Restoration parts sources?

[+fdr4prez]

nothing to see here... just carry on please

 

@Pab We are all anxiously waiting for the results of the DB9 connection mapping confirmation  

[Pab]

I had some difficulties yesterday building the new power cable to replace the ribbon, but trying again today. Once I can power up the unit again I will check on the db9 mappings. 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

4 hours ago, Pab said:

I had some difficulties yesterday building the new power cable to replace the ribbon, but trying again today. Once I can power up the unit again I will check on the db9 mappings. 

What I usually do, is solder in new ribbon cable on the mainboard and then install a connector/header setup on the power supply board since that is so much easier to access.

 

[Pab]

I am an idiot. 
 

Today after assembling everything to test the new replacement for the ribbon cable, I realized one thing I’d forgotten. 
 

The motherboard goes into the case upside down. 
 

Which means there isn’t room for a board mount and DuPont connector once everything is put together. 
 

I went to remove my board mount which caused two fresh problems. First, I broke the RF channel selector switch (which should be an easy replacement). Second, I think that in the process of desoldering my board mount connector I may have damaged the pathways underneath where the ribbon cable connects. 
 

I didn’t have time to take a photo of the back side of my motherboard before having to pack everything away and get back to work, so I can’t show you hat I think I did. I do remember that (on the back from right to left) the via connected to the resistor. Three and four looked like they weren’t connected to anything at all. And five looked like it should have connected to a nearby path but I can’t be sure. 
 

I will try to get a photo in the morning. In the meanwhile does anyone have a handy photo of the ribbon cable’s connections to the back of the board?

 

Thanks in advance. 

[Pab]

Update.

 

Yes, I did destroy some of the traces in my last desoldering.

 

The good news is that I had purchased a non-working unit off eBay for next to nothing just because it had a top case in much better shape than Bryan's. (It got treated a little rough when he was growing up.) I had planned to use its mobo as a guide as a friend and I rebuilt the traces where possible and did hotfixes otherwise. But out of curiosity I contacted the seller and asked what was wrong with it. He told me that it had been stored in an attic for over 20 years and when he plugged it in, it just went to a black screen.

 

Yes, our old friend Black Screen Disease.

 

A good ol' spritz of WD-40 Contact Cleaner and a couple insertions of a lintless paper towel later, and it powered up with that oh-so-beautiful Astrosmash title screen.

 

The controllers are pretty well worn out so I'm going to go ahead with my plans to use Flashback controllers. I'll get back to everyone later on with a report on the mapping saga, for those of you who've I've unwittingly kept in suspense.

 

I'm going to open the thing up after I eat my lunch and see how well the new desoldering wand handles the RF shield so I can install the AV mod. And also to see what shape this one's ribbon cable is in. Since I already recapped the original unit's power supply and its transformer is in excellent shape, I'll probably transplant this one's mobo into the old case. (Plus, it will be nice to keep at least some original part of his unit. The Ship of Theseus is already sailing up my back on this project.)

 

Sadly, this is my last lunch break before we leave tomorrow morning for his birthday weekend, so it won't be his birthday gift as I had planned. Instead, it's going to be his gift from me for our 30th anniversary next month.

 

[Pab]

On 9/28/2022 at 3:18 AM, fdr4prez said:

This is an interesting discussion.

 

This post of the "#**** Definitive Guide/ pinout below******#"

 

Unfortunately, that picture in that post is using the wrong pin numbering counting scheme (it used female counting), but if you use the correct male pin numbering, then it matches what @mr_me recommends

 

 

2609  -  FB

1=3
2=1
3=8
4=4
5=9
6=5
7=6
8=7
9=2

Thank you! This was it! This is the correct layout. Finally had a chance to confirm it.

 

Now it's just a question of putting enough good pieces together into a single package.

 

[+fdr4prez]

perfect, thanks for the update.

 

We can finally put that debate to bed.

[walldog1]

On 9/29/2022 at 8:02 PM, Pab said:

In the meanwhile does anyone have a handy photo of the ribbon cable’s connections to the back of the board?

Maybe too late, but this is order of VDC from underside of LB.

[Pab]

Thanks. I might have time to rebuild the traces on his original unit. If I do, that photo will help.

 

Out of curiosity, where did you run that sixth ground wire to on the other side?

 

Something else I've noticed. Bryan's master component was a 2609A assembled overseas, and the unit I got for the case alone was a 2609 assembled in the US. The 2609 only had two of the tabs on the RF shield soldered and it came apart easily. Compared with the 2609A where there was more solder on every tab than in my original Atari VCS. (Yeah, I was an Atari kid and never had an Intellivision, so I've been impressed with how well constructed these beasts were.) 

 

[+fdr4prez]

2 hours ago, Pab said:

in my original Atari VCS. (Yeah, I was an Atari kid and never had an Intellivision, so I've been impressed with how well constructed these beasts were.) 

Neat, do you still have an Atari setup?

[walldog1]

2 hours ago, Pab said:

 

Out of curiosity, where did you run that sixth ground wire to on the other side?

This was a 6 wire kit. All I did was drill a small hole next to the other 5 and this touches the ground trace on back side of DC PS Board. I scraped away a little of the green coating and soldered the new 6 pin socket. Having been an ASE Auto Technician for 25 years, I believe you can't have too many grounds.

[Pab]

1 hour ago, fdr4prez said:

Neat, do you still have an Atari setup?

No, sadly. My "heavy sixer" (the earliest model) was given away after my parents got a Colecovision and VCS adapter. My 5200 and 7800 were destroyed in a flood years ago. My 130XE self destructed. And I'm having trouble trying to upgrade an old Atari 800.

[+fdr4prez]

1 hour ago, Pab said:

No, sadly. My "heavy sixer" (the earliest model) was given away after my parents got a Colecovision and VCS adapter. My 5200 and 7800 were destroyed in a flood years ago. My 130XE self destructed. And I'm having trouble trying to upgrade an old Atari 800.

oh, sorry to hear about all that console tragedy. i never had a 5200 or 7800, or anything newer.

 

How's this for a plan - since you are in the middle of the restoration/fixing of the 2609, then you can do this modification to it while you have it open:

Intellivision System Changer Support Modification - Intellivision Wiki

 

Then for Christmas you can get the System Changer and play Atari VCS games on it.