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Atari 2600 Jr

2600jr

I have wanted an Atari 2600 for longer than I can remember, so when a "not working" boxed console appeared on ebay, I fancied taking a punt on it, after all, it was boxed, came with a game, two joysticks, one of which was a Konix Speedking, and a universal power supply. So if it didn't work and was beyond repair, I could just pick up a working console separately.
Besides, I paid less for this than for a working Atari 2600 Jr console

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So, here is the box, it's seen better days, but it'll do

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Here's the console, first thing you'll notice is a hole at the top by the power socket, this is due to a screw being over-tightened and snapping the mounting post off.
Otherwise, you can see the console has a power switch, a colour/black and white switch for the TV type (people still used black and white TV's back in the day). The cartridge slot, and the select and reset buttons. A power LED within the red stripe is also present
The fact screws are missing on the bottom suggests someone has taken this apart and tried to "fix" it

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On the back, from the left are the RF out, right controller port, difficulty switch for the right controller, power socket, difficulty switch for the left controller, and finally the left controller port. There is a hole next, I would imagine it's a switch for the TV channel in some regions

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This is the universal power supply that it came with, it looks safe doesn't it? I tested it through my isolating transformer and it's dead Jim, so straight in the bin it went

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Here are the joysticks, the left is a cheap and nasty joystick which seems to reset the Atari when both fire buttons are pressed together? Next is the Konix Speedking, It's missing the plastic joystick, but works fine, actually it feels very nice to use. I wonder if you can get parts?

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The Atari power supply specifications are, 9V DC 500mA, using a 3.5mm jack plug with a positive tip. The only PSU I had within reach that fitted those specs was a Spectrum PSU, but it has the wrong plug fitted. No problem, I'll just make an adaptor...

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Once all connected up and switched on, the LED on the Atari lit up, halfway there. And after what seemed an eternity waiting for the TV to tune in a picture appeared, a bit fuzzy, but WOOO HOOO!



However, the joysticks were unresponsive, and so were the buttons on the Atari

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So lets take it apart, as suspected the buttons on the Atari are connected to the board by a membrane tail, and this wasn't connected. So once plugged back in they worked, and once the select button had been pressed, the game would start and the joystick worked as well

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But the picture was now a lot more fuzzy than previously, which kept causing the TV to mute the screen

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So on taking it back apart again, I discovered the RF cable wasn't actually connected to the socket, the middle wire had broken off

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So I just bypassed the short extension to test the output

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Success, it all works!

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This is what it looked like while fixing the problems

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However, I have spotted a broken pin in the left controller port, although the joystick plugged into it works, I will have to find out what that pin does


Software

I only have one game at the moment, but it's guaranteed I will buy more soon...

Combat

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Update

I have bought some more games, and a new power supply...

Asteroids

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Defender

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Berzerk

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All three of them are boxed, the cover art on the boxes is great, but as always, the cartridges needed cleaning with a cotton bud and some IPA before they would work, with Berzerk being the most difficult to get running

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And I dug out my old CRT for "testing" reasons, here it is with Defender proudly displayed


Another update

I have bought another game

Adventure

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And another...

Pole Position

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And yet more...

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Outlaw

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Berzerk (NTSC version)
My copy of Berzerk above stopped working. NTSC versions of games work fine on PAL machines, but due to the way software runs on the Atari, the colours are wrong

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Phoenix

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Centipede
This game was supposed to be included with the pack I have

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River Raid

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Hardware update

I bought this at the Bristol Retro Gaming Fair at Temple Meads Station, it is the type of joystick featured on the box

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More hardware updates

Who wants paddle controllers, I want paddle controllers, I bought paddle controllers, I have paddle controllers

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It's been a while since I held one of these, I don't remember them being this small, I put a Fire TV remote in the picture for scale. Also both paddles are wired to the same plug, I don't remember that either


Even more hardware updates

Who wants more paddle controllers, and joysticks, and another 2600Jr?

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I bought a job-lot of joysticks and they came with an "untested" 2600Jr

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More paddles, one of them has some damage to the cable

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Official Atari CX40 joystick X 2

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Also I found this Atari PSU in the box that my Commodore Vic 20 came in

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And I finally got round to testing the "untested" 2600Jr and it works perfectly, so happy days


More software updates

I bought some more games in a games exchange shop in Street (by Glastonbury)

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Space Invaders

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Asteroids

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Phoenix (duplicate)

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Pac-man

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Centipede (duplicate)

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Missile Command


More updates

I was recently donated some games and another 2600Jr, I already have some of the games, but all donations are welcome

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Missile Command

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Pac Man

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Combat (boxed)

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Super Baseball

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Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back

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Boxing

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E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (this has an X drawn on the label, I haven't tried it yet)

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Galaxian

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Star Raiders

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Amidar (Label missing)

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Breakout

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27 Tele-Games including Shooting Gallery, Planes, Submarines, Ships

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Swordquest

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Another working 2600Jr

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Two more CX40 joysticks, but are missing the stick covers


For more retro hardware check out my online museum here



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