I need Atari Experts!

[bueita32]

please i need your help, i just purchased an atari 2600 4 buttons and this stupid thing is not working for some reason. i bought it off ebay and i am really frustrated. this is what i got so far

 

problem- i turn the power on and the screen on the tv goes blank however there is sometimes a line to the left of the screen. also sometimes the screen is a color that is on. i believe the connection is right.

 

my connection-

i have the manuel tv/switch box connected to a 300-75 ohm matching transmitter which is then connected to the television. i turn the power on and the screen goes goes blank like a game is suppose to come on, but there is a line on the left or there is a bunch of color from the game. there is no sound at all on any of my games.

 

Well thanks for listening to my problem, hopefully i can play it tonight. i have no idea what it could be i am just a retard when it comes to this.

 

thanks

 

tony

[Atari Master]

Check the wire coming out of the back to make sure there are no rat bites. If there aren't then get a cotton swab and clean off the edge of the wire.

[D.Yancey]

I had what sounds like this problem once. I had to get another power supply. The system has worked great ever since.

[MrRetroGamer]

please i need your help, i just purchased an atari 2600 4 buttons and this stupid thing is not working for some reason.  i bought it off ebay and i am really frustrated.

 

Most important, did the EBAY auction say that this item was TESTED AND WORKING??? NEVER buy anything that is UNTESTED (unless you are willing to take the chance), since that usually = BROKEN!

[+-^CrossBow^-]

The black screen is actually a good sign as it most likely indicates that most of the Atari is working just fine. Now if your getting a colored bar of any kind..then that simply means the game cartridge and the Atari aren't making a very good connection. Grab a cotton swap and some alcohol and start cleaning the contacts on the games you have...and also another suggestion is to take either an old combat cartridge or some other you don't care about and take it apart....wait...scratch that idea..do this instead...

 

Take a stiff piece of cardboard or some plastic that is about the same thickness as the PCB or contacts on the cartridge itself. Now wrap an old Haynes or similar T-shirt around this and soak this area around some alcohol. Now "plug" your cart slot cleaning tool you have made into the cartridge port on the atari a few times in and out to clean the contacts inside the cart port also. Again, make sure that you use some that is thick enough to make contact...but isn't too thick that it will bend all the contact pins back.

 

Give this a try and let us know.

 

[Cassidy Nolen]

Hi Crossbow!

 

That is a great idea. If that does not work, it could have a bad connection on the board. Very easy to fix if you are handy with a solder gun/iron. If you really, really, cannot get it going, PM me, and I can see what I have around the house. I have also had one go this way with a bad video chip. Both are easy fixes, if you know what you are doing.

 

 

HTH,

Cassidy

[Happy_Dude]

bueita32 dosent say what the console is. If its an older woodgrain or vader model then it would have a dust gaurd on the slot.

If its a junior then -^Cro§Bow^-'s idea would be O.k otherwise you would need to use an old cart somehow so that it opens the dust gaurd.

[bueita32]

i will try to clean the cartridges with the alcohal and i will try to get another power supply. hopefully this will work thank you guys.

 

 

tony

[Atarian7]

If the power supply doesn't work you might need to get a new chip. I had a 4 switch that needed a new chip which i got for $5. THe problem is figuring out which of the 3 chips needs to be replaced. I had another atari so i was able to test and see which one didn't work.