Just bought a 600XL.

[Mazzspeed]

I finally found one, in Australia, for a good price and snapped it up. Tested working, PAL model with the monitor connector. Looking forward to adding an U1MB and SIDE2 or 3.

 

Looks a little dirty, but should clean up well. I notice many examples have some wear on the silver console buttons (I think it's wear, could just be grotty), is there a trick to getting these looking like new again?

 

EDIT: I just remembered, I also have to upgrade to 64k and I want to perform the video output mods FJC highlights in his YouTube video's. Does anyone know what DRAM's I need to upgrade to 64k and know of a reputable supplier?

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Mazzspeed

[bfollowell]

Oh wow, that looks like it might have the mechanical keyboard. Sweet!

 

[Mazzspeed]

4 minutes ago, bfollowell said:

Oh wow, that looks like it might have the mechanical keyboard. Sweet!

 

I saw an article not long ago regarding the different XL keyboards and was meaning to look that up.

 

EDIT: Looks like the type 2 AWC keyboard based on the [Control] key and the [O] key:

 

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/105170-600800xl-keyboard-variants/

Edited March 6, 2021 by Mazzspeed

[+x=usr(1536)]

Given that only the Start button is worn down, that suggests that it was always a 16K-with-cassette-drive machine.

 

It's absolutely none of my business to tell you what to do with it.  Having said that, if you have another A8 that can do the 64K duties, I'd suggest keeping this one stock.  While I've no objection to making that particular machine more usable, there's also something to be said for keeping it original - especially given how many have had 64K upgrades.

[Mazzspeed]

7 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said:

Given that only the Start button is worn down, that suggests that it was always a 16K-with-cassette-drive machine.

 

It's absolutely none of my business to tell you what to do with it.  Having said that, if you have another A8 that can do the 64K duties, I'd suggest keeping this one stock.  While I've no objection to making that particular machine more usable, there's also something to be said for keeping it original - especially given how many have had 64K upgrades.

If such devices were plentiful and affordable I'd have no problem keeping it stock, problem is they're not. I'm a pretty good tech, I should be able to upgrade it in a way that's it's easy to revert it to stock should the need arise. I guess I need candle to release his external U1MB/SIDE PBI bus expansion!

[Mazzspeed]

Does anyone know if the 1064 memory expansion for the 600XL works with U1MB/SIDE2/3?

[+x=usr(1536)]

13 minutes ago, Mazzspeed said:

If such devices were plentiful and affordable I'd have no problem keeping it stock, problem is they're not. I'm a pretty good tech, I should be able to upgrade it in a way that's it's easy to revert it to stock should the need arise. I guess I need candle to release his external U1MB/SIDE PBI bus expansion!

As a fellow stock 600XL owner, I'm waiting for that one as well.  Having said that, there is the 2-chip mod to bump it up to 64K.  That's likely your best route to pseudo-800XL-dom

[Mazzspeed]

1 minute ago, x=usr(1536) said:

As a fellow stock 600XL owner, I'm waiting for that one as well.  Having said that, there is the 2-chip mod to bump it up to 64K.  That's likely your best route to pseudo-800XL-dom

The two chip DRAM replacement is what I'm planning on doing. It seems fairly easy to reverse if done carefully.

[Faicuai]

FINALLY !!!

 

The very first acquisition.... that.will open up a whole new. old-world! 

 

Since I own x2 800XLs, and considering the current state of affairs, I would strongly suggest you to leap-frog any-and-all analog-stage video mods, except for the very minimal required to get s-Video and Composite, and go straight to Sophia-II (reach out Simius for 600XL form-factor).

 

The 600XL is cool, because if supports tele-powering on its PBI bus (to some load-limits) and it is tiny and compact, easy to place anywhere). If yours is socketed, it should also very easy to work with.

 

Yes, U1MB to remain internal, and go straight to Side-3. That, with Sophia-2, should be about it.

 

Enjoy!

[Mazzspeed]

2 minutes ago, Faicuai said:

FINALLY !!!

 

The very first acquisition.... that.will open up a whole new. old-world! 

 

Since I own x2 800XLs, and considering the current state of affairs, I would strongly suggest you to leap-frog any-and-all analog-stage video mods, except for the very minimal required to get s-Video and Composite, and go straight to Sophia-II (reach out Simius for 600XL form-factor).

 

The 600XL is cool, because if supports tele-powering on its PBI bus (to some load-limits) and it is tiny and compact, easy to place anywhere). If yours is socketed, it should also very easy to work with.

 

Yes, U1MB to remain internal, and go straight to Side-3. That, with Sophia-2, should be about it.

 

Enjoy!

I will get Sophia 2 eventually: Once I clean this little beast up, upgrade to 64MB of ram and install U1MB and drop in a SIDE cart. But until I do I watched one of FJC's video's and the 'corrected' output of the 600XL looked amazing.

