Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Atari 7800 Teardown

1,701 bytes added, 20:17, 25 January 2014
Reassembly
==Reassembly==
To reassemble the Atari 7800, you just need to follow the steps outlined above in reverse. This is easier said than done since the RF shield is harder to get back on than to take off. Besides the RF shield, use the pictures above to make sure you orient the plastic cartridge slot enclosure correctly.
 
Putting the RF shield back on is as much of a chore as it is to take it off. First, with the bottom half of the RF shield detached, take your pliers and make each tab as straight as possible. Then very carefully attach the bottom half of the RF shield to the motherboard, taking special care not to bend the 2 tabs in the back, which will return to their unreachable void.
 
I have no great tips for putting the top half back on. Even with all the tabs perfectly straight, you'll find that the RF shield just doesn't quite fit. What you need to do is get the RF shield onto the tabs on one side of the board and then gently bend the remaining metal tabs one-by-one to force them into the remaining slots. You should start with the back side so you don't have to worry about the 2 hidden tabs. As you do this, you'll probably bend some of the tabs too far and have to start over. Just take your time, be gentle, and eventually you'll get it back on.
 
Once the RF shield is back on, you'll need to resecure it. If you ever plan on reopening your 7800, then do not bend all of the metal tabs back into place. Leave most of them straight, and only bend 3 or 4 easily accessible tabs to hold it together. After that, put the motherboard back in the case, making sure to put the front end in first to slide the controller ports into place. Close the case, screw everything back together, and you're done!

Navigation menu