gobo

PS Does this also work in regular Atari BASIC? Thanks Again

pirx, Thank you!!!! It works great! I've been looking for this for a long time. Looks so simple. I'm kind of embarrassed to have asked. I guess it's time I learned assembly language! I'll post the game once I update it.

Thanks!! It's definitely that it can't read the paddles often enough. It's especially jarring when the paddles don't move at all when it branches off the main loop to draw something special on the screen. I actually found a ML routine that moves the players horizontally during the VBI even when the BASIC program isn't running using the joysticks but it's just not the same as playing with the paddles. The code I use to read the paddles and move the players is simply: POKE K53248,228-PADDLE(K0):POKE K53249,228-PADDLE(K1) With the player moving on the screen from x position 52 to 195. It would also be ok if it goes the whole length from 0 to 255 off screen if that's easier. I'm no big programmer even today but man looking at my teenage years code is embarrassing. It's such a mess. I remember trying to squeeze out every last free byte of memory I could use back then so no comments at all! It's nice to be able to look at it all in a windows editor now though! It makes a "huge" old program looks so much smaller. Still, it's fun! I'm currently copying all my old floppies to ATR as well!

Hi I'm trying to rework an old game I made way back in the day written in plain Atari Basic. It's kind of a sideways Pong game. To start I'm going to re-time it for the much faster TurboBASIC so it runs a bit more smoothly. It uses the paddles to move PM 1 and 2 horizontally across the top and bottom of the screen, but it's very jerky just reading the paddles directly in Basic. I know nothing of assembly language so I was wondering if someone knows of any ML routine that would move the players back and forth during the VBI. I've seen few that work with the joysticks but not with paddles. Thanks

Have you ever been checked for Lyme Disease? My sister in law had it (I did too for years) and had terrible issues with memory and all sorts of neroligical things. The blood tests are not that accurate and repeatedly came back negative and each doctor guessed diagnosed this and that. To say it was horrible is a gross understatment if left unchecked. No bullseye rash in many cases. Finally she had a spinal tap done that showed Lyme in her spinal fluid. This was about 15 years ago. She was treated with heavy long term antibiotics and had a great recovery. Works 10 hours days now with only a few lingering symptoms. We live in the Northeast USA and it's everywhere. I had it myself along with another tick born infection and it was pretty bad for a long time. One symptoms was that I felt like my brain was in a fog. Couldn't concentrate and had memory issue. Positive PCR spinal tap too for Lyme. Took a while to find the right doctor even after diagnosed. Might be something gor you to look into. Mostly better now. It's not just a Northeast thing anymore. Truly hoping all the best for you.

Finally gotten around to re-soldering the SIO ports. Also checked the other solder connections which looked good. No change. The ebay drive spins up when the Atari is turned on but no head movement and the original drive still grinds even though I switched out the Track Zero sensor from the ebay one into it. So it looks like two bad drive mechs I guess. Does anyone know of another common brand and/or model 360K drive that is compatible with the 551? I've been very luck so far with ebay. Kind of going overboard lately. Got a 400, an 800 an 800xl (with type 2 keyboard) and 1050 that all look and work like new. I always wanted both a 400 and 800 together for some reason! Guess I was pressing my luck and should have just bought the XF551 from Best Electronics.

Payment Sent!!!!

Hi, I'd like one fully assembled please. USA Thanks

Thank you all again for the help. I tried the cel phone video trick to see if there was a led flash but I didn't see one. I also tried it on the other ebay mechanism and didn't see one either so it may be something I'm doing wrong. I also tried a TV remote to no effect. The drives don't behave the same when inside the XF551. They are the exact same model number. I think the ebay one has a dead stepper motor because when it's turned on it just spins the drive motor, no head movement other than an occasion minute slide. The XF551 original drive spins the motor head and moves the head. It looks like it wants to work.The grinding doesn't happen every time. Sometimes the head just moves to the default position quietly. This grinding happens if its connected to the computer or not so I guess that means its not an SIO problem. Strange that it happens only some of the time. It never seems to even try to read a disk though. The head always stays at default. Looking at the drive # select jumpers in Dragonstompers post, mine are different. There are 4 rows instead of 3 and drive 0 is the topmost row. You can see it in the picture in the post above. If I turn the drive on with the jumper in any other drive # position the head doesn't grind or move at all. Again funny because this thing, including power supply and manual looks new. Guess I'll try looking for another mechanism. My great deal is getting expensive!

