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Dmitry

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Posts posted by Dmitry

  1. Posted

    Maybe I'm over sharing.  But to all those that cannot solder, I'm with you.

     

    I destroyed an Atari 800 attempting an incognito install.  I destroyed an 800XL attempting an antonia install, heck that machine was socketed.   I destroyed an XE GS trying to replace a bad antic chip.  I really did try.  I watched the you tube videos, had a practice motherboard, bought a brand new soldering iron, solder, tweezers, wick, practiced tinning it?  Practiced, first apply new solder so it comes off easier.  If I remember right I bought a desoldering tool, I think I was putting flux on my wick - omg, I hope that isn't dirty.

     

    I know I have poor mechanical aptitude, which apparently is a real thing.  But, with that said, I do all my own repairs on some things, such as often on the car, hvac, or bicycle. 


    But, those skills came at a high price, lot of things destroyed before eventually getting the hang of it.

     

    With soldering,   I suspect I would just need a real life teacher to point out a few of my mistakes.  Maybe my soldering iron isn't really hot enough..Maybe I need a proper bench to do the work.  Maybe, don't get frustrated and throw the Atari out the window?  Who knows....could be anything.

     

     

    Anyway, I really just was in awe of this thread!  Heck yeah!!!! This is a great idea.

     

     

    • Haha 1

  2. Posted

    2 hours ago, mytek said:

    Just my 2 cents... I didn't realize it was such an impossible task for people to learn how to solder 4 wires to the motherboard. But yes let's hang all this stuff off the back of our A8. Now that'll be sooo much better, and quite reliable when moving it from machine to machine.

     

    Sorry for the sarcasm (well not really ;)), but this really seems like a disaster waiting to happen when the cat or a small child bumps the thing.

    hahahahaha

     

    oh hahahahahahaha

     

    oh oh oh oh oh oh.

     

     

    dude

     

    how many Atari's do I have to destroy to make my point.  It is an impossible task for some of us.

    • Like 1
    • Haha 1

  3. Posted

     

    I did a screen grab on a computer that is a little too ancient for the task.

     

    On a real Atari, it's fast paced, and still has a delay loop to slow it down.  But anyway, I do the weekly updates, so there will be a better video later.   If worked hadn't called me in for a full 20 hours already this weekend (grr!!!) then I'd have made more progress this week.

     

    Oh well, slow and steady gets it done in 2021, anyway :)

     

    • Like 1

  5. Posted

    46 minutes ago, Larry said:

    Congratulations on your success! 

     

    It's unfortunate that the parts for these conversions are getting difficult/expensive to come by.  (@Dropcheck has helped the cause a great deal!) I've always been of the opinion that the best use for an XF551 is to make it into a dedicated 720K drive.  But 720K is the practical end of the line.  I don't believe that any of the attempts at 1440K were ever really successful (100% reliable).  Even Floppy Board HD disks suffer disk failures after a few months/years.  But 720K-DD is rock-solid in my experience.  I can pull out 720K disks that I wrote 20+ years ago and they read/write just fine. 

     

    If you get adventuresome, you might consider putting a power switch and drive select switch (if needed) on the front of the drive.  That is a lot handier than reaching for the on/off switch on the back. Drive select is handy, too.  I use just D1-D2 on mine).

    Thanks.   One reason why I concentrate on the floppy drive solution, is it really is quite a bit more elegant than other hardware, for what I do.

     

    I will pick on sio2sd for a moment. I'm forever finding that that its no longer on d1, now its click it 10 button clicks to get it back do d1, and whoops, clicked past it, do another 10 clicks.  Then switch buttons and click, click, click, click, try to find an ATR, and so on and so forth.

     

    I feel like this is a real upgrade to sio2sd.  The XF551 is just a drive, it doesn't know how to be something else, and that is the beauty of it.

     

     

    Honestly most of the modern solutions are geared towards helping someone with thousands of titles manage their large collection.  But that isn't my retro hobby. I just have a few projects I'm working on, and 5 disks is twice as many as I really need, haha

     

    I wouldn't mind getting a second xf551 though.  I hope that dropchecks work gets incorporated by a dealer or two into fully purchasable disk drives, kind of like zaxon was doing for a while.  I'd pick up another one.

  6. Posted · Edited by Dmitry

    I used some 80-column software stuff back in the 80's and hated it, because even though I was an Amdek 300 amber screen monitor, over the composite port, they looked so bad, I couldn't tolerate it.

     

    However, having recently gotten a 130xe with sophia installed, I tried FlickerTerm and ICET XE.   So I used for about an hour IceT xe with Dark Realms BBS in 80-column mode.

