Troubleshooting INTV1: Can't get past title screen - but only for certain games

[IamTRON]

Hello Everyone,

 

This is my first post here and I am a level 0 newbie to the world of trying to get an Intellivision up and running so I can relive the glory days.

 

Got an INTV 1 off E-bay which the seller said works.  And technically it does - but not completely... looking for advice on what I can do here.  

 

Games like Armor Battle and AD&D (not Tarmin) load up to the title screen.  No matter what buttons I push on either control (I tried them all several times) I cannot get past the title screen.  

 

However, games like Thin Ice and Burger Time do load up & manage past the title screen.  But... the catch there is that the directional pad "down" doesnt work.  I got it to work one time by quickly tapping hard - but it was delayed.  I also noticed that other buttons on the control pads seem to work - while other not at all.  I opened up the INTV and the Controllers.  Wire seem fine (to my level 0 newbie eyes) - same for the connections to the motherboard.  However, I did see that the membrane in the control has some dark discoloraiton at the contacts where the membrane meets the connector at the top of the controller.  I did a cotton swab wipe (no alcohol) and didn't get much of anything off it.

 

My gut is telling me I likely have two distinct problems: 1) something is stopping certain games from working - but I don't know what 2) I likely have a bad controller

 

I've ordered a tool to test voltage (so I can narrow down more specifically what might be bad in the controller).  I also ordered 2 more INTV off eBay - 1 said to be in great condition, another untested.

 

Any recommendations here would be greatly appreciated!  

 

Thanks,

 

Tron

Edited December 15, 2022 by IamTRON
type

[Sinjinhawke]

You may need new membranes for those controllers.  Intellivision Collector usually has some for sale. 

[walldog1]

5 hours ago, IamTRON said:

Got an INTV 1 off E-bay which the seller said works.  And technically it does - but not completely... looking for advice on what I can do here. 

I don't know how much you paid on eBay, but you can get your money back if Seller said everything worked and it doesn't. Seller will have to cover return shipping as well. It might not help your cause possibly because you disclaimed opening up the unit to us on Atari Age.

 

I just took down my quality rebuilt INTV's for sale on eBay (I could not claim rebuilt anymore without authentic certification to back them) and new rules next year for Sellers.

 

Private message me as I have 5 rebuilt and tested units ready to be sold right now. Don't let eBay screw you.

 

Let me know what you paid and I'm sure I will get you a better deal. And my units are fully tested and detailed rebuilds. Some members on AA will vouch for me. And it will be cheaper because of no eBay seller fees which are out of this world. I have 2 listed consoles on AA as well.

 

Mark D.

[walldog1]

Also, follow your post so that you get an e-mail every time someone responds to your post. Most of us when newbies don't realize this fact. FYI Only.

[IamTRON]

13 hours ago, Sinjinhawke said:

You may need new membranes for those controllers.  Intellivision Collector usually has some for sale. 

When you say Intellivision collector - is there a website?  

I have been on the search and it seems the only place I can get a new membrane is:

 

https://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/brand-new-mattel-intellivision-1-controller-mylar-set-38583

 

however I can’t seem to set up a sell my retro account (not receiving an activation email - checked spam and tried two emails). 
 

If you know where I can get a membrane please share! Thanks again!

 

[IamTRON]

9 hours ago, walldog1 said:

I don't know how much you paid on eBay, but you can get your money back if Seller said everything worked and it doesn't. Seller will have to cover return shipping as well. It might not help your cause possibly because you disclaimed opening up the unit to us on Atari Age.

 

I just took down my quality rebuilt INTV's for sale on eBay (I could not claim rebuilt anymore without authentic certification to back them) and new rules next year for Sellers.

 

Private message me as I have 5 rebuilt and tested units ready to be sold right now. Don't let eBay screw you.

