The Atari 2600 Jr. hit the market in 1986 as a low-cost version with an updated design, in a last-ditch effort to capture the public's attention. Unfortunately for Atari, gamers of that era had already settled into Nintendo's territory, yet the 2600 Jr. became one of the most cloned consoles in the world. Odd Tinkering on YouTube got hold of three 2600 Jr. units, chose one in terrible condition, and decided to restore it, as well as install an audio and video mod…
"The fun is back!" the ads shouted in the mid-'80s, but Atari's strategy was pretty obvious. With a $50 price tag (or less, depending on store discounts) and the company's cannons aimed at the personal computer market, the 2600 Jr. had to move. And it definitely moved, though not the way Atari expected. The 2600 Jr. design was cloned to exhaustion, and for many gamers it served as their "first console" at home (raises hand).
Today, collectors' interest focuses on original versions (like the VCS Heavy Sixer), but if you're thinking of dipping your toes into the waters of retrogaming, the 2600 Jr. presents a good opportunity. In fact, Odd Tinkering on YouTube bought three of these consoles for just $30, and chose one to share the repair, restoration, and AV conversion process.
Restoring and 'modernizing' an Atari 2600 Jr.
A quick test on its original power supply confirms that the unit stopped working, but replacing it isn't complicated. Any 9-volt supply with center positive and a plug connector should be enough to power the console on, however, it refused to cooperate even with the new supply. Suspecting a fault in the voltage regulator (the console steps down 9v to 5v with a 7805, which often gives up), Odd Tinkering opened the 2600 Jr., but the fault was in the power switch.
After cleaning all its corrosion with a bit of vinegar, the power switch came back to life. Now, anyone could stop here, but Odd Tinkering went ahead with an AV mod. The 2600 Jr. is so old that it only has an RF connection, and this mod not only makes its AV signals compatible with modern TVs, but the final quality is much better. As if that weren't enough, Odd Tinkering decided not to make holes in the case, and installed a 3.5mm output, using the space of the old RF connector.
And there's more: Odd Tinkering took the trouble to create a reproduction of the label on the bottom, and nickel-plated the internal shields after removing all the rust. The rest comes down to a good cleaning of the case, trying to remove almost four decades of dust, moisture, and other substances. Finally, in the last section of the video, we can appreciate the great difference between the original RF signal and the AV mod.
