Ti-994A Newbie Questions

[Everett1954]

Hi,

 

I just picked up a great working TI-99/4a with the double joysticks, power supply and that huge RF modulator/Switchbox.

 

There were no game cartridges so right now all I can do is select Basic.

 

1) Is there a composite cable available or any type of AV mod?

 

2) Is there a Flash cartridge or Multi-cartridge available?

 

3) What games/programs work with speech synthesizer? Does it have a built in speaker or does it work with modulator? They seem inexpensive, it is worth getting one?

 

4) What are the good games and what to avoid?

 

5) any must have accessories? New items?

 

6) Lastly, how is TI Homebrew scene, any stellar home-brews available?

 

Thanks!

[+arcadeshopper]

Hi,

 

I just picked up a great working TI-99/4a with the double joysticks, power supply and that huge RF modulator/Switchbox.

 

There were no game cartridges so right now all I can do is select Basic.

 

Welcome! I'll answer these questions below..

 

1) Is there a composite cable available or any type of AV mod? yep.. any 5pin video cable from the era (atari 800, colecovision, adam, c64(5pin) and they are here: https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/?page_id=11#!/Composite-video-cable/p/74389896/category=22342013

 

2) Is there a Flash cartridge or Multi-cartridge available? yep flash: https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/?page_id=11#!/FlashROM-Cartridges-cases-and-parts/c/22342012/offset=0&sort=nameAsc

multi: https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/?page_id=11#!/Games/c/15846003/offset=0&sort=nameAsc

 

3) What games/programs work with speech synthesizer? Does it have a built in speaker or does it work with modulator? They seem inexpensive, it is worth getting one?

 

many ti games, it works through the tv/monitor speaker you should get one no ti should be without I'll have some for sale sometime on my site or you can always find them here or ebay

 

4) What are the good games and what to avoid?

 

good games? how bout checking out our high scores thread? or ti gameshelf: http://tigameshelf.net/

 

5) any must have accessories? New items?

 

32k or SAMS memory, atari joystick adapter to use non hand-wreaking joysticks, many things out there..

 

6) Lastly, how is TI Homebrew scene, any stellar home-brews available?

 

yes, it's here.. read look see esp the development section, most of the homebrew games on cart I have on arcadeshopper or are flashrom compat for some..

 

Greg

Edited June 6, 2017 by arcadeshopper

[+arcadeshopper]

oh almost forgot you can skip composite and go direct to vga out with this: http://codehackcreate.com/store#!/F18A-V1-8-Video-Board/p/14022176/category=0

[Omega-TI]

 

I just picked up a great working TI-99/4a with the double joysticks, power supply and that huge RF modulator/Switchbox.

 

There were no game cartridges so right now all I can do is select Basic.

 

1) Is there a composite cable available or any type of AV mod?

 

2) Is there a Flash cartridge or Multi-cartridge available?

 

 

Congratulations on your recent acquisition and welcome to the TI scene!

 

I see Greg (ArcadeShopper) already did a great job in answering most of your questions. But I'll add a little extra...

 

1) Yes, the homebrew scene is really active in our little community. Once you get a << multi-cart >> , most of the games can be obtained FOR FREE! Just << CLICK HERE >>.

 

2) The << 32K sidecar expansion >> is something I personally consider a 'must' for the new or returning TI-99/4A user. It's very affordable and will enable you use (play) 95% of everything that most people use.

 

With the above two devices and the composite cable, you'll notice the entry level expense is quite low compared to many other systems and will give you a lot of 'bang for the buck'.

 

There are more than a couple stellar homebrews available (for free) for the TI, my favorite is Super TI Mario Bros., but that game does require a modification to the TI, which is a plug-in VGA device. For more information on that gadget, just click << HERE >>. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm biased as heck when it comes to the VGA F18A enhancement and will not run a TI without it.

[Shift838]

Hi,

 

I just picked up a great working TI-99/4a with the double joysticks, power supply and that huge RF modulator/Switchbox.

 

There were no game cartridges so right now all I can do is select Basic.

