130 replies to this topic

[mimo]

just to update a little

BY116316 has Atari / 032 embossed in the lower case
Also has remnants of a narrow sticker below the main one, but is totally unreadable

G05005417 has Atari / 431 embossed

maybe adding 800 serial numbers to the equation would help? they look to follow a similar structure


Also, do all PAL units have the model designation 400U or is that only UK

[Curt Vendel]

Nice avatar!

yes, can definitely help you with that, I have the legend key for that and the 800, I'll pull them out this week.


Curt

mimo, on Sun Jan 30, 2011 5:09 AM, said:

just to update a little

BY116316 has Atari / 032 embossed in the lower case
Also has remnants of a narrow sticker below the main one, but is totally unreadable

G05005417 has Atari / 431 embossed

maybe adding 800 serial numbers to the equation would help? they look to follow a similar structure


Also, do all PAL units have the model designation 400U or is that only UK

[mimo]

Thanks Curt

[skr]

I have embossed: ATARI / 032
MODEL NO. ATARI 400P
16K
051 006809 G

Actually it has 48k and the Cherry-Keyboard.

[Bryan]

Here's my 400's. The last one is the CTIA machine and it has the silver stamp as well.

I also have a CTIA 800 with these markings:
G 16K 421 7758
(silver) ATARI 421 (same stamp as on my CTIA 400)
There's also a handwritten sticker that says: AWD47610 10/13

Attached Thumbnails

• 

Edited by Bryan, Sun Jan 30, 2011 6:47 PM.

[orpheuswaking]

AV 399234 143
AV 434887 023
AO 030962
AV 418392 123

One more to come

[ClausB]

So far:

Atari 400 serial numbers & owners & dates WW/YY:

NTSC:
---------------------------
945 3375 ClausB 45/79
AV 173873 10/1 (AV 492934 402) jacobus 10/81
431 6737 421 Bryan 42/81
G 16K 481 1259 jacobus 48/81
AV 210552 142 (AV083743) Mirage 14/82
AV 321493 302 tep392 30/82
AV 461?73 422 Stephen 42/82
AV 519454 512 Bryan 51/82
AV 434887 023 orpheuswaking 02/83
AV 459975 023 Spurge 02/83
83A AV 01799 043 jacobus 04/83
83A AV 02966 063 jacobus 06/83
AV 399609 113 Bryan 11/83
AV 418392 123 orpheuswaking 12/83
AV 399234 143 orpheuswaking 14/83
AV 368167 153 BillC 15/83
AV 302124 Bryan ??/??
AV 330172 potatohead ??/??
AV 421708 swlovinist ??/??
AV 479540 jsmith73 ??/??
AO 030962 orpheuswaking ??/??

PAL:
---------------------------
051 004998 (351) Rybags
G 172 BY 102534 (050 005417) 431 mimo
051 006809 032 skr
BY 116316 032 mimo
BZ 105407 Sleepy
BZ 110353 (082) sup8pdct

[orpheuswaking]

I'll double check the one I have that start AO, I was pulling it from my inventory, and I don't think it's right, at least it doesn't match any of the others.

[Kr0tki]

Going a bit offtopic, but, while you're all digging your 400's out, could you also check your OS revision? See, there's this mysterious "Operating System 255" revision that was apparently installed in the earliest 400/800 units. Can you check if "? PEEK(65528)" returns 255 for you?

Edited by Kr0tki, Tue Feb 1, 2011 8:51 AM.

[orpheuswaking]

I'll hook them all up next week and check them all for OS, as well as GTIA/CTIA and double check that weird Serial

[oracle_jedi]

AV 278113 163 (NTSC)

Edited by oracle_jedi, Tue Feb 1, 2011 4:07 PM.

[jacobus]

ClausB, on Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:26 PM, said:

So far:

Atari 400 serial numbers & owners & dates WW/YY:

NTSC:
---------------------------
945 3375 ClausB 45/79
AV 173873 10/1 (AV 492934 402) jacobus 10/81
431 6737 421 Bryan 42/81
G 16K 481 1259 jacobus 48/81
AV 210552 142 (AV083743) Mirage 14/82
AV 321493 302 tep392 30/82
AV 461?73 422 Stephen 42/82
AV 519454 512 Bryan 51/82
AV 434887 023 orpheuswaking 02/83
AV 459975 023 Spurge 02/83
83A AV 01799 043 jacobus 04/83
83A AV 02966 063 jacobus 06/83
AV 399609 113 Bryan 11/83
AV 418392 123 orpheuswaking 12/83
AV 399234 143 orpheuswaking 14/83
AV 368167 153 BillC 15/83
AV 302124 Bryan ??/??
AV 330172 potatohead ??/??
AV 421708 swlovinist ??/??
AV 479540 jsmith73 ??/??
AO 030962 orpheuswaking ??/??

PAL:
---------------------------
051 004998 (351) Rybags
G 172 BY 102534 (050 005417) 431 mimo
051 006809 032 skr
BY 116316 032 mimo
BZ 105407 Sleepy
BZ 110353 (082) sup8pdct

Claus

I think there's a problem with the assumption that the three digit code always refers to the Date of Manufacture. Look at these two:

AV 434887 023 orpheuswaking 02/83
AV 459975 023 Spurge 02/83

According to the date code theory, DOM for both was in the second week of January 1983. According to the six digit sequential number with this date code, Atari produced at least 25,000 units in that week (pretty good for one week!). Additionally, I was under the impression that with the 1982 release of the 1200XL, manufacturing of 400/800 models had stopped before then.

