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Philips Videopac G7000 General Maintenance

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Philips Videopac G7000 main board (SM CS 75 068)
G7000/20/35/53 main board, from Philips service manual CS 75 068

The Philips Videopac G7000 has no battery and no moving parts apart from its hand controls and keyboard. Its care is mostly about the power supply, which differs between versions, the cartridge connector, the hand controls and the keyboard foil. Philips's service manuals give three adjustments for each documented board.[1][2] Fault-finding is on Philips Videopac G7000 Troubleshooting Guide. Hand control servicing is the same as on the Odyssey² and is described on Magnavox Odyssey² General Maintenance#Hand controls.

Identify your console

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Read the version number after the slash on the type label, for example G7000/20 or G7000/22.[3][4] It tells you which power supply the console has:

G7000 power arrangements
Versions Supply Documentation
/20, /35, /53 External power unit, 10 V DC at 1.1 A, into connector P4; two L7805CV regulators on the main board Service manual CS 75 068[5][6]
Board of manual CS 61 799 External power unit, 14 V DC at 0.8 A; two LM340-5 regulators Service manual CS 61 799[7][8]
/00 External supply Owner's report[9]
/21 External supply and a small power board inside with two 7805 regulators Owners' reports[10][11]
/22, /23, /37 Internal mains supply, a switch-mode type on the consoles discussed by owners Owners' reports; no published circuit[3][12][13][14]

Check also whether the hand controls are wired in or plug into nine-pin sockets, and which service manual matches your board before relying on its designators. Owners with /22 and /23 boards found that the CS 75 068 layout did not match.[12]

Philips's care instructions

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The English instructions for the G7000 say:[15]

  • The console contains sophisticated electronics and must be handled with care.
  • Keep each cartridge in its box when it is not in use.
  • The console is switched off only when the mains plug is removed. Pull the plug when you finish.
  • A picture left on a television for several hours can damage the screen.

Insert and remove cartridges with the power off. A cartridge pulled or inserted live can leave the screen without a game picture, as on the Odyssey².[16]

Power unit and supply

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Warning: the external power unit and the internal supply of the /22, /23 and /37 carry mains voltage. Unplug the console before opening either.

External power unit

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Philips Videopac G7000 power supply schematic (SM CS 75 068)
Power unit and regulators of the G7000/20/35/53 (Philips, CS 75 074)

On the G7000/20/35/53 the power unit holds the mains fuse, the transformer, a bridge of four 1N4001 diodes and the 2200 µF capacitor C1. The primary fuse is T160 mA on the 220 V unit (/20 and /53) and T140 mA on the British 240 V unit (/35), which also has a T4A fuse, VL3, on the secondary side.[6][17]

  • Measure the unit's output at its plug. The label rating is 10 V at 1.1 A; an unloaded unit reads up to about 14 V, which owners report as normal.[5][18]
  • The plug's tip is positive. On the board, P4-1 is positive and P4-3 negative, and nothing protects the board from reversed polarity.[10][19]
  • Owners have run consoles from a stabilised 9 V 1 A adapter with the tip positive, and one fitted a bridge rectifier ahead of a standard supply so that polarity no longer matters.[10][19]
  • A power unit that buzzes loudly may have loose transformer laminations. One owner glued the lifted laminations and the unit then ran silently. In the same case the mains plug had been wired wrongly, bypassing the plug fuse; check the plug and its fuse on any power unit you acquire.[11]

Regulators on the board

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The two regulators share the load: on the CS 75 068 board IC681 feeds the +A rail and IC682 the +B rail, with +C taken from +B through a choke.[6] For a 7805-type regulator the pins, seen from the front with the tab up and the legs down, are input, ground and output, and the tab is ground. Each should show 9 to 15 V between ground and input and a steady 5 V between ground and output.[10] The ground wire to the main board is the one with the lowest resistance to the metal case of the RF modulator.[10]

