Trying to reassemble a Atari 400

[appleiphone4c]

I'm trying to reassemble a Atari 400 computer.

I have tried to put it back together, but the video cable for the TV always gets in the way. 

I've tried to take it all apart, but can not figure it out. Also there is a weird circular thing that the cable is wrapped around. I do not know what it is. But it always causes the case it bulge out the back. 

 

Thanks                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by appleiphone4c

[+DrVenkman]

The metallic donut-shaped object is literally a chunk of iron. This wire-wrapped donut is a ferrite core, and winding the video cable around it serves as a pretty good low-tech RF video signal filter and reduces interference. If you notice, there are clips molded into the case bottom to help guide the cable. You should arrange the cable so it run out the hole in the back of the case with the ferrite core just inside the case in the back/bottom. Run the shorter end of the cable, from the core, back to the right side of the case bottom, pressing the cable into those clips, all the way up toward the front of the case. With the mainboard/RF shield assembly set down into the case bottom, the RF cable should come up around and plug into the mini-RCA jack on the power board. If you look, you will see a notch cut into the front of the power board - the cable should bend up from the case bottom and through that notch, run up next to the keyboard membrane connector over to the video connector. 

[Ed in SoDak]

Thanks for the peek inside your 400. I owned one briefly years ago. I donated it to a school as I didn't have the BASIC cart for it, and only a couple games. Oddly, it's one of the few computers I've owned that I didn't take apart to see how it ticked!