Swapping around A1200 hardware?

Djay · 17 February 2011, 21:44

I plan to buy a cheap yellow commodore A1200.. And use my cfhd, blizzard, keyboard, kickstart 3.1 roms and outer casing... From my Amiga technologies A1200... Would there be any weird problems doing this?

Once I have found one, I will probably be asking how you swap over the roms, as far as I know it's better to have 3.1 roms rather 3.0 roms?

As a bit of a perfectionist I want my Amiga to able to read all the disks properly and the amitech A1200 is classed as a clone... Yes I am that sad!
Thanks for any info!!!

prowler · 17 February 2011, 22:00

I have both Commodore and Amiga Technologies A1200s and, as far as I can tell, the cases are completely interchangeable, so you shouldn't have any problems in this regard.

Mick · 17 February 2011, 22:06

Can't you just do the simple motherboard mod and then pick up an old Chinon 354 or a modified PC drive?

I did this and bought the floppy drive from AmigaKit, it's a modified PC drive I think but it seems to work fine (I've tested the Sanity Arte demo with it).

This is the mod I'm referring to:
http://www.softpres.org/article:hard..._fdd_connector

You just desolder the wire at one end and then solder it onto another pin.

Djay · 18 February 2011, 19:46

I did look at the solder idea but I don't have a soldering iron and I have never soldered anything before so I would wreck something... Swapping bits over will probably be cheaper in the long run

I have just bought a C= A1200 so will it be worth swapping the roms over?

I also have wb3.1 installed on the cfhd so I suppose it makes sence to swap the roms?

Can anyone give me info on how you do this, a photo would be great???

cosmicfrog · 18 February 2011, 19:52

For sure Wired problem No1 is it will slowly start going pink over a few days then when thats over yellow spots will start to appear but apart from that all your problems will be easy wibble er I mean ribbit

edit
Humm to have 3.1 roms or 3.0
* I know, I know go for 3.1

sory Ive had the fire alarm ringing for 5Hours

prowler · 18 February 2011, 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djay

I also have wb3.1 installed on the cfhd so I suppose it makes sence to swap the roms?

Can anyone give me info on how you do this, a photo would be great???

Here is a link to fitting instructions for 3.1 ROMs, including those for the A1200, A500, A600, A500 Plus, A1500, A2000, A3000 and A4000 (PDF 2.01MB).
http://www.classicamiga.com/images/s...91;manual].pdf [/quote]

Djay · 20 February 2011, 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowler

Here is a link to fitting instructions for 3.1 ROMs, including those for the A1200, A500, A600, A500 Plus, A1500, A2000, A3000 and A4000 (PDF 2.01MB).
http://www.classicamiga.com/images/s...91;manual].pdf

thanks for this

i have also looked at some guides on youtube... looks like a fairly painless exercise... just need to remember to get the chips the right way up and in the right sockets

i am just waiting for the C= version to arrive... i am shitting bricks, but all the research says use 3.1 roms

---
after some consideration and looking at the C= version in more detail which looks pretty clean, i might keep the machines as is... my Escom A1200 has WHDLoad installed which bypasses the floppy drive issue as i never really have to use disks on it anymore, so i might keep the C= 3.0 as a kinda classic machine

cosmicfrog · 22 February 2011, 11:33

Sounds like a plan captain

Djay · 22 February 2011, 20:57

ok... received C= A1200 today, not in a terrible condition... very very light yellow on keys
the machine on closer inspection was pretty dirty, fluff under the keys the normal thing...

so i took it apart to clean

beforehand, i tested Gods (a game that really hates the escom drive issue)... but on the C= its working fine

so that convinced me to swap over the roms while i had the C='s guts on the floor!

removing the roms wasnt difficult nor was putting the roms back in... all tested fine!

however Gods now wont work on the C= machine with ks3.1 roms in...

but... alot the other stuff which wouldnt work now does... it seems Gods has a problem with 3.1 rather that what drive you are using...

i am gonna stick with this setup for a while and keep the other machine as a backup

so my specs are

commodore A1200 . ks3.1 . 4gb CFHD . Blizzard MkIV 68030@50mhz 64mb

Mick · 23 February 2011, 16:29

Aren't you best off using Blizzkick or Relokick to degrade to 1.3 ROM anyway? I imagine a lot of the classic games will point blank refuse to run on the newer 3.x roms.

I've been thinking recently that an A600 with 1.3 rom fitted would probably give best overall compatibility, without being bulky and yellow that is.

