Poll: Who has the original heavy sixer ...

[Rob Mitchell]

Poll: Who has the original heavy sixer ... that only broadcasts on one channel? (It doesn't have a channel select switch.)

 

I had one in 1977-1983 (Sears Video Arcade) It broadcast on channel 4 only.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[CPUWIZ]

I have more than 1 of them, I am trying to get the lowest heavy-sixer serial number I can get my hands on. I am sooo close to getting below 10000 !

 

But I do live in Sunnyvale so I guess that's not fair huh ?

[CaliColts]

But I do live in Sunnyvale so I guess that's not fair huh ?

 

Has Sunnyvale been a good hunting ground? I was in San Jose a couple

weeks ago and couldnt find anything but a few overpriced commons

[joserb]

I have a Sears/Tele-games heavy sixer that carries the serial number 11506U. Anyone know what the "U" is for? I've seen some serial numbers with a letter at the end, and some without.

 

It also has a "Sears Reconditioned" sticker on the bottom. Guess that's why it works so well after all these years....

[Cassidy Nolen]

Funny you should ask that. I thought Sunnyvale would have been a great place for that sort of stuff. I was there this spring (got to meet Nolan!), and Nicole and I hit every thrift, flea and game store. I did get some systems and a suitcase full of stuff, but nothing rare, or Sunnyvale.

 

I think as a country, we are three years from saturation. I think at that point, everyone will know, nationwide, what Sunnyvale already knows; this stuff is worth money. Its unfortunate, but thats the reality. If the early 90's was the prime Atari collecting time, this is certainly headed now towards the darker days.

 

BTW, what I found out there was a 4 switch, a Fairchild, a bunch of Odyssey 2 stuff, and a game shop with some common XE stuff.

 

Cassidy

[Godzilla]

i havent checked my serial numbers but i have 2 or 3 of the big sexys. i will not refer to them by your derogitory(sp) means!

[NE146]

I think my Sears is a heavy sixer.. since I got it early on. But who knows... I remember it being heavy though Too bad it's back at home 7000 miles away heheh

 

By the way I went to school near Sunnvale (at Santa Clara U) and all the Goodwills there had PLENTY of 2600's and games during my college days which were from 1988-1991. I couldn't walk into a Goodwill without seeing one or two consoles and a buttload of games.

 

Did I buy any of them? nah. Do I regret it? sort of.. but not really. I've never been much of a collector. But yeah I should've picked up some I guess. Oh well.

[CPUWIZ]

But I do live in Sunnyvale so I guess that's not fair huh ?

 

Has Sunnyvale been a good hunting ground? I was in San Jose a couple

weeks ago and couldnt find anything but a few overpriced commons

 

I mostly go to the Barryessa fleamarket in San Jose and you find a 2600 just about every weekend but you're right most of the time it's just common games that are overprices. I have found some real treasures there as well though, you just gotta know where to look.

[sku_u]

I have one that i had to verhaul recently. The 1st player joystick port was fried and the RF cable was splintered and rusty. After replacing those, my original Stella is back up and running.

[somePUNK]

i have a brocken one so i guess you can count one out of the numbers

[Cupcakus]

I've got 2 working heavy sixers and one gutted for parts to keep the other two alive :-)

[King Atari]

Aside from ebay, I've never seen a heavy sixer for sale. I have two of the 6-switches that came after, in 1978, though.

[Chuck Gill]

I have had several heavy-sixers over the years. I still keep the original one we bought when they first came out. It's still the one we keep hooked up.

 

CPUWIZ,

Thanks, now I have to look at my serial numbers too.

 

-Chuck

[inextremis staple]

i gots me one

i havent opened it up and dont really plan to unless i have to

but its a low number (dont feel like running upstairs to actually check it out) and it came from my gramma God bless her

and it works like a dream

like a dream jerry

 

is

[Rob Mitchell]

Sorry folks .. gotta get back on topic ..

 

This is a poll not about serial numbers .. but about the earliest heavy sixers that do NOT have a channel select switch .. They were sold in the fall/Christmas 1977 and are the ORIGINAL Atari VCS and the ORIGINAL Sears Video Arcade.

 

I had a Sears Video Arcade that broadcast ONLY on Channel 3 .. We had to return it to the store about 2-4 weeks later because of interference from local TV Channel 3 .. and we were given another unit that broadcast ONLY on Channel 4. (Yes I said four). I kept the Channel 4 unit until 1983 when we sold the lot.

 

So does anyone else have an ORIGINAL heavy sixer that broadcast on only ONE channel and does NOT have a CH select switch?

