Got My 5200 to play today BUT...

[dj_kracker]

I just recieved my 5200 a couple days ago and I had a chance to hook it up and play with it! WOW...the first 20 minutes were great until I used the PAUSE button with the TRACK BALL while playing Galaxian. I paused the game for about 5 minutes to answer the phone and when I came back to restart the screen was black. I powered OFF the machine and turned it back on this time I got a green screen. I proceeded to turn off the machine and retry each cartridge that I had. None of the games worked. I would mostly have a black screen. The Galaxian game was beeing played from a Multicart that I had purchased months ago from one of guys here in the forum (kool guy). Anyways, I have power to the board but no signal to the TV. I have no idea what happened. Maybe someone has a suggestion.

 

2 port game

Using a Atari Age interface to use a wico joystick and my track ball

and a multi cart

[classics]

Do you have any non-multicart games to try?

 

If the others work but the multicart doesnt, then the multicart is probably damaged. If nothing works you may have bad ram. A green screen on an atari computer (the 5200 is based on the Atari 400) is usually bad ram.

 

Steve

[dj_kracker]

I tried every cart I had several times...I only have the one MULTICART. I just went through them all again and it is a black screen that is showing now. UUGHH! I was so excited to play this thing too! darn!

[dj_kracker]

I tried every cart I had several times...I only have the one MULTICART. I just went through them all again and it is a black screen that is showing now. UUGHH! I was so excited to play this thing too! darn!

[classics]

So even regular carts with just one game come up black? Does the light on the console still come on?

 

If its a 4-port, does the switchbox still 'click' when you turn it on?

 

Steve

[dj_kracker]

Steve,

Yes, the normal carts and the one multicart come up BLACK. My Atari 5200 is a 2 port machine and the power light does come on. Would a bad multicart cause problems with my machine? I was having problems when I tried to play Bezerk. It would start play then after I got the first level cleared the screen went crazy and all the graphics went into a vertical 3 inch wide line and the game locked up. After I powered OFF the machine and turned it back on that is when I tried to play Galaxian. The game was working great until I paused it. Does the RAM go bad as you are playing games??? I dont understand. I do appreciate your help with this. I have already started bidding on another 5200 on EBAY. Oh well.

[classics]

I would guess that if the light comes on but none of the games work its definatly the console and not the power supply or carts.

 

Without swapping out some of the ram chips with known good ones its not really possible to say thats it for sure, but in Atari computers 75% of the time a no-boot problem is usually blown ram.

 

If you have any 16k ram chips (4116) in any other devices you can try swapping them. The 5200 ram chips are usually socketed.

 

Steve