Nice work, Joe. This is from someone who fixed over 1,000 of these from '81 to '82 at that Belmont Dr service depot in NJ. As evidenced by initialed paper tag on the motherboard housing, your particular console was sent there for repair and G.D. (Gene) was the tech. There were eight of us doing repairs during the peak of their popularity. Now that I'm retired, I may do a similar video with some tips and tricks we used back in the day that still apply.
@@JoesComputerMuseum Figured you'd like that little bit of trivia. FWIW, after further viewing, I can tell he replaced the 16-pin hex buffer IC, a common failure that effectively "held the fire button down" on the joystick. Static electricity (user to console) was the root cause, cured by the zener diode/cap pigtails behind the 9-pin connectors. The foil that "grounds" the switches to the housing was an early attempt at a cure, but the zeners were the magic bullet. Also, I love that hybrid solder sucker you were using...sweet! We had to cope with the spring loaded versions! Again, nice video!
@@mphillips7738 "I can tell he replaced the 16-pin hex buffer IC, a common failure that effectively "held the fire button down" on the joystick." I had to replace that chip on my "heavy sixer"; it was bad when I bought it several years ago. In my case it wasn't causing a significant problem like a "hold the fire button down" situation; it was just causing some weird graphical glitches. I replaced it with a Texas Instruments CD4050BE and the glitches went away.
@@MaximRecoil The now coveted "heavy" was a nightmare for us techs: They required a TON of mods to make them work reliably. The problem you describe wasn't a buffer failure mode that I recall, but if you bang on the top of the console while it's on and the screen goes kablooey, you likely have one of a number of intermittent connections that will cause a lock-up, from the IC sockets to the green cartridge socket that most heavies had -- they were so bad, we had to replace every one that came in (and they SUCKED to remove). Peek into the slot; if the socket is white you're okay. If green, don't breathe on the unit during a game. 🙂
I had in my possession 8 Atari 2600’s that I bought from yard sales and flea markets about 15 years ago for a total of around $20. None of them worked. Every single one of them had the exact same problem besides being filthy....the voltage regulator. That $3 piece is what cause those consoles to not work. I fixed them up and sold them for around $200 and up to collectors. Never throw these things away.
Why do those voltage regulators fail and why do they need that white pasta to function properly?? BTW I do got 3 atari 2600 jr systems for wich some of them seems to be broken,if you want i can sell them to you if want that😁
@@johneygd the white paste is thermal paste. You have to envision that the surfaces of the backside of the voltage regulator is "rough" on a microscopic level, and so is the metal plate on the PCB which acts as a heat-sink. This roughness creates gaps with air between the two surfaces once the regulator is mounted. Air is not a good head conductor. To get the heat transferred from the voltage regulator into the heat sink as good as possible,, this paste "fills up" those gaps. The paste is such that it transfers heat as good as possible. The trick when using it is to get a even but as thin as possible layer. I always move the part (in this case the regulator) around a bit before actually morning it to make sure the layer is thin and even. I picked up a heavy sixer with a much earlier revision PCB than this one and the regulator has a separate heat-sink installed on it. The machine works fine though so I won't be replacing anything if not needed (I measure all caps with a good ESR meter) but I will definitely replace the thermal paste because this dries out over the decades and looses it's heat conducting function. The voltage regulators usually fail because people connect the wrong power supplies with incorrect polarization or way to high voltages. These kind of voltage regulators are normally very reliable. The bet thing about them: When they do go bad, they "always" die in a "safe" way, thus, the electronics that get powered by the regulator are safe. I have been repairing electronics for decades and I have never seen a bad 78XX regulator that killed the electronics that's "behind" it.
This was really great and very informative. I love watching ancient video game consoles get fixed. I bought a boxed Atari 2600 online that had just been refurbished. The console looks like it was made only yesterday. It came with all the inserts too, and all the paperwork, manuals, paddles, controllers, and the game was boxed etc etc. Love the Atari 2600 so much and no wonder it is considered one of, if not the most important video game consoles of all time.
Found an Atari 2600 at a friends house when he was moving he said I could take it cause he was getting rid of a lot of stuff but it doesn’t work for some reason.
For anyone else that has opened an Atari joystick and had the spring fly into the unknown like I did, the spring from a ball point pen works as a replacement. (Just need to cut it down to the correct size)
Great job. I used to pick these things and their peripherals up for next to nothing in the 80's and fix them. Only a few common issues with them. Hard to believe they sell for more than their original retail these days. Man I miss Radio Shack.
Nice call on changing the voltage regulator. A high failure part not only in game consoles... However, even though it doesn't need it now, i would have changed the electrolytic and the other capacitors for a total "restore" as they tend to gain resistance and the electrolytic can develop high esr, and other problems over time... But nice relaxing video ! Lol!
What George Plimpton has done back then during the late 1970s and the early 1980s is that, he has often compared the Atari 2600 video game consoles graphics to the Mattel Electronics Intellevision video game graphics. It's understandable that the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man was poorly designed.
As a retro console collector I love this kind of video. So whenever one of my old consoles fails, I will try what I learned by watching these. I love retro consoles and I will always try to repair them. I will never throw them away. The Atari 2600 is also the oldest console in my collection
I worked in that same Atari building back in the late 90's after Atari closed it down. 43 Belmont Drive Somerset, NJ. It was Modulation Sciences when I was there as a technician.
Joe - Are you able to tell me how you check the voltage regulator. I noticed you had your black/grey lead going off somewhere and assume to ground on the metal plate??
Yup. Black was on ground. Red was used to check the 15-ish volts in and the 5-ish volts out. I used the data sheet for that regulator to determine what the voltages should be.
