Hardware recommendations for a new (to me) A1200

[scuzzb494]

I am very keen that users of the Amiga maintain the essence of the base machine in all its glory. There has been several waves of destruction for the A1200. The first being the hacks that occurred to expand the machines originally. Usually dreadful installations of 3.5" drives and the like. Next was the towerising of the computer and the destruction of the cases with just the retentions of base and motherboard. And to today with the cutting of cases to insert new fangled drives, USBs and the like. Plus the various colouring of cases etc.

For the real enthusiast that is likely to stay the course then I could probably just cope with that as these users do contribute to the greater good of the Amiga community. What is less palatable is users that come to the game after they suddenly have a shot of nostalgia but cannot live with the kit without trying to make the Amiga into some kind of modern machine and then give up when they fail. I collect computers and am very active on numerous groups and have seen first hand the destructive debris that many have inflicted on some quite wonderful machines. I rescued a 1500 that had been hacked and modified to take a 1200 motherboard and then abandoned when the person realised that there was no way of installing an accelerator in the space. In doing this he managed to destroy three Amiga computers.

So when I say respect its more about preserving a machine from the scrap heap in truth through over ambition that fades as the computer is unable to provide the desired function. These computers are old and getting older. We mustn't lose any if we can help it.

On the connectivity I have a wired ethernet card and wrote my own SAMBA scripts to communicate with all my PCs and used Miami as the launch interface. By setting the AUTO on the IP I was able also to get the A1200 onto broadband though only use it for mail. The networking is far more useful as I can directly use all the various drives on XP, Win98 and Win95 machines. I have SCSI on the Blizzard Turbo KIT and external drives for storage of files and also have CD and ZIP. The machine is also on a Parnet to an A4000D/040 where I keep my vast library of adf files that I have created.

Fred Fish disks are actually still very interesting to muck around with though less relevant today. I have the volumes on CD. The SCSI port is the only hack to my original 1993 A1200 which has been running every day since I first purchased the machine. I still have the original blanking plate if I need to put matters back the way they were. It is a credit to the computer that I have never had to repair anything. And trust me this A1200 has been used extensively and still does so. I have a small NetGear HUB on the floor that feeds to several machines so I am always able to find stuff.

I generally set up all my Amigas with Parnet, DOpus, CED, Squirrel or SCSI off a Blizzard plus internal 2.5 and external SCSI plus ZIP and CD. Kinda the norm for me. I still use the original monitors like the Microvitec though the A4000 is on a Mitsubishi driven through the PicassoIV. I have a 1200 in a tower which is a real beast and literally built from scraps of computers I have collected during my travels. Works fine.

Anyway , have fun and keep a record of your activity. Personally I wouldn't remove the shielding. I had a dreadful problem with a 1200 with an Apollo and a 3.5" where this had been done and there was an issue with shorting as I closed the case. I have seen some quite dreadful hacks of cases and insides of machines. It can be done well but sometimes it is quite heartbreaking.

All the very best. Do remember there is a CardReset issue with PCMCIA and you need to get your head round that if you haven't already. There are still various groups around that specialise in subjects like networking and the like. The fun often is in the interaction and the friends you make. What you are trying to avoid is doing anything with the Amiga that you later regret. So having discussions and doing research can help greatly. And like I say, keep a record of what you do and maybe even record it on a site blog somehow so others can share in your experiences.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Fred Fish disks - no, not really.  Pretty much everything on them can be found on Aminet, or on the CD collections if you're particularly nostalgic for old versions of software.  

