Intellivision Board details

[rubber_jonnie]

Me too! The videos are really well done. Looks like a great location too!

I'd definitely recommend the LOCI, even more so for Oric-1 users with the Atmos ROM 'upgrade'. I didn't realise that the Atari has a large following in Poland, funny how some machines get linked to countries.

I have ordered a LOCI from eBay, somebody I've ordered from before for a few SD solutions for other machines, so looking forwards to giving the Atmos a proper try, I hear there is a great Blakes 7 game for it.

It stepped up a gear or two for me over Covid too, and I've been hooked ever since (possibly excessively :lol: ). Sadly, my kids humour me with just a feigned interest. I think they feel more sorry for our generation considering the modern stuff they have.

Well done restoring the A5000! I've only seen the battery corrosion problem on videos and it looks scary, beyond what I'd consider doing, especially with all those fine connections and surface mounted components. Brilliant to see them brought back to life (bit like the RMC trash to treasure series!), though somewhat annoying about the battery corrosion in the first place.

I was already collecting long before covid as it goes, and didn't really accelerate very much as we actually moved house during covid, so had limited stuff with me as we were renting temporarily for 3 months and most stuff was in storage.

Once we got into the house I did get going again though :) I've nabbed quite a lot since we've been here though :)

As for the A5000, it was kind of the project I didn't know I needed :) It went from a restore (Battery damage is VERY common with Archimedes machine), to installing a hard drive, customising the OS and then getting it on the web.

Wasn't cheap but it was fun :) Well, until it died again, but I did manage to bring it back to life yet again!!! They are quite fragile machines IMHO.

The 5.25" disks seem like a very long time ago for me now. Had lots of 3.5" disks at one stage but not any more - wish I'd kept them now. The early Commodore drives were sluggish and cost as much as a C64 so were not a realistic possibility for us as kids. I tinker around with that kind of stuff a bit, using an Arduino to load C64/Vic20 programs (D64, PRG, T64 files). I've got a browser front-end going with that so it looks nice and you can see the box art images - another nostalgia hit (although the artwork was more than a bit misleading!) :lol: C64 fast-loaders are essential - not sure I've come across them on other platforms.

We used to have 2 Commodore C2N tape drives for the Vic20 and C64, and got hold of this 'backup' device which connected up, you could play (load) on one tape drive and record on the other. Highly necessary for preserving the collection, and keeping off-site backups of your mates collection too ofc :o

I'm mostly fiddling around with 5.25" drives because of my C1PMF (OSI 600D + 610 memory/floppy expansion board) as I'm trying to convert disk images to physical disks. I'd say for fun, but it's quite the trial!!! Problem is my 600D has decided it no longer wants to boot and just chucks garbage up on the screen, it's like the CPU isn't running, which is annoying as it was fine one night then next day it wasn't...

I do have a 1541 and some disk software for the C64, but mostly I use the Kung Fu Flash cart these days, and the Penultimate 2 for my Vic20.

There may have been a similar device to 2 Atari cassette players, but I did ditch them fairly early on as I had a decent job and the 1050 drive was actually a great price too, far cheaper than for the 1541.

The other issue was that Atari cassettes are difficult to copy, they are stereo and can play music from one track whilst you load from the other. It was a neat trick, but given the slow speed of the device, which was dumb given the capabilities of SIO, it never really worked brilliantly, as you couldn't hear the cassette load fail!!!

Also, I didn't know anybody else with an Atari that I could copy from!!!

[raspberrypioneer]

I have ordered a LOCI from eBay, somebody I've ordered from before for a few SD solutions for other machines, so looking forwards to giving the Atmos a proper try, I hear there is a great Blakes 7 game for it.

