Only Atari for me...because...

That's all I own in vintage computers and prices are now so insane, even for common computers like the C64, I can't afford them any more.

When I went on Ebay this morning, deciding "to hell with it" and looking to purchase myself a C64 for my birthday, and found the sky rocketing prices, I have decided to forget it all. When just a BOX for the C64 costs what I thought I'd pay for the computer, it's become too expensive a hobby for me.

The retro world has gone insane with greed. So, I'm now resigned to just stick with my Atari's and buy upgrades for them and forget all other vintage micros exist, because this hobby is becoming a rich-boy's world like exotic cars...or might as well be as I'll never be able to afford either again!

In fact, I'm now thinking about selling off all the retro stuff I already own, as I'll be able to buy myself a chateau in the Caribbean with the profits!

 

Well a happy birthday to you, what sort of a C64 are you looking for C or breadbin..

I have a spare bread bin, PAL tho..PSU would be no use to you..

 

I do want the old bread-bin style, the micro and any peripherals, but I'm not sure I'd want to go with a PAL version...but it's not just the computer alone I'm thinking of, but any add-ons I'd eventually want, the hobby has just become too rich for my blood. There is always a chance I'll find a deal I can afford, maybe in the local Craig's list or something.

For now, for my birthday gift to myself, I've settle on something that I think is a good deal that I bought on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wargame-Construction-Set-Atari-48K-SSI-Computer-Game-1986/153711059815

 

No problem Matt, can see the thinking around that, and as for peripherals, I only have a joystick and my Ultimate 1541 ++, no real drives and the ultimate is staying here

Wow, shipping a 1541 would be horrendous in cost, they are so damn heavy...

 

It's all good Paul, besides, I couldn't possibly get a micro from you, gift or good-deal purchase, when I've still got to get the 1200XL to you that I promised 2 years ago! I'd feel way to guilty about it all and nothing can change that, it's just how I'm programmed in my firmware. My first priority needs to be getting my and your machines running and upgraded anyway, instead of being distracted with more micros, I've just been in my off-cycle for a couple of weeks now. I go through cycles of what I feel like doing with my hobbies, and repairs and upgrades aren't "on" at the moment; no desire to do much with them. But in a day or a week my repair and upgrade cycle could be "on" again and I'll get back to it.

Hopefully, wanting to play my new game will get me back in the mood with repairs and upgrades, but that's also what I thought with the other half-dozen games I purchased this year, and all the new releases and demos...well, it did, sort of, but then I get bogged down in the hardware and it makes me lose interest.

I need a run of successes to get my electronics confidence back, is I think what it is, on the repairs and trouble-shooting side. Rarely does anything go wrong for me with actual upgrades I install, but then unrelated (well, not directly related to the upgrade) issues pop-up it seems with just about every upgrade I've done in the past couple of years. I need a run of successful upgrades and no breakdowns for a bit so it's FUN again and not a chore. But that is exactly my line of thinking when I decided to start upgrading my 800, and get away from trouble-shooting my 1200XL for a while (and quite possibly needing the upgraded 800 with my eprom burner to sort out the 1200XL(s) issues) but instead the keyboard went awry, and exasperated my electronic-oriented mental health situation. Now I'm wishing I still at least had my working 48K 800 instead of no working Atari.

I think I may have a go at the 800 one more time before my birthday arrives, it would certainly be the best birthday gift to have it fully running, with at least the Incognito, Pokey stereo and keyboard all working at the same time!

 

Matt, you know me, I'm all easy about stuff, the fact you offered me the 1200 was wonderful and a gift in itself. As for the breadbin, it's there if you change your mind. And yes the cycle's, yep, have the same in the mood, not in the mood swings myself. Andy himself also has felt that way lately, I go from wanting to play and mess around with the machines to lull's like I'm in now where I just cannot be arsed to do anything, there's just not the same buzz I used to have and I spend more time off than on. I'm not done with retro or even close to being but the good old pain does make it hard to enjoy as much but I'll suddenly have a buzz like I did for the U1MB and enjoyed installing it and using it but then I fizzle out..

Perhaps I need Retro Viagra

 

Well, instead of a C64 & Drive, for my birthday gift to me, I got The War Game Construction Set, complete. And I decided, after @Vyper68 's lead, I went ahead and ordered that second Happy 1050 upgrade from Atarimax as well a Pokeymax from Retronics. I'm not sure which machine will get the Pokeymax yet, maybe I'll use it in the 800 if it's compatible, or my 1200XL, and then take the Dual-Pokey out of one and use it in Paul's 1200XL...Then I'll only need one more Pokey, or Pokeymax for the 800XL's stereo upgrade.

