Re: ST Format Hardware Hacks

Stfmmer · Post by **Stfmmer** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:50 am

I remember in the olden golden days that ST Format used to do Hardware hacks and give general upgrade advice, usually with step-by-step guides and pictures...

I specifically remember stuff like, joystick ports in the back and adding mem to stfm machines.. does nobody have these particular sections or scans of the mags anymore.. these were really designed at complete newbies and i even used it to upgrade my STe. (When i had one). If they do i'm sure i could knock up some pages on a webspace somewhere to host them.

It seems a shame to have lost all these good pages to time and space because it would help the scene and esp newbies or oldies like myself remember how to do things...

It would also save the endless reposts on hardware issues i think,

what does everyone else think? and do they even remember these things?

Post by **Dal** » Sun Sep 26, 2010 11:57 pm

I think I have some (all?) scans of ST Format mags somewhere so all is not lost - however I don't think there is an index specifically of the ST Format hardware mods per se.

There is a site dedicated to ST Format that is still work in progress (at least I believe its still in progress): http://www.hollinsheads.com/stf/index.html

For other resources of ST related hardware mods you should check out:
The Atari Forum Wiki: http://www.atari-forum.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Atari4Ever: http://atari4ever.free.fr/

That should keep you busy! Meanwhile I'll see if I can locate those ST Format scans and if so I'll make them available somewhere for download.

wongck · Post by **wongck** » Mon Sep 27, 2010 11:30 am

WOW Nice shrine...
Are you going to scan & put up the pages there?

Mal7921 · Post by **Mal7921** » Fri May 20, 2011 12:19 pm

There were a couple of simple hardware hacks done by ST User, which included a pause switch (Simple switch to the halt and GND line to pause the CPU mid-operation) and a "slow-mo" mod (Same as the pause hack, but with a timer circuit to flick the switch at variable time intervals to make the machine appear to operate at a slower speed).

There were a couple of other things too, but the series didn't last long and apart from those 2 mods, there was nothing much to bother saving. Shame I don't still have those (Darned divorce!)

Zenichiro · Post by **Zenichiro** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:19 am

Those sound like a couple of interesting mods if anyone has the articles?

Post by **spiny** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:54 pm

I remember doing the 'pause switch' mod years ago, just so I could cheat at sokoban

Stfmmer · Post by **Stfmmer** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 1:54 pm

Ok, got hold of a couple of ST Format mags and has some pretty neat hacks in it....

One of the ones i've got features a SERIAL PORT upgrade to comply with the *NEW* v.34 modems?
basically upping the Baud rate and stuff via the MFP IIRC involving a new add-on board with a small IC on it....
Not exactly a newbie task but i did see an ASCII version of the same thing a while ago and in no way was it as clear or concise.

I'll try and get it scanned as well as the other relevant ones I have.

Think STFORMAT.COM (Same site as hollinshead/stf) is dead, last updated 2012 and no way of contacting the author