Pausing the presale list / Outsourcing VCSp Construction 

VCSp in EGM / Ben Survives Karaoke-Filled Memorial Day Weekend 

Workshop Update - Call for RCA Pocket TV's

      VCSp - Back In Black

After nearly a year, another VCSp has finally been built in glorious black coloring! Surprisingly, I've gotten very few emails saying "why are they blue, they're supposed to be BLACK!" so I guess people are OK with a blue VCSp, but deep down in my heart I knew I had to get them Back In Black.

The material I've been using to make VCSp's is actually a graffiti-proof sign material called Densetec. Therefore, it's hard to stick ANYTHING to it, let alone paint. This black coloring was accomplished using an epoxy resin mixed with black enamel. For a look that shines!

I am working on getting some custom molds designed for these things (which can be painted easily) but until then I can use epoxy enamel and vinyl to color the units I currently have. This will probably add about $20 to the cost of the unit. Is it worth it, I wonder?

First VCSp Rev 5 To Be Sold Gets Reviewed

The first Rev 5 arrived in the hands of its happy buyer this week! Click HERE for his review! Thanks Marc!

Request for Atari 2600 boards / Mike Joins The Fun

I slightly updated this section. I already got a bite on the 8 boards for a Rev 3 trade, thanks. BUT! Anyone else with an abundance of working Atari 2600 4-switch boards is welcome to email and let me know how much they'd like to get for them. If I could get enough extra boards at a reasonable cost it would lower the price of the VCSp's in the long run. So let me know!

In other news, my friend Mike, webmaster of the "The Homepage", has joined my Atari-building team. Production may DOUBLE now!

Now, I know in the past I've made fun of Mike's site, but since he's helping me out now I felt obliged to alter my review. Here it is:

"Surely and truly, Mike's site, 'The Homepage' is, without a doubt, the most exciting and engaging collection of dead links ANYWHERE on the 'Net. His apparent disregard for maintaining a site might be considered, by some, to be the result of negligence, or just plain laziness. But I see it as an act of BRILLIANCE, that is just not appreciated by the average viewer! Instead of simply 'pointing' you to useful information, Mike's idea is that you SEARCH for it, much like how our ancient ancestors had to search for food. But did our ancient ancestors have rendered "Under Construction" pages? I think not! And this is where Mike's site exceeds beyond all others! I give it an A+, 5 stars and an Oscar *"

So there you have it! Check out Mike's site TODAY and discover the sheer AWESOMENESS it has to offer! Then email him and let him know how glad you are he's helping to bring VCSp's to the masses!

April 30th, 2001

Atari VCSp Rev 5 Completed, More On The Way

 The nagging kinks of the Rev 5 have all been worked out! Plus, after numerous requests, I have added a SECOND PLAYER JOYSTICK PORT! Yippee! This unit kicks major butt, head on over to Research & D to see the completed form!

ALSO! I am building SIX more of these things all at once. Three of the six have already been 'claimed', but the other 3 are not yet sold.

I have to get some more screens before I finish the other 3, which may take a week or so. For the moment, I am still having to buy them full price at Best Buy, so the 'under $200' goal hasn't happened yet. Soon I hope.

So, for the remaining 3. In about a week, I will take requests to purchase them. Keep checking Classicgaming.com for announcements. I'm working to get this up to full steam ahead production, but until then I can only offer a few at a time. Thanks!

If you'd like to claim one before then, please make me an offer.

April 23rd, 2001

Completely Different-Looking Atari VCSp Revision 5 Prototype Constructed, Held Together By Rubber Bands (view it)

Fueled with enthusiasm after the very cool Rev 4, I built Rev 5, a completely redesigned VCSp. It's just a prototype (hence the rubber bands) but it's new, fresh and exciting, and I wanted to share it with the world!

Oh, and something else. There's a very good chance that I can sell these Rev 5 units for well under $200 (with trade-in of a 2600). And that's the same hi-res screen as the Rev 4. So keep your fingers crossed! I know I have been delaying the official 'for sale' status of these units, that's because I want to have the best unit possible to sell, both in quality and price.

Surf the information superhighway over to the Research & D section to take a look at it. I'd really like your input on this new design, so I can gauge if it's worth pursuing. Thanks!

April 14th, 2001

Fourth-Revision Atari VCSp Built!

The best VCSp yet! Finally has a paddle controller, new style hi-res screen and MORE WOOD GRAIN! Check out this one-of-a-kind prototype by clicking here or the Research & D button to your right!

April 2nd, 2001

The Atari VCSp's Birthday!

