new 4160STE problems

[Koji77]

I just got my 4160STE from Best Electronics. When I power up, she displays bombs across the screen... any Idea what the issue could be? This was a random thing for 1 day, now she won't boot at all and just bombs when I power up. Yesterday, I could get her up, no issues then after a while she would bomb.

 

any help, suggestions appreciated

[tjlazer]

Universal 4" drop on hard surface. or better yet, open her up and press down on all socketted chips.

Edited January 5, 2014 by tjlazer

[walter_J64bit]

Universal 4" drop on hard surface. or better yet, open her up and press down on all socketted chips.

I had to do this to my STe just the other day now it's up and running.

Edited January 5, 2014 by walter_J64bit

[Koji77]

you really believe that ic's have become unseated thru shipping? I hope so... this is killin me!

[atarian1]

UGH! PLEASE DON'T DROP IT!!! (unless you want to void your warranty). Dropping it will likely void your Best Electronics warranty. I'm sure the Best tech can detect this if you return it. The "drop" fix was only for early STs with socketed chips with no chip fastener to keep it in place.

 

Since this is under warranty, just call Best and ask for help. If you open it up to try reseating the chips, but make sure to get their OK first. I'm sure there are warranty stickers over the screw holes to prevent anyone from going inside it.

[Charlie_]

I would say, if Best will allow you to open it without voiding the warranty, press down on all socketed chips. I would then remove the SIMM memory modules and clean the contact edges,

[Koji77]

guys, I sent back the STE and my replacement arrived.... this one has no audio!!!!! I have the RGB cable from Best and jacked it into my stereo... no sound. I have rca jacks from the STE to audio in on my stereo... no sound. On the STE I sent back.. audio worked fine. any ideas on how or what to look at? I really do not want to send this back again!!

 

on another note, does audio come from the monitor port or does it come from the rca jacks... does audio come from what ever is detected as hooked up? when I had it set up last time.. both were hooked in and audio worked... I have gone as far as only having one or the other hooked this time.. no dice. I do get an audible humming noise from the VGA cable, so I ascertain that audio if commin from the VGA cable.... but why not the RCA ports? no hum no nothing....... any help appreciated.

 

frustrated!!!!

[Charlie_]

You should get audio from both the stereo RCA jacks and the monitor at the same time. I've never had a hires VGA cable so maybe that is different. I know you get audio at the monitor with an SC1224. The STe has RF out. Hooked up to a TV with the RF cable and no other cables plugged in, do you get audio?

[atarian1]

Are you booting up with a blank disk or with a floppy disk with the Control Panel accessory loaded? Try loading up the Control Panel accessory and check that the audio is not turned down all the way.

 

Do you get key clicks when you press any key while on the desktop?

 

Audio should come out of both the RCA jacks in the back and via the monitor cable. Are you talking about the multisync VGA cable monitor?

[Koji77]

I sent it back before checking the control panel (like a dumb ass)... it has been so long that I have forgotten all of the options... thanks for the help!!

[+wood_jl]

I think we should distinguish between dropping an *early* 520ST/520STm....

 

 

.....and the later models (520STfm/e, 1040STf/fm/e) that had FLOPPY DRIVES in them. I think the early ones might have lacked the clips to hold the chips down, and you're dropping a solid-state device.

 

Dropping the models with internal drives is akin to dropping an external drive (for any brand of computer), and is NOT something that I'd ever do. Antique floppy drives are delicate and fragile! They should NOT be subjected to such shock!

 

I'd only drop the original 520ST/520STm; I'd only reseat the chips (manually) in the others.

[TheNameOfTheGame]

I think we should distinguish between dropping an *early* 520ST/520STm....

 

Atari520ST.jpg

 

.....and the later models (520STfm/e, 1040STf/fm/e) that had FLOPPY DRIVES in them. I think the early ones might have lacked the clips to hold the chips down, and you're dropping a solid-state device.

 

Dropping the models with internal drives is akin to dropping an external drive (for any brand of computer), and is NOT something that I'd ever do. Antique floppy drives are delicate and fragile! They should NOT be subjected to such shock!

 

I'd only drop the original 520ST/520STm; I'd only reseat the chips (manually) in the others.

 

Yea, all STe models should have the clips right? You don't want to be drop kicking that!

[Charlie_]

I sent it back before checking the control panel (like a dumb ass)... it has been so long that I have forgotten all of the options... thanks for the help!!

Let us know how you make out with the STe. I'm interested to see if your 3rd unit works 100%

 

I ordered a Mega STe from Best some years ago and it had bad SIMM modules in it.

He sent me replacements and It has worked great since. Although at 1st the attitude was it can't be a problem as the "Atari technician" had fully tested it before shipping.

