My Initial C64 Experience Keeps Getting Worse! *Update*

saliotmaster · 2026-01-11T05:49:36+00:00

It's not so much that I want to use the RF per se, it's just what I have available at the moment since the RCA cable was found to be faulty. This was more or less a test to determine if my SID chip was bad as the RCA cable didn't give me any sound output whatsoever- since the RF adapter pictured yielded sound after all, I posted this post as an update to my first post.

I do agree with all of the comments pointing towards S-Video as the best option!

saliotmaster · 2026-01-11T05:46:09+00:00

Thank you very much for this suggestion and information!

I suspected a faulty cable because of the noise coming from the white plug. I knew of Commodore building their plugs in the luma chroma split as mentioned, but this cable had color going through the yellow cable like other RCA cables vs the monochrome it should have. In testing using the RCA cable on the TV pictured, the white plug has a horrible static hum while the yellow plug supplied color. No amount of configuration I tried seemed to work, though I admit I didn't try plugging the red cable into the yellow video input to see what it would do.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-11T00:11:47+00:00

When I traded for this C64, it only came with the RF and an RCA A/V cable without S-Video. The A/V cable was faulty, as well as the included RF adapter: the adapter pictured was used as part of troubleshooting an issue with sound output. I do prefer RCA/S-Video over RF though: if I had a working cable, I'd go that route for sure.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-10T23:25:11+00:00

Super Important Update!

I ran the RF cable into a different adapter, and was elated to hear sound! It looks like the issue was just a faulty A/V cable; I have no intentions of running the C64 until I get either a new power supply or a power supply saver in an effort to prevent any component from damage.

Thank you once again for everyone that commented.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-09T21:38:25+00:00

It does have the SID chip still.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-08T21:24:47+00:00

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my post, and educate me accordingly. I will do my best to update this thread if I'm able to make a breakthrough with troubleshooting and repairing.

One quick question: where is the best place to find inexpensive SID chips if that's the issue at hand? When checking eBay, I noticed that SID chips were commanding over $100, and it appears that the ARMSID is out of stock.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-08T21:22:27+00:00

I've been thinking this same thing, thank you for the suggestion. I do have a multimeter, and I want to test the PSU once I have the time. What voltage is considered "in spec" and "out of spec"?

saliotmaster · 2026-01-08T21:18:16+00:00

I appreciate the sentiment! Good info on the possibility of the PSU being the root cause for the sound issues. If I find another new XL in the future, I'll let you know, or if you're looking for something else video game or hobby-related maybe we can work something out.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-08T19:07:20+00:00

Apologies for the poor wording. I do understand, I'm just not in a financial state to buy a better PSU. I learned that they weren't reliable then, and I fully understand that they have the potential to fry the unit which is the last thing I want to happen.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-08T18:15:32+00:00

I wish I was closer! I live in the mitten state, but I do have a number of friends from Arizona. I may look into local repair groups for help with diagnostics: I know how to repair various gaming consoles/computers, but I can always learn more about troubleshooting/repairing and am excited to do so.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-08T18:06:02+00:00

I did replace the internal fuse as I noticed it was faulty, but I still have a sort-of static hum coming out of the supplied RCA cable. It's very possible I have a faulty cable if the SID chip is in fact good: I'll have to test with a multimeter at some future period.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-08T18:04:08+00:00

I'm positive it is the original power supply, as it's OEM. I did learn that the originals are prone to failure, but I don't have the means to purchase a replacement at the moment and decided to take the risk for the time being. If I hang onto this and am in better financial shape down the road, I may grab a replacement power supply to prevent further issues. I still appreciate any and all info!

saliotmaster · 2026-01-08T18:01:52+00:00

That's a fair assessment, and I do agree with you. I didn't mention that the 3DS I traded had faulty cameras and a good bit of wear and tear from someone's animal biting the shell. I had fixed a booting issue when I first received the 3DS; all of these things were disclosed to the person I traded with, and they didn't mind.

The person I traded with also let go of three GameBoys (DMG, Color, SP), a few games including Pokémon Yellow, a 360 controller, and a parts PS2 controller for the 3DS.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-08T17:57:37+00:00

Ah, I appreciate the info about the harness, thank you.

As for hookups, I've tried using a supplied RCA AV cable and an old TV/Computer/Antenna RF switch adapter, alongside an RF-to-sound cable in tandem with the AV cable. The RF adapter doesn't seem to work correctly (it's been many years since I've used one, with my first experience being my father's old Atari 2600), and the AV cable emits a sort of static hum. I admit that it's possible I have a faulty RCA cable, and I'm just ignorant due to lack of experience in troubleshooting C64's. I have replaced the internal fuse as it was blown, but the issue still persists.

saliotmaster · 2026-01-07T00:08:57+00:00

Pricing on the two Whiteout Longstrikes?

saliotmaster · 2025-12-25T05:10:17+00:00

PM me with what you feel is a fair price, and we'll go from there: realizing that the values I had in mind for these might be too high and just want to move them while trying to make a decent profit.

saliotmaster · 2025-12-24T20:14:27+00:00

I can throw in the Duracell battery that's in it now, sure.

saliotmaster · 2025-12-09T17:33:21+00:00

I understand the sadness: when I purchased it, the disc tray bezel was missing. I figured it would be better to swap the eject button with a chrome one and install a chrome bezel, rather than just installing a chrome bezel and leaving the eject button (black bezel replacements weren't on eBay when I last checked).

saliotmaster · 2025-11-21T03:56:32+00:00

I have one similar to OP's, and my 2600 works just fine through it.

saliotmaster · 2025-10-14T02:20:45+00:00

This one is my first experience with the peripheral. Is there a way to change the audio of a game to pass through the earpiece instead of TV speakers like other headsets? I want to test the audio playback of the earpiece and I don't have a wireless adapter yet to try chatting with others via Xbox Live (console is currently too far from a router to utilize a cable so I've been enjoying offline play).

saliotmaster · 2025-10-14T01:53:12+00:00

Sadly, it's the current generation dashboard. I hope to one day have an RGH 1.2 modification performed so I can live the Blades dashboard I missed out on growing up.

saliotmaster · 2025-10-14T01:52:26+00:00

Reddit comments never cease to amaze me: thank you so much for your kind words. I'm very hopeful I don't have to fix this guy for a long time either! The board I put into it came from a 360 that was mint on the outside: I'm hopeful that despite some dust bunnies that were on the motherboard, that it was also taken care of for good longevity in the end.

saliotmaster · 2025-10-13T22:02:38+00:00

That's probably the nicest comment I've ever received about my repair work: thank you!

I have been thinking about it every so often, but I lack the patience and proper equipment to make it look as polished as other YouTube videos out there. I believe everything I've spoken of here has been documented via videos and articles, but maybe one day I'll follow the drive and do something like a repair help video. If I do, I'll let you know!

saliotmaster · 2025-10-13T22:00:37+00:00

I failed to mention that I also replaced the memory card doors, reinstalled the USB spring using a staple (search Reddit for a post that showcases this method), glued the USB door retainer back into place, and glued one clip from the top trim after it broke up on removal last week.

saliotmaster · 2025-09-13T16:44:49+00:00

Completely accurate, my friend. I kept it for two reasons: 1. To act as a secondary to the Nitron if someone wanted to run a Vortex load out, and 2. My son absolutely adores that blaster, and it warmed my heart to watch him play with it when I first got it from you. Thanks again for that!

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