It was one year ago this week that the original Atari VCSp was completed! 

In honor of this momentous occasion, I am offering 2 pre-sales for anyone wishing to purchase a VCSp! That's right, I am building 2 more units simultaneously and the first 2 people to email me with a definite YES will be able to purchase one! These units will be finished and ready to ship around April 9th.

The cost will be $270 with the trade-in of an old Atari, or $310 without. (These prices include shipping). These are the better, TFT Active Matrix kind. (See VCSp Models page, to right)

Ok! This is gonna be like a radio call-in contest more or less, so fire up your email and let 'em rip! I will accept requests starting at 1 PM on Monday, April the 2nd.

Good luck!

March 15th, 2001

Low-cost Atari VCSp Built!

Using a less expensive passive-matrix screen from Radio Shack, I have gotten the cost of a VCSp down to $200 (before tax and shipping). Now, that assumes you're sending an Atari in as trade, but still. It's the lowest cost yet and I think it's an important milestone. 

To see photos of this new unit, check out VCSp Models. For more info on the creation of it, view the Research & D page. I am also fishing for feedback on whether or not I should have 2 different VCSp models for sale. The choice would be a normal or high quality screen, with a price difference of $50. What do you think?

I am not taking orders yet, and I can't put anyone on a pre-sale list at this time. Please give me a week or two so I can build another low-cost VCSp and get my techniques down. But it will be soon!

March 7th, 2001

VCSp Rev 3 Completed!

Yahoo! I finished the Rev 3 today. The Rev 3 being the Atari portable that can be made quickly and sold for $300. (Note: I am not taking orders yet, give me a few weeks) Yes, it can be made for $300, no problem. I put a lot of thought into this one and it worked. And with the possibility of cheaper screens from Radio Shack, the price could go down even more.

Head on over to Research & D for pictures and all the news on the latest and greatest Rev 3!

March 3rd, 2001

Atari VCSp Review

"Ataritrader.com" emailed me with his review of the VCSp...

"I love the VCSp. I have a very large collection of classic video 
games and this is by far the coolest things in my collection!!! I thank you 
for the rare opportunity to own this great item. The Atari 2600 is back." 
-Owner of the Atari VCSp and ATARITRADER.COM 

I'm glad he liked it! Now, for the rest of you... The Atari VCSp Rev 3 is getting close. Actually, it's built and sitting on my workbench right now. I'm having an issue with the joy pad controller that I can hopefully resolve in a couple hours. (Basically just means I used the wrong tactile switches)

Check the R & D section (to the right) for all the latest info on the Rev 3! I hope to have good news soon!

March 3rd, 2001

A new section! "Research & D". The "D" because 'Development' didn't fit on the line. Anyway, the Research & D section has info on my quest to build mass amounts of portable Ataris. At the moment I'm very close to having an easy-to-produce Revision 3. The last design kink to be ironed out was the rechargeable battery holder, and I believe I have that ready now. That and other things are outlined in Research & D. So give it a look!

February 25th, 2001

"You'll be a Man, my Son."

On Friday, I shipped out the first Atari VCSp to be sold. "ATARITRADER.COM"  bought the VCSp Revision 2 (described on the VCSp Models page). He 'traded in' an Atari 2600 4-swtich and received $40 of the price! He was also gracious enough to send me a Ghostbusters cartridge as a gift! I loved that game on my Atari 800, and the 2600 version is pretty decent as well. Thanks Richard! I will post his review / comments of the system as soon as I get them.

The proceeds of this sale are going straight into the next VCSp, the Revision 3 and I am getting close to having them ready. My increasing proficiency and speed with the routing tools allows me to run off 'test cases' as I design them, instead of designing everything first and THEN routing it. The new controller layout, the new cartridge slot configuration, and the board size and position are finished. The last thing for me to test is the rechargeable battery holder. (Due to overwhelming support of the idea, all future VCSp's will use Sony Info lithium rechargeable camcorder batteries.)

The completion of this new VCSp should come within the next week or so. These 'Rev 3' units are the ones that I feel can be made the easiest so I can sell them for $300. Once the VCSp Rev 3 is done, and I am confident that the construction methods are simplified enough, there will probably be a new section on the FEATURES menu...

"Sales"

Isn't that a lovely thought?

February 8th, 2001

They're not officially 'For Sale' yet!

I have received a number of emails from people wishing to be on a 'pre-order' list for Ataris. I have indeed put them on a list because I didn't explicitly say I wouldn't.

 However, to avoid any problems, I request that any further people wishing to be listed for 'pre-sale' please wait until I have made a formal announcement. I should have explained that when I talked about the tentative pricing (below) but I didn't and it's my fault. The cheap Rev 3 unit isn't even finished yet and I want to make sure it CAN be done for $300 before I start officially taking orders. I'm pretty sure it can, but I don't want to disappoint a bunch of people if something goes wrong.

I hope this is fair and reasonable. When it is time to pre-order, I will post the news to Classicgaming.com, and it will spread through the internet so you will know about it. Or, simply check back here every couple weeks. I do update quite often.

Oh, and hopefully I will have an update for the Vagabond section soon. I've got the COOLEST idea! Something I've wanted to do all along, and now it might actually work!

February 5th, 2001

VCSp (tentative) Pricing Announcement

I am working on a third revision VCSp, as you may know. The purpose of this unit is to simplify construction time, which means a lower price when I sell it.

Using the same TFT active matrix screen as the first 2 Atari portables, I believe I can get the price in at around $300.

 I also might look into some cheapo pocket TV's they have at Radio Shack. If those TV's work, they would bring the price down to around $240, although it seems Radio Shack is phasing them out, so it's up in the air.

Lastly, if people were to send me an Atari 2600 4-switch to gut, that would take an additional $40 off the price.

One reason I'm pushing using a rechargeable battery on these things is because doing hookups for ONE battery is a lot simpler than doing hookups for FOUR batteries. (especially that 9 volt, it's a bugger) Again, that saves time and money.

These prices allow me to make a little profit off each unit. Not enough to become rich by any means, but enough to not go in the hole. I won't know for certain until I complete VCSp Revision 3, but I thought I'd announce my cost estimates now to see what people think.

February 3rd, 2001

A question I pose: (regarding VCSp's For Sale)

I have been trying to figure out what sort of power source would be best for the VCSp's that I want to sell. They currently take (3) AA's and (1) 9 volt. I was thinking that it might be better if they took rechargeable camcorder batteries. (like the Vagabond plans) These batteries would cost from $40 to $150, depending on how much power / time you wanted. Best of all, they'd be rechargeable. I'd probably just let the VCSp buyers purchase their own and stick them in.

  The VCSp battery of the Future?

I guess the only issue here really is cost. Course, run through about 7 or 8 sets of batteries and you've got the $40 cost of a rechargeable.

I'd like to know what people think, I'm too lazy to set up a poll so please drop me a line and give me your take on the whole rechargeables VS non-rechargeable thing. Thanks!

January 26th, 2001

If you have info on small LCD displays, please read:

A major stumbling block in my quest to build Ataris is the cost of the screens. As far as screens go, there are two choices.

 Pocket TV's have 2.5 to 3 inch screens, which is a good size, but since they can also receive TV signals they have a lot of excess circuitry and that wastes space.

Modular screens usually just have video IN jacks, they can't receive TV signals off the air. And that's fine, because all these portables use are composite video signals. But most modular screens don't come smaller than 4 inch, and a lot of them use 12 volt power. That screen size is too big and 12 volts is more power than a portable can manage.

So if anyone has info on modular type screens that can accept a composite video input and don't have much excess circuitry, I'd be very grateful if they could drop me a line. Ideal screen size would be from 2.5 to 3 inches diagonal. Ideal power consumption would be 5 volts or less, but as close to 5 as possible. This is part of my effort to bring down the price of Atari portables, and any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

NOTE - Game Boy / Game Gear screens will not work without modifications. I'm looking for info on small television/monitor screens only.

January 25th, 2001

We've (sort of) got a new look! I thought the site's home page needed to be updated somewhat to accommodate more for the 'news' aspect of things. Now, the news you need is right near the top! And check out those cool buttons to the right! I did them myself! (In my other life I'm a graphic artist you know) I think they look more professional than the old ones (and they load slightly faster as well).

I've created a new section "VCSp Models". It discuss the current revisions of portables I'm working on. Revision 1 being the original VCSp, Rev 2 being the blue one I'm going to sell (see below), and Rev 3 being the next version, hopefully smaller, faster, cheaper. The super-entertaining story behind the first VCSp can be found there, as well as lots of details on the new models.

The Vagabond section is the same as before... I'm still working on it, but it has taken a backseat to (Not-so) Secret Project X, which is my plan to mass-produce VCSp's. I think people will agree with my priorities on this one. The Vagabond will be cool, but it will only benefit me. If I can make lots of VCSp's, that will benefit other Atari lovers. So for now that's my main goal.

A word of clarification on the unit types. The Vagabond is a much smaller type of Atari portable. It has a bigger screen, however. Also, it uses the newer Atari 2600 Junior board inside. It runs off rechargeable batteries similar to a digital camera. It's functioning but the casing is not finished yet.

