Reaperman Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 (edited) well, Atari's calling me back, and I'm finally starting to listen. An 800XL was my first computer/game system, and I'm really starting to miss her. I used one pretty much daily from about age 3 to age 10 or so, and having regular access to it really made me who I am today. I've been atari emulating on dreamcast/xbox, but it's just not doing it for me, so I've decided to buy the real deal and modernize her a bit. Fun will be had. Now the big question is how long it's going to take me to sift through 20+ years of atari modifications, figure out what's current and obtainable and start personalizing this machine. Honestly I haven't even gotten the system yet--I have several in storage, but I doubt I'll ever see them again, and they were varying kinds of ugly. What I have managed to buy is an svid cable (which I don't believe works on stock 800xl's) and a boxed Epyx 500xj which was about the only controller that stood up to my abuse back in the day. I also have a video projector which supports just about everything--ntsc, pal, secam, etc. and a desire to play those modern euro games. So where do I begin? aside from buying an 800xl and chugging through all these posts, that is. what I want is: high quality video (can I go multi-region?) possibly improved audio, I've heard of stereo upgrades, but don't know how worthwhile they are massive game storage (not tethered to pc), probably flash based an easy to use OS/menu system If there are other toys like wireless keyboards/joysticks I'm all ears too. And are there any really important uses for more than 64k/ram? cool games I'm missing without it, or something? I have a fair skill at soldering, and no fear of complex projects. but because I'm nowhere near as knowledgable as the modern atari computer user, I'm going to need pretty complete documentation. Edited January 14, 2008 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathtrappomegranate Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Welcome to Atari Age, sir (or whatever)! I have no great interest in hardware modifications, but I highly recommend collecting original software. It would probably be worthwhile downloading an emulator like Atari800WinPlus; you can try out various hardware configurations that way. >64K is of little use for classic software, but would be useful for more recent demos and the like (if you're interested in that kind of thing). It's great to hear of another A8 fan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allas Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 It's easy to start. You need only 2 things at first: the svid cable (from ebay) and a SIO2SD (or ABBUC SIO2USB) device for storage software. Also you can find information about these devices in this forum. There are at least 5 top portals of Atari where you can find all type of software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 (edited) It's easy to start. You need only 2 things at first: the svid cable (from ebay) and a SIO2SD (or ABBUC SIO2USB) device for storage software. Also you can find information about these devices in this forum. There are at least 5 top portals of Atari where you can find all type of software. I've never heard of that before now. Previously I was thinking of going with myide and a cf to ide adapter. I do really like the little screen though. it's a nice touch. So I just browse to my disk, boot the system and it flies? pretty nice. Edited January 14, 2008 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allas Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 SIO2SD,SIO2USB load the images disk or files from SDs or USB-keys devices. You can save the ROMs using previously a PC to collect the images. MyIDE is not 100% compatible with all the Atari software, and you need a additional SIO2PC cable to transfer the images from the PC for the first time. If you want to experiment your real Atari as the old days with a 1050, you really need a SIO2SD or SIO2USB. Between both, SIO2SD is cheap but needs some SIO cable, a SD memory, some soldering and a external box to work fine. SIO2USB is more expensive but you have a real plug and play device, even the USB-key is included. I hope you can get your Atari working soon. There is a lot of new software available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 You are going to have to do a small mod to get the most from that s-video cable this one is quite simple if you can hold the right end of a soldering iron http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...80&hl=video SIO2SD is nice, buy it from MegaHz or Pigula (I think he lists them on evil bay sometimes) Read about it here http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry1445811 only other thing would be a memory upgrade of some kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathtrappomegranate Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 An SIO2PC interface/cable, or the more recent USB variant, would be a useful acquisition, one way or another. However, I still advocate the accumulation of as much original software as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 (edited) it really looks like sio2sd is the way to go. As far as buying it, the websites for the recommended people don't seem to sell anything. I did find this shop that has it thanks also for the video mod link. It doesn't sound too hard at all, so long as everything's labeled. as far as memory upgrades, how hard are they to do? If I recall there's a bit to doing those, and software compatibility isn't so hot... at least it wasn't a smart idea to do when I was 10, maybe life has changed. Edited January 15, 2008 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Philsan Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 (edited) it really looks like sio2sd is the way to go. As far as buying it, the websites for the recommended people don't seem to sell anything. I did find this shop that has it As other people have written, you can buy SIO2SD at half the above price from AtariAge user Pigula. I have bought mine from him without problems. You can find him here: http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...t&p=1445811 Edited January 15, 2008 by Philsan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 (edited) you guys have been awfully helpful on this. As far as getting my system itself, I've been looking at this 800xl. It's more than the ebay systems, but it's tested and verified 'good condition' by somebody who knows what's going on, and it's got a 4-in-one os. I'm guessing I'm going to need to dump the xl os if I want more memory anyway, and that's a $50 upgrade on the site (granted for a 32-in-1, but the 4-in-1 has pretty much what I need, right?)