2600 Power Supply

[Great Hierophant]

Where can I find a replacement power supply for my 2600? The specs are Input 117 VAC 60Hz 9W, and Output 9VDC, 500mA, center positive. Somewhere like Radio Shack would helpful.

[Mindfield]

Any standard 9v/300mA or greater universal AC adapter will work using the 3.5mm jack with tip-positive polarity. Radio Shack or any mom 'n pop electronics store will carry them.

[Bryan]

Where can I find a replacement power supply for my 2600?

Somewhere like Radio Shack would helpful.

 

See, you don't need us.

 

(You can get universal adapters at places like Wal-Mart too.)

 

-Bry

[Great Hierophant]

Any standard 9v/300mA or greater universal AC adapter will work using the 3.5mm jack with tip-positive polarity

 

The official power supply is rated for 500mA, will 300mA either damage the console or cause flaky operation (weaker graphics and sound, crashing, incompatibility?)

[Mindfield]

Any standard 9v/300mA or greater universal AC adapter will work using the 3.5mm jack with tip-positive polarity

 

The official power supply is rated for 500mA, will 300mA either damage the console or cause flaky operation (weaker graphics and sound, crashing, incompatibility?)

 

It won't damage the console in any way nor will it cause "flaky" operation -- the amperage rating is simply how much power the adapter is capable of providing the console, not how much it actually provides. AC adapters don't pass current through the system at its rated amperage, rather the hardware simply draws as much as it needs from the adapter. I've never run into, nor heard of anyone having any trouble with a 300mA power supply on the 2600. There is a very outside possibility that it may not provide enough to power anything that pulls additional power from the 2600 (i.e. Supercharger) -- but I think even that should be fine with 300mA.

[Great Hierophant]

The guy at Radio Shack told me to buy the 800mA instead of the 300mA, saying that less than the rated amperage might damage the machine but with more the console would only draw what it needs. The machine worked fine once I tested it.

[bond007pr]

What I have experienced personaly is that my old "heavy sixers" consoles like only the gray power supplies.I have tried playing them on the regular black power supply,but besides it fits kind of "loose" at the back of the consoles,they play fine for some seconds,then the screen scrambles up.

[Great Hierophant]

I also have a Radio Shack 10VDC 850mA power supply that I use for my SNES. Would that work for my Atari 2600jr. or is that too much power for it to handle?

[taxman]

10V DC 850 mA should work fine.

[Mindfield]

10v should be fine. 2600 consoles contain a voltage regulator, so excessive voltage will be properly stepped down without damaging the console. 850mA is more than enough for it.

[bjk7382]

Why not just get a universal if you don't want to get an original.

 

Then you can choose whatever voltage you want (even the correct 9v 500ma)

[Luigi301]

I have a Radio Shack 1.5V-12V multiadapter. It's rated at 1A and came with detachable heads.