Jump to content
Have You Played Atari Today?
2600|5200|7800|Lynx|Jaguar|Forums|Store  

e5frog

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    1,193

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by e5frog

  2. Posted

    I have considered the option of making a docking cartridge and make smaller cartridges with just eproms in them. It would be cheaper to get new games but a memory card solution would be the best.

    When done with the current orders and perhaps also trying to finish up Atari2600land's Killer Heads of Lettuce that I started poking around in I'll get to it but there's some details to work out and then there's the financial situation.

  3. Posted

    I might be interested in one of these in the future, however my understanding is we wouldn't be able to change the games on the cart? Just thinking with other homebrew games like the golf game, would be cool to add extras as they (very slowly) arrive - would have been really helpful for me to test too with my poor assembly knowledge.

    The current version uses flash/eprom so when it's stored it can only be changed with an eprom programmer, the chips are usually soldered so for an update to be made it needs to be desoldered reprogrammed and resoldered unless there's a socket installed.

     

    I have thought about this for years, something using a memory card of some sort (like many other multi-carts), would be most handy to try out new software - it will of course be more expensive and developing isn't free so I guess that's why there hasn't been any progress.

    The upside to using the current method is that it has no odd or programmable logic chips so it could be repaired by "anyone" should it break. That's what I like about it and that's why I haven't popped in a CPLD or other programmable logic chip - which would reduce price, size as well as soldering time.

     

    I'm selling the service of reprogramming released Multi-Carts if anyone wants to upgrade, mentioned it on page 1.

  8. Posted

    Ever since I first played it I have been annoyed that you can't move across the board better with the controller.
    It wouldn't have been too hard to choose one of nine directions with the controller and then push/pull/twist to select - or at least be able to move in any direction.
    ... but it's possible they couldn't squeeze it in.

  10. Posted · Edited by e5frog

    I got a message that the last needed IC has gotten through customs handling, so it just needs to get here...

    When doing "paperware" inventory I noticed that the last few box prints where misprints, they've got a white stripe over the middle of them and has been discarded. I would have asked for my money back but it was almost two years ago that they were printed and as far as I can see the company is no longer in business... so not much to do about it.
    This means I'm short on boxes for the current batch and need to have some more printed.

    At the moment I can cover most of the cost but it would help selling another cartridge.
    So, I offer a $5 discount, will increase the discount $1 daily (if I remember) until I get one sold or until I manage to solve payment some other way.

     

     

     

    EDIT:
    Multi-Carts 157-160 shipped today.

  12. Posted

    They didn't have your degree of imagination. ;-)

    Some games had a different name while being developed - and then some marketing genius came up with a new one at release, perhaps that was the case here as well.

    So if Space Wars is within a solar system, Galactic Space Wars within a galaxy then the next one would be... "Intergalactic Space Wars", right?

    • Like 3

  14. Posted · Edited by e5frog

    Found a good spot, instructions in my VESwiki:
    http://channelf.se/veswiki/index.php?title=Modding

    I made a PCB for this (20x20mm - that's less than an inch), I'm considering making a few finished modules to install - if anyone is interested.

    Composite_mod_rendered_PCB_top.png

    Composite_mod_rendered_PCB_bottom.png

     

     

    It can be used for other machines as well, the potentiometer is very helpful getting a good signal from various sources.

    • Like 2

  18. Posted · Edited by e5frog

    Well, that's true, getting new chips often requires a second unit - not having damage on the same chips.

     

    Electrolytic caps have different quality and lifespan, so get the best ones you can get and it should be OK, hopefully. As the sizes are a lot smaller nowadays you can go up one or two steps in voltage to get them a little closer to the old ones in size.

    Avoid odd, cheap Chinese "brands" imitating the names of good brands. Why not go for the "first tier" caps here:
    https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supplies-101,4193-5.html
    Good brand names do have lower quality caps as well, sorting for price is usually a good indicator. I tend to get Panasonic myself mostly - as that's what my supplier usually has in stock.

     

    Waves could indicate a voltage-problem, so in this case I'd probably start off and replace regulator(s) and caps.

    • Like 1

  19. Posted

    I wouldn't swap them "for fun" unless proven to be bad, they may work longer than any new ones you put in there (depending on which ones you go for).

     

    It's probably easiest if you open yours up and take values and measurements, there doesn't seem to be a listing with such things for the various board revisions.

     

    In the first machine there's one 7805 in TO-3 capsule and a 7812 in a TO-220, I think the later versions have TO-220 on both of them (at least my Luxor VEC does).
    Best thing you can do is probably to check and/or polish the pins of the large socketed IC:s, they're usually black from oxidation. It's possible the sockets themselves needs to be replaced as well as it's difficult to clean them.

  22. Posted

    Tried it on the US version, works fine - although the image is pretty crappy on my TV compared to the PAL version. Kind of smeared and odd colors. ;-)

    I probed through reasonable location and found a good one on a resistor before the RF box.

    The boards for model 1 and 2 are not the same, there's a model 1.5 as well, that has the new electronics in the old shell.
    Difference between them is the logic that was a bunch of TTL chips is instead stuffed into one large IC, sound is also a bit different.

    The Channel F II has a smaller board.

     

    I made CAD-drawings of an SMD and a THM version, haven't built either yet... I'll see if I can find good spots to grab the signal on the other versions as well.

    • Like 2

  23. Posted

    $177 - standard shipping included, $23 extra for registered shipping, PayPal fee included.
    Item displayed in the image below is the item that is for sale:

    post-10242-0-67633800-1554999093_thumb.jpg

     

    Selling a tested and working complete set of the SABA#20 Chess cartridge in good condition (see image above) for System Fairchild (Channel F).
    Works for ALL (working) System Fairchild compatible units no matter what the TV-system is.

    This is a SABA only release, it has a LED on the edge to indicate when the console is working through how to beat you.
    Several difficulty settings available, here's a little video:

     

     

     

     

    • Like 1
AtariAge
Forums
Store
General
Follow AtariAge

Copyright ©1998-2021 AtariAge

×
×
  • Create New...