Do you have 19 inches of rack mounted Atari?

Elliot Swanton reviews the Space Case

Over time many people have decided to re-case their Atari computers into a variety of other shells, some of which have been custom made by third parties (and even users) and some are simply bastardized ones from other computers (normally PCs).

In this report I will be looking at re-casing my Atari Falcon, but why would anyone want to do this? Well this is a good question and there are a number of reasons, so let's look at some:

1. To combine all external components into one self-contained unit. Well we all know this is not true, the Falcon has an internal hard disk, internal floppy drive, internal keyboard and an internal power supply; being self-contained is a trait it shares with nearly all of its siblings. However, if you do use a lot of extra devices (such as CD-ROM, SCSI and DAT drives) but want them in one box then this may be one reason.
2. To extract the keyboard from the computer. Some people would like the keyboard to be free from the case, however the keyboard can easily be removed from the case using a number of other designs. Some of these simply re-case the keyboard but many utilize PC keyboards and mice, making replacements cheap and easy. Using these devices retains the original case and that can be a bit ugly, but combined with a complete re-case solution can achieve some good results.
3. To add one or two internal devices, to complete the system. An internal CD-ROM or fast 3.5” hard drive would go down nicely, the expense could also be put against the cost of external SCSI cases and devices. One can utilise the IDE controller insider the Falcon much better and IDE devices are often cheaper than their SCSI counterparts.
4. To make room for upgrades. In the past upgrades have been designed to fit nicely into the Atari case (be it a bit of a squeeze sometimes). The more recent upgrades such as Eclipse and the forthcoming CT60 (which also needs an ATX power supply) would benefit from an increased case size as they are simply not able to be (practically) smaller.
5. To rack mount your machine. Rack mounting is not for everyone, it is mainly high-end electronic/music equipment that comes in this form. The advantage is that all of your music equipment is in a neat and tidy rack - so why not your Atari!

The “case” study
So there we have a number of reasons why we should (or should not as the case may be) do this, so what options do we have? There have been many designs and flavours over time, I found that it was hard to find out exactly what you were getting and more often than not places did not have the one you want. Pictures and specifications do not appear to be a trendy thing to put on web sites when selling Atari cases, the best source of information is from people that own one (from forums and the like).

In the end the only one that I could find that did all of the above (and was available on next day delivery) was the Lighthouse.

The Lighthouse
So the next day the box turns up as promised, which is a good job as my Eclipse card has also just arrived and I wanted to do the lot at the same time - so what did I think?

The Lighthouse is a slim stylish case that has been specially designed to house a number of Atari computers. Among other things it provides much more space inside and allows your computer to be screwed into a standard 19” rack with a height of just 2U.

The version I bought also came with the Freekeys external keyboard kit for free (aptly named), this allows the original keyboard to be removed and placed into an external case (I have reviewed this below).

Features of the Lighthouse
Although I am putting a Falcon into the case, it has been designed so that it can take any form of Atari computer from the ST upwards. It is made of a lightweight metal in a non-Atari standard but likeable dark grey (just darker than a Falcon case), there are two 5.25" bays at the front for a CD-ROM drive, floppy drive or whatever you like. The power switch and reset button have both been moved to the front of the unit along with a connector for the keyboard (and consequently the mouse). There is also a small green light attached to the front that indicates disk access. There is also an access slot for the VME bays of the TT and Mega STE computers and another slot for “other” upgrades; I have managed to adapt the VME slot for my ATI graphics card.

At the back are all of the normal holes where they are expected plus a few extra ones for different motherboards. Half-way back the lid drops in height slightly to make way for three more connector holes, one can purchase an extension so the cartridge and MIDI ports can be moved so they stick out of this ridge (this cannot be done for the enhanced joystick ports). If you use MIDI or cartridges then this is important as the connectors would otherwise be covered by sides of the 19” rack.

The finish is of high quality with no sharp edges or holes in the wrong place, all of the additional screws, connectors and switches that are required come neatly packaged.

Opening and closing the case is a quick and simple procedure if you feel the need to get inside your box. Total install time is under an hour and no technical knowledge is needed, just a couple of screwdrivers. I also took the time to tape back the few stray cables with some insulating tape that just made the job look that little better.

Conclusion
I would take this anywhere and not worry about damaging it, you end up with a solid case for your Atari computer, in fact it could double up as a stop block behind the rear wheel of your Transit van as you are unloading. There is plenty of room inside for upgrades and extra devices and much more room for air to circulate (fans can easily be fitted for over-clocked machines). It does look good and professional, people really wonder what it is and are eager to find out what it can do (well unless it is still under the van wheel).

The lip for the cartridge and MIDI ports is a mystery to me, they could have simply continued the top to the back and put the ports there, giving even more room.

It is a good job it is a simple procedure to install your motherboard as the manual is all over the place, pictures on back pages are referred to by paragraphs in the front with different languages all over the place. It made about as much sense as the ingredients on a packet of Skittles.

Mis-coloured bay covers create a funny look (Spray them silver!! - Ed) and the fact that they are made of flimsy plastic is also shame, as can be seen in the first picture.

Other points
There is not really room for a full size ATX power supply but I have found a small one which fits nicely (once its case is removed), I would recommend doing this if you are having lots of devices and/or upgrades put into your machine as the standard PSU may not be able to cope with the load.

If you have a Falcon with an upgrade that is quite high then it may come in contact with the shelf, it could require insulating. My Eclipse only just barely fitted and I could not screw the shelf back on completely, I will modify the shelf by cutting a square area out over the upgrade area at some point (but then I may finish painting my bathroom, too).

The unit costs £149.00 which is not a bad price if you need a rack mounted Atari, however, if you just need more room then maybe consider other options. It is very easy to build which is a good job as the instructions were terrible. There is lots of room for other devices and the nice finish is a welcome break from the normal poor quality of other computer cases.

The free Freekeys keyboard case
The Freekeys extension simply places the main component of the original keyboard into its own little case. If you are re-casing your Atari (like I am) then you have already removed your keyboard and it can simply be dropped into the new case, plug it into small PCB inside the new case and screw the lid on.

It looks good but it is heavy and it is not possible to adjust its height, you can also see that there is no gap for the mouse and joystick to exit from the front.

Other solutions that enable one to use PC keyboards and mice do not have some of the keys printed on them, they also require software to map some of the discrepancies between the PC and Atari keyboard (mostly just a few symbols but easily solved with a little bit of software). The Freekeys solution does away with all of this as the original Atari board is used.

It did come free with the Lighthouse, but without it (or another solution) then you would be stuffed.

Once the lid is put on you notice that there is no definite positioning for the keyboard (it can move about inside), this has repercussions later as some of the keys can sometimes rub on the case and get stuck down.

I was also having problems getting both the mouse and joystick into the ports as they now have to make a sharp right turn as opposed to coming out of the front. It came free with the Lighthouse and is simple to build but horrible to use. I suppose it does mean there is more room on the desk (as the computer can now go on the floor) but then there are also better solutions, I feel it was included with the case as an afterthought.

elliot@myatari.co.uk

MyAtari magazine - Review #3, November 2002