CommodoreDecker

Back in the day, my only gripe was the lack of new game titles that the C64, then later with the NES and others would enjoy. Atari computer marketshare going down only created a possibly avoidable spiral if more recent games would have been ported. The 8-bits did need another hardware upgrade - either a better POKEY or improved graphics coprocessor. I recall the 1400XL and 1450XLD and both looked sweet in the catalog, but those were shelved... would the intended voice synthesizer have saved the 1400 line? The 7800 should have had POKEY built in to allure more game developers, and the 7800 should have had composite output by 1984 as well. The 5200 would likely have been clobbered by the crash anyway - computers were overtaking consoles being one rarely sung factor behind the crash - but if the joysticks weren't poorly built, more games made to take advantage of them instead of just the usual arcade style games that didn't need the sensitivity, and - if nothing better - giving the power brick a user-accessible fuse replacement, since that otherwise innovative all-in-one RF switchbox had the teensy problem of shorting if you don't plug things in a certain order (read: "into the outlet as the very last step", but that's not too far off from how some people will look at an outlet and find the nearest convenient fork to shove in as well. 😕 ) Didn't Commodore control microchip production, hence the C64 being able to be sold less? Were there no other producers of the 650x CPUs? (I just looked up and that was confirmed.) The price undercutting didn't help and, IMHO, the C64's only strengths were the SID and more sprites. It had higher graphics resolution, sure, but the color palette wasn't as anywhere as good as Atari's. "Masters of Time" is a great example of C64 being a net-worse experience with limited color palette and, yeah, the Atari seemed to have the better music despite the limited octave range compared to SID. Which reminds, games like "Panther" that did come across better on the C64 often felt like cheaper conversions for the A8 when it came to visuals like the HUD panel on the lower portion of the screen. A8 was capable of far better. At least it had a good soundtrack. Then come the likes of "Castle Wolfenstein", where the C64 version looked and sounded great but the A8 version is almost as bad as the Apple version! But that depended on the games, for which those generally were the best on the systems directly developed for - any port on another system always seemed to be less polished. All in all, the Atari systems generally got more polished versions of games. Few new ones.

Yep. The wonderfulness of DC current grounding. Systems might seem to work stable now, but down the road there might be instability. I recently upgraded an 800XL for s-video, and an 1200XL (5v bypass, ROM v11, svideo fix, etc... except extra RAM since who needs more than 64kb? ) and was tempted to remove the shield forever. It's still in a cupboard. It's going back in. 😇 Well, 256kb or 1mb can be very, very useful - I remember the days of RAM drives on the 130XE, but for regular use/gaming, 64 works for almost everything ever made for it back in the day.

I vaguely remember the 7800 and Apple II versions - the controls always felt unresponsive. Is the XE/A8 more playable?

Congrats! The XE is a very 80s-looking system, which is kinda nice as the mid~late-80s Atari did have the best chassis designs and since then everything's been generic beige or black boxes... My go-to games are: Airball (groovy gradients and gameplay) Archon (loads faster than disk, no gameplay change was noticed) Ballblazer (loads faster than disk, no gameplay change was noticed) Mario Bros (The XEGS port is easily the best Atari release and, in general, one of the better console releases) Necromancer (loads faster than disk, no gameplay change was noticed) Rescue on Fractalus (loads faster than disk) Thunderfox (one of the few releases that didn't dig up a game from 1982~85 to repackage, an often-said complaint at the time...)

A quick update- Are there other 520ST upgrades that don't use the MMU piggyback? I loathe the idea of soldered options as all the on-board RAM has to be desoldered, which means a risk of frying the fragile trace contacts... After hours of cleaning contacts and re-seating the chips, I do see 2.5MB of RAM, but the screen is loaded with artifacts, and the piggyback for the MMU easily wobbles and loses contact. Thankfully most game titles were made with 512MB in mind. A couple needed 1MB, but I don't think I've found them. I think Captain Blood and SimCity worked well enough on 512K...

