So, an STE has turned up on the doorstep...

[Dr Do]

Just taken delivery of a 520STE. It looks intact, and when I plugged it in and switched it on it (eventually) came up with a green bootup screen. The mouse makes the pointer move, and I get a keyclick whenever I press anything on the keyboard. So far, so good.

 

What I'm trying to work out now, though, is what to do with it next! I'm new to STs and this one came with no manual or software, so it's a bit of a mystery tour at the moment. In particular, I'm wondering:

- whether there's any software that I need to start off with

- how easy it is to hook the ST up to my PC monitor (or failing that, improve the picture on my TV, because it is awful)

- whether there's any way I can download software on my PC and write it from there to a floppy disk to use on the ST

- whether I can go one further and connect the ST directly to the PC

- whether it's worth trying to get the ST connected to my 65XE (I remember back in the day there was something called Taritalk that could do this)

 

I was quite interested in checking out the STE's music-making capabilities, but any other ideas of things I can do with it are most welcome.

 

Apologies for all the Noddy questions!

[MrMaddog]

1. This is a good site for essential ST software: https://sites.google.com/site/stessential/

 

2. If you can get a hold of a ST color monitor, use it. To use a VGA monitor, you need a Multisync cable from Best Electronics and something to convert the RGB video signals into VGA ones (I'm not too familiar with SCART or it they make HDTV's support the RGB signals)

 

3. Sure, just use any DOS formated disk in double density. On the ST, you need a disk formatting program with the settings 80 tracks, 9 sectors and MS-DOS boot if it has it.

 

4. You can either use Ghostlink using a null modem cable or Parallelcopy using the printer port. More details here... http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1673

 

5. Again that would require using a null modem cable between the ST and 65XE and terminal programs (comms). I remember Antic magazine having something like that...

 

Have fun with your STe!

[+wood_jl]

Don't know the monitor situation over there in England (although I think it's generally better) but they haven't sold multisync VGA monitors over here (stateside) for perhaps 20 years that would sync to ST's RGB signal. Monochrome is easy, but not RGB. Fortunately, you guys have SCART and can just use a TV. Lucky folks you are!

 

Otherwise, Atari RGB monitor is usually (still) the cheapest and easiest way, but you have to wait and not get in a hurry to get one cheap. They do still look great.

[mimo]

not easy to hook up to PC monitor, but RGB scart cables are available fairly cheaply from Ebay. My STe looks great on a 19" LCD tv using one of these cables.

As for software, if you have a PC with a built in FDD (USB ones will not work) you can use a little program called Floimg to write ST disc images to a real disc and use them in your ST.

Thats why I keep an old old laptop handy

 

HxC floppy emulators are nice, but pricey. Another option for Data storage

[+Stephen]

I'll second the HxC recommendation. I have one and it's awesome.

[Ayreon]

For music making utils and links I think www.dhs.nu is a good start.

[Dr Do]

Thanks for the pointers folks. Just tried a monitor to SCART connection and it works beautifully. Now that I've managed to reurrect the floppy drive on my PC, it's time to check out Floimg....

[carmel_andrews]

Ah...An STe, i remember those, I had one myself....4 megs of goodness and tos switchable to boot

 

Dr Do, why don't you get yourself a high res ST monitor (as in the atari jobbies) since i recall they did do a colour as well as monochrome version

 

Am i right in thinking you can use the high res monitor that came with the TT/Falcon, or were they VGA

 

Seeming as though theres a retro event taking place in mancs. shortly, you might as well go along to it as you might pick up some gear for your lonely STe

 

 

And please...don't be using the STe as a doorstep, thats what the miggy or the breadbin c64 is for

Edited August 28, 2012 by carmel_andrews

[Tickled_Pink]

I've got 3 or 4 of them in storage (actually, one's in my bedroom in bits waiting for me to get around to fitting a new drive. Let me tell you a little secret ... the ST has to be one of the easiest computers on the planet to use.

 

All you have to do is get some disks (preferably games), stick one in, start up the machine and away you go. No need to fiddle with any OS or files. Wish things were like that these days.

 

If you've got a floppy drive in your PC then you can make your own ST disks with it. (oops. Just noticed you've worked that part out)

Edited August 29, 2012 by Tickled_Pink

[+rdemming]

Am i right in thinking you can use the high res monitor that came with the TT/Falcon, or were they VGA

 

TT and Falcon normally used VGA monitors for high-res. There were no special Falcon VGA monitors, at that time you used just a standard VGA monitor on a Falcon.

 

But you can use a standard VGA monitor on an ST in high-res mode by making an adapter cable that feed the ST monochrome signal to all three Red, Green and Blue signals of the VGA monitor. Note that the VGA monitor must support 70Hz (or was monochrome actually 72Hz?). I don't know if LCD screens support 70Hz nowadays as most seem to support only 60Hz in Windows.

 

Robert

[Dr Do]

Ah...An STe, i remember those, I had one myself....4 megs of goodness and tos switchable to boot

 

Dr Do, why don't you get yourself a high res ST monitor (as in the atari jobbies) since i recall they did do a colour as well as monochrome version

 

Am i right in thinking you can use the high res monitor that came with the TT/Falcon, or were they VGA

 

Seeming as though theres a retro event taking place in mancs. shortly, you might as well go along to it as you might pick up some gear for your lonely STe

 

 

And please...don't be using the STe as a doorstep, thats what the miggy or the breadbin c64 is for

 

Thanks for the tip Carmel - the retro event is just round the corner from me so I think I will head over. Are you going?

 

 

I've got 3 or 4 of them in storage (actually, one's in my bedroom in bits waiting for me to get around to fitting a new drive. Let me tell you a little secret ... the ST has to be one of the easiest computers on the planet to use.

 

All you have to do is get some disks (preferably games), stick one in, start up the machine and away you go. No need to fiddle with any OS or files. Wish things were like that these days.

 

If you've got a floppy drive in your PC then you can make your own ST disks with it. (oops. Just noticed you've worked that part out)

 

As long as it's easier than installing Linux applications, I'm happy!

 

TT and Falcon normally used VGA monitors for high-res. There were no special Falcon VGA monitors, at that time you used just a standard VGA monitor on a Falcon.

 

But you can use a standard VGA monitor on an ST in high-res mode by making an adapter cable that feed the ST monochrome signal to all three Red, Green and Blue signals of the VGA monitor. Note that the VGA monitor must support 70Hz (or was monochrome actually 72Hz?). I don't know if LCD screens support 70Hz nowadays as most seem to support only 60Hz in Windows.

 

Robert

 

Aha - I'll add that to the list of projects, given that I already have a PC monitor (which is handy, otherwise I'd have no idea what I was typing now...).

[carmel_andrews]

unfortunatey dr do i am in the big smoke, so it's not exactly just around the corner if you know my meaning...maybe next time (if i get some lolly) or unless they decide to hold a retro event in the big smoke (i stand a better chance of winning the lottery jackpot then i have of ever seeing let alone attending a retro event in c. london)

 

You do know you can use an internal amiga floppy drive with the ST don't you (you just have to reverse the data cable at the drive end and cut a hole big enough in the ST drive casing so that the amiga's floppy drives eject button can be used)

Edited September 5, 2012 by carmel_andrews

[Shredder11]

For music making utils and links I think www.dhs.nu is a good start.

 

Not forgetting the rather good http://atarimusic.net/

[+DarkLord]

As long as it's easier than installing Linux applications, I'm happy!

 

Ummm....

 

What's hard about installing 'Nix apps? I use Kubuntu Linux here and its

a couple of clicks from the software manager or something like:

 

"sudo apt-get install application X"

 

from a command line.