---
title: Coleco Telstar Ranger
categories:
- Pongs
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1977'
cpus:
- AY-3-8500-1 from General Instrument
params:
  name: Telstar Ranger
  image: /media/museum/photos/coleco_telstar-ranger.jpg
  company: /companies/coleco
  company_name: Coleco
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Telstar Ranger
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Coleco
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1977'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: Jai-Alai, Hockey, Handball, Tennis, Skeet, Target
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Two detachable paddles with knob and a gun
  - label: CPU
    value: AY-3-8500-1 from General Instrument
  - label: SPEED
    value: Reset
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: Skill level Beginner/Intermediate/Pro, Power on/off
  - label: RAM
    value: On screen
  - label: COLORS
    value: Black & white
  - label: SOUND
    value: Built-in speaker
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: RF TV video output, Gun connector, Paddle connectors
  - label: OS
    value: 6 x 1.5v C size batteries
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: 9v DC
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: 'Yes'
  - label: PRICE
    value: Unknown
  tabs:
  - photos
  - links
  forum_thread: 657
  photos:
  - title: WITH GUN
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/coleco_telstar-ranger_with_gun.jpg
  - title: INSIDE
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/coleco_telstar-ranger_inside.jpg
  - title: BOX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/coleco_telstar-ranger_box.jpg
  links:
  - title: The story of the Telstar systems
    url: http://www.pong-story.com/coleco.htm
    text: PONG STORY.COM has nice pages dedicated to the Telstar systems
  related:
  - /museum/coleco-telstar
  - /museum/coleco-telstar-classic-model-6045
  - /museum/coleco-telstar-colormatic-model-6130
  - /museum/coleco-telstar-colortron
  oc_id: 673
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230613001205/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=673
    date: '2023-06-13'
---

After the release of the first [Telstar](/museum/coleco-telstar/) (the first "dedicated-chip" pong system) in 1976 which was a big success, Coleco conceived a whole range of pongs for release at Christmas 1977.

This is the first Telstar featuring the two shooting games of the GI AY-3-8500, hence its name "Telstar Ranger". It thus offers a total of 6 games which can be selected through a special knob. Despite the pictures beside, the two small controllers are not built-in the console and can be detached.

There's a 3 positions switch that controls difficulty (beginner : slow ball, big paddles / advanced : fast ball, big paddles / expert : fast ball, small paddles). If this is common to the first Telstars, this is quite different from most of the other pong systems which offer individual settings.