Silntdoogood

I...actually had a thread going already trying to troubleshoot it. Emperor is good, he beat me to linking while I was typing this. The only problem I ran into making it was forgetting to inverse the plug schematic since you wire it from the back, and I used pins from an old mobo that still had printed circuitry. Full details, video, and pictures are in the thread Emperor posted Sorry, I don't want to get this thread into too far of a tangent.

Oh yeah...I forgot about ribbon printing I will never forget about ribbon printing... A personal fav is the Atari 2050, that thing is like a tank; a big, slow noisy tank that refuses to be stopped I think it's main strength is that it has Inertia on its side Haha, it sounds awesome!...but call me a noob, I have never heard of the 2050... Mind posting or sending me a picture? I tried google and youtube, turned up empty handed. DOH! Not 2050, I was getting my numbers mixed up. I think this happens when you get older I meant the 1025, I have this one, here's a pic: http://picasaweb.goo...021931806883842 Thanks for the rep point, too haha, I clicked the link to here, closed it, and maybe five seconds later got an email notification about a reply haha. Thanks for clarifying! That's an AMAZING PIECE, and I now have a new thing to hunt down! I think I need one of these, man I wish I didn't live in such a luddite community. There is nothing older than a windows 95 machine. It makes me sad.

While it's off-topic, it nevertheless struck me, and I want to ask about that. As a matter of fact, I've got only one record. Okay, actually, it's two, but one album (Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds)... Why don't I have more? Well, I don't have a record player (at least not at the moment). Why do I have this one? Well, for once, it was a present, and furthermore, I've got personal reasons to think special about this album, and don't forget it's just plain awesome. Not being able to listen to the record itself (although I often listen to it in MP3 form), I hoewever thought I'd put it "on display" in my room, as the cover art is of course awesome as well. So it's now sitting on top of a small shelf, leaning at an angle against the wall. You say this could be bad for the discs? Well, anytime just about anything is exposed to the environments like that, it's liable to sustain some age and possible damage. Depending on how long you leave it there, and the stand positioning are more of the factors. Leaving it out like that for a long time will enviably result in the colors fading, the sleeve will dryrot, and other stuff. If you lock it away in storage and preserve it though, than you can't see it and appreciate it. It is truly a double edged sword. I would think having just one out like that wouldn't be bad. I was revering to having maybe...8+ leaning at an angle. Then the weight compounds, and you have more weight pressing on the disks and sleeves than they can sustain. Just for the sake of preservation, you might want to consider a frame. Nothing professional, so you can take it out. If you get it professionally framed, you won't be able to take it out, and that's no fun! If you can find a frame to fit it to support it, or even just a thin piece of wood or something behind it, I would think you should be safe. It's just a matter of having force, a week object, and a fulcrum. I have a sketch below because I am horrible at explaining stuff. I am by no means professional at preserving and collecting, I just have a love for vinyl. You should really find somewhere to play that. Records have a whole different feel than "perfect" digital music.

Oh yeah...I forgot about ribbon printing I will never forget about ribbon printing... A personal fav is the Atari 2050, that thing is like a tank; a big, slow noisy tank that refuses to be stopped I think it's main strength is that it has Inertia on its side Haha, it sounds awesome!...but call me a noob, I have never heard of the 2050... Mind posting or sending me a picture? I tried google and youtube, turned up empty handed.

I just wanted to say in this thread: Since I am currently under 18, and can't hold a paypal account to get my hands on either a real Halo cart, harmony cart, or Stella adapter, I did the next best thing. I installed a DB9 port from an old PC I had to an old keyboard. Wired it all together. (I believe "interweaving the matrices of the keyboard and Atari controller" is the best way to describe this if I have the correct definition of "matrix", but no one can seem to confirm that for me) Now, the Atari controller makes the connections for the keyboard, and I can use it with the emulator. It's still a fully functional keyboard, just has this handy dandy Atari plug on the back. I'm probably going to add an additional connection so if you use a Genisis controller with it, A will emulate "reset", since so many games use that after you die...and jumping up to hit F2 takes you out of the feeling of having the real hardware. I digress, I just wanted to give my thanks for the inspiration!

I don't know if anyone is even still watching this topic here, but I can't say I'm on a mission to collect everything, I am looking for a good pile of (legally) free ROMs. I know a ton are hosted here on atariage. I've downloaded a handful, some I really like, but others are kind of lemons. I didn't want to start a new topic, because I feel like it's been discussed before, but if anyone reading this has made any homebrews, has any ROMs to suggest, or a link to a thread where this has all been discussed before, I'm all ears!