Djay · 27 March 2011, 04:19

i have a reg'd version of WHDLoad installed which degrades my system when it needs to, i also use relokick 1.4 if i am booting from floppy

my A600 runs almost everything else, if not i have an A500 stashed away

17 February 2011, 21:44	#1
Djay 95th User Join Date: May 2001 Location: Brighton/UK Age: 48 Posts: 3,120	Swapping around A1200 hardware? I plan to buy a cheap yellow commodore A1200.. And use my cfhd, blizzard, keyboard, kickstart 3.1 roms and outer casing... From my Amiga technologies A1200... Would there be any weird problems doing this? Once I have found one, I will probably be asking how you swap over the roms, as far as I know it's better to have 3.1 roms rather 3.0 roms? As a bit of a perfectionist I want my Amiga to able to read all the disks properly and the amitech A1200 is classed as a clone... Yes I am that sad! Thanks for any info!!!

17 February 2011, 22:06	#3
Mick Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 710	Can't you just do the simple motherboard mod and then pick up an old Chinon 354 or a modified PC drive? I did this and bought the floppy drive from AmigaKit, it's a modified PC drive I think but it seems to work fine (I've tested the Sanity Arte demo with it). This is the mod I'm referring to: http://www.softpres.org/article:hard..._fdd_connector You just desolder the wire at one end and then solder it onto another pin. Last edited by Mick; 17 February 2011 at 22:13.

18 February 2011, 19:46	#4
Djay 95th User Join Date: May 2001 Location: Brighton/UK Age: 48 Posts: 3,120	I did look at the solder idea but I don't have a soldering iron and I have never soldered anything before so I would wreck something... Swapping bits over will probably be cheaper in the long run I have just bought a C= A1200 so will it be worth swapping the roms over? I also have wb3.1 installed on the cfhd so I suppose it makes sence to swap the roms? Can anyone give me info on how you do this, a photo would be great??? Last edited by Djay; 18 February 2011 at 19:55.

22 February 2011, 20:57	#9
Djay 95th User Join Date: May 2001 Location: Brighton/UK Age: 48 Posts: 3,120	ok... received C= A1200 today, not in a terrible condition... very very light yellow on keys the machine on closer inspection was pretty dirty, fluff under the keys the normal thing... so i took it apart to clean beforehand, i tested Gods (a game that really hates the escom drive issue)... but on the C= its working fine so that convinced me to swap over the roms while i had the C='s guts on the floor! removing the roms wasnt difficult nor was putting the roms back in... all tested fine! however Gods now wont work on the C= machine with ks3.1 roms in... but... alot the other stuff which wouldnt work now does... it seems Gods has a problem with 3.1 rather that what drive you are using... i am gonna stick with this setup for a while and keep the other machine as a backup so my specs are commodore A1200 . ks3.1 . 4gb CFHD . Blizzard MkIV 68030@50mhz 64mb Last edited by Djay; 22 February 2011 at 21:11.

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17 February 2011, 22:00	#2
prowler Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sidcup, England Posts: 10,300	I have both Commodore and Amiga Technologies A1200s and, as far as I can tell, the cases are completely interchangeable, so you shouldn't have any problems in this regard.

18 February 2011, 19:52	#5
cosmicfrog The 1 who ribbits Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: leek, Staffs, UK Age: 56 Posts: 3,557	For sure Wired problem No1 is it will slowly start going pink over a few days then when thats over yellow spots will start to appear but apart from that all your problems will be easy wibble er I mean ribbit edit Humm to have 3.1 roms or 3.0 * I know, I know go for 3.1 sory Ive had the fire alarm ringing for 5Hours

22 February 2011, 11:33	#8
cosmicfrog The 1 who ribbits Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: leek, Staffs, UK Age: 56 Posts: 3,557	Sounds like a plan captain

23 February 2011, 16:29	#10
Mick Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 710	Aren't you best off using Blizzkick or Relokick to degrade to 1.3 ROM anyway? I imagine a lot of the classic games will point blank refuse to run on the newer 3.x roms. I've been thinking recently that an A600 with 1.3 rom fitted would probably give best overall compatibility, without being bulky and yellow that is.

27 March 2011, 04:19	#11
Djay 95th User Join Date: May 2001 Location: Brighton/UK Age: 48 Posts: 3,120	i have a reg'd version of WHDLoad installed which degrades my system when it needs to, i also use relokick 1.4 if i am booting from floppy my A600 runs almost everything else, if not i have an A500 stashed away

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