New to Amiga 1200 and would like easy entry...

[Derek]

Hi everyone!

My experience with Amiga in the late 80s/early 90s was with the A500 - floppy disks only. I was fairly familiar with Workbench and creating my own compilation disks for my own purposes. I seldom actually used Workbench. My memory is SUPER hazy - i remember the existence directories like 'c' and 'lib' and the startup-sequence file. But i remember nothing of how they worked.

I bought an A1200 a few years ago and fired it up - it had Workbench on a CF card with WHDload and a few hundred games. It worked, and i packed it away because of space and time. I now have a dedicated place for it, and i bought into the case and key Kickstarters/IndyGoGo and i now have a beautiful 'new' A1200 with an ACA1232 which i bought second hand. I don't think i need to configure the accellerator from the limited instructions i got with it.

The CF that came with it is 4gb, which i think is fine, but it's full of 'someone else's stuff' and the WHDload collection is missing many of the games *I* want to play. Is there a pre-configured CF image i can download, or even buy on a larger CF? I might consider this if it's nicely set-up and saves me a lot of time.

I was thinking of these additions/upgrades:

• An OSSC or similar to switch out of my CRT to an LCD for space reasons - and my daughter can hear the extremely high pitched whine which hurts her ears. I was wondering about an Indivision, but i have my original A500 from my youth i would like to restore, so i would look to save money and share the device.
• More accessible CF slot so i don't have to disassemble the case to access it - but if i went Indivision i'm not sure if i can have them both? Maybe this is the final answer to the question of OSSC vs Indivision?
• CF PCMCIA adaptor to transfer files or Networking so i can just download the files (depends on price and effort).
• Is the new AmigaOS 3.1.4 worth getting? Do i need the chips as well as the software? I currently have 3.1 chips. Workbench says the Kickstart is 40.68.
• I wouldn't mind a RTC, but no idea how.
• Some better way to navigate the WHDload games than burying through directory structures. I've heard of some options but i don't see what might be better than the other. I saw one YouTube clip where the guy's game menu, complete with screenshots, showed up at boot - it didn't need to go into Workbench first. While i'd like to go into Workbench sometimes, if i just want to play a game - this would be great. I don't know what it's called let alone how to do it.
  
  The menu i'm talking about is @ 5:25: [ Show youtube player ]

The Amiga modding scene seems to have any number of permutations and i'd rather not go down one route only to discover it prevents another. What are peoples recommendations for the setup i was looking at or if there are any other additional tips and suggestions i'd love to hear them


Thanks everyone

[nikosidis]

Hi
I would never switch from CRT to LCD. I think it is kind of the worst you can do with an Amiga if you mostly play games.
CF with PCMCIA adapter is nice. Networking is even better but is much more difficult to set up.
I would say no to OS 3.1.4 in your case. Maybe if you like a bigger HDD but 4GB should be plenty for games.
The one you have seen is called "iGame" there is also Tiny Launcher. With your configuration "iGame" will be very nice.

[chip]

Hi Derek

I am too lazy to be busy with real hardware, i use only emulation .... so i can't help you

Anyway welcome to the forum

[Gavster29]

Hi Derek,

I am in a similar situation, I just purchased an Amiga 1200 (apparently it turned up today). It has an extension on the CF card so I can remove it from the rear port on the 1200, it also has Kickstart 3.1 but I am thinking about upgrading to WB 3.1.4 for larger drive support. I don't have an accelerator card but I wish I did have! The only options that seem to be available at decent money is an 8mb memory upgrade but I would have liked something like a Furia type device for the 1200!

I setup a card using WinUAE and HstWB which can later be burned/imaged to a CF or SD card, you need to pick the size drive you will be using as it will write an image file, this can be downloaded from the site.

I had already purchased Amiga Forever and have the WB and kickstart discs, you can use HstWB to install the WB 3.1 rather than 3.1.4 (for that you need to use the digital rom and downloaded adf files from Hyperion), the great part of the install is that it will setup WHDLoad for you when running the scripts but the bonus is that nice startup screen you were talking about!

I also purchased an Amiga 600 and sent it off for recapping (which is why I purchased the A1200) not I don't know what to do as I ordered a Furia and IDE2SD so it will be a decent system when done, I don't think I can keep both though!

[nikosidis]

Gavster29: The Furia card is a monster. You will be very, very happy you bought it. It is little sad it no Furia version for A1200. I have Blizzard IV 030 and that is a great card but expensive. I guess the Vampire is the only accelerator card for A1200 right now. It is not cheap either though. 8MB or fast ram will make your A1200 feel faster. It is something like double speed. It is still a little to slow for my taste. The good thing about it is that you can install whd-load and play all the games from your HDD.

[nikosidis]

Gavster29: You should buy a PCMCIA adapter for CF cards. They are cheap and you will need it for transfering files.

Remember that it is not only A600 that need recap. A1200 need it to and please don't try to do it yourself.

