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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Marketplace => Topic started by: MarkMaker2 on June 24, 2016, 01:10:19 AM

Title: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on June 24, 2016, 01:10:19 AM
I was a diehard Amiga supporter for a long time but eventually I had to move on to modern computers. I kept these two with the hope that I would eventually set them up and use them but I haven't hooked them up since I moved 16 years ago so I rather they go to a good home and get some cash for them.

I was hoping to get some guidance on what a fair price would be and also if ebay or amibay is the the better option for listing them.

The specs:

A4000 Desktop -- 68060 -- Cybervision64
Can't remember how much ram or HD space -- I seem to think I had the 120 IDE plus a SCSI drive but can't remember.
Kind of remember some kind of ROM upgrade


A3000 Desktop -- is a strange one. It is an 040 but it has the 030 processor as well. Beyond that I don't remember any of the other specs.

I also have a PhonePak (currently in the A3000) but I doubt that is of interest to anyone.

A monitor that was from my A500. It is the standard one everyone had.

A network card.

I'm going to boot them up, clean off any files / do a clean install, make sure everything works etc over the next couple of weeks but I hope to list them mid-July.

Are there any things that I should be looking for on the motherboard which would be relevant to a buyer?

I'm in Canada if that makes a difference.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on June 24, 2016, 01:48:24 AM
Remove the batteries. If they've leaked can significantly affect the value of the systems. IMHO you're better to look on sites like eBay & Amibay for the value of a system (although Amibay tends to be some pretty die-hard collectors) rather than just asking randomly in a forum.  A system is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it (this is where it's helpful to check on the final price of closed auctions).

I'll start the bidding at $1, lol. ;)
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: kreciu on June 24, 2016, 03:35:02 AM
Considering this hardware is like 20+ years old... I will give you $2 ;)
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: Brian on June 24, 2016, 08:23:28 AM
Quote from: kreciu;810292
Considering this hardware is like 20+ years old... I will give you $2 ;)

Don't even think you can install Windows on it, so 2$ might be too much ;)
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: koshman on June 24, 2016, 09:27:56 AM
No, seriously, if they are functional they are worth thousands of dollars. Any further details you might provide will help with the sale - mobo revisions, accelerator types - what 060 is in the A4000 most importantly, any expansion cards etc.

As the others said most importantly at the moment check the batteries on the motherboards and if they started leaking remove them - just breaking them off is enough for the moment. They can cause some heavy corrosion to the motherboard tracks.

Generally speaking it is good you are checking here before sale, because while Amibay is definitely a better place than eBay to make sure the Amigas go to a good home it is not an auction site so you will have to state a price when you sell your HW there.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: Acill on June 24, 2016, 03:09:31 PM
People say they are worth thousands of dollars,  but if you look on ebay those same ones listed have been posted multiple times for months and never sell.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: Hessu on June 24, 2016, 03:38:39 PM
For couple hundreds those should be on good working condition and without a battery damage, if those batteries are badly leaked, then 2$ would be too much, in that case processor cards and other peripherals would be the only ones worth of selling, just my opinion, what one see as trash, could be a treasure for other, not going to judge anyone.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: Arnuph1s on June 24, 2016, 03:48:29 PM
You may want to part out some things like that Cybervision and sell it separately for best results. Probably more existing 4000 users looking for one rather than someone looking for a 4000 and a Cybervision at the same time.

I'd be very interested in the stock 4000 or 3000 and would give you a good price. Just PM me.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: TjLaZer on June 24, 2016, 05:15:09 PM
My take on going rates assuming battery has not leaked and caused damages and they work.
Some things that can affect value.  (yellowed?  No scratches or damages?, leaked battery even if repaired)

A4000 $400-$600
A3000 $300-$400
CS 060 card: $800-$1000
CV64 card $250
Monitor $50
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: hese7 on June 24, 2016, 06:46:50 PM
Quote from: Hessu;810314
For couple hundreds those should be on good working condition and without a battery damage, if those batteries are badly leaked, then 2$ would be too much

