The UAV Rev. D Video Upgrade Thread

[+DrVenkman]

So I wanted to bump up this thread to remind people that if they're getting some fringing or artifacting around text that you don't care for, the little potentiometer on the UAV can be adjusted. I decided today to see if I could improve my text in software 80 column mode (using The Last Word) - as it happens, my particualr 800XL daily driver machine needed the pot to be tweaked almost entirely through its range counter-clockwise. Made a tremendous difference.

[Bryan]

I just want to let everyone know that I've arrived at my new place in Michigan and I've got parts on the way to fulfill the April orders. I'm buried in boxes and emergency home repairs but I'll be responding to everyone's messages shortly and determining how many waiting list orders can be filled. Now I've just got to find my tools and supplies.

[+DrVenkman]

I just want to let everyone know that I've arrived at my new place in Michigan and I've got parts on the way to fulfill the April orders. I'm buried in boxes and emergency home repairs but I'll be responding to everyone's messages shortly and determining how many waiting list orders can be filled. Now I've just got to find my tools and supplies.

 

Sorry to hear about the emergency home repairs but very much looking forward to the second Rev D board I've ordered. I got a "new" (to me) 800Xl tonight as a parts machine and while testing, I was astounded at how much worse the stock video on it is compared to my UAV-equipped daily driver.

[dkerfoot]

Sorry to hear it Bryan. Get the home front squared away first. As much as I am looking forward to my UAVs, anything Atari is the very definition of secondary in the bigger scheme of things.

[+tf_hh]

I just want to let everyone know that I've arrived at my new place in Michigan and I've got parts on the way to fulfill the April orders. I'm buried in boxes and emergency home repairs but I'll be responding to everyone's messages shortly and determining how many waiting list orders can be filled. Now I've just got to find my tools and supplies.

 

Maybe I missed the (or a) list, but I want 3 more plug-in kits if possible :-)

 

Thanks, Jurgen

[48kRAM]

Really looking forward to this. I'm actually contemplating selling another vintage machine (SGI Indigo^2 10K) to buy an 800xl to put my expected UAV in.

 

Thanks so much and I hope the house gets sorted well and quick. Sorry to hear that.

 

-Josh

[steddyman]

Does anyone know if this will fit the PAL 800XLF which has the Freddie chip and from what I can see no C56 or C54?

 

Bryan, if I wanted just one now, what sort of wait would I be looking at? The picture is terrible and this is my only Atari so I don't think I can face waiting ages to fix it.

 

Thanks

Edited April 22, 2017 by steddyman

[rattboi]

Just learned about this. Would love this for my 7800. Please add me to the next waitlist.

[seastalker]

ALSO just learned of this. I'd like to be added to the waiting list for one for my 800XL. Would this have any compatibility issues with this PAL/NTSC mod (basically swapping in a PAL Antic chip) as seen in this youtube video?

[Foster]

Please put me down for 3 800xl units if there is room on the list.

 

Thanks,

... Foster

[Boojakascha]

I would like to order one unit for a 800XL

[bradd1978]

Bryan all the best with the home repairs, hope everything goes smoothly.

If I'm already not on the list, put me down for 3 of the basic kits!

[malan23]

Hey Bryan, Grats on the new digs! I'm in the same situation with a new home and a list of repairs... keep a lip upper stiff! It all gets better.

 

Please put me down for two "plug-in" from the next run, when you get the chance.

 

Thanks,

Michael

[Bryan]

Hi everyone. I just wanted to let everyone know that I finally have:

 

1. Internet at my house.

2. All my equipment unboxed and set up on a makeshift work table.

3. All the boards and parts I left with a relative the last time I was in the US.

4. My parts order from Mouser.

 

I know I'm a bit late getting started but I'll start shipping again this week and I'll start replying to my PM's tonight. I'll get these orders taken care of and then see if there's enough interest for another run right away.

 

Thanks for hanging in there and I apologize for dropping out of sight for the past week.

[venom4728a]

I expressed interest i one from the last batch but would like several, maybe as many as 10.

