[Rana Systems 1000: Write Protect Sensor]

sure.. this is on the front board.. you can pull the board.. and the drive will work without the board connected.. IF you dont have the write protect enabled then.. you can trace the pins to the wp button and see if something is stuck.

 

If the problem is not in the front board.. then you have something going on in the mech itself. On the Rana is it an MPI mech .. there are schematics available.. you need to open or close that circuit.. If you do it this way... the only issue is you will not be able to enable it.

 

The MPI mech uses springs for eject and I think there is a physical lever for the WP on the notch.. so you might check that that is moving.. if it is not reengaging when it hits the notch then that is why the WP wont turn off.

 

James

[Indus GT and copy protections]

Does the Quasimodo game use bad sector protection? Have you checked the Indus speed? if your up or down 10 rpm you might still read, but a sector based copy protection might not give the right feedback.

 

James

[Need stickies or threads on the various hardware bits.]

The noob pdf talks about the various diskdrive or cart products.. but not really anything else.

 

I would like it where I could go to a wiki say.. and then the subforum of floppy drives, and see a page on every floppydrive that was made.. what kind of information is there out on the PERCOM drive.. The ASTRA..

 

what about video mods.

 

memory mods.. etc.. etc.. etc..

 

James

[Need stickies or threads on the various hardware bits.]

Hmmm,

 

how about the topic for newbies - and there take a look at (or better download) the "A8 devices.pdf" comparison table for a start...

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/176545-topic-for-newbies/?do=findComment&comment=2199612

 

OK, good one.. and I was not aware that was being maintained. I still like the idea of a wiki for all this hardware though!!

 

James

[Need stickies or threads on the various hardware bits.]

So there are so many upgrades now.. and we keep answering questions over and over.

 

What about a sticky for these..

 

I would like to see something that reviews or compares all these CART devices out there.. like the MYIDE-II and the UltCART Flash carts etc..

 

there are SIO2 ... you pick..

 

I have an Incognito and an U1MB.. they are combinations of upgrades..

 

WHAT about starting an AA (OR JUST ATARI 8 bit wiki) or do we have one and I am not aware?

 

James

[Atari 400 sound mod for UAV?]

Did you run a pigtail right out of the old RF hole? or did you mount a female monitor port and then plug your regular cable into it? I am thinking the latter.

 

James

[Atari 400 sound mod for UAV?]

Mine arrived but I wont be able to install for a bit.

 

James

[Indus GT with Chinon drive?]

Doc do you have DIAGS disk? I had a Indus that baffled me for 6 months.. I was about to sell or trade it.. it ended up being a bad connection between the ribbon cable of that front display and the wart board (main board) .. so disconnect, clean and re-connect all connectors and chips.(that are socketed) and if you have isopropo then give everything a clean(not the drive mech)

 

The DIAGS disk will allow you to issue commands to the drive.. and you can view status.. etc.. the big one is the zero position test.. because you boot error can very easily be that in or other form. There is also the field service manual.

 

If you need the disk and the manual .. pm me.. I can send you them.

 

James

[Indus GT with Chinon drive?]

Hey Doc.. No as far as I am aware INDUS was very consistent throughout their production unlike say Rana. So I would say you have a Hack for the mech.

 

As for the LED.. whats the issues? dead bars? I just de-solded mine, and I have new ones on order. HD1075R.. they are had pretty cheap.. they are a bugger to desolder though.. went through a lot of wick.. good amount of solder in there

 

James

[The UAV Rev. D Video Upgrade Thread]

OHHH no.. I have a U1mb too.. and thats the main machine I want to use.. I also have my U1mb positioned over the empty RF spot.. so this might even be a bigger issue because it closer. (fingers crossed)

 

James

[IndusGT - looking for firmware v1.2]

wemichener, if you pass the rom on to me to RE-BURN a good MRMARTIAN version.. then I can dump the BE one and let everyone know what the version is.

 

BUT that being said.. as far as I am aware and MRMartian did work on this.. the last good one from INDUS that he worked from was 1.2 never one past that.. that I am aware of..

 

James

[IndusGT - looking for firmware v1.2]

1.2 is good.. But the rom that Mrmartian did is the best. I am doing roms for $10 + ship. I could erase and redo yourz but still charge ya $5 amd you have to send it to me.

 

James

[IndusGT - looking for firmware v1.2]

If you have the RAMCharger board, then you have all hardware necessary. Just write some good Z80 code. The hardware has been there all along. It's a shame that no one took advantage of it.

