mojoatomic

Quick tip to save you a few clams...
 
Everyone says these are unrepeatable - well... send me all you have, I can use them :-) 
 
OK, after you remove the RF unit from the board, have a look at the inside - not much to it. Certainly no magic - 
 

 
Have a look where the perfboard joins the case... see the solder pads and joints? Remove as much solder from the 2 joints on the side as you can, and then use desoldering  braid for the rest - after that, just pull the board out.. like so - 
 

 
 
Make a few tests - it's a bad IC this time, just a transistor array. DON'T install an IC socket for this repair... solder the array directly to the board. These chips are cheap... line .39 cents or so. The transistor is like .07 cents. There's NOTHING else to go bad here :-)          Nice, shiny and new. Button it back up and reinstall. 

4 switch unit - before and after complete refurb and application of factory modifications - (service bulletin tech tip 4) - yes, that's RF :-) 
 
First video is after refurb but before adding an 820ohm resistor across TIA pin 6 & 9, second video is after. 
 
 
   
 

Thank you, like your videos BTW. 

Hi all, found this forum, read a few posts and had to join. This is only the second Atari forum I've participated in last ones were BBS's, so it's been awhile
 
I started out in the early days as an Atari authorized service center tech and repaired/refurbished more consoles than you could shake a stick at. Looks like Atari never left and I've still played it all of these years.
 
I'm an IT admin now, but I started out as a lowly bench tech. If you were good, they called you a  "gunslinger" back then  - which seems kind of silly, but it was considered high praise at the time. It was a name reserved for the high end guys who took care of the issues no body else had any luck with, or the ones that were considered to difficult for field personal. Not necessarily related to Atari, just in general.
 
We took contracts with any manufacturer who needed depot style repair where we could get decent money and secure a steady parts chain and factory level service material. I've professionally repaired everything from Bang & Olufsen, Macintosh (not the computer), Apple (the computer), Commodore, Nakamichi, Data South, Unisys, Daisy Tech, Atari (many models), Marantz and more. Nothing was thrown away back then - if it was of quality & had value,  it was all repaired. The Atari was no exception - the 2600's were extremely well made units, and made to be repaired. Actually... they were made to be repaired by folks who knew how to use o-scopes and logic probes. The manuals are geared to flow chart troubleshooting , but the real repair happened at the end of a scope probe. The flow charts were for the new guys and ones destined for field repair. 
 
Anyway, a friend asked me to do a repair on a 2600, so I got into the loft looking for a few parts and would up finding all of my service gear, parts and manuals that I had packed away for who knows why (but I'm glad I did) - and it turns out... I can still repair them like nobody's business. 
 
 

Hi all, found this forum, read a few posts and had to join. This is only the second Atari forum I've participated in last ones were BBS's, so it's been awhile
 
I started out in the early days as an Atari authorized service center tech and repaired/refurbished more consoles than you could shake a stick at. Looks like Atari never left and I've still played it all of these years.
 
I'm an IT admin now, but I started out as a lowly bench tech. If you were good, they called you a  "gunslinger" back then  - which seems kind of silly, but it was considered high praise at the time. It was a name reserved for the high end guys who took care of the issues no body else had any luck with, or the ones that were considered to difficult for field personal. Not necessarily related to Atari, just in general.
 
We took contracts with any manufacturer who needed depot style repair where we could get decent money and secure a steady parts chain and factory level service material. I've professionally repaired everything from Bang & Olufsen, Macintosh (not the computer), Apple (the computer), Commodore, Nakamichi, Data South, Unisys, Daisy Tech, Atari (many models), Marantz and more. Nothing was thrown away back then - if it was of quality & had value,  it was all repaired. The Atari was no exception - the 2600's were extremely well made units, and made to be repaired. Actually... they were made to be repaired by folks who knew how to use o-scopes and logic probes. The manuals are geared to flow chart troubleshooting , but the real repair happened at the end of a scope probe. The flow charts were for the new guys and ones destined for field repair. 
 
