abraXXious

Oh, and I already have that 1gb image - thats what I have been previously using but found it is out of date and is missing a lot of the newly added DBug games.

Hey there, thats very generous of you kind sir. The laters versions of TOS can handle boot partitions of up to 1GB, but at 512 Mb it keeps compatibility with older machines. A 2GB Image with 4 x 512Mb partitions would be fine. Please find the imaging program attached to this post. Do you use HDDriver to prep the card? Thanks for your help. drimg13.zip

If there was a drive image of say a 4gb card, empty with just 4 x 1gb partitions THEN I would be right. I could image this empty drive image to a 4gb card, place this in my PC and copy across all the data to the 1gb parition that is visible on the PC, make an image of this card (in case it later gets corrupted) and then transfer to the Atari for usage. Does anyone have a HDDriver created 4gb blank card image (4 x 1gb empty partitions)?

Yessum, but how am I preparing the SD card in the first place? As far as I am aware you cannot prepare an SD card for use in a Satandisk via PC, it must be formatted on the PC THEN prepared on the Atari via HDDriver..... and as soon as you attempt to do that on an STe with buggy DMA your card is then corrupted. Then you could transfer the SD card to your PC (of which I have several) to copy across your data..... but what would be the point since the card would be at corrupted from being prepped in the STe? Do you see what I mean? Unless there is a way to format, prep AND install data without using the STes at all, it is impossible to create an SD card for use with a Satandisk with my setup.

Well that would be great.... if my two STes didnt have the buggy DMA. As soon as I try and write to the SD card when it is placed in the ST (via HDDriver) the card will become corrupt. So this guide is no good to someone like myself, or others in the same situation. A shame really as I have already purchase HDDriver (8.4) and it seems very easy to use.

Hey guys, now that a new batch of Ultrasatans is becoming available I thought this might be a good time to bring up something that would be of great help to users of these devices. We need some new SD images. The ones available are missing quite a few of the DBug installable games and as are such incomplete. A 4gb image with all games, demos, music and utils would be great. Happy to pay for someones time in doing this. I would create a new image myself, however my two STes that are fitted with Satandisks have the faulty DMA, so if I try to write to the SD cards on them (to add the missing games for instance) I get file corruption. and because the currently available images are set up so that the first partition is small enough to be read by earlier TOS versions, there is not enough room on there to add the games with the SD card mounted in Windows. I wonder if some general fellow would consider creating a couple of new images for use with Satandisk / UltraSatan? If so, would it be possible to have versions with the main partition (that is visible to Windows) to be 1GB as Im sure a lot of users would have a later TOS that can handle that. If, on the other hand, there is already some 4gb images on the 'net with all the later games that I am unaware of, could someone please point me in the right direction?

Hey there lotharek, how long until these are ready for purchase?

Ahhhh, I see. Some of the beige keyed breadbox C64s use a similar mb to the C64C - some use the newer SID, some use a 9v version of the older SID and some use the original 12v sid. Other than that, there is almost no difference at all.

Hey guys, thanks for all the replies. I have settled on a mint condition (absolutely no yellowing what so ever, still in the original box) Pal Atari 65XE. It is a Rev B motherboard manufactured in Taiwan and has a non-buggy GTIA. I have purchased an SIO2SD (one of the trendy ones in an enclosure), a 1MB Ultimate Upgrade Kit and a Dual/Stereo Pokey kit with an Extra Pokey chip. I understand some 65XEs have the enhanced cart connector of the 130XE.... there is a mini cart connector right next to the standard cart connector, is this the enhanced cart or something else? I guess the only extra thing I need is a decent video mod to give me a nice clean S-Video out.

Thanks for the replies guys. Quick question, desnt the Side2 do the same job as the SIO2SD? Dont they both replace the floppy drive witha solid state storage medium? If so, is there are need for both? If not, which is the better option?

Hey guys, okiez, I am chasing a VGC Atari 8 bit. Either an Atari 800XL, 130XE or similar (open to suggestions) upgraded for use to run games and new homebrew. Preferrably PAL. If someone has a system like this ready to go please PM me. Alternatively, I would be interested in paying someone to assemble such a system for me. My limited understanding of Atari hardware leads me to believe the best upgrade path would be something like the following: Atari 800XL/130XE etc Ultimate 1mb ram upgrade with Spartados Stereo/dual Pokey upgrade Video Out mod SIO2SD Please correct me if Im wrong, but the above should be a nice capable 8 bit Atari.

Hey there Jacques, thanks for the links - they sort of answer my question, but not completely. Perhaps I could ask another way. If I wanted to built the ultimate 8 bit Atari for running software and new homebrew would the following be the best path? Atari 800XL 1MB Ultimate board SIO2SD Stereo Pokey Video Out Mod Would this be the best way to go?

I cannot find any prices?! Do I need to update my browser?

Postage will probably be a killer, but PM sent.

Argghhh. at first glance I thought it was an SIO2SD. Even though, can I please get a total including postage to Australia?

