Atari 7800 AV & Power Mods with No Case Cutting - PAL Mod and Test!

[@theannoyedmrfloyd3998]

Curt Vendel was in charge of a group on Facebook working on a 7800 Expansion unit, but sadly he died a year ago. I don't know how complete the project was but I hope something comes out after so many people paid for it.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I was very sad to learn of Curt's passing. I'm not sure who has the skills to take the project on now I'm afraid.

[@matthewsmithau]

Thanks Mark - inspired me to fix my 7800 with a TFW8b mod I bought 3 years ago today. Actually works very nicely 🙂

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Great to hear!

[@rjonzun5828]

Your attention to detail is mahvelous.

[@GORF_EMPIRE]

You must have a later version of the 7800....mine came with an Asteroids 7800 cart. I bought the system on clearance for 5 dollars US and bought out all the carts they had left for 25 cents each. All brand new in their boxes at Toys R Us back in the 90's. A job well done as always.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

The PAL versions had the built in game. The US release was meant to have Pole Position II built in but for some "business reason" it never happened and they put the carts in instead. Thanks for watching mate :)

[@GORF_EMPIRE]

@@MarkFixesStuff The pleasure is mine but yeah.. I keep forgetting you are across the pond xD

[@OtreblaMaslab]

Since I've somehow ended up with hundreds of Micro USB cables over the years, I now cut one of those up and pull out the individual wires to scavenge wire. Saves me buying it 😂

[@carledwards9477]

I always wanted a 7800 - it just seemed like an amazing console. Watching you improve something like this is a pleasure Mark! Thank you!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Many thanks!

[@MrLurchsThings]

Glad this video is up as TFW8Bit's instructions pages are missing :D

[@andypyne]

Great music selection for the first 19mins particularly. Excellent video as always and a shout out to Terry and Dave who could definitely take Duke Sigmund Igthor in a fight, unlike those imposter namesake gummi bears 👊

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Glad you enjoyed it. The Gummy Crew don't waste their energy "bouncing here and there and everywhere", and just put the boot in. They could also give Cyril Sneer a good kicking.

[@aner_bda]

Was going to comment about connecting red to negative on the header, but decided to wait to see if there was a reason, and there was. 😁

[@antn537]

Mark does his best Bob Ross impression - happy little clouds, err I mean Atari…

[@farerse]

Another great video, you really took care of that dirty slot!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I buffed it good.

[@frankowalker4662]

So, the power input socket. with a bit of tugging it will come off ? Handy hint. It looks like new. Brilliant.

[@Paul29Esx]

Good video. I go with the Tynemouth way of using an upsidedown barrell connector for the power socket though

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I did similar on the NTSC version video a while back!

[@RonHelton]

Yes, Galaga is one of my favorites as well. Nice mod. The console looks brand new now.

[@fabianfarina2208]

I love watching you fixing stuff 😊

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks Fabian! That makes me realy happy to hear!

[@BottIsNotABot]

Looks stunning Mark. Think you may have just made me add a 7800 to my wish-list......

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Go for it!

[@Four_X]

Loved it Mark. Excellent Mods for the Atari 7800.

[@TheSocialGamer]

Stunningly lovely !

[@davidretrogamesplayedbadly3533]

Never owned an Atari, it's a system I keep considering picking up but it's probably just another rabbit hole. I've been told on many occasions my tool is too small ☹️. That looks soooooo shiny now 🥰 Nice mods matey 👍.

[@bobbus_74]

Another top notch video there Mark. I really need to do this to my 7800 actually.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

The 7800 deserves to be played!!

[@bobbus_74]

@@MarkFixesStuff I do play it, just with an RF connection at the moment. I feel an upgrade coming on.

[@talideon]

I'm sure you gave the undercarriage a good buffing too! 😁

[@DumbBunny5328]

Important thing to note about the 6.8k resistor. On earlier (ntsc with the expansion port) board revisions the TIA audio is still somewhat loud but adding a 6.8k resistor will make it almost totally inaudible.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thank you for information :)

[@chriscrossan8034]

Another corking video, cheers for doing what you do Mark!

[@ronaldlipphardt5573]

Awesome Video !!! Where Do I Get The Power Mod Kit Which I Can Not Find In Your Links ?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I just bought a socket online... I really should try and find some more.

[@cadburybunny]

RE: The Crimp tool ... try it without wires and give it a REAL GOOD squeeze and see if it double clicks. I had one that was stubborn as a mule just like yours, till I just got mad and squeezed it as hard as possible till it double-clicked. Now it works perfect.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I'll give it a got, although I suspect the crimper is just "poo".

[@CaptSpeirsB744]

Nice job. There is double sided mounting tape that would be much better fit. The mounting tape I'm referring to is used on high performance R/C Helis' servos. Also a mention that red typically means + power, however, I believe in England the positive side is grounded like my '74 Jag was. Carry on then.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Got a link??

