What's your "daily driver"?

[Cebus Capucinis]

Actually for a real answer I use the Coleco Gemini most frequently due to the smaller footprint and my gaming desk being small.

[Prizrak]

Hadn't been into Atari since the 80s and about 4 years ago wanted to relive some childhood memories. Wasn't sure how RF would be so I got one that was AV modded.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[Rhomaios]

Mine's an s-video modded 7800 with a Competition Pro and on a Trinitron. Crisp, clean graphics and of course the ability to play 7800 games, too.

[Avenger75]

My "daily driver" is a modded Heavy Sixer on a Trinitron.

 

[Prizrak]

I want a Trinitron and will someday but till then Magnavox will have to suffice [emoji1]

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[phuzaxeman]

My 5200.  When I want to play the 2600, I use the 2600 adapter for the 5200.

[christo930]

I really like the Telegames heavy sixer and the Junior.  The Junior has the best output, but it is the cheesiest looking of the 2600s while the Telegames heavy sixer is the coolest looking and of course is nice and heavy.  It almost (but not quite) feels as good as the Sears Arcade II (Intellivision) I have and use as an Intellivision.  .

[+sramirez2008]

On 11/14/2021 at 9:41 PM, phuzaxeman said:

My 5200.  When I want to play the 2600, I use the 2600 adapter for the 5200.

? 

[troff]

I go back and forth between my Sears heavy 6er and my 7800.  Both are unmodded.

[Video]

My childhood Vader, unmoded for as long as it works and I can use a crt. I've got over a dozen systems, but no six switchers, so plenty of mod potential if I have to have one for a modern panel display (which are natorious for not liking 2600's funky and changing resolutions)

[Rodney Hester]

Mine is the RetroN 77 as well.  It just can't be beaten for accuracy combined with playability and convenience.  Until there's FPGA in a real 2600 heavy sixer case, this is the gold standard as far as I'm concerned.

[Keatah]

Over the years, decades even, I have yet to see an FPGA implementation that gets the switch activity correct. And none got the voltage, signaling, and analog paddle integration/ADC right either. But the worst offense is putting them in weird cases that prevent all cartridges from fitting. Furthermore the switch nomenclature is usually something whimsically funky.. Both on real hardware remakes/repackages and FPGA examples. So.. Yes.. A real H6 or L6 case is an important feature.

Edited November 20, 2021 by Keatah

[adamchevy]

Over the years, decades even, I have yet to see an FPGA implementation that gets the switch activity correct. And none got the voltage, signaling, and analog paddle integration/ADC right either. But the worst offense is putting them in weird cases that prevent all cartridges from fitting. Furthermore the switch nomenclature is usually something whimsically funky.. Both on real hardware remakes/repackages and FPGA examples. So.. Yes.. A real H6 or L6 case is an important feature.

I doubt a real FPGA remake with switches and paddle support will ever happen. Unless Kevtris becomes very bored someday. I would love to have a Heavy Sixer FPGA remake. Then I could finally stop looking for a component modded 2600.

[Keatah]

16 minutes ago, adamchevy said:

I doubt a real FPGA remake with switches and paddle support will ever happen. Unless Kevtris becomes very bored someday.

 

From what I understand of the few attempts made at FPGA 2600 cores is they simply stop short of going the distance to completion. Likely out of cost or the developer saying "this is good enough". Or trying odd-ball switch controls just because. But that's not good enough.

 

For one, RIOT's analog behavior has to be modeled exactly, and that may need the help of 3.3 to 5v converters or other simple circuitry.

 

And anyways, it doesn't even need to be FPGA. In fact it shouldn't. An FPGA takes time to work through boot/bitstream. The original console became operational from the very first clock oscillations. Instant! And that is part of the personality of the 1977 VCS.

 

I believe it should be an integration of all 3 (or 4) chips into 1 ASIC. The technology has been more than abundant for years to do it. If not that then modern clones of each of the chips.

 

It's just a matter of not being afraid of premium parts and their higher cost. Look at how long the original console lasted. Going on 50 years soon! Premium parts FTW!

