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Recap guide

Recap the Atari 8-bit computers

For the 8-bit Ataris the discussed weak point is the power supply: electrolytics that short or stop filtering, and, on external-supply models such as the 130XE, a regulator that can fail and send too much voltage into the computer. The 800 and 1200XL have internal supplies, the 130XE uses an external one.

Open the interactive checklist Tick off each capacitor as you replace it. It saves in your browser.

Check first. A recap is not always the answer here, so look at the guides before you order parts.

Where to start

We did not find a clear list of what fails first on this machine, so we are not guessing. Read the guides below, check the board for leaks, and replace what you can see.

Tips, tales and maybes

Found in write-ups and forum threads. These are other people's reports, not tested by us. Check part references and values against your own board.

  • Tip: Hum bars from tired electrolytics (Low confidence). In a long-running maintenance thread, a poster says supply electrolytics have a high failure rate but usually cause little damage: a short that blows a fuse, or poor filtering that shows up as hum bars in picture and sound. Source
  • Watch out: Shorted regulator can cook the chips (Low confidence). The same thread warns the nasty failure is a shorted voltage regulator, which can put more than about 8V on every IC without blowing a fuse. It was discussed for external-supply machines such as the 130XE and 800XL, so check an old external brick before trusting it. Source
  • Tip: Do not oversize replacements (Low confidence). When swapping electrolytics, the advice given was to raise the voltage rating but keep capacitance within roughly 50 percent of the original, since a much larger value can cause inrush problems. The example of 25,000 uF replacing 4,700 uF was called out as a bad idea. Source

Before you start

  • Boards changed during production. Check your board number against the guides before you order parts.
  • A mains power supply can hold a dangerous charge. If you are not trained to work on one, have a professional do it.

Guides we used

This page and the interactive bench are built from these. They have the photos and the full detail, so please read them and support their authors.

The capacitor list

We have not checked a capacitor list for this machine yet, so none is shown. Follow the guide above for your board, then add the capacitors in the interactive checklist and it builds a shopping list for you.

Skip the sourcing

While you are in there

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These links only search by name. Disclosure

Steps, tools and safety

The steps, the tools in top, middle and budget picks, and the safety list are the same for every machine, so they live on one page: How to recap, step by step.

Values are shown as published in the guides above, and boards changed during production. Check the board in front of you. A recap involves hot tools and, on some machines, dangerous voltages. You do it at your own risk.

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