Internal supply

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Owners describe the internal supply of the G7000/22 and similar versions as a switch-mode supply; the one discussed in detail uses a BUX84 switching transistor and a TDA2581 controller. Its output is regulated from a winding on the primary side, so its voltage rises when it runs without a load. Do not put a switch in its 5 V output; switch the mains side instead.[14] Owners who do not want to repair it replace it with a 5 V adapter of at least 1.5 A wired to the main board.[20]

Cartridge connector

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The cartridge connector is a 2 × 15 contact edge connector on the main board.[21] A garbled screen that changes when the cartridge is reseated is often a dirty connector; owners clean the connector and the cartridge contacts.[10][9] The console shows no useful picture at all without a cartridge in place.[10][4]

Hand controls

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Wired-in hand controls connect inside the case; plug-in ones use nine-pin D-sub plugs, wired 1 ground, 2 action, 3 left, 4 down, 5 right and 6 up.[22][6] On the CS 75 068 board each line has a 3.3 kΩ pull-up to the supply, so a hand control must pull it close to 0 V for the 74LS365 buffer to read a press.[6]

The black wired-in hand controls of one G7000/37 make contact through a membrane. Its lines measured between 30 Ω and about 2 kΩ when pressed, and the higher readings were too high for the console to register. Cleaning did not cure it, and the repair was a replacement hand control board.[13] Measure each line with the stick pressed before cleaning, so that you know which contacts need work. The dismantling and cleaning steps for Odyssey² and Videopac hand controls are on Magnavox Odyssey² General Maintenance#Hand controls.[23]

Plug-in hand controls can sit loosely in their sockets and lose a direction; check whether the play is in the plug or the socket before replacing either.[11]

Keyboard

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The keyboard is a membrane on a flexible foil that plugs into P5 on the main board, with six row lines and eight column lines.[6]

  • A whole group of keys failing together, such as 0 to 7, points to a break in the foil tail. Owners have repaired foil tracks with silver conductive paint, which can crack again if the foil is flexed, so avoid bending the tail each time the case is opened.[24]
  • A wrinkled membrane is common. Do not iron it; owners recommend replacing it.[25]
  • Clean the keyboard surface with a slightly damp cloth, as for the Odyssey², and do not press it with anything sharp.[26]

Service adjustments

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Each service manual allows three adjustments. Make them only with the right instrument and only when a fault calls for them.

G7000 service adjustments
Adjustment Board in manual CS 75 068 Board in manual CS 61 799
Clock frequency Frequency counter at pin 6 of IC678; set 4.433619 MHz with trimmer C777 (3 to 10 pF) Frequency counter at the collector of TS2; set 17.734476 MHz with trimmer C2 (2 to 11 pF)
Modulation depth R748 (470 Ω) for the best picture and sound R7 (1 kΩ) for the best picture and sound
UHF channel Set to channel 32 at the factory; L650 moves it between channels 31 and 33. Leave the other coils in U100 alone Set to channel 32 at the factory; L105 moves it between channels 31 and 33. Leave the other coils in U100 alone

[1][2][17][27]

A modulator taken from another G7000 can give a poorer picture than in its own console; one owner found this when replacing a damaged RF lead.[28] Owners who want a better picture fit a composite video modification instead of retuning the modulator.[18][29]

Capacitors

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The electrolytic capacitors of both documented boards, with Philips's values, are listed on Philips Videopac G7000 Capacitor Replacement Guide. For general failure signs see Capacitor Failure Symptoms.

