I scored an Atari Mega ST2 for $40!

[Mark Wolfe]

I can't even believe it. On ebay no less, $42, I shit you not. Every time I watch them they get bid up to over $100. Can't wait until it arrives. Any recommendations, suggestions for games as well as care & feeding?

[TwiliteZoner]

I can't even believe it. On ebay no less, $42, I shit you not. Every time I watch them they get bid up to over $100. Can't wait until it arrives. Any recommendations, suggestions for games as well as care & feeding?

 

First off, congrats on the pickup. That is a pretty sweet deal. The first thing I would get is a color and or monochrome monitor as the Mega does not have RF. Which version of TOS is installed?

Edited April 15, 2009 by TwiliteZoner

[Mark Wolfe]

I can't even believe it. On ebay no less, $42, I shit you not. Every time I watch them they get bid up to over $100. Can't wait until it arrives. Any recommendations, suggestions for games as well as care & feeding?

 

First off, congrats on the pickup. That is a pretty sweet deal. The first thing I would get is a color and or monochrome monitor as the Mega does not have RF. Which version of TOS is installed?

 

 

hmm, no idea right now which TOS, it has not arrived yet. should be here any day. I do have a color monitor for my ST, will that work? or can I use any vga monitor?

[techie_alison]

VGA monitor you can certainly use for hi-res, on both the Mega and your original ST. Most VGA monitors will work, a few won't though, pick of the draw. Your colour monitor will be fine and will work just as it did with your ST.

 

The Mega ST models are practically identical to the STF(M) models (except for the lack of the TV modulator). They do have a blitter fitted though.

 

Latest TOS is the 'Rainbow' 1.04 version. The later 'STE' versions, 1.06, 1.62, and 2.05, can work but it's a bit of messing about with addressing mods as they 'boot' at a different point in ROM to the earlier 'ST' versions.

[Mark Wolfe]

I thought you needed a special proprietary cable for the Atari ST Monitor, can the Mega ST2 use that same monitor cable as the ST? How would you tie on a regular VGA monitor?

 

Does the Mega have an internal HD? If not is there any way to add one? I have a ton of old SCSI drives laying around

[TwiliteZoner]

I thought you needed a special proprietary cable for the Atari ST Monitor, can the Mega ST2 use that same monitor cable as the ST? How would you tie on a regular VGA monitor?

 

Does the Mega have an internal HD? If not is there any way to add one? I have a ton of old SCSI drives laying around

 

You can use all of the ST accessories with the Mega series. Below is a link to the Atari Magazines Start article on the MegaST. It has all of the specs and even a motherboard layout for you to look at.

 

 

 

http://www.atarimagazines.com/startv2n3/mega4.html

[Mark Wolfe]

excellent, thanks a lot.

 

can anyone recommend a replacement keyboard?

Edited April 16, 2009 by Mark_Wolfe

[+Guitarman]

excellent, thanks a lot.

 

can anyone recommend a replacement keyboard?

 

The only direct replacements are the keyboards from the TT or the Mega STe. They are both external keyboards with the phone cable connection, and interchangeable.

[+DarkLord]

Not sure, but Best Electronics used to carry repair stuff for a lot of

Atari keyboards - might be worth a shot just to check them out.

 

http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/

 

and besides, who can resist going through all their Atari stuff!

[Mark Wolfe]

Not sure, but Best Electronics used to carry repair stuff for a lot of

Atari keyboards - might be worth a shot just to check them out.

 

http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/

 

and besides, who can resist going through all their Atari stuff!

 

 

I did look over there, but they want $129 for a keyboard replacement, way too rich for my blood. I may just post over in the wanted section and try to trade for one.

 

I do see that you can put in a hard drive, can I use a standard SCSI 1 drive from the old days, I have quite a few? is the DMA standard just formatting or an actual hardware spec that is not compatible with scsi drives?

[techie_alison]

You could get a new Mega STE replacement here in the UK. £25 + the postage.

 

Certainly with the good exchange rates now it's attractive. Like, in 2006/2007 I barely sold anything over your side of the pond, $2.1 = £1. But it's now picking up again now we're back to about $1.4 = £1.

 

http://www.1632systems.co.uk/ (when it works, show an SQL error atm).

Edited April 16, 2009 by techie_alison

[Mark Wolfe]

You could get a new Mega STE replacement here in the UK. £25 + the postage.

 

Certainly with the good exchange rates now it's attractive. Like, in 2006/2007 I barely sold anything over your side of the pond, $2.1 = £1. But it's now picking up again now we're back to about $1.4 = £1.

 

http://www.1632systems.co.uk/ (when it works, show an SQL error atm).

 

 

thanks fro the link, I bookmarked it. That is still a tad pricey for my current budget andf still more than I paid for the CPU. I think I will try for a trade. I have a ton of atari stuff to trade out

[+DarkLord]

I did look over there, but they want $129 for a keyboard replacement, way too rich for my blood. I may just post over in the wanted section and try to trade for one.

 

I do see that you can put in a hard drive, can I use a standard SCSI 1 drive from the old days, I have quite a few? is the DMA standard just formatting or an actual hardware spec that is not compatible with scsi drives?

 

Yep, pricing is certainly an issue sometimes...

 

Definitely older SCSI drives would be what you are looking for - biggest I've ever used with my Mega ST4 is 4gigs.

512meg partitions are the size limit for TOS 1.04, IIRC. I think I've got 8 partitions set up on mine.

 

Note that the Mega ST does not have an internal HD controller - you'd have to find something like the Link, Link2, '97,

or an internal micro ADSCSI from ICD. Don't know how hard those are to find these days.

Edited April 17, 2009 by DarkLord

[tjlazer]

Unfortunately the Mega Keyboards are very pricey and rare. I ended up getting a German keyboard from eBay for like $20 as I did not want to spend $130.

[oky2000]

Unfortunately the Mega Keyboards are very pricey and rare. I ended up getting a German keyboard from eBay for like $20 as I did not want to spend $130.

 

I need two keyboards, both mine are dead Might check ebay.de seeing as I can pop the key caps of another keyboard

 

And enjoy to the original poster, the Mega ST is a lovely machine, which is why I have 2 of them The keyboards are especially nice to type on too, and they look so damned sweet and stylish too.

[Mark Wolfe]

Unfortunately the Mega Keyboards are very pricey and rare. I ended up getting a German keyboard from eBay for like $20 as I did not want to spend $130.

 

I need two keyboards, both mine are dead Might check ebay.de seeing as I can pop the key caps of another keyboard

 

And enjoy to the original poster, the Mega ST is a lovely machine, which is why I have 2 of them The keyboards are especially nice to type on too, and they look so damned sweet and stylish too.

 

wanna sell me one of your dead ones? I bet they can be refurbed.