Atari-Collector

Thanks for the info.. the new fossil driver seem a bit trigger happy on blocking. I can log in with in my own network fine. mite end up going back to the previous version since I know it worked on a live test a couple days ago sorry for the mix up..

Just to stick my nose in quick.. I just brought my BBS live after a 20 year break While running on a PC, the files areas are going to me mainly for Atari stuff (and Trekkie things) telnet://holodeckbbs.noip.me It's still a work in progress, so be kind

Yes, I did put a diode (1n4148) in the interface, I just finished putting the 600xl back together after removing the interface to be located externally.. I also fixed the power LED that wasn't coming on, and added the AV line output mod to it too. So tomorrow I'll get at modding the SIO cable btw the power LED just needed pulling out of it's socket, some contact cleaner, a slight twist to the pin to increase tension and put it back in I left the original 5mm LED. Back in my 800 days.. I switched it's power LEDs to green.. so somewhere out there is an tank case 800 with green power likes on it and it's 810 drive...

I like that idea! I have the interface soldered to the inside of the 600xl's connector right now. but there really isn't enough room to mount it in the case. I guess an 800xl would have had more room.. But I know it works now, although a experienced some glitch, it work better using DSR instead of RI (I put a 3 pin header on the board and a jumper to switch between the two) and I also notics some times there at pauses of several seconds during loading. and I also discovered I can't copy a disk (atr) image to a real flooy on mt xf551 using the DOS disk dupe.. But I seen another interface/software the allows a PC to connect to a floppy drive with not actual Atari computer for writing disks.. so i guess thats my next project

I agree. I don't really want to cut a hole in the 600XL's case, but to get a SIO connect I'd have to buy a full cable on ebay and use it.. and that's about $25 by the time you get shipping to Canada on that.. And I've already pushed my budget pretty far on this.. what I was thinking is just run the serial cable out the expansion slot (or maybe a vent hole) and put a hood on it. Then when I can find a SIO cable at a more reasonable price, remove it from the computer and make it external.

I have an XF551 drive, so yes I could put it in there use as easily. I prefer serial ports to USB. my PC has 3 serial ports, two in use by my ham radio, leaving one free. And it's fairly common that high RF from transmitting will temporally knock out a USB port. I've tried USB to serial adapters in the past, that is why I spend the money to had the extra real serial ports to my computer... At this point I've solder all the capacitors and socket to the project board, just got to add the DB9 and the wiring for the SIO side. And I'll debate putting the device in the 600XL or the XF551, In the 600XL I don't have to have the really floppy attached all, so that would be a plus I think.

I'm about to start work on building a SIO2PC board from scratch. and lacking a SIO cable to cannibalize or the connector, I figure I'll install the board right in the 600XL case even though it means cutting a hole for the DB9 serial connector (cringe) My question is, are that any drawback to doing this? like interfering with normal real floppy use. I figure just turn the floppy off when i use the SIO and the exit SIO software when use the floppy. is it possible to use both? so i copy copy atr disk images to real floppies? thanks

Last week I got the Atari 600XL that I bought on the evil auction site, and was pretty happy with it. But wasn't a lot I could do with just a few game cartridges I bought from another seller (only 3 of the 6 worked.. see my last post about that rant) Today the Atari XF551 floppy drive arrived! Now I can load and save stuff finally! First thing I did was make a backup copy of the DOS 2.5 disk. As I write this, I'm trying to format some old floppies, but but seem to be having some problem and noticed the were the old "Steals" brand. Steals is a long gone computer chain, kind of like Staples, that sold a LOT of marginal quality computer items. Thanking about it, it was common to have two or three bad disks straight out of the box when they were new. So I'm going to have to go find some better 5.25" disks to use, move their files to modern media if need be. But a couple disks formatted to Atari DOS ok. So the next step is to try writing some of the disk images I downloaded to my PC to the Atari formatted disks using an format emulator program I found.. So I'll see how that goes and post about it later, but for now, my Atari is working, talking DOS and chirping away happily, so I kind of feel like Christmas

Working are Centipede CXL4020, Dig Dug RX8026 and Joust RX8044 not working are Pac-Man CXL4022,Atari Writer RX8036, BASIC CXL4002 they all do the same thing. first a blue screen, and only a signal white block in the upper left and a fast ticking sound for a few seconds, then a green screen that has the self test options. I can run the tests from that point, if i reset the system it just start over same as a cold boot.

Yes, cleaned the slot on the 600xl also, I tried the full in all the way to just barely in. They are all Atari made cartridges, cosmetically they all look fine. I'm thinking I'll just download the disk image files of the dead carts and write them to a floppy.. at least I'll be able to use them.

I finally got in the mood to attack that bad cartridges. Took one apart, cleaned it with contact cleaner and a briteboy and even reseated the two ICs. No change, and also re-flowed all the solder points adding solder as needed.. Still dead.. I haven't done anything with the other two, but I expect that same when I do.. It's either very bad luck getting 3 out of 6 bad, or just a bad seller passing of bad ones with good to clear them out. No idea which it right, but I do know I won't buy anything listed as "un-tested" again.. But I paid $25(US) for the bunch, so figuring it as 3 carts, I got a ok deal I guess.. as a foot note, while trying the cart the power LED came on for the first couple tries then flicked out.. So that I figure I just a loose connect and fixable.

Mine has the CLR, CONTROL and arrows in inverted style..solid white background . I just have to get in the mood to open it to check the LED...