Um...youtube refused to finalize the first video here's a functioning link, if anyone is actually interested. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymb5soohYA0

Oh, and Al had commented on the functionality of a paddle controller. I guess the project isn't "done" now until I can get that done. I'm hosting the pictures my self because I already wasted the time to upload them there for the video description. I might as well save some atariage space while I'm at it. pictures: http://www.silntdoogood.webs.com/atarik1.jpg http://www.silntdoogood.webs.com/atarik2.jpg http://www.silntdoogood.webs.com/atarik3.jpg video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0m9AW1EtqQ Thanks again everyone!

No slaughter necessary. Just chop off the end of a joystick extension or DB9 computer cable, and wire that to the traces in the gamepad. Then you can plug in whatever stick you choose at the time. When you mentioned the DB9 computer cable, it made me think, I'm merging several levels of computer into one. At that, not being very careful, just kind of using what I need. I'm using a hacksawed off piece of motherboard for the pins for the actual DB9 plug. I pulled the rows of pins off the motherboard piece, and soldered just the leads to the pins. It was much more difficult, and some board would have helped, but it works now! I guess there was some printed circuitry on the USB pins I had used. I wasn't using much o he board at all, and don't see anything that connects. It either means there were connections in a sub-level, or when I cut it, a bunch grounded with each other on the edge. I digress, it works I'll attach some pictures, and post a video in a sec if anyone is interested. Thanks for your help everyone! XD

Oh yeah...I forgot about ribbon printing

I never realized Craig's list had so much available in the realm of retro stuff. I've been browsing the forums, and it seems there are some successful hunters in there. I will have to start looking!

I don't know much about floppy disks, but I collect vinyl records, and it is recommended to store them vertically as well. The reason is that the weight of the records can crush the records on the bottom (or at leaste cause some hairline fractures). Could the weight of the disks crush the disks below (maybe not crush, but cause some sort of damage)? Just my thoughts on your post. Dusty Well, if you have enough records to keep some pressure, you store them upright. If you store them upright, but loosely, they warp. If you only have a handful of records and they are lying at an angle, it's better to lay them flat.

NICE!!! I love the screens! And does the printer actually print? I would think finding ink at this point would be a bear! It's hard enough for a printing calculator anymore... Have any singing floppy programs in there?

If you find one, let me know please. I've been working at it for a few days now and haven't gotten far enough. I looked on youtube, but the site is just spammed out with people doing "play-throughs" and not making it past the first or second stage. I understand the first few videos like that were fine, but it's pointless and irritating to have this may.

I was at a store that had a pile of Coleco Donkey Kongs. I don't know if I can still get my hands on them though. They run short hours, and most of them are while I work. It takes an hour to drive there and back, and I'd have to do it before work, cutting time close to clock in, and it's a new job, I'd prefer to make it at least a month before clocking in late. Private message me, and we can arrange stuff. With a bit of effort and luck, I should be able to get you your Coleco carts, and a pile of Pac-Man carts or something like that.

(couldn't let my account sit on 13 posts)

That was originally what I was going to do, but I have only one clicky Atari controller, and I don't care for the ones that don't click. I really don't want to slaughter my favorite controller, and half the time I find my self using a genesis controller anyway.

Haha, yes I am. I know that. In my mind this is simpler than any of the projects I have seen. I just can't get it to work... As far as buying kits and/or adapters, I've seen Stella adapters go from $30-50. There are probably cheaper out there, but the problem that caused me to start this project in the first place is not having access to a paypal account to buy a physical Halo2600 cart. There fore, I have difficulty in buying an adapter