     

    I also have, for comparison, a VBXE in a 1200XL, and use it with Last Word, mostly.  I also added 80-column vbxe text overlay to my in development game.

     

    My conclusion is that really they are both retro looking, and none is modern.  Obviously the VBXE is better, but sophia is not bad.  Not as convenient to program, of course, that text overlay mode turns out to be a convenience.

     

    Anyway, so - applications that include any sort of 80-column mode, I would include FlickerTerm and IceT xe.

     

    Edit: also BobTerm was reportedly patched for XEP80.

     

    Edit edit:

     

    Btw, Bit-3 Full View manual lists the following software packages as compatible:

    Atari Basic Cartridge
    Basic A+ (OSS)
    OS/A+ (OSS)
    EASMD (OSS)
    Microsoft Basic
    Atari Pascal
    Atari Assembler Editor Cartridge
    Atari Macro Assembler (except MEDIT)
    LJK Letter Perfect (yes, with 80 col version)
    LJK Data Perfect (yes, with 80 col version)
    LJK Edit 6502 (yes, with 80 col version).

    As others have stated, the general rule was if software used the CIO screen editor, then it worked with the card.

     

     

     

     

     

  7. Posted · Edited by Dmitry

    On 1/15/2021 at 3:34 PM, zuko1 said:

    I'v been a member on here for years on and off & i'v always had a soft spot for the atari 800 but now i would like to buy one. I'v been on ebay and the prices are ridiculous for untested machines so, has anyone or does anyone know where i could buy a working 800XL for a reasonable price? i'm based in the midlands united kingdom. 

    I do not know about the UK situation, but  here in the states  sometimes dealers have a better price than e-bay.  I recently purchased my 130XE for $199, boxed, near perfect condition, and the dealer warranties it.  At the time, it was hit or miss if e-bay even had a 130xe, and they'd be offered for $250 in yellowed condition.

     

    But this guy seems to move a lot of units, anyway, he has an 800XL for $199 and the most interesting unit is a brand new in box 600xl for $169.  For U.S. folks, its "Bonus Life"...came up on google search, is how I found them, but they are good.

     

    Personally with dealer prices being competitive these days, I wouldn't touch e-bay.

  9. Posted

    As we all know, computer devices are magical gifts sent to us by the gods, and opening the case can anger them.

    In fact, they will sometimes recall the spirit living in the box back to heaven, and you can see the magic smoke delivering the spirit back.

     

    But, I dared it, I risked it.  and I have a 3.5" XF551 that works.  Yeah!! wooo hoo! I never report success....boo ya!

     

    Of course, I'm terrible at hardware mods and this was no exception.

     

    I will share that I did buy an XF551 that had already been modded for 3.5" form factor (had a gotek drive in it), so I didn't need to locate edge connector to 34 pin cabling.

    However, the previous owner had cut the molex power and soldered 5v and ground directly to the gotek.

    And it was not upgraded with the ROM.


    So, I had to swap out rom, and put in HyperXF.  It was socketed.

    I had to cut off the gotek drive and re-add a molex connector and then convert that to 3.5" power connector with an adapter.

    Previous owner was using non-standard screws, so located a few screws.

     

    Finally on the 1.44mb 3.5" drive I bought, it was drive 1, not drive 0.  And no way to change that.  So I scanned through 100's of ebay advertisements for old 1.44mb drives, but looking at the back for a series of jumpers.

    There are some old drives - though less than 1% that can be drive select through jumpers. But I only needed one, and after an hour of looking at ads, I found one, purchased it.

     

    After it arrived I just needed someone with eyes, got my wife to do it, to jumper it for drive 0.

     

    Slapped it all together and it sprung to life.  But I didn't know initially how to format either.  Double Sided, Double density, 256bpm in spartados x, format command.  I'm using 720K disks, not 1.44mb.

     

    It all works, I'm pretty happy with it.

     

     

     

     

    ThisXF551w35.thumb.JPG.4aa690eca582befc6e13720ec9a000c2.JPG

    • Like 2

  12. Posted

    @Mazzspeed, technically back in the day I had a c64 for a day or two.  what happened was as many friends acquired a c64 I finally decided to try it.  i had no idea the disk drive would be slow.  I tried a coco 3 briefly but never got it completely working, i think i intended to use it with amdisk 3 inch disks i got from somewhere but never got it working. i own a coco 3 today. not hooked up also not working entirely.  but there.  well anyway welcome, i know what you mean about fjc, he's so good

     

  13. Posted

    In my view hardware devices aren't entirely about how many columns they support, but also what monitors they allow to attach.

