Lardo Boffin

Thanks! Looks like 125 dollars plus p&p. I had better be verrryyyy careful!

Thanks. Do you have a web site for them? Google is coming up with a million unhelpful suggestions.

Thanks. I am at this point seriously considering sending it off to an expert and pay them to do it. Its one of those questions - ‘at what point do I cut my losses?’ If I ruin the keyboard the only other one for sale on eBay (from MyAtari) is from the USA so will be far from cheap to buy and import to the UK! Its £50 just for postage!!! Are there any web sites still selling these does anyone know? Many thanks!

So I bodged it. I did one side fine and that gives continuity to the key side. The other side went wrong when I tried to remove the remaining solder - the track lifted. Argh. Not done that for a long time. Any thoughts on best process of repair? The last time I did this I had the luxury of being able to see the other side of the PCB and be able to solder that side and then put a jumper cable in place. This - not so easy! One immediate crazy thought was hot melt glue to hold the pin and then jumper from that but I have no idea if that will be strong enough or even if the glue will stick to the PCB! Not to mention once the glue is there there will be no repositioning of the pin should it be necessary. Did I say argh?

And with the leg (or similar) in place.

I have had a look on the underside of the keyboard and was wondering what the missing pins look like? I can see the base of the contactor through the solderless hole (see the ‘artists’ rendition below) but I am not sure how the pin connected to it? I got continuity by putting a cut off capacitor leg into the hole and against the base of the contactor but if I just do that and solder it, it doesn’t seem like it will be a very sturdy connection? Are the pins shaped to maybe go round the base of the contactor or similar? Many thanks!

Thanks ACML!

Hello all I finally got a mostly working PAL Atari 800 from eBay (sold untested hence I could afford it ?). Unfortunately the space bar doesn't work. A quick google suggest that this is a fairly common issue but with varying causes. I have taken the computer apart as below. The keyboard is a HI-TEK. As far as I can tell the mechanical part of the keyboard is fine - if I push the plunger down it looks look like the plate on the left makes contact with the four fingers on the right although I will confirm this with a continuity tester at some point. Any ideas where I start with this? Any help greatly appreciated! Thanks! Lardo

A PAL Atari 800 (sold untested). It almost works as well! The space key does not work but otherwise seems ok.

The 1200XL is an interesting idea that I may well pursue at some point but it’s one if those ‘I want an 800’ moments. ? I really wanted one as a kid - one of my mates parents had one and it was very cool.

Thanks all! All info greatly appreciated. I think on reflection then with the risk and additional cost of converting from NTSC to PAL (or buying an appropriate TV) I may as well save up and buy one over in the UK.

Hi all I really want to buy an Atari 800 (not XL - I have one of those) but over in the UK they tend to be really expensive. Looking at the prices they can go for in the USA I suspect it may be cheaper to buy one over there and then pay shipping and import duties than buy one over here (unless I happen to get really lucky). What would be involved in getting a USA Atari 800 to work in the UK? I am assuming the two major factors would be PSU and video output with the latter probably being the bigger problem? Any advice appreciated! Thanks! Lardo

Hi I am trying to source some of these switches locally in the UK but if I cant are you able to post to the United Kingdom please? Thanks!