Yes, I've repeated inserted and retried the bad cartridges with not change, the one thing I do notice it during the boot, the a low pop-like sound sort of like the sound you hear from loading a floppy by much faster. and on the dead carts there's some extra pops in there.. I'll try some more cleaning on them later, maybe use the brite-boy cleaner I use on my model train tracks. Think of it as an extra course rubber.. http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/attachments/thumbs/325000/Peco_RailCleaner.jpg I plan on using it for games, and if I can get Atari-Writer to work, I'd like to do some writing on it too. I've here there's a way to get a telnet termail going so I though I may they that and call a few telnet bbs'.

The self test comes up on it's own with the non-working cartridges plugged in. I did try booting it once holding the option key down recalling hearing something about a test once.. I don't have an 800, that's what I had as a kid and foolishly sold...

The non working carts are AtariWriter, PAC-MAN, and BASIC (yes I know the 600XL has BASIC built in and it works) This 600XL was upgraded to 64K, and the seller even sent along the original 16K chips in a parts bag. Cosmetically, it's in very nice shape, no signs of abuse. I also bought a XF551 floppy drive from the same person, it was shipped separately, so I hope I will be here tomorrow or friday.. fyi, my original Atari was an 800 (tank case), so the 600XL is a bit different to me

The Atari 600XL (64K upgraded) I bought on the evil auction site arrived today, and seems to work ok, except for the power LED.. the first time I turned it on the RED power LED was on, But after then, I tried a few cartridges I bought from another seller, and noticed the LED no longer lights whether that's a cart in the 600XL or not. 3 of the 6 cartridges I bought do not work, the others seem to be ok so far (the lot was sold as untested so no recourse for the dead carts) I have tried cleaning them with rubbing alcohol, with no change, planing on picking up some contact cleaner on my way back from the doc tomorrow, but for the price, 3 working carts still isn't too bad except the 2 I wanted the most are amount the dead. So what would make the power LED go out? just a fluke timing? btw, when it was booted with the 3 bad carts, the self-test screen came, and I did run them and they all passed. thanks for any help

I have 28 right now.. but I only decided a month or so ago to actively collect Atari stuff, and clost 2/3 of thoese have been bought in the last month.. I have a goal of 50 by the end of the year, it's a bit harder for me since shopping only line adds up in postage fast, generally buying from outside Canada is cost prohibitive due to postage. and I don't get around to the flea market stuff that much because of my health.. but still going to keep trying.. and oh yes,, I blew my budget buying an Atari 600XL and a floppy drive last week.

Hmmm Woodstock is about an hour tops I think, I'm in London. And I get an email back saying he tested ok, so I've paid for it and he's planing on mailing it tomorrow

Just put double stick tape on the stuff you want them to stay off, cats hates the sticky.. Works with my cat

The 600xl I bought already has been upgraded to 64K of RAM

The seller agreed to the offer I made on the XF551, but told me to hold off on sending the money until he can test it on his 800XL, the 600XK I bought is already shipped. So I think that's a good sign. From what I've seen of the XF551 online, the drive itself looks like a standard 5.25" drive that you would find in a pc. and I have a few of those drives around here. I also have a couple old PC that could be used as dedicated SIO2PC platforms. May be a goo job for my old 400MHz K6-2 that's collecting dust. I must say , I really do appreciate all the comments and ideas of this. It's great to know there;s other people out there that love the old machines and what to keep them going. I wonder if Windows hadn't happened, maybe it'd be Atari ruling the world:)

My 2600 jr has an AV mod on it. But my LCD TV does support analog NTSC signals, so that's not a problem and I have a CRT TV in the bedroom. or I could even connect to the TV tuner card in my one PC and use it's screen. I've read you can do the same AV mod to the 600xl as the 2600, so there's a good chance I'll do that in time.

The drive is a XF551, I don't know much about it except it's a newer Atari drive. I have read about the SIO2PC option too. And even found a simple converter schematic using a MAX232 chip, oddly enough I have one left over as a spare from a ham radio project. So I'm guessing all I need is build it and get the software. I seen one program on source-forge, so I'm guess it's freeware, which would be a help since I've spent too much money already this month.. My old Atari discs (if I ever find them) are SD, made on a an 850 drive. The floppies I have are DS/DD, and some I know I used for the Atari because the have the write notice snipped in to the other side to use the other side of the disk.

If you seen my post yesterday, you know I just bought a Atari 600xl on the evil auction site, and patiently waiting for it to arrive, but still hoping to work out a deal with the seller for a floppy drive he has also. Today I've been looking, but not finding, my box of old Atari floppies that had a few games, programs, and my writing on it.. So I've been thinking, is there any way to get a copy of Atari DOS? I heard about a program that lets you access Atari format discs on a PC, so is there a way to get a DOS image to write out that way? Or some other way? And while I'm talking floppies, while I have a ton of PC 5.25" discs around that could be re-purposed, I was wondering if anybody makes new 5.25" floppies today? thanks.. I hope this is rehashing something already cover.. I'm just want to get back up to 8bit speed with as few bumps as possible.

Oh you want to hear about a static zap.. A few months ago I got out of bed and reached for my X-10 pluged-in style controller to turn the lights on. I've had it for years.. Touched the button and I got the nastiest static shock ever, and it killed the X-10 controller as well. I handed that thing every days for year, and I guess it's number was up.. Not it just randoms flashes and dims lights when I press a button on it.. OK, not Atari related, but a cautionary tale for sure...