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[sku_u]

Sorry folks .. gotta get back on topic ..  

 

This is a poll not about serial numbers .. but about the earliest heavy sixers that do NOT have a channel select switch .. They were sold in the fall/Christmas 1977 and are the ORIGINAL Atari VCS and the ORIGINAL  Sears Video Arcade.

 

I had a Sears Video Arcade that broadcast ONLY on Channel 3 .. We had to return it to the store about 2-4 weeks later because of interference from local TV Channel 3 .. and we were given another unit that broadcast ONLY on Channel 4. (Yes I said four).  I kept the Channel 4 unit until 1983 when we sold the lot.

 

So does anyone else have an ORIGINAL heavy sixer that broadcast on only ONE channel and does NOT have a CH select switch?

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

 

Yes, mine ONLY broadcasts on channel 3. It belonged to my parents, sat in the attic for years and now it's mine.

[Lifeguard]

Wow--I just looked and two of my three heavy sixers (all Atari-labeled) have no channel select switch on the bottom. I'm not sure what channels they work on though.

[Paul Slocum]

I have a channel-3-only Sears heavy sixer.

 

-Paul

[Rob Mitchell]

Wow--I just looked and two of my three heavy sixers (all Atari-labeled) have no channel select switch on the bottom. I'm not sure what channels they work on though.

 

If I remember correctly there were stickers on the bottom that specified which channel these earliest 2600 units broadcast on ..

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[the 5th ghost]

I have a couple of those heavy 6'ers without the channel select switch on the bottom too. As a matter of fact the one I use every day is one. The serial is 34540

 

http://www.city-net.com/~groovy/atarif.jpg

 

Note the dark gray AC adaptor. I still have the original box and controllers too! The joysticks have a different action than the later versions. The fire button clicks and has to be pushed farther down. Also the paddles have the Atari logo next to the rackets, they don't say "paddles" on them. I also have the set of Driving paddles the same way, with the Atari logo next to the race car.

 

I also noticed the shielding for the plugs/wires on the controllers is a softer rubber and slightly thinner around the wires.

 

Doug

[Rob Mitchell]

I remember the dark gray AC adapter. Those early sticks have five springs inside. Do your sticks still have the hexagonal Atari logo disk on top of the shaft? If not, is there a small indention for where a disk would have sit in place?

 

So which channel does your units broadcast on?

 

Way back when, we were told it was Atari's mistake that the Channel 3 units were shipped to Chattanooga where WRCB Ch3 TV station is located.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Heavy Sixer]

I have a Heavy Sixer, although I'm not sure what the serial number is, nor whether it's the one-channel only version. If I can dig it up, I'll take a look. I love these things - they're built like tanks! Sort of the XBox of the mid-70s . My H6 also works as well or better than the newer 6-switches or even 4-switches that I own. They don't make 'em like they used to...

 

 

HEAVY***6***er

[the 5th ghost]

I remember the dark gray AC adapter.  Those early sticks have five springs inside.  Do your sticks still have the hexagonal Atari logo disk on top of the shaft?  If not, is there a small indention for where a disk would have sit in place?

 

So which channel does your units broadcast on?

 

Way back when, we were told it was Atari's mistake that the Channel 3 units were shipped to Chattanooga where WRCB Ch3 TV station is located.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

 

Hi Rob,

 

You are correct, I opened the joysticks and they have the springs. There is an indentation on the top of the stick where the hexagonal Atari label would be but they are missing on both joysticks.

 

My system plays on channel 3

 

Doug

[Rob Mitchell]

You are correct, I opened the joysticks and they have the springs. There is an indentation on the top of the stick where the hexagonal Atari label would be but they are missing on both joysticks.

 

Doug:

 

I think these original 1977 sticks cost Atari too much money ... 4 more springs and more screws and parts than the newer design .. plus the nameplate disk on top was made of brushed aluminum with either Atari or Sears name on it. They were not glued on well and inevitably fell off after some grueling games of Combat. I have an Atari one and I remember someone on RGVC has a Sears one. But they are rare birds because they disappeared. I lost my Sears ones many years ago!

 

Albert has my Atari joystick disk on loan for show ..

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Chuck Gill]

Rob,

 

My original one is the model with no channel select, the spring style sticks and the grey power adapter. The spring joysticks do make that sweet click sound when the switches activate. I've never seen any of those sticks with the Atari logo on the end intact. I don't think ours lasted over a couple of weeks. All the heavy consoles I've ever had were chaannel 3 only.

 

I don't think the serial number thing is off topic, we were still talking original heavy Sunnyvale consoles.

 

 

-Chuck