mattsoft Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 (edited) I like your re-use of the RF out and channel switch holes in the case. Very clean and inspiring. As soon as I grow a pair big enough to solder up my 7800, I'm going the same route. Edited July 21, 2017 by mattsoft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 I like your re-use of the RF out and channel switch holes in the case. Very clean and inspiring. As soon as I grow a pair big enough to solder up my 7800, I'm going the same route. I have no problem with the soldering but my RCA jacks don’t have those square lugs to solder to the empty places on the board. I’ll be drilling holes for the jacks just as soon as I work up the nerve to drill into 33 year old plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattsoft Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 I have no problem with the soldering but my RCA jacks don’t have those square lugs to solder to the empty places on the board. I’ll be drilling holes for the jacks just as soon as I work up the nerve to drill into 33 year old plastic. Yeah, i need to find some of those. i was just going to solder the AV cable directly to the UAV board and drop it out the RF hole, then put some sort of cable strain relief on there, but I'm inspired to solder those jacks like IJoeG did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted July 21, 2017 Author Share Posted July 21, 2017 yeah that is a slick looking setup that way. However in my case I still wanted both S-video and composite so either way a hole was likely to be getting drilled into the plastic. Also no body had mentioned it, but the reason the wires off my UAV are so long to the actual RCA's and S-video was to make it easier in the future to work on it. If I cut all the wires to length, I wouldn't be able to remove the motherboard from the thing and would have to desolder stuff all the time. I have now purchased some basic headers and other connectors so I can essentially make these with shorter wires and with quick disconnect ability if needed going forward. In fact I've already been doing that with the last few mods I've done for others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IJoeG Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 I like your re-use of the RF out and channel switch holes in the case. Very clean and inspiring. As soon as I grow a pair big enough to solder up my 7800, I'm going the same route. Thank you, I was trying to keep a stock look with my 7800. It's a fairly easy install. The biggest problem is I need a third hand to hold the wires to the resister so I could solder them Also no body had mentioned it, but the reason the wires off my UAV are so long to the actual RCA's and S-video was to make it easier in the future to work on it. If I cut all the wires to length, I wouldn't be able to remove the motherboard from the thing and would have to desolder stuff all the time. I thought about that when I chose my RCA jacks but now I'm thinking about adding S-video. I don't have an S-video connection on my TV so I'm thinking about sending it to a HDMI converter. Do you have any experience with those? Trying to figure out what works best with the 7800. All the posts I find on AA are either older or if they refer to the UAV board its for computer monitor. Not sure what works for a monitor will work good for the 7800. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted July 22, 2017 Author Share Posted July 22, 2017 I thought about that when I chose my RCA jacks but now I'm thinking about adding S-video. I don't have an S-video connection on my TV so I'm thinking about sending it to a HDMI converter. Do you have any experience with those? Trying to figure out what works best with the 7800. All the posts I find on AA are either older or if they refer to the UAV board its for computer monitor. Not sure what works for a monitor will work good for the 7800. Yes, in fact I use one of those cheap $40+ composite/s-video to HDMI upscalers on my flat panel LED. I've been using it for over 4 years. I have other posts that go into more detail, but basically I have an old JVC sx-700 AV switcher. It has s-video and composite inputs only but I have 8 inputs on it. I use the s-video and audio outs from the monitor side of that AV switcher into the HDMI upscaler. From there it eventually gets to the TV. But it does look pretty good to me. There is a noticeable improvement using the s-video over the composite through all of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 Hey, just posted an update about the sound board here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/260267-the-uav-rev-d-video-upgrade-thread/?p=3796242 This will properly mix TIA and Pokey sound and provide a proper, buffered line-level output with no cutting on the board. Any chance you could clone - with permission of course - the XBoard for the 7800 and make it more compatible with this upgrade? That board hasn't been available for years and it would be interesting to get newer versions out there and also benefit from your mixing upgrade. If you are unfamiliar with the XBoard, it plugs into where the MARIA does and offers Dual POKEY and 128K RAM. Obviously, most NTSC 7800s would have to de-solder the MARIA but these upgrades already require a certain amount of soldering anyway. Great work! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 Any chance you could clone - with permission of course - the XBoard for the 7800 and make it more compatible with this upgrade? That board hasn't been available for years and it would be interesting to get newer versions out there and also benefit from your mixing upgrade. If you are unfamiliar with the XBoard, it plugs into where the MARIA does and offers Dual POKEY and 128K RAM. Obviously, most NTSC 7800s would have to de-solder the MARIA but these upgrades already require a certain amount of soldering anyway. Great work! My only comment on this - besides that it would be awesome if a semi-standard internal POKEY upgrade was available! - is that desoldering an IC without damaging it or the board is a bit harder than simply adding a few wires and clipping a resistor or two for an A/V mod. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthpopalooza Posted August 5, 2017 Share Posted August 5, 2017 So a question about thus board ... will LCD TVs allow for frame blending with these? Reason is ... I have been thinking about doing some graphics experiments that will get about 100+ colors onscreen in the 160 modes and about 19 to 20 colors using the 320B mode. The idea is to swap out the plotmap and charset every cycle. It would only be useful for static pictures or title screens, not during acrual gameplay. LCD TVs should blend the frames. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jouster Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 My only comment on this - besides that it would be awesome if a semi-standard internal POKEY upgrade was available! - is that desoldering an IC without damaging it or the board is a bit harder than simply adding a few wires and clipping a resistor or two for an A/V mod. Not if you have a Hakko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 Not if you have a Hakko I have an FX-888D. Great iron but not for desoldering IC's without damage, necessarily. Send me $275 - $300 and I'll get the FR300 to go with it. Until then, I stand by my statement that removing MARIA without damage to the chip or board is riskier than simply adding a couple wires and clipping out a couple resistors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 I have an FX-888D. Great iron but not for desoldering IC's without damage, necessarily. Send me $275 - $300 and I'll get the FR300 to go with it. Until then, I stand by my statement that removing MARIA without damage to the chip or board is riskier than simply adding a couple wires and clipping out a couple resistors. Assuming your 7800 doesn't have the MARIA socketed, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 Assuming your 7800 doesn't have the MARIA socketed, of course. Many of them don't. That's the issue. Both of my 7800's have socketed MARIA chips. In fact, on one of mine (AT84 s/n) every chip on the board is socketed except the small support logic ICs. On the second, the ONLY thing socketed is the MARIA (A1 s/n unit). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 Many of them don't. That's the issue. Both of my 7800's have socketed MARIA chips. In fact, on one of mine (AT84 s/n) every chip on the board is socketed except the small support logic ICs. On the second, the ONLY thing socketed is the MARIA (A1 s/n unit). I haven't opened up any of mine. The one with the broken case I bought off of ePay a few years ago; the ex broke the case in a primal rage. But anyway, it didn't have the Expansion Slot so I doubt anything is socketed. If I got my personal late 1986 model from my parents' home, it should be socketed since it had the Expansion Slot. And if my grandmother's isn't ruined, it too should be socketed since it was purchased in April 1986 and it definitely had the Expansion Slot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 I haven't opened up any of mine. The one with the broken case I bought off of ePay a few years ago; the ex broke the case in a primal rage. But anyway, it didn't have the Expansion Slot so I doubt anything is socketed. If I got my personal late 1986 model from my parents' home, it should be socketed since it had the Expansion Slot. And if my grandmother's isn't ruined, it too should be socketed since it was purchased in April 1986 and it definitely had the Expansion Slot. Don't pin everything on that Expansion Interface. My second one, an A1 serial number (currently living in the case bottom from a defunct AT84 unit, lol) has a very different layout of some of the smaller components as compared to my AT84 machine, and while it does have the interface, again, the only thing socketed is the MARIA chip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 Don't pin everything on that Expansion Interface. My second one, an A1 serial number (currently living in the case bottom from a defunct AT84 unit, lol) has a very different layout of some of the smaller components as compared to my AT84 machine, and while it does have the interface, again, the only thing socketed is the MARIA chip. Even so...in this instance, the only thing that matters is that the MARIA is socketed. [for use by an XBoard clone]... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 Even so...in this instance, the only thing that matters is that the MARIA is socketed. [for use by an XBoard clone]... But ... is it on either of your machines? That's my point - you don't know which chips are going to be socketed on any given machine except the very earliest. Could be all of 'em, might be none of 'em. Presence or absence of the Expansion Interface doesn't necessary determine whether MARIA will be socketed. So stop being a chicken and take it apart. Five Phillips head screws and the RF shield is all that stands between you and knowledge. And remember, knowledge is power! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinks Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 That's what I call... https://youtu.be/N9g-zMUr_GM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 I love how IJoeG used the PCB mounted RCA jacks. I'm going to do a UAV install on my 7800 and this method would be perfect for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted August 8, 2017 Author Share Posted August 8, 2017 I love how IJoeG used the PCB mounted RCA jacks. I'm going to do a UAV install on my 7800 and this method would be perfect for me. Yes it looks really slick! I haven't a good source for anything like that though. The local electronics store in town does sell something like this, but they are all just black. So I would have to find somewhere to get yellow, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IJoeG Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 I love how IJoeG used the PCB mounted RCA jacks. I'm going to do a UAV install on my 7800 and this method would be perfect for me. Yes it looks really slick! I haven't a good source for anything like that though. The local electronics store in town does sell something like this, but they are all just black. So I would have to find somewhere to get yellow, etc. Thank you both for the compliment PM me an address and I'll send you out a set of the jacks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted August 8, 2017 Author Share Posted August 8, 2017 Thank you both for the compliment PM me an address and I'll send you out a set of the jacks I really appreciate the offer! But I tell you what... hold onto them up to Tep or someone else that is getting ready to do this and would need them more than I do right now. For everyone else afraid to drill into the plastic... : Painters Tape & forstner bits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tep392 Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 Thank you both for the compliment PM me an address and I'll send you out a set of the jacks You rock Joe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 I really appreciate the offer! But I tell you what... hold onto them up to Tep or someone else that is getting ready to do this and would need them more than I do right now. For everyone else afraid to drill into the plastic... : Painters Tape & forstner bits Forstner bits are spendy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+-^CrossBow^- Posted August 8, 2017 Author Share Posted August 8, 2017 (edited) Forstner bits are spendy. My small set of them wasn't too bad. Maybe $20 I think. I got them on sale at Home Depot I think and it is the Ryobi brand. Same as my cordless drill I use. $20 is expensive as a one time use, but I've used mine over a dozen times now and haven't cracked a case yet. If you can't get forstner bits, then use an 1/8 inch bit as a pilot and work your way up from there. the only problem I have with that method is that it is harder to keep the holes lined up doing it this way. Yeap...same price..here they are: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-Forstner-Bit-Set-8-Piece-A9FS8R1/202078676 Edited August 8, 2017 by -^Cro§Bow^- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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