Finally got a Starpath Supercharger

[madhatter667]

Fun times.

I recenty bought a stack of supercharger games from a member here...

of course, I didn't have a supercharger yet... something I had always wanted to add to the collection...

snagged it off of eBay for $30.99 plus a few bucks shipping.

 

I later found that you can play the games off of a CD... so some hunting, a couple emails, and $5 later, I have the "Stella Gets a New Brain" compilation.

 

Anyone else go this route? I know that I must be a late-comer in this regard.

Still... definitely can't complain!

[Dan Iacovelli]

Fun times.

I recenty bought a stack of supercharger games from a member here...

of course, I didn't have a supercharger yet... something I had always wanted to add to the collection...

snagged it off of eBay for $30.99 plus a few bucks shipping.

 

I later found that you can play the games off of a CD... so some hunting, a couple emails, and $5 later, I have the "Stella Gets a New Brain" compilation.

 

Anyone else go this route? I know that I must be a late-comer in this regard.

Still... definitely can't complain!

I got the stella cd from cyberpunks a while back and the supercharger from 4 jays.

I basically use the SC for programming though some times I do play a couple games on it from the stella cd.

[shadow460]

Never had to go with a CD. I typically load the games from this computer since the 7800 sits on top of my monitor. I have a second SuperCharger that's been modded, and I use it for some of the older games when I'm too lazy to dig out my carts.

[Zoyx]

Never had to go with a CD. I typically load the games from this computer since the 7800 sits on top of my monitor. I have a second SuperCharger that's been modded, and I use it for some of the older games when I'm too lazy to dig out my carts.

Modded in what way?

[ovalbugmann]

Probably the standard Supercharger mod - that is to allow the supercharger to play 4k games without accessing the 3rd 2k of RAM memory and shutting down or malfunctioning.

 

An unmodded SC can play most 2k vcs games, but to play many 4k vcs games a small board mod/gate chip is needed,... unless you take a look at "Nukey Shay's" 2600 hack thread - in which he hacks 4k vcs binaries to run on an unmodded SC corrrectly.

 

Do a search for "Supercharger" in the 2600 or hacks forums.

Edited September 1, 2008 by ovalbugmann

[Zoyx]

My Supercharger doesn't work on my recently purchased 7800. Still works with my 2600. Is this how it is?

[ovalbugmann]

Why don't you read the 7800 FAQ, here on Atariage.

[Zoyx]

Why don't you read the 7800 FAQ, here on Atariage.

There's a 7800 FAQ?

 

Trying to get Playbin to work with Vista. Another unpossible deal?

[shadow460]

My unit is modded to play 4k roms, but it's a little different that Bob Colbert's mod. batari helped cook up a mod that uses stuff you can find at Rat Shack today (they don't have that IC anymore). It also has a stereo plug on the cord so it's easier to use with a PSP.

 

Unfortunately, some 7800s do not work with the SuperCharger. I think it's mainly the second generation units without the actual expansion port, but with a mark in that spot. They have an additional circuit inside that affects the SuperCharger. It also has to do with how your 7800 "reads" cartridges.

 

As for playing your games, if you have some cassettes or the CD, you can rip the audio files to your computer and play those back with your favorite media player. They can be loaded to a portable device as well, but you may need to set the balance or purchase a an adapter for the SuperCharger. The adapter is a 1/8 in mono on the female end and 1/8 inch stereo on the male end, and costs a couple or three bucks. Ripping cassettes is harder than CD, but not impossible.

 

I'll detail quickly how I ripped my own cassettes, yours should be similar.

You'll need a few things:

Cassette deck, the higher quality the better. A portable tape player would work in a pinch as long as it doesn't eat the tapes.

Cables to go from that deck's output to your computer's line level input

Recording software that can make .wav files up to 1 minute long

 

1. Set the deck's bias and equalizer to normal and load and load your tape into the deck.

2. Start your recording software, and set any equalizer settings to normal.

3. Start the recording, then start the cassette. Watch the recorder's meter to ensure it doesn't go into the red zone.

4. If the meters go into the red zone, or they don't move at all, adjust the recorder's input or the deck's output and try again.

5. When all of the loads on the cassette are done, stop the recorder and name the file.

6. Convert the file to another format if you like.

 

I also cut a little here and there and even "repaired" the signal from one of my cassettes with some audio mixing software. You don't have to go that far for the SuperCharger, but it's almost required if you're ripping music cassettes mp3.