Even for a battery leaked board you can easily get $150 for the motherboard alone.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: punkyclown on June 24, 2016, 10:39:57 PM
Listen, these folks are looking out for themselves and not for you or your hardware.  An A4000 with Cybervision, off the charts money wise, start the bidding at $500.00.  An A3000 may be the more valuable computer,  Start the bidding at $600.00. Make sure you  watch and see how many have viewed it and how many are watching it. Even if you don't get any bids.  It only takes one person who really wants it and believe me they will be out there.  
Regards, Brad Hansen
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: spaceman88 on June 24, 2016, 11:13:05 PM
Quote from: punkyclown;810326
Listen, these folks are looking out for themselves and not for you or your hardware.  An A4000 with Cybervision, off the charts money wise, start the bidding at $500.00.  An A3000 may be the more valuable computer,  Start the bidding at $600.00. Make sure you  watch and see how many have viewed it and how many are watching it. Even if you don't get any bids.  It only takes one person who really wants it and believe me they will be out there.  
Regards, Brad Hansen


I sold my A3000 on Ebay a couple of years ago. I started the bidding at $99, it sold for $232. I should have had a reserve amount, but I thought the no reserve would drive bidding. I also sold an A4000/040, it did a little better, I forget the exact amount, but it was close to $400.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: Duce on June 25, 2016, 01:32:38 AM
Once you do put a price on them, let me know what you are asking, especially on the A3000.  Been looking for one to run my BBS off, tired of emulation or fighting with 20 year old BBS software on my SAM440.

I'm in Canada as well, so shipping would be less hassle.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: tonyvdb on June 25, 2016, 03:02:59 AM
I just sold a stock A4000/040 early this year on eBay and it went for $850USD I'm also in Canada.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: Acill on June 25, 2016, 03:27:37 AM
I still stand by them not fetching thousands of dollars. I also have no interest in them and still say that. I will agree on selling the Cyber vision and the 060 cards separate.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: matt3k on June 25, 2016, 12:14:15 PM
From my experience of owning Amigas...

If an Amga 3000 or 4000 has sat unused and not maintained they will have issues.

If the 3000 has had the battery removed before any leakage the will run just fine.  The only other item that really should be taken care of are the PALS.  I have seen them fail, but they are readily available and socketed.  I have 2 3000 that have never failed with no battery damage.  I have seen 50 or so 3000's fail because of battery damage, they will fail and will have to be repaired I will guarantee it.

The 4000 will fail because of the caps and the damage they cause to surrounding areas.

A well maintained and updated Amiga has a lot more value to me since I don't have to monkey with it or send it out to be fixed.  Finding repair talent for the 3000 is a harder job than the 4000 for sure also and should be factored in the purchase.
.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: Acill on June 25, 2016, 03:17:22 PM
Quote from: matt3k;810338
From my experience of owning Amigas...

If an Amga 3000 or 4000 has sat unused and not maintained they will have issues.

If the 3000 has had the battery removed before any leakage the will run just fine.  The only other item that really should be taken care of are the PALS.  I have seen them fail, but they are readily available and socketed.  I have 2 3000 that have never failed with no battery damage.  I have seen 50 or so 3000's fail because of battery damage, they will fail and will have to be repaired I will guarantee it.

The 4000 will fail because of the caps and the damage they cause to surrounding areas.

A well maintained and updated Amiga has a lot more value to me since I don't have to monkey with it or send it out to be fixed.  Finding repair talent for the 3000 is a harder job than the 4000 for sure also and should be factored in the purchase.
.


I couldn't agree more! I am working on a 3000 currently that sat a long time.  It's been hours and hours of tedious work finding g bad spots and fixing them. I charge way less than I should,  but I do it for the community and make no promises that I can get them 100% when in this state. The 4000 I am working g on also has some damage from leaking caps and battery. Currently it's working but I need to replace some chips to restore AGA modes in workbench. Also a tedious job. Had I charged the rates a full time repair shop would on these it would be several hundred easily. I'm at under $145 on them.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: ToddH on June 25, 2016, 10:48:15 PM
I say try to sell it to someone that will use it and not hoard it or sell it to turn a profit. There are lots of us out there who have been looking for a reasonably priced 3000/4000 for years.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: midway on June 26, 2016, 02:24:50 AM
Post some pics from the inside ! And yes, remove the batteries asap, the 3000 is more likely to die from leaking batteries than the 4000.
 Also, knowing whether they work or not makes quiet a difference when selling. The peeps stating it worked 10 years ago before they put it in storage always let me think, they are goners....
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on June 29, 2016, 12:56:26 PM
Thank you for all the responses.

