The REAL natural habitat

[Gunstar]

It's been about a year since we last posted pictures of all of our setups in their REAL natural habitat; our homes and offices. I know my setup has changed, both in location and content. So I'll get the ball rolling again. Below is the latest pic of my setup.

Both the XE&XL (320XE&1200XLE-mvp)are totally hacked/upgraded and restored, if the upgrade isn't internal, it's external, like the MYIDE cart&HD and my custom SIO2PC/10502PC box connected to one of the 1050's. I'm less one 1050 than I was last year, but I'm plus one 810 and one Rana 1000. Both were repaired/refurbished and completely restored inside and out by yours truly. initially the intention was to sell the Rana (offers still considered for both drives) and add the 810 to my 800 and other 810, but I sold the 800 system and this 810 was not in working order at the time.

 

Just a bit of factual trivia: 4 is the maximum number of standard Atari&compatible drives that can be attached. But the OS allows for up to 8 as relflected with A.P.E and emulators. Drives could probably be customized to include 8, but Atari's drive switch standard only takes into account for 4. Indus GT and Rana 1000 drives have an extra switch, which may be for this purpose (depending on switch position the drive could be read as either a 1-4 drive or a 5-8 drive), but I haven't tested it out yet. No commercial disk software was ever made to take advantage of more than 4 Atari drives. I use all 4 drives when playing Alternate Reality the Dungeon and Ultima IV. I think some apps like the Syn series and also the Electronic Novels like Essex and Brimstone also used up to 4 drives as well (with the Novels, you HAD to have TWO drives).

Edited November 1, 2006 by Gunstar

[dinosaur]

When you bought the US Doubler upgrade,you could specify the ROM chip to be burned for

drive 5 to 8.

 

This was firmware and the drive could ONLY be used as drive 5 to 8.

 

You could not use this drive as drive 1 to 4.

[Tempest]

IIRC you could hook up 4 Atari 815's and get 8 drives. Of course the problem is finding 4 Atari 815's...

 

Tempest

[deathtrappomegranate]

the problem is finding 4 Atari 815's...

 

[Gunstar]

When you bought the US Doubler upgrade,you could specify the ROM chip to be burned for

drive 5 to 8.

 

This was firmware and the drive could ONLY be used as drive 5 to 8.

 

You could not use this drive as drive 1 to 4.

 

I never knew this and I've owned two USD 1050's I upgraded myself(still own one of them). Did Happy or Super archiver or "other" upgrades have a similiar option, anyone know?

 

Anyway, this does lead me to believe my theory on the extra Rana/Indus switch is correct (I still won't assume that though, I'll test it). I may be able to attach upto 8 drives to my system now, using the Rana as drive 5-8. The next question would be is would any normal drive daisy-chained through the Rana #5 be conidered 6-8 drives or still 1-4 drives. Would the Rana's switch effect all subsequent drives or does each 5-8 drive have to specifically be set itself as a 5-8 drive like the Rana? I would presume the latter knowing what I know about the way SIO daisy chaining works though...I think I answered that one myself.

Edited October 27, 2006 by Gunstar

[dinosaur]

I would think that if you examined the US Doubler rom dump,you could find the bytes that

 

identify the drive numbers, change them and rewrite them to the EPROM.

[ijor]

Did Happy or Super archiver or "other" upgrades have a similiar option, anyone know?

 

 

With the Happy (and I think other enhancements) you can configure the drive number by software. But not having any kind of NVRAM, the setting lasts until you power cycle the drive.

 

Btw, the limit in the ROM OS is not 8. I don't know if any DOS supports drives higher than 8, but the ROM does.

[dinosaur]

IIRC you could hook up 4 Atari 815's and get 8 drives. Of course the problem is finding 4 Atari 815's...

 

Tempest

 

I never tried it,but I have a SWP ATR8000 and it can support up to four drives.

 

It may be possible to daisy-chain four Atari drives ( 1-4 ),then daisy-chain the ATR8000

and have drives 5 - 8.

 

I would think SpartaDos would support this configuration.

[Gunstar]

IIRC you could hook up 4 Atari 815's and get 8 drives. Of course the problem is finding 4 Atari 815's...

 

Tempest

 

I never tried it,but I have a SWP ATR8000 and it can support up to four drives.