 

I can't help with playbin and Vista. I use playbin on 98SE, but I know nothing about Vista.

Edited September 2, 2008 by shadow460

[Zoyx]

I can't help with playbin and Vista. I use playbin on 98SE, but I know nothing about Vista.

 

Concerning Vista and Playbin... I haven't tried XP compatibility mode. I also might be missing a codec.

 

I managed to get my Arcadia/Starpath tapes to work when I tried them a year ago. Although if you listen to them, there is a warble to them. The tapes are beginning to fade.

 

I also have some TRS-80 tapes I want to rescue. I'll have to give your tips a try there.

[shadow460]

I can't help with playbin and Vista. I use playbin on 98SE, but I know nothing about Vista.

 

Concerning Vista and Playbin... I haven't tried XP compatibility mode. I also might be missing a codec.

 

I managed to get my Arcadia/Starpath tapes to work when I tried them a year ago. Although if you listen to them, there is a warble to them. The tapes are beginning to fade.

 

I also have some TRS-80 tapes I want to rescue. I'll have to give your tips a try there.

 

We had made copies of all our tapes when we were kids, so the originals are hardly even used. I ripped from those originals last year, so there's very little distortion of any kind in them. Using a clean recording, it's possible to repair your tapes. The only downside is that I think there are actually minor differences in certain titles that were added in later production runs. I can't put my finger on what's different, though. You might, however, find that clean recording on your CD.

I do not have originals of Sword of Saros and Survival Island, though. The copies I have have both degraded to the point where their files needed a lot of remixing just to work at all.

[Zoyx]

I do not have originals of Sword of Saros and Survival Island, though. The copies I have have both degraded to the point where their files needed a lot of remixing just to work at all.

I have those. Don't know if they are any good. Want a .wav if I get them to work?

[shadow460]

I do not have originals of Sword of Saros and Survival Island, though. The copies I have have both degraded to the point where their files needed a lot of remixing just to work at all.

I have those. Don't know if they are any good. Want a .wav if I get them to work?

 

Nah, but thanks anyway. It took a while, but I got mine to work OK.

Do your tapes have the "PAL SYSTEM" text on them?

[Zoyx]

Nah, but thanks anyway. It took a while, but I got mine to work OK.

Do your tapes have the "PAL SYSTEM" text on them?

Huh, yes I do. Never noticed it before because someone took a black magic marker to it and crossed that out. When I held it up to the light at the right angle, I could read it. Thanks for pointing that out. What other versions are there?

 

Really sad... when I pulled out the tape, the B-side sticker fell off. The glue disintegrated.

[landsmarra]

I got my Supercharger brand new from some place in Texas for cheap. Eventually picked up all the games as well as Worship the Woodgrain and Stella Gets a New Brain. Had to mod it to get it to work with WTW...even did it myself with the switch and all! In fact, just the other day, I tossed the extra chip I got from Radio Shack that you needed to mod it.

 

I used the SC incessantly until I got my Cuttle Cart II then I sold it off. It was a good use of the portable CD player I had that I hadn't used in a long time.

[Mark Wolfe]

Fun times.

I recenty bought a stack of supercharger games from a member here...

of course, I didn't have a supercharger yet... something I had always wanted to add to the collection...

snagged it off of eBay for $30.99 plus a few bucks shipping.

 

I later found that you can play the games off of a CD... so some hunting, a couple emails, and $5 later, I have the "Stella Gets a New Brain" compilation.

 

Anyone else go this route? I know that I must be a late-comer in this regard.

Still... definitely can't complain!

 

 

You're gonna want to check this out:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=125293

 

as well as this:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65897

[shadow460]

Nah, but thanks anyway. It took a while, but I got mine to work OK.

Do your tapes have the "PAL SYSTEM" text on them?

Huh, yes I do. Never noticed it before because someone took a black magic marker to it and crossed that out. When I held it up to the light at the right angle, I could read it. Thanks for pointing that out. What other versions are there?

 

Really sad... when I pulled out the tape, the B-side sticker fell off. The glue disintegrated.

 

I think there may be a version out there that has nothing where the "PAL SYSTEM" text is. As for the sticker, that Elmer's Glue Stick you can get for 50 cents works wonders. I just hope it doesn't turn all my labels purple in a few years.