     

    So you find XEP80 doesn't do anything about improving regular antic video and only allows a very few old composite monitors to connect in 80 column mode - and you cannot even buy it...so I wouldn't be the first to think it isn't all that useful.


    VBXE is still around, but was designed, to allow someone to connect an Atari ST SC1224, or similar 15khz CRT monitor, and that is limiting.

     

    I just got my Sophia equipped 130XE today, unfortunately the Atari has issues,  - I can't seem to catch a break.  Although that is going to result in me eventually trying to fix it, and therefore destroying it.....that's not important for this thought.

     

    To me when this machine does work, it looks great, I think Sophia is really sharp.  VBXE looked better because it didn't have the square pixels, but it rock solid - I'm very impressed.  But no matter how 'rarely used' 80 column may be, I used it every day.   For Last Word, for VBXE term, for SpartaDos, and in development of my game.

     

    For those that do use 80 columns, for the software that does already exist, VBXE to 15khz RGB to some kind of scan doubler is the best solution right now, that is regularly available, but I personally think we will eventually want something targetted at modern monitors.

     

    Should it support E device.  I don't know.  My program doesn't.  I literally don't know how to support E device, and yet I did successfully follow instructions for VBXE and support it already.  

     

     

    But, if someone has a handy dandy tutorial on E device, I would like to look at it.  Preferably something for kickc, but even a simple cc65 tutorial would work.    I just cannot imagine how it would work as an overlay though.  And if it doesn't why wouldn't you write directly to the screen.

     

     

  14. Posted

     

    Quote

    which multicart (in general) provides the simplest UI to learn and use...

     

    Ugh, learning multicart loader ui sounds like homework to me.  I guess that's why I always am on the "outside" on this particular aspect of the hobby.  I just don't get any nostalgia from organizing files and needing a loader to load them.

     

    Since the functions of the cart I would use would only be spartados x, and the removal sd card, would allow me to place the sd card in the mac and transfer files - either card would be acceptable and exactly the same. 

     

    I bought a side 2.  It was a few dollars cheaper, I already have a CF card, so the older flash is OK.

     

    I would ideally go with a SpartaDosX pass thru card to supply SDX, and get a 10502PC for Mac to Atari transfers.

    And the reason for that, in that configuration they aren't "multifunction" devices, and for that reason they can't accidentally be set on the wrong setting, which only serves the purpose of being a point of failure.

     

    What I end up valuing a lot is just the dealer service that sells me the product.

     

    And that's another example why.  The SpartaDosX pass thru card, would really require going through a project of backordering it from one place, and buying a case from another - pass.

     

    And 10502PC is almost a unicorn product.  I've bought it 3 times over the past 4 years, and lost my investment 3 times.   That used to be more of a common thing in this community, where someone would take orders and go missing.  Really it happens way less now, you can order products from some really rock solid dealers now.  But ugh, the last order I made for the 10502PC, was November of last year, I'm losing hope.....

     

    OK, rambling, in conclusion, if I were buying something, I'd buy from my favorite dealer, and go with the product they stocked.  Unless they carried both, I wouldn't worry about anything else.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  15. Posted

    4 hours ago, pixelmischief said:

    Did we learn nothing from the VBXE?

    I've learned nothing.  I've added VBXE support to my project, starting a few days ago.

     

    It's true the VBXE came out at a time, when the community was still somewhat aligned against expansions, in a way they aren't now.    An example I will give is ABBUC required submissions to run on an unexpanded 800XL for many years.

     

    "The limitation to a stock 800 XL has been waived....The rationale behind this is that this should encourage authors to support a greater variety of extensions, such as MultiJoy or VBXE." --freetz, AtariAge post circa 2017.

     

    Now, I'm not saying there isn't always the problem of not everyone has an expansion.   

     

    My opinion, as  person with no hardware skills and only the ability to scream at the sky - what I'd like is just VBXE that supports hdmi output.

     

    That way I can use the code I already have and more people would be interested in the vbxe..

     

     

    • Like 1

  17. Posted

    first complication, vendor notified me they dont have the american dynamics monitor, issuing refund.  pity, it was a good deal.  there are tons on ebay but not at that price.  still I put an offer in now on synectics touchscreen nos cctv monitor.  This one also pal/ntsc svideo, hdmi, vga, speakers but also has dvi and component.  downside is wall mount.  guy says he has two, so hopefully not out of stock

  20. Posted

    3 hours ago, Mrarkus said:

    It took me a long time to convert to LCDs, and only because I could use all my 8/16-bits, both PAL and NTSC, on one monitor. The other factor for an old NTSC fart like me is PAL flicker on CRTs. Still have some 1084s though.

