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Author Topic: Mulling over getting my A1200 serviced and maybe upgraded  (Read 1088 times)

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Offline mikeymikeTopic starter

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Mulling over getting my A1200 serviced and maybe upgraded
« on: February 15, 2023, 04:35:45 PM »
Spec:

Commodore Amiga 1200
Accelerator card:  68040 40MHz + FPU + 32MB SIMM
IDE HDD 850MB (IIRC)
Amiga 500 standard PSU (I also have an A500)
AmigaOS and KS 3.1
PCMCIA NIC, Miami stack software

I haven't used it in some time now (ten years?) and it had some stability issues last time I used it, like freezing/rebooting during games like Worms.

I'm considering getting it re-capped (retropassion.co.uk) because that's one possible cause of stability issues, one other possibility is power and I was considering getting one of their 85W PSUs.  It would be nice if I could get to the bottom of the stability issues myself, I have a bunch of PC ATX PSUs around here but I am not skilled with soldering, I'm wondering whether I could rig something up here to test for whether the PSU is the reason for the problem.

TBH I don't have a great deal of use for it any more.  I'm conflicted about selling it on multiple fronts, one being that I would prefer to know that it is stable before trying to sell it as such, secondly the Amiga was what got me into computers in the first place and so I have a soft spot for it.  If I'm sending it in for service I'm wondering whether to improve it in other respects too.  For example, that HDD is ancient and supplies of IDE 2.5" HDDs are getting increasingly scarce; I've heard about an adapter to make the A1200 handle CompactFlash cards instead of IDE.  Are there any better options?

I remember that OS 3.1 has a filesystem capacity limit.  Should I consider 3.2 or later instead?
 

Offline AndyFC

Re: Mulling over getting my A1200 serviced and maybe upgraded
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2023, 07:51:53 PM »
Hi mikeymike.

The instability could be the PSU/accelerator. The 040 is quite power hungry and runs hot, so a vented trap door cover and a beefier PSU MIGHT be all you need.

There are plenty of upgrades available. You're right about the CF/IDE (or even SD to IDE) adapter, and this might also take less power than an old HDD. Check out Retropassion and Amigakit for some ideas of other expansions.

OS 3.2.1 has a load of enhancements, including file system fixes for large drives.
A1200 in DIY Tower. 3.2 ROMs (softkicking 3.2.2), OS 3.2.2 with ClassicWB, CF card, CD RW and IDE to SD adapter running off the internal IDE port (using the A4000 4-port IDE adapter from Amigakit), Pistorm 32 lite with Pi4/2GB/Emu68 or Blizzard 1230-IV, with 32MB 60ns RAM and 50MHz 68882 FPU. 3COM PCMCIA Network card running with Miami DX.
MorphOS on PowerMac G5 and ATI 9600 pro
 

Offline Karlos

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Re: Mulling over getting my A1200 serviced and maybe upgraded
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2023, 10:54:01 PM »
I have an A1200 that I am contemplating getting done too, maybe in perpetration for a PiStorm upgrade.

My main A1200 also tower needs some serious care and attention. The AT PSU is surely a wreck by now, the motherboard will need recapping and I'm not sure what condition the BlizzPPC/BVision will be in.

Since having kids the years have just raced by.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2023, 10:55:44 PM by Karlos »
int p; // A
 

Offline QuikSanz

Re: Mulling over getting my A1200 serviced and maybe upgraded
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2023, 03:02:10 AM »
News flash, when you reach our age the years fly by anyway, but without kids your hair isn't as grey.

Chris
 

Offline AndyFC

Re: Mulling over getting my A1200 serviced and maybe upgraded
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2023, 04:20:08 PM »
News flash, when you reach our age the years fly by anyway, but without kids your hair isn't as grey.

I heard a really great explanation for why time passes more quickly the older you get. Each year (or any period of time) becomes a smaller and smaller proportion of your life, the older you get.
A1200 in DIY Tower. 3.2 ROMs (softkicking 3.2.2), OS 3.2.2 with ClassicWB, CF card, CD RW and IDE to SD adapter running off the internal IDE port (using the A4000 4-port IDE adapter from Amigakit), Pistorm 32 lite with Pi4/2GB/Emu68 or Blizzard 1230-IV, with 32MB 60ns RAM and 50MHz 68882 FPU. 3COM PCMCIA Network card running with Miami DX.
MorphOS on PowerMac G5 and ATI 9600 pro
 

Offline Karlos

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Re: Mulling over getting my A1200 serviced and maybe upgraded
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2023, 10:06:45 PM »
News flash, when you reach our age the years fly by anyway, but without kids your hair isn't as grey.

Chris

Well, to be fair I got started a bit late with that. The grey is definitely spreading now!
int p; // A
 

Offline QuikSanz

Re: Mulling over getting my A1200 serviced and maybe upgraded
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2023, 07:43:49 AM »
Having turned 64 my hair is not much grey  but a whole lot thinner :-\
 

Offline BozzerBigD

Re: Mulling over getting my A1200 serviced and maybe upgraded
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2023, 09:57:52 AM »
Quote
Having turned 64 my hair is not much grey  but a whole lot thinner :-\

In case you were wondering, we still love you now that you're 64!  :)
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."

John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios