Another New/Old Amiga user

[KatManDEW]

I already posted a question in another thread, but I thought I would admit my retro situation here.

I started with a Timex Sinclair TS1000 many many moons ago, and progressed through the Timex 2068 and Sinclair QL, to a Amiga 1000, and then a Amiga 2000. Those were the days...

I have a GVP 030 card in my A2000, and a Flicker Fixer, and a Picasso card, and a Bridgecard. I got started programming MS QuickBasic on the Bridgecard, writing apps to use where I work. From there I went on a WinTel downhill slide, and ended up spending lots of time writing Visual Basic apps to use at work.

Back in my Timex Sinclair days, I scratch built a large multi-scene stage lighting controller, with a TS1000 computer in it. The old "One Aught" has 18 channel A/D and D/A converters for reading scenes fron the lighting controller sliders, and "writing" secnes back to the channel outputs on the lighting controller. I used an additional cross fader for switching between computer generated scenes, and scenes set with the sliders on the controller.

Anyway... I'm kinda interested in using my Amiga 2000 again. She still boots from HD, and has OS 3.1 installed. I take it from reading on here that I should check the battery?

I never really did much with my A2000 when I used it, except play games, and I couldn't get it to play many games once I got the 030 accelerator and OS 3.1. I also could only get one or two games to play from HD.

I think I played with the internet with a modem a little before I stopped using my A2000, because I have AmiTCP and Mosaic installed. I have cable internet now, and I'm wondering if I could get a Ethernet card for my A2000 and get on the net?

I'm also open for any recommendation for games and apps for my A2000. Is there an OS update I should get? Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[KatManDEW]

Any suggestions for a ethernet card for my A2000?

[KatManDEW]

DoogUK wrote:
First things first, whip that nasty battery out and inspect for damage!

OK. Will do ASAP.

What is What is Minimig and the ACUBE?

I'm getting excited  :-D

[KatManDEW]

Thanks for all the info and tips.

Is the battery that blue barrel shaped thing under the drive bays? If so, how do we get that puppy out? It looks like it's spot welded to the connectors that go into the motherboard.

[KatManDEW]

I connected an old VGA monitor to the Flicker Fixer output, and it works. Whoo hoo! Flicker free high res!

I found the user manual for the Picasso board. Now I've gotta dig around and see if I can find the cable to use :cry:

[KatManDEW]

Found the cable for the Picasso. Dug out a 21 inch monitor that someone was tossing, and hooked it up. The Picasso display looks good

Still can't do much with the old girl. The only game that will run off the hard drive is Megaball. I've gotta dig out a null modem cable and hook it up to a WinTel so I can get WHDLoad working. So far I haven't been able to format any floppies and read them in PC0: or PC1:  :boohoo:

BTW: Turns out my accelerator os a 33mhz GVP 68040, not an 030. Can I still get additional RAM for that thing, and would it be worth it?

What do you all do with your retro Amiga's? I've gotta get mine on the net.

Thanks to all for the help!

[KatManDEW]

Should I try to remove the battery from the contacts, or remove the contacts from the motherboard? There are two "pins" going into the motherboard from each "contact", and it's a multi layer board with plated through holes, and that is tricky de-soldering... Should I just try to clip off the contacts?

[KatManDEW]

Thanks again for all the feedback and help!

I think my Picasso is a I or II ;-(

Here's a pic of my Timex Sinclair 1000 inside my stage lighting controller. I built all the Timex Sinclair add-on hardware except for the floppy controller. I etched, drilled, and assembled all the boards in the lighting controller.

[KatManDEW]

QuikSanz wrote:
@KatManDEW,

Always good to see someone new, um, old at the party.

 Depending on the card you have you may have trouble getting a X-Surf to work. I had a heck of a time on my GeForce 030/40Mhz.
Maybe it's a firmware thing.

Chris

That doesn't sound good... I've always had a heck of a time getting anything to work on my Amiga  :boohoo: I can't figure out how to get WHDLoad to work...