Preventive maintenance checklist

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  1. Read the type label and note which power arrangement the console has.[3]
  2. Inspect the power unit, its lead and its plug; check the mains plug's wiring and fuse.[11]
  3. Measure the power unit's output, then 5 V at the output of each regulator with the console running.[18][10]
  4. Clean the cartridge connector and the cartridges' contacts.[10]
  5. Test every direction and the action button on both hand controls, and service any that miss.[13]
  6. Test every key; a dead group of keys means the keyboard foil.[24]
  7. Inspect the electrolytic capacitors, starting with the 4700 µF reservoir on the board.[17]
  8. Unplug the console from the mains after use.[15]
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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Philips, Service Manual: Videopac Computer G7000/20/35/53, CS 75 068 (4822 727 13731), p. 2: adjustments (clock frequency 4.433619 MHz set with C777 and measured at pin 6 of IC678; modulation depth set with R748; UHF channel 32 set at the factory, variable from channel 31 to 33 with L650, other U100 coils to be left alone). Hosted as File:Philips Videopac G7000 Service Manual CS 75 068.pdf.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Philips, Service Manual: Videopac Computer G 7000, CS 61 799 (4822 727 11796), p. 2: adjustments (clock frequency 17.734476 MHz set with C2 and measured at the collector of TS2; modulation depth set with R7; UHF channel 32, variable from 31 to 33 with L105). Hosted as File:Philips Videopac G7000 Service Manual CS 61 799.pdf.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "G7000 power adapter or internal power supply?", posts by Rene_G7400 (30 and 31 January 2017), TimHarris and Janzl (retrieved 2026-10-21): the G7000/22 has an internal power supply; G7400, G7200 and N60 consoles always have one; most other Videopac consoles use an external power supply, apart from the G7000/22, the C52/04 and perhaps a few rarer models.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Old Crap Vintage Computing, "Philips Videopac G7000", 8 November 2020 (retrieved 2026-10-21): photographs of a G7000/22 (rating plate 220 V 50 Hz 7 W, made in France) with its internal power supply board, modulator and main board; the 8048 holds its program in mask ROM and can be replaced by an 8748; without a cartridge the console shows garbage.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Philips, Service Manual: Videopac Computer G7000/20/35/53, CS 75 068 (4822 727 13731), p. 1: specification (UHF channel 32 at 559.25 MHz, 75 Ω aerial impedance, mains 220 V, 240 V for the British version, supply voltage 10 V DC at 1.1 A, 32 ICs without the cartridge, 3 transistors, 8 diodes). Hosted as File:Philips Videopac G7000 Service Manual CS 75 068.pdf.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Philips, Service Manual: Videopac Computer G7000/20/35/53, CS 75 068 (4822 727 13731), pp. 7 and 8: circuit diagram (power supply CS 75 074 with T1, D1 to D4, C1, P4, C876, C816 and IC681/IC682; the 17.734476 MHz oscillator X693, C777 and IC680; hand controls P2 and P3 through 74LS365 buffers IC677 and IC658; keyboard P5 with decoder IC657 and encoder IC654; 8048 IC651; 8245 IC652; 6810 RAM IC653; PAL colour encoder IC679; RF modulator U100 on P6). Hosted as File:Philips Videopac G7000 Service Manual CS 75 068.pdf.
  7. ↑ Philips, Service Manual: Videopac Computer G 7000, CS 61 799 (4822 727 11796), p. 1: specification (UHF channel 32 at 559.25 MHz, mains 220 V, 240 V British version, supply voltage 14 V DC at 0.8 A, 32 ICs, 5 transistors, 8 diodes). Hosted as File:Philips Videopac G7000 Service Manual CS 61 799.pdf.
