Color on the 2600 is not working

[unlimited74747]

My brother and I just got a 2600, but when we finally got it working, the two games we have were both only working in B&W, and I've seen one played in color.

 

Is there anyone out there who knows how to fix this? The B&W/Color switch does not help. Thanks in advance.

[recoil]

My brother and I just got a 2600, but when we finally got it working, the two games we have were both only working in B&W, and I've seen one played in color.

 

Is there anyone out there who knows how to fix this? The B&W/Color switch does not help. Thanks in advance.

 

Can you try the console on another t.v. I sometimes have trouble getting the colour on one of my t.v's, but get a great colour picture on another.

[A.J. Franzman]

The normal failure mode for the TV type switch is to be stuck on color, so I would rule that out for now, though it's very remotely possible that it somehow failed to the "shorted" position, or is somehow shorted on the circuit board -- perhaps by an inept repair attempt.

 

If a different TV gives the same results, there are a few more likely possibilities I can think of: the RF modulator is misadjusted, the chroma circuit is open somewhere, or the TIA chip is bad. Usually a misadjusted RF modulator will also result in a staticy picture and sound, but sometimes it can give a fairly clear colorless picture and minimal audio noise.

[unlimited74747]

I already moved the Atari to a different TV with no change.

 

I am pretty much stupid on what you guys recommended me to check out, like the chroma switch or TIA chip. Where are these components and how do I fix/replace them? Would it be possible just to change the Sliding Switch for the RF outlet and fix this?

 

Thanks for your help!

[unlimited74747]

I just noticed something else to comment on. The RF modulator is giving me a clear picture and sound, but with no colors.

[A.J. Franzman]

I am pretty much stupid on what you guys recommended me to check out, like the chroma switch or TIA chip. Where are these components and how do I fix/replace them? Would it be possible just to change the Sliding Switch for the RF outlet and fix this?

They're inside the console (except that nobody mentioned a "chroma switch"), and apparently beyond your present capability to repair. Anyway, since the diagnosis isn't even confirmed yet, it would likely be a waste of time and/or money for you to go in and replace parts at this time (not to ignore the possibility of making things worse). The RF switch box is definitely not the problem.

Edited August 4, 2008 by A.J. Franzman

[unlimited74747]

They're inside the console (except that nobody mentioned a "chroma switch"), and apparently beyond your present capability to repair.

I meant to say Chroma Circuit, but I forgot what it was called by someone else on this thread.

[unlimited74747]

A new development has arisen. My brother and I bought a few more games and found that, if we moved the B&W/Color switch, color would give a different palette of colors and shading than B&W. I heard this before, but ruled it out when neither of our first two games did this. Any suggestions?

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Not quite the same hardware, but this thread discussed color not working with a FlashBack 2. I'll mention here what I said there....

 

I had similar issues with my Flashback 2 also. On my TV it was black and white, I took it to my neighbor's TV and it was in color but the image shimmied up and down. Then I took it to my girlfriend's place and it was perfectly fine. I suspect newer TV's have image correcting software in them, and other features like 16x9, and all that new stuff doesn't know how to handle old-school video output like an Atari (or a Flashback 2) sends and they mess up the picture.

Just my two cent's worth, but keep trying different TV's till you find one that works.

[unlimited74747]

Something else that might be of help. My brother was playing the game Pitfall and, to our surprise, it was in total color. Maybe a help to someone?

[A.J. Franzman]

Sounds like you definitely have a problem in the chroma circuit (but not the TV Type switch). Does Pitfall play in color every time, even if you turn the console on and off (with or without removing and re-inserting the cartridge)? Does it stay in color if you flip every switch back and forth, and if you give the console a whack? If you have one game that always plays in color, yet other games are always in B&W (but some of them change contrast/shade when changing the TV Type switch), I would consider the TIA chip as the prime suspect.

[unlimited74747]

Well, it appears that it might be the TIA chip. When we play Pitfall, the color keeps coming back on no matter what happens, unless we moved the switch to B&W, but I suspect that's normal. As for other games, as I've mentioned before, they change in shade and quality when we move the switch. So, now the question is... How do I go about replacing the TIA chip?

[A.J. Franzman]

One last question: Does Pitfall display a full range of colors including red walls, orange fires, yellowish ground, green trees and background and Harry, blue water, etc? There is a color adjustment in the console (chroma trim potentiometer or "pot"), which if it's bad or misadjusted, will cause the console to display only black & white & grays plus yellow. The chroma pot is usually a white plastic dial near the TIA chip. It's possible that yours is out of whack and the games you've been seeing as only B&W just happen to not use colors which appear as yellow when the console has this problem.

 

If Pitfall is appearing in full and correct color, you can probably just get a replacement TIA chip, set up a static-safe work area, keep yourself grounded when handling the chips, pull the old one out and put the new one in its place. Just in case the TIA chip is not the problem (very small chance of this, IMO), before testing the console put the old chip into the static-safe packaging that the replacement came in if you got it from a supplier who packed it right. After replacing the TIA you will likely need to make an adjustment to the chroma pot to have proper colors, because the TIA chips vary quite a bit.

 

Some consoles ("Juniors", most "Vaders", some 4-switch "Woodies") have their ICs soldered to the board with no sockets, which makes chip replacement a bit more difficult and a lot less fun.

Edited August 15, 2008 by A.J. Franzman