Where to buy replacement IC’s for our 8-bit machines?

[YSG2020]

I’ve got an 800xl board here that needs some RAM and processor IC chips replaced as they were fried due to a failing power supply.  Any recommendations on where to get reasonably priced replacement ICs? 

Bradley at Best seems in way over his head these days sadly as his shipping wait time is now over a month and he has a limit of only 2 items per order per month (?!) and won’t ship to a US post office box. (?!)    I live in Canada. So it looks like I need a new, professional, Atari supplier I can count on. Very frustrating. Bradley has a terrific supply of parts but it’s near impossible to buy them now.  
 

Any other options out there? Thanks. 

Edited February 8, 2020 by YSG2020

[YSG2020]

Does anybody here have a good relationship with Bradley at Best who lives near San Jose, CA, who can walk in to Best and buy over the counter from him? I’ll pay you for a complete  (more than 2 items) order up front (and for your time) if you can get it and then ship it to my post office box in Blaine, WA. Thanks for any help anyone can provide. 

Edited February 8, 2020 by YSG2020

[TGB1718]

I've used this guy, on ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/atarifreakz

 

He doesn't have everything, but his stock changes quite often, I got and Antic and Sally for a few £ each.

 

He packed them well to avoid damage and prompt delivery, obviously not sure of shipping to Canada

 

Edited February 8, 2020 by TGB1718
spelling

[Fred_M]

I buy my replacement RAM at utsource.net, never had any problems with them.

 

I also sell some some components in my webshop, but shipping costs from Europe to North America are terrible....

[YSG2020]

Anything in North America?

[+bob1200xl]

What do you need, exactly?

 

Bob

 

[Wilheim]

I buy standard IC components on AliExpress. It takes a while but it’s worth of buying there. It’s very cheap!

[YSG2020]

I’d like to keep away from the Chinese products if possible. I know they are getting better, but they’re still far from being as quality or reliable as the American, Taiwanese, Japanese, or Hong Kong made components. 

[Ute]

17 hours ago, YSG2020 said:

Anything in North America?

Yes, email Bruce(B and C Computer Visions) directly. He has IC's and many other things he does not list on his ebay site.

[YSG2020]

No reply from Bruce yet.  Let’s hope he’s open for business once Monday comes... 

[jamm]

Strange to hear about Bradley at Best.  I just ordered a handful of items from him about a week ago and he responded via email and shipped immediately.  Maybe something's come up in the last few days.

 

You should list the specific items you need here in case someone has something to ship you directly.  Also, if they're common parts, I'd check with the C64 dealers.

[YSG2020]

I guess he unfairly discriminates.

Edited February 10, 2020 by YSG2020

[channelmaniac]

I have CPUs, GTIA/CTIA, and ANTIC chips on a pile of CPU boards for Atari 400/800 that I bought surplus. I just have to find time to test them and put them up on my web site.

 

RJ

[BillC]

2 hours ago, channelmaniac said:

I have CPUs, GTIA/CTIA, and ANTIC chips on a pile of CPU boards for Atari 400/800 that I bought surplus.

Only the later version of the 400/800 CPU board used the 6502C(Sally) processor required by the XL/XE computers, most have the earlier CPU board with the 6502B.

[Gunstar]

I have a couple spare CPU boards too, and no shortage of those IC's atm, but I do have a shortage of POKEY IC's. These seem to be the rarest, probably do to stereo upgrades, which is what I need them for too. I need to find a good source for POKEY's. Best E. I will never deal with again, I've said my peace about Bradley in the "worst electronics" thread already. I'll have to get in touch with Bruce and see what his POKEY prices are like, if he still has them. The best source of spare POKEY's was Atari 7800 Ballblazer carts because they are as common as a cold, but even so, prices for them have sky-rocketed in recent years; I assume because people have discovered the POKEY secret inside! 7800 Commando carts have them too, but those were already expensive due to rarity and not something I want to salvage from for the same reason.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Gunstar

[+ZuluGula]

I would hold off with buying POKEY's at the current prices. I hope that in near future we will get at least three new hardware solutions for POKEY stereo in Atari computers: PokeyMAX, PokeyONE and new FPGA Simplestereo from Lotharek. 

 

For main RAM, there's a simple, modern SRAM replacement with adapter that goes between motherboard and CPU.

 

Also, China is good for some common chips, but when it comes to the specialized Atari chips, they have nothing or they will send you something else. It happened to me when I ordered Sally 6502 and got regular 6502.

[Gunstar]

1 hour ago, ZuluGula said:

I would hold off with buying POKEY's at the current prices. I hope that in near future we will get at least three new hardware solutions for POKEY stereo in Atari computers: PokeyMAX, PokeyONE and new FPGA Simplestereo from Lotharek. 

 

For main RAM, there's a simple, modern SRAM replacement with adapter that goes between motherboard and CPU.

 

Also, China is good for some common chips, but when it comes to the specialized Atari chips, they have nothing or they will send you something else. It happened to me when I ordered Sally 6502 and got regular 6502.

