Need help using 2 TVs I recently got on eBay

[kid_snz]

 

I recently purchased a Panasonic 1984 and a Sanyo 1990 CRT TVs on eBay and am having trouble getting either of them to activate Atari. Can anyone give me any solutions to this problem? No matter which channel I turn to, nothing responds.

 

By the way, I have an another CRT TV with Coaxial connection to play with on channel 2, so I think I know how to use it at least.

 

Thank you!

Shinji

 

Edited March 3 by kid_snz
I didn't add any pics yet

[+x=usr(1536)]

First things first: the switchbox can be eliminated, and doing so is recommended.  You'll need two of these (one for each TV): Coaxial (F-Type) to Female RCA Adapter.  They will allow the console's RF output to be plugged directly onto the TV's antenna connector - just screw them on and attach the console to it.

 

Next up, set the channel switch on the console and try tuning it in on channels 2 and 3.  I'm assuming you're in North America based on the 120V sticker on the back of the Panasonic; other regions used different channel assignments.

 

That should be all you need to do; let us know how it works out.

 

 

[davyK]

You have used a CRT before , but I will state the obvious here - you will have to tune the TV into the channel the 2600 is set to.

 

Better said than assumed.

 

I'm in the UK and when I bought a US 2600 my CRT wouldn't pick up its signal - moved up and down the entire tuning range and nothing. Had to get the 2600 modified for composite.  Tuning controls are at the front. Some TVs have auto tune but you have to press a button to activate it.

 

Please don't think I'm being condescending here but I don't know how old you are if you have never owned a CRT you may not know that.

Edited March 7 by davyK

[LatchKeyKid]

I never knew the 2600 was set to channels 2/3.   IIRC the NES was on channels 3/4 which weren't used at all in my childhood area whereas channel 2 was a normal major network channel.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

27 minutes ago, LatchKeyKid said:

I never knew the 2600 was set to channels 2/3.   IIRC the NES was on channels 3/4 which weren't used at all in my childhood area whereas channel 2 was a normal major network channel.

Yeap...same here Channel 2 was and still is the local NBC affiliate here. So all of my systems back then had to be on channel 3 and I still use channel 3 as the default to this day even if those stations aren't broadcasting on these older carriers anymore and are all digital. Force of habit I guess...

 

[+KaeruYojimbo]

1 hour ago, LatchKeyKid said:

I never knew the 2600 was set to channels 2/3.   IIRC the NES was on channels 3/4 which weren't used at all in my childhood area whereas channel 2 was a normal major network channel.

I think pretty much everyone but Atari used channels 3/4. Where I lived channel 3 was the local NBC affiliate, so all of my consoles were on channel 4 except the 2600.

 

To this day I can still tell you which channels were which networks where I grew up (3-NBC, 8-PBS, 10-ABC, 12-CBS), but because I use the onscreen menu to watch TV now, I struggle to remember which channel each network is on where I live now.

[BassGuitari]

On 3/3/2024 at 2:54 PM, kid_snz said:

EDIT: Can you post a close-up of the terminals and connectors here? It's a little unclear what is what with the 75-ohm connector and dongle.

Edited March 7 by BassGuitari

[+x=usr(1536)]

2 hours ago, BassGuitari said:

EDIT: Can you post a close-up of the terminals and connectors here? It's a little unclear what is what with the 75-ohm connector and dongle.

 

If it's what I think it is, the TV is designed to use either a built-in antenna (probably telescopic) or an external one (the short cable with the 75Ω adapter and switchbox plugged into it).  For the built-in antenna, plug the short cable into the round connector on the back of the TV; for an external antenna or cable feed, unplug the short cable and attach the set-top box to it directly.  I used to have a Samsung way back in the day that worked like this.

[BassGuitari]

I figured it was something like that, but I wasn't clear on which part was actually the antenna connection. 🙂 From the pic it looked like the switchbox was going "in through the out door," but what I could make out from the markings kind of suggests that the dongle itself is actually the 75-ohm VHF input, which threw me for a loop.

Edited March 7 by BassGuitari

[kid_snz]

On 3/7/2024 at 10:27 AM, BassGuitari said:

EDIT: Can you post a close-up of the terminals and connectors here? It's a little unclear what is what with the 75-ohm connector and dongle.

Sorry I wasn't following the thread for a while and noticed there's some comments from you guys here last night! Here're some close-up pics of it. Btw I tried so many things by touching those buttons on the front.

[kid_snz]

On 3/7/2024 at 1:15 PM, x=usr(1536) said:

 

If it's what I think it is, the TV is designed to use either a built-in antenna (probably telescopic) or an external one (the short cable with the 75Ω adapter and switchbox plugged into it).  For the built-in antenna, plug the short cable into the round connector on the back of the TV; for an external antenna or cable feed, unplug the short cable and attach the set-top box to it directly.  I used to have a Samsung way back in the day that worked like this.

SO is there anything I still could try? Sorry I have no idea for what you are saying about...

[+x=usr(1536)]

31 minutes ago, kid_snz said:

SO is there anything I still could try? Sorry I have no idea for what you are saying about...

Try this:

 

Buy two Coaxial (F-Type) to Female RCA Adapters.

 

Screw the threaded end of one adapter onto the black cable you were holding in your hand in the pictures.

 

Screw the threaded end of the other adapter onto the connector that looks similar on the back of the other TV.

 

Plug the RF cable from the Atari directly into one of the adapters you just installed.

 

Turn on the Atari, and tune the TV to channel 2.  If that doesn't work, try Channel 3.

 

If neither of those work, try the same approach but on the other TV.

 

If none of this works, we'll troubleshoot further

 

[kid_snz]

6 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

Try this:

 

Buy two Coaxial (F-Type) to Female RCA Adapters.

