Can we fix this rare 1977 Atari VCS? Sears Telegames "Heavy Sixer" Upgrade & Refurb!
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 8. 09. 2024
- For 37 years I've wanted an Atari VCS 2600. Now I have a "heavy sixer" can install a composite mod refurbish the case recap the board & make it work? Made possible by our friendly sponsor PCBWay.com - great PCBs from $5!
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RECIPE INGREDIENTS*
âą VCS Upgrade Kit: console5.com/s...
âą All VCS Composite Mods: rover.ebay.com...
âą Featured Composite Mod: www.thefuturew...
CHEERS TO
âą GavinParsons.co.uk
âą Displaced Gamers: / displacedgamers
âą DV Game Repair: www.legacycompu...
âą Brian Weiser
âą Xavier Bell
âą AtariAge forums
âą Gardenside Prods. & Clue Detectives & Paradise Radio
âą Special thanks to Ladyfractic & Puppyfractic:
âą Get a big discount on Puppyfractic's featured collar fitness/GPS tracker at bit.ly/periwhistle & a free Bark Box at bit.ly/barkyfra...!
SAUCES USED WITH THANKS
âą www.vectronicsc...
âą / @dvgamerepair3448
âą Wikipedia & Wikimedia Commons
âą The Internet Archive
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Thanks for watching! Just to address a few repeat comments here:
1. The Babbyfractics were done with a Snapchat filter (and bluescreen + editing). Glad you liked them!
2. My bad, the Fairchild was actually the first console with cartridges. During extensive research I foolishly misread that as Fairlight (the synth), which isn't a console.
3. Some say Olive Oil will start to smell after a while. I haven't seen that historically. It's now a _very_ thin coat left, but we'll see. I know others who swear by linseed oil, but olive is usually in most houses already. As I said, you can choose what to use and that car stuff is fine too.
More updates on this cliffhanger video soon!
You friend in retro, Perifractic
Well, olive oil does smell at first, but the smell goes away. I used it to clean plastic for a long time, and even to dissolve tar when I played barefoot on the beach and, coming from a town of fishermen, sometimes tides brought back some tar from fishing boats that stubborny clung on reef shoes and bare skin.
Olive oil smells less and it's less aggressive for the skin than anything you can find, if you like to spread stuff on your consoles without gloves on.
Which I end up doing because last time I removed my gloves, I gouged a small hole in my finger :P
@@DrTofu83 Agreed. I like the olive oil method personally, and kinda discovered it myself through trial and error. But the nice thing is anyone can choose to use whatever they want. This is just my VCS so I chose that :-)
There was also the Coleco Telstar Arcade, released in 1976, which used metallic, triangular cartridges which snapped in flat on top of the console. I actually had one of those for a while. The pack-in cartridge never worked and after a month or so, the lightgun started registering hits no matter where it was aimed. Coleco's QA department didn't seem too vigilant in those days. My Coleco Telstar Combat system never worked properly either.
@@RetroRecipes The unit is yours, you can do whatever I wish. I just hope and believe the new parts will make it work fully. :)
Every collection is a possibility among many... And Olive Oil was something every fisherman uses to clean and protect stuff from tar and make plastic look new. It somehow protects plastic but melts tar like butter on an oven
@@lurkerrekrul The Telstar Arcade and the Magnavox Odyssey both supported removable cartridges to play a game, but they are very different from "software cartridges" as these systems were both essentially pong systems with discrete hardwired game logic.
The Telstar Arcade actually placed the console inside the cartridge -- the MOS/Commodore-made pong-on-a-chip was inside the cartridge and the "console" was really just a giant controller and port dock.
The Magnavox Odyssey cartridges, on the other hand, were just a set of crosswired connections essentially being a glorified jumper/dipswitch -- there was no software contained on them.
Little Ladyfractic is pretty much the cutest thing ever on CZcams
IKR?!
You mean disturbing?
Wow, that system looks amazing! Bummer that it isn't working yet, but I love that you shared it at this point and aren't making us wait. Also great job on the Fractics kids bits, very cool!
Hehe glad you liked those bits! đ¶
The Sears Telegames System came with two joysticks, two paddle controllers, and the "Shooting Gallery" cartridge, or at least ours did at Christmas of 1977. You could always tell the kid who had a Sears-brand 2600, because they were rubbish at the "Combat" game cartridge that came with Atari-branded 2600s. Love this video; thanks for the flashback to my childhood!!
I look forward to the conclusion. The Atari 2600 was my first system. It was the 90s and other kids already had the SNES, but I felt lucky to have it. Frogger and Asteroids were my favorites.
