Most liked posts in thread: What's new Pussycat too?

I'm similar to Matt in the way of tinkering being as much fun as the items themselves. Back in the day, I enjoyed ripping out sprites, character sets, area maps etc etc as much as playing the games. I mean, who didn't like the Preppie font, it was impossible not to like it

My all-time love was to cheat stuff, it wasn't because I didn't play the games normally and just cheated them, I simply loved the challenge of finding the cheat locations and figuring the code out. I played most games without cheats with the exception of Spelunker which I found incredibly annoying with so many deaths from ladders.

So I was the software version of Matt, I love his solution finding stuff, he's way more techy than me and it's great reading.

You carry on with the tinkering, my friend..

 

Oddly, Art is one of my highest exam results bar Information Technology that I did in college, but I'm not very arty, I wanted to draw comic book superheroes and was proficient enough to do so to a degree, but it's my understanding of the creation of scene's, lighting and artistic reasoning that got me the exam result. To be honest, I rarely draw any more and the trophy has been taken over by Serena who is an excellent artist and has so much understanding of what art is all about, plus she's a whizz with photoshop etc.

As for the sprites etc, I was ripping them from the games, as said, I'm not that creative that way..

I did it as a challenge, same way I decided to learn 6502 and some 65C816 rather than BASIC, I was drawn to the harder language to learn. I wish my mathematics had been better since programming is pure maths at heart. Shame, as I learn most stuff at a very rapid rate and normally end up being as good if not better than the person teaching me.

But all that was back then, when my brain was awake and hungry, now it just wants a snack at best..

Always wanted to fly a helicopter, guess that is now a non starter unless I win the lottery..

 

Well my Atari Lynx El Cheapo SD cart from Benn Venn arrived yesterday so now I have all the official games in one place along with homebrew games that I have found.
I quite fancy that Wyvern Tales RPG from Songbird Productions but $100 is a lot of money…
My MSX Uridium cartridge arrived yesterday as well so happy days, really nice product from Eric in the Repro Shop.

 

Here are some pictures of my El Cheapo SD Card





free upload pictures

 

I just made a copy&paste from WA web of the image on the forum editor.
What's best to ensure that the image will surely be visible?

 

I have the C64 version and it is a big improvement on the original so I’ll have to check this Atari version out… all we need now is a Lynx version

 

Bruce Lee was indeed very easy for the most part, with only the running lights jumps a bit hard to time. Also, if you started it as 2 player and move joy 2 with your foot (it checked to see if a real person was playing it) you got 9 lives.

Bruce Lee II and Return of Fury are considerably harder, but both are just superb extra material for a Bruce Lee / platformer fan.

I totally recommend a bash on a real C64 or emulator with Bruce Lee II.

I didn't complete many games playing normally, I always found playing with the code more fun, but I did finish Bruce Lee and Jumpman and a few others. Likewise, I had to recently watch a walkthrough to see how to play infiltrator, I had no idea what I was doing

Gave up on it when I got to the base and had to do all the searching..

Sigh, my patience / concentration levels are less than they used to be. Mind you, it does not help when playing a game that your neck feels like there's a knife in it, sort of ruins the experience Thank goodness for Tramadol... (As much as I hate having to take it)

 

So, I acquired some new toys and nick-knacks over the past week. As soon as I'm done posting here, I'll load up some more pictures of my XL Command Center and the opposite corner of my room where my entertainment center and show case are at as well.

First on the list of new-to-me goods is an absolutely brilliant pair of power theatre recliner seats. I have one in my room and the other in my brother's room until we build a den/man-cave to put both and set up my projector and screen. These like-new chairs where given to me by a customer who was given a new pair by their son.



They have power recline and headrest adjustments and also give a vibrating back massage if you wish. I was considering getting rid of my bed this chair is so comfortable. The armrests open with hydraulic arms to store items. I quickly filled one side with remotes and the other with game controllers.

