# Help me hook up my ATARI **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2001, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000 "2001-10-23T01:38:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JRT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JRT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/1 "2001-10-23T01:38:39Z")
I haven’t been here very long, but I get the impression that you guys know what you’re talking about so I propose the following situation to you: This weekend my SO and I hit a few yardsales. We happened upon an Atari 2600 that was in great condition. Being the suckers for nostalga that we are, we had to buy it. Today was the first time I had a chance to hook it up. I can’t do it. I know everything is in the correct places, but all I’m getting is static. I know there has to be someone here who can help me. Let me know if you need more details about the TV or whatever. Thanks ahead of time. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/2 "2001-10-23T01:57:34Z")
Do you have an adapter where you need to choose the switch to be on channel 3 or 4? Make sure that and your TV is on the same channel. That’s the only thing I can think of off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![JRT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JRT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/3 "2001-10-23T02:04:45Z")
All I have the switch thats built into it for channel 2 or 3. What sort of adapter might I need? ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/4 "2001-10-23T02:43:54Z")
Line out from ATARI goes into a little box. Box has sliding switch on it, one end is “TV” the other “Game”. Box has 2 wires coming out of it which are screwed into the antena leads on back of your TV. Newer TVs may not have these leads, you may need a converter to co-axal cable. Switch on back of ATARI labled 3-4. Put it on 3 for channel 3. Move slider swich on box to “Game”, turn on TV to chanel 3, put carterage in ATARI, turn ATARI on. Marvel at 8 bit graphics and have fun! ---
**Author:** ![JRT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JRT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/5 "2001-10-23T02:51:25Z")
Check, check, checkiddy-check. I’ve done all that. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/6 "2001-10-23T03:02:04Z")
A: ATARI may be broken. B: What do you get? Can you see the game screen but it’s obscured by static, or is it just static? How exactly does the hookup into the back of your TV go? (Believe me, I’ve hooked a zillion of these things up) ---
**Author:** ![Schadenfreude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@Schadenfreude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schadenfreude)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/7 "2001-10-23T03:42:24Z")
Also–is there a difference on-screen between Atari on with cartridge inserted and Atari on with no cartridge? And am I reading you right that in the hour between your last two posts you got ahold of the switcher box and coaxial adapter you were missing at first? If so, is there a difference when you switch from “GAME” to “TV”? If you don’t have the box yet, it looks like [this](http://videogames.org/html/images/2600_7800Switchbox.gif). You can get them at Radio Shack. ---
**Author:** ![JRT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JRT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/8 "2001-10-23T03:56:00Z")
I really hope its not broken…The really nice guy from a really nice neighborhood said it worked. \ **Weirddave** all I get is static, nothing else. The back of my TV has the screw-in cable hook up and the 2 antenna screws. Which is where I have **Schadenfreude’s** swicher box attached. There is no difference between game in and game out, all the same static. It appears that I have had everything hooked up right from the beginning. Thanks for you help so far. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/9 "2001-10-23T04:18:29Z")
You probably need an amplifier. The 2600’s signals is just to weak for today’s TVs. ---
**Author:** ![JRT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JRT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/10 "2001-10-23T04:26:31Z")
**capacitor** An amplifier? Is this something I could get at Radio Shack or the like? Would the everyday salesperson know what it was? ---
**Author:** ![PRNYouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PRNYouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PRNYouth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/11 "2001-10-23T04:40:06Z")
This is a long-shot, and very possibly just a wrong guess. BUT if your TV has the on-screen menus where you adjust brightness and all that kind of stuff, then there is probably also a setting for “Cable” or “Antenna” (or on mine, (“Air” or “Cable”). If your switcher is hooked into the antenna screws, you may need to change THAT setting. Just an idea. ---
**Author:** ![JRT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JRT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/12 "2001-10-23T04:43:16Z")
On my TV the air/cable function is a button, and, yep, I’ve already done _that_ too. Gah. Thanks to all. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/13 "2001-10-23T04:46:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PRNYouth \* > \*\*This is a long-shot, and very possibly just a wrong guess. BUT if your TV has the on-screen menus where you adjust brightness and all that kind of stuff, then there is probably also a setting for “Cable” or “Antenna” (or on mine, (“Air” or “Cable”). If your switcher is hooked into the antenna screws, you may need to change THAT setting. > > Just an idea. \*\* I think you probably have it. If he has it attached to the antenna screws, has the TV on the correct channel, and has the RF switch on Game, then it should work. I have never heard of anyone needing an amplifier to do that, I had a friend who had an old-school Atari on a '90s television. Do you have any antenna you can attach to the antenna screws to test them? If antenna don’t do anything either, then there’s something wrong with the input for them on your TV, and you will need to get one of the converters you use to connect an old antenna to a coax cable input. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/14 "2001-10-23T04:46:56Z")
Make sure the 2 screws are VHF not UHF. And the TV must be set to antenna, as noted before ---
**Author:** ![JRT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JRT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/15 "2001-10-23T04:52:28Z")
Hmmm, nope no antennas hanging around here. _checks label on screws_ They are UHF. **Weirddave** what do I do now? Is this whats messing me up? By the way, Badtz Maru, I’m a chick. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/16 "2001-10-23T05:06:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JRT \* > \*\* > By the way, Badtz Maru, I’m a chick. 😃 \*\* Really? Did you turn the screws with your beak or your feet? ---
**Author:** ![JRT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JRT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/17 "2001-10-23T05:10:18Z")
_peep_ I like it here in this incubator. Think I’ll stay awhile. ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/18 "2001-10-23T05:18:45Z")
I pulled my console collection out of the closet this weekend for my fiancee. I just put together a couple of atari systems for people who prefer the wood-grain consoles to emulators. You should not be having these difficulties connecting the RF cable to your modern TV if you have a game switch. Here is [Atari’s original TV hookup guide](http://www.zutco.com/atari/Rfswitch.gif). If you connect to the antenna screws, your TV should be set to receive from the antenna. If you connect to the coax, select line input. You may have to toggle between 2 and 3 on the atari console and 2,3, or 4 on your modern TV. If all else fails, there are dozens of Atari faqs out there. Let us know if you get the thing hooked up. If the Atari’s case is still intact but the electronics are fried, you should hear no sound and see a monocolor screen. Those consoles are very tough. I’d be surprised if it was really broken. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/19 "2001-10-23T06:05:09Z")
Now you need an adapter so you can hook it up to the coax input. Then you should be fine. > [@](#): > > If you connect to the coax, select line input I’m almost positive this is wrong. Line input on modern TVs would be looking for the signal coming from the RCA jacks. “Antenna” or “air” is what you should set the TV on. ---
**Author:** ![JRT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JRT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRT)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000/20 "2001-10-23T06:21:55Z")
OK what exactly should I ask for? An adapter for my coax (cable, right?)to “make” it VHF? Is there a name for this do-hicky? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-hook-up-my-atari/89000.md?page=2)