I have a soft spot for the Atari 400. It was the first I played and this was ahead of it's time being a computer/console.
Thanks for the nostalgia trip. The VCS2600 was my first computer gaming system... I used to play it with my father..
The mini fractics are amazing dude! Surely a spin off channel?! When I saw the thumbnail I thought ahh he's pasted some old photos of the both of them! Loved it.
Haha I wondered if anyone would think that!
128 bytes that is crazy, so if you typed the letter A 128 times the RAM would be full. Amazing what they did back then.
And I like your drill joke, my neighbour rang my doorbell last night at 0300am, luckily for him I was still up playing my Bagpipes.
Great video. So relaxing and interesting.
The memory is so limited that programmers made use of video sprites and other glitches to sort of trick the games to work. There was a supercharger cartridge that added memory and provided an audio interface to load from cassette tape. I had one and it worked well but it took a few minutes to load the game.
I look forward to the next recipode. I had my legs and fingers crossed.
Your Omnibot needs a Dustbot to keep it company and keep your desk clean. Big Atari and Tomy fan here, can't wait for part two.
So that pneumatic drill joke... my soda literarily ended up on my screen. Made my day, thank you mr. pneumafractic
đ€
The Tele-games holds such a place in my heart. It was my first system. I never did beat "Raiders" until last year with the help of my Son. I love this channel you guys are great!
"I think it's important in life to show successes as well as failures." This line got me
Your pup melts my heart. I lost mine 10 months ago to lymphoma and watching how much she loves you made me tear up.
I'm very sorry to hear that. Been there too. We don't deserve doggos.
Thoroughly enjoy your humor. You're my kind of geek. Always enjoy your content. Please keep it coming.
Thank you for your kind words! Means a lot đđčïž
Back in the 80s, I fixed my grandparents' original Sears Telegames system by replacing the red coil (inductor?) on the board. I honestly don't remember how I knew that was the problem as I know very little about electronics, but we went to Radio Shack and I bought a bag of assorted coils that looked like it had a reasonable match. I put it in and with a little adjusting, it worked. The colors might have been off a little, but not too bad.
As for the RF output, bad video quality was always a problem and with CRT TVs, it almost always boiled down to a bad switchbox. Several years ago, someone I know got the urge to hook up an old Atari system. The video looked just like your example. Just for the hell of it, I opened up the switch box and wrapped wire around the contacts, making a direct connection and bypassing the switch itself. All the static disappeared and the image was as clear as you could expect from a CRT TV.
I might just try that!
@@RetroRecipes You can also just buy an RCA to coax adapter so that you can connect the RF cable directly to the coax input on a CRT TV. I assume it would also work on an LCD TV if it has a coax connector, but I've never tried it. Probably not as good as a true composite mod, but better than using the switchbox.
I don't know if they used those switchboxes elsewhere in the world, but here in the US, they were so notorious for causing problems that you could buy replacements in practically any department store. Some even came with double inputs for hooking up more than one game system. I assume that the contacts in the switch get oxidized over time, which leads to the lousy connection. Just like Atari paddle controllers would get oxidized and become jittery. I never tried to clean on though.
Amazing video, beautiful editing, so well put together. Loved the sounds when the components were unsoldered. Hopefully you will get it going next time, looking forward to Part 2 :-)
Cheers Vince! Glad you enjoyed this đđčïž
Spoiler warning needed đ
Cheers!
@Retro Recipes excellent as always, Chris!
my daughter watched your video til the end. and laughed a lot. she doesn't speak english and had to explain a lot of things during the video (she is 13). this is how good your show is! thanks :)
That's wonderful, thank you for sharing! All ages are welcome here!
Your the Bob Ross of retro console repair.
I always loved that 128bits of RAM. It is less than many regular digital watches!
I'm hoping you get it working. The heavy sixer is worth restoring. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of hardware ever created. I have 3, myself. Glad you replaced the caps. I hope you don't get a lot of hate for it. Some collectors shun even replacing caps on a heavy sixer. I was blocked by a guy on twitter when I talked about replacing caps on a heaver sixer.
I had the Darth Vader version. I came home from school one day and there it was sitting on the table. My mom said she saved up for a few months to get it.
Might have mentioned this before but for some time just before an 80's Christmas one of these appeared in our house. For weeks I was getting excited thinking I was getting it, Christmas day came, no Atari, turns out Mum was hiding it for a neighbour so her son wouldn't find it :/. I suppose I should have realized, if it was for me it wouldn't have just been sat there in full view. But it still peed me off lol.
That's sad!
@@RetroRecipes its ok i'm over it now, just
After only 40 years of therapy...
