TGB1718 Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 I bought an adaptor plug with 2 USB power outputs and plug the Arduino (Sdrive) into that to power it up, one of these things:- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGB1718 Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 Oops picture didn't upload !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peruchi Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 It all depends on your budget. For me, the simplest solution was to order the UNO Cart from McRorie. But now I've just built the SDrive-Max (or UNO2SIO), which is showing to be the best solution so far. And it's dirt-cheap! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eegad Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 Question - I've heard of SIO2SD but never really looked into it. Can anyone confirm that it works without any problems with both Alternate Reality games (which use multiple disks, plus a character disk). I've been using Atarimax carts for 95% of my Atari gaming these past many years, but my one gripe is playing Alternate Reality... For that I need to dig out and connect my old 1050s and use real disks. If Lothariks SIO2SD works flawlessly with AR, I think maybe it's time to treat myself to a new toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 Can anyone confirm that it works without any problems with both Alternate Reality games (which use multiple disks, plus a character disk). The Alternate Reality games aren't really my thing but the SIO2SD *does* have 15 open drive slots to use. You can fill all of them with their own ATR images and easily switch between them using the onboard buttons. There are clean cracks of the Alternate Reality disks to be found in the the "8bit Preserved Software" torrent. Someone who has played all the way through using their SIO2SD should confirm but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 The Alternate Reality games aren't really my thing but the SIO2SD *does* have 15 open drive slots to use. You can fill all of them with their own ATR images and easily switch between them using the onboard buttons. There are clean cracks of the Alternate Reality disks to be found in the the "8bit Preserved Software" torrent. Someone who has played all the way through using their SIO2SD should confirm but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. Pretty sure those aren't cracks, per se. They files are ATX files and require software or a device capable of handling ATX files to load. So that means the unofficial builds of RespeQt from ebiguy's fork and continued development, APE from Atarimax, or an SDrive-MAX device. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 (edited) Pretty sure those aren't cracks, per se. They files are ATX files and require software or a device capable of handling ATX files to load. I have the Alternate Reality files in both ATR and ATX format in my "8bit Preserved Software" folder. Perhaps I am confused and the ATRs came from DjayBee's thread instead and they got mixed into the wrong folder by mistake? I dunno but I am pretty sure that they are clean cracks nonetheless. Either way, I have attached what I have so you can give them a look. Alternate Reality.zip Edited April 14, 2019 by SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricortes Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 It is hard to be the basic convenience and cost of SIO2PC USB https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=108 Lots of people do go for stand alone versions of other devices for a number of good reasons. The things that make the stand alone systems great is you can have a system that doesn't need multiple monitors for the Atari + PC, desk space, and speed. What makes the connection to a PC good is a number of emulators and connections to the internet. It is really great for getting your feet wet when you aren't sure just where you are going. After if ever you decide what you want your setup to be dedicated to the stand alone large storage solutions make a lot of sense. It isn't like you need a ton of storage, I think every game ever made for an Atari fits in 48 megs or so if you want a dedicated game machine for yourself or family. If you want a system for your family but don't want your 4 year old playing with your mega buck laptop, a mass storage cartridge would probably be the way to go out of the box. But heck, ~$20 for the SIO2PC cable isn't going to break the bank and get your feet wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormtrooper of Death Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 I ordered the Sio2PC-USB and SIDE2 cart from Lotharek. Will arive in 8-15 days time. I will use the Sio2PC-USB with my Atari and Panasonic Toughbook CF-M34 rugged laptop. the CF-M34 has a nice 8.5 inch touchscreen to make things even more easy for diskswapping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Over the years, I have acquired most of these devices for my Ataris.The best, hands down, is the SIDE2/Ultimate 1mb combo, which lets you do everything. But the combined price and install make this the most expensive and hardest to install. Of the rest, an Ultimate Cart is the best for general arcade gaming (i.e. .bin and .xex files) In terms of .ATR files, if you don't