If we look a the most common serial number format (AV XXXXXX) we see a range between 173873 and 519454 - Assuming they started at 0000001, this indicates a total manufacturing run of about half a million units. Not sure what the exact numbers were - does this sound about right?

I'm wondering if the three number code indicates either a QA tester (inspected by number 9) or some kind of batch code. If you sort the AV XXXXXX codes, the three letter codes do not show any kind of coherent pattern.

The (presumed) earlier serial numbers (in the format of "G 16K XXX YYYY") could include a DOM code with the XXX, but then why have the redundant embossing on some of them?


thoughts?

[hunmanik]

jacobus, on Wed Feb 2, 2011 6:25 AM, said:

According to the date code theory, DOM for both was in the second week of January 1983. According to the six digit sequential number with this date code, Atari produced at least 25,000 units in that week (pretty good for one week!). Additionally, I was under the impression that with the 1982 release of the 1200XL, manufacturing of 400/800 models had stopped before then.

At some point I found a seemingly reliable source stating that production of the 400/800 both ended in May 1983. Maybe this thread will eventually confirm that!


From the 1200XL serial number thread, it appeared that the 1200XL was produced from January 1983 to July 1983.

[ClausB]

jacobus, on Wed Feb 2, 2011 6:25 AM, said:

I think there's a problem with the assumption that the three digit code always refers to the Date of Manufacture.

Yes, it's far from certain. Especially my own 400's number is puzzling. It does not follow the assumed WWY format, so I guessed YWW. I know it was bought in December 1980 (I was there) yet there is no zero anywhere in the number, so I presume 9 is the year, although week 45 is a bit earlier than the ROM chips inside, whose date codes are certain.

Let's wait for the expert to post the official numbering format(s).

[jacobus]

ClausB, on Thu Feb 3, 2011 6:55 AM, said:

Let's wait for the expert to post the official numbering format(s).

I'm not holding my breath for that to happen!

[ClausB]

jacobus, on Thu Feb 3, 2011 9:25 AM, said:

I'm not holding my breath for that to happen!

Now, now, play nice!

I only hope he has all the variations on the legend. It's pretty confusing now.

[Chilly Willy]

Here's my A400 -

[edward1024]

My 400 has serial number 511363, and has "AV 163775 91120" (not sure if those are ones, slashes, or "L"s) handwritten on a separate label:



Embossed on the case is "ATARI / 392":



And there is a sticker in the cartridge area with a barcode and "AV163775", matching the handwritten label on the bottom:



Edward

[BillC]

edward1024, on Fri Feb 4, 2011 1:48 AM, said:

My 400 has serial number 511363, and has "AV 163775 91120" (not sure if those are ones, slashes, or "L"s) handwritten on a separate label:

sn.jpg

Embossed on the case is "ATARI / 392":

emboss.jpg

And there is a sticker in the cartridge area with a barcode and "AV163775", matching the handwritten label on the bottom:

label.jpg

Edward

The 400 I have already shown a picture of the case label also has a serial number label with barcode on the RF shield under the cartridge door.

Case label #AV368167 153
Shield label #AV397463

This 400 doesn't have a second label on the bottom, or any sign there ever was one.

[Chilly Willy]

In addition to the pic, my A400 also has a hand-written label with "AV 194896 7-12" on it. I haven't looked in the cart door.

[doctorclu]

I've enjoyed this thread, and had a bit going on... but taking a moment to see what two of my Atari 400's numbers are.

There is my Atari 400 that I got in 1982 (and used throughout the 80's)... let's see on that one...

That one says "AV 430383" with 173 rubber stamped on the bottom. Inside the cartridge door the label is too torn to tell. Keyboard (which was a 1200/1400/1450 keyboard adapted to the 400 by my dad) will take a bit to get to work enough to type the peek test. I got as far as "? PEE" and figured I should pound on the keys later in the day.

The other I've used more recently was AV 523584. No label inside the cartridge door. The peek 65528 test says "243"

[orpheuswaking]

Okay, I re-reviewed my Atari 400 Serial Numbers, after close inspection it appears the one with A0 is actually AV (It's handwritten under the regular label, someone can't write)

All are GTIA, and return 243 as the OS...

These all have the regular printed label.

1) AV 399234 143
2) AV 434887 023
3) AV 418392 123
4) AV 485595 472

5) This one has the embossed gold writing at the top

Atari / 331

The Serial label has G 16K 331 5863

Then handwritten underneath
AV 030962

This one has the red 16k Sticker also.



That's all five that I have... Was happy to find the newest one I got has 48k in it (now I have 1x 48k, 2x 32k, 2x 16k)

Edited by orpheuswaking, Fri Feb 4, 2011 8:43 PM.

[orpheuswaking]

I did find out one of these has a bad keyboard, does anyone have a working one? or better still a full stroke keyboard?

[Chilly Willy]

Hey, look at what I just noticed on my picture of the bottom of my A400... it's the top of the joy port on the front...

Edited by Chilly Willy, Fri Feb 4, 2011 9:27 PM.

[Kr0tki]

Thanks for checking the OS versions, doctorclu and orpheuswaking.

I think that the "OS 255" is to be found only in the earliest units, from 1979 and early 1980. There's probably no point in checking the units produced in 1981 and later.