8 replies to this topic

[Kalwren]

Hi folks.

I'm new here, this is my first post. Looks like a good community.

I'm interested in testing the RAM boards in my Atari 800. I bought one off of Ebay and am playing a bunch of the old games. It's been great fun again!

Does anyone know where to get some software that will test the RAM in the machine? I have 48k.

Thanks in advance!

[Stephen]

I don't know of any mem test programs for the older 48K machines, but it's a pretty safe bet that they are all OK since the games are working.

Probably the fastet way to test would be a simple command in BASIC. DIM a string variable or two, using all available memory. Fill the string with all ones and then list the string (or total it - you get the idea).

Stephen Anderson

[Kalwren]

Stephen, on Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:37 AM, said:

I don't know of any mem test programs for the older 48K machines, but it's a pretty safe bet that they are all OK since the games are working.

Probably the fastet way to test would be a simple command in BASIC.  DIM a string variable or two, using all available memory.  Fill the string with all ones and then list the string (or total it - you get the idea).

Stephen Anderson

Thanks for the response.

I don't remember how to program in BASIC so well anymore. It's something I could look into at some other time though, I suppose.

[Hyxtryx]

Umm, isn't there already a memory test built into the 800? I know the 800XL has one. I think if you hold down Select while powering it on, you'll get a little diag where you can test the memory, keyboard, and sound.

Ken

[Sikor]

Hyxtryx, on Thu Sep 29, 2005 12:21 AM, said:

Umm, isn't there already a memory test built into the 800?  I know the 800XL has one.  I think if you hold down Select while powering it on, you'll get a little diag where you can test the memory, keyboard, and sound.

No, Atari 800 and Atari 400 have not SELF TEST mode build. Maybe try use sysinfo by Konrad Kokoszkiewicz (Draco), but I do'nt know its working with old systems...?

[carmel_andrews]

Kalwren, how about saving up a few xtra pounds and get yourself an 800 XL or 130 XE, you get a built in mem. tester 64 or 128k of ram plus you can play all your 800/400 games (if you have a suitable translator disk) and lastly, whilst it's not as easy to ram upgrade then an 800, you can def. stick in more mem. into an xl or xe then you can wqith an 800

[Kalwren]

carmel_andrews, on Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:22 AM, said:

Kalwren, how about saving up a few xtra pounds and get yourself an 800 XL or 130 XE, you get a built in mem. tester 64 or 128k of ram plus you can play all your 800/400 games (if you have a suitable translator disk) and lastly, whilst it's not as easy to ram upgrade then an 800, you can def. stick in more mem. into an xl or xe then you can wqith an 800

Thanks, but I have an 800XL. I was running into the software compatibility problem and even with the Translator running, some games wouldn't play at all, or they would eventually crash.

I never had an 800, I had an 800XL when I was a teenager - so I wanted an 800 to see what it was all about. I like the 800 better. hehe

[carmel_andrews]

Kalwren, on Sat Oct 1, 2005 7:37 AM, said:

carmel_andrews, on Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:22 AM, said:

Kalwren, how about saving up a few xtra pounds and get yourself an 800 XL or 130 XE, you get a built in mem. tester 64 or 128k of ram plus you can play all your 800/400 games (if you have a suitable translator disk) and lastly, whilst it's not as easy to ram upgrade then an 800, you can def. stick in more mem. into an xl or xe then you can wqith an 800

Thanks, but I have an 800XL. I was running into the software compatibility problem and even with the Translator running, some games wouldn't play at all, or they would eventually crash.

I never had an 800, I had an 800XL when I was a teenager - so I wanted an 800 to see what it was all about. I like the 800 better. hehe

best way of solving the 800 compat. prob get yourself a tripler board and ask around for omnimon and ultimon, desolder the xe o/s and place it in one of the three sockets on the tripler board, place omnimon and ultimon also on the empty socket, wire up some sort of switcher to switch between the 3 o/s's,... solder the tripler board back to where the xe o/s was, somehow cut a hole in the top or back of the machine big enough to hold the switch pack into place securely

omnimon and ultimon have built in 800 o/s overlays which are even better then the official translator disk...that's what i've got, can't use mine at the mo, no disk drive

Edited by carmel_andrews, Mon Oct 3, 2005 9:13 AM.

[Kalwren]

best way of solving the 800 compat. prob get yourself a tripler board and ask around for omnimon and ultimon, desolder the xe o/s and place it in one of the three sockets on the tripler board, place omnimon and ultimon also on the empty socket, wire up some sort of switcher to switch between the 3 o/s's,... solder the tripler board back to where the xe o/s was, somehow cut a hole in the top or back of the machine big enough to hold the switch pack into place securely

omnimon and ultimon have built in 800 o/s overlays which are even better then the official translator disk...that's what i've got, can't use mine at the mo, no disk drive
[right][/right]
[/quote]

Thats a good idea, but I was mostly interested in the actual experience of owning an 800. It's more fun that way. I hadn't had one before, they were to expensive for me at the time.

Thanks for the idea though! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my 800XL yet. I may sell it on Ebay.