want to spring for the best setup, SIO2SD and SDRIVE-MAX are both equal, in my mind. Both allow a 'front end' atr to be loaded so you can populate your disk drives via the TV screen to boot software. The S-Drive has a better interface if you want to select files on the device, and the .TAP compatibility is really cool. SIO2USB is great if you have a pc next to your atari, and want to mess around with BBS/PLATO, printing, or editing files with something like Last Word and printing or storing them easily on the PC. That said, you cannot go wrong with any of these. All of them will give you access to tens of thousands of games and programs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broettger Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 What about the sio2bt (Bluetooth) or sio2pi (raspberry pi)? Those are the two that I have been looking into in the last week since my first Atari 8bit arrived from eBay. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACML Posted July 4, 2020 Share Posted July 4, 2020 Let me preface this post that I only have experience with the SIO2SD and original SDRIVE (not the MAX). I first started out with acquiring two SDRIVEs and they were wonderful replacements for clunky a 810 and 9VAC power brick. I always felt the menu screen was the weak link on the SDRIVE. You have several files with filenames well in excess of the 8.3 format and those first 8 can have a lot of commonality. The differentiating part of the name usually follows the 8th character. The menu only allows you to see the full name of the file you are currently selecting at the bottom of the screen. Then I bought one of Lotharek's SIO2SDs and never looked back. Nice professionally made units to include very professional case. The menu on monitor is superior to SDRIVE. I can see the full filenames of all files, not just the one I"m highlighting. The LCD display could be better, but it shows more characters than 8. I believe the SDRIVE MAX does not fix this issue. They choose to use the portrait view with large font thus allowing even less discernible characters on the screen (save the bottom line). This is the big flaw I see in the SDRIVE MAX. If the LCD display was used in the landscape mode, it could show the long screen names which would change everything for me. Until they come up with that variant, I prefer the SIO2SD. Boy would it be great if they modified the SIO2SD software to scroll the complete filename across the top line of the LCD display. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACML Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Just to add to the discussion, I also give the SIO2SD the edge due to potential reliability long term. The SIO2SD is simpler while the SRIVE MAX has a LCD touch screen and a more complicated board. Over the course time, will the LCD screen hold up? Same goes for the computer on a board. I imagine that in the next 10 years, there will be much less demand for 8-bit stuff. We aren't exactly being replaced with newer younger members. If you are under 45, you probably have no clue that the Atari 8-bit ever existed. The point is, in 10 years, with demand low, if this thing breaks, can you get it fixed or even procure another? With low demand in the future, Lotharek and others will likely have lost interest and moved on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 SIO2SD... both of mine need reprogramming and I need to put a longer display on them... S-Drive Max is working as always... it scrolls the names that are longer, but once it's in a slot it can be tough. Led back-lighting isn't likely to fail. That being said, #FujiNet and AVG cart look promising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillC Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 29 minutes ago, ACML said: Over the course time, will the LCD screen hold up? The SIO2SD and SDrive MAX both use an LCD display, the SDrive MAX display is larger and adds touch. If you are worried about the display failing, and not being able to get a replacement, I would recommend an SDrive(I have the NUXX version) or a SIO2PC/USB as there is no LCD display to fail. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarland Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 48 minutes ago, ACML said: I imagine that in the next 10 years, there will be much less demand for 8-bit stuff. We aren't exactly being replaced with newer younger members. If you are under 45, you probably have no clue that the Atari 8-bit ever existed. The point is, in 10 years, with demand low, if this thing breaks, can you get it fixed or even procure another? With low demand in the future, Lotharek and others will likely have lost interest and moved on. Um I doubt it. Eight bit youtube channels are doing very well in recent years. That is bringing interest. A8 hardware is seeing a modest rise in prices indicating more demand or perhaps less supply but I tend to think it's more the former. These computers are becoming more cool also because modern tech is Orwellian and because overall interest in gaming/technology is incredibly high. Look at modern emulating hardware releases for Nintendo, SNES C64, 2600, etc... IMO, A8 is ripe for a new retail hardware release but it needs to be done right with lots of great games and software, HDMI