I won’t rehash why Atari 2600 AC adapters fail again, though you’re welcome to read that if you wish. Atari 2600 power fix #1: the AC adapter A bad AC adapter is the most common reason an Atari 2600 won’t turn on. So before you get too far, be sure to check the channel, check cable connections, and try a different cartridge so you get the easy issues out of the way. I’ll dare say every issue looks like a power issue. The 2600jr has a power indicator light that helps, but on the older units, it’s easy to mistake other issues for power issues. I wish I could say I’ve never taken an Atari 2600 completely apart, probed everything with a multimeter, and found it all good and later discovered the problem was my Atari was set for channel 2 and I had my TV on channel 3. Second, is your issue actually a power issue? So, if you end up having to open the unit and work on the board, avoid making contact with the leads on the large capacitor on the left side of the board. Obviously that’s a problem if the power switch isn’t working. To safely discharge it, you have to turn the power on with the unit unplugged and leave it for about five minutes. There are very few dangerous voltages inside, but there is a very large capacitor on the motherboard that can hold enough of a charge to get your attention. Some of these fixes require you to open your Atari 2600. An Atari 2600 makes for a pretty good first repair project. But I will say I’ve never found one I couldn’t fix. He may have been exaggerating, because I certainly have. Two of those problems are super easy to fix, while the other two may require soldering. If you can’t solder, or don’t have the equipment, I still have a suggestion for those fixes too.īack in 1996, one of the first Atari collectors I ever met told me he’d never, ever seen a broken Atari. Usually when an Atari 2600 won’t power on, it’s one of four things: a bad AC adapter, a dirty power switch, a loose power jack, or a bad voltage regulator. But if your Atari 2600 won’t turn on like mine, you can fix it. It turned out they didn’t work, which is probably why they ended up in those bins. I was going through my spare parts bins when I found a couple of Atari 2600 consoles I’d forgotten about.

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