retrohax.net

… or something simple this time

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Yeah! Exactly! This time it is going to be a rather simple job.

I just wanted to show how I usually mod A600s so let’s start.

Hardware mods used

Since I am an official re-seller of Lotharek, this might sound bad but I did such upgrades way before I became his re-seller so please don’t kill me and don’t tell me I am biassed 😉

• FURIA accelerator card
• Optional Active cooling system for FURIA
• FlashROM mod
• AMSIDER + SD2IDE
• A600/A1200 S-Video mod
• New KB membrane – often needed
• GOTEK + 3D printed chassis
• SLOW RAM upgrade
• The mouSTer – a multisystem and ultimate USB adapter for mice and pads

This post is going to be short so few words about mods. The FURIA is IMO one of the best mods available nowadays. The most important factor is that IT IS AVAILABLE and you don’t have to snipe on eBay to get it. It also provides 9.5 MB of RAM upgrade and 020 CPU, plus other speed-ups.

The next thing is the FlashROM mod which provides access to 1.3 and 3.1 Kickstarts (or any other variation). This provides more software compatibility and is a nice way to support Cloanto (cheers Mike) as one of the few entities left nowadays who are really into Amiga stuff.

The AMSIDER + card adapter is a convenient alternative to an old 2.5″ hard drive and it suits me.

S-Video mod is another mod that I usually do because it is cheap and provides so much better video output if compared to stock color composite, although, I know it is not so popular around the globe.

KB membranes are very often worn out so I usually replace them with brand new ones to avoid future problems. In this case, I am mostly writing about GREEN MITSUMI type of membranes.

GOTEK (FlashFloppy firmware) and SLOWRAM upgrade is just mandatory so I do install it every time I can 🙂

I do buy GOTEKs in bulk and reprogram them myself as well as do 3D print chassis so no outside links here – just look for it on eBay.

Obviously, in the case of A600 (and in A1200 too), it is MANDATORY to replace all electrolytic caps as these are failing and have to be replaced. This is what I did while working on KK/Altair A600 to support his ULTRA SUPER AWESOME DREAD project.

PICS

Below, are some pics of how it is all assembled.

Holes were drilled with a 3mm drill bit.

Plastic studs installed

Furia and S-video mod installed.

AMSIDER with SD2IDE adapter.

The kickstart switch is kinda hidden 🙂

S-Video mod installed.

GOTEK on a 3D-printed chassis is next.

Finally, a SLOWRAM expansion and a brand new keyboard membrane are in place.

The end

This is it – fully modded A600 which is nearly stock looking but it is soo much more powerful 🙂

Additional notes

The mouSTer firmware development is a bit slowed down due to various personal and market-driven problems. However, we (Willy/Lamers mainly as he is the boss of this project) are planning to release a new firmware that will finally support CD32 fully (and maybe more) by the end of September 2021. I will be surely writing a separate post about it 🙂

Outro

If you want to get the retro gear I am manufacturing or hardware modules, please visit shop -> https://retrohax.net/shop/

Please support my work by commenting here and on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

If you want to donate a dead computer then drop me an email. Extreme cases are welcome. – Nobody donates anything. so don’t bother. Looks like only Youtubers get all goodies LOLOL ;P <– THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE! Cheers to guys from Brasil – > YAY! I’ve finally unpacked it and hopefully will start working on this machine soon! Deixe o Brasil viver! 😀