     

    Now with adjustable resolution HDMI for my 800 it is really something else. Thank goodness for the separate ANTIC / GTIA chips, it's a lot tougher to do on the C64 side...

     

     

    For so many years, I've been jealous of folks with a good display, and a few years ago I finally got something that was close to a good display.  It was a VBXE output, to GBS-8220 - to vga monitor.  That one was solid in standard mode, and only had some weirdness in 80-column mode that made it miserable.    Then only a few weeks ago, I finally got it solved.  This was VBXE->scart, scart to hdmi, hdmi->LG TV.     Finally, it was clear.  Solid in all modes, and the aspect ratio was 4:3.  Boxed in on all sides, but for the first time ever, a pleasant display.

     

    But, I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I've ordered an Atari 130XE, with Sophia Rev. 3, modded for hdmi output.   And I've ordered an American Dynamics monitor.  The reason for this, is as I was searching for my "ultimate" display, I found that these CCTV "multiple input" monitors, are still available in 19" 1280 x 1024, and support NTSC/PAL s-video, vga, and HDMI inputs, also they have built in speakers.   That's a relativley rare combination, I think - to support HDMI and have this aspect ratio.  But to also support pal s-video to potentially use it with an unmodded atari someday....

     

    oh well, my experience tells me, not to get too excited yet, who knows what complications await....but I've got high hopes anyhow...

  21. Posted

    26 minutes ago, skr said:

     

     

    @Dmitry: Your welcome letter still is not send, as I prefer to wait a week or two, to see, if there are more new members. This is, because I print the membership card on perforated business card paper and it´s easier, when I can print a full sheet. So please be patient, it will ship no later than next Monday.

     

    @Skr, no hurry, take as long as you need. 

  22. Posted · Edited by Dmitry
    stop putting the commas at random

    When did you join, a few months ago?  Just curious cause I joined on Jan. 4 and my number is 1094.    I didn't get a cool number; but are they growing by that many members? that's awesome.

     

    hmmm  1200 coming up...lol

    • Like 1

  23. Posted

    @ivop

     

     

    Quote

    That reminds me of a story I once heard. You can apparently draw a straight line from the coast of Belgium to Moscow, and on that line, everybody not more than 10km apart can understand eachother. From Stockholm to Rome or Madrid, that doesn't work, because of the Romance language barrier.

     

    It's an interesting idea.    Well my experience is not in the direct line from Belgium to Moscow, so I cannot speak to that.   But as a native english speaker that learned "conversational" Russian, and also lived in Ukraine for a short time - apparently Ukraine would be south of that line, but anyway, it might be similar as I think about it.

     

    Basically I never met a Ukrainian that couldn't understand Russian, but Russians for the most part, don't understand Ukrainian.   Still,  people along the border with Russia on the Ukrainian side tend to speak Russian...so if you cross the border from Donetsk into Russia (not recommended, of course, ha), the 10 km rule is not violated.  Similarly a lot of folks from Lviv could understand polish.  

     

     

     

     

  24. Posted

    What I liked about Rebol was that Carl Sassenrath supported the Amiga, and I had an Amiga.  I could use an Amiga at home, a PC at work.

    Although, ultimately the Amiga version lacked the features of the PC version.  For example, if I recall correctly Rebol/Command had ODBC connectivity.

     

    I suppose this isn't all that long ago, somehow this already seems like a nostalgic classic discussion.

     

    Sassenrath is well known and loved here, so I don't have to convince anyone he is a highly intelligent and conceptual thinker.  I loved reading his posts about the concept of dialecting and how data, metadata, and code could be merged.  Although Carl talked about dialects and languages almost synonymously, in human languages, they aren't the same concept.   In human languages, dialect differences are minor and easily overcome, but language barriers are major.   If all you have is a dialect difference, you've got virtually nothing to solve.  More difficult challenges lie in language differences.  You might read left to right someone else top to bottom.  You might use latin characters, someone else cyrillic or sanscrit.  I totally loved mixing and matching communication concepts from the real world and programming, but Rebol didn't handle any of the big challenges, didn't try to do that.

     

    In many ways it felt like Tcl and accomplished the same things.  So, why do I love it here - cause Tcl is also great, rebol is great.  Getting any of that goodness on the Atari is insane, I love it.

     

    • Like 1
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