Need help: Atari 1010 recorder and Official Frogger

[Mister-VCS]

Don't have the manual for the game - If i type "CLOAD" the tape does not start running - what to do? Maybe the 1010 is defective?

[Brentarian]

The game is in machine language and not basic. Try holding START and OPTION keys when turning on the computer. After the beep press RETURN and it should load, pending no hardware issues with the 1010. If you are using a 400/800, make sure the Basic cart is removed and you don't have to hold down OPTION -- just the START key when powering on the Atari.

[spookt]

However CLOAD return should cause the 1010 to play even if it would not load the game correctly as Brentarian pointed out. It seems there may be an issue with the 1010. Can you forward and rewind the tape in the 1010 OK? If you type POKE 54018,52 [return] the cassette should play with the 1010 play button down. If not there is an issue. (POKE 54018,60 [return] or hitting the reset key will stop it).

[Mister-VCS]

However CLOAD return should cause the 1010 to play even if it would not load the game correctly as Brentarian pointed out. It seems there may be an issue with the 1010. Can you forward and rewind the tape in the 1010 OK? If you type POKE 54018,52 [return] the cassette should play with the 1010 play button down. If not there is an issue. (POKE 54018,60 [return] or hitting the reset key will stop it).

 

No - i think the 1010 is defective. Is it easy to fix?

[Kyle22]

Check the drive belt in the 1010.

[spookt]

If you can't FFW or REW and the unit is powered it most probably needs new belts. It's an easy fix if you can get the belts.

 

EDIT - An AA user had some recently http://atariage.com/forums/topic/236275-atrai-cassette-drive-belts-available/

 

Probably worth cracking it open to check. It's possible a belt may have slipped off too.

Edited March 31, 2016 by spookt

[Mister-VCS]

If you can't FFW or REW and the unit is powered it most probably needs new belts. It's an easy fix if you can get the belts.

 

EDIT - An AA user had some recently http://atariage.com/forums/topic/236275-atrai-cassette-drive-belts-available/

 

Probably worth cracking it open to check. It's possible a belt may have slipped off too.

 

Yes, I can't FFW or REW and the 1010 is powered.

[Justin Payne]

Do you here the sound of the motor whirling?

[Mister-VCS]

Do you here the sound of the motor whirling?

 

However CLOAD return should cause the 1010 to play even if it would not load the game correctly as Brentarian pointed out. It seems there may be an issue with the 1010. Can you forward and rewind the tape in the 1010 OK? If you type POKE 54018,52 [return] the cassette should play with the 1010 play button down. If not there is an issue. (POKE 54018,60 [return] or hitting the reset key will stop it).

 

 

I hear the sound of the motor whirling but nothing more...

[spookt]

Sound like a belt issue.

[donnerkuh]

Kannst du eine andere Kassette ausprobieren? Dann könnte man einen defekt am Recorder ausschliessen.

[iesposta]

Also the VCS 2600 Supercharger by Arcadia/Starpath, had a Cassette labeled "The Official Frogger".

Make sure the cassette is for the Atari Computer?

[Mister-VCS]

update: i bought a "new" 1010 (Made in Japan) via ebay - it works. Thanks for help.

 

Is anyone interested in the defective one (without the cables)?

[Mister-VCS]

The game is in machine language and not basic. Try holding START and OPTION keys when turning on the computer. After the beep press RETURN and it should load, pending no hardware issues with the 1010. If you are using a 400/800, make sure the Basic cart is removed and you don't have to hold down OPTION -- just the START key when powering on the Atari.

 

Tried it with my new 1010 - no i have the self test after a few seconds - I use an Atari 600XL

[Level42]

So in the year 2016 with SIO2USB, SIO2PC, SIO2BT, various multi-cartridge options people are seriously still loading games from tape ?

 

Respect, that is hardcore !

[Mister-VCS]

Is the manual online? On the bottom of the tape is printed FRL 20*

[spookt]

This one would seem to match your description of the cassette: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-frogger_6780.html

 

Note the instructions say to "remove cartridges" then hold down start while turning on the computer. Since removing carts on an 800/400 would mean no chance of BASIC being installed, on an XL/XE you'll need to hold down START and OPTION when you turn on the machine. Option disables BASIC and START tells the machine to boot from cassette. The other thing I would do is manually advance the tape beyond the leader so that you can just see the brown oxide of the actual tape at the bottom of the cassette before you load it into the deck.

 

When you turn on with start + option held you should hear a beep. Release the keys and press play on the tape deck followed by return on the computer.

 

EDIT: Just noticed you're using a 600XL so tested the cas image in the emulator using 16K and it loads OK so no issue with too little RAM.

Edited April 12, 2016 by spookt

[Mister-VCS]

This one would seem to match your description of the cassette: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-frogger_6780.html

 

Note the instructions say to "remove cartridges" then hold down start while turning on the computer. Since removing carts on an 800/400 would mean no chance of BASIC being installed, on an XL/XE you'll need to hold down START and OPTION when you turn on the machine. Option disables BASIC and START tells the machine to boot from cassette. The other thing I would do is manually advance the tape beyond the leader so that you can just see the brown oxide of the actual tape at the bottom of the cassette before you load it into the deck.

 

When you turn on with start + option held you should hear a beep. Release the keys and press play on the tape deck followed by return on the computer.

 

EDIT: Just noticed you're using a 600XL so tested the cas image in the emulator using 16K and it loads OK so no issue with too little RAM.

 

Thanks - will try it later. Tried it with holding down START and I got a "loading error".

 

Is it just me or wasn't it simper to load tape-games on a Commodore 64 than on an Atari XL?

 

The XL feels more like a video game console than a real home computer (C-64).

[tep392]

update: i bought a "new" 1010 (Made in Japan) via ebay - it works. Thanks for help.

 

Is anyone interested in the defective one (without the cables)?

I'm interested in the broken 1010 if you still have it. I'll PM you.

[Mister-VCS]

 

Thanks - will try it later. Tried it with holding down START and I got a "loading error".

 

Is it just me or wasn't it simper to load tape-games on a Commodore 64 than on an Atari XL?

 

The XL feels more like a video game console than a real home computer (C-64).

 

 

I got "Boot Error Boot Error Ready" after holding down start and turning on the XL

I got " Self Test" after holding down start with option and turning on the XL.

[Justin Payne]

 

Thanks - will try it later. Tried it with holding down START and I got a "loading error".

 

Is it just me or wasn't it simper to load tape-games on a Commodore 64 than on an Atari XL?

 

The XL feels more like a video game console than a real home computer (C-64).

It's you. ?

[spookt]

 

 

I got "Boot Error Boot Error Ready" after holding down start and turning on the XL

I got " Self Test" after holding down start with option and turning on the XL.

 

 

That's pretty standard behaviour if the machine gets errors reading the data on the tape.

 

Things to try:

 

1) Did you wind the tape off the leader as suggested above?

2) Forward wind the tape to the end and rewind back several times.

3) Try side B

 

It could obviously just be a bad tape. If you have the TV volume turned up you can hear the loading process. It should be fairly even tones. Often you can hear a 'warble' where the signal goes bad just before the load aborts. You will definitely need start and option pressed to disable BASIC I think.