Issue 30: Apr 2003
Features
- | Foreword
- | 68060 Processor Upgrade For Milan
- | Tip of the day
- | CastCE, a Pocket ST?
- | RTDOS
- | MIDI-ax: Mouse of a Different Color
- | POKEY Sound: Grayscale Project
- | Schreiersgrün 2003
- | Atariada 2003 Convention
- | New Atari Classic Computer System
M@ilbox
News
| M@ilbox It goes all black When I'm playing my atari and in the middle of a game, the game console will either reset to the beginning of the game or the screen will go black. Nothing I do will change the screen once it goes all black. Also, when I start raiders of the lost ark, as indie is being lowered down from the ark, my game just keeps playing the music but nothing else happens, i.e. the game does not go to the first stage. Is this my machine or game cartridge that is causing the problem? thank you for any help, Mark Spiker Matthew Preston replies: S ounds like a dodgy cartridge, could just be bad contacts. Mark, which machine are you using? Christoph Brincken replies: The RAM of your machine might be defect. For example, most of the RAM is OK, but when you load some more - like the 2nd level - the error becomes visible. TXG replies: Mark, I assume you are using a 2600 console because there is no console mentioned in your e-mail. When the computer resets, it seems there is more a contact problem then other things. Try to clean the contacts, this is a problem because of the age of the cartridges. Even new/sealed games could have this problem. I had the same thing on my Jaguar with a new memory-track that I bought even though it was sealed but eight years old. The cartridge didn't work. After cleaning the contacts it did work 100%. Something to check if cleaning the contacts doesn't work is to open the console and feel if some chips are running extremely hot. Drumming up interest I run the web site http://www.cps-games.co.uk and I like to develop hardware kits for the Atari. The problem for me is I can't get anyone interested in the kits. This also gives a greater problem that I can't fund other projects either. It also seems a little pointless developing stuff if no one is interested as well. I wonder if you could review the projects I am working on at the moment? I am not sure if this will be possible or not to undertake. Details of my projects can be found at http://www.cps-games.co.uk/projects/projects.htm. I would like to gain some interest in my 1.44 MB floppy kit since that project is now completed. My next project will be a 4 MB expansion board. I have a lot of future projects planned such as a 24 MHz ST booster, though such kits require a lot of funding, and interest! I suppose most people won't bother because they can get kits elsewhere already. I did look at those available when I wanted to upgrade my own ST's, but I found them not be what I was looking for. Most kits seem to be "messy" and IMO a bit of a bodge really. So this is why I hope to bring a new range of "better" kits to the market. I have been trying to get interest in my floppy kit for a while though its proved impossible. It's worth developing if there is interest and I really want to develop hardware, though if there is no interest then there's not much point. So in all I wonder if there's anything you can do to generate some interest in my kits? Thanks, Chris Matthew replies: Chris we are more than happy to support you efforts and hopefully your letter will encourage our readers to visit your site. Look out for a review soon!
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