@@derekjc777 I had a good therapist Mr Amiga
My Spanish isnât great, but shouldnât that be Senorita Amiga? đ
Never knew the epithet ("heavey sixer") for this model. I have one -- originally bought new -- albeit now in pieces. Amazing the heavy shield around the processor module made of cast aluminum: that thing would take a bullet for you. In fact, I knocked a full-size 60s vintage wooden speaker off a bookshelf onto the Atari ^B^B^B^B^B Sears system sitting on the TV and it only dented that silver ridge around the controls. The console still worked fine, and probably saved the TV from damage. Eventually one or two of the panel switches got a little broken off by flying joysticks, though ;) Had to switch them with a pointy stick after that.
Awsome. Never seen the insides of a 2600. And learning about this video mod. Wonderful. Really makes me want to get an original 2600 again.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I think you did a brilliant work on restoring these one
OH the 70s original Gaming Console đ€©đ still have a couple of them
I feel weird saying this.. but I must.
You made me cry. My childhood was taken from me. I know we all go through hard times and I am not bitching about it now... all I am saying
Is the idea that you invited the viewer to be a kid again... and allow them to be amazed just like we did back then.
That was... just. âBravoâ. I know it was not your intention or perhaps I am been over sensitive... the point is. I did, I was a kid for a few.
Thanks for that.
Nerds.... am I right?
Thank you for sharing that and for joining me.
I use a diluted 'Meguiar's D10101 Detailer All Purpose Cleaner' for my plastic cleaning duties. I then finish with 'Aerospace 303' as a plastic conditioner that leaves a matte sheen.
Your videos always make me think that every talk-show host should just ditch their sidekick and get a Puppyfractic instead. đ
Ah, the old Atari 2600... It's the console I discovered my first ever cheat code on. Holding the 'select' and 'reset' switches down while turning the system on activated 'auto fire' in Space Invaders.
Wilhelm scream at 7:50. Nicely done... Subtle and funny.
đ€ good ear
I enjoyed everything about the video today. It was as always lots of fun. I'm sure it will all work out just fine in the end.
So glad you liked it. Fingers crossed!
Wait... 3 days ago? The video was posted 11 hours ago! Wait, let me guess: you joined the channel and got early access?
@@aaronjamt yeah I support retro recipes so I get to see it before the general public
@@andydurbin8309 Gotcha. I had already typed the question and was about to send when I answered it myself.
OMG that Legacy Computers guy is the nicest ever
He sold me the VGA card he was using in an old 8088 system for a good price.
(He's in the next city over too, so it came quick!)
He is indeed!
2:54 the judgemental death stare when a joke doesn't even deserve a smirk.
10:18 I grew up near the Ferrara-Pan candy company in Chicago where those Atomic Fireballs were produced and I never thought of them as gobstoppers ⊠despite those being exactly what they are!
All through-hole technology, it was a different time. the metal shielding makes it look like it was built like a tank.
Edit: WOAH! Atari provided a repair manual for the VCS? It makes sense because itâs an expensive piece of electronics in 1978 but ârepair vs replaceâ was a different proposition then
No way! I have this same exact version that my Grandma gave me! I still have the manual and game catalog for it!
Lady Fractic as a teen... so sweet... đđ
I did this exact same thing a year ago (I even stripped down the switched and cleaned them) and ended at exactly the same point ! I feel your pain ... hope you get it working !
I have a few 2600s (long story), but sadly none are currently functional. Getting one or more of them working again has been on my "someday" list, but now I'm inspired to at least get the heavy 6 (my favorite model) up and running again. That refurbishment kit is looking very tempting!
Dew it!
The Sears version was my very first video game/computer at home.
I really like this channel, congratulations! But the dog really steals the show. A big hug for the dog ... yes, for the rest of the team too.
Thank you for your kind words! Means a lot đđčïž
I have 2 light 6rs with the same fault. But at least my heavy 6rs is working. I thought about doing the composite mod, but the picture looks just fine on my flatscreen tv. I was having great fun playing with it and my Intellivision with the Intellivoice module (and all my retro computers) during lockdown.
Perifractic, I have watched this video a couple times since you first posted it. I wanted to share that I have this very unit, in box, that I found at a Goodwill about 18 years ago. I paid two whole dollars for it and I have only taken it from the box perhaps twice. It is complete with the joysticks, paddles, and etc. I have been prepping the debut of my CZcams channel for about a year (we moved, and there's that pandemic thing that has delayed everything) and I will re-unbox this classic console, test, clean (if needed) and restore (if needed).