  8. ↑ Philips, Service Manual: Videopac Computer G 7000, CS 61 799 (4822 727 11796), pp. 3 and 5: circuit diagrams of the UHF modulator U100 (electrolytics C101, C118, C120, C127, C131) and the main board CS 61 802 (power supply with T1, D3 to D6, 2200 µF, P4, C50, C15, VR1 and VR2; crystal oscillator TS1 and TS2 with X1 and trimmer C2; 8048 IC1, 8245 IC2, 6810 IC3, PAL colour encoder IC29). Hosted as File:Philips Videopac G7000 Service Manual CS 61 799.pdf.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "G7000/00 (no pictures): special measuring points", posts by g7000Mikel, May 2019 (retrieved 2026-10-21): a G7000/00 with plug-in silver hand controls, an external supply and a three-terminal modulator (four on the G7000/20); the CPU clock measured at 5.8 MHz; the console worked again after the large chips were reseated and the cartridge socket cleaned.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "G7000/00 - power questions", posts by gertk (8 and 18 November 2017), Rene_G7400 (9 November 2017), Janzl and Fleder (retrieved 2026-10-21): the external supply rated 10 V at 1.1 A; a 9 V 1 A stabilised adapter with the tip positive as a substitute; the plug is like a mono 3.5 mm jack; no useful picture without a cartridge; a dirty cartridge connector giving a garbled screen; the 7805 pinout, 9 to 15 V at the input and 5 V at the output, and finding the ground wire by resistance to the modulator case.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "Noisy power supply - wired wrong to hide it?", posts by Juicy and Xuul, August and September 2023 (retrieved 2026-10-21): a G7000 whose external transformer buzzed loudly; the laminations had lifted and were glued, after which the supply was silent; Xuul asks whether it is a /21 with a 160 mA fuse; plug-in hand controls that fit loosely in their D-sub sockets.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "Troubleshooting G7000 with noisy power supply", posts by jomag, June to August 2021 (retrieved 2026-10-21): a G7000 with a built-in supply that whined and whose output crept up; the main board takes 5 V; the G7000/22 and /23 boards differ from the G7000/20/35/53 service manual; three socketed chips (CPU, memory, graphics) swapped between consoles.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "G7000 joystick repair possible", posts by Jon (24 December 2025) and Xuul (24 January 2026) (retrieved 2026-10-21): a G7000/37 whose switch-mode supply Jon had repaired; the wired-in black hand controls contain a membrane, and the resistance of their lines measured 30 Ω to about 2 kΩ, too high for the buffer input to see a low; Xuul replaced the whole hand control board after cleaning failed.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "G7000 Power Supply FAILURE", posts by AXEL72 and gertk, 31 January to 3 February 2018 (retrieved 2026-10-21): a G7000 with an internal switch-mode supply (BUX84, TDA2581) that buzzed and whose output rose without load after a switch was put in the 5 V line; gertk's advice to switch the mains side, his reading that the supply takes its feedback from the primary side (14 V through D192), and the parts to check (D193, D194, fuse VL215).
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Philips, Videopac Computer G7000: Instructions for Use, English notes: a Videopac contains sophisticated electronics and must be treated carefully; replace a Videopac in its box when not in use; the console is switched off only when the mains plug is removed; return the cartridge and console to the dealer if a cartridge does not work; a picture displayed for several hours may damage the television screen. Hosted as File:Philips Videopac G7000 Instructions for Use.pdf.
  16. ↑ North American Philips Consumer Electronics Corp., Odyssey² Owner's Manual, IB 3747-2 (BC7600), 1980, trouble shooting: a cartridge inserted with the console on can leave the screen without a game picture; switch off and on. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 2 Owner's Manual IB3747-2.pdf.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Philips, Service Manual: Videopac Computer G7000/20/35/53, CS 75 068 (4822 727 13731), p. 5: electrical parts list (diodes D1 to D4 1N4001, transistors, capacitors C607 to C876 with values and ratings, R748 470 Ω, X693 17.73 MHz, fuses VL1 T160 mA and T140 mA and VL3 T4A, IC651 8048, IC652 8245, IC653 6810, logic IC654 to IC680, IC681 and IC682 L7805CV). Hosted as File:Philips Videopac G7000 Service Manual CS 75 068.pdf.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "G7000 and 14volts psu?", posts by mike76, scouter3d and Xuul, September and October 2022 (retrieved 2026-10-21): an original Philips supply labelled 10 V 1.1 A that reads almost 14 V with no load, which the replies say is normal for an unloaded supply.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "G7000 Power supply", posts by isifloh and Rene_G7400, 20 to 31 May 2015 (retrieved 2026-10-21): a G7000/20 with an external supply; P4-1 is positive and P4-3 negative; there is no reverse polarity protection; isifloh fitted a bridge rectifier ahead of a standard supply.
