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What upgrades have you done to the regular ST?


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What upgrades have you done, and do you intend to do to your STANDARD Atari ST? As mentioned in two other current threads, I've just done a stereo upgrade and a TOS upgrade to my 1040STf. I've also added a BMS-100 DMA-SCSI adapter&disk controller (early ST kit from Berkley microsystems) along with a Seagate 30MB MFM hard drive, I've upgraded from GEM desktop to NeoDesk 3, and added a second floppy drive, which resides with the HD and adapter/controller in an old IBM PS/1 case that I gutted. I made and ST to VGA adapter plug for high-res mono output to my PC monitor. The other thing I did was to add a RCA mono output so I could hook the ST up to PC speakers for better mono sound quality. My next projects are to add a 4MB memory upgrade and TOS 2.6, which I will have on a switchable board (to switch between TOS 1.4 and 2.6 for compatibility with older software). Also, I'm going to add a Blitter chip to my 1040. I'm also going to add a SCSI ZIP drive to the extra port I have on my HD adapter. Then, finally, I'll get it internet ready with stuff like MINT, CAB, etc. I'm also thinking about doing a 4096 color upgrade too, since I'm an artist.

post-149-1116795817_thumb.jpg

Edited by Gunstar
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  • 1 month later...
What upgrades have you done, and do you intend to do to your STANDARD Atari ST? As mentioned in two other current threads, I've just done a stereo upgrade and a TOS upgrade to my 1040STf. I've also added a BMS-100 DMA-SCSI adapter&disk controller (early ST kit from Berkley microsystems) along with a Seagate 30MB MFM hard drive, I've upgraded from GEM desktop to NeoDesk 3, and added a second floppy drive, which resides with the HD and adapter/controller in an old IBM PS/1 case that I gutted. I made and ST to VGA adapter plug for high-res mono output to my PC monitor. The other thing I did was to add a RCA mono output so I could hook the ST up to PC speakers for better mono sound quality. My next projects are to add a 4MB memory upgrade and TOS 2.6, which I will have on a switchable board (to switch between TOS 1.4 and 2.6 for compatibility with older software). Also, I'm going to add a Blitter chip to my 1040. I'm also going to add a SCSI ZIP drive to the extra port I have on my HD adapter. Then, finally, I'll get it internet ready with stuff like MINT, CAB, etc. I'm also thinking about doing a 4096 color upgrade too, since I'm an artist.

859872[/snapback]

 

Well, if I can ever get my solding skills up to a level that I'm not destroying everything I touch <cough, cough> I'm going to put an AdSpeed accelerator in the Mega ST that runs my BBS, as well as a TOS 2.06 upgrade.

 

As I can afford it. :-)

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But my friend's Mega ST is heavy modiffied. He has also 8MB of TT RAM, HBS accelerator and ET4000 VGA videocard.

Together with microSCSI it is very powerful 68000 based Atari which can run MiNT very nicely :) I like his MEGA ST very much.

Edited by krupkaj
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Way back I put TOS 1.04, AdSpeed, ATSpeed(I think that was the PC AT board) and have a Discovery Cartridge with Spectre 128 into my Mega 2 ST. I also bought a Supra HD and NeoDesk. I had a great setup for the time. Many Mac/IBM folks were impressed with the versatility of the machine.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My best friend sent his ST in for an upgrade it was a 520ST but it came back a 1040ST but with 1 problem whenever he tried playing ANY of the starwars games he would have trouble with the vertical hold, any other game the vertical hold was fine :? :?

 

By the way this was about a year after the ST computers came out :ponder:

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  • 5 months later...

I wished I had a digital Camera a few years ago, but my mods were very special to me

 

My MEGAST4

Was housed in a PC AT Case, which kept the original case mint condition, I used a PC KEYS adapter for a PC keyboard and Mouse, ( I currently use a QWERTYX on my TT ), the cartridge port was adapted slightly so its vertical instead of horizontal, because I used a ... Erm... Stereo Replay cartridge that was routed to the back of the PC case, also the Serial port and Midi ports were also modded to give more Midi Outs, for CuBase, I had a PC Mod kit giving me a Rugby Clock, that like the Power Clock, allows me to set the time every boot, but to the Rugby clock ( I wish I still had it because it should go nicely in the TT now but there you go ), and as it was in a PC AT Case, it allowed me to have my 2 HDs as well as a ZIP100 and a CD and CDRW although I never was able to write any disks, and even to this day, I have never managed it, even though my TT now has a pair of 32x CDRW Drives in it, but there you go!

 

My STE

Basic 520STE, upped with lots of Cash. Ended up with a Pak68/3 & 16MB and while the STE itself is still mostly in its original box, the top half is almost 3 inches higher with the space made up from Aluminum... Doesnot look god, but runs a dream.

 

My TT

Annoyingly I am now back on stock graphics, however, its running a 48MHz CaTTamaran, so its quick as stink. Internal HD is a SCSI-IDE adapter, connected to an IDE-Compact Flash adapter, which, is, in turn holding a 256MB Compact Flash card, whic his my C: Drive. Externally, its got a 4.3GB and a pair of 1GB Drives, also a pair of CDRW Drives and one CDROM, and finally a ZIP100, so lots of storage spac, but lets be honest,even with the stupidly massive ammounts of software I have on my Atari, they are not even half full!!!

 

I no longer have the MegaST, I swapped it for Magic 5 and Jinnee some time ago, but I will try to sort out some pics of the TT and STE.

