A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Blogs & guides and tales of woo by forum members.
Post Reply
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15024
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:
Contact rubber_jonnie

Re: A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Right, so the axials and bipolar caps arrived today, axial removed at lunchtime and boy do those Atari ground planes suck up a LOT of heat :fire: :fire: :fire:

Will finish off removing the bipolar caps later, and then get the new ones in this evening and we'll see where we're at.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Top
User avatar
stephen_usher
Site sponsor
Site sponsor
Posts: 7452
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
Contact:
Contact stephen_usher

Re: A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Post by stephen_usher »

*crosses fingers*
You never know what causes these things. Analogue electronics is black magic. :-)
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
Top
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15024
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:
Contact rubber_jonnie

Re: A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Wed Mar 30, 2022 1:28 pm *crosses fingers*
You never know what causes these things. Analogue electronics is black magic. :-)
The finger crossing is appreciated!!
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Top
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15024
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:
Contact rubber_jonnie

Re: A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Wed Mar 30, 2022 1:28 pm *crosses fingers*
You never know what causes these things. Analogue electronics is black magic. :-)
Well, no difference really, bit bloody annoying, as it was all fine (Same wiring, socket and cables) as in the 800XL, suggesting it's something in the 600XL.

Might go and see if FJC can give me any ideas.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Top
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15024
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:
Contact rubber_jonnie

Re: A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Ok, been chatting with FJC, who also asked about my problem, Candle which is awesome.

Have retried the linear PSU, with any nearby SMPSUs unplugged, and also tested in a different TV in another room with no nearby SMPSUs, and the problem remains. So that rules out nearby interference.

I also retried the 65XE, and that has no shimmer either, so it is definitely the 600XL. Now wondering if it's picking up interference from the ICs under the VBXL, so that's another route to check.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Top
User avatar
stephen_usher
Site sponsor
Site sponsor
Posts: 7452
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
Contact:
Contact stephen_usher

Re: A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Post by stephen_usher »

Wrap everything in grounded tin foil. I'm sure it'll be fine then. Hehe
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
Top
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15024
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:
Contact rubber_jonnie

Re: A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Wed Mar 30, 2022 8:03 pm Wrap everything in grounded tin foil. I'm sure it'll be fine then. Hehe
You may laugh, but the thought had crossed my mind!
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Top
User avatar
PhilC
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 7501
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:22 pm

Re: A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Post by PhilC »

51b8e89ceab8eaa87d000009.jpeg.jpg
51b8e89ceab8eaa87d000009.jpeg.jpg (160.7 KiB) Viewed 2124 times

Seemed appropriate
If it ain't broke, test it to Destruction.
Top
User avatar
stephen_usher
Site sponsor
Site sponsor
Posts: 7452
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
Contact:
Contact stephen_usher

Re: A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Post by stephen_usher »

Just how shimmery is it?

Surely it's nowhere near as bad as the chroma jailbars my C64 has. (Yes, chroma, not luma. If it were luma it would be less noticable.)
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
Top
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 15024
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:
Contact rubber_jonnie

Re: A visually impaired duo - VIC-20 and Atari 600XL

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Wed Mar 30, 2022 10:15 pm Just how shimmery is it?

Surely it's nowhere near as bad as the chroma jailbars my C64 has. (Yes, chroma, not luma. If it were luma it would be less noticable.)
Pretty shimmery, it's like a very low sine wave going up the screen, but very noticeable. I did post a link to a video further up.

It's rgb to SCART, but also uses composite for sync as far as I can tell.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Top
Post Reply

Return to “MEMBER BLOGS”