Atari 2600 Won't Turn On!

[TheIronBot]

Hi! I am new here! I recently bought an Atari 2600 with 8 games on a Facebook bidding site. I got a converter. I plugged in the Atari power cord, I plugged the Atari into one end of the converter, and the other end went into the T.V (It was from a retro games shop near my house, so I know it works) I plugged in the game, turned on the Atari and boom, nothing. I am not sure if the Atari should make a noise when it turns on, but it was silent. I went to channel 2,3, and 4 and all of them were static, not even black. What should I do?

[fiddlepaddle]

Try doing a search for similar problems in these forums...there are many.

 

Try things like: clean game contacts & game slot, try friends machine and game, verify power supply works. Try to eliminate everything you can think of. There is no "start up screen" like modern systems when no game is inserted (or not recognized). Maybe post a picture of your "converter" so we know what you're talking about. Also your tv input, etc... anything that is ambiguous...

Good luck.

[Keatah]

Post some pics of your setup.

[TheIronBot]

Got the images.

Edited December 22, 2016 by TheIronBot

[TheIronBot]

Post some pics of your setup.

[TheIronBot]

Try doing a search for similar problems in these forums...there are many.

 

Try things like: clean game contacts & game slot, try friends machine and game, verify power supply works. Try to eliminate everything you can think of. There is no "start up screen" like modern systems when no game is inserted (or not recognized). Maybe post a picture of your "converter" so we know what you're talking about. Also your tv input, etc... anything that is ambiguous...

 

Good luck.

How do I test to see if the power supply works?

[+Stephen Moss]

How do I test to see if the power supply works?

 

You really need to use a multi-meter a.k.a. DVM/DMM so that you can determine the exact voltage coming out of the power unit.

Alternatively if you do not have access to a multi-meter or wish to purchase one you could use a 330 ohm resistor in series with an LED however that crude method which will only indicate if a voltage is coming out, not if it is the correct voltage required for the system to work.

[Cambouis de l'Atari]

Dumb question, but are you aware that you have to make an analog channel search on the tv once the console is on ?

[PlayDoh003]

Well, assuming that your tv can receive the signal coming from the console (as the post above suggested) and considering that the console was working in store, the definite weak link is the game switch box. A simple Phono female to Coax male adapter (which can be easily found at Radio Shack if you still have one nearby) will eliminate that common weak link.

 

The heavy sixer that I purchased early this year had that same issue, and while the main culprit was the 300-75 Ohm converter attached to it, the switch box was still behaving erratically. So, I eliminated it.

 

If that doesn't work, then as also mentioned above, you'll have to get out the voltmeter.

 

EDIT: It was hard to see at first, but it looks like you already have the Phono-Coax adapter going into the switch box? In that case, you should try disconnecting that and hooking it up directly into the TV, eliminating the switch box and white cable...

Edited December 22, 2016 by PlayDoh003

[fiddlepaddle]

Yeah, I would bypass the switch box with a simple RCA-to-Coax adapter (not sure, but it appears you already have coax coming from the atari?). The simpler the better, when it comes to your video connection.

 

For testing purposes without using a meter, you could supply power using a 9v battery to the atari thru an appropriate cannibalized mini-plug (making sure to get polarity correct), instead of using the power adapter.