 

I definitely share your frustrations, fellas.

I so much want to get settled with a real good go at the Oric, the microdisk that Graham has so kindly refurbed so well and of course play some games and probably review some hardware - I do get a buzz out of the creativity that comes from posting on here following a real good buzz with our dear old veteran hardware BUT - like you guys point out - there's always a sodding fly in the ointment right now. It might well be a hardware fault (following an upgrade) that makes us feel like one step forwards, three ruddy back OR just "things" that get in the way - eg illness, work, stress from idiots living next door/above etc, chores, fatigue, household DIY, time needed with family and friends and of course, for us right now, a house in bits and dust all around. We've all been there and we've all got the t-shirt but what we desperately need is some time for us guys to cut loose...

I reckon we need to book the lot of us into some kinda Atari Owner Old Folks Rest Home and just.... cut loose and indulge ourselves doing exactly what WE wanna do.

Shall I see what can be arranged for the festive season and has anyone got any good ideas for a venue, eg. Sunnyville, CA?!

Hey, happy birthday for real soon, Matt - send us some pics of some candles lit around your beauties and like you say - give yourself the gift of some Atari retro joy and boot up that wargame construction set and configure it to re-enact the battle between FJC's ego and Brenski's bid to ban Sectorists(!)

I sincerely hope we all get a buzz from some positive retro micro action soon as it's our sustenance and meat and drink.

 

I love camaraderie on here, AA is very blunt and humourless, good for tech help but everyone is too afraid to just talk unless its one of the clique and then OT just gets ignored..

Now its no secret I suffer mental health issues, between life and health issues its been a 'interesting life' but the normal effect is me getting low but I get a good kick from being on here but as Graham found out there are some things that affect me still. I'm a very protective person of my family and surroundings and I'm mostly a hermit by choice, its my way of coping with stuff. Things like phone calls are very awkward for me, I'd rather type stuff and getting me on Skype takes an effort but I want people to know its nothing personal. Get me on a good day and you would wonder what all this thing about mental health is, I'm happy, bouncy and would give you my last quid but get me on a bad day and I'm withdrawn, awkward, snappy and just down.

Not a person you want on the end of a phone

The other down side is that it makes doing the retro scene really hard, I have PS4 games I've played mere minutes of, genuine games. As I grow older and more in pain I find a lot of this is patchy, small periods of great fun and enjoyment followed by longer periods of being put off by pain and apathy.

A lottery win would be nice, offering security to my wife and daughter would be wonderful, and getting away from here would be just amazing...

Here's 2 quid on a whim

Depressed rant mode off...

 

Actually, I saw the candles my brother bought for the cake, a 5 and a 2, so no ring of candles around the cake. My birthday cake is red velvet, with that real fluffy vanilla cake icing like the pros use for decorating cakes. My brother looked up the recipe for it as it's my favorite icing, most others are too sweet and rich for my tastes. I'll take a picture to share though.

No exciting birthday gifts as far as I know, my brother gave me a salt rock display trinket that has LED lighting inside that changes colors like my LED shelf lighting. he had that's already been set up on my XL command center, you may have seen it in pics, but here it is again, below.

Other than that, I purchased a couple needed pairs of jeans and some socks on my mother's dime, all mine have holes so I desperately needed new ones. And then of course my gifts to myself I told of above. Nothing else to my knowledge, and little goes on around here without my knowledge, so I think that's it

I don't think my sister had any money to buy me a gift, but she might surprise me. My mother may offer me some cash (I handle her money these days) , which I'll subtract the jeans and socks from, but she's not with it mentally these days, so that's why I already bought my presents from her myself, just the type of gift she would give besides cash.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATT!
It sounds like you've done as your mum would have wanted - got you the kind of general stuff you need in terms of some new gear to keep you going and looking smart etc so top marks there and your bro chipped in too with a nice illuminated item and it sounds like your sis would/will if she can - and you can't ask for more than that as we all know.

Yeah, I've got the 5 digit followed by a 3 in just a few weeks and really I think we've all now reached the stage where we wish we could put each annual increment on hold... for at least another 5 as the years now seem to rush by as if our lives have been switched to FAST FORWARD... it's scary, guys, and as I've said before, we need a cheat code to stop the bloody advance of time and instead rewind our facial features, crows feet, receding hairlines and stomach paunches back to when we actually looked attractive(-ish) and slim(mish) back in our teens when Atari first grabbed our attention and our bucks(!)