Part of the reason for the post was just to get myself moving forward on this project otherwise the computers would just sit there for another year or two.

I likely won't get a chance to open them and check out the inside or test them out until Monday but I'll update then. Monday I'll take everything and lay it out. Photograph it, test it, etc.

I was unaware of the battery issue so they were never removed. If they leaked they already leaked. I don't see waiting a few more days will make a difference now. Hopefully they didn't.


Quote
I say try to sell it to someone that will use it and not hoard it or sell it to turn a profit. There are lots of us out there who have been looking for a reasonably priced 3000/4000 for years.


This is pretty much my position. I want a fair price but I'm also interested in them going to a good home. These were a big part of my adolescence and I was a big Amiga advocate so I want them to go to someone like myself but who has the time to use and enjoy them.

Dealing with my GF's father's stuff after he passed we gave a lot of semi-valuable items to what we thought were good homes and some of the stuff went on to be used and loved by the people we gave it to and other stuff ended up on e-bay being sold for a profit -- that was quite annoying so I'd like to avoid it.

The US shipping is not a big deal as my business ships stuff out of the United States twice a week so there would be no customs issues. That said if I could avoid shipping altogether that would be a bonus as it removes a risk of damage from the equation. I should have started this earlier as June involved a decent amount of traveling and possibly could have worked out for personal delivery.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: Acill on June 29, 2016, 01:39:50 PM
I can hear you on wanting it to go to a good home and not resold. Sadly a lof of great Amiga stuff gets that way. Ebay will net the most money usually though if you test and photograph it all well.

As far as someone getting it that deserves and will enjoy it, I think they best way is to talk to them on the phone before hand if you plan to let it go for a lower price than you see on ebay, just look at items sold and not listed.

I sold a few things and gave a lot away recently. Thats the way I did it. None of it made me much of a profit unless you count that going into other projects or money going to get things to fix other amiga systems for others.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: beska on June 29, 2016, 05:17:13 PM
I'd be interested in the A3000. I'm also located in Canada so shipping wouldn't be a problem.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: magnetic on June 29, 2016, 09:07:16 PM
Thats really nice about it being your Dad's amigas. Im sure if they sell to someone on here they will be used and loved for years to come!
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on June 30, 2016, 01:11:21 AM
Quote from: beska;810439
I'd be interested in the A3000. I'm also located in Canada so shipping wouldn't be a problem.


I'll let you know once I see it they boot and stuff

Quote from: magnetic;810442
Thats really nice about it being your Dad's amigas. Im sure if they sell to someone on here they will be used and loved for years to come!


You misunderstood. The Amigas were mine. My GF's dad passed away a few years back and he had a bunch of stuff (mostly collector aviation / AVRO Arrow stuff) that we gave away to another person that was into planes who we thought would cherish it. Some of it was limited edition collector stuff with identifying numbers and we later saw those items on e-bay for sale.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: spaceman88 on June 30, 2016, 02:16:39 AM
Quote from: MarkMaker2;810445
I'll let you know once I see it they boot and stuff



You misunderstood. The Amigas were mine. My GF's dad passed away a few years back and he had a bunch of stuff (mostly collector aviation / AVRO Arrow stuff) that we gave away to another person that was into planes who we thought would cherish it. Some of it was limited edition collector stuff with identifying numbers and we later saw those items on e-bay for sale.


Many people from outside of Canada will not be familiar with the Avro Arrow, but (depending on what it was) could be FAR more valuable than an Amiga 4000, even tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, so I understand why your "gun shy".
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: Acill on June 30, 2016, 01:57:45 PM
Quote from: spaceman88;810446
Many people from outside of Canada will not be familiar with the Avro Arrow, but (depending on what it was) could be FAR more valuable than an Amiga 4000, even tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, so I understand why your "gun shy".


