Bikerbob

Argh.. well still have not got to my ST rig.. I have been doing 8-bit or work or life.. I would like to get to it soon though. We do have a fellow out here that does industrial monitor repairs, so I might get my SC1224 repaired anyway just so I have an original working monitor. So new PICO here, I now have a marpet memory upgrade waiting to go in. TOS 1.04uk (I am canadian) but I wonder, is there things in the UK TOS that I would not want.. like the pound symbol over the dollar sign? I did get a solder homebrew 2mb kit.. but with 23 connections I am not confident on that one. Well just posting here because I have not put a post in the ST section in quite sometime. James

OH.. guess thats more what I am meaning and I think thats what MacRorie is looking to do. I want to buy an unpopulated but has all the sockets/resistors etc.. on it. I assume we would get that manufactured that way?? someone would not do that by hand and only sell it for 80-100 or something thats insane. James

Thats a point .. because I have an XF551 and I know about the 300rpm on that one.. I have a TRAK AT-D2 which a lot of people said to me it was a 300rpm drive.. but I could not get it to work and read anything at 300rpm.. Working like a charm at 288rpm?? so .... I would assume for the 300rpm XF to be able to read the 288 other disks.. there has to be something more to it. James

Watching and waiting.. I will be bugging Stephen lots to hear how his testing is going .. ##atari baby! This is very exciting.. and I think I will build it myself from a purchased board. I have an 800xl I can desolder (not socketed). I am using the case and keyboard for a 800xl PC anyway(I will be documenting it online as well) - putting a micropc I5 windows machine in an 800xl case - keeping and using the 800xl keyboard! So I am looking forward to the summer and an address to send my money to James

So is this something that you can pass along? or something I have to experiment with? Ultra seems to work on all my drives but the megaspeedy. I do know what you mean about specific drives formatting etc.. the TRAK seems the least able to configure itself, where as the Rana and the Indus change and can read and adapt to whatever disk I put in. As a hobby I was always a hardware guy - now as a retro hobby - I love have all the drives, makes me ohh ahh that I have one of each that i coveted back in the day.. I spend very little time playing games, I like to mod, repair, configure, etc,, everyones hobby is different right?? James

Sorry, I lied, more testing tonight.. back on E1 mode of the Mega, and the format failed again. James

ahhhh.. got ya.. I way pretty sure thats the way peripherals on the atari worked, but I did not want to put my foot in my mouth. So, back to the mega.. OK.. well I guess I wait until a revision can be done by Hias, and then i would need to pull the chip and reprogram it on my willem .. correct?? James

Well for my contribution to the thread. I did update to the latest firmware on the U1mb and that also put in Spartados 4.49b - I can format now.. without the issues I was having.. EXCEPT.. and this was something I forgot before, but I am sure this is a Spartados thing not a U1mb thing.. but someone can tell me.. its just kind of related because of what we are talking about. When I format in Spartdos.. it sees the megaspeedy.. gives me the option right away of Ultraskew.. but I cannot format it.. or hispeed skew.. in ANY mode the megaspeedy upgrade offers. I have Rana1000, Trak ATD2, IndusGT - ALL I can format in Ultraskew.. now.. its still really fast.. so I assume.. that what sparta is trying to do with the format.. the speedy is doing with hardware???? or why is it?? James

Well my point to starting this thread was just that I have not been able to contact him. I have bought and supported his products.. and in fact the more I learn if I really wanted to be frugal about running my 8-bit stuff (which I am not!!!) I could have just gotten away with an sio2pc and that would have given me just about everything I need with the use of an old PC laptop to slave. So I was not in this to question or slag Steve's contributions to the hobby.. I just want my SIO2PC fixed! please! James

So can the megaspeedy firmware be updated? Is that done on a ROM by ROM basis? or does the device as a whole need an update? I will help with testing for sure.. but cant help with the code.. I am hardware guy.. not code. James

Just in case you have a megaspeedy OR you want to make a new bezel for your 1050. TigerDuck has done an STL file we can all use to make a new one.. this one has gone through several tests, and it fits and works.. SO attached is the files I got from the ABBUC.DE forum.. (good if you want to join!) and you too can take it to your local printer and have it done. James 1050_stl_files.zip

OK, so in my situation, I dont have the PBI on (have to read manual again on PBI stuff) Hardware wise mine is this. 800xl with U1mb and UAV - no other mods profile 1 - 1088mb stock XL rom (OR HI-Speed OS) basic profile 2 - 1088mb stock or HI and basic and SpartaX 1 1050 drive with MegaSpeedy (stock roms) 1 sio2pc (have done tests with it in.. or out) I know the MegaSpeedy has a Hispeed SIO built into it.. I can turn it on or off from the FLASHER when using a stock 800xl I have no issues - though as I said, I am not able to run Sparta 4.48 as I dont have it in a CART form. James

I just finished my install of a megaspeedy - I am encountering a similar if not same issue. 1 - I was not able to get into the FLASHER program of the MegaSpeedy, when attached to the U1mb machine. Ended up.. if I went back to STOCK OS not HI-Speed OS it would boot to the Flasher no issues. 2 - I have Sparta 4.48 in my sparta SLOT - from this DOS if I try and format - it will run the cycle but when trying to WRITE the directory table at the end it will not stop.. it goes on and on, I have to turn off the computer and the drive. I have not been able to reproduce this in any other dos. HI-Speed SIO is off in the profile.. does 4.48 load its own HI-SPEED sio? James ps, I might try and produce some video on this. Re-reading, it would seem my issue is not the same, I have no way to run 4.48 from a non-U1mb computer so that I have no idea if its hardware or software, any suggestions on troubleshooting would be welcome.

Solved my issue.. Hispeed OS on an U1mb computer cannot be loaded and get the FLASHER to work on the Megaspeedy.. conflict I guess. James

No one?

OK, I think I have found out what some of my confusion is.. but its not good I think. If I set the firmware to FL - I dont boot to the flasher program by Matthias, I boot to the MegaSpeed Menu. But from what I have been reading if I loose the flasher, than I need to re-program the Eprom? From what I remember when I tested the other one I installed in my buddies 1050, his did the same thing.. so either 2 are wrong? or maybe there is something else I am missing ?? James

Is there a function, utility, tool etc.. that can read a sparta directory and reorganize it? I dont see anything for displaying a directly by file type, only by date. I would like to see my bigger directories (HD) with files and then directories. As fas as I can tell it just arranging everything one after other when it is written? many a program to re-organize and rewrite the diectory. James

I have sent a PM on this to some people, but I thought I would put it out there.. I have installed both that I bought this past year, one in my drive and one in my buddies. I have visited Steve Cardin's site, and I have a zip file with roms , atrs, and a couple of documents. My questions - IS there a MegaSpeedy(the one I bought) manual? For example, I know how to bring up the firmware display and turn and select the firmware I am going to use, but what can go into the firmware slots? IS there a doc on how to use the flasher? I see some have a firmware and a dos.. or a copy program, etc.. Is there an ability for me to put what I want in a slot? I like SmartDos 6.1d .. can I put that in a slot? or Realdos? That being said, what about documentation on the various modes? I have never owned or used any of the "modes" here, just an original 1050. SO... how do i use "E" Mega Speedy mode? what are its features and functions? OR "S" or "U" or do I need to search each of these original enhancements and try and find its documentation?? Thanks James

I have just delt with him for a Trak At-D2 and the deal was good. I can never speak for his Sloopy luck.. but he is good beans. He is on IRC a lot.. great place to find him if not here you can telnet over with your atari irc.atarinet.com 800 James

Sloopy can do it. He is on here .. do a member search. He is in Michigan I think. James

Hey Flash what about PCLINK? I thought that would allow writing to the folder? James

AHHHH this is what I think happened to mine.. what was the "fault?" I too thought that replacing the chip would be the solution, as there is very little else on the circuit that could fail, and the soldering looks A1. I have a willem programmer maybe I can even erase and reburn mine. As for old school - I will say this.. the more I learn about APE and EVERYTHING it can do.. the more I realize all I need to really enjoy my 8-bit with almost everything I want to do is an OLD Laptop with a serial port, which you can get just about anywhere for $50 or less.. and an SIO2pc - a 40GB harddrive.. or a usb stick or 2 in the laptop.. and you have all the storage you need. Printer through put .. modem to internet, and APE / APE Loader.. As for software .. I find it funny that around here many people applaud a new game.. etc.. will sign up for a prebuy of this item or that.. but Steve gets knocked for his registration and charging for APE. AspecQT or RespeQT are great programs and I use RespeQT when I want to write to a directory directly on my laptop.. but APE is very complete.. works great, so why should the cost of one meal out be too much for software I use all the time? James

Thanks for not putting a dash in your URL - I have no terminal program that can do a dash. James

Wondering if there is one? Finding ATRs is not that hard, but wondering is there any sort of archive for these type? James

Unfortunately using the macros only helps once you are connected. Unless you type the address from a paper (OMG) you cannot store the urls in the dialing directory. The other thing I have found.. If I dial into a bbs with IceT.. it works.. it with Bobterm it does not.. and visaversa.. OR sometimes it seems to connect and work.. and sometimes no. Also if anyone is interested there is great a great IRC channel ##atari.. which you can get to by telnet - on your atari through irc.atarinet.com 800 James