[T_hairy_bootson]

The software used in the video near the timestamp was Amiga boot selector and Arcade Game Selector.

http://ohmygibs.free.fr/ohmygibs/Ami..._Selector.html

https://paradroid.automac.se/ags/

[Gavster29]

Originally Posted by nikosidis

Gavster29: You should buy a PCMCIA adapter for CF cards. They are cheap and you will need it for transfering files.

Remember that it is not only A600 that need recap. A1200 need it to and please don't try to do it yourself.

Thanks, I have the CF reader for my PC already

I was going to recap the 1200 once the 600 comes back!

[Derek]

Originally Posted by nikosidis

Hi
I would never switch from CRT to LCD. I think it is kind of the worst you can do with an Amiga if you mostly play games.
CF with PCMCIA adapter is nice. Networking is even better but is much more difficult to set up.
I would say no to OS 3.1.4 in your case. Maybe if you like a bigger HDD but 4GB should be plenty for games.
The one you have seen is called "iGame" there is also Tiny Launcher. With your configuration "iGame" will be very nice.

Thanks for the name of iGame - i'll look into it. Do you happen to know if i can boot into Workbench if i have that iGame setup?


The CRT is nice enough, but it's just so bulky and makes that noise. I actually have 2 CRTs and it feels like i should send at least one of them to someone who can keep it running - some dude who knows how to repair them. The one i'm using, a speaker doesn't work either.


I might have to look at that extender for the CF/SD card arrangement. It's really inconvenient where it is, and yeah - i think 4gb is plenty enough - especially with easy access to the card.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by chip

Hi Derek

I am too lazy to be busy with real hardware, i use only emulation .... so i can't help you

Anyway welcome to the forum

I have considered getting rid of all my Amiga stuff and getting an Nvidia Shield and just using that at the big TV. But i just love having my original 500, and this pimped up 1200 now

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Gavster29

Hi Derek,

I am in a similar situation, I just purchased an Amiga 1200 (apparently it turned up today). It has an extension on the CF card so I can remove it from the rear port on the 1200, it also has Kickstart 3.1 but I am thinking about upgrading to WB 3.1.4 for larger drive support. I don't have an accelerator card but I wish I did have! The only options that seem to be available at decent money is an 8mb memory upgrade but I would have liked something like a Furia type device for the 1200!

I setup a card using WinUAE and HstWB which can later be burned/imaged to a CF or SD card, you need to pick the size drive you will be using as it will write an image file, this can be downloaded from the site.

I had already purchased Amiga Forever and have the WB and kickstart discs, you can use HstWB to install the WB 3.1 rather than 3.1.4 (for that you need to use the digital rom and downloaded adf files from Hyperion), the great part of the install is that it will setup WHDLoad for you when running the scripts but the bonus is that nice startup screen you were talking about!

I also purchased an Amiga 600 and sent it off for recapping (which is why I purchased the A1200) not I don't know what to do as I ordered a Furia and IDE2SD so it will be a decent system when done, I don't think I can keep both though!

I was lucky getting my Individual accelerator 2nd hand. I think the previous owner upgraded.


I have Amiga Forever and the 3.1 Workbench disks too. I'll look at this HstWB - cool that it sets up WHDLoad and the nice start-up. Awesome tip! Thanks!


It's weird how we want to upgrade systems that won't actually be used by us (like the 600 you have).

[Derek]

Originally Posted by T_hairy_bootson

The software used in the video near the timestamp was Amiga boot selector and Arcade Game Selector.

http://ohmygibs.free.fr/ohmygibs/Ami..._Selector.html

https://paradroid.automac.se/ags/

That's AWESOME! Thank you!

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Gavster29

Thanks, I have the CF reader for my PC already

I was going to recap the 1200 once the 600 comes back!

I bought my 1200 already recapped. It was pretty expensive at the time, but looking back the price now seems on the better side. I can't believe how much prices have gone up in the last 5 years.


I probably should get my original PSU serviced to ensure it's in spec. I don't want to replace it with a new one, i like the original box. The only other alternative i'd consider is an internal PSU. But i have looked at people putting a new PSU in the old box. That's pretty cool - but with so many different instructions on the web, and some with variances, i'm not really confident to give it a go.

[Hiddenevil]

Hi Derek and welcome back!

As you've already had some pretty darn good answers to your questions, I'm just going to focus on those topics I feel I can offer some useful input.

Over lockdown I've repaired, restored and setup an A500+, so I can take it to LAG meetings (whenever we can have them again, who knows). So like you, I've been setting up a new system.

WB & KS 3.1.4
You'll need the ROMs and the disks for it to work right. The latest version of Workbench has a lot of fixes and overall it's pretty good, however its best suited for an Amiga with a hard drive. I'm going to go out on a limb and say most of us use an Amiga with a HD inside these days. So I don't think it was unreasonble for the new OS to get with the times and trends of 2020 Amiga users.