But the chair is large and my room is small, so I had to do some re-arranging and down-sizing and consolidation in other areas to make room for it. I changed out my full-size bed for a single (never needed more than that anyway) and I moved my glass case and entertainment center and I was forced to get rid of my electronics work table and consolidate my XL Command Center even further (after adding the 23" TV) to allow room to work on my electronics.





Though I have decided I hate my 1200XL system set-up currently and I will be moving the CRT TV to a stand about a foot high that will sit directly under my projection screen, and use it there for my vintage consoles that I want to use with a CRT screen, and return my 1200XL system to the set-up I had and continue to use an LED screen until I get my perfectly sized 14" CBM 1084S repaired. I also had to move my 3D printer over on top of my glass case.

The next thing to share is I finally finished re-building my JVC stereo system's pair of speaker cabinets (12 inch woofers, 100 watts each) that had been water damaged. I still need to repair the cabinet face covers with new material though (mouse eaten). The other two identical pair were lost in my storage robbery. So then I also got a pair of new 50 watt front shelf speakers and mounted them to the walls so I finally had Quadraphonic stereo sound output! (the same as surround 4.1 today, but no need for a sub-woofer with 12" woofers) I still have to put up paneling and trim in my room, sorry for the naked walls!



I enjoyed my quadraphonic sound for about 20 minutes until my JVC amplifier went out on me! The culprit is the component I have a close-up shot of below.



Next on my "What's new pussycat" agenda, one of the two PAL/NTSC converters arrived, the other should be here tomorrow then my S-video via two composite video converters experiment begins!



The last new addition to my set-up is a decoration, a Steampunk hat I found in a specialty shop for $30. I won't ever actually where it around, private or public, but I do have a clay, life-size head of myself I made back in college that I'll dig out, finally paint and don with this Steampunk top-hat and put on display.


That's all that's new here for me, for now.

 

Looks like Captain Kirk's chair, love the steampunk hat but I don't have the balls to wear one

The room with the chair in is looking 'busy' to me but because of my balance issues I like rooms to be fairly clear of things I can trip up on, love the double cup holder on the chair

 

Oh, thank you very much Matt, I'll keep a look-out and let you know when it arrives..

That's cheered me up, thank you..

The Address should be the same as Andy has as I've had cards from him..

Quite the kid at Xmas feeling now

Paul..

 

To be honest, I thought it was either lost or going to end up back with you because of the length of time it had been out, but while I was washing up I saw the post van pull up and my door buzzer went..

I'd forgotten the game was a cart for these versions and thought, oh god, I can't play it without digging out my drives (a huge job), so was very happy when I saw the cart as it would have been hell with this blasted long covid, makes even the most simple thing seem so tiring.

Will be dropping my daughter back to Uni later (managed to get her to stay a few days longer) so will have a bash afterwards (if I have the strength after shifting half her stuff)

 

Well, my next non-Atari micro is set in stone as long as it is successfully shipped to me. Due to another unexpected deal, instead of a C64, ADAM or BBC micro, my next 8-bit computer, with a 6809 at it's heart, will be the TRS-80 Coco model 2.

I'd rather have a Coco 3, but they are selling for similar or higher prices to the 1200XL, one on eBay now is listed for $500. But, The Coco 2 is more the contemporary of the Atari and C64, while the Coco 3 was more like an Apple IIGS or an Atari with the VBXE and Rapidus installed. But there are apparently lots of cool upgrades for me to do with it.

I had a few C64's, Coco 2's and ADAM buy-it-now* listings being watched for the last few weeks and I unexpectedly received an offer from this person selling a Coco 2 as-is (powers on), but in great physical shape, which is what I look for, since I know I can fix the electronics inside if need be.

listed for about $85, the offer made was for $50, a price I haven't come close too, except when excessive shipping costs are added on, so it not the real price you are paying anyway. Even with other as-is/parts micros. So I decided to except the deal and start my TRS-80 CC2 system collection with just the computer and PSU (internal) only...and another project added to my list! I figured it must be destiny with my recent acquisition of a mouse and joysticks for it.