[@DadLadsGaming]

That was really good mate 👍🏻👍🏻

[@houseoftheted637]

The 7800 is a fine looking console 😎👍

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It really was. Understated and refined looking IMHO.

[@houseoftheted637]

@@MarkFixesStuff I think it's the best looking console of that generation.

[@NigelDraycott]

The 2600's woodgrain 70's design makes way to the futuristic 80's looking black and chrome case

[@TzOk]

I'd suggest adding some transil (TVS) in parallel with the PSU connector, to protect against reverse polarity and overvoltage.

[@junkdata6242]

I don't wanna nitpick... But I kind of do. That nice ridged IC you're referring to as a Fairchild is actually a Fujitsu chip, isn't it? I recognize the style from a Fujitsu made 8088 I have kicking around.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I think you're right. I thought I recognised the F logo as the Fairchild style, but looking at it now I reckon you are on the money!

[@skjerk]

"I remove this with a blunt tool" - poking a pointy fork in there :-D - Love it!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Hey... that’s a curved pointy fork!

[@xtraOhrdiNAIR]

Hey Mark, at minute 22:00 didn‘t you solder the wrong side together ? looks like that side is already bridged by the mainboard itself and the other side needs to bridge ?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

That's definitely the right end. I see that it does look a bit like they are connected on the board but they are definitely seperate. Schematics are here actually. atariage.com/7800/archives/schematics_pal/Schematic_7800_PAL_High.html

[@PMCRetroGamer]

Another fab video as usual. Glad to be a patron supporter 👍💯

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks for your support mate!!!!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks for your support mate!!!!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks for your support mate!!!!

[@Squeetube]

This has got to be one of the latest 7800 boards I’ve ever seen (32nd week of 1993)

[@andychicago8295]

Now I want one! :) Great video!

[@thegreatjonzini]

Looks really great! Is there a way of converting this to 60hz /pal 60? Simple change of a crystal maybe?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Not that simply I am afraid. It would mean quite a lot of changes. Definitely easier to import one of the US 7800 units.

[@gokh666]

Thanks for the tips.

[@madmax2069]

Darn, I want this version of the AV mod but can't use PayPal (card denies it). Where did you get that barrel adapter?

[@CASFAN]

A great video Mark. I've just done this mod and it seemed to go well. I've hooked it all up though and can't get the Atari 7800 signal to sync. It's there, but is just in B&W and scrolls. The Atari 2600 games play really well though with full sound and a crisp stable image. I realise that this vid is a good year old, but if you (or anyone else) happens to read this, I would appreciate any help.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks Graham! Always love to hear from people!

[@CASFAN]

Thanks Mark, any idea what may be causing my sync issues with just the 7800 games?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@CASFAN ah missed that. There’s a colour pot for the 7800 colours in the middle of the board that might need a slight tweak. That might sort the scrolling out too. The video output for the 7800 games is separated from the 2600

[@CASFAN]

@@MarkFixesStuff thanks Mark, I gave that a slight tweak (I believe it’s R42 that deals with the 7800) but no joy. Maybe it needs a bit more. There was no 7800 sound either, but the 2600 had full sound.

[@martinevans1206]

More sexual innuendo than every Carry On film combined - Oh matron!

[@pwissink1]

Good and entertaining video Mark. Now time for a Philips Videopac mod and restoration 😅

[@MarkFixesStuff]

We have a G7000 somewhere

[@heikoschunemann1572]

Hi Mark, you have to use the crimping-tool the other way round, then it will work in the first try. Maybe you can use the smaller part too.

[@SMlFFY85]

My ratched crimper is next to useless too, ended up getting Engineer PA-21 connector pliers to do the job properly.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Ohhh... have a link to that?

[@NotFalco]

You can get a closer look at Mark’s bag over on his patreon

[@005AGIMA]

Once again you've made me want a 7800. Cleaned up that thing looks fantastic, and playing both 2600 and 7800 titles (which let's be honest, do look heaps better) surely it's the one to get? On another note this is pure filth lol. I keep saying people should try different size tips but no-body listens. Sometimes you just need a bigger one to get the job done.

[@LeftyLabs]

You should really test Ballblazer, Commando or one of the many POKEY-enhanced homebrew carts to ensure you’ve got the CARTRIDGE AUDIO balanced properly. The “correct” way to do this is to lift the TIA and CARTRIDGE AUDIO resistors and tie them together at the output to preserve the stock balance, or if keeping RF intact, add another pair of resistors at the base of each audio line, then tie the new resistor outputs together. Ballblazer is by far the more common of the POKEY games, but it only uses POKEY sound, so not easy to judge proper balance with that cart alone. Commando uses POKEY for audio and TIA for percussion and gun sounds during play. If one sound source is too loud compared to the other, you know you need to add a resistor or change values to get the right balance.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Hey Herb!! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this up. It's pretty much where I was headed, so to see it so concisely explained is really helpful. Since I recorded this video (last month!) I have managed to chase down a boxed PAL BallBlazer, but as you say it's hard to balance the POKEY and TIA with that cart so I have been looking for Commando. We more accurately I've been looking for Commando that doesn't cost a massive amount of money. I think when I have that cart I might have to revisit this and do the sound balancing as you described. Thanks again, I'm very grateful for the info!

