What's new Pussycat too?

Absolutely incredible, Matt.
Just like with your Atari collection, your attention to detail, giving it the max TLC-wise and the dedication you have for this old kit just oozes through in this post - excellent work, me ol muckah!
Keep us updated on how this all progresses and just how great the old kit still works, sounds and brings pleasure - as you continue to enjoy your quality listening and audiophile hobby too.

 

I'm just waiting for Matt to link up an 8-track (if he hasn't already)..

As Bruce Willis's character Harry Stamper says in Armageddon, "bring back 8-track, although i'm not sure how that's going to work out"..

As Andy says, excellent detail Matt..

 

Nice finds Andy I have Submarine Commander, Jumbo Jet Pilot, Soccer and Computer War. They're all in the hard library cases you mention. The only difference is they are cartridges and not on tape. In fact until I saw your photo's I never even realised you could get them on cassette! River Rescue was one of my favourite games that they published originally which is why I have ended up with a small collection of the Thorn EMI titles now.

 

The Thorn EMI stuff was another one that Maplin brought in bulk AFTER they had already been out for ages, I grabbed a load of them as they were going to go in the bin. Over the years it all went..

 

I've had an 8-track connected to my system since I first set it up. It was in the pictures I posted a few years ago, here it is again below. The light cover for tracks 5&6 fell off and was lost at some point in my move from Texas years ago. I'll probably have to find something I can modify or fabricate to replace all the track light covers now just so they all match. I hate that it's missing. I have one button missing from my CED videodisc player too that bothers the hell out of me, lost in the same move.



This 8-Track is only a player unfortunately (I used to have one that recorded years ago). It powers on/off when a tape is inserted, tape auto plays, and one button is press multiple times to change tracks by pairs of two (as with all 8-track decks), no PAUSE or STOP except by pulling out the tape. No tapes to play currently; some of my tapes were lost in the storage unit I had in Texas that was broken into. I do still have a brief case style and size 8-track holder full of tapes someplace but I have misplaced them and haven't come across where I put them yet...

 

Nice to get those THORN EMI updates, fellas - yeah, came out on cart/ROM and tape but I never saw disk versions, Al. You even had them in at Maplins too, eh, Paul? I can imagine that they didn't exactly fly out the door, saleswise, but they were OK titles for the day. As for Matt and his 8track player(s), he might just get an 8track tape one year in his Xmas box... you never know what weird gear 8BitBaz has lurking around his retro shed... Good luck with some custom covers/face plates, mate. I know what you mean when a part is missing and it really gets your goat...

 

The trouble with my lot was that we shipped in very few new titles (also remember that what the UK got as new had been out for quite some time in the US) and never any US versions. And after that they would buy bulk el cheapo deals from the usual suppliers of gear that they themselves wanted rid of, so Maplin brought it for next to nothing and tried to use the shops as an outlet for them. As I've said before, I moaned like hell about it and sent 99% of our stock back to the head office as it was just taking up space.As you say, nothing wrong with the games when they first came out, but a couple of year old stuff was pointless.

As for Matt, I sort of guessed he had an 8-track setup, I'd not seen / remembered the pictures. And like him, I hate things with bits missing, it's like an OCD nightmare..

 

First time back on here for a while so only just catching up with events. Really,really sorry to hear about your Dogs Matt, don't really know what to say mate. We lost our Merlin just before Christmas due to a brain hemorrhage which was upsetting to deal with but not a patch on what you went through.

 

Sorry to hear about the dog / family member Richie..

 

God bless you, Tim and Richie & Sonia, and Matt of course - so sorry to hear of all the sad news that this life too often brings us.
Know that those dearly beloved will always live on forever in your hearts and minds and so will always be with you.
You remind us how we must give thanks and cherish what we love and hold precious right now and live everyday like it is our last as we never know what fate has in store for us around the next corner.
Thank you once more, Tim, for allowing us all to share special moments on the Atari Owner forum... it's definitely become much much more than that to us all.
Take darn good care, folks, and enjoy your weekend ahead with nearest and dearest X

 

Good to see you on here Tim, keep safe, it's gonna be mighty cold over there..