Nice job Joe! When I was a kid, I never could understand why the RCA cable out wouldn't produce an image on my composite monitor for my Apple ][ plus clone. It's only in recent years that I learned the signal is RF. I just got a light sixer on eBay last night so I'm waiting on that to come in. It will need some work as it was listed as a "for parts" machine, but that's OK. It doesn't come with any accessories or power supply and has a broken power switch One of the things I'm thinking of doing is put a jack on the rear. I never did like the super long RCA cable that ran from the inside. I prefer to be able to remove cables and accessories from devices when not in use. I'm also considering some kind of mod to make it output to more modern displays
@Spawndude Spawndude I agree, but why didn't they use a normal coaxial cable instead of the RCA cable? But this was early days, so I guess standards hadn't been set yet. The stock RCA cable they used wasn't very well shielded either, and I think image quality would have been better if they used a better cable
Hi, if your still on TH-cam can I ask a few questions please, what is the difference between a light and a heavy 2600, also I want to change the cable that comes from console to tv, is it just a thin coax cable ? Many thanks for any information 👍🏻
@@ronpalmer1371 The primary visual difference is the look of bottom tray of the shell. On the edges of the heavy sixer, it is rather beefy in appearance. The light sixer is a much thinner in appearance. The RF cable they use seems to be a low grade RCA cable. The end that plugs into the RF modulator inside the Atari has a shortened centre pin, so be aware that a standard RCA cable centre pin will be too long, though you could grind it down to the proper length. The other end would be better off putting a standard coax cable end to plug into the tuner of your TV. The other option would be to pick up the TinyComp that Joe sells on his store, and install that into your Atari to convert the RF to Composite, which would be easier to plug into any TV.
@@lemonherb1 Hi, thank you so much for your reply, please bare with me as I’m not overly knowledgeable about these things, I would be happy to convert to composite, I am able to physically do the work but unsure what parts I need and where to get them from, you say Joe has them for sale, do you know how I can contact him ? Also I am in London UK, would the parts he uses be suitable for a UK Atari 2600 ? I have yesterday stripped it down and cleaned it up, it was dead but now working but temperamental regarding the cable connections between machine and tv, if I can’t obtain the composite conversion from Joe the least I can do is replace the cable, can I ask you again is RF cable different from RCA cable (apart from the plugs obviously) If you reply please feel free to explain as if talking to a child 😂 as I said I have very limited knowledge of what the parts are called or what they do 😂😂 many thanks, Ron
@@ronpalmer1371 To get to Joe's store, just click on the 'About' tab on his channel and click on Sweet Merch! As for the TinyComp, it was designed by Rudy from Rudy's Retro Intel channel. You would have to ask him if the TinyComp supports PAL. I'm afraid I don't know much about the PAL versions of the 2600, so I can't say anything about the RF cable. If it does have RCA jacks on either end, then it's the same as the NTSC ones in North America. If you were to replace with an RCA cable, I'd get one that's shielded to reduce the amount of interference it can pick up
Ha I got one for my child. Then he out grew it . I took it over. Even to day at 68 I dig it out and play. They don't build them like they used to. As the saying goes.
actually it’s true, they don’t build them like they used to, now they use modern tech to make them much, MUCH better... I mean would you rather play custars revenge or gta5, but I think it’s awesome that there are 68 year old gamers out there ZOOMER
@@BigJimBoylesLab quake, quake 2, quake 3/ unreal and others were installed in my PC. Along with many others now got them on a lap top. Game on om. Sgt Williams( retired) and LIma ohio at the DEPOT. Bring your own bottle and CPU let her ripppp
Would you list the names of the aerosol liquid you used on the switches and the grease tube you used before you put on the new power chip? (New to this and trying to fix up an Atari that was sold to me broken/no power... and that wasn’t part of the deal,lol)
Where to get the desoldering pump: www.jameco.com/z/SA6-R-11-Long-UL-Listed-Electric-Desolder-Pump-Blue-_2168261.html Not sponsored or endorsed: it's just the closest match I could find. About the power supply: 1) I was going for functional, not pretty. 2) I didn't have spare cable at the time to do a.complete repair. 3) it's not a fire hazard. All wires are independantly spliced and insulated.
I used to fix those things... The solder points are all done by free hand and NOTHING inside is complicated. The weight you fill on these old beasts is plastic, a thick plastic case. Good fun to fix so thumbs up! Christ if these things ain't hard as nails to find in the wild any longer.
Also, I hate to reply to my own post but I did not want to edit it. Anyway, I got to thinking and I felt the need to share that more than half of the ones I've fixed and worked on did not have that thin metal strip under their switches. I'm sure they all had them but I'm double sure a lot of these machines had been worked on back in the day. Maybe they didn't all have that metal strip? I just started to get to think and I've come to believe that in the nearly 50 years they have been a thing people must have opened them up to fix them or they could have been like me as a child 20 years ago and just ended up with the right screw driver and no one stopped them from opening up their Atari.
Dang...so when I had a 2600 (many moons ago), the rubber element got pulled off my joysticks....never knew you could pull that grommet off to properly repair them.
9 Volts DC at 500ma with center pin positive is all the unit needs. Try this: console5.com/store/power-supply-adapter-for-atari-2600-and-atari-dedicated-systems.html
Was there an earlier version? I vividly remember opening up our Atari 2600. The "motherboard" was not nestled in an aluminum shield and was visible once you opened it. What I remember seeing was jumper wires bypassing/jumping points on the board, almost like the production run of the first mother boards were wrong and this was the fix. I know we bought it new in the 70's and it would not have been repaired. Looking at pics on Google I see there is a version with 2 buttons on left and two on the right and on other 2600 it's 3 right 3 left so maybe I had the 2 and 2 since the one in the video had 3 and 3 button. I know I am late to this video but thanks for the memories!.
