Atari 7800, heavy static, using a sega rf switch

[Xian042]

I saw a similar post about a TI-99.

I've got an Atari 7800 hooked up to an old tv through a Sega genesis RF switch, the picture is very snowy and I only get static four sound. Wiggling the rf at the connector on the Atari helps some, but not much. How can I get a nice clear picture with sound?

[vintagegamecrazy]

The Atari 7800 is incompatible with standard Rfs, use the one with a slide switch for the older consoles

[Superman]

Vintagegamecrazy is right. The two types of switches (manual and automatic) work in different ways and for different systems. So although it looks like it should work, it doesn't work. Believe me, I have been there myself and I have tried.

If you can see the game enough to play (even though it may be fuzzy) that is a good connection for incompatible switches. In my experience either the switch works or it doesn't.

[Steve W]

Yeah, those machines starting with the NES and later used an automatic RF switch box. They sent a small electrical charge to the box when the unit was turned on so that the box would switch over from whatever input it was receiving to the game console. The Atari 7800 and earlier game consoles didn't use that type of switch, meaning the game console doesn't send out the electrical charge to switch inputs. So therefore you're barely getting any signal through your automatic RF switchbox because the box hasn't really switched over to game console input.

I suggest you hit a few generic hole-in-the-wall dollar stores. Quite a few around my neck of the woods still have new ones for sale.

[Xian042]

Thanks Team!

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Or if you're a cheap bastard like me and you're only hooking up the Atari to the RF input on your television, all you need is a small RCA to Coaxial adapter that looks like this. You can get these at radio shack too.

http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/LEARNRESOURCE/images/Female_RF_To_Male_RCA_Adapter.jpg

Plug the adapter into the back of the atari, then connect a coax cable to this small adapter (then into your TV). This is how I have it done and it works great. Of course the only thing I use the RF input for on my HDTV is my Atari. Of course, what all these other dudes said is right too, I'm just giving you another alternative.

[phreak97]

TDI, i was going to suggest pretty much the same thing. i have the opposite though, mine's a male aerial connector to female almost-rca (stupid old standards) so i use my original atari cable with that instead of a switchbox. (though australian aerial connectors arent f-type like yours, only cable tv uses that here) i'm sure something like that is also avaliable.

the only problem i can see with a direct adaptor like these is that theres two impedances that were used back in the day, and the switch boxes usually had a balun (kind of transformer) in them to convert it. so unless youre using a system that has a 75ohm output, you could run into signal problems by connecting it directly. i dont remember what the atari's had, but i got a pretty good picture, so it's probably 75ohms.

just had to over complicate things.. i seem good at that.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

I would assume it's about 75 Ohms because I have no problems with my signal quality. Of course it's not as good a signal as an RCA connection could offer, but it's as good as my Genesis (which is connected to another TV via RF).