Atari 65xe Hardware problem...any suggestions?

[SEADRIVE]

Hey,

 

Like many of you, I have been an Atari fan boy since my early teens and my first 2600 in 1982 and 600xl in 1983. Since then, I have collected a number of Atari's including my "beloved" Atari 800s. I picked a 65xe the other year that looks absolutely mint. It powers up, I believe clicking sounds are heard when pressing keys, but the screen is full of garbled symbols...do you think there's a faulty ram chip, or one of the custom chips that require changing...any suggestions? I have an 130xe that's beat-up that I am willing to castrate to fix this.

 

cheers,

 

SEADRIVE

[Gunstar]

In my experience, ram problems usually produce just a solid redish screen when powered up. I'd think it's a bad or unseated chip, probably the Antic?

[mimo]

Just put the 130 mother board in the 65xe then

 

[sloopy]

Just put the 130 mother board in the 65xe then

 

wont fit ;')

 

try replacing Antic... or you can put the case top/keyboard from the 65XE on the 130XE case bottom and mobo...

 

sloopy.

[SEADRIVE]

I'll try swapping the Antic chip, I believe it's in a socket, so it will be an easy pull...ram, I believe will have to be hard soldered and all the chips would have to be replaced in order to find the damaged one...I originally grabbed the 130xe since I had the 65xe and didn't figure the extra 64k would require more juice; however, I later found out that the 130xe power supplies that come with the machine are like 0.5A more than the 65xe's...amazing, but apparently true.

 

thanks,

 

SEADRIVE