Colleton

Almost certainly it's the keyboard connector not making good contact with the motherboard. It isn't the springs. Go back to the 1st page and watch FJC's repair video. It's a scary process the 1st time you do it, but take your time and use care and you'll be okay.

Gave it a shot today, sadly my results aren't anything as nice as xrbrevin's were. The Basic/Memo Pad background is zig-zag striped and is very washed out and pale. Game graphics look correct, but are much paler than they should be. The resistors and the cap are installed correctly (I tried it with and without the cap), and I used an old USB cable as well. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Only thing I can think is that I need more than 75 ohms at the luma pick-up point? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

You could use a Netusbee to get files onto and off of the internal US, I think? This is the approach I plan on taking when/if things ever return to normal.

I think he (or she) is just enjoying the attention with no real intention of selling. It's just a "look what I have!" thing.

https://www.8bitclassics.com/product/atari-xl-xe-power-supply/

I've been using one for the tinkering I'm doing. Don't think I really need it, but it's cheap peace of mind.

I have a couple of stock 400s sitting around, so I ordered the components needed from digikey today and will try the mod later this week when the parts arrive. This is my 4th digikey order in the last 2 weeks. Anything to stay busy. lol

That sucks tf_hh, hope this all ends soon. Stay healthy! At any rate, I received my SCCC and 48/52K ram card today. I was really surprised when tracking showed it in the US last week. I didn't expect it to arrive for a month or more.

Another thumbs up for the SCCC. I installed one in a 400 this weekend, and have another one arriving tomorrow that will be installed in another 400. This will make 3 SCCC modded 400s for me, all of which have tf_hh's 48/52K RAM board as well. Video quality on the two I've already installed is very nice, easily the equal of an 800 S-Video output. These mods are easily accomplished and, IMO, are "must have" mods for the 400.

That looks much better than I'd imagined it would.

You're going to run into a lot of image files that will not run on a particular device (or sometimes at all) for whatever reason. Try and find the games/apps that you're interested in in a format (.atr, .car, .bin, etc...) that works with the device you have. I have an S-Drive Max, but I also have an SIO2SD, Ultimate Cart (with curated software from TBA), Side2 Cart, etc... There are multiple ways to skin this cat. As for software, there are multiple sources listed in the sticky comments of this forum, and archive.org is your friend too.

Yes. There are screws on both sides of the board packaging that attach to metal tubes running through the center of the board. One set of screws is under the label, the other is accessible. You need to be able to work both sets of screws at once to loosen them. I've tried using a small hemostat to hold the tubes while I turn the accessible screws, but there isn't enough room to get a good grip.

I think that's about the best way forward, I just hate to do it. Thanks!

Nice. I'd never heard of the card before I bought this 800. I think that this RAMCRAM card has some bad RAM on it. The computer fails to boot about half the time with this card installed. I get a black, cream colored, green, yellow (with beeping) or red screen when it fails to boot. With this card removed the machine boots every time. For now I have 3 16K ram cards installed in the computer and it's working perfectly. I have the ram chips to diagnose and repair the RAMCRAM card, but from what I can see the only way to disassemble the card to get at the chips is to puncture the logo sticker in two places to get at the screws underneath. I don't really want to do that.

Yes, that's stock S-Video run through an upscaler. Yeah, I knew you were hoping for a 255. Someday, maybe.

? PEEK(65528) = 221

I'll try it when I get it reassembled. Trying to figure out what to do about the broken cart door latch right now.

I'd send you some if I could.

In another thread I've talked about an early 800 that I recently bought. It works, but was pretty beat with several issues, the worst of which is the broken posts that hold the cart door latch spring in place. Both of these posts are broken and long gone. The latch spring was bent into a U shape, with the bottom part of the U pushing against the keyboard and the upper parts of the U pressing against the latch.It was a crappy solution and didn't work very well. Is there any good way to install new posts in the case to hold the latch spring into place? This is probably not an uncommon situation. What have people done in the past to fix this issue? Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Yes, I got the idea from one of your posts, and I've had the same result with wrapping the case parts in plastic wrap in the past. This way is a little slower, but it produces great results. Thanks for the help!

Yes, that would be great. Thank you! I have the ones from archive.org.

I'm just using a south facing room indirect sunlight. I paint the H2O2 creme on the parts and let them sit all day before rinsing them off. It takes a few days, but it works. Got the idea from jamms here on AA. I'm doing a different 800 right now.

Just finished retrobrighting a very badly discolored 800. This is after 3 days (9-10 hours each day) indoors with indirect sunlight using peroxide creme and 2 hours in a clear peroxide/water solution under UV lamps. It looks really good, very light with no blooming and an even tone all around. It is vastly improved. I can't get it to match that one spot on the cart door and doubt I ever will, so I'm calling it done. Before and after pics:

This is after 3 days (9-10 hours) retrobrighting with peroxide creme this week and 2 hours in a clear peroxide/water solution under UV lamps. It looks really good, very light with no blooming and an even tone all around. It is vastly improved. I can't get it to match that one spot on the cart door and doubt I ever will, so I'm calling it done and getting ready for re-assembly.