Ok, Funny thing is even though I thought I looked thoroughly inside the drive and didn't see the top shield plate I actually found it! I saw that the disc was spinning slower the replacement mechanism I bought so I when I looked closer at the drive motor there it was wedged 90% inside it. After I got it out the drive motor works fine. I connected both the mechanisms to a PC but both just spun the drive motor, no head action at all. I think I replaced the track zero sensor from the ebay drive to the XF551 but it didn't make a difference. I say think because I am not sure which part actually is the track zero sensor. The attached pic shows which parts I scavenged off the other drive. The attached video shows what the drive head does when its turned on. Getting a bit discouraged. I guess its time to look for another mechanism. XF551 Grind.mp4

Well the replacement drive came but it didn't work, just not in the same way. It actually was the Mitsumi D503V that I was hoping it was and I thought it would be an easy swap. With the new drive in the motor to spin the disc spins up but that's it. Attached to the computer it just gives a "BOOT ERROR". When I opened it up to look inside I noticed that the head on the new drive doesn't move at all. So I figured, well at least I have a new track 0 sensor, so I installed that into the original mechanism but the head still grinds the same as before. I do notice now that with either track 0 sensor the head just sometimes slides to its default position without grinding, but still the drive doesn't work at all. It acts the same if its attached to the computer or not. Would it be a good idea to try to switch out the stepper motor from the first drive into the new one to maybe fix the head not moving? Could this all be the XF551's circuitry itself? Do the solder problems go beyond the SIO connectors? I'm at a loss.

Wow, thanks for all the help! The dip switches are set to the Drive #1 position. When I turn the drive on the head just grinds in its position sitting towards the back side of the drive. The metal cover is nowhere to be found. Seems like its not really needed. It was held on with what looks like three tiny Velcro pieces which are still there. If I slide the head up manually then turn it on it slides back to its initial position then grinds. It looks like its probably the track 0 sensor you guys mentions. Never worked on a drive before but I'm going to attempt what Dragonstomper said to do. I also bought a drive on ebay just in case that I'm hoping is the drop in replacement Mitsumi D503V. The auction was actually for a D509V3 but on closer inspection of the photos the drive is actually the D503V. Hoping the sellers mistake is real. Got it for $16. Thanks again everyone for the help. Will let you know if it works. Tom

Hi everyone I was a long time Atari user. Was kind of obsessed. I got my Atari 400 in 1981 and loved it. While I've had an Atari emulator on every computer I've ever had (from Darek Mihocka's Xformer to Altirra), I recently got the urge for real hardware again. I bought my two original machines a 400, an 800XL, and a 1050. I went a step further and even bought the Atari 800 that I always dreamed of having back in the day! My 10 year old thinks they look "Powerful". I discovered I needed an XF551 because I wanted to look at some of the old programs I wrote again but they are save in the XF551 DS/DD format. I just got an one off of Ebay sold as "in box, untested, looks new". When it came I was pretty happy because the thing actually does look new, no marks at all and no dust, even in the creases. It even has that new smell to it! Unfortunately it doesn't work. When its turned on it makes a horrible head grinding noise and that's about it. I opened it up to see if there was anything obviously wrong but inside looks as new as the outside other than it missing that small metal shield that sits on top of the upper head. Is that enough to cause the drive to not work? I slid the head over and turned it on. The head moves back to the starting position then grinds. The metal shield is nowhere to be found. The SIO port solder joints look solid. I cleaned the heads with alcohol, even though they look immaculate. Does anyone have an ideas to what could make what looks like a new drive just not work? Thanks for any help. Tom

Hi I've never been able to get the paddles working in the Atari800 emulators (for Windows) using the Stelladaptor. Is there any way to get paddles working as good as it does with the 2600 emulators? I feel like I'm missing something obvious because I can't get them working right with MAME either no matter how I tweak the adjustments. Thanks for any help!