OS 3.9 comes from here:  http://www.vesalia.de/e_os39.htm

(or various other Amiga software vendors)

More info here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AmigaOS_version_history#AmigaOS_3.5.2C_3.9

And here:  http://www.gregdonner.org/os39faq/about.html

Remove the shielding.  It's not doing you any good and will only slice your fingers / get in the way / trap heat inside the case.  Stick it in the back of your closet somewhere, or ship it to @scuzz if he wants to preserve it, lol. :lol:

[ggerke]

So first up is getting the little beast on the network. I order the wireless PCMCIA card from AmigaKit today so hopefully they see it first thing Monday and get it shoved out the door. It looks like I could've gone the AmiTCP plus buying an appropriate PCMCIA card but this just looked easier. Although the AmigaKit method could just be repackaging AmiTCP with an easy installer and a proven method of working. Either way - I'll be one step closer to being connected once more.

As far as doing AmigaOS 3.9 it looks like I'd need either a PCMCIA->SCSI plus SCSI CD-ROM (which if I dig deep enough in a closet I might still have) or do the Rapid Road USB (that connects to the clockport on an A1200?) along with the fancy 2x backplate connector. I've already got the external USB CD-ROM so that part would be covered. After that in theory I'd be able to read a CD-ROM and thus be able to install AmigaOS 3.9... yes?

My youngest kid came home from a trip yesterday and saw the CRT with the Amiga hooked up and running... I should've recorded her shaking her head and giggling at the same time.

[Rob]

As far as doing AmigaOS 3.9 it looks like I'd need either a PCMCIA->SCSI plus SCSI CD-ROM (which if I dig deep enough in a closet I might still have) or do the Rapid Road USB (that connects to the clockport on an A1200?) along with the fancy 2x backplate connector. I've already got the external USB CD-ROM so that part would be covered. After that in theory I'd be able to read a CD-ROM and thus be able to install AmigaOS 3.9... yes?

The ACA1221EC has a clockport which is supposed to provide better speed than the one on the A1200 although I haven't seen any benchmarks.  On the standard clockport with a 68030 @50Mhz it achieves around 700KB/s,  on A2000 with 68040 @33Mhz it 1.5-2.1MB/s and on an A4000 with 68040 @40Mhz around 6MB/s.

The CD drive should work with Poseiden.  Reading from another thread you may need to mount the drive manually in the OS.

Another option some people use is to hack a laptop drive into the A1200 case and connect it via the internal IDE port using an IDE splitter.  It probably makes more sense to get the Rapid Road since it's you can connect different USB hardware.  You may even be able to install 3.9 from ISO image on a USB stick.

I think some people install the OS on CF or hard drive using WinUAE on a PC.

[ggerke]

Okay, so I'll go with the clock when I get the accelerator and life will be good.

In the meantime, I figured I'd go spelunking through my Boxes of Olden Junque and see if I could find a null modem cable to connect my Windows machine to the Amiga and transfer some files that way while I'm waiting for the the stuff from AmigaKit to arrive. No such luck with a null modem cable or adapter but I did trip across some PCMCIA cards... seven of them. 3Com, Intel, Netgear, and SMC. Even found a Wireless Linksys card. But without drivers all they can do is sit on my desk and laugh at me.

Oh, well - guess I can still go digging through other Boxes of Olden Junque and see what I've still got.

[Sir_Lucas]

You'll find drivers for these PCMCIA cards on the Aminet.
If they look like any of these:
http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?72182-7-x-ETHERNET-CARDS-NETGEAR-amp-3COM-AMIGA-A600-A1200-PCMCIA&highlight=netgear
then they'll work.
Here are the drivers:

3com
http://aminet.net/package/driver/net/3c589

Netgear, SMC
http://aminet.net/package/driver/net/cnetdevice

Linksys Wireless
http://aminet.net/package/driver/net/prism2v2
If the Linksys card looks like this one:
http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?81221-25-x-WIFI-CARDS-LINKSYS-WPA2-AES-AMIGA-A600-A1200-PCMCIA-WIFI&highlight=linksys
then there's a chance that after firmware update it'll run WPA2/AES

[giZmo350]

Keep in mind.... the PCMCIA card MUST be a 16bit card!  
Also, AmigaKit's EasyNet Wireless is WPA2 compliant - ready to go.

