Atari 400 keyboard and cartridges

[bar897]

I posted a few years back about my Atari 400 keyboard and never repaired it. My shift, ctrl, and the 4 yellow keys at the right do not work. Everything else does. I've tried cleaning the keyboard connection and it didn't work.

 

I'm guessing I need a new keyboard. Does anyone have a working keyboard I can get? I tried Best but they didn't seem to have any.

 

My other question is, how much are the game cartridges typically? I have the BASIC cartridge, but no games.

[mimo]

best do have them, but they are not listed, you have to email Brad

Myatari.com also have them, at a higher price

[+orpheuswaking]

Actually I emailed both of them a month ago, Myatari said he can't find any in his "warehouse" and Brad said he was out.

[+David_P]

I may have a 400 keeyboard in a box in the basement - if you're having no joy finding one from another source, PM me. Probably be a week or two before I can find it, though.

[mimo]

oh no, looks like I bought the last one from Brad then

Was going to order another to replace the full stroke keyboard on my other 400, guess that is not going to happen now

[UNIXcoffee928]

Did you clean all of the Male conductors (on both sides) on the end of the Keyboard's Flexi-Cable? Use a new #2 pencil's pink eraser, to erase the tarnish, vertically, inline with each conductor, one by one, about 4-5 times per conductor. TV Tuner Cleaner or Rubbing alcohol is good to use to clean the conductors in the Female connector.

 

If the 400 Keyboard is totally dead, it can still be Framed Art, since it has such cool industrial design, and is so colorful... Wipe it down with Armor-All Original, and frame it with a glass-faced frame, it looks amazing after it has been Armor-All-ed. Great Hacker Art for Home or Office.

[bar897]

Thanks everybody,

 

Did you clean all of the Male conductors (on both sides) on the end of the Keyboard's Flexi-Cable? Use a new #2 pencil's pink eraser, to erase the tarnish, vertically, inline with each conductor, one by one, about 4-5 times per conductor. TV Tuner Cleaner or Rubbing alcohol is good to use to clean the conductors in the Female connector.

 

I did clean the male connectors but not with an eraser. I'll try that. I did not clean the female connector though.

 

I found the System Reset key actually is working, unlike what I said, so I believe all of those 4 keys at the right should be okay. So it's really just the shift and ctrl keys that don't.

 

I remember someone on here named Corey said he had some of the 400 keyboards, but I don't know if he still does.

[bar897]

Ok,

 

I just tried cleaning the contacts with an eraser and scrubbed the female connector with a toothbrush and alcohol, but it still seems to be the same.

 

At one point when I pressed the shift key and 1 key I heard a strange sound from the speaker and the screen flickered, but then it stopped.

 

It looks like I'm going to have to replace it.

 

Also, is it okay if the pins still have dark spots or is that corrosion too? To me it just looks like wear spots.

 

Thanks.

[+orpheuswaking]

oh no, looks like I bought the last one from Brad then

Was going to order another to replace the full stroke keyboard on my other 400, guess that is not going to happen now

 

 

Well you never know, he's been known to "find" things in his "warehouse"

[UNIXcoffee928]

Have you re-seated all of the ICs (chips)?

 

It could be that your POKEY just needs to be re-seated. While grounded properly, press firmly & slide the sides of both thumbs outward from the center of the POKEY, to it's edges, a few times until you stop hearing "creaking" noises, then test it out.

 

 

[bar897]

Have you re-seated all of the ICs (chips)?

 

It could be that your POKEY just needs to be re-seated. While grounded properly, press firmly & slide the sides of both thumbs outward from the center of the POKEY, to it's edges, a few times until you stop hearing "creaking" noises, then test it out.

 

Ok, I pushing all of the chips down until they stopped creaking, and tried it again but it still won't work. I also removed the ram and cpu boards and did those chips. However, I did notice that with the case off of the computer, if I move the keyboard a certain way, the System Reset key works. If it's positioned how it would be in the case, then the key doesn't work.

 

I think there must be a break in the cable somewhere.

[Fox-1 / mnx]

It could be that your POKEY just needs to be re-seated.

 

Those "4 keys at the right" are handled by the GTIA (or CTIA), not PoKey.

[+David_P]

Follow-up: I have found my 400 keyboard in one of my bins-o-Atari-stuff. If you need it, send me a PM.