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RCA Studio II Power & Switch Box


Scooter83

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If you want original RCA parts, you're probably out of luck. They almost never turn up separately or orphaned from their consoles.

For a power supply at least, you can use an Atari 2600 (or compatible) AC adapter. The switchbox was a proprietary design, though, and AFAIK there never was an aftermarket version. So you're probably stuck regardless unless you buy another Studio II that comes with a switchbox.

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Also if electronically inclined, I understand that it's possible to power mod the Studio II. With the power not passing through the RF switchbox, I would expect that you could get by with no switchbox at all.

 

Sorry, I don't have specifics on the power mod, but you might PM fauxscot to see if he can provide details. He describes the power mod as trivial (and has a lot of technical and historical credibility on the Studio II among other things)

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/209519-rca-studio-ii-gold-mine-an-interview-with-the-studio-2-production-manager/

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He describes the power mod as trivial

 

It would just be a matter of locating on the motherboard where the power connects (two wires/terminals) and then installing a power connector to those two terminals, such as the same 3.5mm female 2-contact phone plug that the Atari 2600 uses. The easiest way to do it is to connect it with a pair of wires so you don't have to panel-mount it (which would involve drilling a hole in the case). I'm not familiar with the RCA Studio II case design, but you can usually find an opening for wires to go through, such as a vent slot.

 

Then, the RF can be connected to the TV with a simple coaxial cable which has an RCA plug on one end and an F-connector on the other end, eliminating the need for an RF switchbox.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I picked up these items in an eBay lot a while back. I'd never seen them in their own box before.

 

DSCN8497.JPG DSCN8498.JPG

I know exactly which BIN it was- and had considered taking the plunge myself. The seller had no unique information on them, nor any other notable Studio II items. Still, it would be nice if scans and/or detailed images of the boxes could be posted in the GOLD MINE thread. It's good to know these ended up with an appreciative collector :)

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  • 10 months later...

For systems of this era, 250 to 500 Ma should be plenty enough.

If you have a regulated/switching power supply, the voltage is regulated so you can pick up a larger amp value.

If you pick up a classic heavy box that doesn't say regulated, stick under 500Ma and test.

 

For picking up a power supply, the most important is to respect polarity, voltage and amps. in that order, tho voltage and polarity are really close in the grand scheme of things, because early systems like this RCA might not have protection for polarity, and a too high voltage can fry stuff.

 

Now, underpowering your system can not damage it, so as long as you respect voltage and polarity, you can underfeed it.

What is going to happed if your power supply is too weak is that it's going to heat up (but as such weak power, it's not going to catch fire) and to try to supply the asked power, the voltage is going to drop. On most 9V powered system, the system will shut down is voltage goes under 6.5 volts. in between 9 and 6, you are going to experiment glitch and other oddities.

But this is totally harmless.

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