Odyssey 200, 500 display problems

[ubersaurus]

I've recently decided to dig out these Odyssey 200 and 500 units I've had hanging out on the closet shelf for a while, since I now do regular game nights and thought a dedicated console might be fun for a diversion. I've got two CRTs - both early 2000s era - and, after trying them both, I just can't get a picture. The best I can manage is the faintest image of one on one of the two televisions. I've tried with two different switchboxes, same result. Same story on channel 3 and 4.

 

They're on - I can hear the beeping. I just don't know what else I can do to make them work. Anyone have any ideas?

[BassGuitari]

IIRC there are Channel Select switches inside the console, set to either Channel 2 or Channel 3. Try setting the TV to Channel 2.

If that doesn't work, try changing the channel switch to the other position and try the television on channels 2, 3, and just to be thorough, 4.

If THAT doesn't work, you might just need an older TV with manual fine tuning. Or, you might try tweaking the tuning on the systems' RF modulators a hair, but you probably don't want to mess with that unless you really have to.

I hope you get the 500 going! The Odyssey 500 is one of my favorite pong systems, and one of the most unique ones.

Edited November 9, 2014 by BassGuitari

[ubersaurus]

The weird thing is that I've used the 500 before, years ago, and it worked just fine. And yeah, I've tried all the different channel settings and got nothing out of it on either machine. My parents have a dinky old CRT I could certainly try, but on the whole it's baffling. I've also got a 300 that worked last time I used it, but the RF connector at the end has broken since then, so I can't test it out on this one.