This really takes me back to my childhood days, when me and my friends used to play on that beautiful console all night. Good ole times 😀. If i ever see a cheap one i think i have to get one, it is so much fun, even though we have Playstation4 and computers, these games have much more charme and soul and then there is that retro feeling. really a good video and you have a new subscriber now. greetings from germany. 😉👍
I just got an old 2600 that does not have the tv channel switch-I looked inside but it is not there. Is that why I cannot get it to work? Am I screwed?
@@JoesComputerMuseum Yes it does since the area is labeled but I did some digging and apparently some models came that way. I know I have a working power pack but I am not sure about the rest. Can you recommend some basic steps to take to try and fix it. Maybe you know a good website or TH-cam video? I want my first console repair to be a 2600. Thanks, buddy!
Are 15 volts actually needed for anything? That seems like an unnecessary high input voltage if only 5 volts are needed for the electronics. A lot of heat is being put into that little heat sink. Could a 6 volt power adapter be used instead? Could a lower input voltage have prevented the voltage regulator from going bad?
All really good questions. The regulator is a standard 7805 jobbie, so you can probably dump whatever minimum voltage that takes. 5 volts? They probably designed it with a 15 volt transformer because it was cheap and available.
i know this is old.. but i've had about 10 Atari 2600's which i fix up a little and sell on to the next collector. My personal one has an issue. Usually 7-10 mins after playing one game, the video then gets a bit fuzzy. Most say its a capacitor getting hot. Any idea which particular capacitor it might be? I already have a replacement component set i bought from someone on ebay.
it is important to note, for the noobs that may be watching... the squirt bottle was actually alcohol or some sort of contact cleaning solution. DO NOT USE WATER TO CLEAN THE MOTHERBOARD.
Always leave the top off and test it to see if it works first this way if its not working your there i dont even put the shield back on until i test it one of the ICs could be blown and also the very first thing is test the power pack with a meter but defiantly before soldering its wires and all that just twist them together and test it then if its working make a more permanent fix.
I haven't seen one of these things in a long period of time, ever since the early 1980s. The best thing I liked about this video game console is when, there was a Wico track ball controller that came in later.
Nice video - really easy to follow. 🙂 From your experience what are the main issues that affect these machines in terms of general problems or not powering on?
Thanks! You can get the voltage regulator anywhere. It's a standard 7805. I just read the numbers off it, but to be certain, you can find schematics online for the device you are repairing.
@@JoesComputerMuseum the power port on the back of the system is broken as well, do you have any info on replacement parts for that? I have looked and have only found 1 place that sells it
@@jimyoung1205 Not specifically. However, it's just a 3.5mm inch phono plug. With some ingenuity, anything could be adapted for the purpose. You might be able to adapt SJ1-3533NG or SJ1-3533N - from Mouser Electronics.
Hi Joe, what a truly satisfying video to watch. I've just subscribed. ps, you have inspired me to start restoring electronics again. Kind regards. Paul.
Maaan! I have the same 6 buttons console and I need to repair it! 😱😱😱 What did you used to wash it? I always thought that the console had integrated speakers.
Nope. Most TVs, even new ones, have the old tuner input required. It is also possible to install a "composite" mod to allow it to work with virtually any AV compatible monitor.
JOES COMPUTER MUSEUM ^^ 1.) What is the start and end address range for the TIA? ^^ 2.) What is the start and end address range for the PIA? ^^ 3.) What is the start and end address range for the Games ROM chip? 4.) What is the start and end address range for the Sound RIOT chip? 5.) is it a ROM chip or a PROM chip that are inside the game cartridge? 6.) A PIA chip is a RAM chip that has built in ADC/DAC interfacing? A PIA is not a decoder or a multipler chip , its a RAM chip with I/0 interfacing ADC/DAC converters built into the RAM locations?
Didn't have any of the proper diameter. Adult ADHD means poor executive function, which means poor planning ahead, which means I bolt headfirst into the fun and see what happens. I'm not perfect. At least, now, the power cord has character. :)
OH great tip us tape oveGood Job slots!!! Great work...thanks for sharing I have a Telegames version, I am assuming the same or very similar. I'll document what I find on mine on my channel (IN THE FUTURE) - thanks again
I picked it up at a local electronics store. It has no brand name or distinguishing marks on it. It's a desoldering pump with built in iron, basically. Velleman makes a similar model.
Wow. I thought because the original hardware was in the 1970s, which is WAY back for a video game, I thought it's impossible to fix a broken Atari 2600 these days, even though there no moving parts as with any cartridge system. Guess I was wrong.
Uhmmmm, isn't 14+ volt a bit too high for the VCS ? The original Atari Power supplies I have here are all 9 Volts...... I know the 7805 can handle up to 25V input but the higher it is, the more the 7805 has to dissipate heat, the more likely it is to fail. The minimum input for the 7805 is 7 V so the 9V is comfy and enough for the good old VCS. By the way, nice work on this :)
If you replace the RF-cord, why not the cable for the PSU, too? Or can't it be open somehow? There's a good way for cleaning up the levers of the six switches. I used a Dremel multitool with a brass "wire brush" tool. Looks perfect! 😉 flic.kr/p/26mCjBz
Those insides were pretty darn clean for a forty year old machine. Was it not functioning when you first got it? I have a tote full of non-working 2600s. I wish I had the gumption to attempt to repair them. Anyway, nice video. Refurbishing old video games systems, even though the effort far exceeds the monetary rewards, is a higher calling.
