UAV Ultimate Atari Video and STEREO mod wiring help for 2600A 4-switch Vader

[BladeJunker]

Thanks for the pictures, heard about that halo effect but didn't know what it looked like. Wish I knew how to fix that, looking into S-Video mods myself to go as smooth as possible heh. Appreciate the look at the steps involved, I think the 2600 is worth going up to S-Video for as it's really good for text.?

[Vino Scooter]

What does this adjust?

[+-^CrossBow^-]

42 minutes ago, Vino Scooter said:

What does this adjust?

That is to adjust the phasing of the artifacting between colors. I don't know about the 2600 side, but on a 7800 it does adjust the tint color of the artifact colors.

 

[ctrl_alt_rees]

Hi All,

 

I'm trying to UAV mod (rev D) a 4-switch Vader based on the wiring diagram posted earlier in this thread. It's a PAL console so I've wired up the LUM pins on the TIA accordingly. The part number on the motherboard is 2600AP and the TIA is model C011903-003.

 

It seems it's *almost* working - I'm getting a rolling picture and sync dropping out on various carts (I've checked and they are also PAL). Unfortunately I don't really have any way to test the RF output. Could this be a problem with another component such as voltage regulator (although I'm getting a steady 5.05V) or a transistor / capacitor somewhere? Perhaps timing crystal? Or maybe even the TIA?

 

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't just want to start swapping components willy nilly so thought I'd ask here in case anyone has seen this issue before. I've installed a few UAVs but never on a console without a CD4050 and I've never run into this particular problem!

 

Here's how the UAV is wired up, just in case:

TIA 2 -> UAV S

TIA 5 -> UAV 2

TIA 6 -> UAV 3

TIA 7 -> UAV 1

TIA 9 -> UAV COL IN

 

I'm picking power up from the RF modulator pins (it's still installed) and I haven't removed any other components. That said, I've also tried picking it up directly from the regulator with exactly the same symptoms so I'm pretty sure it's not a power issue.

 

Thanks!

[marauder666]

Try lifting the cap thats connected to TIA pin 9, looks like theres too much load on the TIA to drive the modulator and UAV inputs.

Havent got a schematic for a PAL 4 switch, so no idea where it is.  Multimeter time.

 

Get that Atari Video Music finished!

[ctrl_alt_rees]

Thanks for the help. I have to admit I couldn't track down any caps on pin 9 - the Vader is a very odd beast. I couldn't even find a schematic for it (at least not one that matched what I have in front of me).

 

I tried hooking up a basic composite mod from TFW8B and the output was exactly the same as above. I then removed the RF modulator and all of the other components generally recommended to remove and still the same. Then I completely removed the UAV and tried the composite mod on its own and still the same!

 

At my wits' end I decided to try a different monitor and cable and... The picture is perfect. The UAV has been reinstated and it's working great. Possibly the sharpest picture I've seen out of one of these, actually. I haven't done any thorough testing yet but to cut a long story short, I'm now 99% sure it was a dodgy connection to the monitor. ?‍♂️

 

On 8/2/2021 at 10:40 AM, marauder666 said:

Get that Atari Video Music finished!

 

Ha! It's back on the bench so now this 2600 issue is resolved there will be news on that very soon... ?

[raymondjiii]

On 1/22/2021 at 9:31 PM, epp said:

Updated diagram: 

Hi, I was looking at epp's diagram here for the 2600 4 switcher here. I was going to try to add a UAV to one today. I could not tell where those two resistors are connected. Are they on TIA pin 9 and also on TIA pin 13 (or is it 12 and 13 - which I think makes more sense if they are both for the audio.)

 

Thank you!

[+-^CrossBow^-]

On 7/8/2023 at 1:35 PM, raymondjiii said:

Hi, I was looking at epp's diagram here for the 2600 4 switcher here. I was going to try to add a UAV to one today. I could not tell where those two resistors are connected. Are they on TIA pin 9 and also on TIA pin 13 (or is it 12 and 13 - which I think makes more sense if they are both for the audio.)

 

Thank you!

If you are talking about the 'stereo' portion of the mod, then yes that is on pins 12 and 13 for the audio outputs. 

 

 

[Ocelo]

So I'm planning on doing this mod with my Vader Atari 2600, but my TIA chip and my board revision are slightly different. Do you think that the instructions would be identical to the diagram that you have above for a C010444-11D TIA chip and board C015519 REV 17?

Thanks!

