Magnavox Odyssey 2000 Troubleshooting Guide
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The Magnavox Odyssey 2000 (BH7510) has a single game chip, IC1, three transistors on the main board and a separate RF modulator with one more. A fault will be in the battery or adaptor supply, the regulator, the 2 MHz clock, a switch, a player control, IC1, the sound stage or the RF module. Magnavox's Service Manual No. 6507 has no symptom chart, but its IC1 voltage chart shows which pins should carry a voltage in each switch position, which turns it into a test of the game and skill switches.[1][2] Opening the console and the two adjustments are described on Magnavox Odyssey 2000 General Maintenance.
Behaviour that is not a fault
[edit | edit source]- There is no sound switch and the tones cannot be changed.[1][3]
- After either side reaches 15 points the ball is still served but neither player can return it. Push POWER/RESET to RESET to clear the score and start again.[1][3]
- In Practice (skill switch at the top) the left player control does nothing. The right player control moves the player, each miss adds a point, and the game ends at 15.[3]
- In Smash the players take turns, and the ball passes through a player whose turn it is not. The left court player receives first.[3]
- In Hockey the puck passes through the back of your own forward when it is travelling towards your opponent's goal.[3]
- The players move only up and down.[3]
- On Amateur the ball is slow and the players small; on Pro the ball is fast and the players large.[3]
Symptoms
[edit | edit source]| Symptom | Where to look | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing on screen, no sound | Cells or adaptor; J1; power switch S1; regulator Q1 and zener Z1 | 9 V at Q1 collector, 7 V at its base, 6.4 V at its emitter and at IC1 pin 4 |
| Works from the adaptor, dead on cells | Cells, holder contacts and battery leads; the switching contact in J1 (JU3 to JU1) that the battery supply passes through | Measure the cells under load; check continuity from the battery positive through J1 to the supply line with no plug fitted |
| Supply correct but no picture | 2 MHz oscillator Q2 and trimmer C4 on the main board; IC1 | 4.4 V at IC1 pin 17; 2.01 MHz ± 1 % there, set with C4; 5.8 V at pin 16 (sync out) |
| Picture good on one channel and poor on the other | RF oscillator coil L3 and trimmer C5 in the RF module; channel switch on the module | Repeat the channel 3 and 4 adjustment; clean the channel switch |
| Clock correct but still no picture | RF module supply and video feeds | Check R5 (1500 Ω) and terminal W10, the video feed at W11, and the module's RF oscillator Q1 |
| One player will not move | R10 (left) or R8 (right), and the 43 kΩ resistor and 0.068 µF capacitor on that input | IC1 pin 12 (left) or pin 11 (right) should sweep 1.2 V to 5.4 V as the knob turns |
| Wrong game, or one game cannot be selected | Game switch S3 | The pin for the selected game (20 Tennis, 21 Hockey, 22 Smash) loses its 6.2 V; the other two keep it |
| Skill setting has no effect, or Practice cannot be selected | Skill switch S2 | Pins 7, 13 and 23 should follow the table below |
| Score will not reset | Reset contacts in S1 | 6.2 V on IC1 pin 25, grounded while S1 is pushed to RESET; clean S1 |
| No sound | Sound amplifier Q3, its supply through R6 (1 kΩ) and C9, the speaker on W1 and W2 | IC1 pin 3 drives the base of Q3; check Q3, C9 and the speaker leads |
If a switch seems to select the wrong function, check the legends first: the board legends for S2 and S3 are swapped. Magnavox's board drawing says the screening is reversed for these two switches, and an owner found the SKILL and GAME SELECT legends on a Philips board the other way round from the case top. Follow the schematic, not the silkscreen.[5][6]
IC1 voltage chart
[edit | edit source]Magnavox's readings were taken with a VTVM.[2]
| Pin | Label on schematic | Reading | Pin | Label on schematic | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not used | 15 | Not used | ||
| 2 | Ground | 16 | Sync out | 5.8 V | |
| 3 | Sound | Sound | 17 | Clock in | 4.4 V |
| 4 | VCC | 6.4 V | 18 | Not used | |
| 5 | 2/4 angle | Ground | 19 | Not used | |
| 6 | Ball video | Ball video | 20 | Tennis | 6.2 V (5) |
| 7 | B SPD | 6.4 V (1) | 21 | Hockey | 6.2 V (6) |
| 8 | Ground | 22 | Smash | 6.2 V (7) | |
| 9 | R.P. video | Right player video | 23 | Practice | 6.2 V (8) |
| 10 | L.P. video | Left player video | 24 | Wall video | Wall video |
| 11 | R.P. in | 1.2 V to 5.4 V (2) | 25 | Reset | 6.2 V (9) |
| 12 | L.P. in | 1.2 V to 5.4 V (3) | 26 | Ground | |
| 13 | P size | 6.2 V (4) | 27 | Hit input | Sound |
| 14 | Not used | 28 | Not used |
| Note | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Present only with the skill switch at Practice or Amateur |
| 2 | Varies with the right player control |
| 3 | Varies with the left player control |
| 4 | Present only with the skill switch at Pro or Practice |
| 5 | Present only with the game switch at Smash or Hockey |
| 6 | Present only with the game switch at Tennis or Smash |
| 7 | Present only with the game switch at Tennis or Hockey |
| 8 | Present only with the skill switch at Amateur or Pro |
| 9 | Grounded momentarily when S1 is pushed to RESET |
Pin 5, labelled 2/4 ANGLE on the schematic, is wired to ground on the Odyssey 2000, and the booklet gives four deflection angles at both skill levels.[2][3]
Transistor voltages
[edit | edit source]| Transistor | Function | Magnavox part | Collector | Base | Emitter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Voltage regulator | 610224-1 | 9 V | 7 V | 6.4 V |
