NoahsMyBro

I've been lurking in this thread since it began. The game looks fantastic, and I can't wait until it's completed and available. I do have one petty request, though - I'd like to enter my vote to keep the name Burgertime. If it must be changed, I understand, after all, it's not my money or liability at risk. However, I'd prefer the original name if possible. - Maybe somebody could actually approach the current owners (somebody here said that looked like Hudsonsoft?), and actually request permission to use the name? It seems to me it's possible they'd be relaxed and flexible about things, considering the low volume of sales that would be involved. I understand if this is untenable, but I don't want to see the possibilty missed simply because it was never even considered.

Several years ago I wrote a little Windows clone of Simon as an exercise to teach myself VB4. I even produced a Windows Help file for it, and used an MB Electronics Simon logo I found on the 'net for the 'About...' window. I sampled the sounds from a genuine original Simon game. I think Simon makes a pretty good 'Hello World' type program for video game programming. Your game looks pretty cool. Congrats!

I'd bet it was aesthetics decision. The functional stuff - ports & switches - was hidden on the back, out of view. This allowed one to see a nice, clean, and attractive (obviously subjective) console without seeing the 'ugly' but necessary hookups on the back.

Don't know whether this is something to be proud of, or embarrassed by, but I bought the album when it originally came out (i think on LP, but it might have been a cassette - ugh), and I STILL HAVE IT!

I've got mine framed with the letter and hung in my game room.

Do NOT use an Atari 800 power supply with the 5200. The physical plug will fit, but the 800 PSU puts out double the voltage, and it WILL fry the 5200, guaranteed. Last year I repaired a 5200 that arrived to me DOA. It's history suggested it may have had an 800 PSU connected to it by a previous owner. To repair the unit, I replaced two transistors and a microprocessor (little black chip with 16 legs, I think), each soldered to the board. Also the power switch, but I don't think it was damaged by the power supply. I think that was everything. -- Steve

WooHoo! I fixed it! As I mentioned above, I initially had a small bit of confusion over which chip to swap with the mod-circuit. Before I figured it out, I removed the wrong chip, but when I saw that the mod circuit shouldn't go there, I reinserted it before ever applying power to the system. As I'm sure you've all guessed, I reinserted it backwards. Luckily, there seems to be no damage to my system. I just put things back into place correctly, and played a quick (& bad) game of Pac Man, as it was the most disposable game I've got in case something was going to fry the game cartridge. And I like Pac Man, so it wasn't really a hardship anyway. After proving things worked properly I then installed the mod board and tried again. Things still worked perfectly, only this time with a clearer picture! I'm now going to reassemble the RF shield, case, etc... and hook the system up to my AV Selector in the Den. Ron, I WANT ADVENTURE II !!!!!! -- Steve

Stupidly, no. In my defense, I've been averaging about 3 hours of sleep/night for a couple of weeks now.

The chip I used with the board was in fact the CO14805. -- Steve

Just to clarify, I DID NOT use the chip with the funny markings. However, that was the chip shown in the pictures on the floppy docs. I'll verify which chip I actually used when I get home. (At work right now) -- Steve

Well, here's the scoop: Tonight I tested with a different switchbox, cart, and AC Adapter (I was grasping, I know). Same result. I opened the unit up, and can't see any visible damage. So I tried again, with the cover off. After I left the machine on for a few seconds, I noticed that I could not power it off using the power switch. I pulled the plug out. I removed the mod, put the original chip back in it's socket, and still got nothing but a black screen, and the smell of burning electronics. It may have been my imagination, but I think I also began to hear crackling sounds. I pulled the plug again. This is very disappointing. Fall 2002 I spent about 3 months bringing this formerly dead 5200 back to perfect operating condition after a previous owner had fried it with an Atari 800 Power Supply. I had a lot of emotional investment in this console. It was my pride and joy, and I've killed it. The only thing I have to go on is this: In the pictures on the docs disk, the chip to remove and plug into the mod board has a rectangular indentation on one end, and a circular indentation at the other end. The socket you insert the mod into on the motherboard is located nearest the power switch, by the vertical red adjustment tower/screw thing. On MY 5200, the chip with the unusual indentations is above, near the cart slot and the RF circuitry and heatsink. The chip by the power switch looks like the other two similar chips. The mod board bumped up against the cartridge slot if I put it in the upper socket, so I put it in the socket nearer the power switch, and put that chip in the mod board. Any of you have any idea what I've done wrong? How to fix it? Thanks, Steve