Edited September 24, 2023 by Ocelo

[+-^CrossBow^-]

On 9/24/2023 at 6:27 PM, Ocelo said:

So I'm planning on doing this mod with my Vader Atari 2600, but my TIA chip and my board revision are slightly different. Do you think that the instructions would be identical to the diagram that you have above for a C010444-11D TIA chip and board C015519 REV 17?

Thanks!

Yes you should be fine. Just like the other revisions listed, you will still need to attach wiring from the TIA pins 2, 5, 7, 8, and 9. Audio can also be gotten straight off 12 and 13, or find a point on the board just a little after that where they are already tied together and mixed. 

 

As you have a Rev 17, you will also need to remove the 820Ω resistor that ties pins 6 and 9 of the TIA together or else the colors will be skewed from the UAV. That resistor is the usually the very first one just right of the TIA. You only need to lift one of the leads of that resistor off the board to take it out of circuit.

 

[Ocelo]

On 10/2/2023 at 3:49 PM, -^CrossBow^- said:

Yes you should be fine. Just like the other revisions listed, you will still need to attach wiring from the TIA pins 2, 5, 7, 8, and 9. Audio can also be gotten straight off 12 and 13, or find a point on the board just a little after that where they are already tied together and mixed. 

 

As you have a Rev 17, you will also need to remove the 820Ω resistor that ties pins 6 and 9 of the TIA together or else the colors will be skewed from the UAV. That resistor is the usually the very first one just right of the TIA. You only need to lift one of the leads of that resistor off the board to take it out of circuit.

 

Hello, thanks for the reply. I tried out the mod today and I have a video issue with rolling distorted video. Along with a buzz in the audio. 😕

 

Did I lift the right resistor?

[+-^CrossBow^-]

7 hours ago, Ocelo said:

Hello, thanks for the reply. I tried out the mod today and I have a video issue with rolling distorted video. Along with a buzz in the audio. 😕

 

Did I lift the right resistor?

On the audio side, I can't help you much there as I see you are doing the stereo mod and I'm not personally a fan of it so I don't do them. So the only thing I can advise on the audio is to undo what you have there and put it back to stock, then try taking audio from the points I listed in my pics above. 

 

On the video side of things, you need to double check that you have the right connections from the TIA to the UAV and be sure you soldered the wiring to the center vias of the UAV and not the outer ones as I've even done a time or two. And as you are attaching your wiring directly off the TIA pins from the bottom and not from the component points I was showing, another poster above did list the correct connections from the TIA pins back to the UAV. Provide a picture of your actual wiring from the TIA and where it connects back to the UAV so other sets of eyes can get a look.

 

TIA 2 -> UAV S

TIA 5 -> UAV 2

TIA 7 -> UAV 3

TIA 8 -> UAV 1

TIA 9 -> UAV COL IN

 

Make sure you are counting the pins correctly and they are lined along the center section of the UAV points.

[Ocelo]

3 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

On the audio side, I can't help you much there as I see you are doing the stereo mod and I'm not personally a fan of it so I don't do them. So the only thing I can advise on the audio is to undo what you have there and put it back to stock, then try taking audio from the points I listed in my pics above. 

 

On the video side of things, you need to double check that you have the right connections from the TIA to the UAV and be sure you soldered the wiring to the center vias of the UAV and not the outer ones as I've even done a time or two. And as you are attaching your wiring directly off the TIA pins from the bottom and not from the component points I was showing, another poster above did list the correct connections from the TIA pins back to the UAV. Provide a picture of your actual wiring from the TIA and where it connects back to the UAV so other sets of eyes can get a look.

 

TIA 2 -> UAV S

TIA 5 -> UAV 2

TIA 6 -> UAV 3

TIA 7 -> UAV 1

TIA 9 -> UAV COL IN

 

Make sure you are counting the pins correctly and they are lined along the center section of the UAV points.

Ok, here's some pictures of my work. I'm pretty sure I have it wired just as you've described here. Could I have a cross-solder joint perhap? I haven't really checked with my multi-meter for tone on that. Also, any idea where I can pull the audio from besides the two pins for stereo on an Atari Vader board? I looked through this thread and I don't see information about that?

Thank you!

[Ocelo]

Ok, I fixed the video. Hurray! I followed your pinout instructions and that resolved the video problem. Also, I had the UAV "S" pin on the outside instead of the inside, so that was just a mistake.

The TIA pinout instructions from the diagram/picture a few posts back are actually incorrect. They had the pinouts going to 7 and 8 rather than 6 and 7 and I was following that schematic.