The Avro Arrow was such a fantastic fighter! I hear they are pitching it again as an alternative to the F-35? It would be amazing to see it get put into production at last.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: zipper on June 30, 2016, 05:06:25 PM
60 years old design - no way...
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: spaceman88 on June 30, 2016, 09:14:20 PM
Quote from: Acill;810455
The Avro Arrow was such a fantastic fighter! I hear they are pitching it again as an alternative to the F-35? It would be amazing to see it get put into production at last.


There was some talk of an updated version about 4 years ago but I think it would have to be a complete fresh start with the amount of time that has past. Sort of like someone today using a 25 year old computer....oh wait, never mind :-).
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: magnetic on July 01, 2016, 10:33:04 AM
Ah I see sorry about that! Well sorry for your loss..

How much are you selling the 4000 for?
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 09, 2016, 01:47:01 PM
Quote from: magnetic;810489
Ah I see sorry about that! Well sorry for your loss..

How much are you selling the 4000 for?


I don't know yet. The process keeps getting interrupted by other obligations.


UPDATE

Finally got them hooked up.

3000 boots to he ROM 2.0 screen

4000 power supply fan spins but screen is black

Can't see any obvious acid burn from leaked batteries but also no idea where to look.

The 4000 has a SCSI card Spitfire DKB + A2065 Ethernet Card + a video card that I can't identify yet but remember it was a Cybervision 64. It is also a 060 but not sure what card -- fairly sure it was made by the same people who made the Cybervision 64.

The 3000 also has a A2065 Ethernet card as well as a Phonepak card. It is an 040 but the conversion was a custom mod and it also has the 030 chip
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: AltRN8 on July 09, 2016, 10:16:58 PM
Take pictures of the boards you're not sure of and I am positive many of us here can help you identify them.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 10, 2016, 03:29:19 AM
Odd discovery. As I am trying to get the 4000 to boot I removed the drive cage and there are two drives - both have power but only the SCSI drive has a cable.

I found an IDE cable in my collection of old computer parts trying to figure out if it is notch towards the back of the Amiga or notch towards the front. The Amiga has a 1 on the back top side and the cable has a red marking on one side so I assume the side with the red is pin 1.

Connecting it that way gets the drive making some noise but still just a black screen.

My 1084S monitor appears to be dead so this makes it difficult to figure out as the Cybervision 64 won't work without a successful boot and I don't have anything to connect to the normal Amiga video output.

I remember owning a device that allowed me to connect by A500 to a TV. I'll see if I can find that tomorrow.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 10, 2016, 05:00:09 AM
The 4000 should boot to the insert workbench disk if the hard drive doesn't work correctly.

as to the Cybervision64, doesn't it needs a vga type monitor?

Often the reason for a black screen is the cpu card is nor inserted incorrectly, reset it.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 10, 2016, 05:09:28 AM
Quote from: SACC-guy;810876
The 4000 should boot to the insert workbench disk if the hard drive doesn't work correctly.

as to the Cybervision64, doesn't it needs a vga type monitor?

Often the reason for a black screen is the cpu card is nor inserted incorrectly, reset it.


The Cybervision64 is a VGA output but if I remember correctly there is only output from the add-on graphics cards after a successful boot.

It has been a long time but that is how I remember it. Also there has to be a reason I kept the 1084S around and I believe that was for situations like this. If there is a insert Workbench screen I don't think the Cybervision would show it -- the output would only be visible to a monitor attached to the stock video output.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 10, 2016, 07:38:56 AM
I have a dell monitor that syncs to both 15 and 31
Oh well...
Do you have a local amiga users group for help with parts and testing?

Here in Sacramento, when we need help, we just ask each to swap parts or test.

If you are local (don't know as your profile is blank) to us, give a call
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 11, 2016, 01:05:27 PM
I don't think so. I'm in Ottawa and googling Ottawa + Amiga Users Group I get a few hits but nothing that looks like a active group.