video, etc. It could even be part of an all-inclusive multi-platform eight bit emulator. IMO it needs to look cool and function well. Remember that the eight bits were very popular as 'new' in other parts of the world into the early 1990's so it's more like anyone under 35yrs (not 45) probably did not experience them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kogden Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 1 hour ago, ACML said: Just to add to the discussion, I also give the SIO2SD the edge due to potential reliability long term. The SIO2SD is simpler while the SRIVE MAX has a LCD touch screen and a more complicated board. Over the course time, will the LCD screen hold up? Same goes for the computer on a board. I imagine that in the next 10 years, there will be much less demand for 8-bit stuff. We aren't exactly being replaced with newer younger members. If you are under 45, you probably have no clue that the Atari 8-bit ever existed. The point is, in 10 years, with demand low, if this thing breaks, can you get it fixed or even procure another? With low demand in the future, Lotharek and others will likely have lost interest and moved on. I'm 38, first machine was a 130XE as a kid then moved on to an ST. My kids are also pretty entertained by 8-bit games, light pen doodling. They are less interested in productivity apps, operating systems, etc. They find the tech intriguing. My son likes playing with Atari BASIC. I think interest is actually increasing. If folks on the hardware side lose interest hopefully they open source the design files and firmware for things like IDEPlus, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Here's a bump for an unanswered question earlier in this thread... Is anyone using a Raspberry Pi with RespeQt? If so can you take a picture of your setup? Does it work well with the Pi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DrVenkman Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 7 minutes ago, Larry said: Here's a bump for an unanswered question earlier in this thread... Is anyone using a Raspberry Pi with RespeQt? If so can you take a picture of your setup? Does it work well with the Pi? Not currently but I did for several years. I found that even an RPiZero could run RespeQt acceptably with regard to standard ATR, XEX and CAS files but didn’t have the horsepower to handle ATX files. The ZeroW was also fairly slow for running a full desktop interface as needed for RespeQt but it did work. The RPi2, 3 and 3B Plus were all much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goochman Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 On 3/19/2019 at 9:56 PM, slx said: While this „PCB sandwiched between two pieces of plexiglass“ is quite popular now and easy to build, it leaves you with a dust catcher that is hard to clean. The new display is larger but as in larger letters, not more characters on screen. My son uses a SIO2SD which sometimes stays on for months, so durable it is. I did forget SIO2BT in my prior post, that‘s quite elegant, too, as it allows to use any old Android phone or tablet to host the files. Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk The clear case one doesnt appear to have a SIO port - its not clear to me on how one would wire up and connect to your 8bit? Does it come with the external sio connector that you have to run the 5 wires to or what???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddtmw Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 9 minutes ago, Goochman said: The clear case one doesnt appear to have a SIO port - its not clear to me on how one would wire up and connect to your 8bit? Does it come with the external sio connector that you have to run the 5 wires to or what???? looks like it uses this. (Attach the wires to a header with screws to lock them in place.) https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=128 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goochman Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 2 minutes ago, toddtmw said: looks like it uses this. (Attach the wires to a header with screws to lock them in place.) https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=128 I saw that - Im just not sure if that header is included or not???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddtmw Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 1 minute ago, Goochman said: I saw that - Im just not sure if that header is included or not???? I'm sure the header is on the board. The cable is not included. So you will need to buy one, make one yourself, or cut up an existing cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddtmw Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 This picture you can see the header. Click it to enlarge it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goochman Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 6 minutes ago, toddtmw said: This picture you can see the header. Click it to enlarge it. I guess what Im missing is whats required to connect a SIO cable to it - even in that picture it appears to be 5 wires soldered to the black piece which I guess is the header that is then screwed into the posts in the unit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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