 

1) Is there a composite cable available or any type of AV mod?

 

2) Is there a Flash cartridge or Multi-cartridge available?

 

3) What games/programs work with speech synthesizer? Does it have a built in speaker or does it work with modulator? They seem inexpensive, it is worth getting one?

 

4) What are the good games and what to avoid?

 

5) any must have accessories? New items?

 

6) Lastly, how is TI Homebrew scene, any stellar home-brews available?

 

Thanks!

 

Welcome! You will not find a better group to be part of. The entire TI community is a wealth of information. Not to mention the amount of new development that is continuous will keep you wanting more!

[Everett1954]

Thank you both for answering my questions. It also brings up some more questions.

 

1) Is there audio (stereo?) available on the composite cable? Like other systems.

 

2) Do the Sidecar attachments daisy-chain?Can I have both speech synthesizer and 32K memory attached?

 

3) What is GROM cartridge and why is it special?Which carts are GROM?

 

4) There are two DB-9 connectors one on side and one on back. Both for joysticks?

 

5) While i realize most use the computer now for games, is there any modern printer solution for the TI-994/a?

 

Thanks!

[RXB]

1. No, mono only.

 

2. Yes, but a better set up is using the P-Box (Peripheral box) as this allows a slew of other cards to use up to 7 cards.

i.e. Disk Controller, RAMDISK, RS232, P-Code (Pascal Card), Hard Drives, 1 Meg Memory (SAMS), PGRAM (GRAM Card) and many more.

 

3. There are a crap load of Cartridges for the TI99/4A, everything from Games to Different language and a variations of Basic.

 

4. DB9 in back is for two Cassette tape drives to be used. DB9 on left side is for dual joysticks.

 

5. We use transfer programs to use the PC as finding a 30 year old Printer is a bit expensive and problematic.

[Sinphaltimus]

oh almost forgot you can skip composite and go direct to vga out with this: http://codehackcreate.com/store#!/F18A-V1-8-Video-Board/p/14022176/category=0

Yes, the f18A is a great VDP replacement for VGA output and currently the only way to go VGA on the TI AFAIK. Easy mod also.

Edited June 6, 2017 by Sinphaltimus

[Sinphaltimus]

Also, yes the PEB is what you want for many more add on cards. Typically you want to find one already populated with a few. Also, if that's out of your price range you might want to consider a nanoPEB when they become available again or wait until later on in the year to get a newer version of the nano allegedly in the works. http://webpages.charter.net/nanopeb/

 

The nanoPeb will get you 32k memory expansion, 3 virtual floppy drives (for storage) and an rs232 port all on one side expansion. Yes you can add side expansion daisy changed to the speech synth. Some cards like the existing nanoPEB do not have a pass through and some like the standalone 32k side card expansion have a different pass through interface for newer cards to be developed for. There is an adaptor for it also to allow traditional add ons for the 32k side card as well.

[digdugnate]

i cant really add anything that everyone else has said, other than i think that the 32k expansion and Speech make the TI really fun to use!

 

Welcome to the community! These folks are some of the finest, most knowledgeable hobbyists out there.

[+adamantyr]

1) Is there a composite cable available or any type of AV mod?

 

2) Is there a Flash cartridge or Multi-cartridge available?

 

3) What games/programs work with speech synthesizer? Does it have a built in speaker or does it work with modulator? They seem inexpensive, it is worth getting one?

 

4) What are the good games and what to avoid?

 

5) any must have accessories? New items?

 

6) Lastly, how is TI Homebrew scene, any stellar home-brews available?

 

Welcome to the boards!

 

1) Yes there is, you definitely don't want to use that RF modulator! Acquiring a composite cable shouldn't be too difficult, I know the old Sega Genesis ones also work with the TI with a bit of retooling. (One pin has to be moved I think.)

 

2) Yes, the FlashRom99 is available on eBay as well as on ArcadeShopper's site. I just purchased one for $60 and it works very well!

