Jump to content

How I installed a UAV board in my NTSC 600XL


hloberg

824 views

On the NTSC Atari 600XL the only video output is RF and the picture quality is really not very good, at all, not in the least, bad. So I thought maybe, if I want to use this 600XL for anything more than a prop, I might want to replace the video with something better. After looking around I chose the UAV by https://thebrewingacademy.com/ due to it’s simplistically and it’s cheap at only $30. Plus it has one of the best pictures I have ever seen for a composite output.

 

Installation:

(My work area)

 

image.thumb.png.597d3d8a4291fae39de4ea37be815dc3.png

 

NOTE: This information covers the installation of the UAV composite and the way I installed it for NTSC 600XL ONLY. There are other ways to install the device but this is the way I choose. I am not responsible for any problems you may have following these instructions. I tried my best to make as clear as possible. So there.

 

The UAV comes several ways. I chose the pre-built drop in as it’s the simplest. The package comes with all you need to drop in install (except what’s needed for sound). FYI: here is the link to the manual: http://www.thebrewingacademy.net/UAV_manuals.zip

The manual covers ALL the various machines that the UAV can be installed in giving not too much space for any one type. Read over the manual but don’t expect a step by step install.

Now my installation. Of course the first thing I did was open up the computer (seen in picture above). The blue wiring is the 64k upgrade I previously did. The UAV is a little board that plugs into the slot of one of the chips you remove. Then you add some wires and 3 solder points (if install like I did).

Here is the board. I put tape over the top and bottom because there isn’t much clearance in the 600Xl and didn’t want to chance a short.

 

Top view.

 

image.thumb.png.509aa714ec7af1312bf158a1ff4ec00a.png

 

Bottom view.

 

image.thumb.png.d1c00dde222a7602a88ae86e18ab7b57.png

 

Notice an extension on the bottom pins. This is so that the chip will clear a line of resistors just in front of the chip. I found the extension to be a bit unstable so later I took it off and the board set just fine.

 

Remove the chip U19 as this is where the board will be plugged in.

 

image.thumb.png.095a0ab1e307929a30ed87f8f684a7ab.png

 

The UART socket is in the black box. Notice I have put electrical tape around the resistors in front of the plug. I found that playing around with placement of the board these resistors tended to want to push against each other and short. The tape kept that from happening.

Next to the UART socket I have a green wire soldered to a resistor. This wire will be attached to the UAV board later and supplies the color signal.

 

This is the board plugged into the socket. You will be attaching wires to that green header in a bit.

 

image.thumb.png.c2b08958a06282239892e2fa182858e5.png

 

Notice the jumpers I had tape on in a previous picture. Refer to the manual on the placement of those jumpers for the 600XL. The board does not come with the jumpers set for the 600XL so you will have the change them. Little trivia, to the left you will see places for several missing components. This is the missing composite circuitry NOT found in the NTSC version of the 600XL.

 

For my installation I removed the RF module and the channel selector switch. Location is next to where the channel switch was. This is where I take the sound off of. I soldered in two pins to plug the sound cables into for easy removal. Pin on left is ground.

 

image.thumb.png.9afb731faa7ca7b44a48560cbcc322cf.png

 

OK, I know I’m going to get a lot of gruff for this but I didn’t solder in a 5 pin plug for this install. Reasons, I plan to only use the composite so most of the other pins would not have been used since I had no way of utilizing the S-Video capabilities of splitting the Luma and Chroma. Also I already had a dual RCA plug. Anyway, here is where you plug the wires into the board and the sound.

 

image.thumb.png.803d68cf41ffba7950483db6a578c6c0.png

 

I cut holes for the RCA plugs and mounted the board on the back of the 600XL where the RF plug was. AND IT WORKS.

 

The finished product.

 

20210223_161734.thumb.jpg.36b93d22b09c69b134dce6d8c19e3405.jpg

 

That’s it. That’s all there is to installing the UAV the way I did it.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

 

 

5 Comments


Recommended Comments

The ground marked off on the terminal is also different from the drawing, both top views, and they are both are r.D versions.

 

Thanks,

eed002

Link to comment

careful using the manual. I'm not sure if it's the pov but there were several times I thought I had positively got it right to find it being backwards.

Link to comment
Guest
Add a comment...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...