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→Step 3 - Remove the RF shield
==Step 3 - Remove the RF shield==
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| Fully exposing the motherboard can be somewhat time consuming. The board is partially encased by an RF shield consisting of top and bottom halves that interlock using several metal tabs, which are bent to prevent the halves from detaching. There are 14 metal tabs, and you'll have to straighten each one to remove the shield. There are 4 tabs on each side except for the back near the cartridge slot where there are only 2 (see pictures). Save the 2 in the back for last.<br/> To straighten the metal tabs, you need to use a small pair of pliers. If a tab is bent down too far to get the pliers around it at first, use a small flat head screwdriver to pry the tab up and then use the pliers. First use the pliers to make the tabs stick up, an then use the pliers to clamp down on the tabs to make them as straight and flat as possible; just one slightly misshapen tab will prevent the RF shield from coming off. In the pictures, I've already straightened most of the tabs, so use that as a guide to see how the tabs need to be positioned.
|[[File:Atari_7800_teardown04.jpg|200px|right]] [[File:Atari_7800_teardown05.jpg|200px|right]] [[File:Atari_7800_teardown06.jpg|200px|right]]
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| The 2 tabs behind the cartridge slot require some special care. These are not exposed like the other 12 tabs because the heat sink on the voltage regulator gets in the way, making it difficult to reach them with pliers. If your pliers won't fit, you'll have to make do with the small flat head screwdriver. The RF shield and the heat sink can be bent some without damage, so you can carefully shove in a pair of pliers that's slightly too big.<br/>
Once all the tabs are as straight as you can get them, try to lift off the top half of the RF shield. It will probably take a bit of force since it's difficult to make the tabs perfectly straight. If it just won't come off, figure out which tab is causing problems, straighten it again, and continue. It will come off eventually.
| [[File:Atari_7800_teardown07.jpg|200px|right]]
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