I got that nasty old bettery out of there, and the Bridegecard and 5-1/4 inch floppy. She's back in the computer room now.

Can I use any old SCSI CD drive? Do I just get a longer SCSI cable with an extra connector, and daisy chain it with the HD on the GVP accelerator? Are there any drivers needed?

[KatManDEW]

Tenacious wrote:
Good job removing the battery!  I replaced mine with a rechargable cordless phone battery (confirm polarity first).

The The flickerfixer output should be able to go into the input port on the Picasso II with the proper cable.  This way the Picasso will pass thru native Amiga screen modes AND output it's own resolutions.  No monitor cable swapping required.  Have you done this?

A longer SCSI cable and SCSI CDrom should be all that's required (no drivers, this is an Amiga).  You will have to set unique SCSI ID numbers (0 thru 6) for all devices connected.  If the CDrom is the last internal SCSI device on the ribbon cable, I think it will need termination.  All other internal devices should have termination turn OFF.  This termination scheme will be true of any external devices as well.

You could try for a SCSI CDwriter as well, these turn up on e-Bay from time2time.

Your machine has much potential added to it already.  A minority of us try to use Amigas for as much as possible, like surfing, Mp3s, graphics, office, faxing, etc.  This post came from an Amiga.

It would help others help you if you give more information, like motherboard revision, rom rev on the GVP SCSI controller, fast ram available, etc.

I'm jealous. I want to post with my Amiga!

Do I need to inspect for physical revision numbers on components, is there a software way to do it? Workbench says 865,072 Graphics mem, and 3,962,872 other mem. My GVP board only has one memory slot filled.

[KatManDEW]

Amiduffer wrote:
old trusty AsimCDFS

Programs to unpack them

What problems are you having with WHDload?

Thanks for the link to the CD file system.

I can unpack stuff OK. I have DirOpus.

When I try to run the installer for the games on the WHDLoad site, it goes through the motions and then says "Sorry.... an Error has occured! GETENV: String too long"

[KatManDEW]

Wow! I'm really getting excited! I did Google search for GVP RAM yesterday and founf that memory at Software Hut. Do you think I should get three 4 meg SIMM's to fill the slots on my GVP 040?

I still don't understand exactly what the Minimig and the ACUBE are? Are they hybrid machines that run the Amiga OS?

What's the "ultimate Amiga" now-a-days (not including a Toaster). A 4000 tower? Acube?

I did find the cable to connect my Flicker Fixer to the input on my Picasso. I have some purdy video now.

Damn you guys for stirring up my old Amiga lust!  :-D

[KatManDEW]

Awesome info again Amiduffer! I'm going to read that site pretty close. I nver had a real good understanding of my Amiga back in the day because I was too busy building Timex Sinclair hardware and the stage lighting controller, and after that learning QuickBASIC on the Bridgecard.

I think I'm going to order three more SIMM's for my GVP 040, and the X-Surf. I can't find any of my null modem cables, but hopefully I won't need it if I get the X-Surf.

[KatManDEW]

QuikSanz wrote:
@KatManDEW,

 Depends on what card. My G-Force will only handle 16Mb max so I have to keep one slot empty to account for PIV. I'll bet your card can handle more.

Chris

The instruction manual for my GVP 040 says it can use up to four 16 meg SIMM's. I wonder if the 16's are still available?

Can I expand the chip RAM on my A2000?

What's a PIV?

[KatManDEW]

Funny side note about my GVP 040 accelerator... It was of course horribly expensive, and I had no real justification for purchasing it. But I ordered it anyway, and I came home from work in a blizzard one day, and found a scribbled note on my door from the postman that said "Back porch". I didn't have a back porch at the time, but I went to the back steps, which were covered in snow, and found nothing. I did see a yellow spot in the snow where a dog had urinated. And through the melted yellow snow I saw something... It was the package with my GVP 040.  :-o