Heavy 6er resets while playing

[Almost Rice]

Hi all,

 

I just got a Sears H6er yesterday. It works fine except for every once in while the game resets to the title screen. It does not occur very often, but enough to no allow me to finish a game. What should I check for?

[Tempest]

Check the power jack, it could be loose. I had one where if I put my foot down too hard it would jiggle the 2600 just enough that it would reset the console. Otherwise, I guess it could be overheating somehow.

 

Tempest

[+Cobra Kai]

I've had this problem before. The AC Adaptor may just be bad. If it's an original then you can imagine it's very old by now....if it's not just a loose connection, then put some effort into acquiring a brand new AC adaptor.

[bjk7382]

Try moving the power jack, the power switch, and the reset switch around to try and reproduce the problem.

[G.Whiz]

Try moving the power jack, the power switch, and the reset switch around to try and reproduce the problem.

 

I agree, it's probably the power cord entering the console. I've had that problem too many times -- you've got the game going, sitting up on the coffee table, wires running everywhere, then someone runs across and rips out all the cords. Eventually, the connections get loose and don't sit in properly.

 

My fix was to put a piece of duct tape over the hole on the console, cutting a hole at the power entry source. If this isn't tight enough, a small piece wrapped around the actual cord should hold it in place. This is temporary though, and may need attending to every once in a while. Also, make sure there is plenty of slack on all cords.

 

And don't let anyone try to climb over the cords once you have it going (especially if they have a beer in their hand...)

 

~G

[A.J. Franzman]

Also check the adaptor's wiring near the console plug and wall cube ends. If bad, don't chuck it, it's not too difficult to repair. Fixing the wall cube end takes some time and effort but I've done it several times. One more possibility is the cartridge connector, but for this to be the problem is fairly rare.

[Almost Rice]

I finally got time to look at it. It seems the voltage is a bit high. Once plugged in the adaptor gives a reading of 13.0v. I have had it plugged in for an hour and it now shows 13.6v. This is an original Los Gatos adaptor Model C010472. Its a bit high for a 9v rating.

[jferio]

I finally got time to look at it. It seems the voltage is a bit high. Once plugged in the adaptor gives a reading of 13.0v. I have had it plugged in for an hour and it now shows 13.6v. This is an original Los Gatos adaptor Model C010472. Its a bit high for a 9v rating.

 

Most power adapters show a significantly higher output when just plugged in than when actually running 'under load'. In other words, the best time to test the power output on it is when it's actually powering the device, and not just plugged into it.

 

With that said, I'm not sure what the lower range is on those power adapters before they can't power the device they're rated for.

[D.Yancey]

Does it exhibit the same symptoms with different game cartridges? I have a few Activision carts that are so touchy that the slightest vibration will reset them.

[A.J. Franzman]

I finally got time to look at it. It seems the voltage is a bit high. Once plugged in the adaptor gives a reading of 13.0v. I have had it plugged in for an hour and it now shows 13.6v. This is an original Los Gatos adaptor Model C010472. Its a bit high for a 9v rating.

Most power adapters show a significantly higher output when just plugged in than when actually running 'under load'. In other words, the best time to test the power output on it is when it's actually powering the device, and not just plugged into it.

 

With that said, I'm not sure what the lower range is on those power adapters before they can't power the device they're rated for.

The 2600 uses a 7805 regulator anyway, so it will work with power input (theoretically) anywhere in the range of 7-30 VDC. The higher the voltage, the hotter the regulator will get, and most 2600s don't heat sink it very well, so it would probably hit thermal cutoff before you get to 30 volts at the high end, but I guarantee you a mere 13-14 volts won't hurt it.