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

@M.D.Baker I really want a CoCo2 to be honest as a lot of the hardware upgrades I am interested are designed for the CoCo. The NTSC is the preferable choice as it has the artifacting for the additional colours whereas the the PAL versions don't have that ability.
If you come across one in your travels it would be great if you could help me out.

 

I tell you, the "coincidences" and good fortune I keep having from the start with my Coco 2, as I have said from the beginning, seems like destiny or serendipity or Devine intervention or something. First, getting a mint condition Coco 2 for dirt cheap that was suppose to be one needing work, then I accidentally stumble across the SuperSprite FM+ board on Youtube and seem to have been one of the last to buy one before the shop selling them closed, and now just as I'd given up all hope of getting a MOOH board and settling for an SD card reader without all the other upgrades, the CocoSDC and order it today, I first checked my email one last time as hope springs eternal for me, and I was again touched by fate or destiny and I finally received a reply from Tormod saying my MOOH board would soon be ready and he would let me know soon when It's ready to be shipped and I can pay him!

Even though my recently aquired SSFM+ board has expanded memory and NitroOS9 compatibility like the MOOH, it's still one quarter the memory of the MOOH and what's not included with the SSFM+ or CocoSDC on the MOOH is a SPI/MPI controller to add more floppy drives, etc. as slaves without additional controller paks and additional MPI slots that I don't have with the OOjamaflip board, and flashrom space for more roms. So there is still a huge advantage for me to have this with the SSFM+ instead of just the CocoSDC. Plus, the MOOH will fit 3D printed case designs for the CocoSDC!

http://tormod.me/mooh.html

https://thezippsterzone.com/2018/05/08/coco-sdc/

https://www.dragonplus-electronics.co.uk/super-sprite-fm-plus/

 

I have just bought a PAL CoCo2 off feeBay with two Tandy Joysticks, Manuals and around Six cartridges. All untested for £120. I should be able to fix it if it’s poorly so I’m okay with that price. I’ll need to composite mod it but it seems more straightforward compared to an NTSC model. Just and simple Resistor/Transistor mod. Looking at the pictures it’s one of the later models with the T1 VDG but I won’t know for sure.
So I’ll let you all know when it turns up!

 

I always remember seeing the CoCo in early issues of Big K magazine, liked the look of it back then too

Nothing new on the Atari front for me this week. I did pick up Pixel Addict from WH Smith though, and it had a feature on the 800XL so that was nice Pretty cool being able to go into a newsagent and buying that and Amiga Addict. It's like the 80's all over again lol.

Speaking of the Amiga, I've been spending the odd hour playing on the A500 Mini. It's a nice little emulator box that still gives you the proper Amiga 'feels'. Very handy that two of my favourite games are pre-installed on it, Arcade Pool and Kick Off 2. Since buying it, my original Amiga 500 hasn't been switched on at all.

This evening has been spent custom firmware modding a Nintendo 2DS so I can install e-shop games on it from an SD card. Lets me play my favourites like Ridge Racer, Power Drift and Out Run on the go.

And now in the UK we have a four day (three for some lucky people) work week as Friday is a Public Holiday for the Queens Jubilee. Means a little more gaming time and some geeky stuff next weekend

 

Enjoy, Al.

Retro away, buddy, big time and report back here so I have some reading and replying to do when I get out, hopefully Wed night, mate.

Take care, one and all, guys and like Al points out, enjoy to the max the extended UK Bank Holiday this week and let's hope for some decent weather plus decent opportunities to enjoy our hobby and update the rest of the Atari Owner crew.

Many thanks for the support, Al.

 

Here here Andy. I'm visiting Blackpool to go to the Spitfire Museum and TramTown depots. Of course, I'll also be keeping an eye out for retro bargains.

You take it easy after the op' Andy. Don't want you doing anything too exciting like trying to load up a game on ye olde Oric. I'll give you a buzz at some point once you are settled back home.

p.s. Please though, no photo's of you in your theatre gown. That's one bit of retro no-one wants to see!!