I believe each chip is 1bit. The board is also double-sided; each side having 16 sockets. I went by the list of compatible RAM modules and opted for the Samsung KM41C1000 due to its recommendation, noting other brands exist. When only the top 2mb is populated, the system boots and without screen distortion or problems that I currently know of. Once I configure it for 4MB, then the issues begin. I'm leaning toward the manual stating to clip off the resistors and redirect them as my other 1040's memory upgrade cited various resistors had to be clipped because of the 4mb limitation. Until I get a disk that works or a Gotek image for a RAM diagnostic, I cannot confirm how much RAM is available right now. As it's a 520STM, it's possible that the MMU I have in it is an older revision and not compatible with a full 4mb complement... The ZRam manual indicated that a newer revision of the MMU also exists; I still haven't photographed the manual but it's a very different number (C100109?), with these newer MMUs designed for the 520 just to more cheaply get inventory sold out... regardless, it might be best or simplest that I should scout around for the c025912-38 and equally suffixed c025915-38 GLUE chip... In re-researching, there's precious little about the -20 vs -38 suffix, it's as if 25912-20 doesn't really exist and only 25912-38 does... I've a couple spare 1040STFM units - I can pop those out and see what happens... Especially as the only thing I could find was this: Atari 520 ST video issues - exxos's Atari, Amiga & retro forum (exxosforum.co.uk) The -20 does indicate an earlier revision of these chips and there are some issues with some applications, and while that thread discusses video issues, one response piqued my interest: The other chips may need to be -38 types as well.. So, yup, it's eBay time or I'll cannibalize my least-favorite 1040 that has the -38 types. That won't solve my disk read issue, but I'll be looking up image repositories to find a replacement disk image so I can test the chips, and finishing the Gotek install... the chips were listed as operational, am hoping they are...!

That looks the manual I've got, but with some minor alterations and omissions to verbiage, as my copy of the manual includes direct references to the 520 and 1040ST, not just the Mega line, and the troubleshooting section had similar verbiage, but with some differences, including mentioning the bombs during boot, and the PDF has omissions (my copy refers to the 520 and 1040 numerous times, including photo references). Mine's probably a newer copy. I'll try to take photos the next time I'm in the work area. I do have an update from additional testing: I removed the second bank on the ZRam, leaving it at 2MB populated (for 2.5MB total). After plugging back in the ZRAM piggyback, the 520 boots up without wavy distortions -- so the wavy lines are likely not due to the ribbon cable causing interference. Either the ZRAM board has bad RAM, or the c025912-20 is incapable of addressing 4MB and I'd need a c025912-38. That, and chances are high that I'd only need to clip the nine resistors and rewire - I think that's a part of the instability as well. But before I do that, a RAM test is something I want to do and see pass as, sadly, TOS 1.4 doesn't show the amount of found RAM in the Help screen... ...but the disk that came with the kit cannot be read by my ST354 or Indus GT-100 drives, so I cannot confirm if the new RAM installed is good... But before I can confirm how much RAM is seen, I will have to get the Gotek up and running then find a disk image to copy... I might have a PC floppy disk somewhere for my old laptop; if the ST can read PC-formatted disks, or if Hatari emulator can write to a floppy in ST's format then that'll be a little easier in expediting doing this RAM test...

IMHO, killer games are: The Killing Game Show Lemmings Deluxe Pac-Man Deluxe Galaga Shadow of the Beast II Captain Blood (okay, this something of a RPG/adventure game, so you might not dig this one) Rise of the Dragon (ditto) Rick Dangerous Rick Dangerous II Turrican II (best soundtrack, ever) North & Sound The Three Stooges For killer demos that are sold as ostensibly being games: Shadow of the Beast Shadow of the Beast II Blood Money (or pretty much 95% of any Psygnosis game because those were bloomin' difficult, but sure made any of the competition look like a Pong console's graphical depth by comparison...)

I'm half-tempted to buy a UK one, then - for the closest thing to authenticity - swap out the power supply, ROM, keyboard, and those dead silverfish burrowed inside for dead flies and stinkbugs like what we have in our garages here. The only reason I don't is because little software is optimized for its enhancements, due to being close to its EOL...

Hi! So I'm finally installing NOS of the Z-RAM expansion kit, after finding recommended memory on EBay. I agonize over the manual, lined up the notches for all chips, carefully insert the MMC piggyback... The 520 (with Rainbow 1.04 ROM) comes up with a white screen with wavering lines. No GUI desktop. Sometimes I'll boot and it's all black, but reseating helps, but it does seem to be more finicky than I'd anticipated. The manual states "C025912-38" for the MMU. Mine is C025912-20. Does the 20 signify only a manufacturing week, or could this version of the chip not be compatible with the kit? (Granted, I see "8515" below, suggesting it's made on the 15th week of 1985...) I looked for "C025912" in Search, and only one post - citing "C025912-38" - appears so I'm at a loss right now. The manual also states to clip the 9 resistors and wire elsewhere if one has problems, but it's emphasizing that on the 1040ST models. I have not yet done this, as I want to rule out basic chip compatibility and to test putting back the enclosure to make sure the RAM assembly fits. I'd be worrisome if I clipped the resistors, redirected them with cable, and all for nothing. Addendum/on edit: I have not yet tried removing half the chips to try this in 2MB mode. I can't imagine any problems if I try this device in 2MB mode. Will test that and write an updated reply afterward...