I found a 390682-01 which appears to be an Amiga Video to VGA converter so that opens up an opportunity to find a monitor that syncs to 15. Not sure how hard that is.

I currently have 2 Dell, 2 Acer, and 2 Samsung LCD monitors. Is the 15 for Horizontal or Vertical sync?

Is there a list of monitors somewhere that work? I remember finding monitors that sync at 15 was hard even during the Amiga peak.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 11, 2016, 01:51:43 PM
There is some kind of video signal coming from the Amiga Video slot. When I connect it to my Samsung LCD the monitor displays a not ideal video popup. When I remove it I go back to no signal. So it can detect a signal but I would need a sync doubler to see what it is

The Acer was also a failure. All I got was a red weave pattern.

The Dell is a 3008WFP. I haven't tested it yet but found the specs http://monitor.b4by.net/dell_3008wfp.html

Scan
Mines. horizontal frequency   30 kHz
Max. horizontal frequency   94 kHz
Mines. vertical frequency   56 Hz
Max. vertical frequency   86 Hz
Max. frequency 800 x 600   75 Hz
Max. frequency in 1024 x 768   75 Hz
Max. frequency in 1280 x 1024   75 Hz
Max. frequency 1600 x 1200   60 Hz

Since every number is greater than 15 not optimistic.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: tonyvdb on July 11, 2016, 03:00:28 PM
Unlikely you will find an LCD monitor in Canada that will work with the Amiga. I looked for years and never did so finally bought the Indivision but in your case thats not really a viable option given your selling the 4000.
There must be someone in your community who has a working Amiga setup that might be willing to test your A4000?
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SnkBitten on July 11, 2016, 05:32:19 PM
Might be a bit of an inconvenience but do you have a way to attach the Amiga HD to your PC and use WinUAE to boot the drive.  You can then set the screenmode to DblNTSC or Multiscan and save it and then reinstall the HD in the Amiga and boot to a screenmode a standard monitor can display.  I had to do similar actions as I have no 15Khz monitor for my A4000 and it arrived with no HD and I had to install the OS in WinUAE and then move the drive over to my A4000.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 11, 2016, 08:00:22 PM
My Dell SR2320LF and ST2420LF both work at 15 and 31

Doesn't a red screen indicate a memory or rom problem?
Maybe Pull the memory, clean the contacts and the same with roms.

Just be careful not to break the holders on the memory slots! (from sad experience)

I still think the cpu board also needs to be pulled and contacts cleaned then correctly installed...
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 11, 2016, 08:46:26 PM
I think the red weave is just from the video signal being at 15 on a monitor that doesn't support that.

I'm fairly certain I have some older computers that probably have IDE so WinUAE might be an option but I am going to try to use the A520 first. I think that will allow me to output to any TV. Quality will likely be horrible but I just need to see if the Workbench screen is showing and if yes then replace the drive and install the OS on a working drive.

The 060 card I have now identified as an Apollo 4060

For the 3000 it is a lot easier thanks to the native VGA output. When I tested it I got a white screen with ROM 2.0 and some graphics. Not sure if it needed longer to boot or if the drive there is also dead.

I've pulled out a bunch of floppy disks but no luck on finding my OS disks yet. I know I have them + multiple backups but just not sure where or if they will still work after all these years.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 11, 2016, 09:04:35 PM
On the 3000 drive, older scsi drives from years ago had a stickion issue.
Where if the drive wasn't used it "stuck" in place. I saw one guy rap the drive as it powered up to free it but...he had to replace the drive anyway.

Is there any battery leakage on the 4000, it could have eaten at the memory simms?
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: spaceman88 on July 11, 2016, 09:18:00 PM
Quote from: MarkMaker2;810925
I don't think so. I'm in Ottawa and googling Ottawa + Amiga Users Group I get a few hits but nothing that looks like a active group.


I found a 390682-01 which appears to be an Amiga Video to VGA converter so that opens up an opportunity to find a monitor that syncs to 15. Not sure how hard that is.

I currently have 2 Dell, 2 Acer, and 2 Samsung LCD monitors. Is the 15 for Horizontal or Vertical sync?