| Q2 | 2 MHz oscillator | 610139-3 | 8.6 V | 5 V | 4.4 V |
The schematic gives no readings for the sound amplifier Q3 (610232-2).[2][4]
RF module
[edit | edit source]The RF modulator, assembly 703938, is a shielded can with its own small board. It takes its supply from W10 and the mixed video from W11, and holds the RF oscillator transistor Q1 (610139-2), the oscillator coil L3, the channel 4 trimmer C5 and the channel switch.[2][4] The module's designators repeat the main board's, so C5 on the module is not C5 on the main board. Magnavox lists the complete module as 703938-2 and the RF cable assembly as 461218-6. The module has no electrolytic capacitors.[4][2]
The antenna-game switch box holds a 75 Ω input socket J2, a balun T1 and the slide switch S1. The booklet warns that the switch does not work properly if it is left between GAME and TV.[2][3]
Power faults
[edit | edit source]- Cells fitted the wrong way round can damage the electronics.[3]
- Magnavox tells owners who run the console from the adaptor to take the cells out to prevent leakage damage. See Battery Explosion, Capacitor or Corrosion Damage.[3]
- Z1 is a single 7 V zener, part 530073-1039. If Q1's base is not at 7 V, check Z1 and its feed resistor R1 (820 Ω).[2][4]
- The three 470 µF capacitors on the supply are listed on Magnavox Odyssey 2000 Capacitor Replacement Guide.
Replacing IC1
[edit | edit source]Magnavox lists IC1 as 612114-1, the same part number as on the Odyssey 300.[4][7] The chip on a Philips Odyssey 2000 board is a General Instrument AY-3-8500.[8][6] Magnavox's parts list notes that a replacement part may carry a different part number or value from the one fitted at the factory, having been approved as a replacement.[4]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Magnavox Odyssey 2000
- Magnavox Odyssey 2000 General Maintenance
- Magnavox Odyssey 2000 Capacitor Replacement Guide
- Magnavox Odyssey 2000 Documentation
- Magnavox Odyssey 300 Troubleshooting Guide
- Capacitor Failure Symptoms
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Magnavox Consumer Electronics Company, Service Manual No. 6507: BH7510 Odyssey, first issue, October 1977, p. 6507-1: general information (6 C cells or an optional AC to DC 9 V adaptor; Smash, Tennis, Hockey and Practice; amateur and pro skill levels; on-screen scoring, automatic serve, 15-point game; no provision to turn the sound off), the service adjustments (2 MHz oscillator; channel 3 and 4 RF oscillator) and typical operation. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 2000 Service Manual 6507.pdf.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6507, October 1977, pp. 6507-3 and 6507-4: BH7510 schematic diagram with the transistor voltages, the IC1 voltage chart and its notes 1 to 9, the RF modulator assembly 703938 schematic and board drawing, and the antenna switch box. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 2000 Service Manual 6507.pdf.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 The Magnavox Company, Odyssey 2000 Installation and Game Rules, IB 3270-1, 1977: the notice on screen burn and the introduction (p. 2), the antenna-game switch and game cord (pp. 3 and 4), battery installation and the channel switch (p. 5), the control panel (p. 6), the power/reset, game and skill switches and the player control (p. 7), Smash, Tennis and Hockey (pp. 8 to 10), Practice (p. 11). Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 2000 Installation and Game Rules IB3270-1.pdf.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6507, October 1977, p. 6507-2: BH7510 replacement parts list and RF modulator replacement parts list (coils, capacitors with type, value, rating and part number, switches, semiconductors, miscellaneous). Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 2000 Service Manual 6507.pdf.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6507, October 1977, pp. 6507-5 and 6507-6: main P.C. board viewed from the component side (marked 211077-5 and 703837), a drawing of the console's controls, and the cabinet and antenna/game switch replacement parts lists. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 2000 Service Manual 6507.pdf.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 José Antonio Ortigueira Amor, Retro Ordenadores Orty, "Consolas Magnavox, Philips y Phonola", section "Philips Odyssey 2000 (modelo G 7509/00) (versión PAL) (1977)", in Spanish (retrieved 2026-10-19): the owner's Italian-market console, type G 7509/00, made in the USA, with the same case and games as the Magnavox Odyssey 2000 and no socket for an external power supply; the bottom case removed by turning the central screw, exposing the solder side of the board, with the board and battery compartment fixed to the top case; the channel switch beside the modulator; five screws holding the board; the AY-3-8500 as the only IC; the SKILL and GAME SELECT legends on the board the other way round from the case top. Owner's hands-on description.
- ↑ Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6504: BG7500 Odyssey (Odyssey 300), October 1976, p. 6504-2: BG7500 replacement parts list, with IC1 612114-1 and the switch part numbers. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 300 Service Manual 6504.pdf.
- ↑ José Antonio Ortigueira Amor, photograph of the main board of a Philips Odyssey 2000, 26 November 2020, on Wikimedia Commons as File:Philips Odyssey 2000 placa 2a.jpg (CC BY 4.0; retrieved 2026-10-19): board 703837 with IC1 marked AY-3-8500. Hosted as File:Philips Odyssey 2000 main board.jpg.
