Broken 2600s

[Misto]

Ok so I have two Atari 2600s and I have some problems with both of them.

First, I have a Sears heavy Sixer. It works almost flawlessly except for it has no sound whatsoever, not even humming or static. Any ideas on how to fix it?

Second is an Atari Jr model. This has a bunch of problems in it however and think its a lost cause, but if I can get it to work then all the better. Anyway, the game select and reset buttons don't work. Then the cartridge slot doesn't push down the game covers on atari's games so I can't play them.

Would it be cheaper to fix them or just get a new one.

[Compute]

The 2600jr has a ribbon cable which connects the switches (built into the top half of the console) to the motherboard. It sounds like somebody took it apart and did not put it back together right. Try taking the cover off and see if the ribbon cable is connected. It is kind of tricky to keep it connected while putting the cover back on but it will work.

As for the cart connector, it would help to see a picture of it. The tabs and whatever SHOULD open the cart, so if there are no tabs you may need new ones. Or see if you can't find a jr that has an intact cover but is broken otherwise and go from there

[Misto]

The 2600jr has a ribbon cable which connects the switches (built into the top half of the console) to the motherboard. It sounds like somebody took it apart and did not put it back together right. Try taking the cover off and see if the ribbon cable is connected. It is kind of tricky to keep it connected while putting the cover back on but it will work.

As for the cart connector, it would help to see a picture of it. The tabs and whatever SHOULD open the cart, so if there are no tabs you may need new ones. Or see if you can't find a jr that has an intact cover but is broken otherwise and go from there

Ok, thanks. The tabs have been snapped off, I kinda figured that was the cause. Will the ribbon cable just slide back in or if its loose would I need to replace it? When I took it apart the ribbon cable wasn't in that connector, I tried to slide it back in but doesn't seem to work either way.

[Compute]

That connector can be very tricky, and also may be fragile. Is there a crease in the cable or something that may have broken it? Other things may be a dirty connector not making contact, or the switches themselves may be broken. If you have a multimeter see if they'll conduct when you hit the buttons. If you don't have a multimeter, find something low power (like an led) and hook it to a battery with each of the switches wired in to see if it will conduct electricity through the switches. if the switches are toast you may have a good case-modding opportunity on your hands

[FABombjoy]

The 2600 field service manual has some great flowcharts for troubleshooting things like the sound issue, too. PDFs are online.