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Atari 1050 "Smirk" (Happy Clone)


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I have a Happy 1050 with the optional controller installed. It is very convenient for switching modes. I often wondered why someone didn't create a clone of the controller circuit since it is a great addon.

Perhaps because B&C still sell the Happy 1050 with and without the optional controller? I'm just saying perhaps?

 

I never saw enough good info on one to make my own though. I'm not trying to say that this would be a valid work around to the issue outlined above, I'm just saying.

 

I believe Bruce has the remaining stock of Happy Computers, so if anyone has it, B&C does.

 

Steve

 

 

All I see on B&C is the Happy upgrades, not the controller.

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Well I finally sat down and installed this. Had to swap out my duplicator for this. It DOES work, and it does seem to support some high speed option.

 

I tried to read the rom, but either my Shooter-LC took a dive, or I've forgotten how to use it. The dump is all FFs. I'll get back to that now that I know it works.

 

 

 

Since its been a few years since I've used a happy, is there some sort of Happy 1050 Diag program I can run on this thing to see if it would happen to be a Happy compatible device?

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So I found ATRs of the Happy software. Interesting results

 

On boot menu, It identifies D2 as Happy.

 

Happy Backup program identifies the drive as NOT Happy.

 

Happy Diagnostics on disk 2 indentifies the drive as a Happy 1050, and passes all tests.

 

 

I guess I need to find/try software for:

 

Super Speedy 1050

Mini Speedy

Speedy 1050

Cheer-Up 1050

I.S. Plate

or any other Happy clone..

 

Anyone have any ideas? Sure is neat that it works

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So I found ATRs of the Happy software. Interesting results

On boot menu, It identifies D2 as Happy.

Happy Backup program identifies the drive as NOT Happy.

Happy Diagnostics on disk 2 indentifies the drive as a Happy 1050, and passes all tests.

 

Strange.

 

Exactly what error message you get from Happy Backuper, and when you get it?

Which ATR are you using? Which Happy software version?

Diagnostics shouldn't be in "disk 2", should be in the same disk as the boot menu and the backuper.

 

Just in case, try to configure this Happy as D1 (obviously, turn-off your current D1 drive). I don't remember for sure if all versions of the Happy Backuper support D1 not being a Happy drive.

 

I guess I need to find/try software for:

Super Speedy 1050...

 

I don't think so. It is obviously a Happy, no need to test software for other enhancements. There are some "multi" clones (such as Speedy and Happy), but I don't think this is one of those.

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All I see on B&C is the Happy upgrades, not the controller.
And only after that comment do I remember seeing the individual controllers for sale on their "Atari Sales and Service" ebay store or perhaps it was just a mass sell off in the generic ebay arena itself. At any rate, I came to associate B&C with the 1050 Happy and made a note to get one of their controllers when better paid.
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Ok, I take back all my previous conclusions. The Happy software does work fine. I was trying to run with the Happy Drive as D2:, booting from the ATR as D1: This seemed to pissed it off.

 

Now that I was able to find a good blank disk, and copy the "copyall" the ATR of Happy 7A over to that floppy, restore the drive to D1: and boot that disk, it works just Dandy. So I guess it is a 100% Happy Clone.

 

Questions answered!

 

Now I just gotta my burner working to pull off a copy of the ROM

 

I'm gonna have to get to work getting some virgin 1050 drives so I can keep these upgrades installed.

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So I found ATRs of the Happy software. Interesting results

On boot menu, It identifies D2 as Happy.

Happy Backup program identifies the drive as NOT Happy.

Happy Diagnostics on disk 2 indentifies the drive as a Happy 1050, and passes all tests.

 

Strange.

 

Exactly what error message you get from Happy Backuper, and when you get it?

Which ATR are you using? Which Happy software version?

Diagnostics shouldn't be in "disk 2", should be in the same disk as the boot menu and the backuper.

 

Just in case, try to configure this Happy as D1 (obviously, turn-off your current D1 drive). I don't remember for sure if all versions of the Happy Backuper support D1 not being a Happy drive.

 

I guess I need to find/try software for:

Super Speedy 1050...

 

I don't think so. It is obviously a Happy, no need to test software for other enhancements. There are some "multi" clones (such as Speedy and Happy), but I don't think this is one of those.

 

The ATR images I have are Happy 7A. Happy 7B, and Happy_10, and HappyBac Happy7A and 7B acted differently when using trying to boot from the ATR

 

No idea what the difference is between these, or if they are just from different people over the past 10+ years

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  • 7 years later...

Here is the dump of the ROM, looks like a Happy Computer variation going by the Copyright message.

Smirk-1050.rom

 

These are the part numbers (my board is also a Rev C):

U1: 6502 CPU

U2: 2764 EPROM

U3: 74LS139N

U4: Doesn't exist

U5: HM6264P

U6: DM74LS30

U7: DM74LS00P

U8: DM74LS74N

U9: DM74LS138N

 

Only the 6502 numbers were scratched off...

 

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  • 4 years later...
On 7/15/2008 at 5:14 PM, machf said:

 

Yeah, it's usual practice. Though it's still possible to determine what they are...

Yeah.  The 40-pinner very likely the CPU and that is very likely a 6502 or Sally.  It would be fun to discover it was a 6809 or something weirder.

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18 hours ago, Jeffrey Worley said:

Yeah.  The 40-pinner very likely the CPU and that is very likely a 6502 or Sally.  It would be fun to discover it was a 6809 or something weirder.

@machf, might be a way to get his attention, but I wonder if he might correlate with @Mach Falcon or @Mach Front

 

stranger things have happened

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