Mystery Modded Atari 400 AV

[+doctorclu]

 

Come along as we explore a heavily modded Atari 400 found in a Retro Madness store in Arlington, Texas.

 

First thing noticed is that it is AV modded and other strange cords.

 

 

 

 

[jamm]

My first computer was a 400 also, and there's something about the colors on that flat keyboard that I find very appealing and welcoming.

[+doctorclu]

It is very functional for a membrane keyboard.  Atari did a fine job with it.

 

So how long did you use your 400 and what mods were done to it?

[jamm]

I had it maybe about six months before I upgraded to a 600XL (for the keyboard).  This is back when I was about 13, so no modding!  Come to think of it, I don't remember what happened to the 400.

 

I'm definitely curious what that DB25 is doing on yours.

Edited February 14, 2020 by jamm

[xrbrevin]

2 hours ago, jamm said:

there's something about the colors on that flat keyboard

this is what i like best about the 400 - very '70s indeed!!

i even have an aftermarket 'proper' keyboard for mine but i can't bring myself to fit it for that very reason 🙂

[mimo]

1 hour ago, xrbrevin said:

this is what i like best about the 400 - very '70s indeed!!

i even have an aftermarket 'proper' keyboard for mine but i can't bring myself to fit it for that very reason 🙂

I took off a b-key and fitted an NOS membrane keyboard to one of my 400s.

I hope that one day we can have an incognito type mod for the 400. It's my favourite A8.

 

As for the video mod @doctorclu it's probably the "little brother" mod 

[Rusto]

Technology Connections just put a good video on YouTube all about brown and orange although it doesn't really explain why we all like the combo...

 

 

 

[jamm]

1 hour ago, Rusto said:

Technology Connections just put a good video on YouTube all about brown and orange although it doesn't really explain why we all like the combo...

 

 

 

Don't you mean "orange and darker orange"?

[Rusto]

Yes I do! 

[+doctorclu]

10 hours ago, mimo said:

I took off a b-key and fitted an NOS membrane keyboard to one of my 400s.

I hope that one day we can have an incognito type mod for the 400. It's my favourite A8.

 

As for the video mod @doctorclu it's probably the "little brother" mod 

I will have to look into the little brother mod.  I was just happy as hell to find a Atari 400 w/ AV.

 

So, what do you make of the serial cable.

 

And I am trying to remember the poke command in basic to determine if my computer has over 16K.

 

[+Roydea6]

PRINT FRE(0) should give a number and the calculate the amount of memory ..

 

[+doctorclu]

9 minutes ago, Roydea6 said:

PRINT FRE(0) should give a number and the calculate the amount of memory ..

 

Thanks!  For that...

 

 

[+Stephen]

1 hour ago, doctorclu said:

Thanks!  For that...

 

 

Well, that's > 16kB.  A 48kB machine will return 37902 (I will never forget that number).

[+DrVenkman]

That's what you'll see with a 32K machine and BASIC inserted.

[adam242]

15 hours ago, mimo said:

I took off a b-key and fitted an NOS membrane keyboard to one of my 400s.

👍 Did the same with my first 400. The B-key doesn't quite ruin the style of the 400, but it just doesn't look right.

[+doctorclu]

2 hours ago, adam242 said:

👍 Did the same with my first 400. The B-key doesn't quite ruin the style of the 400, but it just doesn't look right.

What is the B-Key?

 

And here we have the number from a stock 16K Atari 400.

 

[adam242]

The B-key was a third party full-stroke keyboard for the 400.

 

 

[ClausB]

9 hours ago, doctorclu said:

 

So, what do you make of the serial cable.

 

 

A screwdriver will answer that question.

[+DrVenkman]

5 hours ago, ClausB said:

A screwdriver will answer that question.

Indeed. And I’m not 100% sure it’s an actual serial (RS232) cable. Weren’t there some external keyboard mods that used a cable like that?

[xrbrevin]

anyone know why its called "the B-key"?

[mimo]

https://www.atariarchives.org/creativeatari/Standard_Keyboard_for_the_Atari_400.php

 

Some interesting photos at the bottom of this page 

[ZuluGula]

For me, the most interesting idea is placing power supply transformer inside computer case. There's a lot of room inside 400/800 so space shouldn't be an issue, but what about electromagnetic interface from high voltage AC being so close to the motherboard? I know that 400/800 are very well shielded, but still it makes me think about video and audio interfaces.