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tf_hh

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Posts posted by tf_hh

  1. Posted

    Hi,

     

    many thanks to trub - he helped a lot and grants me to use his website for information. I´m working at the manual besides the solder job.

     

    Actually I have less spare time than usual due to heavy workload in the office. And - maybe a result of the near-by autumn - A lot of people sent me their defective Atari 8-Bit stuff for repair :) or building expansions like Rapidus in their computers (never be in touch since now with that).

     

    But I hope to finish the first batch soon. I will offer some SRAM chargers with straight connector instead of using the angled connector specially for the LDW 2001.

     

    Jurgen

    • Like 1

  2. Posted

    does anyone know of a convenient way to get maybe a composite signal or similar out of the 400? (my 800 and 1200XL are NTSC and work fine via the monitor port)

    also, i'd like to test the ROMs - is there a drop-in replacement EPROM like there is for the XL/XE models?

     

    There´s no direct, easy way, because the combined video + sync signal (= composite video) at the Atari 400 circuit is too weak to drive any standard 1Vss input of a television. You have to do one of these:

     

    a.) exchange six resistors at the 400 mainboard and remove the RF modulator, and remove some parts from the HF audio modulation unit

    b.) make a little amplifier using a few parts on an extra PCB

    c.) install an UAV plug-in board or my SCCC

     

    Version a) is invasive to the mainboard, but has a better result. For version b) here´s a schematic:

     

    post-15670-0-58899900-1535193551_thumb.gif

     

    Most times - as my personal experience - the "Math-ROM" is defect. Remove this for a test - it´s not needed in general, only Atari-Basic and some other languages need it to run, the OS will work flawless without Math-ROM. It´s chip "A105" at all Atari 400 mainboard versios, the chip itself is marked with CO12399B.

     

    Good luck, Jurgen

  4. Posted

     

    To save postage costs, I will offer to add a 40 pin (20x2) stripe of male connector pins for any order for a few euro-cents. It´s cheaper than make a special order IMHO.

  5. Posted

    So I picked up a US XF551 to use here in sunny Europe with my PAL 130XE not realizing there was a difference in the ROM and the current 120VAC US power supply.

     

    Which power-supply should I get to use here in the EU ? NES Power supply is a no-go ?

     

    I would suggest to buy a new, 220/230 volts compatible power supply instead of a 230 => 115 volt converter. You can get a good replacement power supply at Amazon, search for "Rockpower 9V AC". You will find a 2.1A AC power supply for around 18 Euros. When using Amazon UK you can order it with the UK plug instead of the Euro standard plug.

     

    2.1A is absolutely enough for any 1050 with or without expansions, you don´t need really 3A.

    • Like 1

  7. Posted

    Please, keep in mind that there are some Indus GT's with WART boards that DO NOT come with the plug-in pin-header on the PCB. The terminal-points are there, but NO header. I have seen pics. of that, although I still have not encountered any of those on the wild...

     

    Thanks for this info. I´ve already read about this fact, also some clones hasn´t the connector, but it can be soldered in. Another bunch of drives (non Indus GT!) need modifications on the main PCB, too. I will collect these infos and make a small manual for installation. The usage of CP/M etc. is well explained in different places (Trub´s website, AtariWiki etc.)

  12. Posted

    1. I´m in the same mood like 8BitJunkie and 1NG

    2. IMHO the continuing disputes are the result in establishing the repeated rule changes since 2015

     

    Maybe I´m wrong, but we hadn´t ANY of these discussions in all compos before 2015. I didn´t remember about any software declined for the compo. But since 2015, the rules are changed every year.

     

    We didn´t got MORE or BETTER participants. Specially the hardware area is, regarding the huge amount of good new stuff published outside the ABBUC hardware compo something I called a joke.

     

    So my 2 cents: No more jurors for the hardware compo. All software entries are handled using the rules of 2015. And, final: The members vote. DONE.

    • Like 2

  14. Posted

    I'd like one! (Looks like more interest than you might have thought?)

     

    Do you have any idea about how you would ship and the postage?

     

    Seems so :)

     

    The german postal service offers only 1 cm in thickness for a lower postage than the usual boxes I take for all my shipments. This is not enough for an air cushion envelope and some small parts like this.

     

    If somebody wants only to order the SRAM Charger and will take the risk, I can offer non-insured shipments for 5 Euros instead of the usual 9 Euros. Not recommended for non-USA and non-Europe destination addresses.

  15. Posted

    Lastly without opening the case, is there any way to peek and/or poke to see if an Indus drive already has a RAM-Charger installed?

     

    Yes. See this link to Trub´s site and scroll down to the chapter "Testing the extension". There´s a tool for testing the RAM Charger (any type, genuine or new build). You can see the process of testing the 64 KB in pages displayed by the track display - well done, Trub!

    • Like 2

  16. Posted

    if these are Indus only - i'll take one

    if they'll fit to CA2001 and LDW2000 then count me in for three

     

    Myself has "only" the genuine Indus GT. As I have read (for example here and in some other posts @ AtariAge) this way of building a new RAM-Charger should also work with the clone / compatible drives. But I can´t test it by myself. Trub (see link) has explained what to do.

     

    I used a similar way and take a different TTL chip (74HCT139 instead of 74LS155), but there shouldn´t be any difference.