The prices on those replacements are expensive too, at least going by projected prices. And I don't know that I'm ready to trust these POKEY emulations to the real deal either. I fully expect compatibility issues to pop up down the line from these alternatives. I'll stick to the real IC's until they are just impossible to find anymore. But at this point, it's cheaper just to by non-working as-is Atari 8-bits for parts salvage than any POKEY or alternative option, except for shipping charges, but then you are getting a lot more replacements than just POKEY's.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Gunstar

[+ZuluGula]

I personally have big problem trashing one computer to fix or upgrade another one. I haven't come across any XL or XE machine that can't be brought back to life. Sometimes it may require more work but anything can be restored. Original 800 might be the only exception if the case ir broken and it's missing parts of plastic. 

[YSG2020]

I Agree with you zulugula.  Pretty easy to restore these old computers unless they are badly physically damaged. Usually just need a new power supply, some new caps, possibly a few ram chips, and some TLC. 

[Gunstar]

That philosophy only works when there are enough of the custom IC's (eventually all IC's, but maybe not in our lifetimes) to keep them all running. Sooner or later the only place to get parts will be from computers and devices as salvage unless you want to rely on a bunch of chip emulation boards throughout the entire system. Personally I think it better to have one working machine than two or more that don't work because there are no parts to fix them. We are already at the point, apparently, where this is happening with Pokey's. 

 

I have never had to replace a capacitor or other basic component due to failure* on any of the Atari's I own or owned (once on a 1050 drive), I have had to replace PIA's, Antic's, GTIA's and 6502C's several times. Maybe my experience is an isolated fluke of luck, good and bad. I do expect to be replacing basic components in the future, especially capacitors as they continue to age and be used. My point is, that I have bought several non-working, as-is, for parts only Atari's off of eBay and every time it was bad IC's; ram, support chips and custom processors I had to replace to get them running again, not basic components. 

 

*I'm trouble-shooting one of my 1200XL's right now and it appears to be the first one, in my life, I need to replace basic components to repair. I've removed or replaced basic components while doing upgrades and mods, but the originals still work and I save them.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Gunstar

[YSG2020]

Well, I just spoke with Bradley at Best Electronics on the phone.  I can confirm he is absolutely completely out of his mind and a complete nutcase.  He was talking 100% jibberish about my order and fabricating falsehoods (knowingly?) about our communication history. Does he have a mental problem?  He just wouldn't do business at all in any professional manner, and hung up the phone, for no reason what-so-ever.  I wasn't even rude to him once, but I sure as hell should have been.  Seriously, order from Best Electronics at your own risk.  I have never in my life had a transactional dealing like that with anybody and I've run my own large business for 30 years.  He is plum crazy, and holding the remaining global supply of new-OEM Atari parts hostage.  :(  Buyer beware.  Very sad.

[bfollowell]

I can honestly say I've had three wonderful orders from him. I've never had the first hiccup. My first order was about a year ago and my most recent, a couple months back. That being said, I've heard all the horror stories, so I try to keep my orders simple and to a minimum, doing all my research well beforehand and planning everything out like the D-Day invasion. I make certain I observe all of the ever changing rules that I'm aware of. It's like walking on egg shells throughout the whole conversation. It's all very stressful and usually a huge relief when I get off the phone with him and realize I've successfully navigated the treacherous waters that dealing with him have become.

 

We can only pray that someone more reasonable and easier to deal with, will take over for him someday, or that someone with huge resources will buy him out. It's hard to imagine all that wonderful stock going to the landfill!

 

[YSG2020]

4 minutes ago, bfollowell said:

I can honestly say I've had three wonderful orders from him. I've never had the first hiccup. My first order was about a year ago and my most recent, a couple months back. That being said, I've heard all the horror stories, so I try to keep my orders simple and to a minimum, doing all my research well beforehand and planning everything out like the D-Day invasion. I make certain I observe all of the ever changing rules that I'm aware of. It's like walking on egg shells throughout the whole conversation. It's all very stressful and usually a huge relief when I get off the phone with him and realize I've successfully navigated the treacherous waters that dealing with him have become.

 

We can only pray that someone more reasonable and easier to deal with, will take over for him someday, or that someone with huge resources will buy him out. It's hard to imagine all that wonderful stock going to the landfill!

 

I sure hope so. It’s so unfair. I did absolutely nothing rude nor wrong and he completely abused me.  As a business owner myself, I guarantee he’s about to crash and burn big time. I hope someone is able to buy out all his stock and make it available again, because it’s likely at this point it’ll be in a landfill or fire sale soon. :(

[+Stephen]

Even with my past good history, I have heard enough from people, to realize that yeah, he is 100% bat shit crazy.  Sad too, because he's the kind of crazy hermit, that won't sell his stuff and when he soon dies, the shit will all go in the dumpster because appropriate plans have not been put in place.

 

Sorry for the shitty sentiment, but deal with it.  It's our reality, it's happening now, and will continue to.

[YSG2020]

I think we should all organize a coup and save the parts! Lol.