As to whether you should get it or not? Well my line of thought was as follows; I'm supporting the Amiga and future development of an OS for my computer. How many 30 year old computers get an OS update in 2020? Natively it supports larger capacity drives, which can't be a bad thing. But if you got by with 3.1 in the past, stick with it for now, mess around with your system. IF you think the Amiga is going to become a perminent fixture on your desk, perhaps look back at upgrading to 3.1.4.

I think you can actually buy pre configured CF cards which contain games, but you then face the grey area of buying a CF card containing copyrighted albeit old games. As your returning to the Amiga and you've said things are a bit hazy. I'd suggest saving your money, get a decent size hard drive and set it up yourself. Nothing blows away the cobwebs better then rolling up your sleeves and mucking in.

Even though I use emulated and real hardware, I was surprised to find I'd forgotten a few things when it came to setting up an Amiga. The process was a lot of fun and was a good refresher course. Also if you setup the system yourself, you know exactly how everything has been configured to work. Which can't be said for a preconfigured CF.

As others have mentioned, get yourself a PCMCIA to CF adapter. If there has been one pain in the butt about the A500, it's not having an easily removable mass storage device. I've had to resort to using a mixture of Gotek floppy, a PowerXL High Density floppy drive and finally serial cable with Aexplorer. Thats 25 minutes for 5mb over serial!! Seriously a CF adapter is a must have lol

I bought it la3.1.4 is meant for an Amiga with a hard driveThe new Kickstarts are missing a couple of library files which now live on the hard drive

[Derek]

Originally Posted by Hiddenevil

Hi Derek and welcome back!

Thanks for the welcome, and the suggestions. I think you're right - i should just get on with it and see what happens with what i've got.


Looks like we can still buy brand new CF cards, so I think i'll buy a CF extension/adaptor to sit out the back/right so i have easier access to the card. I'll use my existing 4gb card for now. If i use a PCMCIA adaptor to transfer files - can i just copy files to it and they'd be readable on Amiga? Or do i need to use WinUAE (or similar) to be able to write to it?


Is there an installation guide you'd recommend?

[Derek]

For those interested in the RTC - i found one here, but i don't know if it'll fit mine (or yours):

https://retroready.one/collections/a...eal-time-clock

[hammer]

Originally Posted by nikosidis

Hi
I would never switch from CRT to LCD. I think it is kind of the worst you can do with an Amiga if you mostly play games.
CF with PCMCIA adapter is nice. Networking is even better but is much more difficult to set up.
I would say no to OS 3.1.4 in your case. Maybe if you like a bigger HDD but 4GB should be plenty for games.
The one you have seen is called "iGame" there is also Tiny Launcher. With your configuration "iGame" will be very nice.

You can smear vaseline on your LCD.

[hammer]

Originally Posted by Hiddenevil

Hi Derek and welcome back!

As you've already had some pretty darn good answers to your questions, I'm just going to focus on those topics I feel I can offer some useful input.

Over lockdown I've repaired, restored and setup an A500+, so I can take it to LAG meetings (whenever we can have them again, who knows). So like you, I've been setting up a new system.

During the lockdown, I also did a similar restoration with my early 1990s era school friend donated A500 rev5 which I gutted to restore German sourced recapped A500 Rev 6 motherboard. The German store unexpectedly provided 68000 and KS 1.3 chips for free.

A500 rev5 has an unidentified hardware fault during the early 1990s and my school friend abandon it for the PC. The unrepaired A500 rev5 was kept in storage since the early 1990s, and it was restored during lockdown when I'm a bit wiser/older to diagnose the problem e.g. PSU was at fault.

My dad traded A500 Rev 6 + $$ for A3000/030 25Mhz prior to A4000. In 1996, the A3000/030 was sold to a small amateur TV production group in 1996 and resulting funds was used for buying Pentium 150 based PC.

Also during lockdown, I won the eBay bid for "broken for parts" A1200 which is actually working i.e. seller wasn't an Amiga user and mis-diagnosed floppy drive's clicking noise as a hardware fault, hence it was purchase at lower price when compared to other ebay'ed A1200s.

I purchased the following items during lockdown
Wicher 508i (68000 50Mhz, 11MB fast ram, IDE) + KS 314 ROM + ECS Agnus + CF-to-IDE adapter for A500 Rev 6A. My second 1MB chip ram mod was applied. This A500 machine was then donated to my younger brother.

KS 314 ROM + Amigakit's 8MB fast ram/40Mhz 68882 FPU/RTC card + SD card-to-IDE adapter for A1200. Re-capped A1200. Signed up for Vampire 1200.

Two USB to Amiga ports adapters, Two Atari joysticks and Scart RGB to HDMI adapter.

A500 Rev 5 with missing Paula/CIAs/Denise/Gary chips was put back in storage. I might restore it in the future.