n00bie picked up some cheap games. 2600?

[Iver]

Hello!

 

Ive been collecting various boxed consoles for about a year now. I havent managed to get a nice 2600 or any atari for that matter yet, but I saw some games for $1 (AUS) each yesterday and couldnt resist.

 

Now as I said no Atari consoles as yet Nor have I used one since I was about 5 years old.. So please forgive this silly question(s).

 

Are these 2600 carts? (rather than 5200\7800 ones):

 

 

How does this work? The 'flap' in the cart is barely wide enough for the PCB connecters thingy to pass through. I cant see this sort of setup working in the usual N64\Mastersystem\Genisis etc.. type of way. Nor does it look like the PCB moves to 'extend' out of the cart.

[guitarmas]

[Iver]

18 views by Atari enthusiasts and the only reply is an although comical completely unhelpful smilie from a self confessed newbie.

 

Seems this scene is a bit elitist?

 

Now as I have stated I dont own a console, if i did I wouldnt have to ask. I am asking as there were some red label 2600 carts at the same place I got these without the 'plate' covering the pcb of the cart. The 'plate' doesnt seem to be removeable, yet seems to make the obvious.. complicated.

 

Only thing I can think of is the cart slot on the console is EXTREMELY thin?

[CPUWIZ]

18 views by Atari enthusiasts and the only reply is an although comical completely unhelpful smilie from a self confessed newbie.

 

Seems this scene is a bit elitist?

 

Now as I have stated I dont own a console, if i did I wouldnt have to ask. I am asking as there were some red label 2600 carts at the same place I got these without the 'plate' covering the pcb of the cart. The 'plate' doesnt seem to be removeable, yet seems to make the obvious.. complicated.

 

Only thing I can think of is the cart slot on the console is EXTREMELY thin?

843342[/snapback]

 

Yes, they are 2600 carts and the console opens the bottom flap of the carts (they fold up). It's basically a dustcover design.

[+SpiceWare]

Yes they are. The older games didn't say "2600" on them, the Atari wasn't even called the 2600 at that time - it was the Video Computer System or VCS for short.

 

If you check here you'll see various cartridges for the Atari. The 3rd party companies tended to have their own style case too.

 

The plate is a dust cover that gets pushed into the cartridge when it's inserted into the Atari, which has some little posts that push into the 2 slots on either side of the dust cover. 3rd party games didn't use them, and Atari dropped it themselves later on - I see the silver and red label cartridges in my collection don't have it.

[Iver]

Thanks:)

 

So how do you clean the contacts? I cant see the usual cotton bud way working as they wouldnt fit.

 

So the cart slot on the consoles is extremely thin? ( to get inside this dust flap)

Edited April 25, 2005 by Iver

[Mindfield]

Thanks:)

 

So how do you clean the contacts? I cant see the usual cotton bud way working as they wouldnt fit.

 

So the cart slot on the consoles is extremely thin? ( to get inside this dust flap)

843353[/snapback]

 

You can use a small screwdriver or pen in either of the small openings to either side of the long slot to open the door and push back the dust cover (it slides up into the cart housing). That will expose the contacts and you can then clean them using the usual Q-Tip/Alcohol method.

 

The 2600 itself has two prongs to either side of the cart port that ordinarily push open the door and the dust cover slides up as it's pushed in by the cart slot.

 

Not all 2600 games have dust covers -- Atari was the only one to use them extensively, though other companies have also employed the same design. Some early Activision carts even used a foam cutout instead of a dust cover -- but they had a bad habit of degrading over time, turning either into dust or goo, depending on the environment they were stored in.