Is there a list of monitors somewhere that work? I remember finding monitors that sync at 15 was hard even during the Amiga peak.


The Dell ST 2320L works great on the Amiga. I bought mine about 3 years ago (from Dell Canada), there was also a few other Dell monitors that work.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 11, 2016, 09:23:44 PM
I don't believe there is any battery leakage. I don't know where the batteries are located but I've examined the boards and I didn't see anything that looks like acid burn or discoloration. Everything looks pretty good.

The 4000 has memory in two locations. There are two sticks on the main board and two sticks on the Apollo. If I remember correctly the Apollo required that there be RAM on the main board. I've removed and reseated the RAM on the Apollo but not the main board although I think I would have noticed acid burn.

The 4000 has a SCSI drive as well as the IDE drive so that gives me a second option.

If I can use WinUAE to make a working IDE drive and then just drop it into the 4000 that would be perfect. I've never used WinUAE though so it would be a learning experience.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 11, 2016, 09:43:51 PM
I don't know WinUAE. And I have never tried setting up a drive in a pc.
I prefer to just use amiga.

But I have Amiga Forever, it uses WinUAE but with custom setting for various Amigas. Great package! Recommeded!

So many questions...Does the 4000 have a battery? It's just by the simm sockets on the motherboard, big cylinder thingy!

Can you attach a pic?
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 11, 2016, 09:47:08 PM
I don't know if it has a battery. If a stock 4000 has a battery then it does as I never removed it.

I'll take pictures tonight. Amigas at home.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 11, 2016, 09:52:08 PM
If you are the first owner and never removed it...GET IT OUT NOW.
If it didn't leak before, when you started powering it up again, it will leak!
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SnkBitten on July 11, 2016, 09:58:35 PM
Quote from: MarkMaker2;810948

If I can use WinUAE to make a working IDE drive and then just drop it into the 4000 that would be perfect. I've never used WinUAE though so it would be a learning experience.

 
This is exactly what I had to do.  I had a blank IDE HD, no 15Khz monitor and a bad 3.1 Install floppy.  I purchased a cheap IDE/SATA to USB cable with power supply that allowed me to plug in the IDE drive to a USB port on my primary PC (no IDE, it's all SATA internally).   Configured a WinUAE setup to emulate a basic A4000 (but with JIT and Fastest possible checked) and added the HD "Add Hard Drive" and configured it as A4000 IDE unit 0.  Got 3.1 installed, IDEfix97 for my CDrom and then installed OS 3.9.

I keep that configuration around as I've done a few things that screwed up the boot and had to move the drive back from my A4000 to WinUAE to make corrections.  Relying on DblNTSC/PAL or Multiscan is a pain if the boot doesn't go smoothly as you see no error messages, requestors, etc...to know what's going on.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: spaceman88 on July 11, 2016, 10:04:18 PM
The battery should be a blue or red cylinder right on the edge of the board by the RAM connectors. If it's a A4000CR, it would have a "coin type" battery. Less chance of a leak from these.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 12, 2016, 12:18:33 PM
Ok so I assume this is the battery?

https://i.imgur.com/A8q8qzd.jpg

it appears to be ok for now.

Some additional pictures

https://i.imgur.com/urfCUSR.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Zi3ijSb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/X473IT2.jpg

the 3000

https://i.imgur.com/tT2Td1L.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uBrbP5E.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/W6aQ9yq.jpg

I found a copy of Marauder II and Project D on floppy which I knew both of these would boot if the disk was good -- the Project D came back with a error but Marauder booted on the second try.

Here are some pictures of the screen shots.

https://i.imgur.com/MsLqIaa.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/E9jCkvU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cmpChkS.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NMxFDz1.jpg

I'm not sure if I can do anything from the command prompt that Marauder offers. Basically if there is any way to use this command to make physical disks out of ADFs.

So it seems that the 3000 is fine except for the drive. I can't figure out what is holding the hard drive in place. I can't pull it out as something is holding it but it also move with a lot of freedom so not screwed in. Seems to be held by some cable from under. I haven't pulled yet just because I don't want to damage anything.

