"fuzzy" Atari 7800 connection.

[MissingNo_1231]

Hey guys, I was hoping I could get some help with my Atari 7800 T.V. connection. I'm currently using my Super Nintendo RCA adapter.

It works fine for both my SNES and my Genesis model 1, but whenever I use it to hook up my Atari 7800, the picture is all fuzzy, or filled with snow, or static, or whatever you call it. Playable, but annoying.

The sound works fine, and like I said the cable works excellent for other systems.

Any suggestions?

[PapaStu]

**moved to Tech & Resto**

[chrisbid]

you shouldnt use an automatic rf switch with an atari 7800. instead, use a single rca cable from the back of the console and attach it to a coax/rca-female adapter that is screwed directly into the antenna port on your television.

http://www.chasethechuckwagon.com/item.cgi?show_item=0000105543

you want one of these, but not 100 of them like this auction is selling

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Then, it's good...Very nice...

Are you a bot? I keep waiting for you to spam the boards, because your posts are rarely appropriate to the discussion in a given thread. They're usually a varaition on "thanks for sharing..." and are always followed by periods.

Maybe I'm the only person around here that this has bothered.

You and the member daragez (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/member.php?u=25710)have nearly identical posts (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131271).

[MissingNo_1231]

Hey guys, thanks for advice, and yeah, sorry about posting in the wrong thread. That just hit me like a second ago.

And that's a very good question TheDomesticInstitution. That guy's comment made no sense at all.

[biscuitdough]

if you're willing to crack it open, adding component video isnt too hard of a mod, of course you lose some of the "authentic" 7800 feeling, but it works well.
http://www.geocities.com/atari7800mod/7800_vidmod_construction.html

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

Yeah, do what Papa said. The SNES adapter works correctly when the system has a strong signal, like the SNES. Older systems may be too weak a signal to "switch" the box.

There's a good chance that my next statement is worng. If replacing the switchbox does not work, the RF modulator may need replacing. My Intellivision was fuzzy, but then I replaced the modulator (following a How-To on the Internet: http://www.intvfunhouse.com/tech/rfmod/) and now the picture is crystal clear. If the 7800 is anything like the Intellivision, then I suppose the procedure would work the same on it.

Or, as Biscuit said, perform the video mod.

[Mason P.]

That video mod looks very hard. It's not "solder a couple of points and drill the holes" kind of thing.

[biscuitdough]

Sorry, I did it a while ago, seemed simple at the time. It's 9 wires to solder, not too close together, and the parts are cheap. though does take some moderate skill with a soldering iron what you end up with is a direct video feed, pretty much a perfect signal. if you cant do it, you can take the schematic down to a local hobby shop and they might be able to help...or i guess an rf switch would be ok.

[Mnemonic]

Man I miss my 7800. :(

Anyway, I'll mirror what has been said by others. Way back when I had the 7800, I had trouble using the nintendo RF switch with it. You're gonna need a manual switch, or at least a more "hardwired" solution to get the signal through.


Are you a bot?

Totally a bot. Not only are the posts irrelevant and formulaic, but the posts are always in bursts of 4 at a time, all within about 5 minutes per burst.

Not sure about the other fellow. Started real I think, but turned into a bot it seems (or at least it's a bot with a few real posts thrown in here and there).

[MissingNo_1231]

I think I know a guy who has some experience with soldering. I'll have to ask him about this, since I've been meaning to have him take a look at my PSP which doesn't charge up.