gathering ST pieces, compatibility?

[Silntdoogood]

I wasn't going to do a post on this until I gathered all of the pieces, and had the functioning system...but I need some help. I recently came in to two sf354 floppy drives, and a functioning SC1224 screen. I don't really know what's compatible with it other than a 520st (thanks to searching through google-images, and finding one attached to my screen) I don't really know what other computers are out there, or compilable with this screen. Some suggestions as to what I am looking for to use with the screen, and the drives would be appreciated. I would be equally thrilled if an adapter exists to use the screen with something else, even a 2600 output would be amazing. I have yet to see anything close to an adapter for this screen. I just really want to see this screen in action.

 

I have been looking on and off for a few months now. I am seeing a lot of conflicting sites. While I appreciate all contributions to my query, Please specify if you own or have owned any of these devices and are speaking from first hand knowledge. This is why I'm here.

 

In my searches, I have found someone selling some 1020 printers. Are there compatibility limitations with these? Software necessities? I've seen some sites claiming they are plug & play, but Google searches are filled with sites offering drivers :\ I'm considering buying one in anticipation of finding a functioning system. I was looking for a dot-matrix, but I'd settle.

Would a 520st play nice with everything else I have/plan to get? Is there a better system I should be hunting?

 

Thanks in anticipation for putting up with another newbi's post.

-Spence

[Charlie_]

The SC1224 is made for use with the ST series of computers. 520 ST or 1040 ST.

 

I believe the SF354 drives are single sided. They should work with either the 520 or 1040 ST computers.

Being single sided they have limited usefulness, IMO.... most ST disk images I download have been double sided images.

 

Still, I'd recommend a 1040 STf computer to use with the SC1224. It has a built in floppy drive.

Although I think I read some early models had single sided drives , I think most are double sided.

[tjlazer]

yes its a monitor for Atari ST computers. Though you can get/make a monitor to make it work with other computers like the Commodore-Amiga or Atari Jaguar. It does not have compoite though, so you can't use it on Atari 800/Commodore 64 computers.

 

The SF 354 is a SSDD drive. (360K) Get a SF 314 drive for DSDD (720K) And as was mentioned, most disk images come in DSDD variety, though a lot of commercial software does come in SSDD format! (Since Atari cheaped out and did this, software houses had to adopt that format for largest compatibility)

[busterm]

A 520ST should do you well. As mentioned earlier hunt down a SF314 I think I might have a spare one. This will give you the DSDD alot of games use. As for the 1040 vs 520 the only major difference is the amount of RAM most games do not use 1 meg so they will work fine on the 520. My advice look online at the games you want to play or software you want to use and see the RAM requirements.

[Silntdoogood]

Thanks for the help!

I'll continue to watch ebay now that I have a bit more of an idea what I need.

 

Still, I'd recommend a 1040 STf computer to use with the SC1224. It has a built in floppy drive.

Although I think I read some early models had single sided drives , I think most are double sided.

 

While looking, I didn't see anything regarding single or double sided drives. I can't really say I was watching out for it... Thanks for the info. I've noticed some of my disks are labled double, and some single, but I never stopped to consider drive limitations. If there's a drive built in, I'm not that concerned about utilizing the ones I currently have. I can just set them out have have them around looking pretty.

 

yes its a monitor for Atari ST computers. Though you can get/make a monitor to make it work with other computers like the Commodore-Amiga or Atari Jaguar. It does not have compoite though, so you can't use it on Atari 800/Commodore 64 computers.

 

I am relatively new to gathering any of this, I have none of the systems you mentioned, either compatible, or non. I may have to look in to making this screen work with something a little more generic to today's standards (while still being cautions not to kill it) until then, as I said above, I'd just like to see it in action.

 

My advice look online at the games you want to play or software you want to use and see the RAM requirements.

 

Blank slate. Which ever system I can find, I'll find games to fit it. I'm sure there's enough for either system to be amusing.

[+Sauron]

Get any ST system with at least 1 MB of RAM and an internal FD. All internal floppy drives IIRC are DSDD. There are enough games that require 1 MB as well as a 720kb FD to make it worth your while.

[Thorsten Günther]

Get any ST system with at least 1 MB of RAM and an internal FD. All internal floppy drives IIRC are DSDD. There are enough games that require 1 MB as well as a 720kb FD to make it worth your while.

 

IIRC, early 520STfms were the only computers ever to be shipped with SSDD drives (was this model ever sold outside the UK? Here in Germany, Atari sold off their overstock of 520STms with SF354s), but all 1040STf/fm, all Mega ST and all STE models had at least DSDD (later Mega STEs even had DSHD), so one can read and write them under Windows and Linux (even the 820K formats of vintage pirate disk images are directly accessible using fdrawcmd.dll and Pera Putnik's Floppy Image software (yet only if the FDD is connected via the Shugart bus - fdrawcmd doesn't work with USB drives).

 

Thorsten

Edited June 26, 2011 by Thorsten Günther