 

Let me know what you paid and I'm sure I will get you a better deal. And my units are fully tested and detailed rebuilds. Some members on AA will vouch for me. And it will be cheaper because of no eBay seller fees which are out of this world. I have 2 listed consoles on AA as well.

 

Mark D.

Thanks Mark!  Ugh - I just ordered two more Intellivision consoles on eBay. 
 

admittedly - kinda looking forward to a project so might try repairing them over the winter. 
 

If the 2 I ordered are a complete fail - I’ll return and PM you buy one of yours. Thanks again. 

[Sinjinhawke]

49 minutes ago, IamTRON said:

When you say Intellivision collector - is there a website?  

I have been on the search and it seems the only place I can get a new membrane is:

 

https://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/brand-new-mattel-intellivision-1-controller-mylar-set-38583

 

however I can’t seem to set up a sell my retro account (not receiving an activation email - checked spam and tried two emails). 
 

If you know where I can get a membrane please share! Thanks again!

 

I meant https://www.intellivisioncollector.com/ but he seems to be out of them at the moment or my search skills leave much to be desired.

I have bought mylars from sellmyretro a couple times and they do work.  Hopefully you can resolve the account activation issue.

[mr_me]

If the mylar traces aren't cracked or show being worn through they might be fine.  Check continuity through the cable for broken signals or shorts.  Check the position of the padding over the connector block inside the controller, if it moved there won't be good contact with the connector block.  If the spring contacts on the connector block are flattened they can be pulled back for better contact.

[walldog1]

2 minutes ago, mr_me said:

If the mylar traces aren't cracked or show being worn through they might be fine.  Check continuity through the cable for broken signals or shorts.  Check the position of the padding over the connector block inside the controller, if it moved there won't be good contact with the connector block.  If the spring contacts on the connector block are flattened they can be pulled back for better contact.

I agree with mr_me. Continuity check on all 9 wires from pin to pin is my first step in checking out controller problems.

 

Then I move on to the Tri-folds. The tracings can burn up, get cut in a circle by the disc (poor engineering), or who knows how many Mountain Dew's were spilled on them over the years.

 

The current price is $16.06 US Dollars each plus 20% VAT (possibly), and maybe shipping costs from the above mentioned website for the controller Mylar kit.

 

I have some of the new Tri-folds & foam pads, but this does not include the numeric top pad or insulator pad under that. These rarely go bad anyways. I just clean with mild cleanser. If you only need the Tri-fold with tracings and foam pads, I'll sell you 2 for $32.00, this includes shipping & no taxes or duty fees. I am assuming you are in the USA. Again, PM me if interested. I also have measurements to make your own keypad insulator out of static proof bags that you receive other electronic parts in if needed. Easy to make.

 

The Sound IC Chip also can cause controller issues, FYI. But start with continuity of coiled wiring, then a close look at the Mylar, and carefully check ohm readings of all 9 tracings on Mylar. More than 30 - 35 ohms on any tracing can be a sign of dying soon. That is from my experience, there are no specs in any manuals that I know of.

 

[walldog1]

4 hours ago, IamTRON said:

Thanks Mark!  Ugh - I just ordered two more Intellivision consoles on eBay. 

I have not looked at pricing on eBay for pricing lately, so I looked last night just for grins. The average price for untested consoles (some quite beat up) plus shipping & taxes averaging around $100. They are listed as "Pre-owned", but details usually say untested. I know inflation is high lately, but wow!

 

I had to quit selling on eBay because they required rebuilt/refurbished, like all I used to sell, to NOW require a certificate of certified specs and blah blah blah to protect the Buyer. That slowed my sales as eBay removed my listings if I did not change to "pre-owned". And many buyers are just looking at price and don't read repair details. I did get a lot of referral business because of my rebuild details. eBay really sticks it to the Seller these days.

[IMBerzerk]

1 hour ago, walldog1 said:

I have not looked at pricing on eBay for pricing lately, so I looked last night just for grins. The average price for untested consoles (some quite beat up) plus shipping & taxes averaging around $100. They are listed as "Pre-owned", but details usually say untested. I know inflation is high lately, but wow!

