Questions about 1200 prototype

Benzinger · December 31, 2021

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

Honestly, given that this is a pilot unit, my inclination would be to not do any and look for a regular 1200XL as your daily driver / modification machine. That said, a UAV and the +5V SIO mod would be top of my list, followed by obtaining a FujiNet to use with it.

Thanks, that was a question I should have asked. How much modification would be acceptable for this unit? Is the consensus to leave it as stock as possible? I'm okay (for now at least) to use composite video.

Should I not upgrade the ROM to Rev. 11? I'll mostly just be using it to play all the games I missed out on as a kid or that had wonky colors because I had an Apple IIc (but I did have a 5200).

Which brings me to the FujiNet. What's the preferred flash cart for the Atari, and should I get the cart or the FujiNet first?

+x=usr(1536) · December 31, 2021

21 minutes ago, Benzinger said:

Thanks, that was a question I should have asked. How much modification would be acceptable for this unit?

Ultimately, you're the only person who can decide that. If I were in your shoes, my preference (particularly given this one being a very early unit) would be to leave it stock. Others may have different opinions.

I realise that's very much a non-answer, so I'll leave you with the one thing that can be said for certain: it's only original once. Sure, some modifications can be reversed, but once they're installed, it's no longer as it left the factory even if they're removed again later.

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Is the consensus to leave it as stock as possible? I'm okay (for now at least) to use composite video.

Bear in mind that there are adapters out there to do composite or S-Video to <insert digital format here>, so directly connecting to, say, HDMI is a definite possibility. You just need the right cable.

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Should I not upgrade the ROM to Rev. 11? I'll mostly just be using it to play all the games I missed out on as a kid or that had wonky colors because I had an Apple IIc (but I did have a 5200).

Part of the machine's personality is that it is a Rev. 10 (which I'm running in my production 1200XLs). Incompatibilities are pretty infrequent, but that's not to say that you won't run into them.

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Which brings me to the FujiNet. What's the preferred flash cart for the Atari, and should I get the cart or the FujiNet first?

The SIDE3 is going to be the multicart you want, but it won't fit the 1200XL's cartridge aperture without an extender or modification of the cartridge's case. The right-angle extender wasn't available when I bought mine, and, had it been, I would have gone with it. Frankly, I'd suggest getting one anyway since getting cartridges out of that hole can be fiddly to difficult depending on the cartridge.

That said, go with the FujiNet first. It doesn't do cartridges, but will emulate pretty much every peripheral you could want to use (cassette drive, disk drive, printers, serial interface, etc.) and also give you access to internet resources (read: software and more) via TNFS. One caveat: on a 1200XL, unless you've done the +5V SIO mod, you will need to power the FujiNet from an external PSU (5V, 2.5A-3A micro-USB) in order for it to work.

Gunstar · December 31, 2021

I see no reason you couldn't do some of the minimum fixes to this pilot unit, assuming it has the same issues as the production 1200XL. Like fixing the +5V SIO issue which is removing on resistor and replacing it with a jumper, an un-noticeable mod really. Also installing Rev. 11 OS's, after all this is just a matter of swapping the two IC's and can easily be reversed. But I'd leave it at just those things.

Maybe possibly connecting the chroma to the proper pin on the monitor port, instead of using the composite for a poor chroma and poor resulting S-video, but only if you want better than composite out and this does require soldering a new wire on the bottom of the motherboard.

On the other hand with production 1200XL's selling for around $500 these days, If I didn't have the money for another unit, I would probably sell the pilot 1200 for more than the production models go for, and then buy a standard production 1200XL to fully upgrade, and probably have extra money from the 1200 sale to purchase those upgrades.

mimo · December 31, 2021

Personally I would not do any upgrades on it, but it's your choice.
As for SIO device or some way to load stuff, that depends on what you want to do with it and how deep your pockets are.
Simple and cheap would be one of the SDrive products. AVG cart is great and will load carts, cassette, xex and atr files and a whole lot more , SIDE3 looks great, especially when paired to an Ultimate 1meg upgrade but to me that is power user stuff. I only really play games and watch the odd demo and AVG cart suits my needs perfectly, but like others have said it won't fit the 1200 unless you get an alternative shell or just use it naked.

For the mylar, try this fix before buying a new one. I have fixed 3 out of 4 1200xl's this way

+kheller2 · December 31, 2021

I think you should just sell it to me so it can sit with my other pilot unit.

+x=usr(1536) · December 31, 2021

19 minutes ago, kheller2 said:

I think you should just sell it to me so it can sit with my other pilot unit.

