Conference 7.286::atarist

1089.0. "System Woes - is it time to find a repair center?" by DECWET::HASLOCK (Opinions - Worth what you pay) Wed Mar 13 1991 20:15

Before I moved, I upgraded by 520 STfm (Rev D) to 1 meg.

Most of the time it worked but sometimes I would get bits dropping out on the
screen, starting at the top left but spreading with time. When bits start
dropping out around text, white pixels following black pixels stay white (It
is a mono monitor and I use black text on a white ground). 

When I unpacked the machine this fault was still present. Last night, I took
all the screens off and pushed on all the socketed chips and it was fine
until I put the screens back on.

Two more problems showed up last night.
	1) Turning the system on did not result in the floppy turning on
	   although the system power light went on.

	   This problem went away after I stripped the machine down for
	   the second time although I did nothing to fix it.

	   Since this was happening in the time of maximum power consumption
	   and I live out in the country, I was wondering if low supply
	   voltage might cause this.

	2) The screen looks like horizontal hold has failed but only every
	   2, 4, 8, 16 lines and only some of the time. This is not the
	   monitor because I plugged into my TV set and got a similar picture.

	   That is, each group of 16 lines shows up half an inch to the left
	   of the previous group. Within each group, the lines jitter between
	   being an intact block and having each successive pair of lines
	   shifted left.

	   I haven't tried pulling the machine apart again since this problem
	   appeared.

Any suggestions will be gratefully received.

    
    WOW, I wish I had some advice for THAT one.... Whew....
    
    If worse comes to worse, I think Atari will swap the mother board
    for the low, low, price of $375!
    
    _John_
    
    (Who though he paid too much when it was $125!)

The memory expansion was 'plug in the chips' to the motherboard not 'insert
expansion board with added chips'.

I wish I could justify spending money on an STe, but the house needs a garage
first.

I'll try didling with the power supply and see what happens.

Thanks for reply.