Hi there, is the 7800 still available? If so, I may be interested pending postage quotation to Australia (please). Also, what proportion of Pal 7800 games work on an NTSC 7800? And is there anyway od converting the unit to Pal? I have a VGC Pal 7800 case to swap over (NTSC case does not look as nice).

Hey guys, I started this topic in the General/Hardware section where as I probably should have started it here. If a mod can please move the topic to this forum it would be appreciated. Without going into too much detail. I am asking peoples opinions on the best 8 bit Atari computer for homebrew, expanding, quality (keyboard etc), durability, looks etc. I already have an SIO2SD ready to plug in. At the moment I am tossing up between an 800XL, 64XE and 130XE. Pros and cons?

Me too - very impressed with my Harmony cart. Would love a 7800 version.

I have a few full size pinball machines, but they take up a lot of room so usually have them in storage. I really like the Doctor Who pinball machine - its pretty funky. The Terminator II ones isnt bad either.

Very similar, however there is a couple of differences. The MAIN difference is that the C64C uses a ner revision of the SID chip *Sound Interface Device) - this is the audio processor of the C64. The original SID is the SID 6581 - this is what is found in all "breadbox" C64s. However, in late 1986 the C64C was released to replace the original breadbox C64 and it included the newly revised SID 8580. Now there are a couple of other SID revisions, but these are really the same as the original 6581. The main two you need to know about are the 6581 and 8580. With the 8580, Commodore eliminated a bug that caused slight background noise. Unforunately, this same "bug" had been used by programmers for a few years to produce sampled sound and speech in games. So the offshoot was that with the newer C64C, some audio samples either could not be heard at all or were very faint. The 8580 also has a slightly different sound to the 6581. Some prefer the sound of the original SID, others prefer the sound of the newer - I find that some games sound better with one, and others sound better with the other so its about even. With regards the sound samples though, there is an easy fix for the newer sid where by you add a resistor and ground (with partial resistance) one of the pins of the SID 8580 so that it introduces the same sound the "bug" used to cause. This gives you back your audio samples. You can use a simple toggle switch so that you can switch this "bug" on and off at will. This essentially gives you the best of both worlds. Oh, and you cannot swap a SID 6581 with a SID 8580 as they run different voltages (original SID is 12v, newer SID is 9v). You can, however, get a dual SID or Stereo SID board and have two SIDS which sounds awesome! Some SID boards even allow you to use one of each SID - a 6581 and an 8580 at the same time (the boards supply 9v to one and 12v to the other). This sounds amazing as you get the slightly different sounds of the two sids playing together in stereo. Lastly, the C64C uses less power and runs cooler so is more reliable than the original breadbox C64 - I personally always go for the C64C as I have never come across a dead one, but have come across several dead breadbox C64s.

Hey guys, I have a boxed Atari 7800 that has no audio. I have tried it on several tvs to ensure it is not an rf carrier issue. I have also opened the unit and adjust the rf tuning pot up and down but this makes no difference. It is the Pal model with Asteroids built in. Other than the lack of audio everything works perfectly. I even tried replacing the two capacitors on the audio circuitry, but this did not help (and the old capacitors looked fine - no leakage). Any ideas? Could it be a dead TIA chip? But if so, then sure 2600 games would not work - but they do, just with no sound.

Hey guys, not sure if this is the right place for this topic (if not please feel free to move it), but I would like to hear some opinions/points of view on the best Atari 8 bit system with respects to all aspects. These aspects may be, but not restricted to, build quality/keyboard quality, stock specifications, upgradability and ease of upgrading, reliability and compatibility. The reason I am asking is that I want to set up one of my collected Atari systems to use along side my other set up retro systems and play around with some classic games and newer homebrew. However, I only want to set up one of my 8 bit Atari systems and Im not sure which. I have purchased an Sio2SD so this should take the place of a bulky disk drive. The systems I am presently tossing up between are an Atari 800XL and an Atari 130XE, but I have Atari 400s, 800s, XEGSs too. You opinions on the pros and cons of each system would be greatly appreciated and, with a bit of the luck, the thread should turn into a useful resource for others deciding how best to dip a toe in the pool of 8 bit Atari retro systems.

Will report back if he does. Such a shame - I was going to bid on those 800s. Dont suppose anyone has a working 800 motherboard on the cheap?

Old thread, but I need to bump it again...... Check out this idiot on ebay, he has managed to destroy two 800xls AND an XEGS... he is king of the potato people! http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com.au%2Fitm%2F2x-Atari-800XL-Atari-850-interface-module-Atari-1010-cassette-%2F221201296643%3Fpt%3DAU_Computers_Vintage%26hash%3Ditem33809fed03%23ht_552wt_1399 http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com.au%2Fitm%2FAtari-XE-Video-Game-System-in-Original-Box-%2F221201297189%3Fpt%3DAU_Computers_Vintage%26hash%3Ditem33809fef25%23ht_516wt_1399 I have already sent him a message pleading with him to stop plugging that f&^king C64 psu into Atari gear. What a tool.