Topic for newbies or veterans returning to Atari

[marlowe221]

Stupid question from a guy who treats his 800XL as a 5200 with a decent controller....

 

Why doesn't Astro Chase run on my 800XL? I get a blue screen with a non-flashing cursor.

 

My other cartridges work fine.

[_The Doctor__]

it requires OS b

run translator then hot plug cart

or download fixed, or patched versions for other cart formats.

[marlowe221]

it requires OS b

run translator then hot plug cart

or download fixed, or patched versions for other cart formats.

 

OS b?

 

Translator?

 

I appreciate your response, but I don't understand any of that.

[SINGLE TOOTH]

Post deleted

Edited March 4, 2018 by SINGLE TOOTH

[+Philsan]

Stupid question from a guy who treats his 800XL as a 5200 with a decent controller....

 

Why doesn't Astro Chase run on my 800XL? I get a blue screen with a non-flashing cursor.

 

My other cartridges work fine.

Some games, made for Atari 400/800 computers, don't run on XL/XE computers because of little changes made in the operating system.

Nowadays those games have been patched so they can run on XL/XE computers; you can put those patched files into a cart, a flashcart, a SIO device...

 

In the past, to solve the issue, Atari released the Translator floppy disk or Translator cart; you run them, they change the XL/XE operating system, and then you can run the incompatible cart.

I think the best solution for you would be to buy a flashcard; with that device you can run all cart software (and single file software - you miss only some multi disk software). Without a modern storage solution you'll miss tens of awesome homebrew games released in the past years.

[+Philsan]

First post updated, especially 2. What do I need to run software? part, comparison table included.

[funetorg]

Hello! I'm a new atari 800xl owner. Please help! I have a 1050 drive and a sio2sd too. How can i copy an atr file from sio2sd to a real floppy disk with 1050? I tried it with dos 2.0s, with dos 2.5 and with disk wizard 2. But isn't working...

[+Philsan]

Hello! I'm a new atari 800xl owner. Please help! I have a 1050 drive and a sio2sd too. How can i copy an atr file from sio2sd to a real floppy disk with 1050? I tried it with dos 2.0s, with dos 2.5 and with disk wizard 2. But isn't working...

I made this operation many years ago so I don't remember details.

 

Have you set 1050 drive number selection switch to drive 2?

[funetorg]

Yes, i set 1050 to drive 2. The disk wizard ii backup worked and finished, but i didn't see files on floppy disk with dos directory. I set back 1050 to drive 1, but the disk isn't working. I don't know, what is the mistake.

[Fox-1 / mnx]

I may be that the format of the ATR is one that the 1050 doesn't support. The size of the ATR image must be 91KB (single density) or 131KB (enhanced density) to make it fit on a stock 1050 disk. If the image size is bigger the ATR may be a double density or high density one, something a non-modified 1050 doesn't support.

 

Most sector copiers will warn you or error out in such case. Don't know about disk wizard.

[Calibus]

Can anyone suggest a graphic demo that illustrates the graphics modes available?

 

For example - something that displays "Graphics Mode #23 " and then goes and displays a picture / screen shot of a game / simple animation / etc.

 

My sum total experience with the Atari 8bits so far is the Asteroids and Star Raiders carts my 800 came with - and I'm pretty sure it can do better than the blocky

graphics used in those games.

 

AND it would be nice to hear the sound capabilities - I've read so much about these computers over the years, I'm anxious to see and hear what my 800, 800XL and 1200XL are capable of.

 

 

thanks!

 

Jim

[+Philsan]

Can anyone suggest a graphic demo that illustrates the graphics modes available?

 

For example - something that displays "Graphics Mode #23 " and then goes and displays a picture / screen shot of a game / simple animation / etc.

 

My sum total experience with the Atari 8bits so far is the Asteroids and Star Raiders carts my 800 came with - and I'm pretty sure it can do better than the blocky

graphics used in those games.

 

AND it would be nice to hear the sound capabilities - I've read so much about these computers over the years, I'm anxious to see and hear what my 800, 800XL and 1200XL are capable of.

 

 

thanks!

 

Jim

 

You can find Atari standard graphic modes here:

http://gury.atari8.info/card_graphics_modes.php

 

But it is worth noting that hundreds of old and new games and demos use display list interrupts and have many more colors than the ones displayed above.

For example, more than 100 games have more then 16 colors.

 

I don't think a demo like the one you want exists but the game AtariBlast! is a good showcase of various graphic modes (different levels use different graphic modes):

If you are interested in best classic games, take a look at Atarimania top 100 games:

http://www.atarimania.com/top-atari-game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-_G_8_V.html

But many awesome homebrew games have been released in the last years (see first post "Best homebrews" section).

You can see the power of Atari in the field of images in that topic:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/200118-images-generated-by-rastaconverter/

 

There are many examples of Pokey chip (1979 chip) sound capabilities.

Many people like this tune:

This intro has 101 colors and a nice tune (but it's stereo, two Pokey chips are installed, an easy and popular mod):

 

I attach a small selection of demos:

Demos.zip

[Zap!]

To copy unprotected floppy, you can use an Atari connected to 1050 and SIO2SD in chain.

 

So now five months later, I finally have a Sio2sd to go with my 800XL. It is daisy chained to my 1050. So now what do I do to copy unprotected floppies and individual files to SD?

Edited April 10, 2018 by Zap!

[nzlegend3]

Hi guys

 

Not sure where to ask this but I owned an Atari 800XL back in the mid 80's. I bought a game that was pretty bad and I can't find the name of it anywhere.