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My TT

Annoyingly I am now back on stock graphics, however, its running a 48MHz CaTTamaran, so its quick as stink. Internal HD is a SCSI-IDE adapter, connected to an IDE-Compact Flash adapter, which, is, in turn holding a 256MB Compact Flash card, whic his my C: Drive. Externally, its got a 4.3GB and a pair of 1GB Drives, also a pair of CDRW Drives and one CDROM, and finally a ZIP100,

997235[/snapback]

That's interesting. Where from you have your SCSI-IDE adapter? Have you some specification or link to producer? I would like to have such thing in my TT!

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  • 11 months later...

Nothing special. just ordinary TOS 2.6, 1.44 Floppy and 4 MB. I also have ATspeed, so I want to put it inside. And last but not least Lacescan (free version of overscan).

 

Hello do you have the English driver software and or instructions for the AT speed? I have one in my Mega but cant use it due the lack of driver and instructions.

 

JW

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Hmm... first upgrade was RAM to 1MB - lot of soldering.

Then external second floppy.

TOS replacement with selfburned EPROMs.

Real time clock.

RAM to 2.5 MB.

HD floppy support - by doubling FDC clock on 16MHz, with switch for DD mode, of course.

Overscan - simple solution with switch and couple resistors.

IDE interface and TOS 2.06 - address decoder with GAL.

Parallel with it switch to still have old TOS 1.02.

 

4MB RAM - with half of 8MB module taken from some Apple machine, of course soooldering a looot :D

 

Connecting to LCD monitor - trivial, just some soldering.

 

Unfortunately, my Atari ST machines are now in bad shape, they are too old and become unreliable...

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Getting some good ideas reading a lot of this.

 

Well, my 1040 STe probably received the most mods, being that I added the simms to bring the memory to 4 meg (yah.. snap in.. great design), added a cord to bring the keyboard out the case, and cased the keyboard in a 520 ST case, and then encased the STe in a PC case and modified a AT power supply to run the hard drive, CD rom drive, floppy drive and the motherboard.

 

At the time I looked to sell the STe in its modified form, but no one wanted it in that form, so the STe was reassembled in it's stock shape.. well, about 95%.

 

 

Aside from that, the TT030 I have, which was a $30 parts machine Cybernoid and I worked to get going again. Today it's working (quick a tinkering project) and has the Magnum TT ram card with 32 meg (capible of 128 to 256 meg if I find the right memory) and the AlberTT graphics card, which in truth is probably one of the least powerful cards for the TT, but high TT res with 16 color is still nice! (considering it is usually TT high res in greyscale).

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Way back I put TOS 1.04, AdSpeed, ATSpeed(I think that was the PC AT board) and have a Discovery Cartridge with Spectre 128 into my Mega 2 ST. I also bought a Supra HD and NeoDesk. I had a great setup for the time. Many Mac/IBM folks were impressed with the versatility of the machine.

 

I have an Amiga version of AdSpeed. Can I pop this into my STacy? Does the STacy have a socketed 68000?

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Many moons ago when I had a Mega ST (sold it when I bought a Mega STE when they first came out) I made a serial card for the expansion port inside the Mega ST.

 

Gave me 4 more serial ports.

 

The goal was to use it for a custom BBS application. I had the 4 serial ports working, and wrote BIOS routines to handle them. The BBS never panned out though.

 

Still have that serial card lying around somewhere.

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Should work, but I would experiment on a regular ST first. Do you have any? I have an old 520ST you can have it you want. (broken power switch, but works 100%)

 

Only the STacy left. And a video key to let me hook it to a color video source. I appreciate the offer but the 520's 68000 is surface mounted, right? I don't think I want to attempt to desolder anything.

 

You open these things up all the time - is the STacy's 68000 socketed?

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Way back I put TOS 1.04, AdSpeed, ATSpeed(I think that was the PC AT board) and have a Discovery Cartridge with Spectre 128 into my Mega 2 ST. I also bought a Supra HD and NeoDesk. I had a great setup for the time. Many Mac/IBM folks were impressed with the versatility of the machine.

 

I have an Amiga version of AdSpeed. Can I pop this into my STacy? Does the STacy have a socketed 68000?

 

I have a STacey but haven't opened it yet.(I don't think I ever will!) but according to this:

 

http://atari.st-katharina-apotheke.de/home...p;texte=S_STacy

 

It appears not to be socketed.

 

I like the author's approach...cut out the old 68000,remove the pin stubs,and solder in a socket.

 

My kind of mod.....fast and dirty! :)

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there is a way to use an internal amiga floppy with the ST

 

just reverse the data cable at the drive end, not the mobo end

 

when i say reverse i mean twist

 

you will ofcourse need to cut into the st's casing (where the drive cut out is) to reach the disk eject button or just leave the case off

 

that's all peeps and girls

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Way back I put TOS 1.04, AdSpeed, ATSpeed(I think that was the PC AT board) and have a Discovery Cartridge with Spectre 128 into my Mega 2 ST. I also bought a Supra HD and NeoDesk. I had a great setup for the time. Many Mac/IBM folks were impressed with the versatility of the machine.

 

I have an Amiga version of AdSpeed. Can I pop this into my STacy? Does the STacy have a socketed 68000?

 

I have a STacey but haven't opened it yet.(I don't think I ever will!) but according to this:

 

http://atari.st-katharina-apotheke.de/home...p;texte=S_STacy

 

It appears not to be socketed.

 

I like the author's approach...cut out the old 68000,remove the pin stubs,and solder in a socket.

 

My kind of mod.....fast and dirty! :)

 

Yeah... I won't be doing that.

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