It's a great device. I couldn't get one on eBay at the time but see there's one there now. I got the FinalGROM and memory expansion for my TI99/4a from that seller, more must-haves for that machine I think. Yes Blakes 7 a good game - needs some time to get into. Would also recommend 1337, PETSCII Robots, Space 1999 among others as great examples of what can be done on the Oric/Atmos. Manic Miner is fun and really well done. Perhaps take a peek at Boulder Dash, I know that one quite well ;)

I was already collecting long before covid as it goes, and didn't really accelerate very much as we actually moved house during covid, so had limited stuff with me as we were renting temporarily for 3 months and most stuff was in storage.

Once we got into the house I did get going again though :) I've nabbed quite a lot since we've been here though :)

As for the A5000, it was kind of the project I didn't know I needed :) It went from a restore (Battery damage is VERY common with Archimedes machine), to installing a hard drive, customising the OS and then getting it on the web.

Wasn't cheap but it was fun :) Well, until it died again, but I did manage to bring it back to life yet again!!! They are quite fragile machines IMHO.

Yes a collection that size is years in the making for sure! Great that you've brought the machine back into use (and more with the web access too - very cool!). A labour of love - nice to see the journey and results. I've found the costs can sneak up a bit though and I've not gone anywhere near the stuff you've done! I do fret about turning one on these machines on and it not working - lets not think about that! :lol:

A couple of years before Covid, I built a C64-Raspberry Pi, which got me enthused to get into it. The C64-RPi has a real C64 keyboard, with a Pi and Arduino inside and 3d printed parts for mounting and for the ports to provide easy HDMI, USB, SD card and also network access. Runs RetroPie, all emulation of course, which is convenient. Can seem a bit odd looking at a C64 keyboard but running something entirely foreign like Sega MegaDrive Sensible Soccer! Some pics below.

90ConnectArduino1.jpg

110Finished1.jpg

110Finished2.jpg

110Finished3.jpg

These days, someone would probably just get a "The C64"! :lol:

The thing with that project was it left me with a C64 motherboard, which wasn't working but I found out how to repair it thanks to good old You Tube videos! Then I needed to get a C64 case, when then let onto all the collecting, some fixing and future-proofing of other retros since. Emulation is great but running games on a real machine is better for me, sometimes hard to explain why! In a way, perhaps like your A5000, it was somewhat accidental.

I'm mostly fiddling around with 5.25" drives because of my C1PMF (OSI 600D + 610 memory/floppy expansion board) as I'm trying to convert disk images to physical disks. I'd say for fun, but it's quite the trial!!! Problem is my 600D has decided it no longer wants to boot and just chucks garbage up on the screen, it's like the CPU isn't running, which is annoying as it was fine one night then next day it wasn't...

I do have a 1541 and some disk software for the C64, but mostly I use the Kung Fu Flash cart these days, and the Penultimate 2 for my Vic20.

There may have been a similar device to 2 Atari cassette players, but I did ditch them fairly early on as I had a decent job and the 1050 drive was actually a great price too, far cheaper than for the 1541.

The other issue was that Atari cassettes are difficult to copy, they are stereo and can play music from one track whilst you load from the other. It was a neat trick, but given the slow speed of the device, which was dumb given the capabilities of SIO, it never really worked brilliantly, as you couldn't hear the cassette load fail!!!

Also, I didn't know anybody else with an Atari that I could copy from!!!

Unfortunately (maybe fortunately), I don't have any disk drives and knowledge is pretty low. I empathise with how frustrating it can be though!
I stumbled across the Gotek drive you'd mentioned with this OpenFlops project which looks impressive and supports for many different platforms. You might know of it already. Wandered there when looking at the Intellivision Pirto2, this maker does that too. How are some people so clever!? :lol:

But I'm probably just sticking to the SD card / USB setup we mentioned - SD2IEC for the C64 and Vic20 though I've got a home-made Arduino setup which also works very well for those machines for loading games. Have wondered about the Kung Fu Flash cart - suspect my curiosity will lead me into getting one! I just got a switchable RAM expansion for the Vic20 and with the Arduino/SD2IEC setup loads all the Vic stuff.

Yeah the 1541 was much too expensive and slow. I think I read somewhere that the designer of the Atari SIO had a hand in the design of USB. Before the A8PicoCart I used the SIO2PC setup - so incredibly easy to load software with a basic setup compared to the Commodores! I'll still use it for programs the A8PicoCart doesn't support.

Luckily with the C64 being so popular and tape drives not too sophisticated, there was always plenty to collect. The main downside was probably less interest in getting into some of the more complicated games, and just looking for the next one to get instead.

[rubber_jonnie]

It's a great device. I couldn't get one on eBay at the time but see there's one there now. I got the FinalGROM and memory expansion for my TI99/4a from that seller, more must-haves for that machine I think. Yes Blakes 7 a good game - needs some time to get into. Would also recommend 1337, PETSCII Robots, Space 1999 among others as great examples of what can be done on the Oric/Atmos. Manic Miner is fun and really well done. Perhaps take a peek at Boulder Dash, I know that one quite well ;)

I also got a FinalGROM from the same guy, and I think a Coco2SD. I may have also got a ram expansion and joystick adapter from him too for my TI99/4a.

I didn't know there was a version of Petscii Robots for the Atmos, I like the game and have several versions of it :) Once it comes I'll try your suggestions.

Yes a collection that size is years in the making for sure! Great that you've brought the machine back into use (and more with the web access too - very cool!). A labour of love - nice to see the journey and results. I've found the costs can sneak up a bit though and I've not gone anywhere near the stuff you've done! I do fret about turning one on these machines on and it not working - lets not think about that! :lol:

A couple of years before Covid, I built a C64-Raspberry Pi, which got me enthused to get into it. The C64-RPi has a real C64 keyboard, with a Pi and Arduino inside and 3d printed parts for mounting and for the ports to provide easy HDMI, USB, SD card and also network access. Runs RetroPie, all emulation of course, which is convenient. Can seem a bit odd looking at a C64 keyboard but running something entirely foreign like Sega MegaDrive Sensible Soccer!

These days, someone would probably just get a "The C64"! :lol:

The thing with that project was it left me with a C64 motherboard, which wasn't working but I found out how to repair it thanks to good old You Tube videos! Then I needed to get a C64 case, when then let onto all the collecting, some fixing and future-proofing of other retros since. Emulation is great but running games on a real machine is better for me, sometimes hard to explain why! In a way, perhaps like your A5000, it was somewhat accidental.

Looks like it was an interesting project, very neat job indeed. I have several modern takes, like The 400, the 2600+, 7800+ and hopefully soon, The Spectrum. They will be my go to machines somewhere down the line when I decide to reel it back in retirement :)

I will keep all of my real Atari 8 bit machines though and some select others and certain consoles, like my Dreamcast (Boxed and owned from new) and Saturn, maybe some others... We'll see, but that's a long way off for sure.

Unfortunately (maybe fortunately), I don't have any disk drives and knowledge is pretty low. I empathise with how frustrating it can be though!
I stumbled across the Gotek drive you'd mentioned with this OpenFlops project which looks impressive and supports for many different platforms. You might know of it already. Wandered there when looking at the Intellivision Pirto2, this maker does that too. How are some people so clever!? :lol:

I like having the drives for posterity and do sometimes break them out for 'fun' or 'nostalgia', but they are large and it's another PSU and more cables etc and my space is a bit limited. Goteks are great, very flexible and I have a few I keep 'floating' for certain things. When they have a display too they are great for troubleshooting.

I wish I were as clever as some of these makers, it's a pretty amazing time to be a retro computer fan :)

But I'm probably just sticking to the SD card / USB setup we mentioned - SD2IEC for the C64 and Vic20 though I've got a home-made Arduino setup which also works very well for those machines for loading games. Have wondered about the Kung Fu Flash cart - suspect my curiosity will lead me into getting one! I just got a switchable RAM expansion for the Vic20 and with the Arduino/SD2IEC setup loads all the Vic stuff.

