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Amiga.org specific forums => New User Introductions => Topic started by: visualj on December 18, 2006, 04:40:12 PM

Title: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga hopefully.. (with pics)
Post by: visualj on December 18, 2006, 04:40:12 PM
Hi all,

I was an Amiga user for many many years. I started with an A500 and moved up to an A1200 (I was a teenager so I couldn't really afford the big stuff back then).  As the years went on, my 1200 finally gave up the ghost and by then I'd had a PC as well so I hadn't repaired it.

Which takes me up to yesterday.  I work for a large pharma company in New Jersey in the AV department.  I was helping our equipment manager decommission and throw out some old gear that we no longer use when I came across it in the corner of a storage closet... an A4000T "Power Tower" complete with Toaster 4000 and two external hard drive racks.  I quickly scooped it up and brought it back to my desk and put it all back together.  It powers up fine.. the only thing I don't have is an RGB cable to hook the monitor up to the system so I can't visually verify it booting up.

Unfortunately, I was unable to locate any of the original software discs or manuals for the installed software :(

Hopefully in the near future I will be able to locate this cable in the heap of gear that's being tossed.  I pray this thing works.. it's the Amiga of my childhood dreams :)

Happy holidays all!

Jeff
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: tonyvdb on December 18, 2006, 04:56:13 PM
Your the second new user to pop back up on here that "found" an A4000T you dont know how lucky you are   :-o  
I only wish I would have one just drop in my lap like that.
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: visualj on December 18, 2006, 05:08:36 PM
Oh believe me, I know how lucky I am.  I drooled over these things in magazines years ago :)  I'm still reeling from this discovery.. apparently from what another co-worker was telling me, there were originally TWO of these.  One of which was given to another guy a few years ago, and this one was buried beneath a pile of disused AV equipment in a storage closet.  

Here are some pictures I just took of it here on my desk.  I apologize for the crappy digital camera, it's the only one I have available.

(http://s114522264.onlinehome.us/jpg/a4000t_001.jpg)

(http://s114522264.onlinehome.us/jpg/a4000t_002.jpg)

(http://s114522264.onlinehome.us/jpg/a4000t_003.jpg)

(http://s114522264.onlinehome.us/jpg/a4000t_004.jpg)

(http://s114522264.onlinehome.us/jpg/a4000t_005.jpg)

Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: tonyvdb on December 18, 2006, 05:10:35 PM
You make me sick :-D
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: visualj on December 18, 2006, 05:17:11 PM
Quote
You make me sick


Sorry man :(

Hey but don't be too quick to be sick.. it might not work :(

Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: Nickman on December 18, 2006, 05:54:33 PM
Where is the tower door ?
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: Matt_H on December 18, 2006, 07:02:14 PM
@ Nickman

It's the thing at the bottom of the case. It closes upward to cover the drive bays.

That's a QuikPak tower, used only on some North American systems. I think they were usually OEMed with Toasters.
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: Matt_H on December 18, 2006, 07:04:35 PM
Oops. Double post
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: X-ray on December 18, 2006, 07:06:38 PM
Are those towers rare? I've never seen one of those!
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: dillinger on December 18, 2006, 07:31:27 PM
congratulations, great find! :-) Really hope it works.

If it doesn't, please, get it fixed. It's against the law to throw such treasures in the trash :)
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: visualj on December 18, 2006, 08:03:05 PM
Gah I can't find the monitor cable for it anywhere.  No way of telling if it's actually booting up.  I was able to get everything to power on, the two external hard discs seem to spin up as well, but the monitor cable is nowhere to be found.    I may have to make one more sweep of the storage room where it was found.. seems very odd though that the monitor has a molded-in cable with a male 9-pin connector and the tower has the long flat D connector.  Makes me think there must have been some special cable that they used to use to connect them.  Any ideas?
Quote

dillinger wrote:
congratulations, great find! :-) Really hope it works.

If it doesn't, please, get it fixed. It's against the law to throw such treasures in the trash :)
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga hopefully.. (with pics)
Post by: weirdami on December 18, 2006, 08:05:53 PM
@visualj

I have loads of cables (see sig). If I have what you need, let's work out a deal.

I hear that Newtek will send you free replacement disks for your Video Toaster. Search the forums for the thread(s) about it.
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: tonyvdb on December 18, 2006, 08:45:08 PM
The monitor cable should have had a 9to23pin adapter on the end. If not then there are lots of people that do have them kicking around. Another option is to get a Toastscan or other scandoubler and just do away with the Amiga 1960 monitor (dont throw away as they are valuble on ebay and go for around $400) and use a PC monitor.
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: Ral-Clan on December 18, 2006, 08:47:45 PM
Anyway to edit the message above with pictures of the A4000T so that this thread display is not so W I D E ? ? ?
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: jmbattle on December 18, 2006, 11:41:14 PM
Congratulations on your find!

I particularly like the 'No Disassemble Johnny Five!' sign in the first picture ;)  What a wonderful film Short Circuit was...

Take care,
James
x
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga.. hopefully
Post by: deBrun on December 19, 2006, 12:15:00 AM
You are right!  It won't work ever!  

Please send it to me as I collect broken items like that for my personal pleas... errrum museum for disabled children that love computers.

(Well, had to try!)

Terrific luck, I hope you have a wonderful Amiga Christmas!

(but if you want to send to the children...)  :-D
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga hopefully.. (with pics)
Post by: T3000 on December 19, 2006, 12:25:05 AM
Quote

visualj wrote:
came across it in the corner of a storage closet... an A4000T "Power Tower" complete with Toaster 4000 and two external hard drive racks.  Jeff


Not just a 4000T Power Tower with Toaster 4000, those two external drive bays are cabled up to a Flyer...  

Drool
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga hopefully.. (with pics)
Post by: _ThEcRoW on December 19, 2006, 02:15:43 AM
where are the pics?
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga hopefully.. (with pics)
Post by: oddmario on December 19, 2006, 02:21:37 AM
I used a lot of time to find my a4000, and even more to get it working. Enjoy , and DO spend some time. It will be worth it  :-)
Title: Re: An amazing stroke of luck gives me back an Amiga hopefully.. (with pics)
Post by: ethierbach on December 19, 2006, 02:58:19 AM
Wow, Jeff, what a great find!  Congratulations.  Makes me want to start trolling around some local A/V shops. :-)

BTW, have you opened it up and checked the battery for leakage?  Gotta catch that before it hoses the motherboard.

Keep us updated on your progress!
-Ed-