A500 - resurrection or pit of despair?

[JezC]

Well, while having to deal with some family matters I needed to venture into our garage...and somehow I came out with the two other A500 systems from my 'collection'...

Having read with great concern about the problems @rubber_jonnie had with the other A500 that I used to own (sorry about all those unknown issues Jon!) I thought I would be well advised to see what state these last two are in.

Photos to follow but I did get the first of them (a B52 Rock Lobster board) to boot with the one working Amiga floppy I possess...

Next task is to get the Gotek in there & check what works with something like the Amiga Test Kit maybe...
It has a memory expansion in the trap door and fortunately no battery fitted to it, so I'm hopeful it won't be too bad...

[rubber_jonnie]

Very sorry to hear about your family matters, hope you're OK.

As for the Amiga, you have nothing to be sorry for, I've had fun tinkering 😁

Be good to see how you get on.

Take care

Jon

[alexh]

What do you guys do to them? I don't recall ever having any failures with my A500's.

[JezC]

Very sorry to hear about your family matters, hope you're OK.

Yes, thanks for the support on the PMs - starting to get there I think (and hope)...

As for the Amiga, you have nothing to be sorry for, I've had fun tinkering 😁

Be good to see how you get on.

Take care

Jon

Well, I missed out the problems getting that first one to power up (seems the power connector was a much snugger fit than I was expecting, so I hadn't pushed it fully home)...but it only took a few minutes to find that problem...

Will keep updating as/when I can!

[JezC]

What do you guys do to them? I don't recall ever having any failures with my A500's.

I just bought them from people - never had one BITD, just the original BBC Model B & my 1040 STF so all a new experience.
Basically, they have some interesting issues caused wither from rough handling in transport or leaking batteries (on the A500+ motherboard and also on memory expansions)...

:roll:

[Higgy]

I am with @alexh A500's are usually bullet proof, discounting mechanical floppy drive.
You can be unlucky and if the RAM expansion has a battery, leakage can track back up the expansion connector.

Maybe it was PSU failing and incorrect voltages sent out?

[rubber_jonnie]

Yes, thanks for the support on the PMs - starting to get there I think (and hope)...

You're welcome.

Well, I missed out the problems getting that first one to power up (seems the power connector was a much snugger fit than I was expecting, so I hadn't pushed it fully home)...but it only took a few minutes to find that problem...

Will keep updating as/when I can!

If only all fixes were that easy :)

Looking forward to some more posts, fingers crossed there's no insidious battery damage anywhere.

[JezC]

Ok, finally had a few minutes to plug in a 0.5Meg trapdoor RAM card for one of my remaining A500 boards...and plugged in a Gotek with the Amiga Test Kit v1.21 on it...

Left it running a memory test for ages (0.5M slow detected & fine, same for the onboard memory), so that one looks positive.

I've another half meg trapdoor RAM to test so will try to do that at some point tonight.

Then I will have to test the other A500 as well I guess - but that does seem to have green residue on the trapdoor pins - I'm hoping it's not spread anywhere else...

:hide1:

[rubber_jonnie]

Ok, finally had a few minutes to plug in a 0.5Meg trapdoor RAM card for one of my remaining A500 boards...and plugged in a Gotek with the Amiga Test Kit v1.21 on it...

Left it running a memory test for ages (0.5M slow detected & fine, same for the onboard memory), so that one looks positive.

I've another half meg trapdoor RAM to test so will try to do that at some point tonight.

Then I will have to test the other A500 as well I guess - but that does seem to have green residue on the trapdoor pins - I'm hoping it's not spread anywhere else...

:hide1:

Well mine had green goo on the pins, and though I ended up removing the connector to clean in my ultrasonic bath and resoldering, but there was nothing I'd class as bad corrosion and as you know it turned out to be a bad RAM IC on the expansion board.

I'm sure it'll be fine. My clock/RAM board has a CR2032 so should be relatively immune from leakage now.

[JezC]

Well mine had green goo on the pins, and though I ended up removing the connector to clean in my ultrasonic bath and resoldering, but there was nothing I'd class as bad corrosion and as you know it turned out to be a bad RAM IC on the expansion board.

I'm sure it'll be fine. My clock/RAM board has a CR2032 so should be relatively immune from leakage now.

The working one doesn't have space for a battery, jut the 4x RAM chips, a switch and some resistor packs...

The other one I'm about to test did have a Varta but has allegedly been repaired...we will see...

:waiting: