes a cardboard layover for both 4 and 6 switchers) and my Junior will not give me double-shots on Space Invaders by "frying." Also, the plastic on the Junior is more prone to brittleness with age.

In this thread, is a .pdf you can print out for a Jr. Space Shuttle overlay:

 

 

[keithbk]

7 hours ago, ApolloBoy said:

If you hold down the reset button while turning the system on you'll get double shots that way as well. 

Mine won't.

[keithbk]

1 hour ago, save2600 said:

In this thread, is a .pdf you can print out for a Jr. Space Shuttle overlay:

 

 

That's really cool!

[Rastignac]

Last 2600_Juniors in France have a péritel/scart output. They are very rare (I never found one) but are very valuable because of this "modern" output. Also, they are PAL (not rotten SECAM). If you spot one, get it!

[MegaManFan]

So I Googled "Atari Janus chip" watching the exact same Ben Heck video and I'm not at all surprised it led me back to the mothership AtariAge. My question is exactly the same -- is there an easy tell for if you have a single chip Junior without opening it up? I have a Junior that I've never opened that I had also saved for a project - I think I got it from SS (Shawn Smith) on here to put into a K-9 from Doctor Who.

[0078265317]

I just opened up my jr.  Unfortunately its 3 chips not 1.

[4ever2600]

Was this ever answered, how to tell from this visually in the USA if it's a single chip system?

[WhyLee commotari.club]

not wanting to spoil the party here. i gratulate everyone who has it and enjoys that fact that it is rare.
for me however, i have a different approach:
i want to keep the history of these consoles alive by adding new features that are accessable for everyone which would keep these systems alive.
in my personal point of view, that would result in the need of the bus access. and this is not possible with the single chip solution.
the single chip solution is of course a logical step in cost savings that Atari had to do to sell a bit more of their old heritage.
i am now looking out for old 6/4 switcher consoles and maybe one or two cheap juniors. maybe some that are defect.
the reason is that i want to create new motherboards with new festures step by step.
first step should include:
* a video output without the RF modulator
*  some pin headers to add a daughter board for a different power stage instead of the linear regulator:
    * could be a DC/DC converters and a rectifier bridge and capacitor at the input to allow AC or DC with any polarity, up to 20V DC
    * or a USB-C connector for a USB power supply
* some pin headers for a different CPU board with all the 16 address pins and additional pins that are not used at the beginning.
    * a 6502 cpu instead of the 6507 cpu could be the base of additional expansions like ROM, RAM, extra audio chip/module, network module, shared bus with a new graphic module etc.
as i already found a kicad version of a junior motherboard replica, the modifications above should not result in too much work.

this is the reason why i like the 3-chip version 🙂 🙂 🙂 

[johannesmutlu]

On 12/10/2019 at 6:59 AM, keithbk said:

I personally don't care for the Atari Junior for the simple fact that a couple of games (like Space Shuttle) make use of the various switches (Space Shuttle even includes a cardboard layover for both 4 and 6 switchers) and my Junior will not give me double-shots on Space Invaders by "frying." Also, the plastic on the Junior is more prone to brittleness with age.

I do like the more modern looking atari 2600 jr but too bad the plastic is more sensitive to get brittle and both the reset and select button just uses bending plastic instead rather then normal springs or rubber ,wich require more careful use because you might otherwise brake those plastic buttons,

but i still do like the design of the atari 2600 jr more then the heavier sixer and later 4 switcher designs of it from the 70’s,probably because i am born in 1982 so i probably do like 1980’s stuff better then 70’s stuff,

trough i do like the forward looking model of the atari 400 from 1979 so there’re exceptions trough.

i also do like my atari flashback 9 and woodish looking atari handheld so that’s that😁

[+x=usr(1536)]

20 hours ago, johannesmutlu said:

I do like the more modern looking atari 2600 jr but too bad the plastic is more sensitive to get brittle and both the reset and select button just uses bending plastic instead rather then normal springs or rubber

Small correction: the Reset and Select buttons don't bend - they're completely separate from the case.

 

Having said that, whatever plastic they were made from was different to the case itself.  You're right that the cases will become brittle and break, but the buttons will be perfectly fine.

[WhyLee commotari.club]

On 12/10/2019 at 6:59 AM, keithbk said:

I personally don't care for the Atari Junior for the simple fact that a couple of games (like Space Shuttle) make use of the various switches (Space Shuttle even includes a cardboard layover for both 4 and 6 switchers) and my Junior will not give me double-shots on Space Invaders by "frying." Also, the plastic on the Junior is more prone to brittleness with age.

you are not alone. if you look at ebay, a real 2600 costs 3 times or 4 times the price of a Jr. And there is a reason for that.
The old 4-switch or 6-switch 2600 is iconic because it is still to this day the most beautiful gaming console of all times. everything else looks like shit. maybe the playstation one could be seen as acceptable, but that trapezoid star wars industrial trapezoid design of the 2600 is fantastic. and real switches are beautiful, independent if they have a real function or not.
all that reminds me of the 70s hifi systems with real metal frontplates and many many switches and knobs and meters and stuff. really beautiful. you always want to push a button or flip a switch just for the sake of pushing a button or flipping a switch.
the same goes for me about the inside of the machine but that is a more nerdy thing because i am an embedded systems (software) developer. i want to have a bus system with a cpu, a sound chip, peripheral chips, a graphic chip etc. and the possibility to change something.
not 8 layer pcbs and only ball grid array chips and encryption everywhere. after buying it, it should be mine which means i should be able to control 100% of it and not being locked out of a system that I own.

and this is phantastic with the consoles / systems from late 70s to late 80s, maybe even early 90s. you don't need expensive special tools from NASA to maintain / repair / change them.

i guess the single chip 2600 system is something for collectors to 'just' have them, other than that, i don't see the point to having it.