exxos's Atari, Amiga & retro forum

I'm just now getting back into the retro Atari ST scene after a move in 2000 and then life threw me curveballs galore. I'm in the Washington, DC, area. I've got a profound hearing loss. It'll be awhile before I retire, though I'm graying a bit.

I had to store my Atari stuff in the shed in back for around 15-20 years and was able to get to cleaning it up and out after dealing with educational and medical stuff, then finally employment. And now this danged pandemic.

While in the shed a mouse made its nest in the Mega ST4 thus demolishing everything in it including an SST board. The board is fine after a cleanup, but many of the chips aren't, having rusted off. I mentioned it on atari-forum. I've got a C-Labs Falcon (14 megs and PowerUp2), Mega STE (4 megs), 1040STE (I think 4 megs, gotta look), and 520STE that still work and a Tecnation Falcon mainboard that has a video issue, giving me "input not supported." I may need to find someone to diagnose and repair it. Exxos, maybe? I have a 130XE that still works as well. Unfortunately, the Atari monitors got lost or were tossed. Fortunately, they work with today's LCDs!

Though I have a Bachelors degree in IT, I'm a business analyst, but still use the IT skills and others in my work.

It still is impressive to see how far we can take our retro computers and use them with the more modern stuff to a degree.

:welcomewave:

:swave:

Welcome on board!

:welcomewave:

Hi Rob,

Just so you know Exxos isn't doing diagnosis/repairs on peoples computers anymore. As far as I know there aren't any USA or Canada based repairers on the forum, but they do exist. I have had someone send me their ST for refurbishment from the US before but the shipping isn't cheap. There is a lot of useful information on this forum for DIY repairs if you have the tools required. I would happily work on Falcons for refurbishment, recaps, mods, clock patches, etc - but when it comes to diagnosing unknown issues I don't tend to take on. If I were in the US personally, I would make a forum post on atari-forum or atariage asking for local US repairers as it will keep your costs down.

:welcomewave:

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone!

I did ask on atari-forum, but apparently no one knows of any based in the US or Canada.

I know overseas shipping isn't cheap, but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and go for it. My own soldering skills are kinda weak, not exactly great for applying a soldering pencil/iron to a Falcon board. I barely even have test equipment. One's an older analog multimeter with a left-right indicator and an older smaller digital. Just enough to be dangerous and be flash-fried if done wrong. :stars:

But everything I've seen on my Falcon is quite good other than the "Input not supported" when I turn it on as referenced in the Tecnation thread on atari-forum. One interesting thing to note is that the TOS chip may have been another version before being reflashed into a 4.04, as indicated by a "4" written over the previous number. Did TOS 4.04 come out in 1992 or 1993? The chip shows 1992.

:welcomewave:

Well since there are multiple outputs on the Falcon, RGB / VGA / RF, which are you trying? It might just be a particular issue on that ports compatibility with your monitor rather than the machine being faulty.

Multiple outputs is right. I was using a DB19 to VGA adapter. The C-Labs Falcon works well, getting all three resolutions. Using that same adapter with the Tecnation Falcon, I get that error. Like I said, the Atari monitors either got lost in the move or got rid of them by mistake.

I tried the RF, but no go, so most likely the RGB will be the same. I don't have an RF to RGB cable, but I can pick up one.

With the Mega STE, I kinda kludged a few multiple things together. I connected an Atari monitor cable extender to a DB13F to DB19M adapter to an ICD cable (DB19M both ends) to a Falcon VGA adapter to the VGA cable going to the monitor. It works, displaying low and medium resolutions. I may pick up on one of those DB13 to VGA connectors sold by exxos or someone else.