 

I'd like to buy everything in one shot, but I'm also building a new engine for the car and Manley forged H beam rods and forged pistons are expensive.

[BillC]

23 minutes ago, Mazzspeed said:

Does anyone know if the 1064 memory expansion for the 600XL works with U1MB/SIDE2/3?

Candle is currently developing an external device that combines the functions of 1064/U1MB/SIDE3 and will just plug into the PBI port, but will be probably be a while before it is available.

 

 

[SS]

9 hours ago, Mazzspeed said:

I just remembered, I also have to upgrade to 64k

I assume that you will be getting the U1MB board from Lotharek. While you're there you might want to pick up one of his "SRAM 64Kb Revised" boards.  It will upgrade your 600XL to 64K, you won't have to bother with searching out any separate chips, and there is only one wire to solder. This board is designed to work with the U1MB and exactly for the purpose that you need.  

 

https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=291

[Mclaneinc]

That looks in great shape Mazz, glad you found one, perfect choices for upgrades too..

 

A AVG cart would be a good choice as well but I'd say its more suited to a gamer but you can stick whatever you like on it and it acts as a disk drive and tape (with the SIO add on)

Edited March 6, 2021 by Mclaneinc

[manterola]

For the start button you can pull it out carefully and then using very fine sand paper recreate the brushed aluminum look by sanding strickly in 1D.

That can be done in different ways. Here is one example, check 1:40:

 

 

Practice first with a random piece of metal. 

 

Regarding the type of ram you to upgrade to 64kb I am not sure but you can search here and in Google for 600xl upgrade pictures. There are a lot of them, and you can see the dram part numbers used and where to connect the 3 pieces of wire.  If I remember correctly I used TMS 4464 10nl or something like that. 

Here is one of the multiple threads about it:

 

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by manterola

[+x=usr(1536)]

15 minutes ago, manterola said:

Regarding the type of ram you to upgrade to 64kb I am not sure but you can search here and in Google for 600xl upgrade pictures. There are a lot of them, and you can see the dram part numbers used and where to connect the 3 pieces of wire.  If I remember correctly I used TMS 4464 10nl or something like that. 

2*4464 (64kbit*4) ICs, 200ns or faster refresh rate, IIRC.  Been contemplating this for the 600XL if a 1064 / the external U1MB doesn't materialise.  Really want to keep it stock if at all possible, though.

[bfollowell]

1 hour ago, x=usr(1536) said:

2*4464 (64kbit*4) ICs, 200ns or faster refresh rate, IIRC.  Been contemplating this for the 600XL if a 1064 / the external U1MB doesn't materialise.  Really want to keep it stock if at all possible, though.

 

Well, you've mentioned that's what you'd do, but @Mazzspeed had already mentioned he wants a Sophia2, an U1MB, and 64KB of RAM, so I'm pretty sure it's not starting stock.

 

I can vouch for Lotharek's 64K SRAM upgrade too. It's really easy to install and looks a little cleaner with just the one wire to solder in. Either way, upgrading to 64K is a must before installing an U1MB unless you plan to wait for the external version to arrive.

 

[mimo]

1 hour ago, bfollowell said:

 

Well, you've mentioned that's what you'd do, but @Mazzspeed had already mentioned he wants a Sophia2, an U1MB, and 64KB of RAM, so I'm pretty sure it's not starting stock.

 

I can vouch for Lotharek's 64K SRAM upgrade too. It's really easy to install and looks a little cleaner with just the one wire to solder in. Either way, upgrading to 64K is a must before installing an U1MB unless you plan to wait for the external version to arrive.

 

No, he's says that he has been contemplating doing the internal 64 k mod himself but would prefer to keep his own machine stock

[bfollowell]

1 minute ago, mimo said:

No, he's says that he has been contemplating doing the internal 64 k mod himself but would prefer to keep his own machine stock

 

Really? That's funny, because in Post #10 he specifically said he's going to get a Sophia 2, 64K of RAM, an U1MB, and a SIDE cart. Even if he used a 1064, for external memory upgrade, the Sophia 2 and the U1MB kind of rule out keeping it stock, though both are reversible. For that matter, most 64KB upgrades are reversible as well. Regardless, @Mazzspeed mentions in at least a couple of posts that he wants to upgrade his machine. I think you're mixing up @x=usr(1536) posts. In at least two of them he mentions that he wishes Mazz would keep his machine stock and in another that he really wants to keep it stock if at all possible.

 

13 hours ago, Mazzspeed said:

I will get Sophia 2 eventually: Once I clean this little beast up, upgrade to 64MB of ram and install U1MB and drop in a SIDE cart. But until I do I watched one of FJC's video's and the 'corrected' output of the 600XL looked amazing.

