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Project "Repair Falcon"


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Well, got the Falcon Service Manual and reversed the rest of the Nemesis install. Had to reinstall 3 resistors that were removed for the Nemesis. Tried powering up the Falcon. There is life in there but not getting a display. At least I know I'm on the right track and I got some kind of response.

 

I am now looking for a Falcon test cartridge to run service diagnostics on it. I have the test fixture board and cables but the Falcon takes its own test cart. If anyone knows where I can find one (Best is out right now), either for sale (preferably) or to borrow, let me know.

 

She Will Live!!!

 

 

I'm impressed by your work!

 

* For what it's worth to those reading this (other than Guitarman), I was the original owner of this Falcon.

 

So, it would appear that it wasn't the Nemesis after all (or the DMA chip, which was my guess).

 

Are you getting anything on the monitor when you power up? I would get a white screen, and maybe 1 out of 30 tries, the Falcon would boot to the desktop normally.

 

When I attempted to bypass certain features of the Nemesis temporarily (the acceleration of the DSP, and then the DMA), I would get a black screen. Based on comp.sys.atari.st user suggestions, I was intending to replace the DMA chip (which is why it was removed from the motherboard when you bought the Falcon). I'd rather not talk about the mess I made during that procedure, but... moving right along...

 

I did not have a Falcon test cartridge either, and pretty much gave up at that point. So, I'm following this thread with great interest. And I wish you the best of luck!

:?

 

Hey Paul!!

 

Not getting anything on the monitor other than, with my VGA flat panel connected, I get an 'unable to sync' error. The good thing is, it must be getting something to throw the error. I did try connecting to my TV with the RF out and got various reactions to turning it on. Mostly a black output with vertical scan lines through it, kinda like bad vertical hold. Every so often it will throw a blue screen but with the same skewing. Never a legible picture or desktop though. I did discover that there is a broken pin on the monitor connector which could have been part of the original issue. That will be an issue as I can not find a male 19pin D-Sub connector anywhere!!! The female ones are easy, straight out of an old MAC floppy drive!! I am either going to install a female connector to the mainboard and make a male DB19 to VGA adapter or I may just install a VGA port in it since I don't see myself ever using something else.

 

As far as proceeding, I have everything to start testing, minus the Falcon service cartridge, an that should be here in the next day or two. I have all the service diagnostic boards and carts for all the other ST/TT/Mega systems now that I got from an old Atari service center in San Diego. I actually have 3 complete diagnostic board sets w/cables so I may be posting up a couple here soon. I'll tell you, the Falcon service manual has a plethora of cool info!! A lot of very valuable information.

 

I'll keep you updated.

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Here's the latest.

 

Got the test cart and here's what we have. I am now getting display to the VGA monitor but various different results. The Falcon does have life though!! That's the best thing.

 

Here is the Falcon connected to the test fixture and powered with the test cart.

post-6701-1210540173_thumb.jpg

 

Here is a closeup of the screen. I am getting a cart version error and it will not load the test screen. Does anyone know how to bypass this???

post-6701-1210540269_thumb.jpg

 

Here is a picture of what is on screen just before the version error.

post-6701-1210540386_thumb.jpg

 

Here is what mostly shows on the screen when starting up the Falcon. I have to turn the power on and off many time before getting to go to the test cart

post-6701-1210540577_thumb.jpg

 

This also came up but just once.

post-6701-1210540608_thumb.jpg

 

As you can see, I am making progress. Just need to widdle down the issues.

 

If anyone can tell me how to bypass the cartridge version error, that would be great. I'm thinking that maybe if I short or remove the RTC chip???

Edited by Guitarman
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  • 1 month later...
Got the test cart and here's what we have. I am now getting display to the VGA monitor but various different results. The Falcon does have life though!! That's the best thing. As you can see, I am making progress. Just need to widdle down the issues.

 

If anyone can tell me how to bypass the cartridge version error, that would be great. I'm thinking that maybe if I short or remove the RTC chip???

 

 

Wow, there's life in that bird! I wish I could offer some answers, but I never used one of those diagnostic cartridges.

 

I wish you the best of luck though...

 

Impressive work.

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Just a suggestion but I would strongly recommend bypassing the internal power supply and use an ATX supply from a PC.

