whaledriver Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 (edited) So I installed the 48K upgrade to my 400. I double checked everything and then assembled it. The genius that I am I installed the ram card backward. Of course the computer did not power up. When I opened it up to look it over I realized I put the card in backwards (chips facing front). So I installed the card properly and I get zero signs of life except for the power led. So the question is, what did I fry and how do I fix it? Sean Edited November 5, 2018 by whaledriver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMartian Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 Unfortunately, it likely killed it. The voltages on those old cards (+/-5v and 12v) would fry things not expecting them. Do you have another ram card at all to see if the machine still works? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledriver Posted November 5, 2018 Author Share Posted November 5, 2018 I just ordered another 16k board on eBay. Man I am mad at myself. Such a stupid mistake. Keeping my fingers crossed that the new ram board fixes it. This is the same computer my dad brought home back in 1981. It has the keyboard upgrade and at one time had 48K. Sometime back in the day I must have been goofing with it and put a 16K board back in it. Not sure why or how that happened. Anyway I was trying to put it back to 48K. I have several Ataris (800,1200 etc) but this is the only original one from my childhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillC Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 I just ordered another 16k board on eBay. Man I am mad at myself. Such a stupid mistake. Keeping my fingers crossed that the new ram board fixes it. This is the same computer my dad brought home back in 1981. It has the keyboard upgrade and at one time had 48K. Sometime back in the day I must have been goofing with it and put a 16K board back in it. Not sure why or how that happened. Anyway I was trying to put it back to 48K. I have several Ataris (800,1200 etc) but this is the only original one from my childhood. Is it the Atari made or an aftermarket version? While the chips are likely damaged, it is unlikely the board itself is. It will probably work if the ICs(RAM and logic) are replaced, 48/64K boards for the 400 are often hard to find these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClausB Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 PM sent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClausB Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 There are 8 power pins at one end of the board and 8 data bus pins on the other end. Possibly, only the chips with data bus connections might have been damaged, and of those, only the ones which were accidentally connected to -5V and +12V. So that is 4 of the 4164 RAM chips and the 74LS244 buffer chip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledriver Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 Got the replacement 16K ram card. Looks like I dodged a bullet. She works fine. Now to order another 48K upgrade kit and be a little more careful with the re-assembly. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledriver Posted November 8, 2018 Author Share Posted November 8, 2018 Well shoot. So I was looking through some old boxes and found the original box the 48K upgrade came in. My dad had the upgrade done at the computer store he bought it from (Scott Adams Adventure International in Winter Park FL) before he brought it home. I forgot I still had the original box and of course the original 16K card was in it. Oh well. Can't have enough Atari parts. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Stephen Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Awesome. My first computer was a 400 with that exact single colour b-key upgrade, got it for my 7th bday late in 82. Pretty sure it was before xmas we were upgrading it to 48kB. I use that machine until getting a 130XE in xmas of 88. Still have the 130XE. Like a dumb ass, I gave the 400 to a cousin, who quickly threw the damn thing away rather than asking if I wanted it back. So I have built a replica 400, but sadly, it has the much uglier (IMHO) multi-colour b-key in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nezgar Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 Got the replacement 16K ram card. Looks like I dodged a bullet. She works fine. Now to order another 48K upgrade kit and be a little more careful with the re-assembly. You might be interested in the Atari 400/800 Super Color CPU Card by tf_hh - 48/52K RAM, as well as Composite & Luma/Chroma S-Video & Audio out: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/260646-new-hardware-atari-400800-super-color-cpu-card/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoestring Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 I recommend installing the SCCC with the video cable internally straight to the monitor port. It's a little more work as you have to lift some components in the video output section but it's worth it. I just couldn't bring myself to drill a hole in the plastic case after routing the cable through the existing hole in the metal cage. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevymad Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 Looking at that pic, I find it interesting how similar in footprint the 1200 and 400 are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClausB Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 Don't order another 48K board. I'll help you fix the first one. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 Well shoot. So I was looking through some old boxes and found the original box the 48K upgrade came in. My dad had the upgrade done at the computer store he bought it from (Scott Adams Adventure International in Winter Park FL) before he brought it home. I forgot I still had the original box and of course the original 16K card was in it. Oh well. Can't have enough Atari parts. Can you scan (or take a photo strait down if you don't have a scanner) of the front and back of the box and a strait down photo of the front and back of the Austin memory upgrade? Some of use have been trying to archive all the older third party memory upgrades. Thanks, Allan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 I recommend installing the SCCC with the video cable internally straight to the monitor port. The SCCC is great and Jürgen also does a 48/52K RAM board at a very fair price. It even allows for rather easy PAL/NTSC conversion if required. It's possible to route the SCCC video cable through the adjustment hole of the aluminum cage and further through the hole of the RF cable. Instead of a coax plug you'll have a female standard atari video connector with S-Video, Composite and sound (as the SCCC incorporates the UAV and UAV sound board. (There is even enough space to store the old RF cable inside the case.) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nezgar Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 You might be interested in the Atari 400/800 Super Color CPU Card by tf_hh - 48/52K RAM, as well as Composite & Luma/Chroma S-Video & Audio out: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/260646-new-hardware-atari-400800-super-color-cpu-card/ Woops, reading this again I see I confused the tf_hh boards - the above SCCC board does not include 48/52K RAM, that's a separate board, also by tf_hh: "Atari 400 RAM-Card 48/52 KB & external OS-ROM" http://atariage.com/forums/topic/267042-new-hardware-atari-400-ram-card-4852-kb-external-os-rom/ But, definitely see if ClausB can help you fix the original one though, if he can't nobody can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoestring Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 (edited) The SCCC is great and Jürgen also does a 48/52K RAM board at a very fair price. It even allows for rather easy PAL/NTSC conversion if required. It's possible to route the SCCC video cable through the adjustment hole of the aluminum cage and further through the hole of the RF cable. Instead of a coax plug you'll have a female standard atari video connector with S-Video, Composite and sound (as the SCCC incorporates the UAV and UAV sound board. (There is even enough space to store the old RF cable inside the case.) I tried to do it this way but I could not get the case to close flush after routing the video cable through the existing colour pot hole in the cage, and the groove used by the modulator cable. I deduced that the video cable was too thick.. Maybe there was something I missed but having thought of this for awhile during work, I decided to do it internally and did just that. If anyone is reading and is deciding to do it this way. Dont forget to attach the grounds to the points on the green block, solder the two wires together on the other end to a ground point somewhere on the pcb ( c176 is a practical location on the main board ). I was getting vertical banding on the monitor without it.. Edited November 10, 2018 by shoestring 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledriver Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 Can you scan (or take a photo strait down if you don't have a scanner) of the front and back of the box and a strait down photo of the front and back of the Austin memory upgrade? Some of use have been trying to archive all the older third party memory upgrades. Thanks, Allan Sure. I am out of town for a few weeks but when I get home I will post those pics here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledriver Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 This 400 had Bryan's UAV video and audio mod done to it. It looks and sounds fantastic. I just need to do the 48K upgrade. I am going to order another 48K kit to convert the 16K board to 48K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whaledriver Posted November 26, 2018 Author Share Posted November 26, 2018 Can you scan (or take a photo strait down if you don't have a scanner) of the front and back of the box and a strait down photo of the front and back of the Austin memory upgrade? Some of use have been trying to archive all the older third party memory upgrades. Thanks, Allan As promised, here ya go. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted November 26, 2018 Share Posted November 26, 2018 As promised, here ya go. Thank you. Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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