Atari 2600 Heavy 6-switch A/V Install Guide
Read through the instructions carefully before attempting. Also read the disclaimer.
This guide is for the install of the Longhorn Engineer Atari 2600 Video mod for Heavy 6-switch consoles.
Your kit should contain the following.
1 – Atari 2600 A/V mod board
3 – RCA Jacks
1 – S-Video Jack
2 – Screws
1 – Printout
Tools Needed
Philips Screwdriver
Flat Head Screwdriver
Scissors
Tape
Assorted Drill bits (from 1/8″ to 1/2″)
Electric Drill
9mm Wrench or Needle Nose Pliers
Soldering Iron and Solder
Small Clippers
Make sure you have a clear open area to work on the Atari.
On the bottom side of the Atari there should be 8 screws to remove. Make sure to put these in a safe area and make note which ones go where. Flip the Atari right side up and remove the top.
See the black foam rings around each switch? Remove those and place them to the side where you won’t loose them. Direct your attention to the RF cable on the right side.
Remove it by pulling straight away from its socket. It should be wrapped around some plastic in the case so unwrap it.
To remove the rubber seal I usually just take a flat head screwdriver and press one edge out. After it is removed you can throw away the RF cable. You won’t be needing it anymore. Make sure to hang onto the rubber gasket as we will be using it later. Now remove the all the guts from the bottom half of the Atari and set it aside for now.
We are going to place the holes for the RCA jacks and S-Video jack in the back of the bottom unit on the right side looking at the back.
Take the printout and cutout the drill template. Tape it over the plastic like shown above.
Using a 1/8″ make the starter holes for each one. Then increase the size little by little until you reach the desired size of the hole.
This is what it should look like after you are finished. Now since the Heavy Sixers plastic is so thick you will have to drill the RCA jacks a bit bigger so that they are counter-sunk. Use a 3/8″ bit to drill about halfway through the plastic. Do NOT drill all the way through. This part is a bit tricky. Light Sixers do not have this problem
Your RCA jacks have three parts; the jack, a nut, and a ground ring. Remove the nut and jack the ground ring off.
Push the RCA jack from the backside and then replace the ground ring and nut. Looking from the back the colors go (from left to right) yellow, white, red.
Tighten the Nuts with a 9mm wrench or needle nose pliers. Now to work on the Atari. Place the bottom half of the Atari aside for now.
Remove the upper board by removing the two screws located on either side of the RF shielding. The above image shows the screw on the right side.
Other screw on the left side.
Now remove the ribbon cable that connects the lower and upper boards of the Atari together. Your cable may not look like this but that is ok. Place the upper board aside for now
Take the lower board and flip it over. Remove all the screws and the the RF shielding bottom.
Inside the shielding there are two more screws that need to be removed. After this the board should wiggle out with little effort.
Once free of the RF shielding you get the above picture.
Now to attach the Video mod board. On the left side of the board there are 10 wires. These are the input wires. First remove the TIA chip (once in the above image) but carefully prying it out with a screwdriver. Take your time and make sure to not bend the pins. Attach the wires on the Video mod board as shown above. Make sure you remove that resistor as with it the mod will not work.
On the TIA lift the bend the 12 and 13 pin. And reinsert it into its socket. Make sure not to bend the pins.
To the right of the TIA chip there is an area that looks like the above. Clip the two leads as shown.
After all this the area should look like the above. Now set this down and pick up the RF shielding.
We need to drill a hole in the shielding so the output wires can reach the jacks. The mark in the above picture is approximate. It just has to be close. Drill a 1/2″ hole in it.
In the hole place the rubber gasket from the RF cable. This will keep the wires from cutting themselves on the shielding.
Pass the 4 long wires from the Video mod board through the RF shielding hole and pass the S-video jack wires the other way through.
Now attach the S-video cable as shown above. Attach the Green and Red wires first then wrap the Blue wire around the Red and the Yellow around the Green. Then attach the Yellow and Blue wire to there spots.
Now remove the backing to the sticky foam tape that is on the underside of the Video mod board. Stick it in the spot shown above. It should rest on one of the chips there.
Put the RF shielding back together and it should look like the above picture.
Set the lower board into the bottom half of the Atari case. The ports should slide through there holes.
Holding the lower board in place. Flip the Atari over and reattach the two screws that are in the middle.
Attach the 4 long wires like shown. The Red wire should make contact with all three grounding rings.
Screw the S-video jack in with the two screws included in the kit.
Now place the upper board in the Atari. This is how the wires should rout around the upper board and RF Shielding. Once the upper board is reattached with the two screws. Replace the ribbon cable and the 6 foam rings. Place the top back on and screw it together. Done!