 

Speaking of the Oric, I thought you guys might appreciate my colour choice for my Bally Arcade computer keyboard. Here some more pics now that I have it assembled and ready to gf course the LED's can be many different colors and even cycle through them, but I can't show that it photos. When all 3 computers (at the XL Command Center) are fully finished and working I'll video it all with them all lit up and running.


.

 

A few other items arrived today. I finally got around to getting some dust covers for most of my vintage computers and consoles.

I'm still missing a couple, but only because the person I ordered these from don't make them for the other systems and peripherals I have.I need a cover for my 7800, original Xbox and 360, Coco 2. And any I can find for my computer peripherals. These were all purchased on eBay from the same seller, so I still have to search for the others I need on other sites and dealers, or get around to buying a roll of pleather material myself and making my own.

I'll post a pic of my 800CX with it's cover later, as it's in the office trailer and I just decided to dust off and put the dust covers on the ones in my room, and take these pics and post, just before going to bed.

 

Agreed, fella.

500%.

They just tick boxes at the Beeb to keep the wokes, snowflakes and trouser jasper viewers happy.

Anything that used to be good just loses its appeal to folks like us as it is spun, messed with and moulded into something it never was intended to be.

IMHO, the end result just isn't cricket....or Doctor anything anymore.

 

I think that's all part of the reason they have lost so many viewers the last couple of series.

However, say that too loud and your either a dinosaur or a chauvinist!

 

Some times bad luck is a precursor to good luck that more than makes up for the bad.
a couple of days ago the 19" wide screen LCD I use with my PC and 800CX in the shop suddenly died on me. Simply a power issue that I'm sure I could fix, but haven't the time now and if I did, too many more important electronic projects to still finish.

So I started looking on the local classified lists online, searching for someone selling CRT VGA monitors, since I plan on returning my Atari's at least to CRT screens anyway. And now I had to go full speed ahead with the hunt. No private individual in a 50 mile radius had any for sale, but I found a shop in Tulsa that apparently specializes in vintage CRT sales, advertising them starting at $10 with an average price of $35.

I have yet to find time to go get me some monitors from that store.

But, while at a tool and machine store buying tools and machines for my business, I noticed there was a thrift store across the parking lot, and I always make time, if they are right there, to check out thrift shops for vintage goodies. This one was very sparse on electronics or anything other male oriented besides used clothing, but they did have a few old LCD monitors on the shelves. Then I saw it among them! A Dell VGA LCD monitor that was 4:3 screen ratio! That means full use of all screen real estate instead of letter-boxing, at least, like a CRT screen. And the price was definitely right for $4.99!

So I have a VGA 4:3 monitor for my TRS-80 Coco 2 now, to use with the SuperSprite FM+ card and it's RGB scart and my RGBtoVGA converter. It will be a dual-screen set-up with the second screen being CRT, but only for composite video output for programs that use NTSC artifact colors, anything else I'll use the VGA monitor, and in the meantime I'll just steer clear of Artifact color programs or use them in B/W on the VGA screen. I have a monitor for my Coco 2 now!

I moved the 19" LCD I had set up with the 1200XL into the shop to use with the 800CX, until I get VGA CRT screens for both Atari's. Though I have done some work on the 1200XL and it might possibly be working, I haven't tested it yet as everything is unhooked (from last winter's repair and repainting of the XL Command Center) and I've been too lazy to crawl under the desk and feed all the wires through the desktop holes and connect everything again. The 800CX on the other hand is all set up.

I left the $4.99 price sticker on as I intended to take a close-up. but forgot too. I will be disassembling this monitor and painting the case/shell the same color as the rest of my Coco 2 system.

I should find time to get to the CRT monitor store in the next week or too...


