Trouble with 1010 tape deck and 800XL

[Toby Rieper]

Hey again folks. While I'm awaiting diodes for my knackered 1050 I'm going to revive the 1010 tape deck. It had a broken pause and fast forward buttons but managed to fix them both. Belt was knackered so I replaced it with one made for my particular model. 

 

I go load up a game on Cassette to do that I boot up Atari with Start and Option held in, then when it beeps I press play on the 1010. The tape starts playing then nothing just a cursor on the screen. I've cleaned the heads (weren't that dirty) but still the same. It played through the whole tape without loading anything I don't hear any beeping either. Tape is played from the start. I left it quite a while the screen changed colours, is this normal?  The instructions on the game just says hold start and option and the game will load...

No beeping just cursor. 

Hope I can get one of these drives working. Here's hoping! 

Edited November 12, 2019 by Toby Rieper

[mimo]

The screen change is normal when the computer has been inactive for a while.
As for the sound, is there actually anything on the tape? do you have any alternative ones to try?
Can you write a small program in Basic and try CSAVE and then load it back with CLOAD?

Edited November 12, 2019 by mimo
I'm an idiot

[drpeter]

You should at least hear bleeps and burbles as it tries to load from the tape, usually followed by a load error.

 

I would follow mimo's suggestion with a blank cassette in the first instance and report back...

[manterola]

After the beep you need to press any regular key (like space bar) in the Atari to start the loading

[Toby Rieper]

Heya thanks folks. At work at the moment so I'll try and write a program to cassette. I have some blanks

 

i did try and press space-bar but the tape stopped playing. 

Edited November 12, 2019 by Toby Rieper

[baktra]

There is a video that shows how it should be.

 

[TGB1718]

You can press play before you turn your compuer on, when it beeps, just press return.

 

Sometimes you have to manually wind the tape forward to the splice between the tape header and the actual tape.

[Toby Rieper]

8 hours ago, mimo said:

The screen change is normal when the computer has been inactive for a while.
As for the sound, is there actually anything on the tape? do you have any alternative ones to try?
Can you write a small program in Basic and try CSAVE and then load it back with CLOAD?

Hiya I tried writing the small program in basic and saving it to the tape. It goes through all the motions but the cassette deck does not record. I make sure play and record are held down then type csave then return then space. It farts then does a long been then it sounds like it's recording the program but the wheels on the cassette do not play

 

i have also tried another Cassette. With Atari switched off I press play on the deck..  then as soon as Atari switched on the tape starts playing. I enter CLoad and the tape stops playing . Bizzare

 

Edited November 12, 2019 by Toby Rieper

[TGB1718]

the 1010 is the one with the external PSU ? if it is, is the PSU working/providing the correct voltage ?

[manterola]

Looks like the motor control signal is working the opposite to what is should... Wtf? The cassette moves right away after power up, but stops when it should moves: after pressing key.... 

[drpeter]

20 minutes ago, manterola said:

Looks like the motor control signal is working the opposite to what is should

Second that. 

 

This is the pinout for the SIO connector on the computer, looking at it:

 

Pin 8 controls the cassette motor and should normally be low voltage, going to 5 volts when the tape should be playing.

 

When the computer is first switched on into BASIC pin 8 should be low voltage.  POKE 54018,52 (which turns on the motor) should switch it to 5 volts. (POKE 54018,60 reverses this)

 

I would check this with a multimeter.