 

Also, no need to burn an EPROM, you can use SIO commands to install your custom code in the Indus.

 

Wouldnt that be nice.. but I have never seen the REAL RamCharger.. I have seen homemade versions.. but since I am not a programmer, this would not help me anyway.. so buring the eprom I am

 

BTW all.. I got the 2nd drive working .. it was a bad connection with the front display board.. disconnecting.. the drive worked.. it was the one part I did not swap in the past because I did not think it could effect the drive R/W

 

James

[Rana ROM images]

I am looking to make this upgrade.

 

Anyone who did this Panther etc.. do you still have crystals around? even if just to tell me what one you bought that worked? I am looking at these.

 

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/310973898241?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

and does the rana use the 2732ajl eprom like the Indus GT? because I will need a bunch of those as well.

 

I am burning ROMS and if I have to buy a lot could also supply a crystal to anyone wanting to make the upgrade.

 

James

[Rana 1000 - FSM]

Well I am going to burn ROMs for the Rana and the Indus GT.. anyone want one? I will charge the cost of the ROM and $5 for my time and shipping. If I buy 5-10 roms it gets them down to about $4-5 ea.

 

James

[Carina 1.0 BBS]

now that a lot of us get free long distance with our services.. it should do better than you might think.

 

I have a hardware modem that would work through my SIO2PC - I will try and get it up if you get this going.

 

James

[Rana 1000 - FSM]

Oh yeah.. thats the same address as the 4 year old reference I talked about.. no reply. Oh well.

 

James

[Rana 1000 - FSM]

Well Larry, I did, and I just did again.. the last reference to that name on here is 2014.. and I found no user by that name. So unless someone has better information the best I can find is a 4 year old reference to a email address and a three year old reference to a telephone number.

 

James

[The UAV Rev. D Video Upgrade Thread]

Crap right it was the 800 that was not in post 2.. but that was put in a few posts later that I found.. ALL GOOD!

 

thank Bryan.

 

James

[Rana 1000 - FSM]

yes I have been reading.. is Paul Alhart on AA? how do I contact him. You guys say the name like I should know

 

James

[Rana 1000 - FSM]

This is the most recent Rana 1000 thread, so its the one I decided to resurrect to help with my problem.

 

Mr. Martian seems to be the most knowledgeable about the drive but he no longer seems to be active on the forum.

 

Larry if your reading this and can help that would be awesome.

 

I have a new to me Rana 1000 - I have not taken it apart yet.. it works for the most part.. the speed is a little off though 295rpm.. Would like to adjust it.. but no service manual.

 

1. Is that manual that was made years ago still available anywhere? or did it go public?

 

2. Would like to look into the upgraded ROM that was done in the other thread. Larry?

 

So if anyone can help.. I am open to help here.

 

James

 

edit - took it apart - I have the 8031 with the 8mhz crystal. U12 the p2732a-3 is the rom in mine, but its not an eprom? I would love to put the final rom that MrMartian did.. I have a burner, but I would need the eprom. I think you ran that didnt you Larry.. and it worked with all?

 

Mine works right now.. np - I think I am getting all density.. I have formated DD and SD .. not sure about ED. I gain what by burning a new image?? just bug fixes and Ultra Skew? US DOUB? what?

[The UAV Rev. D Video Upgrade Thread]

In post 1 Bryan says the jumper or wire positions are different with Rev. D .. but does never show the positions for the 400 (that I have found?)

Thanks for the help.

James

[The UAV Rev. D Video Upgrade Thread]

That is the black wire in the pics that disappears under the board correct?? I would like to know where that goes as well!

 

James

[The UAV Rev. D Video Upgrade Thread]

UHH I have mine.. have found no time yet to install !!! GRRRR

 

James

[SpartaDOS X 4.48]

In regards to disk reads and writes. Does Sparta allow you to read a disk on a DD drive even if I would not be able to write to it??

 

I have lots of different drives for my Ataris - I have the Xf551 which would allow me to make a 720K disk.. which I can read and write in Sparta np.

 

But I have also been able to READ - I guess the disk header?? on that disk in a Rana 1000 and an Indus GT which are both supposed to be 90k/130k/180k

 

The interesting or scary parts is that I was able to write to a 360K disk on the Rana..

 

Sparta format will not allow me to format the Rana to 360K but it allows reads and writes? I am assuming this will be incorrect and corrupt??

 

James