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Dave Glish
Milwaukee Computer Society
Looking Back
hat does an old computer nerd do when
W has too much time on his hands? He
he
digs out his old computers of course. A couple of
weeks ago I started to look through my old Atari
computers and try to decide what to do with them.
The first question was, do they even still work? Sec-
ond, do I have anything to view them on? Third, do I
want to keep them, donate them, sell them or scrap
them? other one is a stock 1040 STFm. I also have a great
My original Atari big external hard drive box (about 24” x 24” x 8”). It
800XL computer has a 120gb hard drive, 120gb Syquest removable
(with a whopping drive, CD drive and a tape backup drive. I thought it
256K upgrade) still was, pretty cool in its day. I have at least, one Color
works. The second monitor and a couple of Mono chrome monitors. At
one I have failed to one time I had a VGA Multisync monitor that would
start up. I also have a XEGS (Basically a 65XE with show all three of the ST resolutions. I made a special
detachable keyboard sold as a gaming system). I switch box that converted the Atari ST video out to
have too many various floppy drives to list here. I the two different pin configurations that the VGA mon-
haven’t checked them yet. Two are the more rare itor needed. This box still works for viewing mono
XF551s. mode on any VGA monitor (it used a standard sync
signal). The color mode needs a 15hz sync signal.
The 8-bit computers were designed to work with Very few monitors have this. I did some reading and
either an RF video signal, think plug it into the same
place that you plug in the old rabbit ears. Or you found another converter box on
can use a video cable that gives you a composite Amazon (what did we ever do
out signal. That’s the old yellow plug that some of before Amazon?) It is supposed
to upconvert the color signal to
your old TVs used to have. I actually have a couple
of TVs that have this connection. I also found an the standard 75hz signal. I’ll let
interesting alternative. If you have the composite you know if it works. It’s sup-
cable ,there is a composite to posed to give a really clear sig-
nal. Just think of watching your
HDMI adapter box that lets you
hook your computer up to a Atari ST game on a 30” LCD TV.
modern TV. It was only $16.00 Thanks to Carl, I also have
on Amazon. It actually gives a an Atari TT. Last time I
fairly good picture. checked it out it worked
fine. It is designed to work
I have two ST computers. Both seem to start OK.
My original 520 STFm was upgraded to 4mb. The with a VGA monitor. I have
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