Installation of Blinking Light Win replacement card-edge component, and then doing a marathon of Tengen games. Few third parties did the NES better than Tengen. and, of course, there's always SMB, Zelda, and Duck Hunt. Wish there was a proper hardware adapter for the light gun to work on a LCD TV with... Those $20 blue gun things don't really work in the original model...

I just bought one a couple months ago. The gaggle of wires leads to a smaller circuit board, which appears to fit atop the MMU... Am including photos. I'm trying to find suitable RAM, all the same model and speed... is it possible to mix speeds (eg. 511000 chips at 100ns and 70ns?) I've also seen 511000 and 511001 chips and am trying to find if both are of the same 1mbit standard and compatible...

I noted that, for the 4mb version, regarding the 520ST's resistors but I'm also including the resistors for the 1040ST, Exxos states that R59-61 (and R71-73) have to be cut off and wire sent to +5v. The Marpet kit from 92, which definitely is a similar design, says in its booklet that R60-61 (and R71-72). Why would R59 and R73 be excluded from the Marpet (RAS0, if I remember the schematic correctly?) If one has a Marpet, wouldn't it be preferred to isolate the RAS lead as well as the other two that it does document? Exxos states the RAM must be "isolated or removed" and cites "old ram must be removed after testing". Marpet is a lot more lenient in that regard. The Marpet does state outright only the specific resistors and comes with 4 leads, so worrying about the other resistor may be a non-issue. But that does go to the onboard RAM as much as the other two do...

Exxos is a UK site. Console5 has similar prices and is US-based (so if you're in the US, shipping will be lower than Exxos, but you're in the UK so it'll cost more...) Part of me wishes I'd seen Console5 before as I'm in the US, but the more I'd read Exxos's site, it's worth it. They also went to great lengths to make a custom capacitor replacement for the main 4700uv/16v capacitor: https://exxosforum.co.uk/atari/last/caps/index.htm Their description and reasoning won me over. Can't go wrong with either store, though!

Apologies if any of the following has been mentioned: I'd get a voltmeter and check the power supplies to make sure the 12v and 5v outputs are within spec (~ +/-1v, ideally.) Chances are, they'll work but will need to be replaced. The brand Mean Well has a couple models like the RDP-60A and RD-50A-VP. The RD-50A is a little easier to wire up, but you'll have to remove its top shield and be careful as it's a tight fit. The 60A unit is much more compact, but you need to find a TE 2154828-2 three-wire connector to hook up to the AC port. With both these models, de-solder or clip off the power supply coupler's leads and, if you have to splice, use the same gauge wire - a smaller might cause problems... For the non-STF/FM models, which I'm beginning to have respect for since they don't integrate the power supply and are easier to deal with, check this out: https://www.ebay.com/itm/115823250318?hash=item1af79a8b8e:g:OkUAAOSwkjFkewfF&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8NalcL2j%2BaKkbnRhriUe%2FVKud0w4vVlxjydaudkRA67P5iq14lGykR6iaQVzBAdUQxT8TyaTikJZveV5PnTv4Et0Ma1oCUpBl2wiW8igLsFFhqHflgrPfH05BwSD3Qi6tqAXCXC9uvzzZc2mkHt3TuQJslETbkKySkBevUfoS%2BAjcP%2BFjVN5bbJ0p9ZHUVKM%2BEFVN4EdraEFhZTWYcjuRthG7UhHBKr5o9OSjDBGL66CZl4d11%2FXfxAQ7VPZHRGFpsrieX6rt1JHJo%2FYSgk4BFkx8%2BMWvtxfQ4JIgQoMhPOarecS0ofLYm1PMTBBC9uYxg%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR_D1veHuYg I bought one and they're slick, replacing both the ST PSU and the 314/354 disk drive's as well. Looks like you're in the UK, but I think that company makes 240v equivalents. I'd also look up replacing the capacitors. Not just in the power supply unit for the STFM, but any on the mainboard for all of the computers as well. Wavy lines and crashes/reboots are often a sign of a failing capacitor... The shelf life is typically a decade before these start to go waver, and these are 30+ years old and it looks like they were stored in an area not climate-controlled, so they probably took a beating during dry winters and humid summers. (That said, I've seen plenty of Atari 800s and Nintendo NES units operate fine, with no wavy lines or instability, so YMMV. Still, when in doubt, swap 'em out. The cleaner electrical flow as a result will extend the lifespan of the other components, and the microchips are the most difficult to have to replace.)

Done and done, thanks! They do indeed ship to the US. They also had a video capacitor kit I wasn't expecting to see while scrolling, but I remembered your post so I picked up a couple as well - may as well soup up the spare 520 to go with the 1040 and keep or sell it afterward. Thanks x2!

