Amiga.org
Amiga.org specific forums => New User Introductions => Topic started by: Shep1978 on April 14, 2010, 10:43:24 AM
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Hello and nice to meet you all!
First off I apolagise if this thread is in the wrong forum section, feel free to move it mods if it's not. (not like you need my permission but you get the idea!)
Well where do I start. Ok, when I was younger I had an Amiga which was simply awesome and yesterday I went and found said Amiga in the attic hoping to blast away on the likes of Speedball 2, Xenon 2 and the Chaos Engine. But, after easily locating the actual (rather yellow and dusty) Amiga I noticed I have no power pack (if that's the correct term), no leads/wires, no joystick and no mouse!
Oh no this is a nightmare I thought, well not quite a nightmare but annoying so i figured i'd turn to you experts to ask for help...
So, what do I need in terms of all the wiring/leads? One that goes to the t.v i'm quite sure but what sort of lead would that be? A 'powerpack' - where can you buy them and can you buy them brand new? (i'm in the UK) Where could I buy preferably brand new or second hand joysticks and a mouse? (Is my joystick port 2 meant to have several pins less then port 1 too? - 4 on port two vs 9 on port one.
Audio leads is another issue, are they hard to come by and will they fit a 10 year old CRT t.v?
How much money do you guys think I would need to spend get the beast up running again too? I'm unemployed so money is a bit of an issue see.
Lastly, do you think my old games, and even the actualy Amiga will still work after years of being sat around in a hot attic?
Really appreciate any help and advice no matter how small, I just want my best computer ever made running again!
Thanks in advance, Shep.
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First off I apolagise if this thread is in the wrong forum section, feel free to move it mods if it's not. (not like you need my permission but you get the idea!)
Moved to "new user introductions" :)
Welcome aboard!
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hello and welcome !
for parts, you can check ebay for quick replacements. A power pack shouldn't cost more than 5 UKP or so ... As for lead to connect to TV, you need a dongle called modulator to do that. Modulator will give you AV and RF output. Then you can connect your miggy to any TV which accepts those. You can connect the audio directly to your tv set or anything that will accept a stereo input. You can get the modulator from ebay for about 5 ukp I guess and leads from any electronic store for 2-3 UKP I guess. You can't get any amiga specific item as new anymore.
If you have time you can check local boot sales for commodore equipment if you want better deals.
btw, did you have a RAM expansion in your miggy ? If you had, and if it had a battery, it may have leaked and ruined your ram expansion. It's better to check and get it out of there, cause acid may eat through your expansion port if you leave it there too long ...
also if your A500 is A500+ by any chance, it will have a battery installed inside the main unit, so you should remove it ASAP.
good luck !
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Hi.
What model is it? I presume an A500, but if it's an A600 or A1200 then you won't need some bits (modulator is built-in with both of those).
Ed: I reckon you could get it running for £20 or less, regardless.
And ed2: both mouse ports should have all 9 pins.
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Please specify what model Amiga you have.
Regarding the Power Pack,
If your Amiga is an A500, A500 Plus, A600 or A1200, then the same power pack is used on all the models. Look out for an A500 power pack as they are the best ones.
Regarding TV connection,
If it is an A500/A500+ you will be needing the TV modulator which will allow you to connect to any TV with an RF input. If you buy an RF modulator, make sure it has the wire which connects the Amiga audio outputs to the modulator.
Another option is to buy an Amiga to Scart lead. They go very cheap, probably the same as a modulator and they give a much better picture on any SCART TV. A good Amiga-Scart lead will have the audio leads built in.
If it is an A600/A1200, the RF Modulator is built in. The Amiga-SCART option also applies on the A600/A1200 if you want a nicer picture than you would get using the RF Modulator.
Joysticks and mice are easily found on ebay and cheap too. A cheap good option for mouse would be the original Amiga "Tank" mouse.
With regards to the Amiga still working after being in the attic for so long,
If it is an A500 Plus, there is a chance that the battery on the motherboard is leaking. I would open the Amiga (500 Plus) up and remove the battery regardless if it has leaked or not. If it hasn't leaked yet , it will. If it has leaked, after removing it make sure you clean the board using a circuit board cleaner (spray) and an old tooth brush. Do not brush too hard or else you may damage the tracks. I usually remove the battery using plyers and wedging it side by side loosening it till it comes off. Again don't be rough or else you will damage the board.
