RickR

Thank you for bumping this. I have an Amiga now, but wasn't sure which games I should focus on.

I'm in. Oregon. I collect for almost every system. Atari 2600 to Nintendo Wii. Gameboy to Lynx to PSP. Obscure stuff like Arcadia 2001 too. 8-bit computers. Thanks.

Your videos are great. I just subscribed. I had the pleasure of playing Draconian at a gaming show, and I was astounded. Especially the speech. Holy moly, it's even more impressive than the homebrew version of Bosconian for the Atari 8-bit computers. And I'm glad you are here too.

Thanks for the 350 tip. I'll use that too. I use the copper braid to un-solder stuff. But it seems like you have to crank up the heat to get that to actually work. I know...I should probably invest in a nicer way to de-solder stuff.

You got a steal at that price. That's a pretty nice entry price point to get back into vinyl. It's small and doesn't take up much space too. Check out mine: http://forums.atari.io/index.php/topic/1067-thrift-store-finds/page-28?do=findComment&comment=35002 Mine is the kind that has a built in speaker. That works fine, but it also has traditional audio out jacks, so you can play it through an external speaker set or stereo. And it's got a USB thing, so you can record records into MP3 files using Audacity. Frankly, I've been amazed. I'd buy one new if I had to. The really cool thing about records is that they are collectible...but frankly they just aren't that expensive. That makes them a lot of fun to collect. Enjoy it Justin, I'm sure you'll have some fun with that turntable.

I've seen one in person at a local Atari Club meeting. They are spectacular. I just have no idea where to buy the kit and who would install it. I definitely do not have the guts to do it myself.

Ooooh, I'd like one of those McWill Lynx screen updates as well. Great idea. I'm adding this to my list too.

Static for sure can cause damage. I'd also check voltages on the power adapters you are using. If your 800XL has a "ingot" power supply, throw it out! Those things can fry the computer.

You can tell from his videos that GeminiGamer is a good drummer. I've been thinking about buying an electronic kit and giving that a try. Someone needs to help me talk my wife into this idea, though.

The composite/svideo/vga adapter arrived from Sweden, and it works awesome.

I have small hands too -- yep it can be hard to find a guitar that feels right. It's just a matter of finding a 3/4 sized guitar or getting one that has a very thin neck. Electric guitars can have thinner necks, so I'd start there instead of going acoustic. It does take a lot of practice, but the learning aids they have these days are incredible. Pawn or thrift stores can have really nice selections of guitars, and it's fun to try them all out to see which feels best in your hands. My guitar is a 1965 Silvertone strat-style electric. It's small. Feels great to me. I got it from a pawn shop probably 30 years ago. I say if it's something you really want to try, then go for it!

Could not resist all the good junk today. Two PS2 games One Gamecube game An unopened pirate metal sign Unopened Ichiro bobblehead. And -- oh baby -- one of my favorite things to find. An analog (non-HD) LCD TV. These things are perfect for retro game systems.

In addition to what others have stated above...I'd add the following. Most of these things we play with aren't terribly valuable. For example, they made MILLIONS of Atari 2600's, and you can find one working for $30. They do break, and if they aren't fixable, then you have spare parts for the next time or for a friend that needs parts. I say use em and have fun. If they break, they break. Save up if you must and buy a replacement. That being said, I've been known to sell of the stuff I'm afraid to touch for the reasons you mention. Example: Milton Bradley Microvision. They cost a lot, aren't really that fun, and will almost certainly break at some point. No fun? SOLD. Some expensive stuff I love. I play it. Even if it may break. Vectrex and Virtual Boy are my examples here. I play them. I love them. If they break...well, at least I had fun with them. And more: Most of the stuff you end up trying to fix is broken to begin with, so don't stress out if you fail in your attempt. It's OK. It's replaceable. You learned for the next time. Not really related, but it reminds me of CPR training...the first thing they teach you is that a person that's stopped breathing is dead. Don't be afraid to attempt CPR because you can't do more harm to the person. We are all friends here. If you need something, ask. I try to help in repairs whenever I can, or in providing cheap parts if I have them. Or even replacement consoles if I know someone is going to keep and play them. It's ok, too, to take short breaks from the hobby. But like all things in life, don't let it be due to fear. Life is too short to worry about "stuff". And one final little tiny bit of advice -- I always use a surge suppressor with my consoles. Just a tiny bit of insurance against power spikes.

I would love to hear that theremin!

I have been known to play guitar, but have not touched mine in a long time. One of my kids has "borrowed" my electric guitar, as a matter of fact. I've been thinking of buying him his own so I can get mine back. And on an unrelated note, my wife and I just started playing "Guitar Hero" on PS2, and we both stink! It takes a lot of practice!

Where did the cart come from?

Oh this is sweet!

A nice Vectrex with "Blitz" game and a converted Genesis Power Stick. YES!

That's a good idea. Do you have access to the backside? Because you can probably just use a small magnet to hold those pins on.

I have a few suggestions for you. I don't think trying to squeeze the stuff you want onto single sided disks is going to be an ideal solution. A lot of software won't work that way (inserting a pause while you put the second disk in). Here's what I would suggest: You can replace your single sided drive with a double sided drive. The secret here is that old PC 3.5" floppy drives work in the ST. The cabling is identical. You may need to buy cable extenders. And it can be difficult to find a drive that won't involve some cuts to the case. Buy an Atari ST external drive. Buy a floppy emulator and replace your disk drive with this. This is the solution I'm going to try very soon on my ST. Look on ebay for "Atari floppy emulator". All your software would go onto a USB memory stick. I have this exact setup on a Commodore Amiga, and it works great. Like I said, as soon as I get some spare time, I want to do this to my ST. Let us know how you proceed. I'm very interested to know. I'll do the same here when I do the surgery on my ST.

Maybe thin but stiff cardboard instead with little shims on the ends.

I've never heard of "Bobby is Going Home". Terrible name, but looks like a good game. Similar to the "Smurf" game.

Maybe a long skinny sticker that says "Nintendo" on it.

My goals: Hack my SNES Classic (I haven't had time to even open and try it out). Find more time to play. Play more, collect less.

Incredible. I would guess it needs an 830 modem or the 850 interface and a Hayes modem to work. Or some dedicated way to connect to the Plato network. My best guess would be the 830 modem that had the phone cups....you would dial up the network and then the cartridge would do it's thing.