Console Games – Primal-Bits

Fairchild Channel F – Controller repair using Video Command Parts – 2

November 30, 2018 Tim No Comments Console Games, Fairchild Channel F, General Topics

Well, after reconstructing the broken Fairchild Channel F controller (1) using the ‘plunger’ from a donor Video Command controller, I hit another snag. Three of the centering spring tabs on the other controller (2) are broken off. This causes random control input as the plunger can move freely from side to side if you let go of the stick. Since I replace the internals on controller 1 with parts from the Video Command controller, I salvaged some of needed centering springs from the original internal of controller 1. I’ve noticed that the centering springs in the Video Command controller are of a much better design. The system is now 100% other than some cosmetic flaws, and now has a place in the game room.

Fairchild Channel F – Controller repair using Video Command Parts – 1

November 25, 2018 Tim 1 Comment Console Games, Fairchild Channel F, General Topics

If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know that I am currently restoring a Fairchild Video Entertainment System (VES)/Channel F. One of the problems the system has is a broken controller stem, which is snapped in half.

As it turns out, I found spare parts for the controller. In the early eighties, Zircon made a very similar controller for the Atari 2600, the Video Command. In hopes that I could use one of these Zircon controllers for spare parts, I found and ordered one on Ebay. Once the controller arrived, it was immediately evident that the Zircon controller was very similar to the Fairchild controller, but not identical. The original Fairchild Controller had the typical X-Y axis, but you could also twist the controller handle clockwise/counter clockwise, as well as pull it up and push it down. The Zircon controller has most of these motions, except the up and down motion of the controller handle. The Zircon has a fire button on the front that replaces the push function of the Fairchild controller, but there is no equivalent of the ‘pull up’ motion. I thought about wiring up the Zircon as is, but I remembered that games like the built in version of Hockey (still the best Pong variant that I’ve played) requires the pull and push motions to control the goalie.

Zircon (top) compared to original (bottom)

I decided to take both controllers apart to see if the stem and controller handle are interchangeable between the two. As it turns out, they are almost identical, including all of the mounting, spring, and pin holes of the original, even though they aren’t used in the Zircon. So, if you need to repair a Fairchild VES/Channel F controller, you can use a Zircon Video Command Controller for parts.

Photo of controller stems — Controller stems – Fairchild (top) and Zircon (Bottom)

Even though the stems look like they are different sizes in the photo, they are the same diameter and length. After installing the Zircon stem into the broken controller, it worked as good as new. My only regret is sacrificing the Zircon controller which is a rare item all by itself. The Zircon Video Command for the Atari 2600 is know to be a very comfortable joystick compared to the original 2600 joystick.

In my next post, I’ll cover the rest of the cleanup and restoration of the Fairchild.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment by clicking the ‘Comments’ button above.

Fairchild Channel F – Cleanup

November 22, 2018 Tim No Comments Console Games, Fairchild Channel F, General Topics, Uncategorized

Today I will start on the teardown and cleanup of the Channel F. I plan to shoot video of its current operational state, and of the cleanup and repair as I go. The parts donor for the broken controller should arrive this Saturday, so it is my hope to get the system back into ideal operating condition before the end of the holiday weekend, and maybe even get the video posted. That might be wishful thinking though since I am a video editing noob.

If you would like to learn more about the Fairchild System, I would suggest that you watch these videos:

Trade-N-Games YouTube video – Fairchild Channel F System Review History & Gameplay

Metal Jesus Rocks – Retro & Weird Consoles

Thanks for reading.

Fairchild Channel F – so it begins

November 21, 2018 Tim No Comments Console Games, Fairchild Channel F

Well, I’m starting my journey down console memory lane with the Fairchild Channel F. As far as I know, the Channel F was the first home video game console to use cartridges. I remember when I first saw this system in a Meier and Frank department store in 1977. A demonstration unit set amongst several Pong variants in the display area. While the cartridge games available on the system are pretty primitive even by Atari 2600 standards, they were an amazing step up from basic Pong. Much to my amazement, I received a Channel F for Christmas that year along with Cartridge 1 – Tic,Tac,Toe & Shooting gallery. Tic, Tac, Toe got boring pretty quick, but one of my neighborhood friends and I spent hours playing the built-in tennis and hockey games. So, it was pretty much a Pong game until I got more game cartridges. I finally ended up with an even dozen of the bright yellow eight-track-like cartridges. Later that year, my friend got an Atari VCS for his birthday and the poor Fairchild became a shelf relic, with all of our gaming time was spent on the Atari. Sometime in the early 1980s, my once treasured Channel F became garage sale material, complete with its original box and cartridges. I really wish I had that system today.