 

I had to quit selling on eBay because they required rebuilt/refurbished, like all I used to sell, to NOW require a certificate of certified specs and blah blah blah to protect the Buyer. That slowed my sales as eBay removed my listings if I did not change to "pre-owned". And many buyers are just looking at price and don't read repair details. I did get a lot of referral business because of my rebuild details. eBay really sticks it to the Seller these days.

Before you buy anything, or replace anything.  Take the unit apart, thoroughly clean it and reseat all connections for the controllers and power.  Then do the same for both controllers.  I have found doing this cleans up any minor corrosion that is undetectable by eye and just gives a new point of contact for signal/power to flow. 

 

A lot of sellers on eBust are full of sh!t and looking for a quick buck.  Tested means you tested all games and played them.  So of you plan on keeping it and not returning it, your stuck fixing it.

 

Having two more units to use for parts help.  For every 1 that works, you need 2 to support it.   

 

Clean everything electric with a good contact cleaner, alcohol or even acetone lightly applied.  Be careful around the plastics with acetone.  Then go from there 

[IamTRON]

23 hours ago, walldog1 said:

I agree with mr_me. Continuity check on all 9 wires from pin to pin is my first step in checking out controller problems.

 

Then I move on to the Tri-folds. The tracings can burn up, get cut in a circle by the disc (poor engineering), or who knows how many Mountain Dew's were spilled on them over the years.

 

The current price is $16.06 US Dollars each plus 20% VAT (possibly), and maybe shipping costs from the above mentioned website for the controller Mylar kit.

 

I have some of the new Tri-folds & foam pads, but this does not include the numeric top pad or insulator pad under that. These rarely go bad anyways. I just clean with mild cleanser. If you only need the Tri-fold with tracings and foam pads, I'll sell you 2 for $32.00, this includes shipping & no taxes or duty fees. I am assuming you are in the USA. Again, PM me if interested. I also have measurements to make your own keypad insulator out of static proof bags that you receive other electronic parts in if needed. Easy to make.

 

The Sound IC Chip also can cause controller issues, FYI. But start with continuity of coiled wiring, then a close look at the Mylar, and carefully check ohm readings of all 9 tracings on Mylar. More than 30 - 35 ohms on any tracing can be a sign of dying soon. That is from my experience, there are no specs in any manuals that I know of.

 

This is a great option.  I may take you up on this as I continue to troubleshoot.

[IamTRON]

22 hours ago, IMBerzerk said:

Before you buy anything, or replace anything.  Take the unit apart, thoroughly clean it and reseat all connections for the controllers and power.  Then do the same for both controllers.  I have found doing this cleans up any minor corrosion that is undetectable by eye and just gives a new point of contact for signal/power to flow. 

 

A lot of sellers on eBust are full of sh!t and looking for a quick buck.  Tested means you tested all games and played them.  So of you plan on keeping it and not returning it, your stuck fixing it.

 

Having two more units to use for parts help.  For every 1 that works, you need 2 to support it.   

 

Clean everything electric with a good contact cleaner, alcohol or even acetone lightly applied.  Be careful around the plastics with acetone.  Then go from there 

Awesome - got a voltmeter coming tonight.  Will start cleaning and testing as my first step here.

[IamTRON]

First off - thanks to everyone on this thread.  Lots of support and helpful hints.

 

I started a more detailed troubleshooting approach last night.  Takin  g notes that I am sharing here in picture format.

 

The most interesting thing I found is that when I switched the controllers (which I have named Romeo and Juliet) at the wire connectors (outside the console - not at the motherboard) Romeo started acting like Juliet and Juliet acted like Romeo.  I also see that the Juliet controls seem to have keypad and disk responses swapped. 

