Hello all,
I am now the proud owner of an Amiga 500 with 512k expansion. This is my first Amiga to date, so I don't know everything yet, but I am learning quickly.
I'm having intermittent issues, however. Two issues plague me the most -- the flashing power light, and scrambled video. (For reference, I'm using the mono/greyscale video port for the moment, as I don't yet have a modulator or an RGB monitor.)
Seems to me that the IC's just do not want to stay in their sockets, as pressing firmly on the CPU usually fixes a flashing power light, and pressing on the Denise chip usually fixes scrambled video. But it doesn't usually stay fixed, and that doesn't always solve the issue. So, my question is, what's the safest and most effective way of cleaning the contacts on an IC? I've done the trick with a hard eraser to remove oxidation, but that might have made things worse to an extent. I also know I could solder the chips into their sockets for the best reliability, but I don't really want to do that.
Also, what other things (other than the power supply -- which I can't currently test because I don't have a multimeter handy) should I check? I know everything individually is working alright, as when it does work, it works wonderfully, just not 100% of the time.
Finally, the CPU has been replaced with a Vortex ATOnce, which is piggybacked over a stock 68k. Can I replace this back to a regular 68000, or shouldn't I? I don't really have any use for it.
Thanks
Just some more possibilities:
The ATOnce I had for A500 wasn't that tight fit in the socket plus could cause power issues depending on what else is connected to your A500. Having said that the flashing LED doesn't necessarily mean a 68K issue. Also, if pressing on the ICs make things work it can mean that some pins are bent or partly broken so they aren't making contact (on the edge of making contact).