A500 (NOT PLUS), A600 and A1200 do not have onboard batteries, but check for any memory expansions (especially A500) in the trapdoor underneath and check/remove the battery.
Another reason an A500/A500 Plus may not work after a long time in storage could be the socketed chips may have come loose and would need to be pressed in again. Unlikely but very easy fix.
A600s/A1200 are know to suffer leaky capacitors. Its unlikely but possible and if so it is repairable.
Hope that helps
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The subject line on this thread... "Amigas in the Attic" sounds like the title for a Mexican horror film. Welcome!
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Wow thanks guys! I've quickly skimmed through the posts so far and you've all been a fantastic help. I shall sit and read it bit more slowly and digest the information.
One massive snag i've hit is the games, two whole big disk box things full of all my games are nowhere to be found in the three attics at my (parents) place, i'm just praying my brother has them safely at his house!
It is an A500 plus too, can't believe I forgot to mention that most important point! I had a 1200 and a 600 too at one point but they all got sold when I entered my teenage years, kids gotta get his booze somehow but damn how I regret that now.
Anyway, I'll keep you all up dated on the progress - looks like an ebay account is a must which should be fun... Cheers very much, Shep. :)
Quick edit: Thanks to having a very good brother who doesn't throw anything away I still have all the games and some demos like 'State of the art' which has made my day! :)
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It is an A500 plus too, can't believe I forgot to mention that most important point! I had a 1200 and a 600 too at one point but they all got sold when I entered my teenage years, kids gotta get his booze somehow but damn how I regret that now.
Welcome, I'm pretty new here too.
You can probably pick those up on ebay and maybe a local add or site for second hand A1200's / A600's.
I got most of my Amiga's from the Dutch site marktplaats.nl, they sell anywhere from 50 to 200 euro's or more.
Never sold my A500, which was the only one I owned at the beginning.
Also have my C64II.
I'm also glad that I kept all my disks, especially my tool disks and utilities.
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I see some mice on ebay or you can go for a trackball:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170470831373
I have a couple of extra mice as well if you need one and the CX40 Atari type joystick if you want to avoid ebay. Just pmail me. I'm assuming you are USA; otherwise you may be better off buying in your country to reduce shipping costs.
I have some Commodore 128 Power Supplies which seem to work although one one pin is labeled 9v instead of 12v.
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I have some Commodore 128 Power Supplies which seem to work although one one pin is labeled 9v instead of 12v.
Don't use them with an Amiga, please don't even hint that they could be used with the Amiga.
9VAC is not 12VDC. Perhaps nothing will break, but since the correct PSU is really easy to find, there's no point.
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... I'm assuming you are USA; ...
... (i'm in the UK) ...
;)
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It is an A500 plus
Open it up
Remove that battery (Carefully) - Even if it hasn't leaked!!!
If the battery has leaked, make sure you clean around the removed battery gently using circuit board cleaner and an old tooth brush.
**Warning** You are responsible for any damage you may cause the Amiga doing this. I give you this advice because i had 2 A500 Plus which went bad because of badly leaked batteries.
I would suggest the Amiga (23pin) to SCART cable. (Make sure it has audio leads) They can be found for around 10 pounds on ebay and are usually brand new. With this you can connect your Amiga to any TV, even LCD screens which have a SCART input and you will get a MUCH BETTER picture and sound then you would using the TV Modulator.
Power Supply, just go for an Amiga 500 one. They are easy to find and don't cost much and are very reliable.
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Dont let this happen to your PLUS. This is mine before i fixed it
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The horror that A500 Plus battery damage....
http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz493.htm
http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz105.htm
scuzz
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That's why you've gotta keep the trapdoor cover on. Let 2 of those little furry green creatures onto the motherboard and whoomph! they multiply...
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Hi guys! I thought i'd give you all a quick update on the situation, so i've had her apart and yes the battery has leaked alot so i'm setting about getting some cleaner for it hopefully on Monday when I have some time. Some acid seems to have got onto a few IC's too, one being 'Gary' and the smaller one directly below. Amazing how the stuff has spread!
I'm hoping to still be able to sort it out, though i'm curious as to whether the acid in the battery can damage the circuit tracks, i'm guessing not but i'm not 100% sure. I worked with eletcronics assembling boards and stuff for a few years so hopefully some of my meagre skills will help.
The disk box's arrived today too when my brother came over to ours and I found a hidden gem that i'd forgotten too - 'Tearaway Thomas' :roflmao:
Will keep you all posted on this epic project... (yeah, it feels epic too me! lol)
Cheers, Shep.
