Super Pong Help - No Picture, No Sound

[InsaneDavid]

I just picked up an original Home Pong from a flea market and have some problems. There is no corrosion in the battery compartment, in fact over all this thing looks brand new. I put fresh batteries in, connected it, flipped the switch and... I get a flat black screen.

Now I've tried alternate connection methods and get the same result. I opened the unit up and it's pristine inside. I replaced the internal RF cable, same result. I removed the RF shielding inside and all the components look fine.

Now before I go barreling in to more advanced testing, can anyone give me some idea of what the possible problem is or the first procedures to run through? I've never owned one of these so I don't know exactly what's supposed to happen upon startup. I've played with the start button and switches (even though I get a black screen), thinking that eventually I would hear something from the speaker but I do not. All solder points and plug connections inside are clean and tight.

Any advice would be most helpful.

[alec006]

I have a Super Pong system,which is very simular to the Pong system just mine has 4 games. Both systems are supposed to make a simple long beep sound continulusly with blocks of color scrolling across the screen.I suggest getting the battery eliminator adapter,it does save time and money,the adapter is 5.5V. You can also get a multi voltage adapter with 6v on it,becuase if you add 1.5 volts 4 times its 6. Check all the wires as well see if there still connected to there proper termenals. And also check the tuning coils,there next to the channel switch. The Smallest is for CH3 the largest is for CH4,if it doesnt help put them back to there defalt positions. Hope some of this info helps.

[InsaneDavid]

As I said, all connections are good. One at the power switch was a little flakey so I removed and reconnected it. I figured I'd do the same with all the connection leads while I was in there but nothing has changed. I've played around somewhat with the coils but without a frequency counter it's like stabbing around in the dark.

However you do bring up a point that has me puzzled. Even if the output is shot, if power is properly connected shouldn't I at least be getting some sound from the speaker?

I also crosschecked the model number (C-140) and it's a Super Pong.

[InsaneDavid]

The plot thickens, the CH4 trimmer capacitor (C20) is missing the tuner from its socket. I'd assume this is for CH4 since I get NOTHING when switched to CH4 but playing with the L3 coil effects CH3, just goes from flat black to scrambled. However looking over the circuit and reading some information I've found it seems that C20 is linked to CH3 and L3 to CH4. x_x

[alec006]

Fooling around with my CH 4 Coil which is L3 it does the same thing with the frequency. CH 3 Should be only C20,but you had said it was linked to CH 4. I still cant get anything on Ch 3. L3 is an Oscillator coil, 0.33 uH and C20 is a Capacitor, 2-8 pF trimmer....a coil can be a capacitor :eek 2: . The site im getting this info from is http://videogames.org/html/PongStuff/PartsList.html
Also if you have a frequency meter,which i dont have one, supposably you can adjust it http://videogames.org/html/PongStuff/Diagnostic.html.
Again if the system is powering on and showing at least somthing it should be making a simple beep sound every 2-3 seconds. Im guessing you can get the odd Capacitor "coil" somewere,i had typed it into google and came up with mixed results. http://www.voltronicscorp.com/Glass_Quartz_Dielectric/Glass_27.html
It does look somewhat like that but i would keep looking. The insides of one Super Pong system can be found here: http://www.sothius.com/hypertxt/welcome.html?atarisuperpong.html
Whats really wierd is mine has an extra connector on it the point right below where it saids Atari (C)76,which in the model on that above website doesnt have. x_x Well i hope this really helps alittle,im still doing some research into it,still how can a capacitor be a coil............... x_x

[InsaneDavid]

I stumbled onto that first site as well but it doesn't help much since I don't have a frequency counter.

Now that site with the internals of a Super Pong was much more helpful, thanks for the link. Since I get no sound or anything I'm starting to think the C010073-01 chip could be bad. I removed the shielding on the other side (front) to check for any excessive damage to the board but it looks alright - messy old style layout as to be expected - but it still looks alright.


Whats really wierd is mine has an extra connector on it the point right below where it saids Atari (C)76,which in the model on that above website doesnt have. x_x Well i hope this really helps alittle,im still doing some research into it,still how can a capacitor be a coil............... x_x

Mine has those connectors to, one on each side. The board in the pictures there has them both sheered off but my Super Pong has full on connectors with clips. They run to the potentiometers so I suppose you could wire a potentiometer to each and make a set of external paddles. The connections would interrupt current getting to the built in potentiometers so it would probably work, simply overriding the existing controls.

I'm going to screw around with it a bit more but the more I look at it the more I get the feeling it's going to be a parts unit. Oh well, it was in a box with a VCS CX2600A, two VCS joysticks, power adapter for the VCS, and an orange NES Zapper for $3. LOL Still would like to get it working however.

[InsaneDavid]

Alright, I'm going to call this one a lost cause. I went through and resoldered any solder points that weren't sitting well with me, figured it couldn't hurt. Didn't do anything. After this I started to investigate the C010073-01 chip. About 20 seconds after flipping the power on the chip gets HOT - not like normal electronics of the day warm, I mean HOT. I've tested the speaker and it works fine so my guess is the C010073-01 is bad.

With the missing component on the inside and the damage to that potentiometer, I'm guessing this thing died awhile ago and someone attempted to repair it. The security screws to get inside were a little loose and there were some scratches on the plastic around them so that plays into my assumption.

Oh well, now to find a working unit that looks like crap and play mix and match. LOL Thanks for your help.