 

From this I am leaning towards 1) it's not the controllers / membrance 2) its probably the wires / connectors 3) one controller cord is likely plugged in backwards at the motherboard 4) wondering is there is a faulty chip thats locking out certain games?  I recognize faulty controllers could be locking me at title screen - so I guess we can't land on chip issues just yet. 

 

Have a look at my notes and let me know if there are certain areas for me to continue my hunt in. 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

If the disk and keypad are coming up reversed. Then what you need to do is verify that the actual cables are plugged onto the main logic board properly. It is possible to plug them in backwards or upside down as they aren't keyed and it will cause conditions like this.

 

The wires should be facing upwards from the connector when plugged in as you first see them with the top cover removed.

 

Also, controller 1 plugs in near the back of the console on the mainboard as everything is installed, and controller 2 is towards the front.

 

[mr_me]

Pin 2 on the Intellivision console is used for disc down and keypad top row.  The contact circled in the photo would be pin 7 on the console which is used for the top and left side buttons as well as the keypad right column.

 

Unplug the other cable completely and see if that lets you start the other cartridges.

[walldog1]

7 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

If the disk and keypad are coming up reversed. Then what you need to do is verify that the actual cables are plugged onto the main logic board properly. It is possible to plug them in backwards or upside down as they aren't keyed and it will cause conditions like this.

 

The wires should be facing upwards from the connector when plugged in as you first see them with the top cover removed.

 

Also, controller 1 plugs in near the back of the console on the mainboard as everything is installed, and controller 2 is towards the front.

If all these steps don't show anything wrong, and problems still follow switching controllers, then as mentioned before, Sound Chip is most likely needed to repair problem. So many possibilities to cause problems......

[IamTRON]

Thanks for the tips. 
 

I’ve been reading that desoldering the  mother board is quite a chore. 
 

I’ve never soldered or deal leered anything in my life. 
 

Should I avoid taking on the challenging of opening the unit up so I can look into replacing chips (if necessary).?

[+-^CrossBow^-]

52 minutes ago, IamTRON said:

Thanks for the tips. 
 

I’ve been reading that desoldering the  mother board is quite a chore. 
 

I’ve never soldered or deal leered anything in my life. 
 

Should I avoid taking on the challenging of opening the unit up so I can look into replacing chips (if necessary).?

Just checking the controller wiring does NOT require having to desolder anything. You have the 6 screws along the bottom to remove, more screws that hold the controller tray in place. From there you can get to the power supply board and the main logic. The controller wiring can be gotten to without having to remove the RF shielding. However, if the wiring seems to match up on both, then it could be the sound IC chip and that would require having to remove the solder that holds the RF shield in place. But once it was removed, the chips are likely in sockets and can be replaced out fairly easily at that point.

 

[mthompson]

If you're going to lift the main logic board out of the console, be super careful with the ultra-fragile ribbon cable that connects it to the power supply board. Otherwise, you'll have something else that must be fixed.

[IMBerzerk]

2 hours ago, IamTRON said:

Thanks for the tips. 
 

I’ve been reading that desoldering the  mother board is quite a chore. 
 

I’ve never soldered or deal leered anything in my life. 
 

Should I avoid taking on the challenging of opening the unit up so I can look into replacing chips (if necessary).?

It all depends on if you're getting any better response outside of the CPU pack.  

 

Did anything change since you swapped the controllers and reconnect them in the right alignment?  If everything is set up as it should be, then move into the power board and check all power points for proper voltage.  Then lastly, the CPU.  As mentioned, it might be a chip that's just hanging up.  A reseat might help.  

 

By now, I'd be looking for another unit if you can one cheap enough.  As I mentioned before, spare parts for these are always needed to keep them working.  Many of the guys here have them and are willing to sell, but like an old car, you need another for spare parts that you just can't get. 

 

Did you download any of the available Service Manuals or pictures of the CPU/Power board to see the test points and configs of each?