The vintage Bose Acoustic-Wave radio is back (I was using it in the shop trailer, but I have my Wefax project SW radio in there now which gets FM/AM too so the Bose isn't needed). I just decided to move it directly in front of the monitor, between the two photos I took above and below, since it matches the Coco 2 system and I need decent speakers and directly in front for proper stereo balance and separation, the monitor being tall enough for the screen to be fully visible still. It's for the FM+ part of my SuperSprite FM+ audio/video card. Another bonus being quick access to a cassette player for audio tapes with a decent stereo box to run the audio too as well. I'm going to get some vintage PC speakers, like I have for my 1200XL system for my 800CX. The Bose just goes with the Coco 2 so much better in color and style without need to paint it.

 

I also found dust cover for my Atari 1010. It's a clear, hard-plastic top instead of a floppy material. But I want to keep dust off the top anyway. Side dust takes much, much longer to develop and it won't be collecting in hard to clean seems or crevasses either.

Retronics out of Germany sells them, as well as dust covers for some Atari and other computer brands, but if they have 1050 covers they are not selling them on eBay atm. I really need covers for my 1020 and custom painted Panasonic dot-matrix printer too, I haven't seen modern covers for any printers, just the occasional vintage ones. Same with the Atari 810 and 1050 drives, but the vintage ones are 2-3 times the price and are light and dark brown, not black like the rest of my covers.

So I think I may just have to buy some black vinyl "Pleather" material and make my own just covers for the rest of my 800/1200 system peripherals, and for the Coco 2 and it's peripherals and even my Bally needs them for it's keyboard & pad and recorder. Heck, I even need them for the TV/monitors.

 

While in the 'Researching TRS-80 Coco...' thread I mentioned in reply to @Vyper68 that the MOOH was the last item I was getting for any of my vintage micros/consoles for a long while, I have already ordered these items from Retronics in Germany, and of course I'll still be getting my quarterly ABBUC mags and disks. And there may be a few future HB software titles I still get for the Atari's or Coco 2...



Though I do hope I can play this game against the computer, as the chance of getting my brother to play it with me is as likely as the current Atari and the "new" Atari VCS succeeding and putting Atari back on top as the industry leader it once was...downloadable version from AtariMania below.

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-inside_12200.html

 

After spending the last couple of weeks checking stock on the CEX website I managed to pick up two PS3 racing games this weekend. Sega Rally and Ridge Racer 7 - two of my favourite racing franchises. Really looking forward to playing them at some point.

Also won an auction for an Atari 7800 about twenty miles away from me, so will be collecting that tomorrow night. It's one machine that I've really missed since selling my last one (at least I know it went to a very good home with Matt!). SainT who brought out the GD Drives for the Lynx and Jaguar is working on a similar device for the 7800 and hopefully that will be released in the latter part of this year. It's also going to have a built in S-Video out to save modding the 7800 itself.

 

So you double dipped then Paul?

I have an xbox 360 as well, but couldn't resist the PS3 after spotting it for £20 in a local Cash Generator! Even after buying 7 games I've shelled out less than £40 in total.

As for the 7800, it has the only home version of Pole Position II which I love. Also Centipede, Galaga and Choplifter are great versions. Some of the latter homebrew stuff is incredibly well done, like the Pac-Man Collection.

Like yourself I started watching Dr Who around the time of David Tennant but it has went far too PC and I'm not sure that's going to change with the next Dr they have lined up. But, I will be watching when Tennant comes back as well.

 

While looking for some dust covers for my 7800 and TRS-80 Coco 2, I did stumble across, of all things, a dust cover for the Sears Video Arcade II, which used the same shell as the Japanese 2700 (2900?) and of course the more venerable 7800. But whatever, I can handle a Video Arcade II dust cover, in fact, if I ever come across one, I'm planning on transplanting an NTSC 7800 (not my custom PAL one I bought from @nysavant) into a Sears Video Arcade II case. This cover appears to be made of canvas material instead of vinyl, but I ordered it in black to match the other covers in colour. It's a shame Sears never got any of the first run 7800 boards during the initial trial release, and made the Video Arcade II an actual 7800 100% 2600 compatible as it is...but with the same style case as the Video Arcade II which is essentially a 2600 Jr. inside.




