My A500 "project" pics, details, build log?

[Lurch]

Have a Tamiya original Frog, partial restore at this point. electronic speed controller FUTABA MC330CR, boomerang wheels all round etc etc, Also have a Tamiya plasma edge low end buggy.

Have had the frog since I was a kid.

Home theatre, have a PIONEER HTZ818BD. Not high end but does the job. For a TV have a 47" Philips LCD, downside it's not 3D but can't afford to upgrade anymore.

Also love cars, although don't have the money really. Have a 2002 Nissan Stagea Axis Autech silver :-)

Collect records, also collect PC hardware. I like to save computer gear, if anyone wants anything PC let me know.

Hoping to start another new hobby and learn to play the drums but and also want a pool table but all wishes due to my current situation.

Still need to get around to buying a house but here in New Zealand prices are extreme so another dream :-)

[Lurch]

Very nice Laser you have there :-) Man I need to get a better job LOL

Not the latest photos but of it before I signed my life away buying it. :-)

[Lurch]

A lot of people these days call them consoles, not sure why, when or who started that.

It's a computer after all :-)

[Lurch]

1985, that was a good year :-) I was 10 years old LOL /feels old, runs off and hides in the corner

[Lurch]

Good to hear, thought everyone here was now suddenly 20 something. :-)

[Lurch]

Young Whipper-snappers!

Get off my lawn ....

Gunna get yah, where's my zimmer frame...

Is it weird that I want to make a birthday cake for my joystick? :p

Would have said in the past but my Amigacentric tendencies say why not? :-)

[Lurch]

It's totally unreliable, and apparently not compatible with much more than a stock A500...

I guess that's what happens when you try to mix old with new :/

With the 512k inbuilt, 512k trapdoor, 512k on the MMR, and 1meg in the A590, it seems perfectly stable.

Have the same trouble with the exact same 8MB mod from Tom :-) Works fine with just the A590 but causes the same MMR fault you are having when I use the HARMS card.

Thought it was faulty RAM and bought some more ZIP RAM, same problem. Strange as the RAM on the card is 32bit and in a higher memory range than Tom's.

Although removing it didn't solve my speed issue LOL

[Lurch]

and only just NOW you decide to tell me this? lol

LOL I know slack on my part hahaha :-)

[Lurch]

I found I couldn't get anything to run without 2MB chip RAM. Had 2MB Fast on the A590 which was enough to play most games.

Although when I added the 8MB I had more sound in IK+, but no sound with the shield and balls/heads.

When I added the Harms card I had all the sound in IK+ Just one game I noticed some changes on.

[Lurch]

I'm running 1mb chip ATM with 8mb non-auto config fast ram which means about 500k chip ram gets wasted by ClassicWB and most games still work in whdload.

Can't get it to work with only 1MB chip RAM, have 900k left over once ClassicWB loads, but always get not enough chip RAM to load.

If I use tiny launcher or x bench (I think it's called) 5 out of 10 games will load.

On the 500 plus no such drama's, 1.7MB chip available and it works great.

[Lurch]

that's why you copy it from the WB1.3 disc... I was suggesting it to Lurch anyway, as he seems to be running out of chip ram.

It would seem that my HDD/SCSI controller is incredibly slow!

Will give that go :-) Have been playing with Fblit as well, thats pretty good :-)


Must check how fast my cf-card is reading now that you've brought that up.

[Lurch]

First photo is so the setup I had, although we couldn't afford the monitor at the time so had the A500 connected to small 14" NEC CRT TV :-)

Same TV I used with my Commodore 64C, never liked the dark brown 64. Wish I had a camera back then.

Would love to be able to look back.

@djos, the A500 adapter, would that cause problems if one had an accelerator?

[Lurch]

it was a Tandy 1000ex (with CM5 monitor & Tandy DotMatrix

Loved the Tandy, never owned one though. Use to look at the pictures in magazines.

I think he traded it in for a PC clone in about '91 which was much faster and had a 40MB HDD but no sound and normal CGA GFX (which sucked!). I had to save up for an Adlib Sound Card to get music again!

Jumped off the Amiga band wagon and bought a 486sx25 with a Soundblaster 16. Before I got the sound card I was not amazed. But man Doom was awesome, ashamed to say I didn't miss the humble 500. Cranked the 486 up to a 486dx133 amazing in a full tower box but a pain to transport for LAN parties (back when they were not mainstream).  17" CRT TV to boot... back of the car never looked lower.

not sure mate, although as long as there are no tall caps it should be able to sit on top of the accelerator board. It comes with removable riser-pins too so you can make it lower profile if need be.

Hmm, tempted as I like the idea of the cf-card out the back. But then I don't want to loose the speed of the scsi :-/

[Lurch]

I believe you can get scsi to cf adapters which would be the fastest option.

Yes you can, but not internally on the old' 500. My A590 already has a SCSI card reader, just doesnt fit very well, have yet to get the courage to cut into it.

Not sure I'll be holding on to the 500, thinking about either micro itx setup or a nice shiney A1200.

[Lurch]

Can't wait until the A500 has a birthday ;-)