Though this means adapting the mouse to the Atari will have to wait until I pick up another mouse, preferably the model 2 version which is cream colored to match the Coco 2, the one I have will work fine, but is the black model 1 version. Then I'll adapt the CC1 mouse for use with 8-bit Atari art programs compatible with touch-tablets. But it was just for the heck of it as a fun project as I'm perfectly satisfied with my touch-tablets and ST mouse with compatible programs (very few, which is why I had the idea to adapt the analog TRS-80 mouse for touch-tablets).

In the mean time, I've got two TRS-80 analog joysticks, and only need one, so I can adapt one of them for use with Atari touch-tablet programs and see how well it works (early CAD computers used analog joysticks before the mouse and touch tablets were invented, so I'm sure it will work much better than using a standard digital CX40 like too many A8 art programs are restricted too), and when it comes time for adapting the mouse, it will be that much quicker and easier with the joystick experience.

I'm not giving up on a C64, but I'm waiting for lightning to strike with a deal there with vintage micro prices skyrocketing. But the Coco 2 was second on my list of possible 8-bit micro I might own. It will be fun seeing how wide the system becomes and how I'll figure out where to put it as the system grows, because most peripherals and devices besides tape & disk drive and printer, chain together out the side cartridge/expansion port, just like the TI-99/4A systems.



More pictures and the description here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/184740223761

*I haven't bought something via auction for years because of too many snipers and those with winning bid addiction driving prices more than I want to pay, and of course having to wait for auctions to end

 

Suddenly finding I'm completely knackered, will probably do a test later as the people upstairs (not the mad woman) had covid recently. Me, I'm more of an afternoon / evening gamer, used to be way more active in it around 15yrs ago but since the pains etc have got much worse, I tend to do less, but I still do play..

Been playing the Switch version of Zelda: A link to the past, love this game, played it on SNES and other Zelda games on the gameboy.

 

I'm beginning to think that anything with a keyboard and a mains plugs would tempt Matt

I think we all need a lottery win, and then we get the dream man cave..

Went out to go to Poundland and walked about 20 yards and was breathing very heavy and having a bit of a wobble walking, must have looked like a drunk. So jumped in the car and went that way when I'd normally walk up to the shops for stuff like bits from Poundland.

As for it being hell, well when it's really bad I could almost cry but it's rarely as bad as that but lets just say, if I'm having a rough day then it's pretty uncomfortable to say the least, things like games, washing up etc go off the menu. Sorry to hear Richie has the same sort of issues, it's something I'd only wish on those 'tards upstairs.

At the mo I can pick me nose, surf the net and hold a joypad....So not all bad...But can I wipe me arse..........Yeah, I'm good..

 

Thank you once more, Rich, for the splendidly-packed parcel you sent last week (only just got round to opening - sorry, busy weekend with the folks down to visit).

As you can see, the two new arrivals here certainly LIGHT up my life and so dad and Johnny will be over the moon with these working babies thanks to you, fella:



(I just now need to interface the two!)

... and here's the tester last night:



Brilliant, Rich.

Thank you so much as you've made three people very happy with these repairs and replacements.

Got a goody for you coming over your way real soon OR personally drop off at yours when we're next up in the north east.

Cheers, mate and have a top weekend.

 

I finally moved my new office trailer back home, and parked it in a shady area I cleared. It's 16x8 foot, 128 square feet of floor. It comes complete with electricity (just have to run a line to the main breaker box on a pole about 20 feet away), lighting, air conditioning, electric floor heaters along the walls, fully insulated and paneled, barred windows and door, window shades and even came with a small office refrigerator.


I will probably use indoor/outdoor polyester carpeting on the floors, though in a different color than green. I think I've seen red, blue, black and grey colors too. I will probably make built-in work benches and office desk. For now I'm going to install portable shop racks and a plastic fold-up table and my small work table I had to remove from my room to make room for my new chair.

We are going to jack up the building and put a cinder block foundation under it and pull the trailer out to retro-fit as another trailer for the small tractor I'm getting and for hauling junk/brush/wood/etc. My brother will be welding a sheet-metal floor to the trailer with a new Tig welder we are buying for it and future projects. I'll build slatted trailer walls out of wood that will drop in and pull out of the trailer bed via slots for 2x4 lumber welded to the side and I'll get a tail-gate diamond mesh ramp that lifts and lowers in the rear.