 

3) The Speech Synthesizer is awesome, it was one of the hallmarks of the console. Games that use it include Parsec, Alpiner, Microsurgeon and Star Trek. 3rd Party software didn't make quite as much use of it, because the schematics weren't available. There's some good tools available now though that let you create your own speech.

 

4) There are plenty of good games, the TI Game Shelf is a great source for that. MOST of the original TI cartridges are pretty good, there's a few I'm meh about, like the Attack and Zero Zap.

 

5) Must have's depend on what you intend to do with the console.

• A NanoPEB is a nice tool for getting the 32K RAM expansion and a disk system cheaply and easily.
• A FlashROM99 is great if you want to load up binary cart images, that's an easy way to play pretty much every TI cartridge ever without having to buy them on eBay.
• If you want to get the most memory for the TI, a 32K RAM sidecar is available that solves that. It doesn't give you the disk system though.
• A Peripheral Expansion Box is a good thing to have if you want to be able to load up cards and have a disk system. You can also get a Lotharek drive for it, which will let you emulate floppy disks and makes porting from the PC easier. A PE box is not cheap though or easy to find, they aren't nearly as numerous as the consoles were, and a lot of the time, they're only available empty. They're also damn heavy (20+ pounds) so they cost a lot to ship.
• The SAMS card is the 1MB memory expansion for the TI, giving it the paged memory it should have had. Unfortunately, it is only available as an expansion card so you need a P.E. Box for it.

6) There's plenty of homebrew projects going on, just scan the boards and see. Myself, I focus mainly on software, I've been working on a CRPG for the TI for several years which I REALLY need to finish...

[+adamantyr]

Oh, one thing you should definitely absolutely get: An Extended BASIC cartridge. I got a spare if you want me to mail it to you for the cost of postage, just PM me if interested.

[Everett1954]

Wow, all I can say is what a bunch of friendly and helpful group this is!!!!!

 

Another question: What is the difference between the silver/black and the white one? Mine is white.

 

I am going to get the composite cable and Flashrom to start with. I see arcardeshopper is sold out of Flashrom and I could not find the eBay listing. Is there another source? Who actually makes the FlashROM99?

 

Who makes the Atari to TI joystick adaptor?

 

Not sure if I want the large Expansion box but the mini expansion may be good.

 

Any info on the transfer cable to use PC as printer? I would need serial on pc and TI correct?

[+adamantyr]

PM'ed you an eBay link for the FlashROM99.

 

The beige/white consoles are a later model, when TI was trying to save costs by going to plastic instead of metal. Functionally they're the same, although you'll want to note if the Master Title Screen says "V2.2", that means it has a "3rd party cartridge blocker" on it. Many guys here can help you circumvent that if that's the case.

 

Atari to TI joystick adapters are pretty common, several guys here have even made them themselves. Anyone got one lying about?

 

Yes, you'd need a serial on both the TI (which requires the NanoPEB v1 with a serial port, or an RS232 card in a P.E. Box) and the PC (which you can get USB serial connectors pretty cheap these days, assuming your PC lacks one.)

[+arcadeshopper]

Wow, all I can say is what a bunch of friendly and helpful group this is!!!!!

 

Another question: What is the difference between the silver/black and the white one? Mine is white.

 

I am going to get the composite cable and Flashrom to start with. I see arcardeshopper is sold out of Flashrom and I could not find the eBay listing. Is there another source? Who actually makes the FlashROM99?

 

Who makes the Atari to TI joystick adaptor?

 

Not sure if I want the large Expansion box but the mini expansion may be good.

 

Any info on the transfer cable to use PC as printer? I would need serial on pc and TI correct?

 

there is no difference on some consoles as TI sold both colors with the original system. The QI version of the 99/4a is found in both silver/black and beige consoles as they did the same thing with that version. The way you tell if you have a QI console is; the side connector is steel on a QI and copper on a non QI.. and on a QI console the date is different on the start up screen and also no ROM carts will run without a hack.. (rom carts like the ones I sell and the atarisoft carts, funware etc) great info and pictures here: http://mainbyte.com/ti99/computers/computers.html

 

I build flashroms and sell them as I get them made, waiting on a parts delivery.. Why is it that you think because something's out of stock this week that it's never coming back? Can you explain? I prefer not to sell vapor so I only put them in stock if I have them ready to go.