Anyway, a friend asked me to do a repair on a 2600, so I got into the loft looking for a few parts and would up finding all of my service gear, parts and manuals that I had packed away for who knows why (but I'm glad I did) - and it turns out... I can still repair them like nobody's business. 
 
 

Quick tip to save you a few clams...
 
Everyone says these are unrepeatable - well... send me all you have, I can use them :-) 
 
OK, after you remove the RF unit from the board, have a look at the inside - not much to it. Certainly no magic - 
 

 
Have a look where the perfboard joins the case... see the solder pads and joints? Remove as much solder from the 2 joints on the side as you can, and then use desoldering  braid for the rest - after that, just pull the board out.. like so - 
 

 
 
Make a few tests - it's a bad IC this time, just a transistor array. DON'T install an IC socket for this repair... solder the array directly to the board. These chips are cheap... line .39 cents or so. The transistor is like .07 cents. There's NOTHING else to go bad here :-)          Nice, shiny and new. Button it back up and reinstall. 

4 switch unit - before and after complete refurb and application of factory modifications - (service bulletin tech tip 4) - yes, that's RF :-) 
 
First video is after refurb but before adding an 820ohm resistor across TIA pin 6 & 9, second video is after. 
 
 
   
 

Quick tip to save you a few clams...
 
Everyone says these are unrepeatable - well... send me all you have, I can use them :-) 
 
OK, after you remove the RF unit from the board, have a look at the inside - not much to it. Certainly no magic - 
 

 
Have a look where the perfboard joins the case... see the solder pads and joints? Remove as much solder from the 2 joints on the side as you can, and then use desoldering  braid for the rest - after that, just pull the board out.. like so - 
 

 
 
Make a few tests - it's a bad IC this time, just a transistor array. DON'T install an IC socket for this repair... solder the array directly to the board. These chips are cheap... line .39 cents or so. The transistor is like .07 cents. There's NOTHING else to go bad here :-)          Nice, shiny and new. Button it back up and reinstall. 

Quick tip to save you a few clams...
 
Everyone says these are unrepeatable - well... send me all you have, I can use them :-) 
 
OK, after you remove the RF unit from the board, have a look at the inside - not much to it. Certainly no magic - 
 

 
Have a look where the perfboard joins the case... see the solder pads and joints? Remove as much solder from the 2 joints on the side as you can, and then use desoldering  braid for the rest - after that, just pull the board out.. like so - 
 

 
 
Make a few tests - it's a bad IC this time, just a transistor array. DON'T install an IC socket for this repair... solder the array directly to the board. These chips are cheap... line .39 cents or so. The transistor is like .07 cents. There's NOTHING else to go bad here :-)          Nice, shiny and new. Button it back up and reinstall. 

Thank you!

Thanks! Happy to help however I can - 

Thanks!

Well, I like most things Hakko and have for years, but when you buy it... you'll know it. My wife got me one of these 2 weeks ago for my birthday - and I LOVE it. I've had the Hakko version for awhile, but wanted another one wasn't prepared to drop another $1200 on another Hakko. 
 
I'd put the desoldering braid up, it's just gonna lift the pads and make you mad. I'd use the manual pump for sure. Just make sure to flow fresh solder (60/40 tin/lead) into the joint first, then use the pump. 

Thanks for the welcome! Hope I can add to the discussions and be of use to folks. 

Hi all, found this forum, read a few posts and had to join. This is only the second Atari forum I've participated in last ones were BBS's, so it's been awhile
 
I started out in the early days as an Atari authorized service center tech and repaired/refurbished more consoles than you could shake a stick at. Looks like Atari never left and I've still played it all of these years.
 
I'm an IT admin now, but I started out as a lowly bench tech. If you were good, they called you a  "gunslinger" back then  - which seems kind of silly, but it was considered high praise at the time. It was a name reserved for the high end guys who took care of the issues no body else had any luck with, or the ones that were considered to difficult for field personal. Not necessarily related to Atari, just in general.
 