The goal for today is to attempt SnkBitten drive creation. I have an old computer with two IDE drives. It had previously been used as one end of a site-to-site VPN but it got replaced with something faster and now is just acting as a Windows XP machine with a fax modem for people who still demand sending faxes. I know both drives work so goal will be to make one into an Amiga bootable HD for the 4000.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 12, 2016, 12:34:43 PM
Found my original Workbench 2.1 disks. First try got a read error but on a second try success

https://i.imgur.com/HZG3JO5.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YGcSlMl.jpg

That changes the goal for today to finding a SCSI drive. I think I might have one somewhere.

Does anyone know what is holding the drive in place? It seems to not be anchored to either wall but rather something flexible is holding it from the bottom front. There is no way to see under and I have never seen a drive held in place this way. Don't want to rip it out if there is a proper way to remove it.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 12, 2016, 04:43:20 PM
On 3000D hard drive.
It should be attached to a plate, which is supposed to be held in place by on screw on the inside corner.
Further then, the tray has flanges that slid in place and yes, there is the data and power cables which restrict movement.

The easy way to remove. Remove the screw. Slide the tray forward a little, pull the cables and let them just hang. Pull the tray forward the rest of the way and you should be holding a hard drive with tray attached. Turn it over, remove the four screws and reverse the process to install a new drive.

BTW, the 3000D also has a battery, under the zorro boards...pull it out!!
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 12, 2016, 04:48:36 PM
On the 4000 battery, even though the picture is not the cleanest...

I can clearly see battery salt.... it has started leaking!!!

This is not the right way...but At the very least, just rock the battery back and forth.
the three solder points should break and the battery is out!

BTW, Blow out the cat hair!
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 12, 2016, 04:53:13 PM
We see so many dead and un-repairable 3000 and 4000 motherboards due to those damm batteries!!!
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 12, 2016, 04:55:40 PM
Quote from: MarkMaker2;810990
Found my original Workbench 2.1 disks. First try got a read error but on a second try success

https://i.imgur.com/HZG3JO5.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YGcSlMl.jpg

That changes the goal for today to finding a SCSI drive. I think I might have one somewhere.

Does anyone know what is holding the drive in place? It seems to not be anchored to either wall but rather something flexible is holding it from the bottom front. There is no way to see under and I have never seen a drive held in place this way. Don't want to rip it out if there is a proper way to remove it.
on the floppy errors..

It's very likely the fuzz and hair. Blow out the mess.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 12, 2016, 05:15:53 PM
I had a can of compressed air that I forgot at the office. Will be blowing everything out tonight.

The 3000's HD is definitely not attached with any screws -- the entire drive is movable but not removable because something unseen is holding it from under closer to the front of the Amiga (so basically not the power or SCSI cable which are at the back and clearly visible). Removing the whole drive tray might work or at least give me a better view.



So I can just snap off the battery when I get home tonight?  It has no impact on the computer's functioning?

Does the 3000 have a better I should be looking for?
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 12, 2016, 05:28:33 PM
Wait, the hard drive and floppy drives are mounted on their own mini trays that slide into slots/holes on the large tray covering the motherboard.

Yes, the battery is really only for the keeping the clock time.

Yes, the 3000 also has a battery, under the zorro cards, just pull the card out.
Makes it easier to clean.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 13, 2016, 12:39:26 PM
Thank you. I'll check for the 3000 battery tonight.

I had just figured out the drive mounting on the 3000 before checking in. When I did I saw that the drive was not connected to the computer. Plugged it in and now it works.

There is nothing on the computer except for Workbench 2.1 and the PhonePak software. I'd like to test the Ethernet card. Can't see how I'd test PhonePak without a landline.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 13, 2016, 10:58:31 PM
The only way I can think of to see if the 2065 card is "good" is just hold down the two mouse buttons on power up and check on the cards, if it says working, it's okay (I think)

If you have a au to rj-45 converter... you can hook it up to a router (if you have one)

BTW, the card check will confirm the gvp PhonePak "working" card as well.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: SACC-guy on July 13, 2016, 10:59:09 PM
double post---sorry
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: slaapliedje on July 14, 2016, 05:40:34 AM
Quote from: SACC-guy;810999
We see so many dead and un-repairable 3000 and 4000 motherboards due to those damm batteries!!!

