Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

Post by rubber_jonnie »

PhilC wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 10:56 am They did arrive pretty quickly, so youd better get cracking :lol:

Have you got a spare sound chip or would you like me to send you one?
Offer much appreciated, but I have a spare and a socket too.

Planning on cleaning the PCB today and getting the sound chip in and making sure it boots afterwards. I'll also likely give the case a good scrub too. I'm not concerned about retrobrite, the case can stay battle scarred 😁

I'm on leave the week after next so hopefully it'll be up and running pretty sharpish and I can have a play with it properly.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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stephen_usher
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Re: Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

Post by stephen_usher »

rubber_jonnie wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 11:07 am Planning on cleaning the PCB today and getting the sound chip in and making sure it boots afterwards. I'll also likely give the case a good scrub too. I'm not concerned about retrobrite, the case can stay battle scarred 😁
Bah! Just spray it with this stuff from B&Q:
IMG_1589.jpg
IMG_1589.jpg (63.56 KiB) Viewed 4369 times
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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Re: Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 1:56 pm
rubber_jonnie wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 11:07 am Planning on cleaning the PCB today and getting the sound chip in and making sure it boots afterwards. I'll also likely give the case a good scrub too. I'm not concerned about retrobrite, the case can stay battle scarred 😁
Bah! Just spray it with this stuff from B&Q:
That's not great timing, I just scrubbed the case :)
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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stephen_usher
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Re: Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

Post by stephen_usher »

It needs cleaning before you paint it anyway!
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 3:55 pm It needs cleaning before you paint it anyway!
Lol, I was thinking something similar TBH :)
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Ok, good news bad news time.

Good news is that the replacement sound chip is in, as is a Blitter, though not having a keyboard means that testing either is problematic, and since I want to run through the diag cart tests I really kind of need one. However I have ordered an Eiffel adaptor which should be on the way soon, so I can get down to proper testing.

Bad news is that with a floppy connected, I never booted to desktop (Just white screen, and the floppy seek sounded wrong), though on removing the plug to try another floppy, the damn thing disintegrated on me, so I'll fit a proper 34 pin header in place of Atari's ridiculous one, and then use a new cable to connect up. If it doesn't work after that, then I will see if an external floppy works, and re check the connections on the sound chip in relation to drive 0/1.

One final weird thing is that sometimes when I boot with the diag cart connected it shows 2M installed, sometimes it shows 4M installed, so I'm hoping that the Eiffel arrives pretty soon so that I can get some diagnostics run.

Still, seems like progress to me.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

Post by stephen_usher »

Can't you just solder some wires onto the keyboard socket and connect a standard STFM keyboard in the meantime?
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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Re: Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 5:47 pm Can't you just solder some wires onto the keyboard socket and connect a standard STFM keyboard in the meantime?

I can, I have 4 spare keyboards, so yes, just have to get round to it, and I have other stuff to do as well.

EDIT: details found right here on this forum: https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/forum/viewt ... =23&t=1346

So time permitting I may have a go later. Will probably see if I have any old RJ11 cables in my big box 'o cables that can be sacrificed.

Better get back to the stuff I'm supposed to be doing.....
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

Post by PaulJ »

Without a keyboard for now use a serial connection to test with the drag cart.
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Re: Looks like I'll be getting a Mega ST4 soon

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Sadly been stuck fixing the central heating tonight 😞
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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