When I bought it, it looked as if it had never, ever been used- an Atari Time Capsule, if you will. Once I launch, I will let you know so you can gasp along with the rest of the Atari (Sears Tele-Games) Loving world! Cheers!
Wonderful!!
PuppyFractic is the real star of the show!
Most beautifull video I have ever seen on restauration / electronics. Very passionate! I'm from Brazil. Keep on doing this, please.
Thank you for your kind words! Means a lot đđčïž
A funny and very watchable video.
Mine is just a little different than this one. It's a 'Woody' with a revision 13 motherboard.
The ESB game for the 2600 was certainly a system seller. My uncle worked at a Sears back then and when that game came out, the 2600's in the shop flew off the shelves so fast that the store couldn't order them fast enough.
I'm tempted to try replacing the RF system because it is rather wonky. I recently learned how to adjust it with a plastic Allen wrench or dental pick, but it only helps a little.
An old toothbrush works wonders for cleaning all sorts of things besides teeth. :)
Luckily, the capacitors and such look very good on mine. The heatsink is held on with a screw in my model and is more durable than this one was before you fixed it.
Olive oil works great on wood. Never thought of using it on plastic. Very clever.
You can remove paint splashes with break fluid and a cotton bud. Let the fluid sit on the splash and then rub off. Test on an inconspicuous spot first. I used this method to clean up a NES!
Good to know!
While my daily driver is a Vader 2600 with flash cart and S-video mod, the Sears Heavy Sixer with walnut trim is most classy!
I still have my original Sears VCS "Heavy Sixer" from Christmas 1978 and it still works flawlessly!
I don't know why, but your cute little sound effects always puts a smile on my lips :)
You are so kind
I had a Sears Telegames! It was a hand-me-down from my cousins after they got an NES for Christmas. I miss it. I used to beg my parents to hook it up so I could play Barnstorming.
Yeah the Atari 2600. Had one for many years. Wish I would've keep it. Had 15 games. Glad to see your keeping another one alive. Thx for the memory's. Hope you get yours working. Cheers.
I now feel better about using Sharpies to restore my old film cameras now knowing that I wasn't the only one that did that.
You should do dedicated instructional videos on circuit boards, soldering and the things soldered on to them.
Top drawer work mate. She looks nearly brand new.
Thanks!
This definitely happened because you put everything back together before testing it, Chris. If you had tested it first, it would have worked just fine. The Murphy Gods demand their due.
Lol well it didn't work to begin with so we're no worse off. Good news soon hopefully! đ€
Good luck, may the force be with you!
Too much cuteness and coolness in one recipode!
đ©ââ€ïžâđâđš
At last 2600! I have 2 of these I need to fix, I originally had this when I was 11 back in the early 80s. Thank you so much for this.
Was feeling a bit gutted for you. This was episode 1: A New Hope. Episode 2: RR Strikes Back. Episode 3: Return Of The VCS 2600
Your hairs tint is always on point.
Lol you mean greys!
I was aces at the Star Wars arcade game. Master at The Force! :D One of the coolest arcade games ever!
The failure rate on those green (brown?) âchickletâ capacitors is so low itâs not worth worrying about. About the only way for them to fail is to overvolt them đ or throw them in the fire. đą
I've never heard anyone call styrene caps failure-prone either, rather the opposite. They were known for their extremely tight tolerances and therefore used in frequency-critical applications like FM tuners.
I love that you have $600+ in soldering tools and a $10 multimeter :) I kid, I have that same multimeter and lot's of money in soldering equipment. BTW, you should invest in a lab bench power supply for stuff like this.
And no stash of old power supplies just waiting to be Frankensteined into whatever combo of voltage/ampacity and connector type you need with some diags, heat shrink, and solder -- not necessarily in that order.
â@@robbruce2128 I don't understand why people try so hard to get matching power supply for these old devices as they all use linear regulators so just give them at least 2V more than regulator voltage and you are good to go.
In this case I would skip regulator and power everything with a USB charger, maybe I would just add some extra filtering if it proves necessary, 100nF and 470uF should be enough.
The parts with mini versions of you two were great! đđ» Grew up with the 2600 so this episode was particularly fun for me.
Still have my wooden Atari VCS. And it works :D
I'm sure you're replacing more capacitors than needed just because you want to use that sweet, sweet hakko desoldering tool as much as possible ;)
All electronics repair videos should have comedy sound effects!
oh man, now I have to dig mine out of storage and do the composite video mod, I didn't know what to do with it before.
