Sunnyvale 4-switcher??

[landsmarra]

Hi again guys,

 

I was speaking to someone who says he has a 4-switcher made in Sunnyvale. Could this be true? I thought production switched out of Cali when they were still making 6-switchers.

 

I'll get you guys pix if you want.

 

Steve

[Christophero Sly]

Yes, some 4-switchers were made in Calif. I have one as well.

[Mock]

I just posted a pic of onethe other day in here i have that is a "frankenstein" 4 switcher wich was made in CA....seems to have a heavy 6'er bottom and a 4 switch top on it.

 

Mock

[landsmarra]

Yes, some 4-switchers were made in Calif.  I have one as well.

 

Are these rare?

[Christophero Sly]

Are these rare?

 

I don't know, but I wouldn't think so. It's my understanding that the initial production of 4-switchers in California was quite large.

 

Does this guy's 4 switcher have a 6-switch base like Mock describes?

[landsmarra]

Are these rare?

 

I don't know, but I wouldn't think so. It's my understanding that the initial production of 4-switchers in California was quite large.

 

Does this guy's 4 switcher have a 6-switch base like Mock describes?

 

I don't believe so.

[Christophero Sly]

All the California 4-switchers I've seen have a four-switch top mated to a modified 6-switch base (the original joystick ports on back are covered with a thin piece of plastic).

 

Again, it's my understanding that Atari did this to use up the remaining inventory of 6-switch bases. Similar 'frankenstein' consoles were also produced overseas.

[landsmarra]

All the California 4-switchers I've seen have a four-switch top mated to a modified 6-switch base (the original joystick ports on back are covered with a thin piece of plastic).  

 

Again, it's my understanding that Atari did this to use up the remaining inventory of 6-switch bases.  Similar 'frankenstein' consoles were also produced overseas.

 

The fellow who has this console says that it does not have a 6-switch base. Any rarer?

[Mock]

probably not

[Christophero Sly]

I'm not an expert, but I doubt it. Although, I've never seen one so configured. I would venture that it is probably less common than a similar 4-switch produced overseas, but I wouldn't think that it is 'rare'.

[Foosballer]

I'm not an expert, but I doubt it. Although, I've never seen one so configured. I would venture that it is probably less common than a similar 4-switch produced overseas, but I wouldn't think that it is 'rare'.

 

 

I also have a sunnyvale 4 switcher, i was told that it was originally a display model. Apparently Atari made several thousand units that were shipped to retailers for display purposes. This was after they stopped producing them in CA for mass production and only produced in lower quantities for special purposes, like conventions, retailers, contest, promotions, etc.

 

I do think they are the rarest though, although several thousands were made, actually MORE 6 switch sunnyvale atari units were produced than 4-switch atari units from sunnyvale.

 

I love my atari's!

 

I got em all except for a jag. (one day)

 

[A.J. Franzman]

While I usually try to avoid dredging up 3-year-old threads (sometimes unsuccessfully ), since Foosballer brought it up I will make a correction:

 

I just posted a pic of onethe other day in here i have that is a "frankenstein" 4 switcher wich was made in CA....seems to have a heavy 6'er bottom and a 4 switch top on it.

That's a modified light sixer bottom (the heavy sixer case bottom is much thicker and a different shape). Adding the bit of thin self-adhesive plastic to cover the holes in the back is not the only modification that was made to these parts. The mold itself was modified to add the two conical "pegs" which keep the 4-switch motherboard in position during assembly.

 

I will go out on a limb and theorize about this, though someone will probably come along and prove me wrong as usual :

Perhaps there was only supposed to be one modification at the transition from 6-switch to 4-switch case bottoms, but someone overlooked all the extra holes that should have been closed, so the thin plastic cover-up was literally a work-around "patch" for the mistake.

 

Another possibility is that this "transitional" version with the pegs and all holes was intentionally designed as a "universal" case bottom that would work for either 6-switchers (until all the 6-switch boardsets got used up) or 4-switchers (with the patch). This theory could perhaps be verified if anyone has a light sixer with the two pegs in the bottom, that is guaranteed not to have been "frankensteined" after leaving the factory. I have here one "transitional" bottom with the pegs and patch from a 4-switch unit that was beyond repair, and two light sixers without the pegs.

Edited August 27, 2006 by A.J. Franzman

[Christophero Sly]

That's a modified light sixer bottom (the heavy sixer case bottom is much thicker and a different shape). Adding the bit of thin self-adhesive plastic to cover the holes in the back is not the only modification that was made to these parts. The mold itself was modified to add the two conical "pegs" which keep the 4-switch motherboard in position during assembly.

 

I will go out on a limb and theorize about this, though someone will probably come along and prove me wrong as usual :

Perhaps there was only supposed to be one modification at the transition from 6-switch to 4-switch case bottoms, but someone overlooked all the extra holes that should have been closed, so the thin plastic cover-up was literally a work-around "patch" for the mistake.

 

Another possibility is that this "transitional" version with the pegs and all holes was intentionally designed as a "universal" case bottom that would work for either 6-switchers (until all the 6-switch boardsets got used up) or 4-switchers (with the patch). This theory could perhaps be verified if anyone has a light sixer with the two pegs in the bottom, that is guaranteed not to have been "frankensteined" after leaving the factory. I have here one "transitional" bottom with the pegs and patch from a 4-switch unit that was beyond repair, and two light sixers without the pegs.

Interesting! I had no idea that there were modifications made to the mold of these bottoms. I always assumed they were just using up a supply of light-sixer parts. I'll have to check my light-sixers and the 4-switch "frankenstein" I have for these pegs.

[the 5th ghost]

Sunnyvale4switcher

 

I had the box too, that said Made in USA. So I'm not sure about these NOT being for sale.