Krazy Kreatures! You can guess where I first heard of it, and quickly became a collector of it. Like "Tetris" on meth. And for the biggest challenge, try playing this with 1992 techno 180-zillion bpm rave in the background. (There's that lovely ST in the background as well! 😍)

Hi! I did a brief search and found only recap questions for the PSU bricks' recapping. I recently bought a power supply and I still get wavy lines in my 1040STF. The STF also has several capacitors on the mobo itself. A large 16v/4700uf one and then a bunch of small ones on the upper-right corner. Since the new PSU is said to be good and I trust the seller, I'm pretty sure I just need to recap the mobo. Is there a list of brands and sizes that is readily available? (I'd read Panasonic FR for the PSUs, but wouldn't those be a different grade entirely as those are for the PSUs?) Thanks much!

Just got a second one from ebay. Didn't expect any others to show up there. Took a risk as they could not verify operability, but it works like a dream. I don't blame you re: Gotek; the real floppy is the original and intended experience. Plus, once the magnetic media or mechanics become inoperable, only modern solutions like GoTek will remain viable. That said, the convenience with Gotek drives can't be beaten... The GTS-1000? Dang, nice. Makes sense as there would be some market for 5.25" compatibility back at the time... now those things must be incredibly rare...

- what should it look like? Its own look, but stylish and catchy. It's hard to gauge scope and trends, harder to do something new. And the square blocky images was already done in 1980, it'd be silly to do synthetic retro when the original did it just as well. - how should it play? Like how Zelda improved on Adventure, but this time it's the new game improving on Zelda. - how simple or complex should it be? Too simple and people won't stick around for more than 5 minutes. Too complex and people will whine. Maybe different game variants; one to appeal to casual players and other modes for those who want to dive deep? In 1986, Zelda seemed to require finding and reading magazine and articles and books to get steered to a solution. In-game hints are great, but forcing a player down a path takes away from the "open world" feel of it all and may be perceived as "condescending" as well? - how much should it add of new things? As much to add replay value; let numerous combinations of items win a battle or open a door, instead of "must have blue ring and yellow sword" one could have "green ring and red sword"; different items complementing each other. But appealing to casual gamers or those with little booklets next to them keeping track of every item and nuance? - how should it sound? Epic, but feel natural and authentic to the game and its realm - not forced or slathered on. And not the same generic over the top 30-piece orchestras with howling choral backdrops that have been overused for a couple decades now. - online? Multiplayer? Single-player (only)?, Single but with online option; RPGs only go so far. Even in Zelda II for the NES. - which priority should Atari give it? Another Recharged, a 19.99$-game or a full 39$ game? One-time cost but with optional extras? Didn't Skyrim already do something like this? It's good but a lot of battles became repetitive, and after a save state I decided to become a vampire and then take over towns. When accomplishing that, the game got boring very quickly...

Thankfully a lot of artists back in the day used an Atari ST thanks to what it would do with the MIDI interface.

That's probably why Bud got a 1040ST for college! Power without the price!

I remember the XM301. Hadn't known that Atari had a branded modem capable of a lightning-fast 1200baud that was A8 compatible, or else I'd have gone for it for my 800XL at the time. (my next modem would be a Supra 2400 mode, wheeeeeee!) There was a magazine article telling of how some XM301 units had a bare wire exposed that could short out the entire thing and possibly take the computer with it. It was fun opening mine up and seeing a thin bare wire, which I clipped off carefully. The line noise was fun. Waiting forever while downloading was not, especially if someone else had to get on the phone like how you had to get to the loo while someone else was using it. Unlike having to wait for the loo, the anticipation of the file download to complete was actually and genuinely exciting. The BBS board rooms were great. The "trolls" were called "ruggies" back then. There'd be local meet-ups as well. The internet is just a variation of the same theme; only faster. Definitely less local in feel. Maybe less organic as well, and definitely no text-based adventure or other interactive games. I miss text that looks like computer text and limited graphics. That probably saves on bandwidth as well, but with everything now at speeds deemed impossible 40 years ago, nobody needs to care about optimizing jpgs anymore. Amazed people don't use uncompressed bitmaps... AT commands were fun. Anyone could use them.

Right now I'm dealing with the original PSU in the 1040. (110v, US). It looks like Exxos is UK-centric, but the capacitors themselves should be directly swappable. Certainly easier than to spend an hour faffing about in trying to piecemeal each individual cap... It looks like the Meanwell RD-50A power supply might be a decent replacement, keeping in mind what you'd said about modifications to the base plate and connector. That's cool that a mini-ATX could be used. I'll order the capacitor kit and try Meanwell afterward. I'll look up mATX too... Thanks!

I'll check those out, thanks much!!