Trailers of this size, minus the building, and made for machinery and junk hauling sell for $3000-5000 with wooden floors and 6" angle iron or metal tube walls. So this one will be even better than those. And a small building of this size sell for about $2000-3000, though I could have built it myself for $1000. Still, an incredible deal just with this alone for $1400 worth of lawn service and removal of one 30-40 foot tree (about 1.5 feet in diameter) that I'd normally charge about $500 to remove. Though we'll be putting $500-$1000 into the trailer's retro-fitting.But I also got the small tractor and rider mower in the deal too. I'll be retrieving them soon as well.

 

The new OS board and Extended Basic rom for my Coco 2 arrived today, so once I plug it in, with the 64K upgrade I already did, I will be 100% compatible with all Coco 1& 2 software just not Coco 3's, but that's coming...I don't know why the picture keeps coming up upside down here, I have tried three times to correct it's orientation without luck!

 

There will be plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead, as they say. And too much I need to do and too much I want too do all at the same time. I do actually average about 5 hours of sleep a night, trying to fit in what I want to do after doing what I need to do.

 

Alex, get the diagnostic rom and run it, it will most likely say U22 is bad or another chip...At least it may pinpoint the right IC for you.. If its MIT ram then it's a known one to go wrong..

Thankfully the 4164's are still available all over the place at not so bad prices. ALas the soldering / desoldering is most of the fun

Longboard C64's are known track lifters..

 

@AlexDrito

I can't say I'm an expert on C64's, but I know my stuff with electronics in general, and my vast experience with Atari 8-bits and expanded knowledge of 8-bits with all I've learned with my TRS-80 Coco 2 while upgrading and modifying it.

From my experience, you are better off replacing all 74LSXXX I.C.'s with newer compatible ones, this includes 74HCXXX and the even newer 74FXXX I.C.'s. Especially if you upgrade and mod, because the extra electronic hardware adds "stress" in the timing and signal strength between the chips on the buss, and also more strain on the PSU and capacitors and maybe even more heat on the entire system, added capacitance and resistance issues too.

The newer I.C.'s like the HC and F series, because they are faster, can be a huge help in fixing those timing and signal issues, they also consume less power and give off less heat and lessen over capacitance or resistance issues too. And as the original used LS chips age, like old capacitors, it's best to swap them out even with stock computers. And though using replacement LS I.C.'s is fine, it actually is better to use the newer HC or F series of the 74 type logic chips because they do help with all the old, used, weak components in these old 8-bits by the same token too.

And with the over-heating issues and old capacitor issues and other break downs I've read about with Commodore 64's (at least the older bread-bin models) I would not only keep the 74F258 chip right where it is, but any other 74LS series I.C.'s in the computer should be replaced with newer 74HC or 74F I.C.'s. I swapped out all the 74LS series I.C's in my multiple 8-bits (as well as capacitors and precision sockets) with 74HC and more recently 74F's in the TRS-80 Coco 2 I'm upgrading. I have none of the issues I hear that others have with heavily upgraded Atari's or Coco's because of these upgrades, and others, more expert than I, on Atari Age often suggest this as a fix with certain known problem areas when people have issues with some Atari upgrades and stability problems caused by some or all of the above.

I don't know why anyone told you that your C64 would be better off with original 74LS258 or any other 74LS chips. Being faster is only a good thing (as well as the other benefits I mentioned), in my experience. This is about latency or the lack of, not clock speeds. Everything will still run at 1Mhz on the C64, or .08Mhz on the Coco 2, or 1.77/9Mhz on the Atari's. The newer 74HC or 74F chips just react faster in response to signals passed along to them, but the clock speed in and out is still the same! As long as the chip is 74 series and the same number at the end as the 74LS it is replacing, it is better to go with the newer versions.

