Steve Tucker of Atarimax MIA?

[Tillek]

Yeah... It LOOKS stupid easy. That's why I'm concerned.

[tep392]

 

Sure thing. It looks to be a stupid-easy installation (pull 6507 and ROM/EPROM from sockets, install this board in their place) - the most difficult/annoying part is removing all 49 connectors between the drive mech and the PCB. Okay, there aren't 49 connectors, it just feels that way.

 

Anyway, I expect I'll do that tomorrow.

At least the connectors are nicely labeled.

[+Allan]

 

Sure thing. It looks to be a stupid-easy installation (pull 6507 and ROM/EPROM from sockets, install this board in their place) - the most difficult/annoying part is removing all 49 connectors between the drive mech and the PCB. Okay, there aren't 49 connectors, it just feels that way.

 

Anyway, I expect I'll do that tomorrow.

Don't worry. It is easy to see which goes where. I've done this a number of times.

 

Allan

[Stormtrooper of Death]

Beware NOT to pull the connecters by pulling the cables.

[+DrVenkman]

Yeah... It LOOKS stupid easy. That's why I'm concerned.

 

It really is pretty easy aside from drive disassembly; RF shields are of the Devil and their evil sharp edges cannot be abided!

 

At least the connectors are nicely labeled.

 

Well, that's one way to look at it. But did they REALLY need 7 discrete jacks and plugs? Ugh.

 

Don't worry. It is easy to see which goes where. I've done this a number of times.

 

Allan

 

Yeah, the Happy board is well laid-out and marked as to orientation.

 

Beware NOT to pull the connecters by pulling the cables.

 

Yep. Been taking apart stuff I probably shouldn't since I was about 5 when I wanted to see what was inside my clock radio and couldn't put it back together again.

 

Anyway, tada, all done. Total time: 15 minutes and most of that was disassembling and reassembling the drive. Actually pulling the two chips and installing the new board is 2 minutes tops.

 

 

 

 

I did discover some weird doings on one of 1050's along the way but I'll start another thread.

[+Nezgar]

I love how the AtariMAX Happy boards are so small they completely avoid that tall crystal component that sticks up (towards the front of the drive), for which the original and a clone happy board of mine have holes in the PCB for that to come through.

Edited August 30, 2017 by Nezgar

[+Nezgar]

 

... the most difficult/annoying part is removing all 49 connectors between the drive mech and the PCB. Okay, there aren't 49 connectors, it just feels that way.

 

 

I never disconnect those, I'm afraid I'll never get them connected again correctly too! I just carefully flip the drive mech up and over towards the back. Only wire to disconnect is the RW wire attached near the front of the drive. The motherboard will pop up easily enough to get the bottom shield off the first time this way too.

[+wood_jl]

LOVE LOVE LOVE my transactions with Atarmax/Steve Tucker over the years. I feel quite lucky to have such folks so devoted to development and support of our favorite antique computer. It's been a long time since you could buy anything Atari8 at Walmart or Toys R Us, and all which that implies.

 

[Mclaneinc]

I hope people finally read this thread and realise that Steve is a good guy and reliable, he's only been doing business with people for too many years to say, I don't want to make him feel old..

 

He's a retro business man selling great retro gear and he adds to the feeling by shipping stuff as you would have had back in the old days when you sent a postal order or cheque in the post, waited for it to go through and sent your gear....Talk about offering a truly retro service!!!

 

It all adds to the feeling....

 

Not everything needs to be hurried!

 

Seriously, he's a great guy and you do get your stuff and all the proof of trust can be found in this thread....Lets not have more of these....

Edited August 30, 2017 by Mclaneinc

[panama800]

i have several items from him. Once I ordered the wrong item. He made it right before here ever got his item back. He is a good guy. Glade we have him to support our habit.

[+Cafeman]

Wonder if Classics is related to Dan Tucker.

 

Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man
Washed his face in a fryin' pan
Combed his hair with a wagon wheel
Died with a toothache in his heel.


Get out the way for old Dan Tucker
It's too late to get his supper
Supper's over and dinner's cookin'
Old Dan Tucker just stands there lookin'

[Mclaneinc]

All I can say to Dan Tucker is......Don't do drugs!!!

 

[+hloberg]

Update on my defective APE OS+.

About eight months ago I received a defective APE OS+ from Atarimax. Eight months later and 20+ emails and five promises it will be shipped this week and i STILL do not have my APE OS+. I have been very patient and very nice. I have never sent a nasty email demanding or anything of the like. I understand this takes time. My last email even asked if maybe just refunding my money would work and I would ship back the defective OS at my expense. that was two weeks ago and no answer.

Honestly, I'm done with Atarimax. If he couldn't fill the order within a normal amount of time he should just refund the money or at least tell me that it will take a few weeks because he's busy or whatever then fill it.

Eight months is unacceptable. What's sad is I have been one of his biggest supporters and have bought lots of stuff from him going back many years. Until now he has been mostly responsive. I don't know what happened?

[hunter44102]

He either has health issues or has fallen too far behind all his projects and has stopped responding.

 

If that's the case he needs to hire someone to help him catch up!

[+wood_jl]

I ordered MyIDE2 on November 2.

 

I received an acknowledgement on November 4, via Email, and tracking number.

 

I received the product on Saturday, November 11.

