Found atari 800xl what to do with it

[Bottombunk]

I found an atari 800xl in my local ryclcling dump no wires with it. Noob at this projects I can do

I have a raspberry pi so maybe use that

[ricortes]

Minimal system.

 

Some form of SIO2PC, either self made or bought. Depends on your computer: Different construction depending on having serial ports or only USB ports on the Intel/AMD box you have. If you build it yourself, maybe $6. Google will return a lot of hits.

 

A joystick.

 

A 5V 1.2 amp power source. If you are doing it on the cheap, you can use an old PC power supply. You can find original power supplies too. Depends on if you are doing this as a collector and keeping it original or on the cheap and just want something that works.

 

Monitor cable and a display that can do composite video. Lots of TVs and computer monitors have composite inputs. You can hook it to an old TV that recieves off the air broadcast but the results are not as good.

 

This would make a good "retro gaming night" setup. There are probably ~$500-$600 in options if you want to expand it, hard drives and memory expansion type of things. An expanded one is nice but only necessary for better stand alone ability i.e. you don't want to keep the 800xl in the same room as your PC file server.

[kogden]

You any good with a soldering iron?

 

Adapting a 1 or 2A 5V power supply is pretty easy with a DIN connector. Monitor cables are relatively easy to make as well.

 

Or you could get a power supply and video cable on eBay cheap. As for mods, there are RAM expansions that can be had up to 1MB around here. Various video upgrades exist.

 

If you're thinking of stuffing a Raspberry Pi in it.... reusing the Atari keyboard would be tough.

[russg]

I found an atari 800xl in my local ryclcling dump no wires with it. Noob at this projects I can do

I have a raspberry pi so maybe use that

You are a long way from being able to use it. Here are some basic things you don't have:

5v power supply and DIN 7 plug

joystick, Atari digital one

monitor cable with DIN 5 plug on one end, RCA composite video and audio on the other or RCA RF cable

disk drive and PS or Atari to PC drive emulator (which would require a RS232 serial PC port, or a USB PC drive adapter), and PC drive emulator software.

5.25" floppies if you have just the Atari disk drive, and source of software and ability to put it on the floppies

Monitor or TV that can do RF or composite

If you had all that, then you'd need software, which is easy and free, if you can get it to the 800XL

For the drive, you'd need a SIO cable or have a SIO plug on one end of a PC drive emulator.

If you just went with A8 cartridges, that would eliminate the need for a drive or drive emulator

All that stuff would set you back, even if you went to Ebay

Edited October 13, 2013 by russg

[+Guitarman]

Being a noob, here are the basics:

 

Power Supply

 

Monitor Cable

 

Joystick

 

Before getting all the new fancy stuff (SIO2PC, SDDrive, RamCarts, etc...) get a couple of game cartridges that you think you'll like and give it a shot. If so, You're best bet, if just wanting to game, is one of the RamCarts that are available. This allows you to store cartridge ROM images and play pretty much anything you want. Some of them will also play the disk images that are available. So, with one device, you have practically that whole Atari 8 bit library at your fingertips.

[Justin Payne]

How does your Raspberry Pi play into this? If you plan to gut it to put your Pi into, like previosly mentioned, I think that would be a shame if you found that the thing worked. I'm big on modding but I think adapting the keyboard would be a task.

You might b better off ebaying this if you're not interesting in restoring it.

I have to laugh at the fact that people are still finding these things at recycling places. I never find stuff like that. Lucky.

[Rybags]

I got a working 130XE, 1050 drive & Amiga 500 from a local rubbish recycler about 8 years ago all for 5 bucks each, all working perfectly well.

 

The industry and process for computer waste has all changed though, so supply of anything old/decent is non-existant.

[russg]

Being a noob, here are the basics:

 

Power Supply

 

Monitor Cable

 

Joystick

 

Before getting all the new fancy stuff (SIO2PC, SDDrive, RamCarts, etc...) get a couple of game cartridges that you think you'll like and give it a shot. If so, You're best bet, if just wanting to game, is one of the RamCarts that are available. This allows you to store cartridge ROM images and play pretty much anything you want. Some of them will also play the disk images that are available. So, with one device, you have practically that whole Atari 8 bit library at your fingertips.

Yes, that'd be better than going SIO2PC/APE interface. (getting a multicart of some type). It wouldn't do to get a RAM cart, because he/she wouldn't have a way to burn it,

it would have to be already loaded with games. Uhmm... No, still need a drive emulator and lots of knowledge how to burn the multicart.

I'm totally unfamiliar with the SD2SIO MyIDE SIDE current hardware options. If you could get something that you could load on a PC, then put it in the A8, that would

obviate a SIO2PC.

[+Guitarman]

Yes, that'd be better than going SIO2PC/APE interface. (getting a multicart of some type). It wouldn't do to get a RAM cart, because he/she wouldn't have a way to burn it,

it would have to be already loaded with games. Uhmm... No, still need a drive emulator and lots of knowledge how to burn the multicart.

I'm totally unfamiliar with the SD2SIO MyIDE SIDE current hardware options. If you could get something that you could load on a PC, then put it in the A8, that would

obviate a SIO2PC.

 

LOL. I meant MultiCart. I think something like the SIDE2 would be the best option since you can load it up on the PC. SIO2SD is great for disk images (I have the SDriveNuxx) but not cart roms. And, although I love my SIO2PC and APE, having to load up APE, connect the computer to the PC, load disk images, etc. can be to time consuming and location restrictive to sit down and have some fun playing a few games, as opposed to slapping in a SIDE2 cart and letting 'er rip!! Again, though, I would buy a handful of real game carts and see if you like the experience before dropping money on any mass storage option.

[ballyalley]

It wouldn't do to get a RAM cart, because he/she wouldn't have a way to burn it

 

The MaxFlash programmer cart doesn't require the games to be loaded via the Atari. You put the games on the cart via the USB port and the MaxFlash Cartidge Studio in Windows (but that requires the programmer too... which is the only way I use the cart). I highly recommend this method... but only once the new owner has actually played some Atari games on an Atari 8-bit computer.

 

If the new Atari 800XL owner REALLY wants to do it on the cheap, thenhe should just try an emulator first. This way he can see if he even WANTS to invest time in the system. I'm confident that once he tries that he will want to play the system.

 

I've never used an online Atari 800 emulator, but they must exist, right? Anyone have knowledge in this area? This might be a good first stop just to get a sample taste before time and money are put toward getting an 800XL up and running (which, actually, is pretty darn easy).

 

You know, the Atari XL series is SO simple to set up that even Alan Alda can do it:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhkgA0sIovg

 

Amazing!

[russg]

The MaxFlash programmer cart doesn't require the games to be loaded via the Atari. You put the games on the cart via the USB port and the MaxFlash Cartidge Studio in Windows (but that requires the programmer too... which is the only way I use the cart). I highly recommend this method... but only once the new owner has actually played some Atari games on an Atari 8-bit computer.

 

If the new Atari 800XL owner REALLY wants to do it on the cheap, thenhe should just try an emulator first. This way he can see if he even WANTS to invest time in the system. I'm confident that once he tries that he will want to play the system.

 

I've never used an online Atari 800 emulator, but they must exist, right? Anyone have knowledge in this area? This might be a good first stop just to get a sample taste before time and money are put toward getting an 800XL up and running (which, actually, is pretty darn easy).

 

You know, the Atari XL series is SO simple to set up that even Alan Alda can do it:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhkgA0sIovg

 

Amazing!

I don't know about an online emulator, but Altirra and Atari800winplus 4 are available for free to run an A8 emulator on a PC. I'm sure there's a emulator

for Mac as well.