 

Best Regards

Robert

[Bryan]

I discovered there are no grounds anywhere in this old house (ca. 1920), so for my workbench I'm borrowing the ground from the TV coax which I'm not using for anything else but it does go to a grounding rod outside. Don't worry though, I'll be rewiring the whole house.

 

 

I expressed interest i one from the last batch but would like several, maybe as many as 10.

 

Best Regards

Robert

I'll probably be doing another batch right away, so I'll contact you.

[+DrVenkman]

I discovered there are no grounds anywhere in this old house (ca. 1920), so for my workbench I'm borrowing the ground from the TV coax which I'm not using for anything else but it does go to a grounding rod outside. Don't worry though, I'll be rewiring the whole house.

 

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[mattsoft]

Oh man, I feel bad for asking to be put on the list! Take your time settling into your new place -- and don't burn down the house!

[+mytek]

Bryan I was wondering if you could add one more variation to your product offering, and that would be an XEL specific one that has pin headers installed for both the 4050 and the signal outputs.

 

- Michael

[gozar]

I discovered there are no grounds anywhere in this old house (ca. 1920), so for my workbench I'm borrowing the ground from the TV coax which I'm not using for anything else but it does go to a grounding rod outside. Don't worry though, I'll be rewiring the whole house.

 

 

 

 

 

<Insert Michigan joke here>

 

:-)

[thgill]

Stupid install question time.

 

I have a PAL 800XL that appears to have working Chroma on its 5 pin din monitor port, however this machine has not been modded to output Chroma via the monitor port.

 

I have inspected the board top and bottom and unable to find any of the normal Chroma mods on it.

 

Also, I built the svideo cable for it and made sure NOT to use composite video as chroma. Just double checked it to verify it.

 

 

 

Sooooo, my question is, how will this affect the UAV install? I know about pulling up L7 and L9 for Composite video and Luma, but what about dealing with the apparent mystery Chroma?

 

 

Or am I missing something else?

 

 

I know the 800XL shouldn't have this enabled (and I have modded a couple 800XL to restore it), but this one has me stumped.

[+mytek]

Shouldn't make any difference what mods (if any) your A8 has since the UAV picks it's signals up directly out of the GTIA before any analog processing has been done. And then it translates that into real video ready to be displayed via composite or S-Video through its terminal block.

 

- Michael

[thgill]

But what happens if Chroma is already present on the monitor out port? Wouldn't I still need to disable the chroma signal going to the din connector?

[+orpheuswaking]

If you are going to tie the UAV into the existing DIN you would want to disable the existing signals by lifting the ferrite beads near the DIN socket. There is a post in one of the UAV threads about this.

[+DrVenkman]

Hi Bryan - Quick question for you or anyone else who's installed a UAV into a 2600. I finally got around to installing one of my older Rev C boards into one of my 4-Switch Woody models (2600A, Rev 14 board). I've triple-checked the wiring and it sort of works, but the colors all appear off and the contrast/brightness of the image don't seem right now matter how I adjust the color pot or the TV - specifically, I don't seem to get any true blacks - everything that's supposed to be black has a sort of color cast. Are there any steps specific to this type of installation, or any quirks I may have missed? I'm picking up signals right off the shoulders of the TIA and again, I've verified all the connections to the UAV. Here are some examples of what I'm seeing.

 

Black background isn't black

 

Colors washed out and ghosts hardly visible at all

 

Pac-Man himself is very dark, almost muddy

 

And finally, the background should be black and again, is not

 

This is Composite into a 2003 Toshiba CRT that normally looks fantastic, even with the craptastic stock RF on my 7800.

​I did the mod on this machine believing it had a bad RF modulator but now I'm thinking it has a bad TIA. Any suggestions, anyone?

 

EDITED TO ADD: I dug back through all the old posts I can find on 2600 installs, I see one where Bryan showed a similar installation but in a Rev 17 board rather than 14. I noted several lifted components from the bank of small resistors/caps next to the TIA. I didn't notice these changes before - can anyone advise which of these small components should be lifted from my Rev 14 board? If any?