Yeah the 1541 was much too expensive and slow. I think I read somewhere that the designer of the Atari SIO had a hand in the design of USB. Before the A8PicoCart I used the SIO2PC setup - so incredibly easy to load software with a basic setup compared to the Commodores! I'll still use it for programs the A8PicoCart doesn't support.

Luckily with the C64 being so popular and tape drives not too sophisticated, there was always plenty to collect. The main downside was probably less interest in getting into some of the more complicated games, and just looking for the next one to get instead.

I do have an SD2IEC, but it's always been a pain to use and a bit slow unless you have an Epyx fastload cart. I much prefer the KFF for ease of use, I definitely prefer it to the SD2IEC, much more flexible.

The A8Picocard is a very cheap cart, but there are defintely better solutions out there as it does have limitations. The SDriveMAX is a fantastic solution too, but for me the Side solution is the best, especially when combined with the Ultimate 1MB.

The Incognito is the best, despite some limitations, for the 400/800 as it effectively combines SIDE and U1MB for those machines and includes built in CF card capability.

[raspberrypioneer]

I also got a FinalGROM from the same guy, and I think a Coco2SD. I may have also got a ram expansion and joystick adapter from him too for my TI99/4a.

I didn't know there was a version of Petscii Robots for the Atmos, I like the game and have several versions of it :) Once it comes I'll try your suggestions.

I'll need to give my TI99/4a some attention. The one I got on eBay was sold as 'parts-only' and sure enough didn't work. To find that out, I had bought a modern power supply which needed a mod to bypass the power-supply board (it didn't come with the original power supply) and it needed its own component video lead. I was somewhat 'invested' at this point so it had to be fixed. I had the common 'blue screen' and there were a number of possible causes. I thought I could start getting the parts, starting with the MCM6810P RAM which was cheap but on the other end of the scale were the GROM chips which I understand can only be taken from another TI. So I chickened-out and got it repaired by 'Mutant Caterpillar'. It turned out to be the cheap memory chips after all! Was recapped too - they did a good job. When I got the machine back I treated myself to TI Invaders which came with the TI - was an expensive game of space invaders at that stage. Throw in the FinalGROM and 32K sidecar RAM, this has been my most expensive retro to date!

I'll need to checkout Petscii Robots for other machines. I'm impressed its been ported so much - all the source code is available on github too!

Looks like it was an interesting project, very neat job indeed. I have several modern takes, like The 400, the 2600+, 7800+ and hopefully soon, The Spectrum. They will be my go to machines somewhere down the line when I decide to reel it back in retirement :)

I will keep all of my real Atari 8 bit machines though and some select others and certain consoles, like my Dreamcast (Boxed and owned from new) and Saturn, maybe some others... We'll see, but that's a long way off for sure.

The 'The' series of modern takes on the classics look like a no hassle way of playing the games on those platforms. I don't have any but get tempted from time to time. Some of your retros might be worth a few quid, could be part of the pension drawdown plan perhaps :lol: (I tell the kids to keep my humble collection in case they are worth something when they get older).

I like having the drives for posterity and do sometimes break them out for 'fun' or 'nostalgia', but they are large and it's another PSU and more cables etc and my space is a bit limited. Goteks are great, very flexible and I have a few I keep 'floating' for certain things. When they have a display too they are great for troubleshooting.

With less space I definitely understand the cable / power problem, I guess that's why SD/USB are so attractive.

I do have an SD2IEC, but it's always been a pain to use and a bit slow unless you have an Epyx fastload cart. I much prefer the KFF for ease of use, I definitely prefer it to the SD2IEC, much more flexible.

The A8Picocard is a very cheap cart, but there are defintely better solutions out there as it does have limitations. The SDriveMAX is a fantastic solution too, but for me the Side solution is the best, especially when combined with the Ultimate 1MB.

The Incognito is the best, despite some limitations, for the 400/800 as it effectively combines SIDE and U1MB for those machines and includes built in CF card capability.