When I got my 2nd hand Amiga, the previous owner had swapped out the battery with another barrel one.  I ended up ordering a coin battery adapter off of ebay.  For some rason the way the pins were, it was harder to get the one from Amikit to fit right.

But since he's selling these and doesn't care about the clock at all, definitely remove the ol' leaky bastards before they have a chance to cause damage.

Odd that the Atari systems all used some weird NVRAM battery block.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: matt3k on July 14, 2016, 06:34:37 PM
Quote from: MarkMaker2;811048
Thank you. I'll check for the 3000 battery tonight.

I had just figured out the drive mounting on the 3000 before checking in. When I did I saw that the drive was not connected to the computer. Plugged it in and now it works.

There is nothing on the computer except for Workbench 2.1 and the PhonePak software. I'd like to test the Ethernet card. Can't see how I'd test PhonePak without a landline.

If you have the phonepak software installed, you will see the lineman program (it is a little bar), plug the phoneline into the phonepak (can't remember which port, but think it is the one closer to the PSU fan) and call the land line.  If the phonepak picks up, it works.

If you don't have the software installed, it isn't worth the effort to set it up.  So just sell it as is...
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 20, 2016, 05:26:39 AM
Thanks I'll try the double mouse button to check cards -- Phonepak software is installed but I don't have a landline to plug it into.

Lost a few days due to being out of town. I'm leaning towards Amibay over e-Bay -- hopefully by Thursday or Friday should figure out what a fair price is and  status of the 4000.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: spaceman88 on July 20, 2016, 04:34:02 PM
Quote from: MarkMaker2;811353
Thanks I'll try the double mouse button to check cards -- Phonepak software is installed but I don't have a landline to plug it into.

Lost a few days due to being out of town. I'm leaning towards Amibay over e-Bay -- hopefully by Thursday or Friday should figure out what a fair price is and  status of the 4000.


Only problem with Amibay is most of the users are in Europe. When I listed my A3000 on there several people wanted it, but when they found out the shipping costs they lost interest. If you list it there make sure you put a notice here as well for the max. number of viewers.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 21, 2016, 02:17:14 AM
For the people who PMed me. So sorry I didn't respond. Only today did I notice I had a bunch of notifications and when I clicked on them I saw the PMs. Going through and responding to them now.

Quote from: spaceman88;811377
Only problem with Amibay is most of the users are in Europe. When I listed my A3000 on there several people wanted it, but when they found out the shipping costs they lost interest. If you list it there make sure you put a notice here as well for the max. number of viewers.


Yeah I noticed it was 80% Euros, 10% British Pounds and then maybe 10% USD. Since I discovered I have PMs with people interested I'm going to try to make a deal here.

Goal is to get the A4000 working but either way I'm going to clean them up, get more detailed specs, take some better pictures, and have a price for the people who PMed me by the weekend.
Title: Re: Guidance on selling a A4000 and A3000
Post by: MarkMaker2 on July 21, 2016, 05:28:39 AM
The A4000 now boots.

I had previously tried to use an A520 to connect it to my TV but got nothing. Today I realized my Dell monitor has an RCA input. Plugged it in and got the purple screen with the ROM 3.0

Connected the harddrives and I got various states of Workbench -- basically I'd get a gray screen that said Workbench but no icons. Sometimes I would get a clock followed by just gray screen. Finally this last time after the clock my Samsung which is connected to the Cybervision flashed Light My Fire followed by Workbench booting normally which was then followed by a popup saying System3.1 had a bad sector and a number.

Good news is A4000 seems to be operational. Bad news is it looks like the IDE drive is dying. I have an extra 40GB IDE drive that I'm not using and which I know is currently problem free. The A4000 also has a SCSI drive. I have no idea why I'm booting off the IDE rather than the SCSI.

Connecting the SCSI drive without the IDE boots to an AmigaDOS screen on the RCA output.

Anyway I'm happy with the outcome. Thank you all for the help. I'll post again when I have some pictures with a decent camera.