Turbo-Torch
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Posts posted by Turbo-Torch
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About 10 years ago eBay had an endless supply of AS IS Lynx II systems being sold for next to nothing. Many different sellers, so I don't know what the story was. I picked one up for about $5 for spare parts. Great physical shape and it sort of worked, but the screen seemed damaged.
If you adjust the brightness just right and keep the Lynx at an angle you can see the image and it had lines in it.
I disassembled it and someone wrote LINES on the back of the display and GOOD ONE on the circuit board. I put it in the parts bin and forgot about it.
I recently installed the BennVenn IPS kit in my original Lynx II (incredibly awesome btw!). I remembered I had that old Lynx and decided to put the removed screen in that unit and bring it back to life.
Same problem with very faded/dark screen, but no lines this time.
The contrast seems to react as it should with the pot, yet there's only a small sweet spot where I can see the image and the screen must be tilted at an extreme angle.
All original caps were spot on but I replaced them since they were already removed. Q12 and D13 tested good, but I also replace them.
Removed the brightness pot and it tested ok.
Voltages seem correct at locations that I can get off the available schematic.
Is there a list of TP voltages, similar to this one but for the original screen?
https://atarigamer.com/pages/atari-lynx-model-2-voltage-test-point-measurements
Also, can the Suzy get weak and cause this issue? I assumed it would either work or not work at all?
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44 minutes ago, tep392 said:
Regarding the 8 vs. 4 way, I was only asking how we can tell it's an 8-way from a photo, because I was curious if this was an assumption or if there is some evidence proving it to be fact. I never indicated any doubt that it is not the original stick or that the game is therefore not all original. With that said, please go ahead and keep stating the obvious that it is not original and that is all that matters.
I guessing an assumption. It would even be hard to tell if it was a name brand like Happ or one of hundreds of Chinese knock-offs.
It could be 4 way, 8 way, micro switch, leaf switch...who knows without popping the control panel open.
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Interesting project, can't wait to hear how it turns out.
I have 2 half height drives, one appears new and the other is definitely new (still sealed in the antistatic bag).
I have a large dual drive Bernoulli box and I think I may be able to replace those Bernoulli drives with the 8" floppy drives. There should also be enough room left over for a power supply. At one point I think I found the specs for a Meanwell PS that did 5, -5 and 24.
My Model III has an aftermarket controller that supports 8" drives, so my goal is to set them up as externals and paint the case battleship gray to match.
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12 hours ago, centrespot said:
I've tried several MSDOS versions and different drive units but nothing works, I read that the EX needs a specific boot disk.
No it doesn't. I use every DOS from the included Tandy 2.11 up to MS-DOS 6.22.
The OEM 2.11 does include some specific Tandy features, but it's not required.
What kind of disks are you using? Are you sure they're DSDD 360K? An HD floppy disk will not work in an EX, even if it's formatted to 360K.
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4 hours ago, xhul said:
Apparently, mode 4 (backlight off) is actually the VGA output redirection.
Also, though it's not exactly useful, i just discovered that a long press resets the mode to the default (mode 1 - no scanlines).
VGA out makes sense. If any detailed info exists on this IPS kit, I've yet to find it. I just went by the rev.6 install guide.
4 hours ago, xhul said:Interesting.
If you have the IPS V1 Rev3 as well, i guess that means the display at boot may vary depending on the lynx model and revision or something.
There also seems to be the possibility to set up an on-screen low battery indicator, though i have no idea where to solder the wire.
Anyway, i doubt a lot of us use actual batteries.
I didn't take photos, but I'm almost certain that was the revision printed on my kit too.
I mostly use the ElCheapoSD, but tried some regular games to see how it boots and still had the nice checkerboard.
On-screen low battery indicator would be interesting, but kind of redundant. The power LED still flashes when the batteries are low. I've always used rechargeables in mine, currently NiMH. I hoping upwards of 10 hours is now possible.
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4 hours ago, xhul said:
I was also pleasantly surprised to see that both horizontal & vertical scanlines are available.
Also, on the current revision, a regular press on the backlight button changes the display mode, it's no longer needed to hold it.
At first I didn't realize it had the option of scanline cycling through the backlight button, I thought adding the wire committed you to scanlines all the time. Also love that it turns off the backlight so it stays true to the original function too.
4 hours ago, xhul said:The LCD i received does however display garbage for a split second when the device is turned on, but that's totally negated by the overall quality and features.
Hmm. 🤔 Mine shows a perfect black/white checkerboard.
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IPS kit arrived today and I am blown away! I would have never imagined that was lurking inside my 1980s handheld that I've owned for over 3 decades. That old screen was the equivalent of 50 year old, dry rotted bias ply tires on a Lamborghini.
I don't even need to have my bifocals on to play it anymore! 😎
My camera doesn't do it justice.
Before. And this was after a cap kit and new old stock screen.
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1 hour ago, 0078265317 said:
Not worth 600. Not even worth fixing. But out of curiosity I wonder if it just needs a new board or something and how much?