... as soon as some ebay auctions finish up, I'll probably go for it. Then I need to come up with some kind of keyboard stand for the living room. Edited January 15, 2008 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Go for it, it's been worked on by Steve "Atarimax" Tucker. ("Classics" on these forums) I bought loads from him including a lovely 1200xl that had been well modded. Why not ask Steve to fit one of his internal SIO2PC boards and a 256k memory upgrade before he ships it out (and the s-video mod) BTW the 4-in-1 is 32 different os'es I believe (click the link on his for sale page) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 (edited) Why not ask Steve to fit one of his internal SIO2PC boards and a 256k memory upgrade before he ships it out (and the s-video mod)BTW the 4-in-1 is 32 different os'es I believe (click the link on his for sale page) it's like you can read my mind on buying other mods at the same time. If he did it to the 1200, he should probably be able to do it to the 800 just as easily. I'll probably skip the sio2pc though. If I'm going sio2sd I don't really need it, or want it. I wonder if he could even do the sio2sd--he doesn't sell them, but maybe if I shipped one, some extra cash, and begged real nicely... I'm liking the sd idea much more than myide. I'm pretty sure the 4-in-1 is just these 4 (listed on the 1200xl above the 800xl I linked to): APE Warp+ OS Atari 1200XL OS Atari 130XE OS w/ Reverse Basic Atari 800 Compatible OS really that gives me an os from each generation and ape warp+. I really don't need any other oses do I? also is there a handy list of the xe games that need 128k? or just the best ones, at least. It's a weak excuse, but search here seems to be giving me some kind of localhost error. Edited January 15, 2008 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 http://www.atarimania.com/faq.php?p=74 games/utilities/demos that need more than 64k. I dont know when the list was last updated, because there are a few more games that need bigger memory. Some of the Demos and a new game Yoomp also require a PAL ANTIC chip, if you can be bothered. I think some clarification is needed on the multi OS, when I click the link on the 1200xl it takes you to the 32-in-1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+hunmanik Posted January 17, 2008 Share Posted January 17, 2008 http://www.atarimania.com/faq.php?p=74 games/utilities/demos that need more than 64k.I dont know when the list was last updated, because there are a few more games that need bigger memory. Some of the Demos and a new game Yoomp also require a PAL ANTIC chip, if you can be bothered. January 2005. The Atarimania copy of the FAQ seems to be static, but this section is still the latest version. Best would be to send updates to Andreas (CharlieChaplin here) since he started and maintains that section. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted January 17, 2008 Author Share Posted January 17, 2008 (edited) Some of the Demos and a new game Yoomp also require a PAL ANTIC chip, if you can be bothered. thanks for the list, first off. secondly, a pal antic chip is all I need? Has anybody made a switchable system that I could steal a look inside, or is it just too much work? edit: nevermind, there seems to be a guide and store here Edited January 17, 2008 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted January 26, 2008 Author Share Posted January 26, 2008 well, I'm really cooking now that I've won an 800xl auction. A shame he doesn't paypal. Just means it's going to take longer. I've pretty much decided my upgrades are going to stop at sio2sd and a video upgrade for now. Why bother upgrading ram, when everything I want to run on the additional memory is for PAL systems? And while I've come across instructions on how to convert my system to pal, there doesn't seem to be any pal/ntsc toggle switch instructions. As for an OS upgrade, without the ram upgrade that seems a bit silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross PK Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 (edited) It's amazing how cheap it is, $10 is like £5, and it looks in really good condition too, the silver keys are all nice and straight and it seems that it hasn't gone off colour. Edited January 26, 2008 by Ross PK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 (edited) I found some buried treasure today, and I'd like some help figuring out what it is. I was taking a picture of the atari I got back in This Auction, when I decided to open her up to see if her chips were socketed, what the keyboard looked like, maybe dishwasher the case, etc. But when I opened it I discovered some mystery stuff. What is all this? If that's a multi-os from atarimax, it's not working when select is held down--perhaps it's a single os replacement? Basic isn't reversed, so maybe it's just a ram upgrade. Those chips look rammy, and each have a leg lifted. how do I figure out how much ram I have? it might explain why the ram test was going so slowly that I lost interest... And what of those mysterious wires way over on the 'boring' side of the board? Seems like some of the upgrading that I had talked myself out of doing has already been done for me. I'm feeling almost lucky today. Of course the auction claimed that the system was 'unmodded,' but I don't think I'm going to complain. here's some reasonably large pictures. Sadly there seems to be no video mod, as the svid cable I bought has almost no color when plugged in, so it still leaves me with something to do. And I've recently pestered pigula for an sio2sd. The atari case is slightly discolored, will a dishwasher help that at all? The keyboard feels like garbage, but then so did the one I had when I was a kid. Edited February 21, 2008 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classics Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Thats a 256k dram upgrade kit. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 so do I have 256k or 320k? is it XE compatible? do I need the XE OS to use it for XE titles that use it? Will it get in the way of a multi-os upgrade? and what's the most impressive, ram hungry, ntsc demo that I can test out on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 The atari case is slightly discolored, will a dishwasher help that at all? depends on what has caused the discolouration, bit I run all of my new purchases through the D/W, at least you know that you have a clean yellow case mostly the yellowing is caused by UV light, and is not a reversible process. The keyboard feels like garbage some are better (a lot) than others, check out this thread by Beetle, a pretty comprehensive run down of the different keyboards used in the 600/800xl production Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Guitarman Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 so do I have 256k or 320k? is it XE compatible? do I need the XE OS to use it for XE titles that use it? Will it get in the way of a multi-os upgrade?and what's the most impressive, ram hungry, ntsc demo that I can test out on it? It is 256K. The original 64k chips were replaced with 256K. Most ram upgrades on the XL series were not fully XE compatible as they didn't allow simultaneous Antic and CPU access to RAM. Other than that, most all programs, DOS's and utilities that utilized the extra RAM in a 130XE will work with a XL ram upgrade. This is a newer ram upgrade that Atarimax offers (Classics here on AA). He is also the one that supplies the 32in1 OS mod and there will be no conflicts if you add it. The 256K ram should work with most any OS except the 800/800 compatible OS's. You do not need a XE OS as there really isn't much difference (if any) between the XL and XE OS. As one who has a 32in1 OS mod in one of my 1200XL's, it is a great addition and well worth the time & $$ and Steve is great to deal with. Welcome back to Atari!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Welcome back! I did the same thing about a year ago. Due to an extreme stroke of luck (buddy at work with a garage full of free carts, *five* XL class computers (all three), and piles of everything else ... well, I'm having a blast. While I have not, yet, invested in mass storage, I do recommend getting the SIO2USB cable and APE. You can get online and join several, still operating, Atari BBS sites. Very cool. Gives me flashbacks to jr high. Also, it's laughably easy to load damn near anything to your atari, and it makes transferring programs on to real 5.25 disks a cinch. Actually guys, as to mass storage... What's wrong with the Atarimax MyIDE? It's a nice clean cart with a ISE flash key. Seems like an easy route to go, and I really don't want to mess with soldering or ebay. It seems to be well documented. What's the hitch? Anyway, welcome back Reaperman. Next thing you'll know, your 8-bit collection will be ... embarassing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 (edited) some are better (a lot) than others, check out this thread by Beetle, a pretty comprehensive run down of the different keyboards used in the 600/800xl production Yeah, I looked at that one before I bought my atari, but hadn't gone back to it until you mentioned it again. I have a type 5 alright. But the look and feel of the keys reminds me exactly of what I had as a kid, so I suspect I always had a type 5. Since this is as much or more about reliving my past than actually computing, I think I'm fine with the keys. I imagine I can blame this machine for the carpal tunnel issues that hit in my early 20's I'll keep my eyes peeled at the local goodwill for another atari with better feeling keys. If it hits me right, I may swap out. and I also had a stroke of genius today, and actually hauled the xl out into "natural light". It seems that neither the atari nor I have seen much of that over the last 15 years, because the yellowing I was complaining about was greatly reduced to the point where I wasn't sure it actually had any. That'd certainly explains why the machine didn't look yellow in any of the pictures I had taken--it was all in my head. Edited February 22, 2008 by Reaperman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 This is a newer ram upgrade that Atarimax offers (Classics here on AA). He is also the one that supplies the 32in1 OS mod and there will be no conflicts if you add it. As one who has a 32in1 OS mod in one of my 1200XL's, it is a great addition and well worth the time & $$ and Steve is great to deal with. Absolutely, I have lots of Steve's Atarimax products and they are just awesome, and so is he. What's wrong with the Atarimax MyIDE? It's a nice clean cart with a ISE flash key. Seems like an easy route to go, and I really don't want to mess with soldering or ebay. It seems to be well documented. What's the hitch? The issue I have with MyIDE in general is the incompatibility with certain full disk boot games because of the custom OS, but that's pretty unavoidable in that type of situation. I highly recommend APE & the SIO2PC USB adapter to all A8 users. It's an unbeatable combination. I also have an SIO2SD (from pigula) which is pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.