 

Screw the threaded end of one adapter onto the black cable you were holding in your hand in the pictures.

 

Screw the threaded end of the other adapter onto the connector that looks similar on the back of the other TV.

 

Plug the RF cable from the Atari directly into one of the adapters you just installed.

 

Turn on the Atari, and tune the TV to channel 2.  If that doesn't work, try Channel 3.

 

If neither of those work, try the same approach but on the other TV.

 

If none of this works, we'll troubleshoot further

 

I have the adapter and I tried it like the way in the picture, this is what you mean, correct? Neither channels 2 nor 3 work.

 

I have some other TVs and consoles which work correctly so I think I know the basic of how to connect them.

 

There's setting mode toggle on the front and I tried many possible ways of settings as I could try, but no luck.

 

[eightbit]

Unscrew the coax dongle adapter from the TV/Game box and screw the prongs directly into the VHF screws on the TV.

 

[+Stephen]

14 minutes ago, eightbit said:

Unscrew the coax dongle adapter from the TV/Game box and screw the prongs directly into the VHF screws on the TV.

 

What he said.  Plug the small cable from the back of the TV into the round jack.  You will see text that says "for 300 Ohm insert VHF plug".  Then screw the two terminals into the VHF screws.  Set the TV to channel 2 or 3.

[kid_snz]

16 hours ago, eightbit said:

Unscrew the coax dongle adapter from the TV/Game box and screw the prongs directly into the VHF screws on the TV.

 

 

15 hours ago, Stephen said:

What he said.  Plug the small cable from the back of the TV into the round jack.  You will see text that says "for 300 Ohm insert VHF plug".  Then screw the two terminals into the VHF screws.  Set the TV to channel 2 or 3.

 

This is what you guys mean? I tried this now but still no luck

 

Thanks a lot for your helps by the way!

 

 

[eightbit]

That is the right way. Try channel 2, 3, 4 perhaps. 

[+Stephen]

That's correct.  I assume both the CRTs and the 2600 are NTSC units?

[+x=usr(1536)]

At this point I'm almost wondering if there isn't something going on internally with the 2600.  If the past replies were read correctly, he's tried it on both the Sanyo (which only has a single coax antenna connection, so the margin for error should be next-to-nothing) and the Panasonic and neither one showed a display.

 

But, yes, having asked the NTSC question before as well it'd be good to clarify that.  If the 2600 is trying to output on PAL UHF channel 36 and the TVs are NTSC, that's not gonna work so well.

[eightbit]

Did you try moving the channel band selector to Vh?

 

[+x=usr(1536)]

17 hours ago, eightbit said:

Did you try moving the channel band selector to Vh?

 

Damn - that was well-spotted

 

Trying the VL position may also be needed.  I don't know how that particular TV divided VHF into high and low, but I do have a vague recollection of VHF low being channels 2-6 and VHF high being 7-13.  Not something I ran into a lot, so my memory is probably off as far as that goes.

 

Also just noticed that it has a fine-tuning adjustment and storage in memory of all of the settings, not just the base channel frequency.  That's a pretty nice little TV for 1984.

 

 

Since it appears that it may be able to save what looks to be the band and fine-tuning adjustment for each channel, it may be worth clearing those settings before going further.  If someone stored UHF channel 62 on button 3, for example, the Atari's signal will never be picked up on that one because it's outputting on VHF channel 3.  There does appear to be a reset button there, but I'm not sure how it works - select the channel to clear settings on and press or hold it would be my guess, though.  May also have to move the 'Channel Setting' switch from 'off' to 'on'.

[kid_snz]

23 hours ago, eightbit said:

That is the right way. Try channel 2, 3, 4 perhaps. 

I tried it but not working.

[kid_snz]

23 hours ago, Stephen said:

That's correct.  I assume both the CRTs and the 2600 are NTSC units?

Atari is NTSC bc it does work with other TVs I have and this Panasonic TV in made in Japan so it should be NTSC.

 

FYI I still keep this small Panasonic tv but I already returned the big SANYO one to the seller bc the channel change was weird like once I press the channel button the tv was kept changing channels for a while, also no other than the option of the connection as only UHF as I could try.

[kid_snz]

23 hours ago, eightbit said:

Did you try moving the channel band selector to Vh?

 

I tried all of those options.

[kid_snz]

23 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

Damn - that was well-spotted

 

Trying the VL position may also be needed.  I don't know how that particular TV divided VHF into high and low, but I do have a vague recollection of VHF low being channels 2-6 and VHF high being 7-13.  Not something I ran into a lot, so my memory is probably off as far as that goes.

 

Also just noticed that it has a fine-tuning adjustment and storage in memory of all of the settings, not just the base channel frequency.  That's a pretty nice little TV for 1984.

 

 

Since it appears that it may be able to save what looks to be the band and fine-tuning adjustment for each channel, it may be worth clearing those settings before going further.  If someone stored UHF channel 62 on button 3, for example, the Atari's signal will never be picked up on that one because it's outputting on VHF channel 3.  There does appear to be a reset button there, but I'm not sure how it works - select the channel to clear settings on and press or hold it would be my guess, though.  May also have to move the 'Channel Setting' switch from 'off' to 'on'.

It's interesting that you said perhaps a random channel is set on button 2 or 3. I actually had another TV which didn't have chanel 2 and my console with channel 3 setting was available with 3 on the tv, but it's very noisy. I was about to return it but I found a function to add channel 2 in the tv setting and it was figured.

 

But somehow the reset button on this tv functions as the power button, like it turns the tv off and on when I pressed and not sure this action is right move or it's broken. So you think what I could try is somehow deleting the channel on the button 2 or 3 and adding the right channel to the button, correct?