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Another 800 with a whacking price on Ebay


TGB1718

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9 minutes ago, atariry said:

Perhaps we need a new thread on recommendations as to how to best repair this type of damage?

 

Great idea ?! I think there are lots of Atarians, that fiddle around more or less with this kind of issues....

 

andY

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I could repair it to look like it was never damaged (on the outside), but I use pain-staking processes that take days to finish and maybe more trouble than most would go through or have the skills. It's not enough to know the process the way I do it, you need professional skills and restoration tools too. I use different processes than in the video, but then, I've never restored a machine that badly damaged as that 800XL (the 800 posted above, I've fixed similar damage). If I did, I'd take some pointer from that video as well, with the one exception that I would never use a soldering iron or melt metal into the plastic. I'd follow most of how that guy does it, but I would use a different process for the metal rods than melting them into the plastic; I'd use J.B. Weld instead. The molding over it I'd do the same way. The heat to make plastic pliable again I'd do...but my finished product would look excellent on the outside and nasty on the inside still, like that 800XL.

Edited by Gunstar
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32 minutes ago, Mclaneinc said:

I saw the one where the English who lives in the states (an actor / voice actor) posted a video of a rebuilt really awful 800XL

Yeaahh, Retro Recipes ?, I know him and his channel for a long time.... 

 

He also show an example, that you´re able to bright and "un-yellow" a computer case with only the force of the sun (without any chemical Retr0bright or others...)

 

There is also a great guy on YT , whos shows how to repair damaged cases , but I think, lets start a new thread for it....

 

andY

Edited by andymanone
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19 minutes ago, Gunstar said:

I could repair it to look like it was never damaged (on the outside), but I use pain-staking processes that take days to finish and maybe more trouble than most would go through or have the skills. It's not enough to know the process the way I do it, you need professional skills and restoration tools too. I use different processes than in the video, but then, I've never restored a machine that badly damaged as that 800XL (the 800 posted above, I've fixed similar damage). If I did, I'd take some pointer from that video as well, with the one exception that I would never use a soldering iron or melt metal into the plastic. I'd follow most of how that guy does it, but I would use a different process for the metal rods than melting them into the plastic. The molding over it I'd do the same way. The heat to make plastic pliable again I'd do...but my finished product would look excellent on the outside and nasty on the inside still, like that 800XL.

Sounds great ?!

 

Maybe you could share your knowledge with us, so we´ll start a new thread about it?

 

Gtx,

andY

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13 minutes ago, andymanone said:

Sounds great ?!

 

Maybe you could share your knowledge with us, so we´ll start a new thread about it?

 

Gtx,

andY

I guess I could "tell" about it, but it really would need pictures or a video to properly show, and I have nothing to repair right now to show. I could show "after" pictures of my 1200XL I did case modding too and describe the process, but that's it. No time atm though...I'll jump in the new thread later.

Edited by Gunstar
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17 minutes ago, Gunstar said:

I guess I could "tell" about it, but it really would need pictures or a video to properly show, and I have nothing to repair right now to show. I could show "after" pictures of my 1200XL I did case modding too and describe the process, but that's it. No time atm though...I'll jump in the new thread later.

@Gunstar

 

No need to be shy ?, no worries, no one will criticize you...

I think, we should all share our experiences, whether they are big or small...
In the end it helps the community ?

 

Cheers,

andY

 

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45 minutes ago, andymanone said:

@Gunstar

 

No need to be shy ?, no worries, no one will criticize you...

I think, we should all share our experiences, whether they are big or small...
In the end it helps the community ?

 

Cheers,

andY

 

Oh, I'm not shy, and I don't care if someone were to criticize, but I have been criticized for modding my stuff before, so you are wrong there, I just don't care or mind what they say. But there are always one or two, or a few jackasses that criticize. But most of them that say they'd never do that really only say it because they can't. It's always easier for some to try and drag you down than lift you up, because they hate to see people accomplish stuff they can't. So instead they act high-and-mighty and say they'd never do it for some other lame reason.

Edited by Gunstar
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The way to prevent the power brick from becoming a projectile weapon is to WRAP the brick to the 800 with Saran. Stretch it as you wrap and it is shrink-wrap. Wrap about 5 times, put it in a box with plenty of packing material on ALL sides.

 

I received an 800 in similar condition. It became a parts machine. It was too far gone for repair. Lots of good boards and chips, though.

 

 

 

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1 minute ago, Kyle22 said:

The way to prevent the power brick from becoming a projectile weapon is to WRAP the brick to the 800 with Saran. Stretch it as you wrap and it is shrink-wrap. Wrap about 5 times, put it in a box with plenty of packing material on ALL sides.

 

I received an 800 in similar condition. It became a parts machine. It was too far gone for repair. Lots of good boards and chips, though.

 

 

 

Are you sure it was too far gone? I bet the guy doing repairs in that video might disagree.;) I have a 600XL I consider "too far gone" that I use for parts and salvage myself.;) The reality is I probably could have repaired it, but I needed parts for my other machines anyway.

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10 hours ago, Gunstar said:

Oh, I'm not shy, and I don't care if someone were to criticize, but I have been criticized for modding my stuff before, so you are wrong there, I just don't care or mind what they say. But there are always one or two, or a few jackasses that criticize. But most of them that say they'd never do that really only say it because they can't. It's always easier for some to try and drag you down than lift you up, because they hate to see people accomplish stuff they can't. So instead they act high-and-mighty and say they'd never do it for some other lame reason.

Your machine, you do what the hell you like to it...

 

I know there are the conventionalistic (my word) people who think changing the appearance of a machine is sacrosanct but if its to enhance the capability or appeal to the owner then its a perfectly reasonable choice..If people don't like it then don't look. Sure, I've seen machines painted weird colours and for me look ugly BUT I don't have to look at it daily so its actually none of my business, I may comment re the colour but I always add a happy line to say its all good..

 

Making a playful comment is one thing but being critical is stepping over the line imho...

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have just been browsing Ebay (UK). Saw the following "Rare Vintage Atari 400 computer console Untested". Later in the description "... No power lead hence sold as non working as cant test". Asking price (buy it now) £139.99 . I know having asking prices a penny less than a bigger number is quite common, but £140 is quite steep for an untested 400. No idea of memory, so have to assume 16k. No history of the item. At least when items are sold as "was last working before put in the loft", you have an idea it is been sold by a genuine owner.

 

I hate to think how much the price would increase if it was tested and came with a power supply. Talking of which...

 

"Original Atari 400 Power Supply A.C Mains Adaptor Atari PT. CO 60592-34/TM PSU" £35.99 (buy it now). I don't see these items listed often, but sounds steep to me.

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, atariry said:

 At least when items are sold as "was last working before put in the loft", you have an idea it is been sold by a genuine owner.

 

 

 

 

 

Nah, that's eBay code for "it's broken now"

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Ebay is one of those horrible places that you have to take a risk on, its rare to get a fully truthful post, the "dunno if it works" or "untested" usually means they know its broken but to whack a HUGE speculative price on it really should make any buyer beware. By risk I mean when they say 'genuine' or 'rare', at least rare you can research but genuine is tough, obviously if the price is really low then you can guess but when its at the same price as a real item then its hard to spot. Thankfully not many try that one on..

 

And one ebay annoyance, people who simply cannot be bothered to clean the bloody item up...why?  I'm not talking retrobrighting, I'm talking wiping crap off..

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  • 5 weeks later...

I often browse Ebay looking at Atari 8 bit items...

 

The following took my attention "Atari 800 400 Computer Programmer's Reference Guide In VGC" for 5p short of £60. Ouch!

 

Reason was that I had only recently taken my own copy (below) down off the bookcase shelf to look up some information. I saw that it cost $21.95 and had been bought from B&C Computervisions in Santa Clara, CA (back in 1985 when I was working for National Semiconductor). I've now misplaced the receipt, but they were at 3400 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA. I used to walk home and passed nearby the shop, but I only ever went in a couple of times. I remember buying a Monkey Wrench cart from there, but I 've never ever used it! My own Atari 800 was bought off a friend (at that time) who had made it from Atari parts sourced all over the valley, from scrap stores. To this day it is still missing the Atari sticker on the front. When I returned to the UK I converted it to UK video standard using parts (e.g. CPU PCB) from my Atari 400.

 

(*) Just googled and found out that $22 in 1985 is the equivalent of $53 today. So that was an expensive purchase at the time!

 

3400_El_Camino_Real.JPG

Atari book.JPG

Edited by atariry
additional factoid.
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  • 3 weeks later...

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