The Intellivision chipset, manufactured by General Instruments, was extremely failure-prone by today’s standards.  Failure rates of 50% during the initial production runs were not uncommon.  Failure-prone chips and improper storage of the console and controllers from dust, dirt, water, and debris often makes the purchase of an old console an uncertain undertaking at best.  New buyers often have to make several purchases before receiving a console that functions within the original operating parameters.

This review is not intended to suggest that anyone reselling an old Intellivision is dishonest or untrustwothy but rather Intellivision restoration and resale requires a fair amount of technical skill and experience.

The following tips may help those that have decided to purchase a vintage Intellivision console:

(1) Clean:  Try to purchase a console that has been thoroughly cleaned inside and out; Preferably with denatured alcohol and/or deionized water.  Internal contamination of the console, controllers, housings hinders performance far more than cosmetic appearance.  Dust, smoke, and other fine particles inside the console have the potential to generate static discharge that can damage already frailure-prone chips, ROM, RAM and circuits.

(2) Controllers:  Try to purchase a console that has had the controller Membrane Printed Circuit Boards (MPCB) inspected and/or cleaned.  There will come a time when all controllers will fail.  Controllers often fail (numeric, x/y movement or buttons) because the contacts within the MPCB are obstructed or damaged.

(3) Cartridges:   As a rule most cartridges can be salvaged as long as the gold or other plating has not been damaged.  Requesting the games be cleaned by someone that lacks technical skill and experience is often a bad idea.  Cleaning the contacts with erasers or sandpaper can cause an attrition of the gold (or other) plating and static discharge.  Static discharge can damage the ROM inside.

(4) Power:  Try to purchase a console that has had the power supply tested.  The 2609 & 2609A or Intellivision (Brown), and INTV III (Black) have internal power supplies.  The 5872 or Intellivision II (White) has an external power supply.  Generally, all Intellivision power supplies have proven to be dependable over time.  Power supplies; nevertheless, should be tested by a voltmeter to confirm operation within specified parameters.  En lieu of voltemeter test, the power supply can be tested by vigorous game play.  It is also important to note that the Intellivision II (white console) uses a non standard AC adapter with the following specifications:  Input: 120V 60Hz 25 Watts  Output: 16.7V, AC 1.0A.  The original Intellivision II AC adapter has been known to be substituted by the following adapters:  Atari 1050 disk drive, Genesis I, Atari Jaguar.  These AC adapters, however, have slightly different power outputs.  Use and purchase these power substitutes at your own risk!

(5) RF Cable:  Try to purchase a console that has had the RF cable inspected and tested.  The RF cable carries video and sound from the console to the TV.  Couple rules of thumb for RF cables:  (A) Length:  Vintage RF cables tend to be 12-15 feet.  The longer the cable, the farther the gamer(s) can sit from the TV.  This is an important consideration when playing on modern, wide-screen TVs.  (B) Condition:  Vintage RF cables must be inspected for internal frays and exterior cuts.  A damaged RF cable often distorts the sound and video quality from the console to the TV.  (C) Connection:  A RF cable, depending on the type, requires an adapter for a coaxial connection to the TV.  This is often an unforeseen cost for the buyer.

Good Luck!