 

My falcon used to do very weird things at random times and occasionally not boot at all. I then ran it from an external rock solid power supply and all my problems disappeared.

 

I'm not saying this will cure your issue but while your messin with the inards use a different PSU during your mending process.

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  • 1 month later...
Well, got the Falcon Service Manual and reversed the rest of the Nemesis install. Had to reinstall 3 resistors that were removed for the Nemesis. Tried powering up the Falcon. There is life in there but not getting a display. At least I know I'm on the right track and I got some kind of response.

 

I am now looking for a Falcon test cartridge to run service diagnostics on it. I have the test fixture board and cables but the Falcon takes its own test cart. If anyone knows where I can find one (Best is out right now), either for sale (preferably) or to borrow, let me know.

 

She Will Live!!!

 

Opps, didn't read page two. Great work!

Edited by rustynutt
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  • 9 months later...

@Guitarman

 

I believe cause you must check one by one all the pins from the sdma ic, for continuity along the route to other parts (according the schematics). Especially the data and address pins. Is very dificult, but must be done. I believe that the poor export of ic has caused injury to printed board.

 

 

This is my friendly oppinion. :cool:

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  • 9 months later...

Hello Guitarman. Finally, what happen with falcon?? I am very curious about it!

 

Nothing yet. It has been on the back burner for a while. It is still in a box from my last move and moving again in a couple of week, hopefully for the last time. Once settled in the new house and get my workbench area set up, will be busting it back out!!

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  • 10 years later...
On 2/26/2010 at 9:05 PM, Guitarman said:

 

Nothing yet. It has been on the back burner for a while. It is still in a box from my last move and moving again in a couple of week, hopefully for the last time. Once settled in the new house and get my workbench area set up, will be busting it back out!!

Did you manage to get the Falcon repaired in the end?! Meant to ask the other decade ?

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/13/2021 at 8:52 AM, viking272 said:

Did you manage to get the Falcon repaired in the end?! Meant to ask the other decade ?

LOL!!! I can't believe it has been almost 13 years since I posted the last update on this!! On my last move I mentioned (2010), a lot of my Atari collection never made it out of their boxes. What did make it out of boxes got reboxed when I moved back down to San Diego in 2017. None of my collection got unboxed there as there was no room to. In March of 2020, I moved to Austin TX area. Now that I'm fully settled in a new house, I can start unboxing and organizing the collection properly. The Falcon will be one of the first things on my bench....when I find it!! LOL.  I am having a workshop built on the property that will be fully shelved with a workbench on one end. Let the (Atari) games begin!!!

 

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Sounds good, hope it’s all working still. ?

I’ve just been building a workshop too which has a tiny 7ft x 7ft (2.1m x 2.1m) den at the end of it for my techie toys. Just run in 10 network points and 12 power sockets! Hope to have my Atari’s in there later this year. ?

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2 hours ago, Guitarman said:

LOL!!! I can't believe it has been almost 13 years since I posted the last update on this!! On my last move I mentioned (2010), a lot of my Atari collection never made it out of their boxes. What did make it out of boxes got reboxed when I moved back down to San Diego in 2017. None of my collection got unboxed there as there was no room to. In March of 2020, I moved to Austin TX area. Now that I'm fully settled in a new house, I can start unboxing and organizing the collection properly. The Falcon will be one of the first things on my bench....when I find it!! LOL.  I am having a workshop built on the property that will be fully shelved with a workbench on one end. Let the (Atari) games begin!!!

 

Welcome back. You've been hibernating far too long.  :)

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 4/5/2021 at 3:36 PM, Guitarman said:

LOL!!! I can't believe it has been almost 13 years since I posted the last update on this!! On my last move I mentioned (2010), a lot of my Atari collection never made it out of their boxes. What did make it out of boxes got reboxed when I moved back down to San Diego in 2017. None of my collection got unboxed there as there was no room to. In March of 2020, I moved to Austin TX area. Now that I'm fully settled in a new house, I can start unboxing and organizing the collection properly. The Falcon will be one of the first things on my bench....when I find it!! LOL.  I am having a workshop built on the property that will be fully shelved with a workbench on one end. Let the (Atari) games begin!!!

 

When you find the Falcon?  Or the bench?  ;)  (I know how moves go!)

 

Will be looking forward to it.  Got a dead girl myself I need to try to get working somehow.

 

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