Yes the Epyx fastload cart is a must for the slow Commodore disk drive. I think the KFF can emulate it and others - very flexible. There's a dual SD2IEC Epyx fastload device out there too - not bad £££ wise either. I like the SD2IEC but the one thing I'd change are the short file names (12.4 lowercase characters) the SD browser restricts to. I read that the KFF doesn't support multi-load games which made me go for the SD2IEC.

The SDriveMAX looked like the best option when I got my 800xl and although I had a seemingly compatible TFT screen and Uno, I couldn't get it going. Was in a hurry to load something / anything though, maybe it was me. Being a bit older and debatably wiser I should try again. It would be nice to have a third way of loading software for the Atari! :lol:

Not heard of SIDE and the Ultimate 1MB - this chat is certainly adding to my 'find out more' list! :D

[rubber_jonnie]

I'll need to give my TI99/4a some attention. The one I got on eBay was sold as 'parts-only' and sure enough didn't work. To find that out, I had bought a modern power supply which needed a mod to bypass the power-supply board (it didn't come with the original power supply) and it needed its own component video lead. I was somewhat 'invested' at this point so it had to be fixed. I had the common 'blue screen' and there were a number of possible causes. I thought I could start getting the parts, starting with the MCM6810P RAM which was cheap but on the other end of the scale were the GROM chips which I understand can only be taken from another TI. So I chickened-out and got it repaired by 'Mutant Caterpillar'. It turned out to be the cheap memory chips after all! Was recapped too - they did a good job. When I got the machine back I treated myself to TI Invaders which came with the TI - was an expensive game of space invaders at that stage. Throw in the FinalGROM and 32K sidecar RAM, this has been my most expensive retro to date!

My TI has been pretty good as it goes, all it needed was a bit of a clean and it was all good. Sure the add ons were a bit expensive, but I have to say the component out via my OSSC is probably the best video output of all of my machines, except perhaps my BBC Bs, it is pin sharp and the colours are fantastic. FinalGROM and all the other bits turn it into quite a nice little machine overall.

I'll need to checkout Petscii Robots for other machines. I'm impressed its been ported so much - all the source code is available on github too!

I have it on a few machines as I said, very good game, but pretty damn hard.

The 'The' series of modern takes on the classics look like a no hassle way of playing the games on those platforms. I don't have any but get tempted from time to time. Some of your retros might be worth a few quid, could be part of the pension drawdown plan perhaps :lol: (I tell the kids to keep my humble collection in case they are worth something when they get older).

I know some of my stuff has only gone up in value. I have a pair of SGI Octanes that all together cost me maybe £50, and they are going for upwards of £750 these days. I also think that my facilities for repair may become a bit reduced once I hit a certain age, so I'm hoping the reliability of the newer gear, coupled with the lower barrier for replacement will help there. I'm just turning 60 this year so there will be quite a few years before I start selling though :)

With less space I definitely understand the cable / power problem, I guess that's why SD/USB are so attractive.

Indeed. In fact with the FinalGrom and Incognito, you can have completely internal storage, which helps even more.

Yes the Epyx fastload cart is a must for the slow Commodore disk drive. I think the KFF can emulate it and others - very flexible. There's a dual SD2IEC Epyx fastload device out there too - not bad £££ wise either. I like the SD2IEC but the one thing I'd change are the short file names (12.4 lowercase characters) the SD browser restricts to. I read that the KFF doesn't support multi-load games which made me go for the SD2IEC.

The SDriveMAX looked like the best option when I got my 800xl and although I had a seemingly compatible TFT screen and Uno, I couldn't get it going. Was in a hurry to load something / anything though, maybe it was me. Being a bit older and debatably wiser I should try again. It would be nice to have a third way of loading software for the Atari! :lol:

Not heard of SIDE and the Ultimate 1MB - this chat is certainly adding to my 'find out more' list! :D

Unfortunately my SD2IEC is a bare PCB dangling off a cable, so it's not a great thing to use hence why I tend to use the KFF now.