[Keatah]

Sometimes FPGA encourages rushing and laziness. If you do a fixed-function, set-in-silicon clone, you have to get it right the first time. And that means testing and verification and qualification. And more.

 

Doing a chipset the first time, like when the 1977 console was released, was likely easier. Things didn't need to be exact, there was no duplicating anything. Any bugs or quirks or coffin corners were simply called features and limitations and everyone rolled with it. And no smartphone social media distractions or impossible-to-please internet crowd. But here today it's all different. And marketing is done years in advance of a product release. And if the product is not exactly as claimed (and imagined to be) by overzealous ads and hype build-ups - then it's a monumental failure.

 

But I say bullshit on all that. The 1977 VCS did just fine back then. And has remarkable longevity with a "passionate" following. Marketing people see "passionate" as a gentle pc way of saying abrupt loudmouths that can't see beyond the item of interest. Least that's what they told me.

[+Nathan Strum]

Back to the actual topic at hand... mine is my original factory refurb'd heavy sixer inna light sixer Telegames shell (with CyberTech S-Video mod):

 

[+McCallister]

9 hours ago, Nathan Strum said:

Back to the actual topic at hand... mine is my original factory refurb'd heavy sixer inna light sixer Telegames shell (with CyberTech S-Video mod):

 

I've been meaning to ask this for sometime and your post seems like a good opportunity: Is the Cybertech S-video mod considered to be the best quality mod?

[+Nathan Strum]

45 minutes ago, McCallister said:

I've been meaning to ask this for sometime and your post seems like a good opportunity: Is the Cybertech S-video mod considered to be the best quality mod?

It was at the time I was testing mods (which was years ago). I haven't tested any other S-Video mods since, because I haven't had a reason to. I've been perfectly happy with it.

 

However, I do have a system I'll be adding a UAV mod to at some point, so I'll be able to do a direct comparison. I'd still use a CyberTech if I could get one.

[ctelkin19]

My daily driver is was a light sixer I got from a local DAV for only $4.95.  The game select switch needs to be replaced, just went out last week, so shouldn't be a difficult fix.  For now I'm using my CV Expansion Module #2

[marlowe221]

At this point, my daily driver is the Retro77 flashed with Stella. The Stella emulator takes the 77 from pretty good to wonderful, IMHO.

 

I keep it attached to my computer monitor (which has it's own speakers) on my desk so it's really convenient to switch inputs, flip it on, and get in a few quick rounds of Beamrider, Defender or Asteroids.

 

It's not quite the same as sitting on the floor in front of a CRT like I did as a kid but at this point proximity and convenience mean that 2600 games get a lot more play time than they probably would otherwise.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I've bounced between a few different systems over the years, being especially fond of the Vader and the Sears Video Arcade II for awhile, but I settled on a Light Sixer and have been using that for all my Atari 2600 gaming needs for the past 4 years or so. Colors seem a lot brighter and more vibrant on the Light Sixer than the other models I've used and I've never had any issues with the difficulty switches not functioning properly like I had with my old Vader and 4 switch Woody.

 

 

 

 

[toiletunes]

From 2003ish to 2021, it was 100% 7800. Recently, I got my hands on a Sears H6, and I wish I had done so sooner. There's just something about it- maybe the colors, maybe the mystique- that make it stand above the rest. I've tried light 6, modded vader, bog standard woody, jr, CV expansion module, stella, 5200 adapter, and flashbacks, but none feel the same.

[+sramirez2008]

On 12/3/2021 at 2:52 AM, Skippy B. Coyote said:

…fond of the Vader and the Sears Video Arcade II for awhile,

Love the look of the Sears Video Arcade II?

[manterola]

Sears Telegames light sixer with UAV + UnoCart.

It really looks nice thru a Retrotink clone using the UAV S-Video output.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

6 hours ago, sramirez2008 said:

Love the look of the Sears Video Arcade II?

 

You got a really nice condition one! At the moment the only Atari I have is my Light Sixer, but I really should have a backup system since I play in the High Score Club and would be pretty screwed if my only system went down at some point. I think you're starting to convince me to try and track down a nice condition Sears Video Arcade II at some point in the near future