deffroe

Not planning to replace any chips. Veerrryyy slowly trying to repair the mylar with conducting silver and thought that while the machine is open I might considering doing it. Managed to get Option keys working so was able to do a self test. RAM passed successfully and sound and the display is stable so I am no longer worried that there is something wrong with it other than the mylar.

Thanks for the quick response! I think... That last sentence worried me a little. So is it worth doing or better to leave it all as soldered? Cheers Phil.

I'm thinking of socketing my 130XE sometime over the summer The soldering isn't a problem but socketing is something I've never done before. So I'd just like to ask. For the system chips(6502, Pokey etc) are they 0.6"? What size would I need for the RAM chips? And would I stop at the main system chips and RAM or would anyone recommend something extra? Thanks in advance Phil

Been a few weeks since I've really been able to spend any more time with my 130XE, but just wanted to say thanks for comments of help and to just make a note of my progress really. Did another sweep of the maylar, cleaning up where I'd been previously and adding more silver where I thought there was a break. So when it came to powering up, some of the repeating keys, 2 worked and 3 gave a 2 etc...same on a few other. This time some of those repeaters had gone as had some previously working keys BUT more importantly I got a full set of option keys working..woohooo! Which means I was able to do a Self Test. Looks like it is and only is a dodgy mylar. RAM Test passed with flying colours, sound test worked as expected. So looks like when I've run out of silver and keyboards still not working i'm gonna have to buy a new mylar. Phil

Afternoon/morning! Slowly but Shirley!! Made enquiries to Best Electronics about a 130XE Mylar but to get one shipped over to the UK is a bit pricey so decided to try the cheaper option first. I bought some conducting silver and have been inspecting the mylar and touching up where it looks like there is a break. I've gone from ZERO keys working to a working RESET and LED!!! Got a few keys working too but oddly some keys display other characters. 2 & 3 work but the 3 displays a 2, 0(zero) display <. (full stop ...) displays / Guessing that some of the silver is jumping over another track of the maylar. Another couple of tries and touch ups and hopefully I'll have a fully working keyboard again. Phil

Sugarland You are the man! Never in a million years would I have thought, "No power light, it must be the keyboard!". I connected it to the TV and low and behold up pops the READY prompt Still the same, No response to any key press including RESET. If there is anyone on here from the UK can you recommend anywhere where I can get a replacement keyboard mylar? Thanks again to everyone who has responded, I'm feeling happier just knowing my 130XE is not dead. I'm off to scour Ebay for a while in search of keyboards. Phil

Thanks for reply's. I've checked voltage of the power brick and it shows 5.14V. While I've had it out these last couple of days I haven't had it hooked up to a TV, When I turn it on the power LED stays of, but when I first got it, it booted to the Ready prompt but wouldn't respond to any key presses. No powering on with Start or Option. While I've had it opened up I removed the metal plate of the motherboard n checked the LED is working with a coin cell, which it is. But looking at the plastic keyboard membrane some parts of it are crusty, similar to what you find on contacts when an alkaline battery has leaked. Sugarland are you saying that it might be turning on just with out the power LED? Think I'll check that now. I've read elsewhere on this forum about checking it with a multimeter, not sure what setting to have it on as continuity does nothing, if I have it set to ohm's then sometimes there is a flicker of response sometimes but not sure if its responding to with the tracks or not. I have a soldering station so it is a possibility of removing ram chips if need be but do I remove all the chips in one go?

Thanks for your response, a shame if that's the problem. I'll have to continue with Chuckie Egg on the emulator for now. Cheers Phil

Hello, I'm new on this forum but a long time Atari fan, the 800XL was my first computer way back in 1985. A few years back, as many have done, I wanted to re live and enjoy the games I once loved on real hardware again. I bought a 130XE which at the time I bought it turned on but would not respond to any keystrokes except Reset. This ended up getting put away as even though it didn't work I couldn't bare to get rid of it. It got opened it up and looked at to see if anything was a miss, but to be honest I don't know what I was looking for. Except there were wires running around from a couple of chips to other points on the board, this made me think that a previous owner had botched a repair or upgrade. After coming across this thread a few days back I decided to get it back out and have another look and try it again but now it doesn't even power on. But looking at the motherboard revision and what has been mentioned on here intrigued me. It's a Revision 5. And seeing the pics on here of wires running around the motherboard looks similar to mine, well maybe there is a chance I can get it working again....with some advise I have attached some pics, What intrigues me is the differences between this board and the two images at the beginning of this thread. Namely the SIO area, there are NO resisters and at the bottom of the board Y2 is empty on the other revisions but is populated on my REV.5 version. If anyone has any tips or suggestions to try and get my 130Xe up and running again it would be much appreciated. Thanks Phil