Is there a 7800 fix it FAQ thread around here?

[+Random Terrain]

I was poking around this forum to see if a fix for my 7800 was already posted, but I don't know what words I should use to find the fix.

 

The problem:

 

I got out my Atari 7800 and tried various games. The games start, but they mess up (freeze up, show strange things that shouldn't be there). What are the usual things to try for a problem like that? I opened it up and see no obvious problems. Nothing rattling around. Nothing looks broken. Nothing looks rusty.

 

 

Thanks.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

either dirty cart contacts, or worn contacts on the cart connector on the 7800. My bet is the 7800's cart connector is worn out. You can order replacements to solder in place, but Best charges quite a bit for them unless you order in bulk. I was able to get mine working better by reforming the contact blades inside the cart connector. No..it wasn't easy, but it did help..hehe.

 

On an unrelated note...I have noticed something odd. Choplifter will get glitchy in the emus all the time. What I didn't expect, was for choplifter to do the EXACT same thing on my 7800?! I guess I hadn't noticed before, but it looks like since I modded my 7800 as a cart dumper many years ago, that it can no longer play Choplifter without massive graphic corruption occuring. The corruption usually occurs in the same spot. It is just as you approach the barrier between the safe and fire zone. You know the row of symbols that look like little Atari Fujis? Anyway, what it looks like is that the graphics suddenly compress on themselves. Only the sprite do this, not the background so much. It does make playing the game impossible, because your helicopter isn't fully shown and you can't see the POWs either.

 

Echkard...Mitch, any ideas on this one? If it helps I have an 84 model 7800 that I converted using Echkart's 7800 dumper/developer mod. Could cutting that one trace on the bottom and adding in the added SRAM hose up the 7800s timing of the Maria in some way to cause this graphic corruption? Again, only choplifter does this. And...before you say it is the cart...I have 3 copies of this game...they all do this in the same place.

[+Random Terrain]

either dirty cart contacts, or worn contacts on the cart connector on the 7800. My bet is the 7800's cart connector is worn out. You can order replacements to solder in place, but Best charges quite a bit for them unless you order in bulk. I was able to get mine working better by reforming the contact blades inside the cart connector. No..it wasn't easy, but it did help..hehe.

Thanks. After putting it back together, I tried it one more time and it seems to be working fine now. I don't know how that would fix anything. The Atari gods see that you put a little effort into it and allow it to work? It's weird, but I'm not complaining.

 

If someone makes a pinned Atari 7800 Fix-it FAQ, you can add "take out all of the screws, look inside, put it back together and see if it works."

[gdement]

either dirty cart contacts, or worn contacts on the cart connector on the 7800. My bet is the 7800's cart connector is worn out. You can order replacements to solder in place, but Best charges quite a bit for them unless you order in bulk. I was able to get mine working better by reforming the contact blades inside the cart connector. No..it wasn't easy, but it did help..hehe.

Thanks. After putting it back together, I tried it one more time and it seems to be working fine now. I don't know how that would fix anything. The Atari gods see that you put a little effort into it and allow it to work? It's weird, but I'm not complaining.

 

If someone makes a pinned Atari 7800 Fix-it FAQ, you can add "take out all of the screws, look inside, put it back together and see if it works."

 

This sounds familiar.

I had lots of crazy glitchiness on my Genesis some time back. It seemed to be on the Z80 side of things, because I usually had sound problems on Genesis games and more logical glitches in the only SMS game I own (Phantasy Star). Everything would ultimately crash though.

 

I finally washed the motherboard with "Simple Green" and later scrubbed the pins on every IC (and the cart connector) with an alcohol soaked toothbrush. After a couple days to dry I hooked it back up and it's worked fine ever since.

 

In my case I think there must have been some conductive debris somewhere. Perhaps your problem is/was similar. If it happens again, I'd try cleaning it.

[+Mitch]

On an unrelated note...I have noticed something odd. Choplifter will get glitchy in the emus all the time. What I didn't expect, was for choplifter to do the EXACT same thing on my 7800?! I guess I hadn't noticed before, but it looks like since I modded my 7800 as a cart dumper many years ago, that it can no longer play Choplifter without massive graphic corruption occuring. The corruption usually occurs in the same spot. It is just as you approach the barrier between the safe and fire zone. You know the row of symbols that look like little Atari Fujis? Anyway, what it looks like is that the graphics suddenly compress on themselves. Only the sprite do this, not the background so much. It does make playing the game impossible, because your helicopter isn't fully shown and you can't see the POWs either.

 

Echkard...Mitch, any ideas on this one? If it helps I have an 84 model 7800 that I converted using Echkart's 7800 dumper/developer mod. Could cutting that one trace on the bottom and adding in the added SRAM hose up the 7800s timing of the Maria in some way to cause this graphic corruption? Again, only choplifter does this. And...before you say it is the cart...I have 3 copies of this game...they all do this in the same place.

 

Choplifter seems to be picky about timing. I don't have any problems on either of my modded 7800s so I don't think it is the mod itself. What are you using the SRAM for? Or were you talking about the EPROM chip that you swapped the BIOS ROM out for?

 

Mitch

[+Random Terrain]

If it happens again, I'd try cleaning it.

Thanks.

[Chris-in-NJ]

My first 7800 had graphic glitches on certain 2600 games, most noticeably Midnight Magic, where the text that says "BALL" (number) had some extra LED "segments" added, and Megamania and Spider Fighter, which had the Activision logo on the bottom of the screen missing a few lines, but never on 7800 titles.

 

Does the 7800 have separate processors for 2600 mode and 7800 mode? Perhaps one can wear down more than the other if it's used more? On my first 7800, 2600 games typically had duller colors than 7800 ones, whereas on my current console, the 2600 ones have about the same intensity.