Bringing a thread back from the dead.... I'm of slightly below moderate skill when it comes to doing mods from scratch. Usually, with pre-fab mods like the 8-bit domain 5200 AV mod I have no trouble. So I feel like a complete dunce tonight. I just finished installing the mod to my 5200. It seemed pretty straightforward, so I ignored my better judgement and reassembled the RF shield and case before testing it out. That was STOOPID. I hooked the video out up to my AV Input selector. Once I found my old mini-to-stereo RCA cable (from an ancient discman), I was disappointed to find the mini plug was broken. So I plugged in a cheapo set of headphones to the audio jack. I then plugged the AC Adapter into the RF box, and the RF cable from the console to the RF box. Finally, with Pac Man in the cartridge slot, I plugged the AC into the wall, and powered up the 5200. There was no sound, and just a black picture on the screen. Well, maybe the 5200 was input 2, not 4 - switched to 2, same thing. Then I began to smell burning electronics and plastic. Panicky, I yanked the power cable out of the power strip immediately. Now, a few months ago I tried to do my own AV mod on this unit, using the 5200 FAQ. It resulted in a clear B&W image. Tonight I removed my connections from that attempt first, by simply heating up the soldered connections from before and removing them. I'm pretty sure I did that removal cleanly and all of the original connections were still present, but I'll have to open the unit up and see whaere I screwed up. I really, really hope I didn't trash the mod. I want the 5200 to be OK too, but I'd rather it fry than the mod board. What a crummy result. I'm not opening that sucker up tonight. Hopefully tomorrow night. damn.

End Red Alert. Crisis averted - I found the disk. Sheesh - between my lack of organization, and the disk's lack of a label, bad things happen! OK, evening agenda has changed - FIRST, print a label for diskette. Second, mod 5200. back later...

So a few months ago I ordered the 5200 A/V modkit from 8-bit domain. I received it (was very excited), opened it up to check it out, and then set it aside by my 5200s until I found time to install it. TONIGHT's THE NIGHT!!! But, sadly, I can't find the disk that was included, with the instructions! yes, I'm a dope. Yes, I feel like a 12-year old. And yes, I am going to keep looking. BUT, my wife promised I was released from any and all obligations tonight - the entire night is ALL MINE, to do as I want. I don't need to stop what I'm doing to help with Nate, dishes, runs to the drugstore, etc... If any of you could post or email me the included docs, that would be excellent. Thanks, Steve

All Intellivison - Baseball Football Sea Battle

No, I understand the switchbox is only for 4-port 5200s. I didn't expect to use your switchbox with other systems - I was just venting. But to describe my setup - I have cable TV. No converter box. I run it into the antenna input of an RF box. I run the output of the switchbox to the coax input on the TV. I run the rf signal from the console to the game input on the switchbox. It doesn't really matter which console, or what adapters are used at the various connections. With a switchbox, my TV signal looks snowy and lousy. I always thought this was normal, and since my late teens, when the loss of picture quality began to matter to me, I haven't kept a switchbox on the TV. I only put it on when I want to use it.

Hell Yeah I've got a comment! I LIKE it! I've got countless RF Adapters- probably over a dozen traditional switchboxes, and 2 or 3 functional 5200 switchboxes. With the possible exception of the Genesis/Nintendo and newer units (I'm not sure about them), every single one I've tried, even brand-new, does horrible things to the picture when I try to watch TV (using the RF input with cable TV). I've assumed that the boxes will always add some interference, and even brand-new RF-switchboxes have probably been sitting on a shelf in a warehouse for 20-30 years, so they probably aren't performing as well as they would have when manufactured, but that might be wishful thinking on my part. After all, I don't know what part would deteriorate to cause a worse picture over time. To get to the point, IF your switchbox causes less degradation of the antenna/cable signal than the original boxes, I'd love to get one from you once you get them produced. Sign me up! -- Steve

Well I certainly feel stooopid now! Oh well, life goes on...

OK - I don't yet have a Gamecube, XBox, OR PS2, but I'm tempted to go buy a copy of The Matrix anyway, just to reward Infogrames' response! It's so refreshing to come across a CSR allowed to exhibit a sense of humor, and not excessively and insanely defensive against possible litigation.

I'm confused by the 'faked' comment. What was the point of the post? (Not looking to start something, honestly asking the question.) Were you guys suggesting my post was fake? And, if not, Thomas, I don't know why you did it, but I'm honored you posted my score at the end of your reply. -- Steve

My God, my arm is tired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I finally made it, I was on such a roll I didn't bother switching difficulty for level 8. I managed to take out two or three (I think 3) of the Flagships before I finally bit the dust!. WooHoo!

Well, I vowed to not reply again until I made 3500, and despite putting in a lot of time over the weekend, I haven't made it yet. I have tried several different joysticks (CX-40, Spectravideo QuickShot, Pointmaster, Wico Command Control, and a Genesis joypad), and my hand has cramped up a lot, but my best score as of about 1:30am (last night) was a little over 2900. I don't think I've ever survived Wave 8. I hope the rest of you are as bad at this as I am; I want to be one of the guys with the patch!

You're right - no cheating there - I just scored 2764 - less than before reading the message!! Aiiee! Well, I'm GOING to do this TONIGHT, before I go to bed. I'll be back once I've enlisted with the Squadron. See you on the flip side....

Dammit!!! 2865, wave 8. My hand is cramping up with the CX-40. This didn't used to happen when I was 10! I'll check that PM now, but it feels like cheating...

OK - the ship is the Slave ship. I scored 2470, this last time - I think that's my high score so far. I've been following the tips somebody (you, I think) posted previously - mainly, don't bother chasing down the fighters, and warp as soon as possible. It definitely boosted my scores from before, but maybe ignoring the majority of the fighters explains my low score going into wave 8?