 

Basically you start by having to land a spaceship in the first screen and then after having done this it cuts to a desert like scene which is basically impossible to complete.

 

Anyone have any ideas what it is called or where to ask?

 

Cheers.

[Roydea6]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e0/Mule_box.jpg

 

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e0/Mule_box.jpg

[IntrepidErie]

Thought I should post a newbie "hello" reply, since I just now asked a question about Ultimate Cart on 1 of the threads and am hoping for some help.

My 1st computer was Atari 400 with cassette drive, hooked up to the family living-room TV. I was in Junior High and wanted to become a programmer. TRS-80 was monochrome. Apple was white/green/purple with bad sound. Atari had great video and sound. C64 was not out yet.

I programmed games in Basic with little helper Assembly routines from books/magazines. Loved De Re/Compute/Antic books the best. I tried the Atari Assembler/Editor cart when I wanted to get serious, but it was too much for me.

My Atari days were over when I purchased a 1200XL, which was defective and broke compatibility. I also got burned by horrible 2600 carts like Pac-Man/ET, so Atari did not seem like they cared about customers any longer, so I switched to Apple 2c, which is what I used finishing up High School and then off to college. But programming was never fun on the 2c.

I grew nostalgic listening to the Antic podcast, so I got an 800XL and am reliving the old fun of programming. Turbo Basic XL is the best and it even has a compiler, so that is what I use. I have upgrades such as memory and s-video, so it makes the system very nice. The SIO2SD is perfect, I do not even have a disk drive.

I use the Altirra emulator on my Windows 10 laptop. I tied others like Atari800, but had issues. Altirra works flawlessly. I save Basic files on my laptop, then use a utility to "merge" them into an ATR Atari disk image to put on the SD card of SIO2SD to run on my 800XL.

I can do basic hardware, like adding s-video and 2-ch audio, but the "real small" stuff is too difficult - like I tried that mod on a Flashback 2 where you add the cart port, but the components were just too small and close together for me to do the soldering, plus surface-mount stuff is the worst, so I could not finish that project.

Anyway, Hello fellow retros, and enjoy your Atari 8-bits.

[+Philsan]

Very nice presentation, thank you!

 

I like Turbo-Basic XL too.

 

Check out the brand-new FastBasic (see first post section #6).

[+xucaen]

Does Sloopy still make the SIO2PC-USB adapter in the US?

[bradhig1]

Saw this cartridge at a Vintage Stock. It said left cartridge on the top what does that mean. Is it the same version as the 5200?

[+xucaen]

Saw this cartridge at a Vintage Stock. It said left cartridge on the top what does that mean. Is it the same version as the 5200?

That's a 400 800 xl xe cartridge

[_The Doctor__]

Does Sloopy still make the SIO2PC-USB adapter in the US?

I don't think he does.

[Stormtrooper of Death]

Philsan, i noticed a small error on the 1st page of this topic. The price for one SIDE2 cartridge (Lotharek) is currently 55 euro, not 67 euro as is written. Could you please edit this so newcommers know the current price. Thanks in advance and greetings from Richard Vermeulen / Stormtrooper of Death.

[+Philsan]

Philsan, i noticed a small error on the 1st page of this topic. The price for one SIDE2 cartridge (Lotharek) is currently 55 euro, not 67 euro as is written. Could you please edit this so newcommers know the current price. Thanks in advance and greetings from Richard Vermeulen / Stormtrooper of Death.

Hi Richard!

The comparison table pdf was ok but the post wasn't.

It's not easy to keep up-to-date all infos.

Thanks for your help.

[Cantaloupe]

First post which includes what is probably a stupid question, reckoned this was probably the best place on the forum to put it, and hopefully someone can help. I had an 800XL as a kid which I loved, a few years later I sold it to get a Spectrum +2 and quickly realised that I preferred the Atari! I'd love to get hold of one and see them on ebay etc. from time to time. My question is - do I need to get a "PAL" machine. I have some vague knowledge/memory that the 800XL came in different versions depending on what TV system was used e.g. NTSC in America, and PAL in the UK and Ireland etc. I'm not sure if this would affect the machine or just any games I tried to play on it or whatever, or if it's even an issue now. So if I bought an "NTSC" system would it work here in Ireland or must I get a PAL machine (if there is even such a thing and my interpretation is correct)! Apologies for what is probably a really stupid question based on my lack of knowledge.

 

Great forum by the way. I have been checking out different retro Atari sites and even managed to find a scanned copy of the old Compute 3rd book of Atari and some other bits and pieces which I owned as a kid. I grew up in Scotland and it was quite difficult to get hold of software and literature about the 800XL, most people had Spectrums and Commodore 64's at the time there, I only knew one other guy who had an 800XL. Shame the internet and this forum wasn't around then! There was a bookstore in Glasgow which sold titles imported from the States and that's where I got hold of Compute, Byte etc and learned to program in Atari BASIC, typing in the programmes listed in things like the spiral-bound Compute 3rd book and seeing how they worked. I never got to grips with the hardware etc. as you can tell from my question, but that's something I'd like to get into.

 

Any help on my question gratefully received, as well as any other tips around getting hold of an 800XL other than the usual ebay etc.

Edited September 22, 2018 by Cantaloupe

[+Philsan]

Hi.

Yes, in Europe at the time it was not easy to get software and documentation.

I would take a PAL computer, not only because you live in a PAL country, but because nowadays there are a few games that work in PAL mode only.

A NTSC machine is useful if you want to play old games with the faster speed and the colors NTSC countries have.