See My Post here about using joysticks: http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry1744711

I made something like that in Atari BASIC for the 8-bits back in the day called TV JAJI. It used joysticks and the ball was kind of jerky. I always wanted to update it to use a better ball. I did/do have a paddle version somewhere that offered better control. With the joysticks you would move left and right and press the button to speed it up. Once you get the hang of it it works ok. The playfield is horizontal and there are 2 walls of rocks via breakout. If you miss a ball it takes out a brick. If you volley for a while another layer of wall appears and the paddles move closer. The ball also can turn into a bomb and if a player misses it takes out a huge chunk of wall. If a bomb gets through the wall it throws rocks/bricks out all over the playfield for the ball to bounce off of. During the game objects appeared randomly in the playfield and if the ball hits one going in your direction it will attack you in some way. I believe the ball can also turn into a bird that will lay eggs that hatch if they are hit a few times. When the ball gets by your wall the plunger goes down a notch until you loose. There is also "sudden death rocks" that appear randomly that will make the next player loose if it doesn't hit a rock and gets past a wall. Anyway its here if you are interested: http://atari.fandal.cz/detail.php?files_id=5010

Oops, Sorry...

Here's more on it: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/15/arts/15a...amp;oref=slogin

Saw this at Geek.com. http://www.geek.com/sothebys-new-york-auct...tari-documents/ Guess there is still alot of interest in the good old Atari!

It Works! Just in case anyone else needs simple instructions based on what Steve first said: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you crash the emulator it is registered here in the registry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Atari800WinPLus\miscState To bypass the crash message just: - Set up the emulator as you want it with nothing loaded, then exit the emulator. - Export the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Atari800WinPLus\ registry settings to a .REG file - Now, each time you run the emulator import the reg file you saved back into the registry using "regedit.exe /s path of .reg file". (The /S switch sets regedit to import the reg file silently without prompts) Example regedit.exe /s C:\Games\atari800winplus31\atari800windefault.reg This can be run before the emulator easily from within GameEX. Thanks Again Tom

Thanks for the info. Not being a programmer, (beyond old Atari BASIC) I unfortunately don't really know how to work with the source. But basically if I set the program up the way I want and then make note of what is set at miscState I can just insert it each time the program is run and it will bypass the crash message? I'll give it a try and thanks again, I've been trying to get this fixed for a while!

Hi, )Posted this in the emulator forum but didn't get a response so trying here): I have Atari800Win setup to work with the frontend GameEX (running in fullscreen mode). Only problem is that when the emulated Atari occasionally crashes, then next time I try to load a game from GameEX I get a blank screen. The only way to fix it is to manually run Atari800WinPlus and close the "Your last Atari session appears to have locked up......" dialog. Is there any way to set the emulator to not display that dialog(and just ignore a previous crash) since that is what halts it when trying to load from GameEx. I'm trying to setup GameEx to be as seamless as possible. Thanks allot

Hi I have Atari800Win setup to work with the frontend GameEX (running in fullscreen mode). Only problem is that when the emulated Atari occasionally crashes, then next time I try to load a game from GameEX I get a blank screen. The only way to fix it is to manually run Atari800WinPlus and close the "Your last Atari session appears to have locked up......" dialog. Is there any way to set the emulator to not display that dialog(and just ignore a previous crash) since that is what halts it when trying to load from GameEx. Thanks alot

Sorry it took so long to answer. The tapes have no black plastic at the sides and there are no ridges. The tapes are both smooth and an off white color all over with labels only on 1 side each. They may have been whiter once and yellowed a little, not sure.

Oh I remember those days far too well. We had an Atari 400 so we could only get the 410 with it (I was only 6 at the time, so a disk drive would have been overkill and it would have required a 48K mod anyway), so I learned to loathe tapes. Accidentally bump the tape player: Error. Stomp your foot too hard: Error. A cricket farts somewhere within a 20 mile radius: Error. Of course you got those lovely loading noises to make up for the constant errors (I swear it sounds like the computer is melting down). Tempest I'll dig the tapes out tomorrow if I can to look for the ridges. I kinda liked the loading sounds the tapes and disks made. The tapes kinda made you zone out after a while