Mega ST4...What To Do...

[777ismyname]

   I have been scouring my storage units looking for my old XF551 8 bit floppy drive. During that search I found my Mega ST4, albeit with no keyboard or mouse. I bought this about 10 to 12 years ago (with mouse and keyboards) and cannot remember if it supposedly functioned then. The prices of replacement keyboards and mice are much too high for me to invest in if this thing doesn’t work. I saw where there have been gizmos made that allows the use of PS/2 keyboards and the like. 
 

   The price of the PS/2 adapter device is likely all that I’d probably invest in this thing until or if I can even find the keyboard and mouse.

 

   I do plan on taking the case cover off this week and doing a cursory check to see if there is anything obviously missing. There has been a hole drilled on the rear, where ATARI is embossed in the cover (somewhere around the middle of the I), about the size of what one would expect of a switch of some kind. I have not plugged it in to give it a smoke test. 
 

  Any positive advise would be greatly welcomed!

[doctor_x]

if you have any interest in selling I've been looking for a mega 2 or 4 or Mega STE... I love the form factor of both of those machines.

[777ismyname]

6 hours ago, doctor_x said:

if you have any interest in selling I've been looking for a mega 2 or 4 or Mega STE... I love the form factor of both of those machines.

There will probably be interest in doing that, doctor_x. I got entangled in family stuff yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but will get the cover off and some pictures taken this week. I’d like to get it going, but would rather invest (if is going to take much at all in getting the Mega up and running) in 8 bit stuff.

[tjlazer]

Years ago I was trying to find a keyboard for my Mega 4 and had to buy one from Germany.  I used it for years with German keys and last year bought some USA key caps from Best to get it US Spec.  Might want to see about going this way since you are very hard pressed in finding a US keyboard (for a descent price).

[777ismyname]

On 10/23/2019 at 2:36 AM, tjlazer said:

Years ago I was trying to find a keyboard for my Mega 4 and had to buy one from Germany.  I used it for years with German keys and last year bought some USA key caps from Best to get it US Spec.  Might want to see about going this way since you are very hard pressed in finding a US keyboard (for a descent price).

I nearly had my fourth heart attack when I saw the price of keyboards for the Mega  That is a good tip, given that most ST stuff was sold in Europe. I always wanted an ST and by the time I finally had the money in 89 to buy one the dealer in the next city over (30 miles or so) had gone out of business. I was diagnosed with cancer again not long after getting this one and never got around to it. 

[777ismyname]

And I’ll be damned! I went over to eBay dot de and there is a Mega St keyboard and it is only at 20 Euros. I will have to plug the URL into Google Translate this afternoon and message the buyer. 

[+slx]

On 10/23/2019 at 1:51 AM, doctor_x said:

if you have any interest in selling I've been looking for a mega 2 or 4 or Mega STE... I love the form factor of both of those machines.

I have a non-working Mega ST for sale if you're interested. Will probably need some work and parts. It's in Austria, however, so there'd be some shipping.

[777ismyname]

I’m sorry for the delay I responding, I didn’t get notification...or I missed it  

 

I know this wasn’t addressed to me, but as as continuation and a bump; the German seller didn’t get back to me on the eBay dot de auction. 
 

Do you have an extra keyboard and mouse, by chance, @slx? 

[+slx]

On 10/30/2019 at 7:59 AM, 777ismyname said:

I’m sorry for the delay I responding, I didn’t get notification...or I missed it  

 

I know this wasn’t addressed to me, but as as continuation and a bump; the German seller didn’t get back to me on the eBay dot de auction. 
 

Do you have an extra keyboard and mouse, by chance, @slx? 

Sorry @777ismyname, no extra keyboard and mouse here. There are PS2 and USB mouse adapters and Best Electronics sells a Trackball. 

[777ismyname]

Was worth a try

 

A PC keyboard and mouse adapter it will be it seems.

[Bikerbob]

Eiffel 3 adaptor.. full with both joystick ports $18 euro.. cant go wrong.

 

James

[Goochman]

6 hours ago, Bikerbob said:

Eiffel 3 adaptor.. full with both joystick ports $18 euro.. cant go wrong.

 

James

Do you know where one can buy an assembled Eiffel 3?

[Goochman]

NM, I think I found it:

http://www.gossuin.be/index.php/shop 

[+tf_hh]

On 10/21/2019 at 11:29 AM, 777ismyname said:

 The price of the PS/2 adapter device is likely all that I’d probably invest in this thing until or if I can even find the keyboard and mouse.

 

   I do plan on taking the case cover off this week and doing a cursory check to see if there is anything obviously missing. There has been a hole drilled on the rear, where ATARI is embossed in the cover (somewhere around the middle of the I), about the size of what one would expect of a switch of some kind. I have not plugged it in to give it a smoke test. 

 

The cheapest ready-to-use option is one of the Eiffel adapters. Take a look at Olivier Gossuin for example, he offers the "Eiffel 3 Basic for Mega ST, Mega STE and TT" for 8 Euros. Or the next version for 13 Euros incl. one joystick port. They work fine, I´ve several in use. He made great hardware for really nice prices.

 

Before you power the machine on, inspect the power supply, specially the big electrolytic cap at the lower left corner. When it´s domed or any fluids came off, don´t power it on. Remove this cap and, I strongly recommend that, the round bridge rectifier, too. Both parts are the most culprits for blown fuses and/or smoke after power-on.

 

Re-seat all chips in sockets. When the machine was a very long time not in use, I would suggest to pull the MMU, GLUE and BLITTER (if installed), take a Fibreglass Cleaning Pencil (for example: Such eBay offer) and clean all pins from these two or three PLCC chips. You will see getting them shiny and clear again, this will reduce contact problems more than all other ways IMHO.

 

 

[777ismyname]

23 minutes ago, tf_hh said:

 

The cheapest ready-to-use option is one of the Eiffel adapters. Take a look at Olivier Gossuin for example, he offers the "Eiffel 3 Basic for Mega ST, Mega STE and TT" for 8 Euros. Or the next version for 13 Euros incl. one joystick port. They work fine, I´ve several in use. He made great hardware for really nice prices.

 

Before you power the machine on, inspect the power supply, specially the big electrolytic cap at the lower left corner. When it´s domed or any fluids came off, don´t power it on. Remove this cap and, I strongly recommend that, the round bridge rectifier, too. Both parts are the most culprits for blown fuses and/or smoke after power-on.

 

Re-seat all chips in sockets. When the machine was a very long time not in use, I would suggest to pull the MMU, GLUE and BLITTER (if installed), take a Fibreglass Cleaning Pencil (for example: Such eBay offer) and clean all pins from these two or three PLCC chips. You will see getting them shiny and clear again, this will reduce contact problems more than all other ways IMHO.

 

 

Your advice is *VERY* much appreciated, @tf_hh!! I certainly do not want to do a smoke test on this Mega ST  I will do exactly as you advise. I will take photographs of anything that appears to be suspect and post them.

 

  The Eiffel 3 sounds exactly like what I need and the price is right! 
 

 

Edit: I just realized you sell hardware upgrades for Atari 8 bit stuff. I’ve had a tab open to your PDF product page for a month  I need to order a couple of things at the end of the month from you. Is it okay to message you here or do you prefer email?
 

Edited November 18, 2019 by 777ismyname
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