'VCSp' refers to the original portable I built, and the newer ones that I am trying to mass-produce. These are easier to build since they aren't as small and compact as the Vagabond.

January 21st, 2001

SECRET PROJECT X REVEALED!!!

Last week I mentioned something I was working on called 'Secret Project X'. Now, it is finished:

As you can see, it is another Atari 2600 VCSp. It's not quite done, another day or two... still needs a few things. This is part of a process I am working on to simplify construction so I can build these things in a short amount of time. Most of the changes are internal, and they help a lot. I came across a new type of material called "Densitec" which is a type of plastic. Naturally, the first thing I thought of was Ataris, so I did some tests. The Densitec can be routed very quickly, almost twice as fast as I was able to rout the case for the original VCSp, and it is much stronger. Also you can see it has a nice 'texture' to it, like an Atari. The sample material I had to work with was BLUE, hence the color of this case. I can order this material in BLACK, but since it's kinda spendy (have to order a certain amount at a time) I want to see how things go first.

By 'how things go' I mean the sale of this unit. That's correct, this unit is FOR SALE. It was built with one thing in mind - to be sold to some lucky Atari enthusiast. It will probably go on eBay in a few weeks. And then, if I find interest to be strong enough, I will order additional material and start building even MORE of them. And then they will be colored black, don't worry!

This is Phase 1 of a plan that I have for bringing these portables to the masses. I welcome any suggestions or questions you might have, so please email them here.

January 13th, 2001

SECRET PROJECT X!!!

Now that I have finished my movie, I can get back to the important stuff: ATARI! Some recent developments have led me in a certain direction... For the past week I have been working on SECRET PROJECT X! Not only to give me a break from the Vagabond, but for the betterment of Atari-dom!

I am about 60% through SECRET PROJECT X, and I should know by January 19th-ish if it's going to work. If it does, it will answer the most frequently asked question I've had...

December 29th, 2000

The last update of the millennium, millennium, millennium!!!!!! It's been interesting these past months, seeing the level of support for an Atari 2600 portable. For some odd reason I thought I was the only one left who cared about Atari! As we move into a new  millennium millennium millennium , I hope I can bring the Atari-loving community more treats... The Vagabond, perhaps an extra Atari unit I could sell on eBay, and future 3rd generation units. I think there's a market for this stuff and I'm going to do my best to pursue it... People watch old movies. Why wouldn't they want to play old videogames? At any rate, thank you all, and here's to the future! (glug glug!) 

December 19th, 2000

Ahem! Well, it seems I had a few missing picture on parts of my site. Guess it goes to show how you can double and triple check things and still miss stuff. I got them all back in, sorry about that. Those who notified me of the problem, thank you!

December 17th, 2000 (First News Item of New Site)

Well, we're finally here! I've been working on this new site practically since the old one opened back in late September, and I hope it serves the Atari-loving public well. Here's a run-down of what you will find and what I've been up to:

 I am still working on my next Atari unit, the Vagabond, and I have a rather detailed "Story so far". I write about a page a week regarding the Vagabond's progress, so there is quite a bit of info there already for you to peruse, and much more will be coming! I can't say exactly when it will be done (since I keep adding things and revising them) but probably January or February.

The "2600 VCSp" is the story of the original VCSp that I built. It's pretty much the same as it was on the old site, a few changes, some new pictures... OH! And I spelled "Potentiometer" correctly this time. I received a good number of emails informing me of that mistake, but now I am atoned!

The new "How To" section has an item-by-item table of contents of how to do things to your Atari, such as get video off the board without those stupid RF switches, run it off batteries, wire around things, and the like. There is one section I am still working on, and that is how to chop an Atari 2600 Junior board down to as small as I have mine (for the Vagabond). That's going to take a while for me to document, so I'll have to log it as a Coming Attraction. Check out the Vagabond story for pictures of how small the board can get!

Oh, yes. I have created a new "Info Hub" section. It's got various stuff in it, but most importantly, it's got explanations, pictures and info on the machines I used to build the VCSp. A lot of you had questions on how I made the case for the Atari so I figured it would be a good topic.

There is a new "FAQ" section which will answer more broad topics, such burning questions as to whether or not my Ataris are for sale, what other systems I might want to work on next, and the like.

The "Downloads" section has a video file of the VCSp in action, a video regarding the components in the Vagabond, a neat Atari 2600-themed Win Amp skin and other things that will be added as time goes by.

So, have a look around and enjoy the new site!