 

It may be possible to daisy-chain four Atari drives ( 1-4 ),then daisy-chain the ATR8000

and have drives 5 - 8.

 

I would think SpartaDos would support this configuration.

 

Well, for me it's all academic trivia now, as I never intend to have more than 4 physical Atari drives, since that's the max the software I use work with, and even then it's only for nostalgia and the fact that I love old computer hardware, since products like SIO2PC/A.P.E really have nearly made phsyical floppy drives obsolete, except for maybe one for stuff like character disks floppies and more importantly using the original boot disks. to avoid problems that crop up with cracked disk images. Additiona data disks usually wren't copy protected, so images of them usually don't have problems. Even a character disk can be made on a virtual drive. I like using the old hardware though, and still play my RPG's on physical drives for nostalgia's sake. I can leave the drives off and use A.P.E with up to 8 virtual drives, or I can use the four physical drives and still use drives 5-8 on A.P.E. and all is accessable by both the XE and XL at the flick of a switch with my SIO extender box (also known as an APE device, but nothing to do with A.P.E software).

Edited October 27, 2006 by Gunstar

[DamageX]

Here are a couple old pictures showing my junk collection http://www.hyakushiki.net/nc/nerdcave.htm

 

Since then I have replaced the C= monitor with a 19" NEC monitor. When I get my MIO board I'll have to find a better place for the 800XL to reside.

[Gunstar]

Here are a couple old pictures showing my junk collection http://www.hyakushiki.net/nc/nerdcave.htm

 

Since then I have replaced the C= monitor with a 19" NEC monitor. When I get my MIO board I'll have to find a better place for the 800XL to reside.

 

Nice pictures of your "junk collection," but I'm going to have to be a fly in the soup here; this is an Atari 8-bit forum, and this thread is for people to show their 8-bit atari "set-ups" and not all that other stuff. One abused and neglected 800XL crammed into a bottom shelf doesn't count. Get your 8-bit together and show us some pics.

[Ross PK]

Sorry to be letting the side down, dudes. But there's no room to leave my 800XL set up permenently.

 

So, here's it's natural habitat. I keep the box under the bed, but it was to dark under there to take a photo.

 

 

[Gunstar]

It's always nice to see Atari equipment. It's a shame that you don't have it "set-up" though. Storage isn't it's natural habitat, that's like it's in a state of suspended animation. make her animate again boss, make room for her, even if it means putting some other system into storage.

 

Let's see some pictures of "set-ups" people, real, current pics of your 8-bit's set up and running. I want pics from people like me that have them up and running and use them all the time. If your 8-bit isn't set up and running, and you want to get involved in the thread, then set it up and show us! Show us ALL your 8-bit goodies, connected and working. This is a thread for us to show our 8-bit pride and joy, and you must not be too proud of it if you can't make room for it, even long enough to take a picture. Not that it means you don't love or aren't proud of it if it's in storage, but if that's the case, then just pass on posting pictures of it in a box or negelected on a dusty shelf. I don't want to come down on anybody, but I started this thread so we can show off our "set-ups" and that means showing it off SET UP.

Edited October 28, 2006 by Gunstar

[dinosaur]

It's always nice to see Atari equipment. It's a shame that you don't have it "set-up" though. Storage isn't it's natural habitat, that's like it's in a state of suspended animation. make her animate again boss, make room for her, even if it means putting some other system into storage.

 

Let's see some pictures of "set-ups" people, real, current pics of your 8-bit's set up and running. I want pics from people like me that have them up and running and use them all the time. If your 8-bit isn't set up and running, and you want to get involved in the thread, then set it up and show us! Show us ALL your 8-bit goodies, connected and working. This is a thread for us to show our 8-bit pride and joy, and you must not be too proud of it if you can't make room for it, even long enough to take a picture. Not that it means you don't love or aren't proud of it if it's in storage, but if that's the case, then just pass on posting pictures of it in a box or negelected on a dusty shelf. I don't want to come down on anybody, but I started this thread so we can show off our "set-ups" and that means showing it off SET UP.

 

Message received,Gunstar!

[Ross PK]

It's always nice to see Atari equipment. It's a shame that you don't have it "set-up" though. Storage isn't it's natural habitat, that's like it's in a state of suspended animation. make her animate again boss, make room for her, even if it means putting some other system into storage.