[@LeftyLabs]

If you can source or borrow one of the multi carts (an old Cuttle Cart 2 or Mateos Cart, or a new Concerto or Dragonfly Cart), all of them support adding a POKEY chip into the cart to play POKEY enabled .A78 format binaries. I have both - the compatibility is greater with DragonFly but it requires its own external power supply, and you have to select and load ROMs via a small two-line LCD on the cart itself. The Concerto is more user-friendly but has some console/game combo incompatibilities which have been tough for the developer to completely iron out.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@LeftyLabs I was looking at the Dragonfly last night actually. That might make more sense than scouring ebay. Hmmmm... Next pay day maybe.

[@matthewsmithau]

I'm involved in the 7800 community at AtariAge and definitely the Dragonfly is a great pickup for Pal users. Plenty of pokey enhanced games coming along as well but the YM feature is probably not required ATM.

[@LeftyLabs]

@@matthewsmithau Bad news - Rafal, the creator of the Dragonfly, posted on AtariAge just the other day that the worldwide chip shortage has affected him too and currently Dragonfly carts are not available to order. That’s a darn shame, but exactly why I bought one as soon as I had a chance last year. I missed out on the earlier Mateos Cart a few years ago by waiting.

[@d2factotum]

I'm pretty sure the TIA chip in the 2600 wouldn't have been able to do wireframe graphics--that's why the 2600 version of Asteroids went for the filled-in approach as well.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Funny because in my mind I thought the wireframe stuff would be easier to render. I’m guessing that the graphics can’t be filled polygons then.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

(I know nothing about programming)

[@d2factotum]

@@MarkFixesStuff It's because of the way the TIA works in the 2600. The entire console had only 128 bytes of RAM, so they couldn't have a nice bitmapped display that you could draw lines on--instead, the TIA had a "playfield", a couple of mobile objects, and a "ball" that had to be set up on every line of the display by the CPU. This is why the 2600 version of Pac-Man was famously terrible, the programmer didn't have enough objects available to render all four ghosts at the same time so they flickered like crazy.

[@XDR1977]

I thought you were captured in the RMC.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Don't tell Neil that I escaped....

[@Gameboy_1992]

Amk. Once done, always done. No reversing.

[@preferredimage]

16:10 Polarity! edit, nevermind....

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It was a trap!!

[@robertsissco2439]

I need to buy a desoldering gun. I had to remove a dead PLA and sus SID chip from a C64 board yesterday, and it took forever using a manual sucker. I need my sucking to be quicker and automatic.

[@loganjorgensen]

Not that I think reversible mods are bad but I kind of wonder why one would go back to RF now, maybe if I brought my 7800 into a time machine and wanted to play with it on a TV from the past? Think I'd just tell the people that even in their time better AV is possible. ^_^ Power mod will be appreciated by anyone in the future trying to use it, nothing stops people dead in their tracks like "What kind of port is this?", where they usually just discard the console entirely. Stark contrast, Jaguar can use a GEN/MD Model-1 PSU. The original 7800 power port plastic is very thin and soft like it was designed to fail with time lol. O_o??? Definitely gotten the Composite kits down to a good price point, won't break the bank. 7800 RGB mods are still not quite ready for mass use but would like to see you give S-Video a try. ;)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Because in 100 years the antique expert will say “shame it’s not original” so I want it to be able to be reinstated for preservation purposes.

[@loganjorgensen]

@@MarkFixesStuff Lol I see, you're probably right about that. Antique dealers see patina, I just see rust & corrosion.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@loganjorgensen in the UK there is a program called Antiques Roadshow and the “experts” on that are always saying “if only it hadn’t been restored” lol

[@landmind666]

Is there a way to make it hdmi or use a sega master/genesis/megadrive or snes cables

[@MarkFixesStuff]

HDMI internally is a no go but RetroHQ’s new 7800GD adds RGB out via the cart itself

[@snesfan8935]

Electrolytic capacitors already have markings with negative (minus) side to what side solder. So, no rocket science here.

[@xtraOhrdiNAIR]

First

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Winner!

[@xtraOhrdiNAIR]

@@MarkFixesStuff keep up the great work and videos ❤️ I still have to do my composite mod to my C128 :)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@xtraOhrdiNAIR I've never had one of those!!!