Still.. in the end it worked out.

[eightbit]

Let us know how you make out with the STe. I'm interested to see if your 3rd unit works 100%

 

I ordered a Mega STe from Best some years ago and it had bad SIMM modules in it.

He sent me replacements and It has worked great since. Although at 1st the attitude was it can't be a problem as the "Atari technician" had fully tested it before shipping.

Still.. in the end it worked out.

 

 

I got the same attitude with a JagCD unit I ordered (new) a few years back. The CD-Rom unit would not spin out of the box, and they basically said it was not possible because it was checked by the "technician". Sent it back however and they promptly replaced it with a working unit....but never said sorry because they were wrong

 

Not knocking them mind you (great stuff, although a bit pricey) but it seems they think these devices all work perfectly because they are the ones selling them..

Edited February 4, 2014 by eightbit

[Koji77]

finally received my 4160STE from Best... I will say this.. I will not do any more business with them, I can do without the attitude.

 

On another front, how can I tell what version of TOS I have? How can I verify that I have 4 meg installed... I definitely do not have TOS 2.06.

 

thanks guys

[Zogging Hell]

If it is TOS 1.6 rather than 1.62 you will not be able to boot into medium resolution using the save info option, so the easy way to check is to change to medium resolution click on 'save info' in the last menu and reboot. If it boots into medium res you can be safe in the knowledge that you have 1.62. I'd be surprised if it wasn't though.

[+save2600]

 

 

I got the same attitude with a JagCD unit I ordered (new) a few years back. The CD-Rom unit would not spin out of the box, and they basically said it was not possible because it was checked by the "technician". Sent it back however and they promptly replaced it with a working unit....but never said sorry because they were wrong

 

Not knocking them mind you (great stuff, although a bit pricey) but it seems they think these devices all work perfectly because they are the ones selling them..

 

I remember that experience of yours!

 

To the OP: that unhandy with a screwdriver? Extremely common for socketed chips to become kittywampus with today's handling practices from UPS, FedEX, USPS, etc. Warrantied or not, I would have tried reseating everything prior to going through all that you did. Would have saved a lot of hassle, had a working machine right away and NOT pissed off Bradley in the process(es).

 

Don't mean to sound harsh, but it's not like we're talking about a POS that's made today, that can be exchanged a million times before you finally get a good or working one.

[Koji77]

since the unit was "warranted" I asked him if I could open it and do the reseat, he said no and to send it back. Long story short... customer support and or satisfaction are apparently diluted by his volume. I can assure you in my line of work... he would be a "unused" vendor at the 1st instance of attitude. I am sure this will bite him in the end... literally.

[eightbit]

Thing is, he has a niche thing here. Very few people has NOS of Atari parts, and if you want the goods you basically either have Best or B&C....and a pick at what they have left. Brad is a good guy tho. My experience was not necessarily "bad", but I just found it hard to convey to him that I knew what I was doing...and knew the item was defective. It probably comes from people in the past receiving good working equipment from him but not knowing what they were doing. I can understand this as I work for a major manufacturer of Nvidia gaming cards. People think that any error they see on the screen is the cause of the video card, just because the video card is displaying the error.

Edited February 14, 2014 by eightbit

[The Usotsuki]

Well, there's an open source firmware replacement. Maybe it's possible to build new STs with EmuTOS?

[eightbit]

Well, there's an open source firmware replacement. Maybe it's possible to build new STs with EmuTOS?

 

I foresee the future using FPGA (actually, the future is now with MiST, Minimig, etc) and using EmuTOS and other firmware replacements to accurately replicate the hardware. But this is not about replication. This is about using the original vintage hardware As long as that original hardware works (or can be made to work) at least until I die, I'm content.

[The Usotsuki]

 

I foresee the future using FPGA (actually, the future is now with MiST, Minimig, etc) and using EmuTOS and other firmware replacements to accurately replicate the hardware. But this is not about replication. This is about using the original vintage hardware As long as that original hardware works (or can be made to work) at least until I die, I'm content.

 

I actually meant something in between - something made with an actual 68000, an actual AY-8910, etc., but with EmuTOS instead of Atari firmware.

[ScreamingJoeBlade]

finally received my 4160STE from Best... I will say this.. I will not do any more business with them, I can do without the attitude.

 

On another front, how can I tell what version of TOS I have? How can I verify that I have 4 meg installed... I definitely do not have TOS 2.06.

 

thanks guys

I've used a program called sysinfo - only works in Med & High Res.

link: https://sites.google.com/site/stessential/home/all-software/SYSINFO.PRG?attredirects=0

If found it and a bunch of other system apps here:

https://sites.google.com/site/stessential/home