Did you even read the description and look at the pictures? That's for 17 TVs, including a 75" QLED 8K Samsung.
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1 hour ago, 0078265317 said:
That's an ultra rare Sony and it's color. Those go for $8,000+ all day long and you'd be crazy not to snatch that up if you have the spare cash.
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Is this different than the Micro-Labs that made the hi-res Grafyx Solution board for the TRS-80 line? I have quite a bit of their disk based software for my Model III, which is compatible with the Radio Shack board.
Never heard of them making games for home consoles.
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Crazy how pricey 5¼ drives are these days. 10 years ago you couldn't give them away.
I don't have any spare drives, but I do recommend a Mitsumi D509V3, and there's usually a few on eBay. I paid $30 for mine a few months ago.
It may not be anything you need, but it has a jumper to change it from 1.2 HD to 360K LD. It also automatically changes RPM from 360 to 300. I removed the jumper plug and wired in a switch which is installed on the back of the tweener computer to change the setting.
Makes perfect 360K disks that can be read on any older PC and with a flip of a switch, it does 1.2mb again.
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When a flyback goes out, it usually sounds like a firecracker and will stink the house up for a day. The flyback has the high tension lead going to the picture tube and attached with what looks like a suction cup. A bad flyback will usually have a noticeable crack in it.
Everyone acts like it's the kiss of death when one fails, but they're easy to replace provided you can find one. There are companies that make replacements for everything imaginable, so it's hard to believe it would be unavailable.
Either way, I highly doubt your flyback is bad.
There should be a pigtail with a molex connector that you can unplug and check for power to the monitor. The supply side should lead down to the big power supply at the bottom of the cabinet. Down there is an isolation transformer...120 volt input and 120 volt output. This MUST be used! If that's been bypassed and you run 120 volts from your wall outlet directly to the monitor, you'll have a hot chassis which can kill anyone that touches a metal part of the game. You'll also ruin components in the monitor and possibly destroy all the game boards.
If the game worked the last time you used it, it's most likely something simple that came apart while moving it.
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16 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said:
On a long enough timeline, they all fail.
Yeah, but that timeline for most consoles is in years. The 5200 controllers can be measured in weeks.
Even if you don't use them, 5200 controllers will go bad like a gallon of milk.
The composition of those carbon dots had to be one of the biggest design flaws in video game history.
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31 minutes ago, Ecernosoft said:
BESERK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (right?)
Berzerk is one of the very best ports on the 2600, but I can't consider it better than the original arcade game. The 5200 with speech gets closer to evening things up but still not better.
The Stern arcade game is so bad ass, it's been known to kill people! 💀
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Pre '82 wasn't just PET and the TRS-80 Model I...Atari and Apple were also big names.
What kind of games are you talking about? Commercial games on cassette, disk and cartridge, or just keying in BASIC games from a magazine like the one you mentioned? And what years, because there's a huge difference between something like '77 and '81.
Channel F, 2600, Intellivision and O2 were out in the 70s, they cost a fraction of a home computer and were typically far better at playing games, so a home computer was never a "prime" place to go.
As far as people into computers older than they are, you'd probably need to attend one of the more popular conventions. I usually go to Tandy Assembly and the CoCo seems to have a fanbase that was born decades after that computer was relevant.
Now a 20 year old who mostly or only plays games typed into a PET...out of 8 billion people on on this planet, there are probably more weirdos out there that would do that than there are PETS available. In other words, very few.
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I've had both a 130XE and 5200 for about 30 years now. No nostalgia attachment to either as I didn't have them in the 80s.
If the 5200 collection disappeared and I still had the A8, I would not replace the 5200.
If the A8 system disappeared and I still had the 5200, I would not replace the A8 either.
If they both disappeared and I wanted to replace one, that would be a tough call. As much as I like the 5200's analog sticks and the true arcade trak-ball for a handful of games, I'd still probably go back to the A8. My SDrive Max gives me endless free games without taking up space. The 5200 is also like a 400 while the 130XE is light years ahead of them in capability, so I guess it would depend on what A8 you own.
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Reforming capacitors through controlled low voltage/current is something done on large industrial equipment to try and prevent huge caps from going off like a bomb (I've experienced that first hand on a Baldor VFD and it's quite impressive). Hobbyists have picked up on that and reform the larger aluminum electrolytic caps used in things like TVs and Radios built back in the 1960s and older.
That's not something you're going to do with little baby caps built during the "dark period." Your Lynx won't even power up if the voltage falls below a certain point.
Capacitors made in the late 80s through early 2000s are just trash and they were used in all brands from no-name to IBM, Sony and Mitsubishi. Even worse is they can leak and cause corrosive damage to the circuit board.
A nice thing about cap kits is that the research has been done for you, they typically include the caps that take a beating and normally fail, but not the others that tend to last forever.
If things work, leave it be. But if you're going in for anything else, like the voltage regulator...do it all at once an be good for another 30 years.