  17. Posted

    Hi,

     

    another little project is made by me: A SRAM-Charger board for the Indus GT drive (and compatible ones). This board enables the usage of CP/M inside the drive´s electronic (based on a Z80 CPU).

     

    The PCB is already tested and ready. Here are two pictures:

     

    post-15670-0-04286700-1533238160.png

    post-15670-0-63940500-1533238174_thumb.png

     

    Because this is a very special thing and I assume that not a huge amount of people want one, I want ask for your interest about such a board. The final price will be something between 8 and 12 Euros each.

     

    Please show your interest here, if you want one (or more). I will collect the answer for 2-3 weeks and will made some pieces then. They´re offered as my other projects then in my "info pdf".

     

    A very big "Thank you!" to Eric Bacher, who enables me to make this thing real.

     

    Best regards, Jurgen

     

    • Like 9

  18. Posted

    nice finding... Not sure if this also explains my case... I sent you a photo of my 800xe (working) motherboard which also has QMEG/320kB mod (email from 5.5.2017). I may try to do a mod to my Sys-check module and eventually report back... :)

     

    btw. is the latest firmware 1.4?

     

    The current firmware is 1.4 - I got no email or PM from today, and emails from 2017... deleted :)

  19. Posted

    @Richard:

     

    The important things about the right RAM chips are already told.

     

    But... How is your experience with Atari 8-Bit? If you´re doing the first technical steps with such an old system, it´s better to do it step-by-step. First fix the defects, then think about expansions. There are a lot of new developments, some useful, some not. You will find a lot of infos here at AtariAge :)

    • Like 1

  21. Posted

    Would anybody happen to have a spare Type 5 keyboard spring I could buy? I am also in need of one each of the two types of springs in a Type 4 keyboard. Thanks!

     

    I have some pieces also. But if Karl has some, it might be cheaper (shipping costs).

    • Like 1

  22. Posted

    Thanks for the assist tf_hh though no luck so far, changed all electrolytics and added the changes you referenced (replacing l3/4 with wire and bypasd for freddy). Unfortunately I've still got the same thing so, leaning towards something with the pal side of things so ordered a new oscillator and a new inductor for that general area. Not for any other reason than running out of things to try replacing.

     

    I take a 2nd look to your picture... please check this part:

     

    post-15670-0-25491900-1532711237.png

    You´ve to remove the right leg of the 100 pF capacitor and solder the wire to "COLOR" (at UAV PCB) to the free pad. Can´t see it really exact, but it looks like the cap is connected to both pads (on both sides). Then such a bad picture is normal.

     

    2nd tipp: Exchange this coil (L6) also with a simple wire. The coil will reduce the +5 volt voltage used for the 4050 (where the UAV draws the power from) and the 1k resistors (pull-up for LUM0...3 and COLOR). At the UAV PCB is a voltage regulator from +5V to +4.5 volts. It´s a real good one, but if the input power is too low, then also such side-effects may happen.

     

    • Like 4

  24. Posted

    Did most PAL XLs lack RAM sockets? Is that why the 320K piggyback upgrades were more popular in Europe?

     

    Hmm, IMHO after reams of PAL mainboards seen in the last 30 years... half-half. 50% of all 800XL mainboards have the RAMs in sockets, the other 50% not.

     

    Also I wouldn´t say that piggypack-updates are very common in Europe (ok, I can only talk about the german users). Most users prefer expansions for built-in, and there exists two wide spreaded solutions: The Compyshop 256 KB expansion and Klaus-Peters "mega-RAM" versions (3 major types with 256 or 1024 KByte). All of them incl. the Compyshop expansion need to remove one RAM chip and (Compyshop) one of the LS158 address mux chips and a PCB is plugged in. Then some wires must be connected. Because the access to US sources in the 80s was not easy, only a few nerds use sources from overseas. Some solutions here in germany (ABBUC Ram-Disk, Atari-Magazin Ram-Disk) based on your Quarter-MEG solution or similar US ones.

     

    And, Compyshop & Klaus-Peters delivers good instructions in local language for all XL/XE variants. So there was no really need for piggy-packing. All of these expansions also offers the ANTIC/CPU seperated access - a lot of users thinks in the 80s this feature is a "must have". Today we know a different story.

     

    Maybe the east-european market has different expierences...

    • Like 1

  25. Posted

    Hmm... Finally got around to installing this in an 800XL with the Freddy chip (PAL region), seems that I've still got my original problems intact after installation (vertical bars, sort of zig-zay-y). Only using composite since that's what I have available, the good news ofcourse is that it didn't blow up on me. Ground pad on UAV cut, wire directly to pin 2 on monitor port.

     

    You´re using the 800XLF mainboard. This one has three problematic points:

     

    - Exchange the both 470 uF electrolytic capacitors found on the mainboard. One on the right side near the RAM chips, the other one in the lower left corner of the O.S. ROM. Although most Atari 8-Bit mainboards hasn´t issues with electrolytic caps, THIS mainboard has. For sure.

    - The both inductors (upper left corner at your picture, L3 and L4). Remove them and use a little piece of wire each for replacement (or a 0R resistor).

    - The missing smoothing cap for Freddie causes a lot of white noise at the CPU´s buss. Check out my mod in this thread.

    • Like 1
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