69 replies to this topic

[CPUWIZ]

This is a followup for Mitch's instructions on how to get rid of the pesky switchbox on the 4 port Atari 5200.

See:
http://www.atariage....pic.php?t=17441

I did mine slightly differently ...

















Hopefully this will help someone else who was confused by the text-only instructions.

[Rob Mitchell]

Why is it "pesky"?

Great mod btw.

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[Mitch]

Looks good!

Mitch
http://atari7800.atari.org

[t.skid]

It's a great work

[Clint Thompson]

Dude... that's great!

I have 2 4 port Atari 5200 's just sitting here collecting dust!
I don't know if they even work, but I guess this is one step closer for me to find out!

I remember... I used to collect just about every single 5200 game... I had quite a few , near every single one!, and I had a 5200 but I didn't have any controllers...

I continued to get the games and more games... and then one day, I was able to come across a controller! It was very disappointing to realize just how bad the controllers really are... so bad that I didn't even like most of the games because I felt the controller ruined the system.

I used to have a stack of about 7 5200 systems.. now I'm down to 2
with I think 1 game, Moon Patrol... anyone have any luck with that PSX conversion controller for their 5200's? Any Good?

Thanks! Nice pics too! Good work....

Clint Thompson

[t.skid]

About 'hacks' on 5200, anyone here modify the console to have the rca video-output? I'd like to do it, but I have only one 5200, and I'm not so good with solder...

[jsoper]

Someone (maybe Lee Krueger?) posted once that the thing to do was get the video mod instructions (the 5200 ones are in the FAQ) and go down to a small tv/vcr repair place and see if they'll give you a decent quote for the work. I'd say take the printout and an open 5200 system so they can see the motherboard. If they're interested, you might have to pick up some of the components they don't have on hand like the cable connectors. Mounting the RCA jacks onto the system case for them would help even more.

Electronics can be a fun hobby though. My soldering was horrible at first but improved. Now my 4-port has S-video, standard power supply jack, built-in adapters for genesis and 2600 paddle controllers and a 7800 board mounted on top that uses all the same connections; so it's two consoles in one.
John

[t.skid]

jsoper said:

Someone (maybe Lee Krueger?) posted once that the thing to do was get the video mod instructions (the 5200 ones are in the FAQ) and go down to a small tv/vcr repair place and see if they'll give you a decent quote for the work. I'd say take the printout and an open 5200 system so they can see the motherboard.  If they're interested, you might have to pick up some of the components they don't have on hand like the cable connectors.  Mounting the RCA jacks onto the system case for them would help even more.

It's a good idea, I only need to find the right guy (actually, I have a friend that do it for job, but he isn't really interested in it); and, first, maybe another 5200 console, to be sure - you know, in Italy are quite rare -.

jsoper said:

Electronics can be a fun hobby though.  My soldering was horrible at first but improved.  Now my 4-port has S-video, standard power supply jack, built-in adapters for genesis and 2600 paddle controllers and a 7800 board mounted on top that uses all the same connections; so it's two consoles in one.  
John

Could I call you Dr. Frankenstein? j/k
You must be very able with solder for doing all this work!

Thanks John.

[sine25]

if i just want to make a switch box, i need the video cable from that box to a regualr RF atari box right, (from the one listed in FAQ)? anyone make these boxes could give me a hand?

[JB]

Rob Mitchell, on Thu Feb 13, 2003 9:32 PM, said:

Why is it "pesky"?

Great mod btw.

Barring hardware failures, the only issue I see is it makes AV mods a pain in the ass.

[HP Atari King of Michigan]

Nice job!

[shep]

Clint Thompson, on Tue Feb 18, 2003 4:56 AM, said:

I have 2 4 port Atari 5200 's just sitting here collecting dust!
I don't know if they even work, but I guess this is one step closer for me to find out!


Clint Thompson

If they work, wanna send one my way?

[Atari Dogs]

t.skid, on Tue Feb 18, 2003 5:30 PM, said:

About 'hacks' on 5200, anyone here modify the console to have the rca video-output? I'd like to do it, but I have only one 5200, and I'm not so good with solder... 

As I recall, doing the RCA video mod makes it so that you cannot use the 2600 adapter. Someone was going to work on a design so that the 5200 adapter would still work. Was it ever done?

[remowilliams]

Can I use a 47uF 16V cap for this? I've only got that one and a 470uF 35V handy

[remowilliams]

For a change cell phone Shack actually had something I was looking for (the cap), so I finally did this to the first 5200. It works great, goodbye switchbox!!

Thanks CPUWIZ and Mitch!

[shadow460]

lol, mine's hooked in directly where the rabbit ears would be. I knew I'd never find a switchbox, so I just did the mod and got it over with.

[Mitch]

Wow, this is the mod thread that won't die.
I think this mod even made it into the Hardware/Console Hacking books.

Mitch

[shadow460]

Well, thanks for the help, Mitch, CPUWIZ.

[tjlazer]

Which cap did they have? Haven't even tried to see if they have all the parts, they usually do not.

[Uzumaki]

Radio Shack's not the best place to look for electronic part nowday. If they can't be used in cell phone or PC, they probably don't carry em.

You'd need to hit the yellow book to find a local electronic supplier or go online and order from some like mouser or digi-key

[remowilliams]

tjlazer, on Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:31 AM, said:

Which cap did they have? Haven't even tried to see if they have all the parts, they usually do not.

Hard to believe, but they actually have all the parts.

Uzumaki, on Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:23 AM, said:

You'd need to hit the yellow book to find a local electronic supplier or go online and order from some like mouser or digi-key

Radio Shack sucks wildly, but there aren't any local electronic suppliers in the area. Got everything else under the sun, but not one of those I usually go with mouser or digi-key, but I hate waiting for stuff in the mail.

[shadow460]

Radio Crap had everything but the correct diode when I modded my 5200. I went back to finish up a Supercharger, and when I asked them to look up their catalog number for the 74HCT32, they were like "Invalid SKU". When I asked for something else for a different mod, all the salesmen started to avoid me like I had AIDS or something. Oh, I know what it was...I asked for a 10K x2 pot to replace the volume control in my classic game boy. The dude showed me a pot that was three or four inches long and an inch in diameter. I know the Game Boy is enormous, but geez, it's not that big. And he starts to tell me how that part would work...yeah right, it won't even fit the stupid case!
After that, the salespeople leave me alone when I walk in there. Trst me--unless I need batteries ('cause the do have decent batteries), I ain't setting foot in there again.
I just can't believe how naive some people are!

Anyway, I got a larger diode than what Mitch used. It had all the same specs, but it was rated for three times the current. Everything else they had, but I bet our local supplier would have been a bunch cheaper. I'm going down there next week to see what they've got.

[Uzumaki]

Bring your Gameboy next time. Keep it hidden and ask for the 10k volume pot for the Gameboy. If they show you the same huge one, show them the Gameboy and ask how that thing could be shrunk to fit inside.

[shadow460]

I had the Game Boy's motherboard with me, and I showed the guy where that pot was supposed to go. He still offered me the big one. I'm just so glad I didn't have a cell phone with a bad volume control. Repairing that would be a nightmare.

[remowilliams]

shadow460, on Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:13 AM, said:

Anyway, I got a larger diode than what Mitch used. It had all the same specs, but it was rated for three times the current.

Yeah, same here. I picked up the 3A diode (276-1141).