Thank you for all Thats Good Videos. Mein englischer sprachschatz ist begrenzt, jedoch verstehe ich die Jokes und witzigen Komponenten und finde euren Kanal einfach super toll gemacht. Immer wieder ein tolles Erlebnis diese Clips zu sehen. Beste GrĂŒĂe aus Lauenförde in Germany
Well it's a dull and wet day in Scotland đŽó §ó ąó łó Łó Žó ż..but your video cheered me right up. You got me in the mood to hunt down the two old pong games units in my loft , and get them working. Great video yet again.. I can't get enough of these. Thanks for the video!!
Another great video! I hope you get the parts in soon.
My first console.. Ahh, nostalgia.
Fun fact: The Atari 2600 (codename: Stella) was designed by the same Jay Miner who later also designed the Amiga (codename: Lorraine).
My wife watched this video for the first time and she was in love with Puppy fractict
Hello Mrs Battaglia! From Puppyfractic đ¶
8:30 Wife: YOU LOADED THE DISHWASHER WRONG!
We actually had a Heavy Sixer as a young teen. We got it in a clearance sale (NES was already beginning to dominating the market by then). Sadly, the closest I ever got to playing Empire Strikes Back was a buggy cartridge of the dreaded E.T. (yeah, it's was a bad as they say) and other rummage sale bargains. Still, many a fun hour with that.
Great to see you bringing one back to life.
BTW ,
"The Empire Strikes Back" is still the GOAT !! đđ
My 2600 is still going strong, but I suspect itâs overdue for new caps. You might spend some time in an upcoming video looking at joystick options, as original 2600 joysticks were rubbish. But more importantly, replacing the pots in the paddles would interesting. Mine are all scratchy and I havenât played a decent game of Breakout in 30 years...
I was a pro at that game - and I literally had blisters on my thumbs from it. I still remember. I had to hide the blisters from my mom.
A combined soldering iron and solder sucker? Now that's fancy!
Mattel existed before the Atari VCS -- Mattel made toys, not video games originally: my siblings and I owned a few of them. We're talking first half of the 70's, so it was a long time ago. But never mind that, great video! Now I'm off to see the resolution of the cliffhanger.
My first video game unit was 1976 - in Hong Kong - donât know who made it but it was branded Bang Bang after the local jeans company. Had Pong, and a few variants. Played it for so many hours. Sadly it broke a few years later and I couldnât fix it.
You know, I bet someone could create a replacement chip using some similar methods to commodore64âs shown in 8bit guys videos. Combining chips manufactured today is a smart solution and I think it might work at least for the television chip which according to you is the most likely cause for yours, and may vary well be for a majority of systems.
The elf voice "I'm FREE!" Had me rolling on the floor!
For a moment i tought i was playing Worms...lol
Awesome video!
I sure you already know M&Ms / chocolate is toxic to dogs. Thanks - love these vids !
I had an Atari 2600 4 switch model, the wood grain one.
Puppyfractic is so cute! She really cares for your mental well being!
Could always add a little Atari red on that shield/mount under the hood :)
Two doggies!! I got the console5 composite mod for my colecovision, what a difference from RF they make great stuff.
Nice job on the mods and the cosmetic refurb. Looks awesome. Hopefully one of those chips will fixer that sixer. đ
And thank you for donating it in the first place Zipp... er X! đđčïž
Atari was known for using single wipe contacts in their sockets. In the video, you cleaned the sockets, but also try using a pin straightening tool for the ICs. This increases the chance for making contact on the pins. Also, you may consider upgrading the sockets for better contact on the IC pins.
Thumbs down to the "Mom & Pop" (aka Big Box) stores that didn't have the power supply you needed, haha. As future reference, since you ordered the refresh kit from Console5, they also sell a power supply that is compatible with the 2600. Good luck with that Vader, not to mention the replacement chips. One day, perhaps someone will develop simple FPGA's in those old school form factors.
Great video, memories of my youth back in Wakefield, Christmas day opening the 2600! Massive upgrade from the Grandstand pong system I had.
Love your work, this is definitely one of my fave videos by you guys.
Thank you for your kind words! Means a lot đđčïž
Watching videos like this always makes me wish I was more technically skilled and knowledgeable. And had a silky smooth voice, a cute dog, and a Ladyfractic.
wow , I like your Desoldering tool
Iâve had the same fault (same black screen and some games would only display garbage). It was one of the chips. I believe either TIA or RIOT. You can also harvest those chips from a 7800 as all 7800 contain both sets of chips for the backwards compatibility feature. That is what I did to check before âsplurgingâ on a replacement chip. RIOT can also be found in many other Atari product like the 850 interface and the 810 and 1050 disk drives. You may just have one of those laying around already.