So I ordered it...$20 with free shipping, so about the same as the others. Now I just need one for the Coco and hopefully some for peripherals. I cancelled the order for the 1010 recorder plastic cover, deciding I want black vinyl for all...

...well, I made a tactical decision and went to Amazon and found some vinyl material to make my own dust covers for the Coco 2 and all my computer peripherals. 2 square yards worth to start. About $25.00 for both sheets. I'll most likely cut to fit and crease at the corners, etc., overlapping, and then use Velcro to hold the seams together.

 

well, I know I said in another thread on this site that I was done purchasing more hobby toys for a while...I lied, unintentionally of course, but when I find something I've been wanting for a while, and on the cheap (by todays prices) I had to over-rule my own word.

I've found and purchased a Sears Video Arcade II (I guess I better order another dust cover) in untested/non-working condition, as I prefer since it just looks dirty and should clean up nicely, since I intend to use the case for an NTSC 7800 motherboard only auction (tested working) which I also found for the price of non-working complete consoles, and since I have another case in mind fit the bill perfectly.

I will just be modifying the bottom half of the case to accommodate different positions of controller ports and other I/O and switches, if necessary. This case top will be restored to mint and left original, no custom painting it. Though I might do something with it's controller and I haven't decided if I want to make a new Atari 7800 badge for it, or leave it as a Sears VA2 and maybe add something more discreet to the current badge, distinguishing it as a 7800; like maybe adding 'Pro-System' underneath the name or 7800, or both, but in more discreet and smaller alphanumeric symbols.

Lastly, I had to have the combo joystick/paddle controller that works with the VA2 console, and will still work perfectly with my 7800 once I make the built-in paddle/joystick buttons work with the 7800 motherboard and modify the two buttons to act individually like 7800 controllers.

Of course my PAL 7800 from @nysavant I custom painted will stay as it is, the main one I use, but I just always wanted a 7800 with a VA2 case, so now I can have it and it will be NTSC one and I don't have to worry about custom OS roms or hacked games to be compatible with all games. They will sit side-by-side, by side (my recently restored Atari 2600 "Vader" VCS)

 

The Video Arcade II dust cover arrived today, I had forgotten that at the last minute I decided to get the red/maroon dust cover since the "black" looked more dark grey and wouldn't match the black vinyl dust covers anyway. I will watch the seller for when they have more 7800 branded dust covers available and this one will go to the VA2-7800 I'm going to create. I probably will go with another red dust cover for the 7800 so the two custom 7800's have matching dust covers.



I also ordered two triple-shelf tempered glass wall-mount shelving which will hold 6 of my vintage consoles. One will hold the 2600 and 2 7800's and the other my Jaguar/CD, Panasonic 3DO and Sega Dreamcast. My three favorite game consoles of all time in that order. '

6 black shelves for six (mostly) black consoles. I first need to go to the home improvement store and get 8 grey-wood wall panels and finally finish my room walls, then I can anchor these shelf units to the wall afterward.

I already have 3D printer files to make wall holders for the game controllers and mount them alongside these shelves. The console cords themselves get tucked away behind the vertical beam before mounting it to the wall (the raised center serves the dual purpose of anchoring the shelf support and hiding the cables.

I will of course have to get more "cable ducts" to continue to hide the cables whether they go up to the ceiling or down to the floor (in regards the projector that is mounted to the ceiling). The ceiling route is more direct, and I might even find some hollow molded trim for along the ceiling that is made to hide cables/wiring.

Otherwise beside a few audio/video cables going to the projector the rest will be tucked away behind the wall shelves and the audio/video cabinet I already have there below them.

Everything centralized there for audio/video/games and only the projector cables feeding elsewhere, and actually I just remembered I have the blue tooth transmitter/receiver for the projector now and my new amplifier can receive Bluetooth. I just haven't used it much as I already had it wired into the projector. I've been using the projector's Bluetooth box with my Bluetooth headphones for late nights.



