2600 Jr died while playing - Repair advice

[Alvema]

Hi everybody,

 

I was playing with my 2600 Jr (PAL) for about 1 hour, and suddenly the TV went black and it started playing noises (same as when the cartridge doesn't make a good connection).

 

I power cycled the 2600, and same result. I tried with another cartridge and nothing. I also tried cleaning the contacts and same result.

 

The power light lights on, and sometimes when I power it on start playing noises, but no video signal. It doesn't mind if there is a cartridge or not inserted.

 

I have tested with a multimeter that the power brick is fine. I also have tested another one (universal) with same results.

 

I have disassembled the 2600 and all the capacitors seems fine, the motherboard is pristine (no sign of rust or anything strange). By the way, the 2600 is composite modded.

 

I also have read some guides and the power regulator is also fine (it delivers 5.05 V).  I have also replaced the big capacitor as I had another one with the same specs spare, with the same results.

 

I have tried to apply new solder to the main chips although the original solder seems fine, in the case there was some kind of cold solder.

 

Do you think the issue can be produced by the 4.3 uF capacitors (they seems fine) By the one, I have a 500 KHz oscilloscope, in case can be useful, but I don't know what to test.

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

[+Stephen Moss]

You say it has been composite modded so presumably you are using that output to the TV, if so and it still has RF output have you tried the RF output?

If both are down then the issue lies in an area that is common to both parts of the system, but if Composite works and RF does not or visa-versa then the issue is limited to just that part of the system.  

[Alvema]

4 hours ago, Stephen Moss said:

You say it has been composite modded so presumably you are using that output to the TV, if so and it still has RF output have you tried the RF output?

If both are down then the issue lies in an area that is common to both parts of the system, but if Composite works and RF does not or visa-versa then the issue is limited to just that part of the system.  

I'm positive RF is enabled as I did the modding myself. I tried RF and couldn't tune the signal in the TV, but before modding it I also had a lot of issues tuning the signal in modern TVs, so I think the problem is not with the composite output. Also using composite it sometimes plays Atari noises randomly even without a cartridge inserted (like the sounds make Enduro when accelerating the car or many other games), so I think the composite is working fine.