I don't have the model/part number handy. It's a cheap iron/pump style I got from a "local" electronics shop a few months ago. It kinda works, but not always, likely due to poor technique.
Nice restoration but something not works.. Why u don't clean the slot cartridge? Why you don't polish the metal part inside? why you don't repaint the yellow decoration on the joystick why youn don't the rubber footer of the console? the paddle are working? the paddle are restorates?
@@luigicorrias Why would you polish the metal plate/cover inside when you don't see it or even need to? The fact he got it working and did a pretty good job cleaning it is brilliant.
i think this is great to pimp that system with new motherboards. modern high efficient voltage regulators, different video outputs,... and then real upgrades with a new stereo sid chip, 64k static ram,....
ahh. I think I'll do the dialog. in the style of that Aussie nature expert. Here we have the rare and endangered atari 2600 in its natural enviroment....
Dude I cannot believe you jammed a pencil in the cartridge holder and powered the 2600 on, without even opening it make rudimentary check for shorts, etc. It's a miracle the whole thing didn't go *POOF*. Admittedly I'm watching with the sound off
Nice!!! I just subbed. I have a small retro gaming channel and plan to do this exact process on my mine after the new year. Looking up your other vids now. If you want feel free to check my stuff out as well. Merry Christmas and keep up the great work.
Nice work, Joe. This is from someone who fixed over 1,000 of these from '81 to '82 at that Belmont Dr service depot in NJ. As evidenced by initialed paper tag on the motherboard housing, your particular console was sent there for repair and G.D. (Gene) was the tech. There were eight of us doing repairs during the peak of their popularity. Now that I'm retired, I may do a similar video with some tips and tricks we used back in the day that still apply.
Wow! This is an awesome insight into the history of this machine. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for your past work to keep these systems going!
@@JoesComputerMuseum Figured you'd like that little bit of trivia. FWIW, after further viewing, I can tell he replaced the 16-pin hex buffer IC, a common failure that effectively "held the fire button down" on the joystick. Static electricity (user to console) was the root cause, cured by the zener diode/cap pigtails behind the 9-pin connectors. The foil that "grounds" the switches to the housing was an early attempt at a cure, but the zeners were the magic bullet. Also, I love that hybrid solder sucker you were using...sweet! We had to cope with the spring loaded versions! Again, nice video!
" I may do a similar video..." Yes! I hope you do. I would love to see your insights on repairing these consoles!
@@mphillips7738 "I can tell he replaced the 16-pin hex buffer IC, a common failure that effectively "held the fire button down" on the joystick."
I had to replace that chip on my "heavy sixer"; it was bad when I bought it several years ago. In my case it wasn't causing a significant problem like a "hold the fire button down" situation; it was just causing some weird graphical glitches. I replaced it with a Texas Instruments CD4050BE and the glitches went away.
@@MaximRecoil The now coveted "heavy" was a nightmare for us techs: They required a TON of mods to make them work reliably. The problem you describe wasn't a buffer failure mode that I recall, but if you bang on the top of the console while it's on and the screen goes kablooey, you likely have one of a number of intermittent connections that will cause a lock-up, from the IC sockets to the green cartridge socket that most heavies had -- they were so bad, we had to replace every one that came in (and they SUCKED to remove). Peek into the slot; if the socket is white you're okay. If green, don't breathe on the unit during a game. 🙂
I had in my possession 8 Atari 2600’s that I bought from yard sales and flea markets about 15 years ago for a total of around $20. None of them worked. Every single one of them had the exact same problem besides being filthy....the voltage regulator. That $3 piece is what cause those consoles to not work. I fixed them up and sold them for around $200 and up to collectors. Never throw these things away.
Why do those voltage regulators fail and why do they need that white pasta to function properly??
BTW
I do got 3 atari 2600 jr systems for wich some of them seems to be broken,if you want i can sell them to you if want that😁
@@johneygd I’d be down to buy them! I love trying to get these console back up and running!
@@johneygd the white paste is thermal paste. You have to envision that the surfaces of the backside of the voltage regulator is "rough" on a microscopic level, and so is the metal plate on the PCB which acts as a heat-sink. This roughness creates gaps with air between the two surfaces once the regulator is mounted. Air is not a good head conductor. To get the heat transferred from the voltage regulator into the heat sink as good as possible,, this paste "fills up" those gaps. The paste is such that it transfers heat as good as possible. The trick when using it is to get a even but as thin as possible layer. I always move the part (in this case the regulator) around a bit before actually morning it to make sure the layer is thin and even.
I picked up a heavy sixer with a much earlier revision PCB than this one and the regulator has a separate heat-sink installed on it. The machine works fine though so I won't be replacing anything if not needed (I measure all caps with a good ESR meter) but I will definitely replace the thermal paste because this dries out over the decades and looses it's heat conducting function.
The voltage regulators usually fail because people connect the wrong power supplies with incorrect polarization or way to high voltages. These kind of voltage regulators are normally very reliable. The bet thing about them: When they do go bad, they "always" die in a "safe" way, thus, the electronics that get powered by the regulator are safe. I have been repairing electronics for decades and I have never seen a bad 78XX regulator that killed the electronics that's "behind" it.
This was really great and very informative. I love watching ancient video game consoles get fixed. I bought a boxed Atari 2600 online that had just been refurbished. The console looks like it was made only yesterday. It came with all the inserts too, and all the paperwork, manuals, paddles, controllers, and the game was boxed etc etc. Love the Atari 2600 so much and no wonder it is considered one of, if not the most important video game consoles of all time.
