Atari 1200XLE (not a typo!)

[Gunstar]

That's right, a 1200XLE, it's not typo, but it's not an official release either. It's the new model designation I have given my completely upgraded 1200XL.

Finally finished, after about a year of on and off upgrades. Upgrades include: Super Video, Pokey Stereo (curtesy of MetalGuy66's kit), SIO power, MyIDE, APE Warp 32-in-1 OS and Rambo XL 256k upgrade. I decided to go with MyIDE over installing a parallel bus for an MIO or Blackbox enabled HD. I think I'm done. Unless someone else can think of anything else I forgot (besides PBI interface). It's now compatible with the XE's memory (less ANTIC compatibility which includes 2 whole programs that exist) and OS compatible with ANY Atari 8-bit model thanks to the 32-in-1 OS. My XE has similiar upgrades (320K, stereo, etc.) except for the 32-in-1 OS, but it's PAL compatible instead. I'm excited to finally have my 1200XLE to the point I always intended though, now I have the best of everything my XE has and more, plus an excellent keyboard!

 

I'll post a pic of the inside later when I feel like opening it up again. But it's a completely professional job with either professionally made upgrade boards from others or my own. No messy jobs hear! It all looks like it's original.

Edited July 23, 2006 by Gunstar

[Clint Thompson]

That is so awesome.... I can't wait to see pics of the innards!

[Gunstar]

Thanks Clint! You'll get that chance to look at the insides very soon, maybe later today. I'm changing something anyway; I've decided to move the 32-in-1 OS from the 1200XLE into my 320XE and put the XE OS into the the 1200XLE.The reason for this move is that my XE has the PAL ANTIC&GTIA in it, and the 32-in-1 OS has PAL OS versions on it for 100% PAL compatibility, and since the 1200 looks like and XE to most programs now, the XE OS should work nicely.

[+Guitarman]

Gunstar

 

Looks like you have done most of the mods I am in the process of adding to my 1200XL. I too have the 32in1 OS/Rev C Basic, SIO power mod and RamboXL 256K installed and am in the process of installing a MyIDE and Stereo Pokey(MG66). Still need to do the ClearPic mod. I was going to name mine the Frankentari. I am still debating the PBI mod since I am getting one of the new MIO boards. I have a 256K MIO that Ken used to help design the new one that I will now put away for safe keeping. Although I have primarily used a 256K 800XL since about 1984, the 1200XL has always been my favorite (I have 3!!).

Edited July 25, 2006 by Guitarman

[+remowilliams]

Lets see some nekkid pics!

 

My 1200XL has a 256K upgrade, 32in1 OS, Super Video, and internal SIO2PC. I've thought about doing an internal MyIDE on it.

 

I love the 1200s keyboard, but unfortunately the one program that doesn't work properly with the extra memory is AR:Dungeon, and it won't reliably write my Atarimax Flash carts either

[+Guitarman]

Lets see some nekkid pics!

 

My 1200XL has a 256K upgrade, 32in1 OS, Super Video, and internal SIO2PC. I've thought about doing an internal MyIDE on it.

 

I love the 1200s keyboard, but unfortunately the one program that doesn't work properly with the extra memory is AR:Dungeon, and it won't reliably write my Atarimax Flash carts either

 

 

I completely forgot about the internal SIO2PC. I have the parts, just need to install. Going braindead!!!

 

The MyIDE I plan on doing will be with an IDE2CF adapter with a CF slot on the side of the 1200XL for easy drive changes.

Edited July 25, 2006 by Guitarman

[+remowilliams]

The MyIDE I plan on doing will be with an IDE2CF adapter with a CF slot on the side of the 1200XL for easy drive changes.

Yeah, I'd definitely go with an IDE2CF adapter. Flash memory is the way to go internally.

 

I still haven't decided if I want to bother with the internal MyIDE. I've got one of the MyIDE + Flash carts and I may go with one of the Transcend IDE Flash Keys on top.

 

The easy way out, plus I can move it from one machine to another

Edited July 25, 2006 by remowilliams

[+Guitarman]

I still haven't decided if I want to bother with the internal MyIDE. I've got one of the MyIDE + Flash carts and I may go with one of the Transcend IDE Flash Keys on top.

 

The easy way out, plus I can move it from one machine to another

 

 

Cool!! I haven't seen the flashkey before. I may have to check that option out!!