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8 minutes ago, xhul said:
I'll probably try a recap in the future, soldering is one thing i know how to do, though i hope the component removal isn't too much of a challenge.
About speaker upgrade, how different is the feeling?
I mean, if there's something i love with the lynx, is the crispness of its sound, and i wouldn't want to lose that...
All caps were through hole, no surface mount like in the GG.
Your speaker may be fine, if not, places like Best-Electronics sell a replacement. It even plugs in, so no soldering.
Mine started to get quieter and then really raspy. The new speaker is awesome, really loud with no distortion. Only minor gripe I have is that it's a clear poly and I can see some of the backlight shine through the grill opening. Original speaker is black paper and blocked the light.
If you've not dealt with Best-Electronics, do a bit of research on Atari Age or simply ask for advice before calling to place your order. If you tick him off, no
soupAtari parts for you!https://www.best-electronics-ca.com/Lynx Speaker.htm
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31 minutes ago, xhul said:
Thanks a lot for the reply.
I don't care much about the original state of the LCD, i already have plans to put a bennvenn in anyway.
Interesting to learn that small components not working for too long can actually be a bad thing, that reminds me how far i suck when it comes to electronics.
I went with an original new screen from Best, but next time around I'll do the Bennvenn upgrade.
For some reason Lynx speakers die, but replacements are cheap and take 2 seconds to install. If you need to recap the Lynx, it's surprisingly very easy to do, especially compared to the GG which was no fun at all.
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Bought my Lynx II new, always kept in padded case and never used it excessively. Over the years I've had install a new screen, speaker and a cap kit. The screen and speaker were totally shot.
Also had a Game Gear since new and recently had to do a cap kit. Screen is nothing like it was when new, but it's still passable.
Early LCD screens seem to crap out with age. As far as capacitors and other components, I'd rather have an electronic device that's been used (exercised) every so often vs one that was stuffed in a closet and not touched in 20 years.
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Does the 2600 count? Technically it was the Atari Video "Computer" System.
My best friends (brothers) across the street got one, and then another friend 4 doors down. I was around 10 and my mom and dad were fine with me getting one as long as I PAID for it. That was a summer of mowing lawns, then raking leaves, shoveling snow and then mowing lawns again. Also I wanted nothing but cash for my birthdays and Christmas...most relatives complied and those that didn't had their gifts returned for cash.
The goal was $200 at the time. By August that following year I had $150 saved up and Toys R Us put the system on sale for $149.99. I didn't sleep that night. Got my mom to take me there first thing in the morning, grabbed the ticket from the display aisle and went to the register. My young mind didn't exactly factor in taxes and I came up $7 short. My mom had to add the $7 and I got bitched at about it and had to pay her back! I think she eventually felt bad because a few weeks later she bought Flag Capture and Bowling for me.
Another memory of that day; the first system I brought home had a dead controller port. Had to hurry back to Toys R Us to exchange it and there were only two left. That one was a keeper, 42 years old and still working perfect.
My entry into the actual computer line...
It was the early 90s when the 8 bits were pretty much played out. I was in a thrift store and found a huge box filled with Atari stuff.
600XL, (3) 1050 drives (one Happy modded), an 850 interface, all power supplies, SIO cables, joysticks, software....and a brand new never opened 130XE. Total price was $14. I eventually gave the 600 away, but still enjoy the rest of it to this day.
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1 hour ago, PlutoniumPasta said:
I also think the 2600 Defender is better gameplay wise, mostly because i can actually get past the first level and keep getting bonus lives!
I've owned the actual arcade game for about 25 years now, and no matter how much I play it, it still kicks my ass.
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Space Invaders without a doubt.
Asteroids and Battlezone...if you're not into the vector thing, they play just as well and are more visually appealing.
Frogger but only the Starpath version.
Defender I'm probably the only person in the world who thinks this. It doesn't look or sound as good, but it's just more fun to play imo.
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If you're in the US, Facebook Marketplace (or Craigslist to a lesser extent).
Just did a quick check on FB Marketplace for my area and 43 turned up, 12 of those are 6 switchers. Most systems are under $100 and include controllers and games. Travel distance ranges from a few minutes to about an hour.
Best of all, you get to examine it in person and pay in cash.
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Got a TRS-80 Expansion Module with some weird mods?
in Tandy Computers
Posted
The daughter board is probably some form of a data separator. The Model I had issues with disk reliability, so companies like Percom sold those add on boards for about $30.00.
The little board just hanging in the air might be a lowercase mod. Endless versions of those were made and are still available today.
Placing the power supplies outside the case was a common thing done to reduce heat build up in the expansion interface.
I'm not sure I understand your description of what they did with the power supplies and monitor power. Running two supplies off one line cord is fine as long as it was done correctly. Did they also add a power outlet to the back of the expansion interface for the monitor to plug into? If done correctly, (correct polarization and gauge wire) it should be fine.
Now what you have looks like an extreme hack job, I'd put it back to stock.