If they reproduce by proximity, I'll take one of the offspring :-D

Mclaneinc · January 1, 2022

On 12/31/2021 at 5:31 PM, x=usr(1536) said:

If they reproduce by proximity, I'll take one of the offspring

If they are related, that could lead to problems

Just saying, you don't want one where the ram is dodgy

Edited January 1, 2022 by Mclaneinc

+x=usr(1536) · January 1, 2022

3 hours ago, Mclaneinc said:

If they are related, that could lead to problems

Just saying, you don't want one where the ram is dodgy

And now I'm recalling jokes involving cliffs and wellies that I haven't thought of in years :rolling:

+kheller2 · January 1, 2022

The offspring is a 600, of course.

mr-atari · January 2, 2022

I have this 1200XL in my collection, reading this thread, perhaps anyone can shed some any info on this unit?

Eproms, V10 SW16 LO / HI

Flexi-foil cartridge connector

Modified with a keyboard click speaker

Reset push-button above ON/OFF switch, no wires....

No label on the back

Big Cap reads "IST PASS"

Grtz, Sijmen.

+kheller2 · January 2, 2022

That is an early production run unit. I'm curious what version of the motherboard that is. Can you take a better lighted picture of both sides? Is the case smooth or textured?

+x=usr(1536) · January 2, 2022

16 hours ago, kheller2 said:

The offspring is a 600, of course.

Here's hoping it grows up to be a 1450XLD :-D

+bob1200xl · January 2, 2022

For you folks that have early 1200s and 1200XLs, be sure to check the corner mounting screw on the heatsink.

Bad... Quick Fix... Atari Fix. If you have Bad, slide s heavy cardstock under the foot.

Bob

+DrVenkman · January 2, 2022

26 minutes ago, bob1200xl said:

or you folks that have early 1200s and 1200XLs, be sure to check the corner mounting screw on the heatsink.

Interesting - both 1200XL's of mine for which I have pics handy that show the heatsink have that clipped-corner "Quick Fix" applied. I can't find any disassembly pics for my third to compare.

mr-atari · January 3, 2022

15 hours ago, kheller2 said:

That is an early production run unit. I'm curious what version of the motherboard that is. Can you take a better lighted picture of both sides? Is the case smooth or textured?

The case is textured, but someone made it smooth and painted it white on the top.

I have removed the paint, when I got it. It wiped away with I.P.A. so I did the whole top.

I found another sticker under the cartridge-plastic insert. "FCO"

The wires on the back, go to the internal speaker.

There is a small transistor connected to the channel switch (speaker on/off), channel select is disabled (trace cut).

@bob1200xl This is the unit I used for your 14XL

I need to fix the heatsink....

@x=usr(1536) I had a 1400XL and 1450 XLD for repairs some years back.

The 1450 (short PCB) had a wire-board for the PPD. Awesome machine. Great voice when you run the Selftest (1400 also).

I was very sad when I returned them to the owners....

Later!

+kheller2 · January 3, 2022

That's the normal early production 1200XL motherboard: 13A. Followed up by "A" a little later. I've yet to see a 12A. The pilot run was 11A.

ivop · January 4, 2022

On 12/26/2021 at 9:11 AM, slx said:

If you need a PSU, 9V AC seems to be common with guitar amps and other musical equipment

Hehe, I do it the other way around and power my synth that I found at Kings Day with a 9V Atari PS

chevymad · January 5, 2022

On 12/30/2021 at 8:10 PM, Benzinger said:

Thanks, that was a question I should have asked. How much modification would be acceptable for this unit? Is the consensus to leave it as stock as possible? I'm okay (for now at least) to use composite video.

Should I not upgrade the ROM to Rev. 11? I'll mostly just be using it to play all the games I missed out on as a kid or that had wonky colors because I had an Apple IIc (but I did have a 5200).

Which brings me to the FujiNet. What's the preferred flash cart for the Atari, and should I get the cart or the FujiNet first?

If you want a video upgrade, I'd go for the Sophia 2. Just plugs into the gtia socket no irreversable modifications. Hard part is running the ribbon cable out of the case. Then a simple dvi to hdmi adapter and you've got hdmi for a modern display.

cx2k · May 31, 2022

Didn't want to start a new thread so I'm jumping in on this one. I just unpacked my 1200 Pilot unit and dumped the roms although they look similar to the pictures show above. I'll leave it to the experts like @kheller2 & @bob1200xl if they want to compare the OS rom Dumps. Anyway, here's some pics of the unit I have.