Dead 800XL with red screen

[+Philsan]

When I turn on my 800XL I get a red screen and no basic prompt. If I turn it on pressing the option key the result is the same.

With this symptom is it possible to know which chips try to replace (many chips, including Atari ram, are socketed).

Thanks

[Beetle]

Red screen is indeed a sign for dead ram. Leave it running for some minutes and feel the ram chips temperature, does one get hot, or even more?

[+Philsan]

Thanks for your kind reply.

After 10 minutes the second ram chip (4264-15 USA) starting from the top of the pcb is hot.

Before buying a new ram chip, can I replace this chip with another one of the other seven to see if this is the only problem of my Atari 800XL?

[+Philsan]

I've done some chip swapping and now the hot ones are the 7th and the 8th. My question is, all 8 chips must be ok to make the 800XL ready prompt appear?

[Beetle]

That depends on what failure the chips have. If they short i.e. the shared adress pins to 0V, it will be so.

 

Try to remove the hot chips, perhaps you can boot it then.

[+Philsan]

I've tried to remove the 2 hot chips or switch them but I always get a red screen without basic prompt.

I think I'll buy the RAM 64K SET XL/XE from B & C ComputerVisions.

Thank you

Edited March 19, 2007 by Philsan