Also forgot to mention.... this item is indispensable - works perfect for storage and LHA backups for both SYS and WORK partitions. Just add LHA to your ERD (Emergency Repair Disk) to restore backups.

EasyADF PCMCIA Compact Flash Transfer Kit

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=440

Very good "how to" by mfilos

http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=673448&postcount=2

[ggerke]

Cool - thanks!

The problem is actually getting any of these files to the A1200 in the first place. I don't have another Amiga that's able to get out to the 'net so that leaves being able to write a 720K msdos floppy (?) and then the CrossDos commodity under 3.1 being able to read it or getting files over electronically. Dialup isn't gonna fly so that pretty much leaves a null-modem cable from a Windows machine and a comm program on each end.  I'm gonna check with some guys at the office tomorrow if there's a null-modem cable laying around in a dusty corner somewhere. If not... well, c'mon AmigaKit!

No user group in the area or no buddy with an Amiga to snarf up a couple of files to get this little exercise going again. It's not a show stopper but dambit I want to play with this beast.

Unless there's an option I haven't considered...?

[Sir_Lucas]

Keep in mind.... the PCMCIA card MUST be a 16bit card!  
Also, AmigaKit's EasyNet Wireless is WPA2 compliant - ready to go.

I'm afraid the AmigaKit's EasyNet Wireless is NOT WPA2 compliant.
They are only WEP, WPA/TKIP capable. So, no WPA2/AES.

[giZmo350]

I'm afraid the AmigaKit's EasyNet Wireless is NOT WPA2 compliant.
They are only WEP, WPA/TKIP capable. So, no WPA2/AES.

Wow Sir_Lucas... you're right... my bad. Geeezze AmigaKit! I do really like their EasyNet Wireless software though. The 16 bit card I use is a Netgear MA401 - I flashed it for WPA2 with my old Thinkpad 600 / Win98 machine as that laptop had a 16bit PCMCIA slot. I still have the files on that machine if needed.

AmigaStore.EU has WPA2 cards though.

http://amigastore.eu/en/571-pcmcia-wireless-card.html

[giZmo350]

Cool - thanks!

The problem is actually getting any of these files to the A1200 in the first place. I don't have another Amiga that's able to get out to the 'net so that leaves being able to write a 720K msdos floppy (?) and then the CrossDos commodity under 3.1 being able to read it or getting files over electronically. Dialup isn't gonna fly so that pretty much leaves a null-modem cable from a Windows machine and a comm program on each end.  I'm gonna check with some guys at the office tomorrow if there's a null-modem cable laying around in a dusty corner somewhere. If not... well, c'mon AmigaKit!

No user group in the area or no buddy with an Amiga to snarf up a couple of files to get this little exercise going again. It's not a show stopper but dambit I want to play with this beast.

Unless there's an option I haven't considered...?

I have an easy solution worked out for the chicken/egg syndrome. I start with WB3.1 then install the USB Trident software (you won't be able to get MUI on yet). There's a couple pieces of essential software that you have to install first from floppy too. Then I start up the Trident software with the CLI, then install MUI, then the rest is easy to get OS3.9 installed from an external CD drive. I gotta get my a$$ to work but I'll dig up the CLI commands when I get home.

[Sir_Lucas]

Wow Sir_Lucas... you're right... my bad. Geeezze AmigaKit! I do really like their EasyNet Wireless software though. The 16 bit card I use is a Netgear MA401 - I flashed it for WPA2 with my old Thinkpad 600 / Win98 machine as that laptop had a 16bit PCMCIA slot. I still have the files on that machine if needed.

AmigaStore.EU has WPA2 cards though.

http://amigastore.eu/en/571-pcmcia-wireless-card.html

I'm afraid they are not WPA2/AES as well. They are Thomson SpeedTouch 110, they've got a white connector just like Orinoco Gold and they only support WEP, WPA/TKIP too.
I've got this card.