Paul, you always strike me as a 100% bloody honest, decent, generous, knowledgeable and fun-loving guy so more power to your elbow mate and I sincerely hope the good days massively outweigh the bad. I've had a shyster day today with some right pricks ringing me and requesting some right crazy shit (ie. "I want your team down here now to place a parking ticket on this boat in Brid harbour which is obstructing my view of the sea...") and "Remove these cones at once which are in my way down a neighbouring street..." (the bloody cones were to prevent folks falling down a broken manhole cover - does the tit want us to cause an accident??!!) Together with emails criticising earlier advice I'd passed on - which I received from another team and were supposedly up to date and correct - you just start to get hot and bothered on such days and want to dearly request that these feckers should get a life or go out and play with... the TRAFFIC! So, if I sound a little nobbed off and peeved it's just because I am and I think a lot of us worry about our bad days and maybe we shouldn't - it's the others who are plainly MAD and we just get the shitty end of things trying to HELP!!

LOL..... ;-)

 

Could not do your job Andy, I'd lose my rag.....I can only take so much of "I'm stupid but I want to annoy you anyway"....

Too many people out there with sod all to do but be in your face and push the envelope, takes a lot to set me off but when I go I go big..

These days as I hit blooming 60 next year I don't need that stuff any more...

To be honest Its why I could not go back to work, I'd be so stressed out I'd have a breakdown...Had 2 of those, don't want a hat trick..

Thank you for the kind words, I try to be all of those and to extend the hand of care and friendship where I can..

 

It's amazing how aging effects looks, and how one perceives what looks "good." Even if one were never all that attractive when one was young, to other's that were young, you looked damn attractive to the elderly and they wished they could be your age again, and look like you, even if you were considered plain or unattractive. I've started noticing this in my over-fifty years; how I can look at a 25-year-old plain-Jane woman that I never would have looked at twice when I was 25, and they look good to me now, and I wonder if they'd want to shag an old bloke like me! Youth itself becomes attractive when you aren't youthful anymore.

And while I have been blessed for my first 52 years with good over-all health, and my body still looks about 10-15 years younger than I am, I'm rapidly balding now, my face is really starting to wrinkle. I need dental work, I'm developing arthritis in my hands, and my back and neck hurt more and more often, and I've got the over-sized prostate thing happening now, I figure, since I get up about 3 times a night now to empty the bladder, another new development in the past couple of years. And I've no right at all to complain, especially in light of Paul's health issues, but I hate the lot of it still, and I have another 7 years to go that to be Paul's age, but I could definitely see myself with very similar issues by then too.

I'm going to start taking the vitamins, and prostate pills and just keep using the old arthritic body and asperin, as they say using the joints is the best thing to ward off arthritis, and hope things don't advance quite as fast as a result. I'm just hoping I got more genes from my father than mother, since my grandfather lived until 103, my father probably would have, if not for a blood-clot to the heart at 80. My mum's side all pretty much died off in their 60's and 70's, with my mum being the oldest survivor in here family at 82 now, but she's not going to last much longer, I don't believe. If I take after my mother more, I'll be in Paul's shoes by the time I'm his age. If I take after my father, then I have another few decades in me at least, barring accidental death or disease. I don't mean to upset you Paul, the bright side is we all have lived far longer than many in the history of the world and we should be thankful for that.

 

It's a dangerous road of pain in most cases, chasing after the slightly younger ladies often leads to a rejection but I should point out that I don't do that sort of thing, I'm just a happy old man not wanting to ruin the peace I have and after almost 40 years of marriage it still feels nice. I have a few ladies in the supermarkets who flirt with me but I know its because I'm kind and polite and not that I'm super stud

 

It's just day dreaming for me, I have enough irrational woman in my life already. I really would never pursue it, even with a bird closer to my own age, I like being single too much. But if a lovely woman were to come up to me and say "Oy, let's go 'ave a shag" (sorry about my poor attempt at British slang) I might not turn her down, but I'd expect that to be a one-time thing. Wham-bam-thank-you-mam! As we yanks like to say.

 

And as a single man I wish you all the best in the world in that...It happens..

My mate Tony is similar to you Matt, he's had woman problems ie a woman who wants to bleed you cash dry and destroy your life and he's a dedicated single man, he wouldn't swap it for the world and happy as larry.