Funnily enough my original SD2SIO was very similar years ago until I 3d printed a case, but the display and overall operations were much clumsier than the SDriveMax.

Did you build your own SdriveMAX? They are quite inexpensive these days so for me building one was not an option, and I managed to get a 2nd one included when I picked up my XEGS as well as 2 A8 Picocarts.

Once the firmware is installed, they do also work best with the SDriveMAX boot disk that provides an on screen chooser to pick whatever you want to boot. Definitely worth another go if you can.

The A8Picocarts don't work with the 400/800 but everything XL and above seems to be fine. I would go and look at SIDE and U1MB, they are great upgrades for the A8 machines, if a little costly. You can't order direct from Lotharek anymore, but if you're in the UK then Retrolemon usually has them.

[raspberrypioneer]

C:\Users\spwil\Documents\Atari\Tools\SDrive Max\sdrive-max-v15\atmega328-ili9341Did you build your own SdriveMAX? They are quite inexpensive these days so for me building one was not an option, and I managed to get a 2nd one included when I picked up my XEGS as well as 2 A8 Picocarts.

I tried to build one using an ili9341 TFT screen/hat for an Uno from previous tinkering, so seemed a good option but I just can't get it to work. I tried again tonight in case I missed something previously. I used https://retrohax.net/atari-800-xl-refurb-sdrive-max/ and https://retrohclab.eu/atari-sdrive-max- ... -yourself/ as guides. The last guide (browser translated for me ofc :lol: ), is very good with step by step instructions. I'm using the latest software from https://github.com/kbr-net/sdrive-max/releases. I know the Uno and TFT screen work with a demo I tried but the screen flickers after flashing the eeprom_writer.hex and alas that's as far as I get. :?

[rubber_jonnie]

C:\Users\spwil\Documents\Atari\Tools\SDrive Max\sdrive-max-v15\atmega328-ili9341Did you build your own SdriveMAX? They are quite inexpensive these days so for me building one was not an option, and I managed to get a 2nd one included when I picked up my XEGS as well as 2 A8 Picocarts.

I tried to build one using an ili9341 TFT screen/hat for an Uno from previous tinkering, so seemed a good option but I just can't get it to work. I tried again tonight in case I missed something previously. I used https://retrohax.net/atari-800-xl-refurb-sdrive-max/ and https://retrohclab.eu/atari-sdrive-max- ... -yourself/ as guides. The last guide (browser translated for me ofc :lol: ), is very good with step by step instructions. I'm using the latest software from https://github.com/kbr-net/sdrive-max/releases. I know the Uno and TFT screen work with a demo I tried but the screen flickers after flashing the eeprom_writer.hex and alas that's as far as I get. :?

I haven't built one myself TBH, wondering if it's a problem with the UNO, could it possibly be a fake?

[raspberrypioneer]

I haven't built one myself TBH, wondering if it's a problem with the UNO, could it possibly be a fake?

Certainly possible though I've had the Uno working fine otherwise and also with this screen. I see the source code is online, might take a look though could be another rabbit hole! Looks an easy build if it all plays nicely.

[rubber_jonnie]

I haven't built one myself TBH, wondering if it's a problem with the UNO, could it possibly be a fake?

Certainly possible though I've had the Uno working fine otherwise and also with this screen. I see the source code is online, might take a look though could be another rabbit hole! Looks an easy build if it all plays nicely.

As I recall updating the firmware was a bit of a pain, and one actually ended up with an inverted screen when I did it! Worth a try though.

[raspberrypioneer]

As I recall updating the firmware was a bit of a pain, and one actually ended up with an inverted screen when I did it! Worth a try though.

Found the problem after tinkering with the display code which can be made to display to my TFT screen but it would be a fair job to convert it all. I found my TFT is not a supported ILI9431 type after all, despite the documentation. It uses an unsupported UC8230 chip. Sadly a brick wall this time! :(