With the release of Halo 2600, I started paying with ROMs (okay, that's still the only ROM I have so far) When I have the keyboard controls it just doesn't feel like an atari game. Now, the atari controller works with a simple matrix (I believe "matrix" is the word for when you have many buttons, but the leads combine in ways that you have only a handful of connections where each button has a unique combination, eliminating wires, but keeping functionality. I got the term from an instruction sheet in a project box I bought from Radio Shack years ago. It was long enough ago I may have misread the word, if someone can confirm my definition, I'd appreciate it!) and a keyboard works on a more complex matrix. If I combine the two, I should logically be able to use the actual Atari controller to emulate pushing keyboard keys to run the emulator. I have messed with this project for about a week, and have failed at just about everything, including painting the case. Originally I connected the Atari controller leads to the keys that the Stella Emulator uses. This doesn't work because in the five keys, there are three different ground connections. Connecting the three sends an invalid return to the keyboard controller. I can accept this. I looked over the board, and found five keys on the same ground. I have adopted them. The 9-pin serial port I'm using came from a '92 desktop PC and has this handy female plug on the end that I'd like to use for two reasons: 1) Easy disassembley if I ever need to 2) I spent a half hour finding where all the pin slots go To solve the dilemma of "I have no pins for the female plug on the port" I took a hacksaw, and removed the front USB connections of a dead motherboard. It works quite well. Now I have a small board, all the leads running from the keys appropriately into the pins on it. Those pins appropriately correspond with the correct places on the port for the Atari controller to communicate the proper signals, and yet, when I have these connections in place, the keyboard throws errors, and just all around fails at typing. This is an older keyboard, when I disconnect the connections I have made, it all works fine. I have used two different serial ports, two different boards, three different controllers and new wires each time I resoldered. What is actually erroring varies. I've had it down to as simple as when you push either "G" or "L" it types "GL" to as complex as nearly every key typing two to three extra characters, or in the case of "2" not working at all. The only theory I can come up with is the board controller measures how much resistance has been applied from the printed circuitry to help determine which key has been pressed. This seems a bit advanced for a cheap-o 1997 keyboard. Like I said, I've been at this for several days, not every day has been devoted to just this problem, but this is one that seems to elude me. ~~Also~~ As a side note: If someone could put my mind to ease by explaining the legality of making your own hardware for the Atari system. I like to stay diligent of copyrights, patents etc. I'm rather new to these forums, if you'd rather this be in a second post, I will do so, and this appendix may be disregarded. I feel like it is something that has a post already, but I can't find one. A link to such a place would be appreciated via PM or post here. Thanks for taking the time to read my giant story! -Spence

Paypal my enemy, we meet again. It sucks to be 17 an not eligible for an account yet... I can't use ebay either >.< How long is this offer going to be available for me to find someone to order through? Accept any other payment methods?

I will be posting something about this tomorrow.. ..Al Thanks for the update! Hope it's good news. I'll log on as soon as I get home from work. I agree with kain, I don't have a very large collection compared to other's I have seen, and I'm pretty easy to please with having a pile of common fun games over rare dull ones. This is just an amazing game to play though! While I can make a cart, but it's not the same as a legitimate cart. While I hope Albert's post is good news for getting my hands on one, I kind of hope that there is a difference in this cart and the GCE ones if production is starting again. I respect the people who actually got their carts from the CGE, and looking from their perspective, if I got my cart from there, only to have the exact same one become available online, I'd be a little disappointed. (Unless some actually managed to survive unsold at the CGE ) I guess I can "what if" this scenario forever, the gist of the post being I'd kind of like to see a second generation of these carts become available, but have some visual difference from the CGE gen.

Erm...I have yet to find a cause.... ...My problem ended up being a $3.00 transistor on the voltage regulator board... I will defiantly have to look at that! I won't be able to until after the 7th due to some other priorities...but I will look ASAP.

Jeez, third post, I feel like I'm spamming out this thread, this is the first time I have ever run an emulator...I may have to find or make a joystick for this! Considering how easy it would be to make a joystick, probably the second.

If they didn't get permission, I would think the legal troubles would be limited. They didn't actually use any of the games copyrighted video or audio. I would think the plotline of the game would stray from the original because the 2600 just doesn't have the capabilities to run features the full game has. I don't think they can copyright the idea of the game, but I'm not 100% sure of that.(when you look at the dance they dance when Parker Brothers fights games close to Monopoly [which, I find ironic they are the only company permitted to make the game "Monopoly"] and they've won several cases against knock-off games) but in the Parker Brother's cases, the other companies are not crediting them, or acknowledging Monopoly. I would think this would classify more as a parody, or a "fan art" scenario. I doubt they used the original fonts from the game, or artwork, so they probably avoid any complications with trademarks. The only think I could really see wrong with it is they have "Halo" in the name. But the full name appears to be "Halo 2600", dodging that bullet. Besides, If the companies get upset over this, they need to learn to lighten up and enjoy the free advertising. I have yet to play the game myself, but if the 2600 clone here is good enough, I might consider an investment (or at least look into it). Now, this isn't going to be a decision breaker for me, but my most advanced piece of gaming machinery is a Gamecube. I don't even think they make those games anymore. It might just be time for an upgrade.

The convention is in Las Vegas?! That's as bad as vidcon in California! It would be amazing to get one of those carts!...but even if I drove out there, I still wouldn't get there in time. I'd be willing to drive over a few states, but I just can't do a cross country trip like that... >.<