My First Atari ST

New user? Tell us about yourself!
User avatar
Sausageinabun
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:42 am

My First Atari ST

Post by Sausageinabun »

I have recently come into the possesion of an Atari STE 520, in lovely condition, hardly any yellowing at all. I'll probably retrobrite the case when the sun shows itself again next spring/summer.

It had been upgraded to 4Mb and came with an equally good condition SM144, and an ICD Link2. I've had her open and changed the ROMs to 2.06, and cleaned all the dust and grime from the insides.I had an old external SCSI enclosure sitting idle, so I've fitted a HDD in it and that works great, she auto boots and I'm as happy as Larry.

I have however noticed two issues, the first is a slight ghosting on the display, which I will sort with Chris's cap fix. Other than that, I think the PSU could use a recap, I'll grab a kit as soon as they become available, (soon I hope), and then I should be good for the next 30 years.

I'm happy to have found you all in this corner of the Interwebs, and being a techy will become a regular in here.
A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station...
User avatar
IngoQ
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1066
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:38 am
Location: Germany

Re: My First Atari ST

Post by IngoQ »

Welcome to our little world :)

Regarding the retrobrite: Be careful in direct sunlight, you can easily get uneven colouring. I made an Amiga case look like a leopard this way ;) A cloudy day or artificial UV light is perhaps safer.

With that said... what are you planning to use your shiny new Atari for?
Ingo :geek:

| Atari 1040STE@32MHz | Amiga 1200 (ACA1220) | Atari 800XL (U1MB, SIDE2) | Atari 130XL (Sophia DVI) | C64 (1541 Ultimate II, Rev3 RFMod Replacement) | TI 99/4A (F18A, 32k, FlashROM 99) | Sinclair ZX Spectrum 128 (Stereo, DivMMC) | Amstrad CPC664 (512k, M4 Wifi) | ... |
User avatar
Sausageinabun
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:42 am

Re: My First Atari ST

Post by Sausageinabun »

I've retrobrited a few machines over the last year or so, several Amiga 500's, an Amiga 2000 Keyboard, a few bezels, etc. Not had a problem so far, but yes I've seen some of the horror pictures from doing an ST. Strangely enough, mine seems to only have yellowing to the small portion just under the FDD, and none whatsoever on the top case half!!

I've always been an Amiga person in the past, but I've got to admit, I'm loving the Atari, and this one was simply too good to pass up on for the price and with the extras.

I have this morning pulled the PSU out, it's the Mitsumi SR98, and as soon as Chris gets a cap kit in stock, I'm first in the queue. I really don't want to run her any longer without the remedial work having been carried out.

In fact, I'd buy an upgraded PSU from him also, which would give me a spare for another project, but they are also out of stock at the moment :-(

I bought it for the Midi really, and am looking forward to integrating her into the music room.

I can play games on the Amigas right ;-)
A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station...
User avatar
IngoQ
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1066
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:38 am
Location: Germany

Re: My First Atari ST

Post by IngoQ »

Sausageinabun wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:59 pm I've retrobrited a few machines over the last year or so, several Amiga 500's, an Amiga 2000 Keyboard, a few bezels, etc.
So you are a fellow collector, it seems? Or Amiga and now Atari ST exclusively? Where do you live?
Sausageinabun wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:59 pm Strangely enough, mine seems to only have yellowing to the small portion just under the FDD, and none whatsoever on the top case half!!
Maybe that was the small part that looked out of the bookshelf ;)

I was very lucky with my 1040STE as well. It was almost unnused and stored without sunlight, so no yellowing whatsoever. I can almost see the kid whishing for an Amiga for months and then, finally the big package under the christmas tree... unwrapping it... and staring at the Atari Logo :-D Switched it on a couple of times and then stored it away to never touch it again... his pain, my joy ;)
Sausageinabun wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:59 pm I've always been an Amiga person in the past, but I've got to admit, I'm loving the Atari, and this one was simply too good to pass up on for the price and with the extras.
I can relate... My first computer was an 8-Bit Atari, a 130XE. But I had friends in our local computer club, and I was surrounded with a bunch of different machines. C64 and C128 at first, and later STs, Amigas and even an Acorn Risc PC. So now I try to collect all these machines, that I knew of that time, and that had any relevance in germany.
Sausageinabun wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:59 pm I bought it for the Midi really, and am looking forward to integrating her into the music room.
Sounds interesting. I'm especially curious about a statement about how a STE can keep up in more or less modern music production.
Sausageinabun wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:59 pm I can play games on the Amigas right ;-)
Although this might be almost a religious question, I would agree. If you have an Amiga, there is really no reason to play games on the Atari, at least not for me. I am more interested in application use, and as I get more and more sucked into this hardware community, I might further move in that direction as well.