Found an Atari 2600 at a friends house when he was moving he said I could take it cause he was getting rid of a lot of stuff but it doesn’t work for some reason.
For anyone else that has opened an Atari joystick and had the spring fly into the unknown like I did, the spring from a ball point pen works as a replacement. (Just need to cut it down to the correct size)
Great job. I used to pick these things and their peripherals up for next to nothing in the 80's and fix them. Only a few common issues with them. Hard to believe they sell for more than their original retail these days. Man I miss Radio Shack.
Nice call on changing the voltage regulator. A high failure part not only in game consoles... However, even though it doesn't need it now, i would have changed the electrolytic and the other capacitors for a total "restore" as they tend to gain resistance and the electrolytic can develop high esr, and other problems over time... But nice relaxing video ! Lol!
What George Plimpton has done back then during the late 1970s and the early 1980s is that, he has often compared the Atari 2600 video game consoles graphics to the Mattel Electronics Intellevision video game graphics. It's understandable that the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man was poorly designed.
As a retro console collector I love this kind of video. So whenever one of my old consoles fails, I will try what I learned by watching these. I love retro consoles and I will always try to repair them. I will never throw them away. The Atari 2600 is also the oldest console in my collection
I worked in that same Atari building back in the late 90's after Atari closed it down. 43 Belmont Drive Somerset, NJ. It was Modulation Sciences when I was there as a technician.
Joe - Are you able to tell me how you check the voltage regulator. I noticed you had your black/grey lead going off somewhere and assume to ground on the metal plate??
Yup. Black was on ground. Red was used to check the 15-ish volts in and the 5-ish volts out. I used the data sheet for that regulator to determine what the voltages should be.
@@JoesComputerMuseum Thank you for the reply. That will help me troubleshoot mine :)
Nice job Joe!
When I was a kid, I never could understand why the RCA cable out wouldn't produce an image on my composite monitor for my Apple ][ plus clone. It's only in recent years that I learned the signal is RF.
I just got a light sixer on eBay last night so I'm waiting on that to come in. It will need some work as it was listed as a "for parts" machine, but that's OK. It doesn't come with any accessories or power supply and has a broken power switch
One of the things I'm thinking of doing is put a jack on the rear. I never did like the super long RCA cable that ran from the inside. I prefer to be able to remove cables and accessories from devices when not in use.
I'm also considering some kind of mod to make it output to more modern displays
@Spawndude Spawndude I agree, but why didn't they use a normal coaxial cable instead of the RCA cable?
But this was early days, so I guess standards hadn't been set yet. The stock RCA cable they used wasn't very well shielded either, and I think image quality would have been better if they used a better cable
Hi, if your still on TH-cam can I ask a few questions please, what is the difference between a light and a heavy 2600, also I want to change the cable that comes from console to tv, is it just a thin coax cable ?
Many thanks for any information 👍🏻
@@ronpalmer1371 The primary visual difference is the look of bottom tray of the shell. On the edges of the heavy sixer, it is rather beefy in appearance. The light sixer is a much thinner in appearance.
The RF cable they use seems to be a low grade RCA cable. The end that plugs into the RF modulator inside the Atari has a shortened centre pin, so be aware that a standard RCA cable centre pin will be too long, though you could grind it down to the proper length. The other end would be better off putting a standard coax cable end to plug into the tuner of your TV.
The other option would be to pick up the TinyComp that Joe sells on his store, and install that into your Atari to convert the RF to Composite, which would be easier to plug into any TV.
@@lemonherb1
Hi, thank you so much for your reply, please bare with me as I’m not overly knowledgeable about these things, I would be happy to convert to composite, I am able to physically do the work but unsure what parts I need and where to get them from, you say Joe has them for sale, do you know how I can contact him ? Also I am in London UK, would the parts he uses be suitable for a UK Atari 2600 ? I have yesterday stripped it down and cleaned it up, it was dead but now working but temperamental regarding the cable connections between machine and tv, if I can’t obtain the composite conversion from Joe the least I can do is replace the cable, can I ask you again is RF cable different from RCA cable (apart from the plugs obviously)
If you reply please feel free to explain as if talking to a child 😂 as I said I have very limited knowledge of what the parts are called or what they do 😂😂 many thanks, Ron
@@ronpalmer1371 To get to Joe's store, just click on the 'About' tab on his channel and click on Sweet Merch!
As for the TinyComp, it was designed by Rudy from Rudy's Retro Intel channel. You would have to ask him if the TinyComp supports PAL.
I'm afraid I don't know much about the PAL versions of the 2600, so I can't say anything about the RF cable. If it does have RCA jacks on either end, then it's the same as the NTSC ones in North America. If you were to replace with an RCA cable, I'd get one that's shielded to reduce the amount of interference it can pick up
Ha I got one for my child. Then he out grew it . I took it over. Even to day at 68 I dig it out and play. They don't build them like they used to. As the saying goes.
i know it gives you nostalgia but stop with that stupid statement cuz it was never true! Things are built much better now BOOOMEEER
actually it’s true, they don’t build them like they used to, now they use modern tech to make them much, MUCH better... I mean would you rather play custars revenge or gta5, but I think it’s awesome that there are 68 year old gamers out there ZOOMER
@@BigJimBoylesLab quake, quake 2, quake 3/ unreal and others were installed in my PC. Along with many others now got them on a lap top. Game on om. Sgt Williams( retired) and LIma ohio at the DEPOT. Bring your own bottle and CPU let her ripppp
Would you list the names of the aerosol liquid you used on the switches and the grease tube you used before you put on the new power chip? (New to this and trying to fix up an Atari that was sold to me broken/no power... and that wasn’t part of the deal,lol)
Where to get the desoldering pump: www.jameco.com/z/SA6-R-11-Long-UL-Listed-Electric-Desolder-Pump-Blue-_2168261.html
Not sponsored or endorsed: it's just the closest match I could find.