[+Stephen]

I'd be interested in the 256K upgrade for the 1200XL. I'm almost done with all the mods to my NTSC 130XE machine, so I'd like to start on my 1200XL soon. The only info I can find online for 256K mods are for the 800XL.

 

Stephen Anderson

[Gunstar]

Gunstar

 

Looks like you have done most of the mods I am in the process of adding to my 1200XL. I too have the 32in1 OS/Rev C Basic, SIO power mod and RamboXL 256K installed and am in the process of installing a MyIDE and Stereo Pokey(MG66). Still need to do the ClearPic mod. I was going to name mine the Frankentari. I am still debating the PBI mod since I am getting one of the new MIO boards. I have a 256K MIO that Ken used to help design the new one that I will now put away for safe keeping. Although I have primarily used a 256K 800XL since about 1984, the 1200XL has always been my favorite (I have 3!!).

 

A word of warning with the 32-in-1 OS and MG66's pokey stereo board; the Pokey chip socket and OS sockets are right next to each other on the 1200XL MB. They OVERLAP. So, in order to fit them both in under the keyboard (obviously part of the metal shielding needs to be removed, even with just one of these upgrades), you have to remove the OS sockets (both) and install the chip and board directly to the motherboard. Only then will the Pokey Stereo board fit overtop of the 32-in-1 (leaving full pin length of pokey board intact) and under the keyboard! If this sounds like to much work, you may want to consider just doing the piggy-back Pokey stereo mod instead. Unless you already have MG66's Pokey board, then you'll have to do it my way.

[Gunstar]

Lets see some nekkid pics!

 

My 1200XL has a 256K upgrade, 32in1 OS, Super Video, and internal SIO2PC. I've thought about doing an internal MyIDE on it.

 

I love the 1200s keyboard, but unfortunately the one program that doesn't work properly with the extra memory is AR:Dungeon, and it won't reliably write my Atarimax Flash carts either

 

I was wondering about the AR: dungeon; it's one of the first games I tried, and sure enough, it booted as 128k memory with 1234 (4 drives), but it did seem to still be loading more than on my XE (though I hadn't played it on the xe for a long time). But in other places it seems to hold more in memory than I recall with the 64k 1200XL, like guilds and the retreat and the ratskeller pub all seemed to load from memory after the first time I went in, but the part that doesn't seem to load into extended memory is when going between level 1 dungeon "quarters" (4, 1/4 level one maps) I thought I recalled the XE being able to store half the firt dungeon level in memory, only loading it the first time, maybe more than half, but with the 1200XLE it seems to still load every time there, but maybe not as much...? I'll have to look into that AR memory thing some more.

 

As far as the Atarimax cart, I have successfully written to it with my 1200 and the 32-in-1, just try different OS's, a few work (sorry, I forget which off-hand). As for the MaxFlash writing "RELIABLY" on your 1200XL, I personally haven't been able to get it to write RELIABLY on EITHER my XL or XE BFORE or AFTER the memory upgrades...I even returned the damn thing once thinking it was bad, but had the same problems with the replacement. In my opinion the Maxflash is just generally unreliable in writes regardless of the machine, you just have to keep trying until it works, and EVERY time I've written to it, whether it works or not, it ALWAYS says it failed at the end!

 

UPDATE ON AR: DUNGEON extented memory:

Well, I tried AR: D out on my 130XE, and it works exactly like my 256k 1200XLE...so...either my memory (my memory, not the computer) is not as good as I thought it was and AR: D works fine with my 1200's extra memory, or, any memory upgrades beyond 128K screw up AR:D's memory map as my 130XE has a 320k upgrade. But everything else works fine with both machines, so I'm not sure...maybe someone can play AR:D on a standard 130XE and see if it saves multiple quarters of the level one dungeon map in memory after passing from one quarter to the other once, if it loads a second time from disk, then my memory upgrades work fine with it, if the 130XE loads from memory, then my theory of more than 128k screws it up is true.

If it is a +128k memory problem, then I have another theory to test out; see if I can come up with a combination of 256k chips and 64k chips that add up to 128k on the Rambo XL and see if it will then work like a 130XE...

After doing chip math (assuming 256k&64k chips can work together at all) there are 8 memory chips in the 1200. that means 8k chips for 64k or 32k chips for 256k. So, I could try 3 of the 32k for 96k plus 5 8k for 40k, which comes to 132k, or maybe just use 4 32k chips for 128k and bypass the other 4 sockets...though there may be some other things to take into account; first let's find out how AR:D loads on a standard 130XE!

Edited July 26, 2006 by Gunstar