AtariLeaf Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 So with the snow day I thought I'd try to tackle some issues. I have a light sixer that's throwing what I would describe as an interference that when you see it moving looks like little barber poles all over the screen as seen below. Now when I freely move the board around in my hands, it lessens or worsens so there's some kind of interference either externally or internally. I've replaced the big main 2200 cap and the small green chicklet cap at C103 as well as the voltage regulator with parts from Console5, with no results. Also tried different cables and placing a ferrite choke on the cable near the rf modulator. Any other suggestions? It's mostly showing up with Activision carts which I believe have less shielding than standard Atari carts. I have other caps from console 5 and I think there's one near the rf modulator that could be replaced but the problem is I'm not sure which one and which cap from the refresh kit I should use. I have another .1uF but I'm not sure if that one is for the C105 as that one I think needs a 4.7uF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) Clean the mounting/grounding points where switchboard screws to motherboard casting. If it has the same flat wire as a H6er, that might be another cause. Edited February 11, 2018 by zylon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Clean the mounting/grounding points where switchboard screws to motherboard casting. If it has the same flat wire as a H6er, that might be another cause. I'll check that out this morning and report back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 EDIT - double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Do you mean the two screw holes on the switch board that attaches to the rf shield around the main board? It looks like a little blob of solder on the one on the left closest to the rf modulator. If it is these points, is there something I can put between them and the metal shield to prevent contact? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Ideally, you'd want them to make excellent contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Ideally, you'd want them to make excellent contact. Oh, ok. So I might need to use some isopropyl alcohol on it and make them clean and shiny. Is the solder blob and issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) It shouldn't be. If needed, you can add a "foil washer" underneath. I've had some of these that just removing and reinstalling the screws helped. The screws are self-tapping and they clean the metal of the threads each time. I'm still using my 1st L6er ever. Sears version bought used in '87. I just recently dug it out of Mom's house and started playing with it again. Was never much of 2600 player, but it was my 1st after all. One last thing, does this one have a channel switch or not? Those switches were problematic. Edited February 11, 2018 by zylon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Yes it has the switch but something else happened. Something bad. After cleaning with the alcohol and screwing it back in I now get the infamous black screen with a blue line on the left and orange on the right. I already swapped the 4050 again and that isn't it so I probably somehow blew a chip on this thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) Dang, when it rains, it pours. That could've been something already failing, or maybe something got moved wrong in the process. Edited February 11, 2018 by zylon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Probably static from shuffling around in my socks on carpet. Dammit rookie mistake. I'm having no luck this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Might need to check regulator on that one too. If I had that happen, I'd take it apart and just lay the boards out, but connected and try it. If it works that way, then something is not lining up right when assembled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Ok will check it hopefully that's it. I have extras of those too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 I'm getting 11.4 in and 4.97 out. I think the regulator is ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 At least that works. Hopefully, you just had something misaligned. Popping those IC's can be expensive. RIOTs are cheap and plentiful, but TIA is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 I guess I'll have to wait until I get my lot of 3 from best and use them on this machine instead. In what order of likelihood should I try to replace when I get them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 RIOT, Then TIA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 so the cpu is an unlikely candidate to go from this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 so the cpu is an unlikely candidate to go from this? I've yet to replace one in over 40 consoles repaired last 10-15yrs. It really doesn't hurt to have a "known good" loose one for testing purposes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 I gotta admit, this set back has got me down a bit. Trying to learn to repair these things and I end up breaking them even further. I guess I better invest in an anti static wrist strap or something like that. My office/game room is carpeted and it's the winter and dry air and I'm shuffling around in socks. That's probably a bad combination for handling old electronics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) Really, just bust up a cardboard box and lay it over your work surface. Rubber gloves would also help. I taught myself to fix this old crap, lol. No one else would. Edited February 11, 2018 by zylon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 Another weird thing, the Keystone Kapers cart I used which worked perfectly, and is the cart I was using to test the system with when something died, seems to be dead itself. It's a clean cart and it always seemed to work first time, every time. Now it doesn't work at all in other Atari's. Could something in a system going bad actually take a cart with it too? I don't think I've ever heard of such a thing but I can't find an explanation for a cart that's now dead that worked flawlessly until the system I was testing died with it in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 (edited) Another weird thing, the Keystone Kapers cart I used which worked perfectly, and is the cart I was using to test the system with when something died, seems to be dead itself. It's a clean cart and it always seemed to work first time, every time. Now it doesn't work at all in other Atari's. Could something in a system going bad actually take a cart with it too? I don't think I've ever heard of such a thing but I can't find an explanation for a cart that's now dead that worked flawlessly until the system I was testing died with it in it. If something went to a dead short, it could send a surge through and wipe a program in theory. Also possible the cart killed system as well. I usually used Space Invaders or Warlords for testing. Edited February 12, 2018 by zylon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 I better not use it then if the cart can kill a system. I tried it in a Vader an H6er. I don't want to harm either of those systems. This is creepy because if so, that could happen with any game randomly played in any system. I used KK because it had a nice bright, non black screen that would show RF interference easier. How in the world can a cart kill a system? I've never heard of that before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 I said "in theory". If the cart developed an internal short, it might. If your other systems still work, then I'd rule that out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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