Me, I got lucky, me and cindy click on all levels, we chose to have our daughter late after being in great jobs and despite all the crap we have had to put up with we still have that certain link.

 

A little update on my self-purchase Atari Birthday gifts.

1) Complete: Wargame Construction Set from SSI
2) Pokeymax QUAD + Covox (top model- the equivalent of 4 Pokey's (16 Pokey voices!) and one 4-channel Covox)
3) Atarimax Happy 1050 upgrade w/disk
4) Atarimax Warp+ 32-in-1 OS

I decided to get another 32-in-1, to see if it's the issue with my PBI 1200XL, and if the 32-in-1 in it is still working, then install it in my other 1200XL and install a 4-in-1 in my PBI 1200XL (which I would upgrade to 8-in-1) then the 800XL will get a 4-in-1 and Paul's 1200XL will get the new 32-in-1, because I have access to additional OS's through the PBI with Syscheck 2, so an 8-in-1 upgrade too the internal OS will be enough on my PBI 1200XL. That will be 12 OS's total and one diagnostic OS between MyIDE II Mybios, 8-in-1 internal OS, 4-in-1 Syscheck OS.

I made sure the Quad Pokeymax V2 was compatible with Atari's, too, as the Pokeymax V1 was only for arcade machines, stereo or quad versions. There is some Quad Pokey music already out too. But then I decided for a mere $5 more I can have the top version with COVOX too!

I now plan on installing the Pokeymax into my 800, and the Dual Pokey upgrade I made for it will go into Paul's 1200XL so it has stereo.

So Paul's 1200XL will have a 32-in-1, Dual Pokey stereo sound, and of course a Rambo 256 upgrade.

In the end, I spent about $200, but I still couldn't get a C64 plus a drive or SD card drive for less than that. I just don't think that a C64 should be more than $50, since they are so plentiful still, compared to many other micros, and floppy drives shouldn't be costing a premium either since it's getting harder to find new floppies, keep old ones working, and they shouldn't be in demand for those reasons and the fact that SD card and other alternatives exist these days. I expect higher prices from Atari hardware these days, but there are less than 1/10th or 1/20th as many of them as there are C64's.

 

I just realized I wrote Christmas instead of Birthday...I'll just go edit that...

 

Whether we're talking birthday and/or Christmas, Matt, that's a pretty neat list of presents, gifts, upgrades and general great-sounding Atari artefacts that would make an Oric-owner weep!
Some super sound enhancements, OS options and heaven knows what else in there, ie. Happy disk upgrade too - who needs a Commode 64?!
Take your point on the prices though - it would seem - do you agree - that since Lockdown, generally retro micro prices have gone up even higher, say by another 50-100%? I'm seeing this in Oric circles... (or should I say blocky ovals?!) that even untested single 'bare' unboxed and minus even a PSU examples are going for around £100 with a boxed one listed at anywhere between £250 and £400! It's madness, I tell thee... mad, mad, mad...

 

Yes, for some brands, like Coco and C64, they have gone up 150% at least since I last looked about a year ago. How much of it has to do with the pandemic or not I couldn't say if it due to it or coincidence, I haven't been looking often enough.

I'd thought about a quad pokey board DIY myself, but it was in the distant future if at all, and with traditional Pokey's I'm not sure where it would fit, surely I'd have to do a ribbon from the socket to a board elsewhere. then Pokey IC's started sky-rocketing in price, and I've had no luck finding my 7800 carts to salvage them from. So a Pokeymax started sounding better for the same price as a Pokey, but works like two, and is now 100% compatible, I decided it was time to take the plunge with on of my Atari's. But then I started looking at the different options, for about $10 more than the Pokeymax stereo I could have Pokeymax Quad with Covox and still have stereo compatiblity, I figured what the hell. I was never interested much in a Covox sound upgrade, but for $5 more than the Quad-only Pokeymax, again, what the hell.

 

Well I seem to be missing out on some new threads, hadn't seen this one until prompted by Matt's post, as was viewing his profile. Must be my settings someplace..

So what can I say a great thread.. I did wish Matt a belated Happy Birthday earlier on, some great prezzy's on there way..

Looks like I'm very similar to Paul in Age 58 at the moment but 60 next year. Always get to the start of the New Year and it pointed out you’ll be whatever age I am + 2 years, next year ... an issue when your Birthday's towards the end of the year.

