A Curious Atari Video Game Machine Restoration

Restoring and composite modding a classic Atari C-100 Pong, Atari C-380 Video Pinball and an Atari SC-450 Stunt Cycle in preparation for a big book launch event. Can I save these classic consoles in time for the big day? Tune in and find out!
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Video Music Video: • Atari Video Music Stor...
RMC Atari Show & Tell: • Six Historic Atari Cur...
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Stunt Cycle Footage: • Atari Stunt Cycle (1976)
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Chapters:
00:00 What Have I Got Myself Into Now?
00:50 Atari C-100 Pong Console UK Power Supply (1975)
02:51 Atari C-380 Video Pinball (1977) Composite Mod & Restoration
04:25 All About THS7314 Analog Video Amplifier Chips
05:54 Atari SC-450 Stunt Cycle (1977) Composite Mod & Restoration
07:18 RF vs. Composite Video
07:44 Audio Output Wiring (Video Pinball & Stunt Cycle)
08:26 Testing & Troubleshooting
10:05 The Talk - Plus The Atari Video Music Makes An Appearance!
Royalty-Free Music From Epidemic Sound: www.epidemicsound.com:
Intro: ELFL - Neon Raceway
Cornelio - Feriado
Gavin Luke - Feeling Alright
Giants' Nest - Tiny Things
ELFL - Octadrone VI
Daniel Fridell - Wow Factor
Sarah, the Illstrumentalist - It's Up To You (Me)
Outro: Yomoti - Before Chill
#atari #retrogaming #console

[@JenniferinIllinois]

"Confirmed what I suspected all along. I don't really understand oscilloscopes." 🤣🤣🤣

[@poofygoof]

My family had a similar pong machine as a hand-me-down in the late 80s. It used four D-cell batteries and the speaker was in the unit itself, not through the TV. It worked fine, and did provide useful entertainment. We sold it at a garage sale for USD$5 or less, still in working condition in the early 90s, hopefully it found a good new home.

[@NaokisRC]

11:04 I feel this clip does not truly express how much effort, time and emotion I put into LEARNING to use that software.

[@TimberwolfK]

Ah, the kind of solid Dymo action which had my university housemates scorn me as a "plug labeller". Enjoyed watching that.

[@matthewmartin238]

Good to see you keeping Atari alive!

[@zero0ryn]

Nice one Rees. :) Have to say I wasn't a fan of using 3.5mm TS jacks for power. You actually short out the supply when you plug it in. On those 6V units it would be worth seeing if power goes anywhere else than the 5V regulator because if not you'd be perfectly safe to run them from 9V. That's what they did on the ZX81 and if you look at the voltage coming out of the "9V" supply it's more like 14V.

[@ctrlaltrees]

Ah yes, the "shorting out" thing is very important, I probably should have mentioned it in the video. I'll make a note to mention it in the follow-up. I'll also investigate the regulator situation like you say. Thanks for the suggestions! 👍

[@zero0ryn]

@@ctrlaltrees The whole barrel jack vs TS jack thing is quite interesting. The reason why barrel jacks were originally tip negative was due to the original barrel jack connectors having a changeover switch on the sleeve connection. Which was used to prevent charging and subsequent exploration of the batteries when you plugged the power supply in. Going back to the short circuit thing. Sinclair used some interesting jack sockets on the zx81 and the spectrum (though not for power on the speccy) that don't short out when you hot plug them. This works by only having the tip and a ring connection and nothing where the sleeve would normally connect. When used with a 2 connector TS plug this doesn't matter. But it has interesting results if you re-use a jack socket from a zx81 as a headphone connection and then plug in a pair of stereo headphones into it. You get sound from both sides. But it's out of phase which oddly doesn't sound as bad as it does when you connect speakers out of phase.

[@darcyska]

A lovely video! Love these sorts of repair, history, and restoration videos! LGR and 8-bit Guy got me hooked of that style.

[@bobbus_74]

Legend has it that many things on Rees' "To do pile" have never been seen again! Well.done for getting them all ready. It was great to see such interesting tech on show at The Cave.

[@WhatHoSnorkers]

Well that was just lovely. Great work, Rees!

[@djwilduk]

I am currently reading this book. It is very interesting and detailed: I thought it would be the usual "big photos and a few essential details" book, but there has clearly been some great research into the words and the author has sought out collectors and information from around the world. Recommended.

[@gdodson69]

Excellent video. I used to have the Atari Stunt Cycle when I was a kid. Wish I knew what happened to it.

[@dmcmoose]

Great video Rees. Remember, that left hand controller on the Pong device needs looking at 😆

[@datassetteuser356]

Nice one! And the Stunt Cycle looks pretty great, also its boxart. Nothing beats the good old Atari aesthetics 👍

[@ctrlaltrees]

Agreed!

[@thebiggerbyte5991]

Excellent! I'll always have a soft-spot for the early Atari stuff. Great to see them in action. The book looks cool, too :)

[@kins749]

Stunt Cycle is one of my favourite games and one of the most 70s things ever. Not released in the UK as you know, but the same GI game-on-a-chip is used for Motor Cycle (and other named variants) as a cartridge on the PC-50X system, which was very common in the UK, it uses analogue controls so works perfectly with the game.

[@andrewlittleboy8532]

I think hot glue is actually quite handy, even used in consumer equipment by manufactures and easy to remove at a later date with ipa.

[@p_mouse8676]

I have been working and developing electronics for many years. Many manufacturers and companies use hot glue or other types of glue. Nothing wrong with it. So all the hate is just from people who like to be grumpy I suppose?

[@harleyn3089]

Cool stuff. 🙂 I used to have an Atari Stunt Cycle. Got it at a garage sale in the mid 80's. My memories of playing it are very positive. (I wasn't very old at the time.)

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

You can also replace the big green chicklet film caps with .22uF 100V tiny box film caps by TDK for even more modernization and refurb.

[@primokarmasilver]

I also help a journalist, you see the madizine on the top shelf covered in silver cover blocking wrapping

[@thegreatjonzini]

That stunt cycle looks cool. 🥂

[@ctrlaltrees]

Oh yes! Really hoping I can get it working at some point in the future.

[@ArJorge1987]

Awesome video, as always!

[@retrorobbins]

Great video sir didn't realise you went to so much trouble to get them working for us on the day, yes indeed I was there' however forgive my ignorance don't remember seeing you😂 that might be an age thing,😮 as for quirky game consoles I've had a few of those in the past and then probably Gathering dust so I'm sure if I can find them out you can have them thank you for the entertaining great video and rest of the work

[@mixedhairless]

🥰

[@RyanMercer]

Nice.

[@ctrlaltrees]

Very nice.

[@DenkyManner]

the last era when electronics were so large they could almost by classed as mechanical

[@will_it_work]

Woz's Breakout wan't used in the arcade version either. It was too esoteric, and not designed for mass manufacture.

[@sonic2000gr]

The 2600 was the beginning for me. But home computers won me, as all I wanted to really do was programming.

[@will_it_work]

The only 1975 pong console was the Sears branded one that Atari manufactured. The one your showing, the Atari branded one, was released in 1976.

[@Garoninja]

Hot glue is an ugly solution but it works and comes off cleanly

[@jonathanellis6097]

Something something community engagement........nice video, i don't have anything intelligent to say.