About the power supply: 1) I was going for functional, not pretty. 2) I didn't have spare cable at the time to do a.complete repair. 3) it's not a fire hazard. All wires are independantly spliced and insulated.
I used to fix those things... The solder points are all done by free hand and NOTHING inside is complicated.
The weight you fill on these old beasts is plastic, a thick plastic case. Good fun to fix so thumbs up! Christ if these things ain't hard as nails to find in the wild any longer.
Also, I hate to reply to my own post but I did not want to edit it.
Anyway, I got to thinking and I felt the need to share that more than half of the ones I've fixed and worked on did not have that thin metal strip under their switches.
I'm sure they all had them but I'm double sure a lot of these machines had been worked on back in the day.
Maybe they didn't all have that metal strip? I just started to get to think and I've come to believe that in the nearly 50 years they have been a thing people must have opened them up to fix them or they could have been like me as a child 20 years ago and just ended up with the right screw driver and no one stopped them from opening up their Atari.
Dang...so when I had a 2600 (many moons ago), the rubber element got pulled off my joysticks....never knew you could pull that grommet off to properly repair them.
tape over the loose screws, god damn it. why didn't I think of that
Where can I get the cord he unplugs at 3:37 ? I bought a 2600 at a garage sale at it was missing
9 Volts DC at 500ma with center pin positive is all the unit needs. Try this: console5.com/store/power-supply-adapter-for-atari-2600-and-atari-dedicated-systems.html
AND I realized I referenced the wrong thing. You can use just about any standard RCA cable.
Joe's Computer Museum www.ebay.com/itm/RCA-Video-Cable-RF-TV-connector-Atari-2600-Jr-7800-Colecovision-Intellivision-/172454273725 would that work?
Was there an earlier version? I vividly remember opening up our Atari 2600. The "motherboard" was not nestled in an aluminum shield and was visible once you opened it. What I remember seeing was jumper wires bypassing/jumping points on the board, almost like the production run of the first mother boards were wrong and this was the fix. I know we bought it new in the 70's and it would not have been repaired. Looking at pics on Google I see there is a version with 2 buttons on left and two on the right and on other 2600 it's 3 right 3 left so maybe I had the 2 and 2 since the one in the video had 3 and 3 button. I know I am late to this video but thanks for the memories!.
Not sure! There are many resources on the 'net that describe the versions and differences.
This really takes me back to my childhood days, when me and my friends used to play on that beautiful console all night. Good ole times 😀. If i ever see a cheap one i think i have to get one, it is so much fun, even though we have Playstation4 and computers, these games have much more charme and soul and then there is that retro feeling.
really a good video and you have a new subscriber now. greetings from germany. 😉👍
Thanks! Nothing like that growling sound of an Atari!
I love my 2600... should show it some love as you do here. Thanks for the upload!
What is that solution in the dropper clear bottle you use to clean the boards. Alcohol?
99% isopropyl alcohol.
I love that 40 year old consoles used good olde + screws.
I actually enjoy watching the cleaning process :D
I just got an old 2600 that does not have the tv channel switch-I looked inside but it is not there. Is that why I cannot get it to work? Am I screwed?
Weird. Does it look like it's supposed to be there, but is just missing? Maybe it broke off? It might be repairable.
@@JoesComputerMuseum Yes it does since the area is labeled but I did some digging and apparently some models came that way. I know I have a working power pack but I am not sure about the rest. Can you recommend some basic steps to take to try and fix it. Maybe you know a good website or TH-cam video? I want my first console repair to be a 2600. Thanks, buddy!
@@kevingbryant VERY WEIRD. If you want to discuss in more detail, grab my business email from my about page, or hit me up on twitter @MuseumJoe
What did you spray on the board to clean it with a toothbrush?
Lab grade 99% isopropyl alcohol.
Are 15 volts actually needed for anything? That seems like an unnecessary high input voltage if only 5 volts are needed for the electronics. A lot of heat is being put into that little heat sink. Could a 6 volt power adapter be used instead? Could a lower input voltage have prevented the voltage regulator from going bad?
All really good questions. The regulator is a standard 7805 jobbie, so you can probably dump whatever minimum voltage that takes. 5 volts? They probably designed it with a 15 volt transformer because it was cheap and available.
Where can I buy this Great Desoldering Pump?
This is the pump I suggest now: amzn.to/3Xka8FM
@@JoesComputerMuseum Thank You! 👍🏻
Awesome restoration! I didn’t know how to check a voltage regulator. Very helpful.
i know this is old.. but i've had about 10 Atari 2600's which i fix up a little and sell on to the next collector. My personal one has an issue. Usually 7-10 mins after playing one game, the video then gets a bit fuzzy. Most say its a capacitor getting hot. Any idea which particular capacitor it might be? I already have a replacement component set i bought from someone on ebay.
Thanks for the post; Back in the day Atari made a Cartridge that let you Program in Basic. It was difficult to find the keyboards though.
What’s the cleaning liquid he is using? Would be cool to say in the description all the products used to restore. Great video thank you.
Windex.
great restoration! could you tell me the polarity of the adapter please? TY!
Tip positive, Ring negative.