And the original hard-to-find MOS7709 I'd think would be no better in it's aspects than a 74LS258 and maybe even worse as it's probably even an older version of the 74 series...though I admit this is a guess, as I know nothing of the MOS7709's, but it must be compatible with the 74X(X)258's or you couldn't use any 74 series as a replacement in the first place. Newer tech will always be better for all the reasons given, as long as it's compatible.

My guess must be that anyone that gave you advice on returning to the MOS7709 or 74LS258 chips really doesn't know much about electronics or the chips and is guessing themselves that they would be better just because they were used originally, which is a totally false assumption.

Only in the case of the small industry standard I.C.'s that are in all 8-bits there to support the main processors in what ever capacity they are designed for, I'm not referring to CPU's or custom chips like the VIC II or SID, that do the real computing, because when it comes to referring to their speed, in that case it does refer to the clock rate in as much as the maximum they are designed to handle safely. But even with them, if you replaced a 1Mhz CPU with one rated at 2Mhz, as long as the pins are all compatible (not always the case, a perfect example being the 6510 of the C64, which is basically a 6502, but because of unique features that make it a 6510, is not pin compatible, so you can't swap them out). But on the other hand I have replaced my 6502B in my 800 with a 6502C which are pin-compatible and even though the 6502C is rated for a higher clock speed, it still runs at the normal 1.77/9Mhz because the crystal is the same.

Sorry for the long instructional or "lecture" post, but I wanted to explain why and not just say the 74F or 74HC are better, so you understand and are not just accepting my word or some one else's on blind faith, especially since otherwise you might be inclined to believe the other's in their false assumption instead of me just because you may know them better than me. As I said at the beginning, I could be wrong for some reason, since I don't know the architecture of the C64, but these small support I.C.'s are the same in all 8-bit and even 16-bit computers, and do the same thing for their part, regardless of the system architecture, so I doubt highly I am wrong.

 

Not that I remember Matt, always possible though with my memory..

As for the chips, I used to know what all the letters stood for when I was selling them but as for their usage, not a clue in all honesty. What little electronics I know does not include circuit design. I can follow a circuit to a degree but if you say that chip latches pin 3 when its high, you may as well be talking gibberish to me.

Electronics never interested me, even though I was employed to sell electronic components and computers (hired for my computer knowledge). When I am interested in a thing, then I learn very quickly, with electronics I just did the basics to allow me to sell stuff and do the 48K 400 upgrades.

 

All prepped and ready to go! Now I just have to wait for some time off and good weather to start painting. All the larger cases and pieces on the left side are slated for white paint. The upper right are pieces slated for grey paint (the top case for the CX85 keypad is getting the face painted grey and then that will be masked and the rest that is masked now will be white. Where the red mouse button is, with a few keys taped together are slated to be painted blue.

I still have to prep a CX85 joystick, and have decided not to paint my extra touch tablet and save it for my second 1200 as the Radio Shack Coco mouse I'm converting will take the place of the touch tablet on my 800.

Pictured devices: 800, 810, 410, CX85, Coco mouse, Fujinet case, my 800's turbo freezer device has a clear cart case that will remain clear as that will still go well with a white 800 system. The PBI PCB it attaches to will get a 3D white printed case.

This will be my last post about this project in this thread, I'll start posting updates and progress, etc. in my 800 upgrade and mod blog.

 

Thank you, Richie. The U14 has been replaced with a 74F258 logic IC and so far, it works pretty fine.
Now this C64 will probably go to a good home (a friend in Turin).

 

Nice story, Baker. The Atari 800 is a fascinating machine and you made a wonderful job refurbishing this "white" specimen.

As for my repairing activities, now that the C64 is basically fixed, next up is a Commodore 16 which is in bad condition (the boot works, the initial screen is fine, the RAM is ok) as the keyboard doesn't work and two keys are missing. The C16 is also susceptible to be expanded to 64K, in many ways (modding the motherboard and adding the RAM chips, or using a PCB that goes under the main CPU and includes static RAM.

 

Looks good Matt. I'd be tempted to go with a grey spacebar so it's not all too white.