My journey through console game history would require that I find another Fairchild Channel F, which would not be easy. Sure, I could surf ebay and overpay, but that is no fun. As luck would have it, I struck gold (maybe bronze) at the 2018 Portland Retro Gaming Expo. If you are into video games and you haven’t been to this event, do yourself a favor and make plans to go to next years event. Ok, so back to striking gold. While looking around in the Video Game Wizards (VGW) booth I noticed a few Channel F cartridges. Even if I hadn’t yet found the console yet, I wasn’t going to leave without the cartridges, so I picked up all of them I could find and went to the counter. While standing in line, another another customer asked me if I collected for the Fairchild, and wondered if I had seen the Channel F unit buried in the back corner. I left the line and ran back to the corner. Paydirt! I added the Channel F system to my stack of cartridges and went back to the counter. The guys at VGW were great. They let me connect the console up to a TV to check for signs of life before we made a deal. The poor old Channel F was alive, but just barely. As an electronics hobbiest, this is actually the condition of system I enjoy finding. No doubt about it, this is a rescue mission as you will see.

The system is full of dust, has a cracked and poorly glued lid, and one of the controllers has the top snapped off. It has been taken apart and reassembled with glue and sheet metal screws. It only boots if you give it a gentle smack on the top of the system (I suspect reseating the chips will solve this). But that is just the bad stuff.

On the plus side, it does actually boot up and play games. It does have the box, though that will be a restoration project all of its own. There are nine cartridges with it, all with boxes and booklets. Even the instruction book and color cartridge catalog are in fairly good shape.

The biggest challenge with this system will be in dealing with the broken controller. The controllers are hard-wired to the console, so finding a direct replacement usually requires finding another donor Channel F. It goes against my principles to sacrifice another of these rare consoles just for the controller, so I’ve found another solution. The eight-way controller was the best part of the Channel F system, so Zircon manufactured a version of it for the Atari 2600 called the Video Command Controller (VCC). Luckily, I have been able to find and order one of these via ebay. I will use the VCC as a parts donor to repair the original controller.

While I wait for the ebay package to arrive, I’ll begin the disassembly and cleaning of the console, and post more as I make progress. I plan to eventually post a video of the restoration process. Until then, I’ve posted a few links below to the Fairchild Channel F content that you may find interesting. I’ve also posted a link to a YouTube video from the Metal Jesus Rocks channel relating to the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment.

Interesting Links

Jerry Lawson, a self-taught engineer, gave us video game cartridges

The Fairchild Channel F (Wikipedia)

The Fairchild Channel F – Obsolete Geek (YouTube)

Portland Retro Gaming Expo – Metal Jesus Rocks (YouTube)

Four Decades of Console Games

November 18, 2018 Tim No Comments Console Games, General Topics

When I started this site, I had intended to focus on some of the great home computer hardware of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. I’ve been collecting old systems from garage sale, estate sales, thrift shops, and electronics recyclers. I truly enjoy having the opportunity to restore and use systems that I dreamed of owning when they were new, but was unable to afford.

As I’ve searched for artifacts for my vintage computer collection, I’ve noticed there is an abundance of computer gaming consoles available. On my thrifting and garage sale sessions, I began to bring back more and more gaming consoles and media. Much of what I’ve acquired has been broken or abused (or possibly well loved). Over the last several months, I’ve been cleaning and repairing the systems that I’ve found. I now have a bonafide console game collection, and hundreds of games.

For years, I’ve viewed PCs as the only real venue for gaming. Well, I am now a convert. Until this last year, the only real console experience that I’ve had is with the Fairchild Channel F, the Atari 2600, and a few games of Wii Bowling. I now find my PC sitting idle as a gaming platform, and I’ve found a new use for the couch. There are so many great games available for the consoles I have in my collection. I’m now collecting game media with the enthusiasm of a baseball card collector. I’ve even become a YouTube junkie with all the great game review channels available.

With so many game systems, and so many game types (side scrollers, shooters, beat-em ups, JRPGs, etc), it is a bit overwhelming. To keep this hobby fun, I’ve decided to take a more measured approach to learning the landscape. I plan to immerse myself in one system at a time. I’ll start with the first console I owned as a teenager, the Fairchild Channel F, and work my way up from there. I’ll fully explore each system’s hardware, common problems and repairs, and game libraries. I will share my experiences here, and possibly even try my hand at some YouTube videos on console repairs.

My greatest hope is to get to know others who share in the hobby, and to learn from them. So far I’ve been fortunate to meet some very nice people who are patient enough to put up with a noob gamer in his fifties, and to have a supportive wife who enjoys the thrill of the hunt on our many thrifting and swap-meet trips. My wonderful wife even went to the Portland Retro Gaming Expo with me this year, and we both had a great time.

Thanks for visiting, and look for more here soon. Please feel free to comment.