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

Many many happy returns, Matt - Happy Birthday, mate. Just back from my Uncle Harry's 87th birthday booze up down the pub with Bev, me dad and his missus and the crew. Super to see your folks celebrating and treating you too. Cheers, fella - all the best!

 

Thank you very, very, very, very, very, very very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, verily much...very much.


Only 34 years to go until my 87th. I should be so lucky to make it that long...assuming I even want to be in this world any more by then. To Hell in a hand-basket I tell you!

 

Nicely, put, birthday "boy"!

It seems not 5mins since we were all in the flush of "yoof"... now look at us:

barely a non-white hair or non-false tooth between us.

Before you know it, we'll be pushing 70/80.

I have a feeling though that we won't go "quietly into the night".

We all need to book our rooms into the old folks retro home for retired recycled teenagers and go bananas with our old kit, waggle a few joysticks and show the care workers that we can still get the occasional high score/sparkle in our eyes when a new 8bit software release comes our way.

Keep on keeping on Matt and co.

Who's boffday is it next?

 

Half of my customers are on ill-health retirement, or what we call Social Security Disability. A quarter are just retired elderly, and the other quarter are the younger still-working group. Of course I charge the ones on disability less than those working, and the regular retired just depends, some are wealthy, some are on a tighter budget. But if two lawns are about the same size, but one has an old mobile home on the property and one has a 10.000 square foot brick estate house, they'll get charged for it.

I've been blessed so far health wise. Except for it being easier for me to injure myself from over exertion, I'm working my body just as hard today as I was 20 years ago. I just have to keep moving while I can; father time could catch up to me at any given moment and my body could start giving out. Case and point, I was mowing the side of a hill at a commercial property a couple of days ago, and I went to re-adjust myself on the mower seat, for a better center of gravity, and I managed to pull muscles on my left rib cage, and I now have to be very careful not to cough or laugh or lean the wrong way or the pain is excruciating. If I manage not to do those things, I feel mostly fine. So I forget and...THE PAIN! Hopefully It'll heal in days or a week. But it may be a long-term lingering issue I have just given myself. I didn't even know I could pull muscles where I pulled them!

But it turns out that some of my physical issues that I thought was due to over-working and over-straining my body was not the case. I was having chronic left shoulder and lower back pain up until a few weeks ago. I thought it was caused by work. I was waking up with back and shoulder pain so bad it felt like I had just done a day's labor instead of being about too! I was laid up for three days a few weeks ago, and I got progressively worse instead of better!

I finally got back to work with lots of pain killers. But I started thinking about it, and I always have trouble finding a comfortable position to sleep on my bed. So I thought it was hard work followed by not enough rest from restless nights. I decided to try a pillow-top for my mattress for a little added cushioning. Well, it turns out that all that chronic pain was a direct result of my mattress! Now for the last three weeks, I can put in a full day's labor, and I don't hurt, just tired, and I'm sleeping better and I have not had one morning since I got the pillow-top mattress waking to back and shoulder ache! I feel 10-20 years younger just from getting a good night sleep on a now good bed!

 

My back has never been the same since about 7-8 yrs ago, Matt, I suddenly leaned back on a swivel chair and the bloody chair's back rest went...and so did I.

Did myself a very nasty injury at the base of my spine and that re-flairs from time to time so I just hope those inter-connecting rib tissues do heal nicely and successfully for you but as you point out, at our ages, it could be just the beginning of a whole lotta world of pain still to come, bud.

Like they say, no one ever said it was gonna be easy (this thang called old age).

 

The manual for my Tektronix 5301N arrived. Sort of...I'm going to keep it because most of the basics cover my oscilloscope too, but the 5301N/D10 is a single beam and the 5301N/D12 (my actual model) is a dual-beam (later models are renamed 5110 and 5112). But, I wisely decided to order a a CDR version from another vendor as well ($20 for manual, $10 for CDR), which is the proper pin number for my machine.

The physical manual was supposed to be for the same pin number, but the one I got came with a note that it was substituted, for the 5110 (5103N/D10) model manual, which is identical in every way to my model, minus a second beam in the tube. But I'm going to keep it as obviously the well-used manual I thought I was getting the seller doesn't have, for whatever reason, and I have one that is like-new condition here, and 90% correct.

But it should be spot-on for the repairs and restoration my oscilloscope as hopefully don't have to replace the CRT, and the boards I do need to work on or replace (as in totally missing and I most likely will have to make from scratch) should be identical schematics and parts. These manuals aren't just user's manuals, but Field Service Manuals and Engineering guide/references too, all rolled into one for academia, not the consumer, or that is, the consumer is known to be more sophisticated in these cases anyway.

I'd rather refer to a real manual with ring binding so it lays flat, and fold-out schematic sheets, then trying to scroll up and down a screen or wasting paper and ink to print out, which would end up costing far more than the manual I bought anyway. This way any deviations between the manual and the PDF manual I can print out and insert in the physical manual.

The manual is in mint condition except for bent tabs on the edge of section pages. I assume once amongst many handed out to students and this one was seldom used, though it was used as there are a couple penciled in "professor" notes in the first pages regarding sections and what they cover. So at least a teacher had opened it's pages at one point.



When I'm forced to rely on PDF's, I go to drastic measures sometimes, like the Atari 7800 schematic I printed out across four pages and then taped them together into a poster size print out. My glass display case makes a pretty good make-shift back-lighted drafting table. (like I had until it was stolen from storage) I figure I might as well include a couple of shots of my current display case set-up, since I've installed some mirrors and staging foam (which will be painted or covered eventually)
I just noticed in the pictures that my Atari Lynx has fallen over...

 

As they say, "one man's trash is another man's treasure"...I've finally acquired a good CRT screen for vintage gaming. Though it's a bit bigger than I wanted, I was thinking 17"-20," and I really want a Sony Trinitron as they do have the best picture hands down. But another wise saying is "beggar's can't be choosers" and for free, in spectacular condition, I won't complain. This isn't even a work related junk haul-off, but it's one of my neighbor's. I saw it across the street from me where all the neighborhood rubbish bins are placed for emptying. So I decided to grab it with my wheel barrel and take it to test if it worked. It did. So I cleaned it up and set it up.

But it does take up a lot of real estate on the desktop. Of course I specifically made a deep corner area for a CRT of decent size. But it means re-arranging my 1200XL system altogether, which is sitting in stacked chaos at the moment. I'll also have to move my Epson deskjet and my antique drafting light.

Sorry, no game screen shots yet, all systems are currently down for upgrades or repairs I haven't finished yet. I'll keep it there until I either get a slightly smaller Trinitron, or fix my CBM 1084S monitor. Then it will go into storage until I have a proper man-cave to set it up in with some vintage consoles.

Anyhow, more specifics. It's a Sanyo 23" flat screen with video/S-video/Component inputs, stereo sound with simulated surround. It has both 4:3 and 16:9 screen ratios available, 4:3 being native and 16:9 is letter-boxed.

 

When you say "ripping out" I'm not sure if you mean creating them with sprites, character sets and map editors, or locating them in games and extracting them and changing them. But I've often thought it would be very fun to do some pixel art with such applications instead of just the standard paint programs. But then I've been waiting until I at least know a bit of Basic or other language code to at least use my creations in a demo if not a game.

I've wanted to offer up my artistic services to some of the home-brew developers, some of them could have used a good pixel artist to really make their creations shine, but I've always seem to have so much going on in my life that I'm not sure I could be depended on to get the pixel art done on the schedule they may want, etc.

Basically between this type of stuff and learning to program and set up batch files to use SpartaDOS to it's full potential with system's that have special start-up procedures and on and on, trying to expand my hardware tinkering interest into software tinkering interest since I've at least got some skilz for graphics.

My plan has been to get this list of hardware repair and upgrade projects completed, with everything in good working order, nothing left to do on that front and then pivot towards software tinkering with smoothly working hardware with all the bells and whistles, with smoothly working system software to create a system environment advantageous to learning to program, and game and graphic development.

But that's also because my intention is to do it all on the real original hardware and not use modern PC and apps for development like most in the community do these days. I insist on using the real hardware I love, with it's real software made for programming and development back in the 80's, Just like our game programming heroes did back in the day, as well as the best that has come out for the Atari since, like some better sprite and character editors and better versions of languages.

But I also want to have it better than them as far as the OS environment and 2021 version of SpartaDOS and the best languages to choose from and best pixel art apps and sound/music apps for development that have been created between then and now, that run on the Atari, not a PC.

Kudos to those who like taking advantage of modern tech to make development of Atari software much easier and stream-lined and more convenient for them. But I just can't see myself enjoying creating for the Atari without using the Atari to do it. Because to me it's all about more and different opportunities to use the actual hardware I love hands-on.

 

Loikes it, Rich,

Plenty of Lynx goodness in there - get skegging!

 

I can see the picture Andy

 

That helps big time, Daz. Can see your goodies now - very narce indeed.

Rich is a very generous guy and you should get stacks of enjoyment out of the boards.

Everyone's a winner again.

 

The original was a piece of cake. It's one of the few games I completed back in the day, which is saying something as I completed very few back then. And I've completed it two or three more times in the past 20 years, the latest some time since I returned to the scene in 2016. I've completed a handful of other games I always meant too, but never did BITD too. I still have many more to finish. Like Infiltrator. It seems like such a cool game, but only once in my life did I actually survive the jet combat part and safely land to start the action and espionage part which looked really cool with 3/4 overhead perspective but I didn't live too long to see much. Infiltrator and I still have a date with destiny...

 

Ruddy hell, Matt.

Some incredible additions, reshufflings and brand new retro-revelations in this post.

Far too much for me to do it justice in a 1min reply before I fly out the house for work as I munch my cornflakes!

Exciting times once more with all the rejigging going on - ACE!!

Will comment more later - excellent additionals acquired!

 

Yes, it is a bit "busy" for me too, it would be open except for the chair.
I only have a couple feet of room to get around it. But the chair is worth it.

I couldn't wear the steampunk hat either, but I had to have it for my decor "ambiance." I was looking at it closer this morning and the glasses/goggles are real, I could actually wear them.

 

By the way @Paul "Mclaneinc" Irvine , I sent you a package that I wanted to be a surprise to you on Aug. 6th. My tracking keeps saying it is going in and out of the Chicago distribution center over and over, so I don't know if it is still heading your way, lost, or coming back to me atm. But I had to tell you at this point. I got your address from Andy, so hopefully it is current.I would give you the tracking number, but it's USPS only and would just show you what I get notices about which is in limbo.

 

LOL. If we're talking busy, I say stuff your shelves with stuff - the more, the merrier, lads.

Matt, you are merging and maintaining marvellous micro machinery to the max and I'm all for that.

My shelving units have just respawned another bleeder and so more devices have been removed from their hiding places and are now heading down to the exhibition "front".

I can't see myself showing all this stuff forever and a day - who can - there has to be a day of reckoning in the future when I say enough's enough but right now, I'm getting the lot out and demo-ing it to its maximum potential.

I really like your "extras" such as the steampunk headgear too as it reveals something of the user's eccentricity and let's be frank, guys, there's no-one on this forum whom I would term "normal"!

Brilliant bits n bobs, Matt - keep experimenting and showing what you've got off, mate.

It's a great collection and it's cool for cats, dude.

 

PS. Hope that package makes it through to Paul. You didn't send it on the end of some knicker elastic did you, Matt mate, and it's now twanging in/out of customs?!

 

I can't wait to see more pictures of your "exhibition room" as it continues to grow. I much prefer seeing my and other peoples hobbies grow rather than be shrinking, even if the shrinking of other's collections may lead to super deals for me to acquire. I still have to put up more pictures on my blog.

I had another brilliant day today doing some bartering with the same customer I got my riding mower trailer from for doing work for him. This was a big deal I made today of bartering a full mowing season of work from me for some machinery, another riding mower and a small tractor with a hydraulic system and a job-site portable office trailer. More details and pictures later as I go back this evening to get the trailer to start with, and I'll take some pictures.

The mower and tractor will both have to be restored like I did with my Craftsman mower, but they will grow the business which will lead to bigger jobs like land clearing. And the office trailer will be used for both my new electronics and mechanical workshops, and maybe a proper small office corner with a desk too. So my over crowded bedroom will get some much needed real estate back as I permanently move my work bench and electronic tools taking up command center desk space and 3D printer to the new trailer. Which by the way, is already fully wired for electrical and brand-new paneling and flooring ready to be added too and finished. It even has a working air conditioner too!

 

Keep aiming ever higher, Matt.

Excellent progress - tell us how we buy shares in Matt's Agricultural and Farming services (before the big guys move in!)

Well done, fella - onwards and upwards with your great displays and more, mate.

It's never been a more exciting time for us retronauts as we explore ever more the possibilities of our caves and plans.

 

I forgot to take pictures, but I have to go back tomorrow evening anyway as I had the wrong size ball on my trailer hitch. I have to borrow a heavier duty trailer with a wench from a friend to move the tractor.

 

I'm actually going to get a two-for-one deal out of the office trailer, we looked under it and the super structure has a separate floor frame that is bolted to the trailer frame, which is larger and heavier duty than my current trailer.

So we are going to remove the "building" from the trailer and put it on a cinder block foundation and then weld sheet metal onto the trailer frame for a floor and weld 2x4" wood plank holders to the sides(my brother is a welder so he will handle that) and then I will build removable trailer "walls" of wood planks and slats (like I did with my current trailer, except they aren't removable-live and learn). that can be set in and lifted out of the holders for easy-access loading.

So I'll get a forth riding mower, a multi-purpose tractor with hydraulics for multiple hydraulic attachments, a small electronics and mechanics shop/office building (which will eventually be just the office when we build a larger shop with garage bay(s)) to put next to my two equipment storage sheds. And another hauling trailer, but larger and heavier-duty for the business, which I will need anyway to be able to haul the tractor around or multiple zero turn & riding mowers.