@@JoesComputerMuseum thank you
it is important to note, for the noobs that may be watching... the squirt bottle was actually alcohol or some sort of contact cleaning solution. DO NOT USE WATER TO CLEAN THE MOTHERBOARD.
99% Isopropyl Alcohol from MG Chemicals, in a little squirt bottle.
Duh!!!!
I figured as much as it was evaporating quickly in typical alcohol fashion.
Always leave the top off and test it to see if it works first this way if its not working your there i dont even put the shield back on until i test it one of the ICs could be blown and also the very first thing is test the power pack with a meter but defiantly before soldering its wires and all that just twist them together and test it then if its working make a more permanent fix.
good job thow thanks for putting it out there👍🏻
I haven't seen one of these things in a long period of time, ever since the early 1980s. The best thing I liked about this video game console is when, there was a Wico track ball controller that came in later.
How did you determine the voltage regulator was bad? Is it because the third post read 0.5 volts?
Exactly. It should read 5 volts.
Nice video - really easy to follow. 🙂 From your experience what are the main issues that affect these machines in terms of general problems or not powering on?
The power regulator is the biggest culprit.
@@JoesComputerMuseum Thanks. You've given me the confidence to buy a few dead ones. 🙂
Where did you get that cool de-soldering tool? I must have one.
www.jameco.com/z/SA6-R-11-Long-UL-Listed-Electric-Desolder-Pump-Blue-_2168261.html
@@JoesComputerMuseum Thank you very much. A neat piece of hardware indeed!
Great concept for a video Joe! You were probably rocking out to some heavy metal in your headphones!
Thanks! No heavy metal though. Just me and the "bare metal" so to speak. ;D
@@JoesComputerMuseum I always play something man
Awesome video
Where do you buy the voltage regulators at? and how do you make sure to get the correct one?
Thanks! You can get the voltage regulator anywhere. It's a standard 7805. I just read the numbers off it, but to be certain, you can find schematics online for the device you are repairing.
@@JoesComputerMuseum the power port on the back of the system is broken as well, do you have any info on replacement parts for that? I have looked and have only found 1 place that sells it
@@jimyoung1205 Not specifically. However, it's just a 3.5mm inch phono plug. With some ingenuity, anything could be adapted for the purpose. You might be able to adapt SJ1-3533NG or SJ1-3533N - from Mouser Electronics.
i have a question, c10750 chip its same than 6532 chip?
Yep.
Mine only reacts to the up direction. I tried an original joystick and a new after market, any Ideas?
Hmm. Bad jack. Bad solder points on the board for the jack. Bad TIA chip. That's what I'd look at, in that order... if it were me.
@@JoesComputerMuseum thanks Joe I'll check that out.
Hi Joe, what a truly satisfying video to watch. I've just subscribed. ps, you have inspired me to start restoring electronics again. Kind regards. Paul.
Awesome! Have fun and make cool things!
Hi Joe, I work on vintage radios and cassette recorders. So I'm now eager to get started.
no voice over is actually nice :)
Maaan! I have the same 6 buttons console and I need to repair it! 😱😱😱 What did you used to wash it? I always thought that the console had integrated speakers.
My dad had one of those.he would tell me he would stay up late at night just play it lol
He had the legendary game Pitfall on it
Can RF cable be replaced?
Yes.
Were those big blue cylinders capacitors or transistors? Great video by the way.
Yup, capacitors.
Do you have to use an older tv?
Nope. Most TVs, even new ones, have the old tuner input required. It is also possible to install a "composite" mod to allow it to work with virtually any AV compatible monitor.
@@JoesComputerMuseum Thanks for your quick reply. I have the old Archer adapter. Will that work with a TV that has a coaxel antenna in port?
@@Allclasher It should, yes.
@@JoesComputerMuseum oh my goodness! It works!! I've had this Atari for over five years and I thought it was broken, but it fired right up! Thanks!
@@Allclasher Glad I could help!
JOES COMPUTER MUSEUM
^^ 1.) What is the start and end address range for the TIA?
^^ 2.) What is the start and end address range for the PIA?
^^ 3.) What is the start and end address range for the Games ROM chip?
4.) What is the start and end address range for the Sound RIOT chip?
5.) is it a ROM chip or a PROM chip that are inside the game cartridge?
6.) A PIA chip is a RAM chip that has built in ADC/DAC interfacing? A PIA is not a decoder or a multipler chip , its a RAM chip with I/0 interfacing ADC/DAC converters built into the RAM locations?
Google.com? I don't know the answers offhand.
You couldn’t find black shrinking tube for the power supply repair? Looks hideous..
Didn't have any of the proper diameter. Adult ADHD means poor executive function, which means poor planning ahead, which means I bolt headfirst into the fun and see what happens. I'm not perfect. At least, now, the power cord has character. :)
OH great tip us tape oveGood Job slots!!! Great work...thanks for sharing I have a Telegames version, I am assuming the same or very similar. I'll document what I find on mine on my channel (IN THE FUTURE) - thanks again
where u get that desolder gadget?
I picked it up at a local electronics store. It has no brand name or distinguishing marks on it. It's a desoldering pump with built in iron, basically. Velleman makes a similar model.
@@JoesComputerMuseum came to the comments looking for the make & model. its a nice one.
@@d.logic1 I really wish I knew what it was!
Wow. I thought because the original hardware was in the 1970s, which is WAY back for a video game, I thought it's impossible to fix a broken Atari 2600 these days, even though there no moving parts as with any cartridge system. Guess I was wrong.
Yep. As long as the custom chips are still good, everything else in the machine is off-the-shelf parts.
What did u use to clean the motherboard?
