Amiga 1200 does not work

[danbeaver]

To check the voltage you need a voltameter, but a multimeter will allow you to check the continuity of connections.

If you don't feel comfortable with all this, then perhaps you should send it to someone (like Amigakit) for repair.

[alphadec]

To check the voltage you need a voltameter, but a multimeter will allow you to check the continuity of connections.

If you don't feel comfortable with all this, then perhaps you should send it to someone (like Amigakit) for repair.

Looks like amigakit only repair if you have bought it from them.

Anyone else ?

[danbeaver]

Looks like Amigakit [will] only repair [something] if you have bought it from them.

Anyone else?

Amigakit will repair anyone's Amiga if you pay them; they may repair one of their own sales for free.

When Anthony Hoffman is not on his vacation lounging in the sun repairing the electronics in the sub-zero weather of the Antarctic, he does an excellent job of diagnosing and repairing Amigas with a very short turn around time (he is not free either, nor is he available until September).

Place an add for repair services, or look for offered services on Amibay.

[alphadec]

Amigakit will repair anyone's Amiga if you pay them; they may repair one of their own sales for free.

When Anthony Hoffman is not on his vacation lounging in the sun repairing the electronics in the sub-zero weather of the Antarctic, he does an excellent job of diagnosing and repairing Amigas with a very short turn around time (he is not free either, nor is he available until September).

Place an add for repair services, or look for offered services on Amibay.

I have sent a ticket on amigakit but do u have his email address. ?

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

You guys make things so difficult.  Yes, before you do anything else, send it to be re-capped.  This is a very common problem with A600/A1200/A4000 systems.  Send it to AmigaKit, or danbeaver's guy, or use this guy:

http://www.maccaps.com/MacCaps/Repair_Service.html

There's at least a dozen other folks in the forums who can do this (do a forum search), or you can do it yourself - AmigaKit sells cap packs for under $10.  

[danbeaver]

I've used Charles at Maccaps on working motherboards (he is fast and does a good job), but he can not diagnose and repair Amigas (Macs, yes).

And I just guessing that if reseating ROMs is anxiety provoking, then troubleshooting an eBay purchase might be overwhelming; well purchasing anything from eBay is pretty much a sucky experience IMHO.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

BTW, if the power and hard drive (and floppy lights) don't work at all, they are on a small PCB that attaches to the inside of the case.  Sometimes this can go bad, or be damaged, or maybe it's just unhooked?

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

I've used Charles at Maccaps on working motherboards (he is fast and does a good job), but he can not diagnose and repair Amigas (Macs, yes).

Ah, I see what you mean.  He put his discription in in a really weird way so I didn't notice it at first.  I'll copy & paste his entire description here, for the benefit of anyone who might come across this link later:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amiga-1200-Re-cap-Service-/181650420728?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a4b3573f8

Hey Vintage Amiga lovers.
Just offering my services up for sale.

I'v been recapping Mac / Amiga / NeXT for years.

Just bought an Office just for this, MacCaps.com
I have 3 kids at home, and fixing boards there just was not working out.

So now that I have an office I need to keep up a regular work flow.

- Basically what you are paying for is this:
- Professional / Careful Hot Air De-Cap
- By hand Pad scrub with flux and copper braid
- Mess clean up with Qtips and Chemical Solution
- Wash,  Regulated Air Compressor Dry
- Re-Cap with Quality Japanese Replacements.
- Test , I will test the caps with a meter.

I can't test Amiga stuff right now, I simply cannot afford
Them Right now, I don't have any Amiga machines here.

So right now I just cap em,  and if i see some traces that are shot,
I will give you 30 minutes over the standard re-cap for free, For fixes.
After that my Bench fee is $36 an hour.

A good most of the time , Most boards just need to be De-Capped/Cleaned/Re-capped and all is well.  Some boards can be problem boards, I have worked on them all many many times and i know
most of all their flaws.

My shop is in Novi Michigan, just send me the bare board,  And consider it done.

Shipping USPS or Fedex works, what ever offers free tracking, and is insured.


** Send your board to me, This Ad's Shipping Charge is for return shipping to you.
** International Customers Welcome
** No refunds for services preformed
** Feel Free to use my website MacCaps.com to do it your self (if you are capable)

[danbeaver]

Oh, if I read the post right you asked from an address, possibly for Anthony Hoffman; he will be back in September and will be free to work on Amigas after he repairs/recaps 3 of my motherboards and 3 A3640's (+/- a Warp Engine).