But for me this is what is about: Discovering the strength and weaknesses of different systems, exploring ways to improve and enjoying the simpler and often more efficient ways, things used to be.
Ingo :geek:

| Atari 1040STE@32MHz | Amiga 1200 (ACA1220) | Atari 800XL (U1MB, SIDE2) | Atari 130XL (Sophia DVI) | C64 (1541 Ultimate II, Rev3 RFMod Replacement) | TI 99/4A (F18A, 32k, FlashROM 99) | Sinclair ZX Spectrum 128 (Stereo, DivMMC) | Amstrad CPC664 (512k, M4 Wifi) | ... |
User avatar
Sausageinabun
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:42 am

Re: My First Atari ST

Post by Sausageinabun »

So you are a fellow collector, it seems? Or Amiga and now Atari ST exclusively? Where do you live?
Lol, you could definately say that. I've got a lot of retro hardware. I have recently finished a complete refurb on a TRS-80 III, which is now pristine, and I am nearing completion of an A2000 refurb at the moment. I live in Manchester, North West UK.
Maybe that was the small part that looked out of the bookshelf
You're probably right there :-)
I can almost see the kid whishing for an Amiga for months and then, finally the big package under the christmas tree... unwrapping it... and staring at the Atari Logo :-D Switched it on a couple of times and then stored it away to never touch it again... his pain, my joy ;)
Haha, you certainly paint a vivid picture, the poor kid ;-)

Germany eh, I lived in Hameln for about 14 years, in fact I bought my first A500, A2000, and A4000 whilst living there :-)
I'm especially curious about a statement about how a STE can keep up in more or less modern music production.
Me too, I can't wait to get the PSU situation resolved, and start to use her!!

I'm a hardware junky, and I do feel that the Atari has plenty of scope to give me a lot of enjoyment going forwards.

I mentioned a future project for the possible spare PSU ;-)
A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station...
User avatar
IngoQ
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1066
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:38 am
Location: Germany

Re: My First Atari ST

Post by IngoQ »

Sausageinabun wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 3:13 pm Germany eh, I lived in Hameln for about 14 years, in fact I bought my first A500, A2000, and A4000 whilst living there :-)
Hameln, that's roughly 40km from Stadthagen, where I was born. I now live next to Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel.

There was a garrison of the british army stationed in Hameln for almost 70 years I think. Was that the reason you were there?
Ingo :geek:

| Atari 1040STE@32MHz | Amiga 1200 (ACA1220) | Atari 800XL (U1MB, SIDE2) | Atari 130XL (Sophia DVI) | C64 (1541 Ultimate II, Rev3 RFMod Replacement) | TI 99/4A (F18A, 32k, FlashROM 99) | Sinclair ZX Spectrum 128 (Stereo, DivMMC) | Amstrad CPC664 (512k, M4 Wifi) | ... |
User avatar
Sausageinabun
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:42 am

Re: My First Atari ST

Post by Sausageinabun »

IngoQ wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 3:33 pm
Sausageinabun wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 3:13 pm Germany eh, I lived in Hameln for about 14 years, in fact I bought my first A500, A2000, and A4000 whilst living there :-)
Hameln, that's roughly 40km from Stadthagen, where I was born. I now live next to Brunswick and Wolfenbüttel.

There was a garrison of the british army stationed in Hameln for almost 70 years I think. Was that the reason you were there?
Ganz genau :D
A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station...
User avatar
IngoQ
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1066
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 8:38 am
Location: Germany

Re: My First Atari ST

Post by IngoQ »

Die Welt ist ein Dorf ;)
Ingo :geek:

| Atari 1040STE@32MHz | Amiga 1200 (ACA1220) | Atari 800XL (U1MB, SIDE2) | Atari 130XL (Sophia DVI) | C64 (1541 Ultimate II, Rev3 RFMod Replacement) | TI 99/4A (F18A, 32k, FlashROM 99) | Sinclair ZX Spectrum 128 (Stereo, DivMMC) | Amstrad CPC664 (512k, M4 Wifi) | ... |
User avatar
Sausageinabun
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:42 am

Re: My First Atari ST

Post by Sausageinabun »

IngoQ wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 3:56 pm Die Welt ist ein Dorf ;)
Das kann man mit sicherheit sagen :-)
A train station is where the train stops. A bus station is where the bus stops. On my desk, I have a work station...
User avatar
exxos
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 23499
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 11:19 pm
Location: UK
Contact:

Re: My First Atari ST

Post by exxos »

:welcomewave:
Sausageinabun wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:59 pm I have this morning pulled the PSU out, it's the Mitsumi SR98, and as soon as Chris gets a cap kit in stock, I'm first in the queue. I really don't want to run her any longer without the remedial work having been carried out.
They are back in stock now :)
Sausageinabun wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:59 pm In fact, I'd buy an upgraded PSU from him also, which would give me a spare for another project, but they are also out of stock at the moment :-(
Yes I'm afraid so :( I pretty much do not have any more spare power supplies left to actually upgrade, I may come across the odd one now and then, but of course the only source of these is buying machines and breaking them for spares. There were the prices of the machine skyrocketing lately, is just not viable to buy machines any more.

I do have my own power supplies which are of course much better. And trying to build up another batch of these currently is slow going.
Sausageinabun wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:59 pm I bought it for the Midi really, and am looking forward to integrating her into the music room.
That would be awesome :) people using Atari's for MIDI seems to be on a steady increase of late from what I have seen and heard :)
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/ All my hardware guides - mods - games - STOS
https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/ - All my hardware mods for sale - Please help support by making a purchase.
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585 Have you done the Mandatory Fixes ?
Just because a lot of people agree on something, doesn't make it a fact. ~exxos ~
People should find solutions to problems, not find problems with solutions.
Post Reply

Return to “INTRODUCE YOURSELF”