reverendshoebox

So over here on my end, I've replaced the power amp and the fuse, and I'm back to square one (black screen.) Following the guide from Console5, it looks like the voltage across TP1-TP2 is good (18VAC.) TP8 is 21VDC when the unit is off, but goes down to like 2VDC when the system is powered on rather than the 5VDC I'm supposed to see - and the other test points seem similarly off. Any thoughts on what I might wanna do to verify the power board is okay? And what next steps I might want to take? Thanks again, Tim

Yeah...aggravating, as it's not like there's a stockpile of them somewhere. Unless there is. Maybe there's a whole mess of 'em next to the E.T. cartridges in New Mexico... Let me know if you find anything interesting, I'll keep updating here with my status as well. I've got new fuses and a new power amp ordered in case the power amp is indeed the problem. Tim

So, the thing on the INTV2 PSU that looks like a voltage regulator is actually a power amp driver (the specific model number is X44C758 - I found an equivalent online in the form of the NTE377. Stupidly, however, I hooked up the 7805 before figuring this out (I either read somewhere or more possibly inferred from something I read somewhere that this was a safe replacement, and just jumped into it) aaaand now I need a new fuse as well. Any suggestions for a proper fuse replacement? And anything else I should order for this thing as long as I'm getting parts, in case replacing the X44C758 isn't the right thing? I'll be bashing my head against the wall and berating myself for the rest of the evening. Thanks, Tim

Nope, it's 18V on pins 1 and 3. I desoldered the voltage regulator and the other thing mounted to the heatsink (apologies, honestly not sure what this is and can't find a schematic) and twisted the two legs of the heatsink to line up with the holes in the PCB, but the heatsink absolutely won't come off the board! Is there some trick to this? And assuming I'm able to get that out...as far as the riveted voltage regulator (WHY?!?) do I have to drill it out? Or is there a less messy option? Thanks again for the help! Tim

Hey, thanks for the suggestions! I think I have an extra 7805 so I can try replacing that...any idea how I can determine whether that or the transformer is the likely culprit? And what type of transformer would I need if that's what I need to replace? Tim

Thanks for the response. Yes, the power supply works on my INTV II. Tim

Hey, all. I'm trying to fix a friend's INTV II. He claims it worked fine (though occasionally required cartridge repositioning) and then stopped. I powered it on, and I get a black screen with a bit of snow. The reset button DOES cause the screen to flash, and if I wiggle the cartridge around, I get a slight difference in the display...but nothing good. Initially I suspected bad solder joins in the cartridge slot, so I reflowed all of that...no dice. Taking it apart, I see a ribbon connecting the main board to the TOP of the power supply board where the test points should be - so clearly that's been messed with before. Following the troubleshooting guide in the service manual from Console5, I checked the power adapter and verified it was in the right range - but I got 3.8VAC between TP1 and TP2, which should apparently be 16-20VAC. The guide then suggests checking the jack, the trace between J1 and the power board, C38, C39, and F1. The jack is good, the fuse is good. I don't see any obvious issues with the trace, though I'm honestly not sure what I'm looking for, and I not only can't locate C38 or C39 but I don't see a reference to them in the parts list. Barring an issue with the trace or the seemingly-nonexistent capacitors, the suggestion is to replace the power supply board. Any thoughts on anything else I can try, or where these capacitors might be? Thanks! Tim

Hey, thanks so much for staying on top of this! Any idea on when an update for the actual Concerto firmware might exist? -=ShoEboX=-

Okay, well, I took it apart, hooked the board directly to the power and monitor to see if I could get a video of the screen and maybe capture the number of bombs, aaaaand it just plain worked. So, figuring this might be the age-old "drop the computer a couple of inches" issue, I checked all the traces, re-soldered a couple of iffy ones, and reseated all the socketed ICs. It's back together now and working just fine, so...?

Hello all. So, I fired up my Atari 520ST for the first time in a long time and it was working just fine. Then I left it running for about an hour while I ran upstairs to do something, and when I came back I had a white screen. Now, whenever I fire it up, I get the same white screen - with a row of bombs occasionally flashing very briefly on the screen (not long enough for me to count them.) I searched on these symptoms and most of what I've seen is around modded systems - pretty sure mine is NOT modded (though I got it used years ago, so not certain.) Any recommendations for first steps here? The fact that it happened while it was running and is still happening makes me think caps maybe? Thanks.

Hey people. Looking to replace the color adjustment trimmer on my 130XE, but finding one that's 500k -and- bottom-adjustable -and- 1/2 watt has proven difficult. Has anyone had any luck finding a replacement? Best Electronics' new policy of only allowing 3 items per order has unfortunately made them a less viable option for small parts. Thanks

...Interesting. This video didn't really show an example of it being done, but I'll have to look into that a bit.

Hey, people. So, I have two 2600 Jr. systems with broken plastic tabs and decided to finally try to do something about it. Someone elsewhere in this forum had suggesting using screws, which seemed to work pretty well, but while looking at this, I noticed the two holes on either side of the cartridge slot on he board itself and noted they lined up with the cartridge holes rather well...almost as if by design. First, I broke the remaining bit of plastic off the top casing. Then I cut two small pieces of plastic from plastic Q-Tips (wooden dowels might have been a better move, but the plastic Q-Tips seemed strong enough for my purposes,) put them in the holes, trimmed them to the proper length, and used black Sugru to secure them in the holes, give them some more stability, and make the color match up. Sure enough, after they dried, they went right through the top casing in the right spot and work perfectly with cartridges. And because they're in the board rather than on a tiny bit of plastic on the case, they're quite secure. Now, you'll see this approach isn't perfect - I made the Sugru a bit too thick, and a bit scraped off when I put the top case on and pushed the new tabs through the top slot. So that's why you see a bit of white poking through in the photo. And even before that, this is a bit ugly. So I'm thinking a better solution might be to 3-D print something that fits snugly in the holes and goes through the top slot, or maybe there's another better-fitting solution already out there (suggestions are more than welcome.) But - and maybe it's out there and I missed it and you're all about to laugh at me - I haven't seen anyone else suggest using these holes for this purpose before.* So hopefully this helps someone out. *Yes, yes, that's what she said. Carry on.

That's a cool idea. I think I might try doing this but also covering the screws with a bit of black Sugru so they don't look so...uh...screwlike.

Hello! I've got a 2600 Jr. that comes on with either a completely black screen or a scrolling bit of video (image attached.) If I let it run for more than a few seconds, the RIOT starts getting really hot. Recommendations on where to start? Is the RIOT the likely culprit? Thanks muchly, people! -=ShoEboX=-