We took contracts with any manufacturer who needed depot style repair where we could get decent money and secure a steady parts chain and factory level service material. I've professionally repaired everything from Bang & Olufsen, Macintosh (not the computer), Apple (the computer), Commodore, Nakamichi, Data South, Unisys, Daisy Tech, Atari (many models), Marantz and more. Nothing was thrown away back then - if it was of quality & had value,  it was all repaired. The Atari was no exception - the 2600's were extremely well made units, and made to be repaired. Actually... they were made to be repaired by folks who knew how to use o-scopes and logic probes. The manuals are geared to flow chart troubleshooting , but the real repair happened at the end of a scope probe. The flow charts were for the new guys and ones destined for field repair. 
 
Anyway, a friend asked me to do a repair on a 2600, so I got into the loft looking for a few parts and would up finding all of my service gear, parts and manuals that I had packed away for who knows why (but I'm glad I did) - and it turns out... I can still repair them like nobody's business. 
 
 

Thanks for the welcome! 

Thanks! Happy to help however I can - 

Thanks!

Well, I like most things Hakko and have for years, but when you buy it... you'll know it. My wife got me one of these 2 weeks ago for my birthday - and I LOVE it. I've had the Hakko version for awhile, but wanted another one wasn't prepared to drop another $1200 on another Hakko. 
 
I'd put the desoldering braid up, it's just gonna lift the pads and make you mad. I'd use the manual pump for sure. Just make sure to flow fresh solder (60/40 tin/lead) into the joint first, then use the pump. 

Thanks for the welcome! Hope I can add to the discussions and be of use to folks. 

Hi all, found this forum, read a few posts and had to join. This is only the second Atari forum I've participated in last ones were BBS's, so it's been awhile
 
I started out in the early days as an Atari authorized service center tech and repaired/refurbished more consoles than you could shake a stick at. Looks like Atari never left and I've still played it all of these years.
 
I'm an IT admin now, but I started out as a lowly bench tech. If you were good, they called you a  "gunslinger" back then  - which seems kind of silly, but it was considered high praise at the time. It was a name reserved for the high end guys who took care of the issues no body else had any luck with, or the ones that were considered to difficult for field personal. Not necessarily related to Atari, just in general.
 
We took contracts with any manufacturer who needed depot style repair where we could get decent money and secure a steady parts chain and factory level service material. I've professionally repaired everything from Bang & Olufsen, Macintosh (not the computer), Apple (the computer), Commodore, Nakamichi, Data South, Unisys, Daisy Tech, Atari (many models), Marantz and more. Nothing was thrown away back then - if it was of quality & had value,  it was all repaired. The Atari was no exception - the 2600's were extremely well made units, and made to be repaired. Actually... they were made to be repaired by folks who knew how to use o-scopes and logic probes. The manuals are geared to flow chart troubleshooting , but the real repair happened at the end of a scope probe. The flow charts were for the new guys and ones destined for field repair. 
 
Anyway, a friend asked me to do a repair on a 2600, so I got into the loft looking for a few parts and would up finding all of my service gear, parts and manuals that I had packed away for who knows why (but I'm glad I did) - and it turns out... I can still repair them like nobody's business. 
 
 

Thanks for the welcome! 

Thanks! Happy to help however I can - 

Thanks!

Well, I like most things Hakko and have for years, but when you buy it... you'll know it. My wife got me one of these 2 weeks ago for my birthday - and I LOVE it. I've had the Hakko version for awhile, but wanted another one wasn't prepared to drop another $1200 on another Hakko. 
 
I'd put the desoldering braid up, it's just gonna lift the pads and make you mad. I'd use the manual pump for sure. Just make sure to flow fresh solder (60/40 tin/lead) into the joint first, then use the pump.