 

I'd like to buy everything in one shot, but I'm also building a new engine for the car and Manley forged H beam rods and forged pistons are expensive.

 

[+hloberg]

Welcome to the 600XL family. Once you modify these little beast with more RAM and (if NTSC) better video they are really nice. I've actually grown to like mine more than the 800XL just because of the compact size.

[Mazzspeed]

7 hours ago, SS said:

I assume that you will be getting the U1MB board from Lotharek. While you're there you might want to pick up one of his "SRAM 64Kb Revised" boards.  It will upgrade your 600XL to 64K, you won't have to bother with searching out any separate chips, and there is only one wire to solder. This board is designed to work with the U1MB and exactly for the purpose that you need.  

 

https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=291

This is good, I think I'll get one of these. Soldering in new chips doesn't bother me, ordering counterfeit or faulty chips does, plus this looks a little less intrusive. Cheers.

 

6 hours ago, Mclaneinc said:

That looks in great shape Mazz, glad you found one, perfect choices for upgrades too..

 

A AVG cart would be a good choice as well but I'd say its more suited to a gamer but you can stick whatever you like on it and it acts as a disk drive and tape (with the SIO add on)

Thanks for the comments McLaneinc, I'm really looking forward to receiving it. I love a new project and a PAL 600XL was exactly what I was looking for, I knew if I waited one for the right price would come along.

The Amiga 1200 might have to be shifted off the desk for a little while.

 

As far as keeping it stock is concerned: As stated in the past, I owned a brand new 600XL in the box in the 80s that I got for free, I never used it as 16K of ram is essentially useless regarding anything I want out of a computer (even an 8bit one). Couple that with the fact that used Atari peripherals are essentially unobtanium in Australia, and you have a situation where modern upgrades and peripherals are really the only option. I want SDX, I want more RAM, I want a PBI HDD. Considering A8's aren't exactly raining out of the sky here and just finding this particular example was basically pure luck, I'll be modding it - However I will be doing so carefully. I am very fussy regarding my retro machines.

 

I guess the reality is that unfortunately, if you want a nice machine with modern upgrades, internal modification of the A8 platform is at this point in time pretty much a given.

Edited March 6, 2021 by Mazzspeed

[+x=usr(1536)]

3 hours ago, bfollowell said:

Really? That's funny, because in Post #10 he specifically said he's going to get a Sophia 2, 64K of RAM, an U1MB, and a SIDE cart. Even if he used a 1064, for external memory upgrade, the Sophia 2 and the U1MB kind of rule out keeping it stock, though both are reversible. For that matter, most 64KB upgrades are reversible as well. Regardless, @Mazzspeed mentions in at least a couple of posts that he wants to upgrade his machine. I think you're mixing up @x=usr(1536) posts. In at least two of them he mentions that he wishes Mazz would keep his machine stock and in another that he really wants to keep it stock if at all possible.

 

I think there may be some conflation of what I and others have said taking place.

 

To clarify my position: I'm keeping my 600XL stock so that it can serve as a reference machine.  However, I am looking for a 1064 for it because that will expand the memory while still falling into the category of 'stock'.  Since I'm not holding my breath for a 1064 to just fall into my lap, if Lotharek's external U1MB becomes available I may do that in the interim just to have the 600XL be usable.  If I really get impatient, the two-chip 64KB upgrade option is also there, but it is by far the least-preferable route given the intended use of this machine.  Fortunately, with a memory-upgraded 800XL and a stock 1200XL sitting around, there's no pressure to make the 600XL a daily driver.

 

As for everyone else's upgrade plans: I have zero issue with what anyone else wants to do in that regard.  There are opinions that I hold about the various upgrades out there, but that's pretty much all they are.  I'm just sharing them if and when it's appropriate to do so, but I have no objections to anyone installing upgrades.  They likely have different goals for their machine than I might, and that's perfectly fine by me.

Edited March 6, 2021 by x=usr(1536)

[Mazzspeed]

People in the US are lucky, you have a large country with a high population and tech has always been cheap considering the average income in the US - That's definitely not the case everywhere.

 

Here in Australia, retro hardware is very hard to come by, with most of it (what little there was, as few could afford such machines in the 80s) binned in the early 2000's.

[_The Doctor__]

You can dig the binned stuff back up though 

[Mazzspeed]

24 minutes ago, _The Doctor__ said:

You can dig the binned stuff back up though 

Well...

 

In the case of Atari that does actually appear to be the case ironically enough!

[SS]

2 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

I am looking for a 1064 for it because that will expand the memory while still falling into the category of 'stock'. 

I just got my hands on a "MicroRam 64K Memory Board" for my 600XL recently but some of the RAM chips seem to have  unfortunately gone bad.  I did buy some replacement chips for it but I need to find both the time and the bravery to get around to removing the old chips and replacing them with the new ones.