My room will have grey wood paneling, a different shade of grey-wood tongue and groove flooring already installed. White floor and ceiling and door/window trim will complete it. Except for re-painting the ceiling, and I'm not sure if I'm going to do it white. It will be a bright pale color to reflect light well, but I'm not sure what yet.

But possibly, if there is any left over, I will just use the pale green paint we used on the walls in the kitchen and living room area. I already know it goes well with the grey wood flooring and white trim in there. If none or too little green is left over, I think I will go with a light tan or sand coloured ceiling. Just not white or off-white...too boring. White trim is enough to highlight the other colours.

The last touch will be black drapery that that comes down and retracts around the wall that my projection screen is on. Both sides and on the ceiling. this is for anti-reflective light from the projector and off the screen bouncing around the walls and ceiling that interferes with the screen image itself.

I want my room to be as bright and pleasant as possible most of the time, but when I want to use the projector I want it to be as dark as possible at the end of the room where the screen is.

 

So, I've been busy the last few months buying lots of gadgets, support hardware, kits,software, etc. and doing Show-and-Tell here in our Show-and-Tell thread.

Well. it may look like I am "wasting" too much money on vintage toys and whatnot. Though most times they can be a sound investment where at least you usually don't lose money over it if you have to sell it off. In fact, especially if you repaired and restored it, can make a decent to hefty profit.

I've had a good and bad year as far and my business and income are concerned. Good in that we have plenty of business and are making money. Bad that we have had constant trouble, break-downs with both equipment and the vehicles that carry and pull the equipment. Everything has broken down on us, some we've spent the money to repair, some we intend to do that, but needed it sooner than the parts arrival and repairs would take, so we bought more equipment to replace them, temporarily, until the old equipment is repaired and then one or the other will become a back-up in case of more Murphy's Law and continual issues in the future.

Now I've always had back-up equipment, and we had to use it, and it was like playing whack-a-mole with breakdowns and having some equipment having both the starter and back-up out on injury. Since I don't want this to repeat again, we have invested in back-ups to the back-ups and a back-up for them as well!

We now have 5 riding lawn tractors and one Zero-turn mower., though currently 2 of the riding mowers still need repair.
We now have 7 weed-whacker/trimmers. two still in need of repair. I also still have the small tractor that needs rebuilding of course. We also now have 6 chain saws ranging from 16 inches up to 28 inch chain/blade; one is a trusty little Echo and the rest are all Sthil (one echo and 6 Sthil trimmers too).

But that's not all! We also have had my Blazer break down, it need the transmission repaired or replaced, but leaking fluid started a fire on the manifold up directly in front of the firewall. I was able to pull over, open the hood and grab water I always carry and put it out quickly with it. Luckily only the plastic protective covers to the wiring harness were melted and burned, but the wires inside were all fine. Though a separate Air Conditioner wire did not survive. And I had a melted vacuum line I had to replace. It runs and drives mostly fine (running a bit rough the last time I drove it) but the transmission is still leaking and it starts producing smoke in the same place under the hood very quickly.

So, for the last few weeks we have been using my partner's 2 ton diesel Dodge Ram dual tires on both sides, pick-up truck. But we spend about $50 a day just on fuel for it, about 4 times as much as the Blazer used, and of course Diesel is $1 more per gallon too.and the cheapest is over $5 a gallon now for regular petrol.

So, I bought a great running and soon-to-be great looking Chevy Suburban V8 truck. But it was involved in a collision and needed fenders and bumper and hood repair or replacement, as well as the cage that it all mounts too and the radiator mounts inside of needs to be replaced too. everything else is fine. But, we had to strip the entire front end down today, with only the engine sitting on the exposed frame to get all the damaged parts off and ready to install the replacements.which we have already acquired from the auto salvage/bone yard.