So where should I pull the audio from to fix the buzzing sound? I know the channels come together to a mono output.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

2 hours ago, Ocelo said:

Ok, I fixed the video. Hurray! I followed your pinout instructions and that resolved the video problem. Also, I had the UAV "S" pin on the outside instead of the inside, so that was just a mistake.

The TIA pinout instructions from the diagram/picture a few posts back are actually incorrect. They had the pinouts going to 7 and 8 rather than 6 and 7 and I was following that schematic.

So where should I pull the audio from to fix the buzzing sound? I know the channels come together to a mono output.

Double check again as I noticed I not only had the mistake with listing pin 6, but I also didn't have pin 7 going to the right UAV point either. So I've corrected that above.

 

On the audio, if you look at the pics I posted in the thread I made dedicated to the UAV 4 switcher installs, it will show you two points you can pull the audio from. But also how do you have the grounds being handled? I actually use the ground next to the composite output pin on the UAV for both the composite and audio on my installs.

 

 

Edited November 5, 2023 by -^CrossBow^-

[Ocelo]

On 11/4/2023 at 9:30 PM, -^CrossBow^- said:

Double check again as I noticed I not only had the mistake with listing pin 6, but I also didn't have pin 7 going to the right UAV point either. So I've corrected that above.

 

On the audio, if you look at the pics I posted in the thread I made dedicated to the UAV 4 switcher installs, it will show you two points you can pull the audio from. But also how do you have the grounds being handled? I actually use the ground next to the composite output pin on the UAV for both the composite and audio on my installs.

 

 

Thank you, I fixed the TIA wiring mistakes and switched the grounding to the UAV ground wire along with attaching the resistors to the correct solder pad on the board (it's slightly different than in the pictures from others). Composite video and stereo audio are both working perfectly now and no buzz. Now I'm just waiting to get the s-video jack in the mail and I'll work on that next. 

[Ocelo]

I had a lot of trial and error wiring up the din connector for s-video, but the mod is complete! Thank you for all the help! The s-video is crisp and vibrant!

[m.o.terra kaesi]

next time, go for this mod here: 

https://retrosix.co.uk/Atari-2600-CleanComp-Composite-Video-Out-p537997297

 

[+Mitch]

2 hours ago, m.o.terra kaesi said:

next time, go for this mod here: 

https://retrosix.co.uk/Atari-2600-CleanComp-Composite-Video-Out-p537997297

 

What is better about that mod? The UAV mod is generally considered the best one currently available for composite/S-video. RGB is a different story.

 

Mitch

[m.o.terra kaesi]

6 hours ago, Mitch said:

What is better about that mod? The UAV mod is generally considered the best one currently available for composite/S-video. RGB is a different story.

 

Mitch

- No separat audio mod

- less soldering

- specivic 2600 layout so no confusing instructions needed (for a soldering newbie like me it was hard times to get it right)

- no mounting/replacing/pin bending/bridges etc.

- cheaper

[+Mitch]

21 minutes ago, m.o.terra kaesi said:

- No separat audio mod

- less soldering

- specivic 2600 layout so no confusing instructions needed (for a soldering newbie like me it was hard times to get it right)

- no mounting/replacing/pin bending/bridges etc.

- cheaper

You missed the most important piece, picture quality. All of those things don't really matter if the picture quality is less.

 

Mitch

[+-^CrossBow^-]

On 12/31/2023 at 2:56 AM, Mitch said:

You missed the most important piece, picture quality. All of those things don't really matter if the picture quality is less.

 

Mitch

To be fair Mitch, I've not used their latest version and I think RetroSix made their option due to the fact that there was a strong need for something like the UAV in the EU as shipping with a UAV can be pretty pricey as I understand it. And I've seen examples of Cleancomps where it looks pretty good as compared to my results and instances where it still looked like it did on the earlier revision. 

 

I do think that the UAV install is being made to look more complicated than it is really is and I've tried to bring about some standard setup for it in 2600s with my posting of the different points to tap the signals from between the different revisions. 

 

There is ONE negative about the cleancomp setup though. And that is, if your TIA isn't in a socket, and you installed a cleancomp. Well, it will be more complicated and have a higher risk of lifting pads if you have to replace the TIA since the cleancomp setup would have to be removed first.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

On 11/27/2023 at 6:55 AM, Ocelo said:

I had a lot of trial and error wiring up the din connector for s-video, but the mod is complete! Thank you for all the help! The s-video is crisp and vibrant!

 

I do hope you eventually screwed down that 7805 regulator? Or at least found a way to anchor is securely against the large ground plane for heat dissipation?