Main channel: This smashed up Atari 400 deserved to be saved
Added 2025-06-12 00:30:37 +0000 UTCHello my patrons! Let's continue with the Atari content with a busted up Atari 400 that is giving us garbled screen.
This is the repair video that I asked about in the "Video Length" poll. The overwhelming response was that it should be one long video, so that's what this is. I recommend hitting the "Watch Later" thing in YouTube if you end up stopping part way through and you want to watch more later.
It's been fun learning about and fixing up these Atari 8-bit computers. They are really neat in a lot of ways, and going through the repair here I realized I just am not familiar with how it all works, so this was a great learning experience.
In other news, I meant to put my second channel video live today (the Atari 1200 mini repair) but I totally forgot, so I'm going to release it tomorrow.
To be honest, I thought I didn't have any second channel video waiting to be made live, so I was working on a SMMC episode which will end up being next week's video instead. DOH! I'm just juggling a bunch of life stuff right now, including planning for some trips and other "summertime" related things that are happening.
Anyway enjoy the extra long repair, and thanks for all the support!
PS: I had some issues with my scripts that generate the supporter lists at the start and end of the videos. It's fixed now but you might notice missing names or other issues for a couple videos.
Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H4v-LVztk0
Comments
He noticed at 1:16:16 and corrected it.
Primal-bits
2025-06-15 18:11:01 +0000 UTCAre you aware you have the ANTIC misaligned in the socket by one row, since cca. 49:30 onward? Its pins are clearly visible outside the socket.
Mlok Karel
2025-06-15 16:16:50 +0000 UTCI saved the listings and the PDFs for both of those DRAM testers (the one you show and the equivalent 44xx tester with a single socket). EDIT - The listing is still up (and there are new ones still for sale); it's ebay item ID 115545495551. The PDF I have is Rev6, and it's linked there and still works. And yes, the SALTs are intended to be used to do manual testing; no automated diagnostics like on the Commodores. There are instructions in the service manual you loaded early on in the video. There's also a schematic for the I/O port harness; I'd like to try making a recreation of that one day.
Pietro Gagliardi
2025-06-14 00:28:18 +0000 UTC