 

My Atari 7800 console eBay purchase arrived the other day so I managed to get a sit down earlier and have a proper play. The joypads were a bit stiff to start with but seem to have loosened up, and the power button is a little bit iffy but just needs a firm press. I was most impressed by the picture quality though, compared to a couple of previous 7800's I've had the RF output on this one is pretty strong. Now all I need to do is decide if I'm going to try and track down a couple of the 7800 carts I want, or save up lots of pennies for an SD Gamedrive for it instead. So if anyone see's a reasonably prized Ballbazer or Galaga on the console please let me know!

 

As you know, Al, from time to time there are some very tempting bargains on Marketplace.

Here are just 1-2 to whet yer 7800 whistle - so glad to hear that the output on the beauty is as clean as a whistle too!

This gadger just wants £50, yeah, for the lot. Offer him a fiver for Ballblazer, Al!



https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:2a8a1620-defb-49c2-b4e0-904bf6039ca6

Then there's this one:

Working out at just £7 each these carts, mate, BOXED, plus some P&P - if either of these gadgers will post:


https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:2a8a1620-defb-49c2-b4e0-904bf6039ca6

Keep me ears peeled, me ol muckah - am sure these would boost your collection, matey.

 

Thanks Andy. I've messaged about Ballblazer.

 

Good luck, Al.
I'll bet the Joust version on the 7800 is excellent and to have it boxed just adds to the attraction!
All the best, buddy.

 

The best version of Ballblazer bar-none, and Joust looks and plays as good as the Amiga/ST versions. Stay clear of Karateka though; while it looks good they totally screwed the controls so it plays like shite. Xevious is the best of any 8-bit version too, even decent sound despite only using 2600 TIA chip. Desert Falcon rocks too, if you have a craving for some Zaxxon type gaming goodness.

 

I received my DIN connector for connecting L/R lines in/out on my reel-to-reel, so I'm ready to start using it today. This is also the same type of cable that Atari 8-bits and C64's use for audio/video monitor ports too, if you want it cheaper that the computer dealers sell it. Only $8 from Amazon.

Though pinouts are slightly different between A8 & C64, so RCA colors may not match. IIRC they are right colors for C64 (for plugging into a Commodore monitor) but Atari uses, IIRC, yellow for composite video but any one of the other three could be audio out and luma/chroma outs, so a bit of experimenting is required.

For my reel-to-reel red/white are lines in and yellow/black are lines out to my amplifier.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M0FXP64?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

 

Someone is going to have fun with the good old equipment...Good on you Matt...Have great fun..

 

Finally picked up a Plus1 expansion for my Acorn Electron last week. It came boxed with the Polys and manual and is a perfect colour match for my Elk. So now I can get a disk interface for it and use a Gotek. It does seem odd that BBC Micro's and Elk's don't seem to be plagued by the level of discolouration experienced by other computers ( my C128 is terrible for this ) They do go yellow if left in direct sunlight and if they have been sat in a classroom for years they do yellow a bit but most seem to age well. One thing you can't fault Acorn for was build quality... Sinclair Research on the other hand ; )

 

Amiga 500's are the absolute worst for yellowing, the number I've seen go almost orange is shocking. My days of trying to retrobrite stuff is over, tried a couple of bits and got mixed results. Just seemed a waste of good money as I had to get UV lighting as we can't trust our sunlight strength here in the UK. As long as the item works I no longer care..

 

I have put my C128 outside in the summer, not last year but 2022 and it did lighten up a bit

 

You are lucky, you put something on your balcony here, and it's gone in minutes..When we first moved in we put a flower on a saucer on the balcony, was gone the next morning..We have turned it into a way to easily get rid of old unwanted stuff. Just leave it outside, and it's taken, saves humping it to the bin area.

 

That is hilarious! Though I am glad I live somewhere that items can be left in the open and even car and home doors unlocked indefinitely and never have something turn up missing or damaged.

 

And there was no exaggeration on my part, so far the only things that remain on the balcony are an old bar stool type chair and a broom, the rest, got stolen. And yeah, put something you don't want outside the block,and it's gone, usually within an hour. It's just one of those areas. The only things that never get taken are mattresses, obvious reasons for that