Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

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PhilC
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Re: Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

Post by PhilC »

rubber_jonnie wrote: 12 Mar 2020 13:25
exxos wrote: 04 Mar 2020 14:04
I spam the forum all the time, I think people mostly just skip over it all.
@exxos If it's your own forum, are you really spamming it?
Hes not wrong, I think I just did.
If it ain't broke, test it to Destruction.
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JezC
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Re: Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

Post by JezC »

:cheers:
Think I've found the second donor system while testing another STFM last night...not booting to the desktop but showing a black centre with white borders.

I'm hoping that points to a ram fault but that's probably not an issue for one of my H4s.

I also managed to win the bidding on a Falcon ram board last night, so that will be useful for the second H4 (when the ram arrives)... almost makes up for missing out on the Mega 1

Of course this just means that I am running out of excuses for not finishing the first H4
:lol: :roll:
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

Post by rubber_jonnie »

JezC wrote: 13 Mar 2020 10:16 :cheers:
Think I've found the second donor system while testing another STFM last night...not booting to the desktop but showing a black centre with white borders.

I'm hoping that points to a ram fault but that's probably not an issue for one of my H4s.

I also managed to win the bidding on a Falcon ram board last night, so that will be useful for the second H4 (when the ram arrives)... almost makes up for missing out on the Mega 1

Of course this just means that I am running out of excuses for not finishing the first H4
:lol: :roll:
@JezC Yeah, sounds like a RAM problem, just got to ID the offending chip. Or chips!

As for the H4, well you better get rolling, even mine is running now :girldance:
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...
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JezC
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Re: Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

Post by JezC »

Well, I do have the DiagROM EPROMS programmed and both donor boards are 2 chip TOS so that could be a plan.

I guess I need to prove that I have a working serial cable with a working ST first & then see what faults there are on each board!

I feel no pressure to rush the H4s :D as I have already set my target to be done by Christmas :lol:
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exxos
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Re: Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

Post by exxos »

rubber_jonnie wrote: 13 Mar 2020 10:57 @JezC Yeah, sounds like a RAM problem, just got to ID the offending chip. Or chips!

As for the H4, well you better get rolling, even mine is running now :girldance:
Indeed, we all can now start picking on @JezC to get finished now :lol: :twisted: :twisted: :chairsmack:
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Yeah @JezC get moving!
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...
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JezC
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Re: Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

Post by JezC »

That's what I love about this forum...all the wonderful non-judgemental forum members
:lol: :roll:

Seriously though, I will be making slow progress on the first as I don't have a soldering iron at home ATM so it will all be done in fits and starts after work
:shock: :o

So be nice & play fair please!
:D
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exxos
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Re: Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

Post by exxos »

JezC wrote: 13 Mar 2020 15:49 Seriously though, I will be making slow progress on the first as I don't have a soldering iron at home
:chairsmack: :smackbum:
Tomswork
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Re: Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

Post by Tomswork »

I'm going to take my h4 to work to use the fancy heat gun on them it has a vacum and temp laser probe on. I will be by myself in a hugs lab because everyone is taking time off for spring break and the covid scare

:cheer:

Tom
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JezC
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Re: Life, the universe & everything...Atari (well, mostly)

Post by JezC »

Managed to squeeze in a few minutes of retro-activity between DIY chores this afternoon...
:D

So I now know my 2x 27C512 EPROMs programmed up with my split & chopped Diag ROM image are working OK in a different 520 STFM.

Next task (hopefully this evening) is to find a suitable null modem cable to connect it to a PC so I can try to diagnose the ram fault on one of the donor boards (and possibly also what is stopping the other donor board even booting to show any activity on the display if time allows).

Will probably try GhostLink to prove the cable operation between PC and working ST & then with DiagROM in the donor(s)...

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