Unfortunately the cage we got has on slight variation to the year/model of the Suburban, and so where the front of the fenders are suppose to mount are off by about 2 centimeters. So we have to go back and exchange it for one exactly the same. So we drive the Diesel and a lot more on fuel for a while longer. The Suburban will probably get even better gas mileage than the Blazer, even though it has two more cylinders and is a bit larger.

But after that we will have 3 company vehicles once the Blazer is repaired-which won't be until the end-of-season most likely. So we now have plenty of back-ups which we hope will be enough that we are stopped from doing business for repairs and waiting for parts to arrive.

But we have also taken steps to become more self-sufficient in other ways too. We have also had to repair or replace tires on most everything this season, with about weekly trips to a tire repair shop for repairs, mounting tires on rims and replacements mounted on rims. I also had to buy two new tires and rims for my trailer, though I did manage to repair one of the old tire and rim so I have a spare now too. So, we bought are one tire changing machine and air compressor. We already have a generator and can carry it all in the Suburban for even site and roadside repairs.

Another issue has been dead and dying batteries on vehicles and equipment, all have new ones now, but we purchased a quality charger/booster for the shop and we also purchased one of those battery booster.starter devices that doubles as a 12V power supply. Capable of 680 cranking amps of starting power. That's with us for job site and roadside emergencies now too. And of course we bought a lot of mower parts for repairs. Over all, we have spent about $7 Grand on the business since the season began. But we made triple that in the same 3 month quarter so far.

Anyway, I will edit and post pictures of everything new, but NATM, I was, but I just typed like two pages of story and description, and need a brake and don't have everything photoed yet, with maybe before and after shots for the used equipment we are repairing/restoring. As I'm OCD like that and can't just repair it to like-new condition, but I want it to look like new too, so deep cleaning, washing, waxing, maybe new paint jobs, etc. Of course some stuff is new, and so no after shots for them.

 

So, the 2sq yards of faux leather I ordered arrived today. I think it just might be enough to cover all the peripherals I want to cover. I will make covers for the peripherals most important to me first, in case I do come up short. For one, I don't know how proficient I will with minimal scrap material waste when cutting each dust cover out.

So even if there is enough material that a pro-sewer could manage all I want to cover with the material on-hand, it doesn't mean I will be able to accomplish it, but I am good with area and maximizing use of it, and will do due diligence in proper measuring and placement of dotted-lines to maximize material use, so maybe that's all that's required and not long experience specifically with cutting out material properly for minimum waste. I hope so, but I am not counting on it.

So of course my 800CX and 1200XL system peripherals will be first inline, then it will be the Bally keyboards and cassette deck, not because I value the Bally system more than the TRS-80, actually I think I feel the opposite about them, but because my Custom Bally has Vinyl and chrome trim and you know how dust and hair and whatnot like to stick to edges of materials with sticky backing to secure them.

Don't you hate it when your rolls of tape get dropped to the floor or ground and everything they touched sticks to the sides? That's why the Bally gets dust covers first. It was a lot of hard work installing that trim and I'd rather not have to redo it all.

I think it'd be pushing it to expect to get more than those systems done with what I have on hand, so I won't even think about other items until I get dust covers on the peripherals of these systems first. it's covering my single bed in the pictures, overlapping and all, just like a bed cover.

 

Think of the giant dust cover you could make for your bed Matt

 

LOL!!!
My real purpose and secret is out!

 

We all knew

 

Lol.... Yes, whole film just works so well....."I aint Jewish, I just don't dig on swine"...Made for Jackson, all top drawer ...

I personally don't like Tarantino from what I have seen and heard him talk about, but he writes some great films..

 

I just picked up a PAL Vader 2600 sold as untested as it was RF only and had no PSU. So that works fine with my UNO2600 cart from Electrotrains. I then picked up a PAL 7800 in mint condition with the non standard power supply for a low price as it was listed as a 2600 by the seller. Only downside was no joypad. It did come with a two button Quickshot Python so I could mod that I guess but I’m not likely to need one just yet as I only have 7800 Ballblazer and the POKEY from that cart is in my 65XE!