Here's a guy having issues with this card as well:
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=71550

Your card, that is, Netgear is WPA2/AES once you've flashed it. It's got a black edge connector.
These Linksys cards also support WPA2/AES
http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?81221-25-x-WIFI-CARDS-LINKSYS-WPA2-AES-AMIGA-A600-A1200-PCMCIA-WIFI

[giZmo350]

I'm afraid they are not WPA2/AES as well. They are Thomson SpeedTouch 110, they've got a white connector just like Orinoco Gold and they only support WEP, WPA/TKIP too.
I've got this card.

Here's a guy having issues with this card as well:
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=71550

Your card, that is, Netgear is WPA2/AES once you've flashed it. It's got a black edge connector.
These Linksys cards also support WPA2/AES
http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?81221-25-x-WIFI-CARDS-LINKSYS-WPA2-AES-AMIGA-A600-A1200-PCMCIA-WIFI

Well no wonder peeps have so much trouble with these cards with their newer routers! My Netgear just worked straight away after I flashed it! The EasyNet software then just worked straight away. You're probably wondering how I got the EasyNet software while using a wireless card I got off eBay... I had previously bought AmigaKit's ethernet card with EasyNet - which also worked with my wireless card after I manually installed wireless.device from the disk.

But anyhoo, the best way to start is just get the USB adapter installed and fire up Trident under OS3.1... it's all downhill after that. You could always get the ethernet card in addition since this stuff is (relatively) inexpensive. LOL, told ya nothing was "cheap" in Miggyland! :lol: But, it's all good fun! Gotta go!

[ntromans]

Cool - thanks!

The problem is actually getting any of these files to the A1200 in the first place. I don't have another Amiga that's able to get out to the 'net so that leaves being able to write a 720K msdos floppy (?) and then the CrossDos commodity under 3.1 being able to read it or getting files over electronically. Dialup isn't gonna fly so that pretty much leaves a null-modem cable from a Windows machine and a comm program on each end.  I'm gonna check with some guys at the office tomorrow if there's a null-modem cable laying around in a dusty corner somewhere. If not... well, c'mon AmigaKit!

No user group in the area or no buddy with an Amiga to snarf up a couple of files to get this little exercise going again. It's not a show stopper but dambit I want to play with this beast.

Unless there's an option I haven't considered...?

You could try the way I set up a CF card for my A1200 - but it does depend if you have a pc with PATA on it you can attach the CF card onto. Then you have two options - start up WinUAE, with the card mounted, and install from there, or boot the pc into AROS (e.g. via Icaros live DVD/CD, if, of course, your harware is compatable) and copy the files across from your install media using that (by that I mean the CBM files, not AROS 68k - that would be {currently} too slow on an unexpanded A1200).

Cheers,
Nigel.

[ggerke]

Progress! I checked around the office and found a USB->9pin serial and a null modem cable. I combined that with the 9-pin -> 25-pin adapter I already had. I did find an old floppy with Handshake on it for the Amiga side... then after setting the port speed and finding a serial program for my Windows machine I was able to transfer the Amiga Explorer from the Amiga Forever over to the Amiga and shovel over a few files. Granted, it was the equivalent of molasses in winter but I've got nothing but time.

I did get NoClick and DirectoryOpus over there along with lha so I can undo whatever I run across. Now the question is what handy stuff do I need while I can hog this cable. Is MUI still a thing? I'm not terribly big on games (with the reaction time of a 19.2K serial transfer) but there's gotta be some must haves for general use... although that's leaving the hardware forum and heading towards software so maybe I should fire up a new thread over in that forum (if I can't find something already there).

I can't keep the cable forever (and honestly at 19.2K I'm not sure what I'd really want to send that wouldn't end up being an overnight transfer). Even the 10MB PCMCIA card is looking like a speed demon at this point.

[BozzerBigD]

@ggerke

That makes my Zip Drive solutions look like space age technology! :-)