  20. ↑ Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "Videopac G7000 problem. Power Supply?", posts by Rene_G7400 (31 December 2016), VideopacBelgium (17 January 2021) and others (retrieved 2026-10-21): a G7000 with a built-in supply that flickered and reset; Rene_G7400's advice that an internal switch-mode supply can be replaced by a 5 V adapter of at least 1.5 A.
  21. ↑ Philips, Service Manual: Videopac Computer G7000/20/35/53, CS 75 068 (4822 727 13731), p. 6: mechanical parts and accessories (case parts, the 220 V and 240 V power units, the 5.5 MHz and 6 MHz modulators, the aerial lead, the board with its 2 x 15 cartridge connector and IC sockets of 24, 40, 28 and 16 pins). Hosted as File:Philips Videopac G7000 Service Manual CS 75 068.pdf.
  22. ↑ Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "G7000 joystick always "up" after connecting joystick "live"", posts by emuola, Rene_G7400 (19 September 2014), Seob and gertk (22 September 2014) (retrieved 2026-10-21): a G7000 whose hand control read as always up after a socket pin was pushed in; Rene_G7400 agrees the 74LS365 for that port should be replaced and says connecting a hand control live does no harm; gertk's method for checking the input voltage and replacing the chip; the plug-in socket pinout (1 ground, 2 fire, 3 left, 4 down, 5 right, 6 up).
  23. ↑ Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "Repair/Servicing Odyssey2/Videopac Controller", posts by Blueleader (30 June 2014), Sweersa (1 July 2014) and Rene_G7400 (21 July 2015) (retrieved 2026-10-21): dismantling and cleaning the Odyssey² and Videopac hand control, cleaning film contacts with a glass fibre eraser and mechanical switches with P180 abrasive paper.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "Ribbon cable repair?", posts by drchuckradio and scouter3d, September 2022 (retrieved 2026-10-21): a damaged keyboard foil leaving the 0 to 7 keys dead; repairs with silver conductive paint, which may crack if the foil is bent again, or by moving the foil connector so the foil is not stressed when the case is opened.
  25. ↑ Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "G7000 Keyboard question", posts by Ahnl, DennisNL and Xuul, October 2024 (retrieved 2026-10-21): a wrinkled G7000 membrane keyboard; ironing it is not recommended and replacement is suggested.
  26. ↑ Magnavox Consumer Electronics Company, Service Manual No. 6510: Odyssey² (BJ/BK7600) Video Game System, November 1979, p. 6510-3: important safeguards (clean with a slightly damp cloth; do not press the keys with sharp objects, which can puncture the keyboard). Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 2 Service Manual 6510.pdf.
  27. ↑ Philips, Service Manual: Videopac Computer G 7000, CS 61 799 (4822 727 11796), p. 6: parts list (D3 to D6 1N4001; TS1, TS2, TS102 to TS104; C2 2 to 11 pF, C14 1 µF, C15 4700 µF, C42 47 µF, C50 4.7 µF, C120 1 µF; IC1 8048/612191-1, IC2 8245, IC3 6810, IC29 612160-3, VR1 and VR2 LM340-5; X1 17.73 MHz). Hosted as File:Philips Videopac G7000 Service Manual CS 61 799.pdf.
  28. ↑ Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "Does anyone in the UK have a spare RF box/lead for G7000?", posts by David Norwood and others, January to May 2020 (retrieved 2026-10-21): a damaged RF lead; a modulator box from a donor G7000 gave a poorer picture than it had in its own console.
  29. ↑ Videopac / Odyssey2 forum (videopac.nl), Hardware board, "G7000 black screen and other trouble", posts by emilen72 and Xuul, April 2024 (retrieved 2026-10-21): a PAL G7000 with a black screen caused by the PAL encoder chip, which gave a picture once an RGB adapter was fitted.


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