 

So it takes a few days, but the stuff is always top-grade, and Steve ALWAYS comes through. This isn't Walmart or Amazon, with enormous shipping department and staff. But it's really special Atari stuff that you can't get elsewhere. I think people need to stop worrying, or settle for what they can get at Walmart or Amazon. Good luck with anything other than Atari Flashbacks, however.

[Marius]

I ordered MyIDE2 on November 2.

 

I love MyIDE 2 ... it is still one of my favorite add-ons to a8, although I do not use it anymore as my primary harddisk interface. It has some awesome and great features.

[Guest]

 

I never disconnect those, I'm afraid I'll never get them connected again correctly too! I just carefully flip the drive mech up and over towards the back. Only wire to disconnect is the RW wire attached near the front of the drive. The motherboard will pop up easily enough to get the bottom shield off the first time this way too.

with you on that. i never removed the connectors unless it's absolutely necessary

[+hloberg]

I ordered MyIDE2 on November 2.

 

I received an acknowledgement on November 4, via Email, and tracking number.

 

I received the product on Saturday, November 11.

 

So it takes a few days, but the stuff is always top-grade, and Steve ALWAYS comes through. This isn't Walmart or Amazon, with enormous shipping department and staff. But it's really special Atari stuff that you can't get elsewhere. I think people need to stop worrying, or settle for what they can get at Walmart or Amazon. Good luck with anything other than Atari Flashbacks, however.

up till now I have had great service from Atarimax. In fact, a few years ago i bought a tripped out 1200xl that died after a couple uses (was a bad APE OS chip, which should have tipped me off not to buy another for my 800xl) and he was on johnny on the spot to work with me to try and get it going. Never did work and he didn't have any other 1200xl so we just made a deal to made the difference in getting other stuff. maybe he found out a major bug in APE OS+ and doesn't want to admit it and is trying to fix it. don't know. just some communication would be nice.

[suspicious_milk]

I'll chime in with support for Steve.

Because of reading lots of posts from ProWizard and Gunstar, I really wanted to try MyIDE II to compare to the Side2... But threads like this one made me hesitant.

 

Last year I said to hell with it and placed my order.

 

Got a fast confirmation email and the cart arrived in a few days.

 

The product was/is top notch as well!!

 

I love the super helpful community here at atariage and all of the hard working individuals putting out Atari products!!!

[+hloberg]

I have a theory, a while back we saw an ad on eBay of someone being the official seller of some Atarimax stuff. I wonder if Steve sublet the selling part to someone else and only does the support. Buying doesn't seem to be the problem, it's when support is needed that people start to complain.

[+Larry]

Update on my defective APE OS+.

About eight months ago I received a defective APE OS+ from Atarimax. Eight months later and 20+ emails and five promises it will be shipped this week and i STILL do not have my APE OS+. I have been very patient and very nice. I have never sent a nasty email demanding or anything of the like. I understand this takes time. My last email even asked if maybe just refunding my money would work and I would ship back the defective OS at my expense. that was two weeks ago and no answer.

Honestly, I'm done with Atarimax. If he couldn't fill the order within a normal amount of time he should just refund the money or at least tell me that it will take a few weeks because he's busy or whatever then fill it.

Eight months is unacceptable. What's sad is I have been one of his biggest supporters and have bought lots of stuff from him going back many years. Until now he has been mostly responsive. I don't know what happened?

 

Didn't you file a PayPal complaint?

[Marius]

I'll chime in with support for Steve.

Because of reading lots of posts from ProWizard and Gunstar, I really wanted to try MyIDE II to compare to the Side2... But threads like this one made me hesitant.

 

Last year I said to hell with it and placed my order.

 

Got a fast confirmation email and the cart arrived in a few days.

 

The product was/is top notch as well!!

 

I love the super helpful community here at atariage and all of the hard working individuals putting out Atari products!!!

 

Did you ever know that I created a small patch file that you can add to non-working XEX files, so even those nasty-seem-to-be-incompatible-xex-files will run from MyIDE ][ FAT32 loader? I still have to get in touch with Tucker about the details of my patch. If he is able to apply my patch to his FAT32 loader, that will make the loader even more awesome than it is already...

[suspicious_milk]

 

Did you ever know that I created a small patch file that you can add to non-working XEX files, so even those nasty-seem-to-be-incompatible-xex-files will run from MyIDE ][ FAT32 loader? I still have to get in touch with Tucker about the details of my patch. If he is able to apply my patch to his FAT32 loader, that will make the loader even more awesome than it is already...

 

That sounds great! I personally haven't run across too many xex's that won't load - - the few I've found, either a .bin or even .atr is available. I've more ATRs working than I expected, for sure. I'll be honest ... I freakn' HATED this cart for the first few weeks ... but once I unlocked some of its secrets and figured out WTF I was doing - - it's now my favorite-must-have Atari device.

[+hloberg]

 

Didn't you file a PayPal complaint?

i paid via CC. I just want resolution. either 'here's the chip' or 'money back' or even 'F' off leave me alone' just something.

[+hloberg]

 

That sounds great! I personally haven't run across too many xex's that won't load - - the few I've found, either a .bin or even .atr is available. I've more ATRs working than I expected, for sure. I'll be honest ... I freakn' HATED this cart for the first few weeks ... but once I unlocked some of its secrets and figured out WTF I was doing - - it's now my favorite-must-have Atari device.

I haven't come across any .XEX yet that won't run. FYI I would not get a hold of Steve but Mr. Atari on Atarimax for the patch. Mr. Atari wrote the software Steve just sales the hardware for MyIDEII.