All for one mowing season which equals about $200 per month for 6-7 months, so $1200-$1400. Further investment of probably $500-1000 to restore both the mower and tractor, and about the same for the sheet metal floor for the trailer. But even if it's a full $2000 more investment, if I were to buy all this stuff separately, used but ready to go, or new, I'd have to invest probably $1000 used, $2500 new for the mower, probably $2500 used, $5000 new for the small tractor, $2000 used, $3000 new for the trailer and $1000 to build the small building myself to the state of this one. So $3400 or less with this deal and me fixing them up vs. $6500 used or $11,500 new for all of it.

This was planned anyway, as we grow we want to split into two crews with each of us supervising one, until we can afford to hire foremen and we sit in the office all day dealing with customers and paperwork, I'm just getting the equipment sooner than needed.

 

Hi Matt, package arrived..

Excellent choices there, you know I love a shoot em up and who can't like pong

Very kind words on the box, and as for the 1200, I'm just chuffed that you offered one to me, that in itself is such a kind and friendly thing and we all know just how much idea's can change because of unexpected variables getting in the mix. It's not anyone's fault, it's just life throwing curve balls. I just want to hear that YOUR machines are up and running and if life suddenly forms a perfect path that maybe the 1200 can happen. As said, just knowing that you had it in your heart to offer me one is a GIANT gift..

The gift of a great friend....Beats all hardware hands down Except maybe a working 1450XLD

Thank you..

Paul..

Here's what Matt sent...excuse the meds box...He didn't send those

 

@Paul "Mclaneinc" Irvine I'm glad it arrived safely, I was starting to get worried it was lost or was heading back to me for some reason when more than a month had passed, and the first time I checked tracking a couple weeks after I sent it, it said basically that it was in a distribution center in NYC, I think specifically for international mail, IIRC, then another 2 weeks pass and I started getting updates one after another, about a half dozen in one day, telling me it arrived and left a Chicago regional facility 3 times each!

You will get the 1200XL too, of course I never expected years to pass and still not have it repaired, but as you know, while trying to trouble shoot it and my 800XL which will be a gift to another friend (who I promised it too a couple years before you!) That my own machines would break down or stupid issues* while installing upgrades after repairs that I also had to trouble shoot. And of course work and a lot of other responsibilities besides just work, dealing with my mom, vehicles, home maintenance, etc. way-laying me from my hobbies too. With my brother here now, there will be less of those responsibilities falling on my shoulders alone, too.


My work season is slowing down again though, and I'm starting to find time to get back to getting my machines running. But I'll just get my 800 running again, which has no current issues really, it's just still not put back together because I bricked the Pokeymax Quad I have, so replaced it with my new V3 intended for the 1200XL (I'll get another for it) and it has one or two extra wires I have to run to the CPU board, then hopefully it's just a matter of re-assembly, as long as no other stupid "Murphy's Law" issues pop up while putting it back together.

After that your 1200XL is next, even before mine or the 800XL, since I don't have to worry about burning you some OS eproms anymore for a 4-in-1 OS, since I picked up another 32-in-1 while trouble-shooting my 1200XL, which didn't change anything, except I now have an extra that your 1200XL will get.

I really do hope to get the 1200XL to you by Christmas, or at least before my spring work season starts up again next year. Of course I also know I have said that before in previous years only to not be able to stick to it. I'll be working hard to make sure this year it happens. I'm a man of my word though, and always keep it eventually, if I can't always be timely with keeping my word. Even though 1200XL's are worth a small fortune now, since I offered you one, I'm not greedy enough to change my mind, and in fact know it means that much more to you, and also because I know you will keep it for life and not sell it off either (unless a life & death emergency cash requirements forces it, then I'll be glad you have it to sell in that case, and have my blessings to do so).



*Like the 800 keyboard that I spent months trouble shooting, finally basically rebuilt the entire PCB, which made no change, only to finally discover quite by accident that the space bar was sticking down (I never bothered to press the space bar while testing, just a bunch of other keys) and was only revealed to me one time when I plugged the keyboard in after turning on the 800 which finally revealed the cursor moving across the screen!

 

Great. great to hear, fellas.

We all lurve stories with a happy ending and this one has such a feel good result -

EXCELLENT - enjoy Paul and do let us know how you get on, score-wise!

Great gesture, Matt.

PS. I got a goodybag / parcel from Richie today so will show the contents a little later AFTER Bev is taken out for her birthday bash meal - moussaka on toast - down the local Greek restaurant - wish me luck with the ouzo, smashed plates/Orics and the bill afterwards, guys!