 

I also sell the Atari adapter for joysticks on arcadeshopper.com Have you looked at the store? lots there!

 

A serial port and a straight through cable for the PC, no null modem .. unless you have a nanopeb then you DO need a nullmodem..as he built that rs232 port to PC standards rather than TI standard you can use TiPrint to emulate printers on your PC that the TI had software for: www.ti99-geek.nl/Projects/ti99print/ti99print.html

 

Greg

[DocFlareon]

I'm winning an auction for a TI 99/4A myself, and I have a question. If the machine turns out to be a QI machine, how is the lockout mechanism worked around? Is the work done on the cartridge side, or does the computer itself have to be modded?

[+adamantyr]

I'm winning an auction for a TI 99/4A myself, and I have a question. If the machine turns out to be a QI machine, how is the lockout mechanism worked around? Is the work done on the cartridge side, or does the computer itself have to be modded?

 

Back in the mid 80's, Triton catalog sold a "GROM Buster" mod that you plugged into the cartridge port to override the ROM. I believe these days there is a console modification to remove it as well.

 

If the TI you're bidding on is black and silver, you're okay. Only the beige consoles had the modification, and not ALL of them did. I had a beige console not long ago before I sold it, and it lacked the mod.

[+arcadeshopper]

I'm winning an auction for a TI 99/4A myself, and I have a question. If the machine turns out to be a QI machine, how is the lockout mechanism worked around? Is the work done on the cartridge side, or does the computer itself have to be modded?

 

You can use a small basic program to work around it.. It is in the forums here for download or I ship a disk for a reasonable price.

[+arcadeshopper]

 

Back in the mid 80's, Triton catalog sold a "GROM Buster" mod that you plugged into the cartridge port to override the ROM. I believe these days there is a console modification to remove it as well.

 

If the TI you're bidding on is black and silver, you're okay. Only the beige consoles had the modification, and not ALL of them did. I had a beige console not long ago before I sold it, and it lacked the mod.

 

i have seen black/silvers with QI but they are few in number

 

Greg

[+Lee Stewart]

Here is the link to Bypass V2.2 console protection.

 

...lee

[DocFlareon]

Welp, I'll find out when/if I win it and receive the machine. The photos do show a Black unit, but there are no screen shots of the boot screen to prove it one way or the other.

 

And how is a BASIC program supposed to be a workaround for blocking third-party carts?

[+Lee Stewart]

Welp, I'll find out when/if I win it and receive the machine. The photos do show a Black unit, but there are no screen shots of the boot screen to prove it one way or the other.

 

And how is a BASIC program supposed to be a workaround for blocking third-party carts?

 

The answer is partly contained in the thread I referenced above. The TI Basic sandbox reference relates to another very interesting thread I will find if no one beats me to it.

 

...lee

[+Lee Stewart]

 

The answer is partly contained in the thread I referenced above. The TI Basic sandbox reference relates to another very interesting thread I will find if no one beats me to it.

 

...lee

 

The reference was to Playground, I believe

 

...lee

[Casey]

I'm actually waiting on a NIB beige 99/4A that I snagged from Ebay to arrive this week. I'll be interested to see if it is a V2.2 console, as I've never encountered one myself. As a child, I had a beige 99/4A but it had the 1981 operating system. The V2.2 unlock program is very appealing because I honestly don't want to remove the GROM and change it if it comes that way.

[Everett1954]

I am going to check my beige unit to see if it is QI also. My expansion port has copper finger so I am hoping it is not QI.

 

Dave (arcadeshopper) Now that I know what I am looking at I found great items on your website. I should have inquired to you before assuming out-of-stock was permanent. I like the low profile atari adaptor and I now see the need for the NANOPEB instead of just the 32K memory board.

 

Are there a lot of cassette and disk software available? what format are they in? All i see are .bin files.