Although nothing Atari related a few good things, I do really seem to have improved and much better concentration level's etc etc. I've been approached by a new drama group to help them with their lighting and sound. And a good friend Mike Regan an ex Works GP rider, a similar age to me tried out on a sponsor’s motor bike, a Yamaha R6 in full race trim. He spent some time getting used to it and then promptly pissed off all the 1000cc race bike's by setting the fastest times on the day,, seems he still has it in him; that was two weeks back.. He now owns a Full on Honda 600cc Race Bike recently used (2017-18) round the Isle of Man TT GP averaged 118MPH and that was in the Junior class. Apparently WE are going racing, was on the cards earlier in the year now it's a happening so I guess my old ‘CB’ handle as Spanner Man is back.. Seems I’ll be doing the engine rebuilds about three a year. Plus anything else, the ECU however doesn’t have a 6502

There’s no pillion seat on a race bike Thank God, I know Mike too well... and I’ll not be trying it out myself. It’s only got Two wheels I like Four, stops me falling over in the corners..

 

Ruddy hell, Graham...
Do you ever STOP?! Hehe, I dunno, mate, what with family and work and hobbies, all these other guys and organisations who know of your talents and clearly do extremely interesting things, no wonder you often feel a little fatigued and worn down, buddy... your caseload / jobs to do list would kill a bloke half your age!
Seriously and sincerely, you have one hell of a fascinating set of friends and interests with your shooting, electronics, cars, bikes and engine rebuilds etc etc - you could keep 10-12 forums busy with your threads and posts, mate, and I've no idea how you do it - is Pam your events secretary and general manager??!!
Mate, as I often say on here, more power to your elbow - folks like you, Paul and Matt get through a shedful of grief, jobs, hassle and retro/electronics achievements on here on a daily/hourly basis and my head spins just keeping up with you guys, let alone getting round to actually DOING any of it myself (PMSL!!)
Which reminds me, I must, must, must put some time in (where possible) to testing the Oric Microdisc PSU job you so kindly put so much time in recently and post up results here as I've been sadly slacking in terms of new threads of late.
Good news though is that we now have a fully formed ROOF with working guttering on the new extension/cave structure here and very soon now they will come inside the house proper and commence demolition of our existing 1910-built kitchen/pantry set-up... then the DUST will really FLY! Have a good weekend, guys. Catch you again soon...

 

Good luck with the remodel, @Andy Barr , I'm still completing my house as money and time present itself, I still have to finish and paint the walls in the laundry, kitchen and living room, as well as a few in my own room, then I have to put tongue and groove flooring throughout everything mentioned but my bedroom, which has it in my XL command center area, but the rest of the room gets carpet. With sub-flooring and sheet-rock walls still exposed, and all the A/C units and fans going this summer, we still have tons of dust everywhere here too.

I just completely removed everything from my command center Thursday, the day after my Birthday, dusted and polished the area and my electronics and it all already has a layer of dust again I can see when I swipe my finger across something! I need a full-time maid around here for dusting alone! I also need to set up my mothers sewing machine, learn to use it, and sew myself about 20 dust covers to cover all my electronic Atari components.

 

Yea I like to keep busy and it's been a real downer over what I think was more than the last few months, just so unlike me.

I'll echo Matt's best wishes, looks like things are getting done, How soon will you be sealed up i.e. all the Gap under the Roof, Windows in etc. ? Certainly looking good in the pictures you took.

I've been through the building stage, not on the same scale as you Matt, and used builders for the bit's I'd be no good at or just too slow, like bricking, screeding / plastering the walls and ceilings. Once the structure was built, I did all the inside bar the plastering. I did dig the footings and sort the drains out before they started. My missus did moan about the work and the dust etc. but once it was completed, that's Kitchen fitted decorated etc. and the upstairs done it was a whole lot better.

It also cost me time as couldn't be doing that every evening and have time for hobbies was all on a back burner for a while, by the time Bathroom, Kitchen, utility room and study completed, I think it was about two years, completed most of kitchen 1st, then bathroom, back to final bits in kitchen and utility room then the study or my hobby room, and ended up as my office. It was worth it in the end, but shortly after all that my back gave out, and ended up a year later having three back operations. I’d been in pain for several years prior to that and I guess I over did it, I was told after my recovery that whilst on the Morphiate drugs that my personality was different and when I was finally off them back to my old self..

 

Just saw this, are you sure Matt, it feels like I getting some of your birthday money?

Thank you is too little..I wish I could do more...