- Ω -

Yeah, combined, the postal service made a cool Benjamin off of us.  Removing the top might save a few buck in shipping too as the top half is HUGE.

I should have mentioned in the video that the price of the Atarimax is considerably less than the shipping alone would be on a dozen or so separate cartridge purchases.  Oh yeah and all those cartridges take up a lot of space.  Yes, the Homebrews and Conversions add quite a few titles into the mix.  With those two items, three if you need the HDMI converter, one will have everything necessary to bring it up-to-date for maximum enjoyment.

I should have mentioned in the video that the price of the Atarimax is considerably less than the shipping alone would be on a dozen or so separate cartridge purchases.  Oh yeah and all those cartridges take up a lot of space.  Yes, the Homebrews and Conversions add quite a few titles into the mix.  With those two items, three if you need the HDMI converter, one will have everything necessary to bring it up-to-date for maximum enjoyment.

Yeah, combined, the postal service made a cool Benjamin off of us.  Removing the top might save a few buck in shipping too as the top half is HUGE.

Thank you for mentioning Atari I/O @- Ω - 

When I was a teenager, well young at least, I bought a Realistic APM-200 audio power meter at Radio Shack... because it "looked cool".  Over the decades I've had many different stereos, but only one power meter to which I've become rather attached.  Problem is, one of the bulbs gave out yesterday and an unproductive Internet search for a replacement bulb has not been going well.

Likely possible you can run that power cord from the box and power it off the USB from your TV itself. That way, you don't need to use the separate adapter and it will essentially turn on when you turn on your TV.
 

Yeah my Internet Fu is not up to the task, I tried to find a service manual, and I couldn't find any type of manual for the APM-200 Catalog #42-2102.

I would!  The main reason mine got so little use in the past was because the RF output always looked "muddy".  Now it's so crisp and clear it's truly enjoyable to play.

Yeah my Internet Fu is not up to the task, I tried to find a service manual, and I couldn't find any type of manual for the APM-200 Catalog #42-2102.

For me it's.
#1
 
#2
 
 

We all had our personal favorite classic video games of all time, so picking one isn't so simple, so lets narrow it down to three based on...
1) Simple, as in low-tech, even black & white with simple graphics.  (Examples: Lunar Lander, Omega Race, Qix, Tempest)
2) Intermediate as in color and decent graphics.  (Examples: Zaxxon, Defender, Donkey Kong, Dig Dug, After Burner)
3) High tech as in outstanding graphics, even DVD hybrids.  (Examples: Dragon's Lair, Firefox)
Feel free to include or link photos and videos, because who knows, we may have overlooked something special in our your and a picture it's said can speak a thousand words.
 

I'm not trying to put anyone on blast as we all make mistakes. But I cannot stress enough how important it is to pack these old consoles properly to ensure they arrive at their destinations as safely as possible.
A 5200 arrived today for services and due the box being the same size as the 5200, the 5200 not being wrapped with any protective bubble wrap and only sitting loose in the box with just some empty amazon padded envelopes, some air bladders, and micro fiber cloths, ended up arriving in less than stellar condition. 
My advise for all my clients recently has been to send their 5200s to me without the top cover. It only takes a phillips screwdriver and easily removing 7 screws and the entire top shell including the controller storage door can be safely removed. Painters tape can then be used to help secure the mainboard inside the bottom shell with plenty of bubble wrap around it followed by plenty of space all inside the box to be able to add additional packing material be it the horrid packing peanuts, air bladders all the way around top and bottom, or even good packing paper. When you don't... this is what ends up at the end of the journey...
 

I have 2 5200's.  I should mod one of them.

I've been giving my Atari 5200 a little 💖 lately.  I got this S-Video to HDMI adapter so I can the UAV mod on the TV that does not have the appropriate connector.  There is no lag.

I've been giving my Atari 5200 a little 💖 lately.  I got this S-Video to HDMI adapter so I can the UAV mod on the TV that does not have the appropriate connector.  There is no lag.

I watched Firefox as a kid when it was first released in theaters back in 1983. When I saw the trailer, I remember thinking that the fighter jet looked very cool, and a story about stealing a super secret futuristic fighter jet from commie scum sounded like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the movie did not meet the expectations of a 14 year old (and many adults as well who panned the movie). There simply wasn't enough action and explosions that the story seemed to deserve. I filed it away in my memory as a disappointment from childhood.
Fast forward nearly forty years into the future to 2021. In my 50s, I often find myself looking back and now enjoying the things from my childhood and adolescence even more than I did back then. During the last year or two, I've become an Eastwood fan and have watched several of his movies. I even saw the first Dirty Harry movie for the very first time earlier this year. Being a recent Eastwood fan, I wondered how I'd react to watching Firefox again. A couple of months ago, I bought the blu-ray and DVD releases of Firefox. Today, I loaded up the blu-ray and gave it a spin.
I very much enjoyed Firefox. It's definitely not the kind of action flick that my 14 year old self craved. Firefox is very much a suspense thriller with a little sci-fi thrown in (although the technology on display in the jet fighter don't seem to far fetched anymore). However, it's definitely an 80s movie with some campy acting by some of the cast. I also read the one-liners quoted from movie critics cited in Wikipedia entry for the movie, and I'd have to agree with much of the criticism. But why did I still enjoy the movie?
I think it's because of Clint Eastwood. He knows what he's good at and the type of characters that he suit him well. Major Mitchell Gant, the protagonist of Firefox, is a loner, a broken Vietnam vet with skills second to none (jet fighter pilot in this case). It sounds a lot like many of his Western movie characters, a man of few words but who's actions are loud. The man has made an entire career, a very lengthy career, playing such characters, and he does it well.
If you want to revisit the 80s movie scene, give Firefox a try. As for me, my next 80s movie on deck is Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Director's Edition). I was bored to death watching it in the theater as a kid. I'm hoping I will have a better appreciation for it now.

I've been giving my Atari 5200 a little 💖 lately.  I got this S-Video to HDMI adapter so I can the UAV mod on the TV that does not have the appropriate connector.  There is no lag.

I've been giving my Atari 5200 a little 💖 lately.  I got this S-Video to HDMI adapter so I can the UAV mod on the TV that does not have the appropriate connector.  There is no lag.

I've been giving my Atari 5200 a little 💖 lately.  I got this S-Video to HDMI adapter so I can the UAV mod on the TV that does not have the appropriate connector.  There is no lag.

Okay then!  My 5200 came back today with the UAV mod!  But damn, I don't have time to play, I gotta leave soon.

Click on image a few times to radically enlarge.

It's one thing to hear about how much difference it makes to go the S-Video route.  It's another to actually see it.  I was blown away!  
Below is an extreme closeup of the composite image, bear in mind this is better than the normal RF output.

Notice the rainbow effect and blurriness?  
Well, below is the S-Video output, which I've converted to HDMI.

Notice the enhanced contrast, sharp lines and even coloring?  I have to say, viewing this from a couple of feet back from the monitor is like the ultimate eye candy.  I'm going to start on the video tomorrow.  @CrossBow Thanks man, I'm blown away!