Info: Anthony Hoffman   He has a web site and is on this forum as Castellen

Cerf to this URL: http://www.amibay.com/forumdisplay.php?147-Services

[scuzzb494]

May I suggest before doing anything else you eliminate the probability of travel sickness. I would very carefully lay the mother board out on the table and remove all peripherals and the like and just have the bottom case and mother board and connect a monitor and mouse and see what happens. I have seen Ebayers and what they do to clean these computers and they wouldn't know about the extra holes to the ROM or the fact that they bent a pin or mucked up connecting something. I have had many machines like this.

On my website there are guides in HELP about what happens when you buy an Amiga and the pitfalls. Plus the cardboard Amiga which is a 1200 bare and running with just the motherboard.
I also had a problem like the one described cus the shielding was earthing across a pin and caused it to fail.

My bet is that its been cleaned and put together badly and or suffering from travel sickness. Something has come loose.

[alphadec]

My bet is that its been cleaned and put together badly and or suffering from travel sickness. Something has come loose.

Yes I am going to have good check tomorrow. I have received many things on this board now on where I should check so will have a look at it tomorrow and let u know how it goes.

[gertsy]

Yes I am going to have good check tomorrow. I have received many things on this board now on where I should check so will have a look at it tomorrow and let u know how it goes.

Yes a lot of advice in a short period. All in good intent. I agree checking the 1200 out on a known good power supply (the A500 one) and checking all the chips are seated correctly and cables connected correctly is a good first step.

[alphadec]

I have today had a good check on my A1200 rev 1d4

- PSU - I used another PSU then it do not reboot every 5-10 sec

- after I disable it and did check the leads on the led to power light. After I put it all back    together the lights now work.

- But mouse is still dead.


I sent email to amikit and they will do repair , they was incredible fast and fantastic helpful so think I will use them when I send them this for a checkup!.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Good job in the replacement PSU and LED lights lead.  Usually when people have mouse problems the issue lies with a CIA chip, or occasionally with Paula.  Might be obvious, but have you confirmed that the mouse works correctly on another system?  Have you tried your current system with a different mouse?

This doesn't change the recommendation to have the caps replaced, btw.  It's cheap and good preventative maintenance, since those caps can leak and cause a whole host of issues.  Just giving you a couple other things to check, as well.  

[scuzzb494]

I have today had a good check on my A1200 rev 1d4

- PSU - I used another PSU then it do not reboot every 5-10 sec

- after I disable it and did check the leads on the led to power light. After I put it all back    together the lights now work.

- But mouse is still dead.


I sent email to amikit and they will do repair , they was incredible fast and fantastic helpful so think I will use them when I send them this for a checkup!.

Well done. Strange but the last Amiga 1200 I had a problem with the mouse was broken along with the power lights. I once picked an Amiga up from a guy and I watched with horror as the guys dad was cleaning an A500 with the power on while swapping out connectors on the back. I said that he should avoid plugging stuff in and out like that while the power is on. He just laughed and then offered me the 500. I have also seen forks used for removing floppies and kids pushing sharp objects into PCMCIA slots. Little wonder that the things are busted. My A1200 dates from 1993 and has been used and generally unplugged since that date and still works fine, even the floppy drive. Nothing has ever broken on her. Wonderful machine.

I have brought so many Amigas back to life and just get a very happy glow when I get them working. Many computers suffer from travel sickness. My worst was an A4000T which took a year to get working again. I am pleased to say that all my Amigas work and I wouldn't have it any other way. Certainly helps collecting parts and bits and pieces and never throwing anything away.

Anyway, good luck. Keep your eye open for motherboards on Ebay and the like. Often much cheaper than getting the computer repaired. Also getting junk off Ebay is rewarding. I once bought an A500 marked as a 1200 for next to nothing and when I opened her up she had a Viper 520 inside with a hard drive.

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/car_0608/car08401.jpg

Enjoy your 1200. Truly magical.

[alphadec]

Good job in the replacement PSU and LED lights lead.  Usually when people have mouse problems the issue lies with a CIA chip, or occasionally with Paula.  Might be obvious, but have you confirmed that the mouse works correctly on another system?  Have you tried your current system with a different mouse?

This doesn't change the recommendation to have the caps replaced, btw.  It's cheap and good preventative maintenance, since those caps can leak and cause a whole host of issues.  Just giving you a couple other things to check, as well.  

I have a Amiga 500 and used the mouse on that, with noe problems so the mouse is checked on that before I connected it to the A1200. But guess I will let amikit have a look at it.