 

Lol, or storage could be akin to hibernating.

 

Let's see some pictures of "set-ups" people, real, current pics of your 8-bit's set up and running. I want pics from people like me that have them up and running and use them all the time. If your 8-bit isn't set up and running, and you want to get involved in the thread, then set it up and show us! Show us ALL your 8-bit goodies, connected and working. This is a thread for us to show our 8-bit pride and joy, and you must not be too proud of it if you can't make room for it, even long enough to take a picture. Not that it means you don't love or aren't proud of it if it's in storage, but if that's the case, then just pass on posting pictures of it in a box or negelected on a dusty shelf. I don't want to come down on anybody, but I started this thread so we can show off our "set-ups" and that means showing it off SET UP.

 

I'll set it up tonight or tomorrow, and put the games out and take a picture of it.

 

I do love the system and I think it is the last system I'd get rid of, it holds a lot of nostalga for me and although this'll sound stupid, the 800XL and the games I used to play on it when I was a kid hold a special place in my heart.

 

The thing is, there isn't really much room to set it up next to the TV, and I don't want to have it out all the time on the floor.

[Gunstar]

Cool Ross! I'm looking forward to seeing your set-up!

[+Guitarman]

I posted this pic in another thread but I'll attach it here also. This is my "Atari Wall". I have actually aquired a few more items since, like a MegaST2, TT030, 1040STe and I have a Falcon030 on the way. But.....the 8bits are my mainstay and the systems I have used since 1984. I have a small footprint Dell PC that I am going to add to the setup running APE and Atari800WinPlus. It has a TV/Video card that I will run the Atari into and use a 21in SVGA monitor. Yes!!! BallBlazer on a 21in!!! LOL Below the pic is a link to the other pics of the collection.

 

 

More Atari Collection Pics

Edited October 29, 2006 by Guitarman

[Gunstar]

That's what I'm talking about! Cool! Only concerned with 8-bit set-ups in this thread, but if you show other stuff ALSO, great, icing on the cake. I like that 600XL with the 64k memory pack nearly as big as itself. Who made that 64k module, that's not the 1064 module surely?!?

 

If that were my stuff though, I'd have one of those awsome 1200XL's set up instead of the 800XL. They look so much cooler, IMHO, and the incompatibilities are minimal (I never found one). though mine hase the 32-in-1 OS in it now.

Edited October 29, 2006 by Gunstar

[Ross PK]

DamageX, you really need to nurse that 800XL back to good health.

[zektor800]

I actually have an 800XL and a classic 800 both hooked up at all times in the living room. I'll get some pics together tomorrow. It'll be neat to see other's setups (hooked up and functional) as well!

 

PS: I forgot to add. If you REALLY want to hook up your system, there is ALWAYS room. I live in a mobile home for God sakes, and I still have all of my systems hooked up!

Edited November 1, 2006 by zektor800

[DamageX]

DamageX, you really need to nurse that 800XL back to good health.

heh, well I had built a myide in there but never got it to work quite right. FYI, my other 800XL is intact and fully functional. I promise I will make a nice A8 setup after I move outa here ^_^

[Gunstar]

Let's get some more pictures of your systesms set up and running people!

 

By the way, the Rana 1000 and 810 drives I rebuilt&refurbished are officially up for sale, that is, I will be posting them on E-bay this weekend, but I thought I'd give fans here first shot at them before I go to E-bay. Best offer (keep in mind that these have been completely rebuilt and for all intents and purposes are like new, so I will expect to sell them for more than similiar used drives on E-bay, that may or may not have been tested and may or may not break down later. Mine will work for years just as if they were new). If they sell here or one E-bay, fine, if not, fine, I'll keep them. Either way I'll still have 4 drives (or more) for myself as I have another 810 and 1050 I'm rebuilding now. PM me if interested and I'll give specific details one exactly what was rebuilt inside and refurbished outside and exact cosmetic condition (exact working condition is like-new).

[accousticguitar]

[zektor800]

Here's mine (caution, large pics!)

[Gunstar]

NICE! What size is that TV, it has to be at least a 27", right? Looks like your Atari's natural habitat is use as gaming consoles.

Edited November 3, 2006 by Gunstar