Charlie_ Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Sorry if this is a known issue. I don't frequent the VCS section of the forums too much.. I recently purchased a Retro-bit "RETRO2600" AC adapter. When I use it with my Jr. I see noise in the picture that scrolls up from the bottom of the screen. When I use the old Atari power supply the image is perfect. Is this interference typical for this AC adapter? I know a noisy power supply will cause this even if it is for another device. For example I have a headphone amplifier behind my TV to bring down the level of one of my game systems. I saw this same interference on the Jr. I changed the power adapter for the headphone amplifier and it went away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocelo Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 I had exactly the same problem. When I tried to return the adapter to Amazon, they just gave me a refund and said "keep it". Pretty disappointed with the quality. I wish there was a better option available for a new replacement AC adapter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithbk Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Has anyone attempted the power cord "loop" with a magnet technique to see if the interference goes away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 I've not used one of these myself as I play all of my 2600 stuff on my 7800 but there are these? https://console5.com/store/power-supply-adapter-for-atari-2600-and-atari-dedicated-systems.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Stephen Moss Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 On 1/11/2021 at 7:19 PM, Charlie_ said: Is this interference typical for this AC adapter? I don't know never having used that specific adaptor, however I did notice that the input range is 100-240V. Usually such an adaptor just has a transformer and a bridge rectifier and if you are very lucky a small smoothing capacitor, but in order to get the correct output voltage you need a transformer of a fixed single input (i.e. 110 or 240) and output voltage. The wide input voltage range suggests to me that the AC adaptor in question could be could be a very basic switching supply, all switching supplies are noisy due to the high frequent switching. If it is a switching supply the case is not large enough to put in sufficient (if any) filtering to remove any the switching noise which could then be the cause of your issue. You could try a ferrite cable clamp like these to see if that helps. If you do decide to try a ferrite make sure you get one the of correct size for your cable diameter as it needs to be as tight to the cable as possible to work effectively, if you cannot find one small enough then you could try one twice the cable diameter and loop the cable so that it goes through it twice and place the ferrite close to the connector end of the cable, it will be less effectively than one the correct size for you cable but should still provide some improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hizzy Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 17 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said: I've not used one of these myself as I play all of my 2600 stuff on my 7800 but there are these? https://console5.com/store/power-supply-adapter-for-atari-2600-and-atari-dedicated-systems.html It's been a minute since I looked at a 2600 adapter, but isn't that connection wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 3 minutes ago, hizzy said: It's been a minute since I looked at a 2600 adapter, but isn't that connection wrong? Thought he was asking for a replacement AC adapter for a 2600? The 2600 uses a phono tip for the plug. Unless he is asking about a replacement for a 7800 in which case there are some options. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hizzy Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 1 minute ago, -^CrossBow^- said: Thought he was asking for a replacement AC adapter for a 2600? The 2600 uses a phono tip for the plug. Unless he is asking about a replacement for a 7800 in which case there are some options. I've only used 7800 for the last couple of years. You are right - it is a phono tip for the 2600! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mockduck Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 The answer is: Yes, unfortunately, this power supply is junk. You see it in a lot of shops and online, but you are likely to have all sorts of issues with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 (edited) On 1/12/2021 at 5:20 AM, Ocelo said: I had exactly the same problem. When I tried to return the adapter to Amazon, they just gave me a refund and said "keep it". Pretty disappointed with the quality. I wish there was a better option available for a new replacement AC adapter. I bought a cheap one from China. They sell for less than $3. But you need an adapter (was included in mine). Mine looks like this. Or you buy an universal power supply which supports 9V and at least 500mA (more is no problem). Edited January 14, 2021 by Thomas Jentzsch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErkTheJerk Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Here is the Retro 2600 adapter on the Vader system it looks pretty clear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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