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Just clean it ASAP, use an old toothbrush and once you cleaned it just start the machine again, if it works, it will be ok.
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Hi guys! I thought i'd give you all a quick update on the situation, so i've had her apart and yes the battery has leaked alot so i'm setting about getting some cleaner for it hopefully on Monday when I have some time. Some acid seems to have got onto a few IC's too, one being 'Gary' and the smaller one directly below. Amazing how the stuff has spread!
I'm hoping to still be able to sort it out, though i'm curious as to whether the acid in the battery can damage the circuit tracks, i'm guessing not but i'm not 100% sure. I worked with eletcronics assembling boards and stuff for a few years so hopefully some of my meagre skills will help.
The disk box's arrived today too when my brother came over to ours and I found a hidden gem that i'd forgotten too - 'Tearaway Thomas' :roflmao:
Will keep you all posted on this epic project... (yeah, it feels epic too me! lol)
Cheers, Shep.
Sadly it will damage the board. Get the battery off as soon as possible.
scuzz
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You said it! And whitout power any Amigan make an horror movie itself.
PS Welcome Shep1978
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Since you're in the UK, you might be close to Amigakit. They have many Amiga items brand new and, although they usually charge a good price for them, they are reliable. They also have paid technicians in their employ to help you out. I've been dealing with them for about five years and they have known how to help me, especially with expanding and modernizing my classic Amiga machines.
Good luck and welcome back.
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Amigakit in the UK (http://www.amigakit.co.uk) has a good supply of classic Amiga hardware and software for repairing and upgrading your classic Amiga machine. Some of it is new, some refurbished, but all is in good working order. They also have paid technicians in their employ to help out with greater problems. They've helped me rehab and modernize my classic Amiga collection for the last 5 years and been very helpful. Here's their UK contact info:
Order Line 029 2000 6344
Fax 0870 706 4427
Address Leaman Computing Ltd
Units 10-11 Ely Brewery
Cardiff CF5 4AR
United Kingdom
Welcome back!
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Don't use them with an Amiga, please don't even hint that they could be used with the Amiga.
9VAC is not 12VDC. Perhaps nothing will break, but since the correct PSU is really easy to find, there's no point.
Looks like I got away with it because most of the circuitry on the motherboard uses the 5vdc.
Perhaps, it will have an adverse effect on the audio circuitry and floppy drive in the long run.
Some devices are tolerant though like this Yamaha keyboard I have which takes 9vac, 9vdc, 7.5vdc, etc.
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;)
That's subject to debate given it's in parentheses and perhaps, he's a nomad, or perhaps UK is University of Kentucky or perhaps, he works in USA and commutes.
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@Shep1978
I am afraid to say that it is a 50/50 chance that your Amiga still works. Remove that battery ASAP and clean the corrosion/acide on the board properly.
One of my A500 Plus's had very bad battery acid leak (the one i showed in the other pic) but luckily i managed to bridge a damaged track/trace and it has worked fine since.
Worst case scenario would be that you have to replace the motherboard. A500 ones will work and go very cheap on ebay. A500 Plus ones are harder to find, so expect to pay more. There is a user called airey36 (or something) on ebay and he usually has Amiga motherboards for sale. I've bought a 500 plus one from him.
If you do need to replace your motherboard make sure to retain all the socketed chips including the Agnus, Kickstart, 68000 etc.. I would just retain the whole board with all the chips in their sockets to avoid losing them ;)
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Since you're in the UK, you might be close to Amigakit. They have many Amiga items brand new and, although they usually charge a good price for them, they are reliable. They also have paid technicians in their employ to help you out. I've been dealing with them for about five years and they have known how to help me, especially with expanding and modernizing my classic Amiga machines.
Good luck and welcome back.
Depends how close he lives to Cardiff :)
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What I do....
I gently rock the battery back and forth till it snaps off... Do this very carefully and avoid scratching the board. Then I get a cotton bud and clean the area with vinegar. Then I mix some Baking Soda [ Sodium bicarbonate ] and neutralise the area of vinegar. Then clean with water [ damp cotton bud ] and dry. Some folk use a hair dryer on a very mild setting... I don`t.
I have done this dozens and dozens of times.
scuzz
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Regarding batteries leaking, I just removed a couple from the A501 memory expansion and the batteries had leaked. But the 512K still works-- I guess the leak was isolated from the main circuit parts that make a difference.