Astro M-130 AFA Signal Loopback A400 Mod?

[Subby]

Anybody heard of an Atari 400 modification called the Astro M-130 AFA Signal Loopback?

I’m helping one of our club members fix a 400.

It boots to Memo Pad but nothing else.

 

[TGB1718]

Is it soldered to the cartridge port, can't tell from you photo ?

 

[Subby]

It looks like it.

This any better?

 

[Subby]

We unsoldered the mod and now the 400 works normally.

I’m going to take it home and take a couple of better pictures.

[sup8pdct]

To me, it looks like a 48K ram expansion loop back board. The 400 doesn't have the hardware to select between cartridge or ram so this is added and hardware on the ram expansion takes care of those duties. Maybe a normal ram card inserted with that little add on screws things around a bit.

The 400 can only have 32K max ram from factory. 16k normally. Maybe the early ones had 8K.

 

James

[Subby]

Unfortunately I didn’t have a 48k card to try. The 32k card I had didn’t work, which makes sense if it was expecting 48k. And we ran out of time and didn’t try the 32k card again after removing the mod.