Isopropyl Alcohol
Thanks!
15:22 ANTENNA cable *cries intensify*
HAHAHA! YEP.
Uhmmmm, isn't 14+ volt a bit too high for the VCS ? The original Atari Power supplies I have here are all 9 Volts......
I know the 7805 can handle up to 25V input but the higher it is, the more the 7805 has to dissipate heat, the more likely it is to fail. The minimum input for the 7805 is 7 V so the 9V is comfy and enough for the good old VCS.
By the way, nice work on this :)
I don't know what the right voltage is in this case. I'm just going with what the machine came with in the 1980s.
That's a pretty good game you tested the system with at the end.
:D
If you replace the RF-cord, why not the cable for the PSU, too? Or can't it be open somehow?
There's a good way for cleaning up the levers of the six switches. I used a Dremel multitool with a brass "wire brush" tool. Looks perfect! 😉
flic.kr/p/26mCjBz
Those insides were pretty darn clean for a forty year old machine. Was it not functioning when you first got it? I have a tote full of non-working 2600s. I wish I had the gumption to attempt to repair them. Anyway, nice video. Refurbishing old video games systems, even though the effort far exceeds the monetary rewards, is a higher calling.
Yup, dead on arrival.Just a faulty regulator.
Why don't you mod it with RCA Connections & S-Video.
Because I didn't wanna. :D
I LOVE watching old machines restored to life again! Great vid! (play a game of BERZERK for me!)
What desoldering tool is that
I don't have the model/part number handy. It's a cheap iron/pump style I got from a "local" electronics shop a few months ago. It kinda works, but not always, likely due to poor technique.
My first console.... Bought it new in 82
what r u using
What am I using.... for what?
This was just recommended to me!
Nicely done Joe, that was a lot of toe jam all over it 🤮
can you restore my bathroom?
Volt=?
5
I prefer the voice over. I'm not a big fan of videos with no talking. But that aside a great video and I enjoyed it.
Fair enough.
Nice restoration but something not works..
Why u don't clean the slot cartridge? Why you don't polish the metal part inside? why you don't repaint the yellow decoration on the joystick why youn don't the rubber footer of the console? the paddle are working? the paddle are restorates?
I see from your channel you have done a much better restoration. Oh wait, you haven't.
@@jonvincentmusic I try to give good advices
@@luigicorrias Why would you polish the metal plate/cover inside when you don't see it or even need to? The fact he got it working and did a pretty good job cleaning it is brilliant.
@@falcidi To do a good job... I wea r shirt and a a jacket but the shirt is not ironed only in the collar and in the visible part but everywhere...
@Craig Colby Sorry i follow restoration video and i learn how a masterpiece restoration must be done.. i i try to be constructive..
This video seems underrated because I got a smile when he kept flipping the switch over and over again when it didn’t turn on.
well that is a lot of empty space inside the atari.. O.o
i think this is great to pimp that system with new motherboards.
modern high efficient voltage regulators, different video outputs,...
and then real upgrades with a new stereo sid chip, 64k static ram,....
@Spawndude Spawndude i don't have a 2600 myself. i have to get one at ebay. it's simplicity shouts for making new boards :-)
Felicidades, me encantó el video!!
Yo tambien tengo un Atari
ahh. I think I'll do the dialog. in the style of that Aussie nature expert. Here we have the rare and endangered atari 2600 in its natural enviroment....
HA!
you must see mundo4k channel in youtube to se more atari 2600 repairs
Great video man.
ASMR Atari 2600 VCS - Repair and Restore.
😉
Nice repair and restore of a late production run of a "Light Sixer".
:D
Risky using an electric screwdriver to remove and refit screws on a circuit board. 🤢
In what way?
@@JoesComputerMuseum driver could of slip and damaged circuit board.. good work though in getting they bad boy fixed.
@@carlb1056 Thank you for the advice!
thanks you ... i was looking for that comment
Beautiful.
outstanding
Dude I cannot believe you jammed a pencil in the cartridge holder and powered the 2600 on, without even opening it make rudimentary check for shorts, etc. It's a miracle the whole thing didn't go *POOF*. Admittedly I'm watching with the sound off
What's the fun of diagnostics (for your viewing pleasure) without the at least subtle risk of smoke release?
Awesome Video but the Power Adapter repair you did is a fire hazard.
2:32 Roach Poop
A.W.E.S.O.M.E
;)
Sweet!
👍👍👍
I still hava Mint The box control sticks . got them in 83 for Christmas kept them as back ups never used them.
I have a 2600 that one day i will make great again;P
AWESOME
A bad voltage regulator? That was it? I'm glad that's all that was, but it just goes to show how finicky computers can be.
Yup, that's all.
Nice!!! I just subbed. I have a small retro gaming channel and plan to do this exact process on my mine after the new year. Looking up your other vids now. If you want feel free to check my stuff out as well. Merry Christmas and keep up the great work.
ممتاز جدا👍👍👍
You can clean a counsel but you don't clean your sink... sigh....
That sink is stained beyond cleaning, trust me. I've tried.
Are you counseling him on his console?
nice cleaning, but please stop using that drill man... those consoles need care
Do yourself a favor, get yourself an electric blower or compressor. Don't use canned air it only lasts five mins, and it's too costly in the long run.
Did that several years ago now. This video is old. :D
@@JoesComputerMuseum Yes, I see that now. Thanks.
128 bytes of RAM.
OMG watching you cleaning the uppercase felt extremely satisfying to me. What is wrong with me haha
great!!!!!
The sounds of Dig Dug are freaking me out man!! I remember them well. 😮