Official 7800 Power Adapters

[minuS]

I've seen two 7800 power adapters in the wild, but don't know which one is the original... Do any of you know?

 

Here're the two I'm talking about:

 

http://atariace.com/images/atariace.com/atari7800/systems/images/a273.jpg

 

and

 

http://atariace.com/images/atariace.com/atari7800/systems/images/a275.jpg

[AtariLeaf]

I don't know which came first but the one in the first picture is the one I come across the most. I have 7 or 8 7800 PSU's and only one is like the one from the bottom picture.

[Harry_Dodgson]

Hi,

 

I got my 7800 when it first came out and it has the 1st one.

 

Harry

[Atariman]

My experience has been the same as Harry's - I believe I got the first one with my older 7800 (has the expansion port) and the second with my 7800 without the expansion port.

[minuS]

That's what I figured.

 

The second one looks like the Master System power adapter, and has a higher safety standards registration number (or whatever it's called).

 

I just bought an expansion port 7800 with the first adapter, but the shop had three 7800s and one of each adapter... I wanted to make sure I got a matching set.

 

Thanks everyone!

[Charlie_]

I believe my 7800 power supply looks different than both of those.

[Innovative Leisure]

The power supply variation in the second photo would have to be older. I have one and on it is the code "2284", or the 22nd week of 1984.

[Atariman]

I believe my 7800 power supply looks different than both of those.

 

I think I may have a third version that might look like yours. I posted something about them awhile back, commenting on how many different power bricks the 7800 has.

 

EDIT: dug around in my old posts and found the picture I remembered. Does it look like this one? (I removed the metal label to show what was underneath, so pretend that it's covering the molded portion)

[Charlie_]

I believe my 7800 power supply looks different than both of those.

 

I think I may have a third version that might look like yours. I posted something about them awhile back, commenting on how many different power bricks the 7800 has.

 

EDIT: dug around in my old posts and found the picture I remembered. Does it look like this one? (I removed the metal label to show what was underneath, so pretend that it's covering the molded portion)

 

Yup, that looks like it, minus the metal label.

 

I would say that was the final version. I remember when I purchased my 7800 in toys r us. It was near the final days of atari and the atari games were thrown in racks in an aisle next to the main game aisle. This was when you had to take a tag to the register and pay for what you wanted, game or system, and then go wait at the video game cage for them to hand you your item.

 

I had just ruined my 1st 7800 that was a few years old. The RF was horrible and being very young and fearless I tried to fine tune it. Wound up breaking the whole red plastic thing with the allen key hole in it right off.....

So I piked up a 7800 very cheap at TrU. At this time, Lynx was out, I think, and Genesis and TurboGrafx were the big thing.

[Rik]

My 7800 power supply came with the console which i found at a thrift store.The model # is, as it is printed on the adapter is as follows:

 

PART NO.CO 24471-001

 

Does anyone have the proper 7800 adapter specs?Thank you.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Rik

[Koopa64]

My later release 7800 has the AC adapter featured in the bottom picture of the first post.

[OldAtarian]

Here's a good question I bet nobody has asked yet. What happens when the power supplies go bad and there's none left to buy as replacements? That square connector the 7800 uses is going to be a pain since no universal adapter has it.

[Rik]

Yes, the 7800 adapter is a rare breed indeed.I was lucky when i bought my 7800, it had the adapter included.That and the INTV 2 adapter, that one's impossible to find also and there's thousands of adapters out there in the stores and the wild and NOT 1 fits the INTV 2, i tried with no luck, not even close.I had to order one from 4jays.I'm not one to gamble with using just any old adapter no matter what is said on the matter, i stick with the original adapters or an EXACT equivalent, period.

[kenfused]

Here's a good question I bet nobody has asked yet. What happens when the power supplies go bad and there's none left to buy as replacements? That square connector the 7800 uses is going to be a pain since no universal adapter has it.

I have never had any problem with the replacement adapters from atariguide.com. Their availability also seemed to help moderate the price of the original supplies when they came out. The wire also seems to be a little more durable the the original atari one was.

 

--Ken

[Toraborakid]

Here's a good question I bet nobody has asked yet. What happens when the power supplies go bad and there's none left to buy as replacements? That square connector the 7800 uses is going to be a pain since no universal adapter has it.

I have never had any problem with the replacement adapters from atariguide.com. Their availability also seemed to help moderate the price of the original supplies when they came out. The wire also seems to be a little more durable the the original atari one was.

 

--Ken

 

i find the atariguide power supplies way better build quality.

[gdement]

Even if all the original supplies died tomorrow, it wouldn't be the end of the world. The only thing weird about it is the connector, the PSU output is pretty standard. It doesn't take much soldering skill to transfer the old connector to a different PSU. Or with a little more effort, to modify the 7800 to accept a barrel connector.

[RJ]

Just wanted to give a shoutout to AtariGuide.com, ordered a replacement power supply last week & it came today, very smooth/easy transaction & fast USPS shipping even in the midst of this holiday mailing season.

 

 

To test it I put in Barnyard Blaster & my 2 1/2 yr old got 1880 pts (Stable Hand)!

Edited December 15, 2010 by RJ

[Rik]

Is there a reason why Atari used that rare adapter connector besides making things harder for us 7800 owners?Was it cheaper for Atari to produce?I can't see any other reason why they would change as all other Atari consoles AFAIK use the barrel and single pin style. I'm really annoyed at Atari for doing this dammit!!!!

Edited December 19, 2010 by Rik

[+Mitch]

Is there a reason why Atari used that rare adapter connector besides making things harder for us 7800 owners?Was it cheaper for Atari to produce?I can't see any other reason why they would change as all other Atari consoles AFAIK use the barrel and single pin style. I'm really annoyed at Atari for doing this dammit!!!!

 

According to an internal memo from Atari it was so a user didn't fry their system by plugging in the wrong power adapter. See the 1983 memo 1, item 6, on this page.

 

Mitch

[gdement]

Is there a reason why Atari used that rare adapter connector besides making things harder for us 7800 owners?Was it cheaper for Atari to produce?I can't see any other reason why they would change as all other Atari consoles AFAIK use the barrel and single pin style. I'm really annoyed at Atari for doing this dammit!!!!

 

According to an internal memo from Atari it was so a user didn't fry their system by plugging in the wrong power adapter. See the 1983 memo 1, item 6, on this page.

 

Mitch

 

Funny.. good intentions and all. My first 7800 blew up when I took it out of my closet and hooked it up back in the NES days. Although I didn't understand what I saw happen at the time, the location where I saw smoke tells me it must have popped the big input capacitor.

I've since wondered if I simply plugged it in backwards. Supposedly that shouldn't be possible, but I think maybe it is.