Concerns about original Atari 8-bit power supplies

[calfranklin0598]

I've read several online comments recently about the unsafe or questionable use of the original Atari 8-bit power supplies and was wondering if it's really safe to still use these power bricks in 2023?  I recently powered up one of my XEGS machines and it worked without any problems.  Just sending out this inquiry as I'm starting to get back into the Atari 8-bit scene.  Any thoughts or feedback on this particular topic?  Thanks, Cal

[Beeblebrox]

28 minutes ago, calfranklin0598 said:

I've read several online comments recently about the unsafe or questionable use of the original Atari 8-bit power supplies and was wondering if it's really safe to still use these power bricks in 2023?  I recently powered up one of my XEGS machines and it worked without any problems.  Just sending out this inquiry as I'm starting to get back into the Atari 8-bit scene.  Any thoughts or feedback on this particular topic?  Thanks, Cal

Welcome.

 

Where are you based?  If you are in NTSC land (USA for example) then the Ingot brick PSU is a non no, (it's got a reputation as an Atari killer).

 

I am in the UK with PAL A8s and most of the time I use a USB power. But on occasion I use my original 800/600XL brick PSU.

 

There are quite a few threads on the subject so just search and see what people has detailed in the past.

Edited September 22, 2023 by Beeblebrox

[+bf2k+]

I use original Atari PSes in the US on most of my Atari 8bit stuff.

 

But not the Ingot!!! If you have an Ingot, cut the cords off of it and throw it away.  Put the cords on a Meanwell and never look back!

 

[+MrFish]

The one that typically would come with an XEGS is pictured here. IIRC, it's a 1.0 amp supply (because there's no PBI/ECI on an XEGS that would draw more power), and it's not known to be problematic. You should test any power supply you're going to use on these old machines first though, to be sure they're supplying the correct voltage.

 

 

[+MrFish]

Here's the infamous Ingot power supply circled in red. Cut the cords off of it and use it as a paperweight, doorstop, or anything else besides a power supply. The rest of the power supplies pictured have a good reputation.

 

 

Here's the Ingot in profile, and the reason for it's name. it's the only one of the supplies shown above that has this angled profile.

 

 

[+MrFish]

The only good Ingot is a dead Ingot. They're to be shot on sight; no questions asked.

 

    

 

 

[calfranklin0598]

Very helpful information.  The included images of the Ingot Power Supply will aid me in isolating that particular item.  So, it is fairly simple to use the cords from the Ingot and build my own with the purchased Meanwell Power Supply?

[+Stephen]

5 hours ago, calfranklin0598 said:

Very helpful information.  The included images of the Ingot Power Supply will aid me in isolating that particular item.  So, it is fairly simple to use the cords from the Ingot and build my own with the purchased Meanwell Power Supply?

Yes - just make sure to get the polarity correct.  Even though it's a 5 pin DIN, there will only be two wires coming out, ground and positive which go to the new power supply.

[Noelio]

I'd go with a USB solution and, as the others said, destroy the ingot. They should be erased from history.

One murdered my 130xe back in the early 90s before I learned to smash them to hell.

 

 

 

[eightbit]

Even though we all (well most all) know the "Ingot" PSU is something that should be avoided at all costs, in this day and age of better solutions I can't say that any old A8 PSU should be fully trusted. Modern replacements are cheap and readily available. I trust this one from The Brewing Academy wholeheartedly:

 

https://thebrewingacademy.com/collections/atari-800-xl-xe-xel-xld/products/atari-xl-xe-replacement-power-supply

 

I will add that I have encountered PSU's that came with the XEGS stock that have failed and have destroyed the onboard RAM requiring de-soldering and replacement. Consider that a warning if you continue to use the original PSU. It can fail at any time.

 

Given the fact that the price of modern replacements with safety precautions is ridiculously low there is absolutely no reason to risk a rare and now fairly expensive vintage machine over a power supply. Those suckers are old. Unplug them and use them as museum pieces...and trust powering your now valuable machine to modern 2023 power.

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by eightbit

[_The Doctor__]

All of the ancillary power supplies for disk drive 400/800 etc etc are for the most part AC step down transformers with a fuse and do not go bad! The only thing would be to replace a fuse!

Most of the other power supplies are Easily maintained with components that cost very little. Honestly there is extremely limited cases where one would ever need to purchase a power supply! The ingot is the main reason to do so, with the underpowered XEGS being not far behind, so a meanwell supply as BF2K+ indicates is the way to go when dealing with those 2 craptastic supplies

Edited September 23, 2023 by _The Doctor__

[+MrFish]

13 hours ago, eightbit said:

I trust this one from The Brewing Academy wholeheartedly:

https://thebrewingacademy.com/collections/atari-800-xl-xe-xel-xld/products/atari-xl-xe-replacement-power-supply

I can't stand these wall-wart supplies. They make a hassle out of plugging multiple items into a power strip every time.

 

I've been using one of these for years now; but not because I wouldn't use the any of the older non-ingot supplies; it's because I sold off all my original supplies with a bunch of machines I had. I like this supply because it's not a wall-wart and because the A/C side has the common removable-type cord. It's 2 amps. I prefer minimum of 2 amps (when going the route of modern supplies) for machines that are having any external power-drawing devices plugged in (PBI/ECI, SIO, etc.).

 

Genuine Creative Switching Adapter Model TESA1-050240

 

 

I've used all the non-ingot supplies shown above and never had a problem with any of them; but my most-extensive use is with all of the 1.5 amp models (mainly because XEGS and 65XE were never my primary machines). Just to note, the other original Atari supply that's only 1 amp is the smallest one in the group picture above. I think this typically came with U.S./NTSC 65XE's that didn't have an ECI port.

 

4 hours ago, _The Doctor__ said:

All of the ancillary power supplies for disk drive 400/800 etc etc are for the most part AC step down transformers with a fuse and do not go bad! The only thing would be to replace a fuse!

 

Yeah, these aren't the same as power supplies for the 600XL/800XL and beyond.

 

[The Mr. Video]

When I bought my 600xl, it had a bad SALLY chip and I'd wager that the ingot power supply it came with was the cause. You should steer clear of any power supply that is enclosed within an epoxy and plastic coffin because they WILL go bad and take your computer with it. The XEGS power supply works fine, but I've since built a USB power cord and never looked back.

[Overange]

6 hours ago, The Mr. Video said:

 You should steer clear of any power supply that is enclosed within an epoxy and plastic coffin because they WILL go bad and take your computer with it. 

You're very right. 

 

Power supplies, whether they're in the form of ingot power supplies, encapsulated or any other old type of power supply, can pose a significant fire hazard if they are not properly tested, maintained, or if they are of poor quality. 

 

Electrical fires can be extremely dangerous, and they can result from a variety of factors, including faulty wiring, overloaded circuits, or malfunctioning power supplies.

 

Please watch Mark Fixes Stuff Videos, where he was a victim of a house fire.