Oric Atmos manual wanted

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robcook
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Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by robcook »

Hi, all. I am looking for an original Atmos manual, in the best possible condition which I understand will be reflected in the price. Any copies I find on eBay or Amazon are in the worst condition.

Please feel free to PM me or (if this works) e-mail at info@nta-mar.net

Gracias, all.
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Steve M
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by Steve M »

I've got some but I'll need to check the condition. I know some have the odd scuff.

Do you have a perfect Atmos you're looking to complete?
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by robcook »

Steve M wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 12:18 am I've got some but I'll need to check the condition. I know some have the odd scuff.
The odd scuff or pre-ownen note isn't a big problem. I can't expect and do not need perfection, I just want a decent quality Atmos manual that doesn't look like it's been through the digestive system of a dog, which is what appears to be on the market for about a tenner. I want to buy one to use it properly.
Steve M wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 12:18 am Do you have a perfect Atmos you're looking to complete?
Yes, please. I will be needing a new Atmos probably in October with all the bits and a working tape system. Been checking eBay's local sites and prices seem to range from €150-€400 depending on condition and accessories. Boxed mint would be spiffing but I'm realistic. But I do want a clean, preferably recently refurbed machine.
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Steve M
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by Steve M »

If you haven't got the Atmos yet maybe you should wait to see if you get a manual with the computer?

Boxed Orics have silly asking prices now.

Baz has an Atmos for sale - with French manual. (Manuel)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/48K-ORIC-ATM ... SwFWVdkn-t
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by robcook »

You could be right, although I don't want a bloody French manual :) Learning Spanish at the mo so French would just explode me.

I know I'm looking for a lot here - but I don't mind paying someone to do some work for me. In short, I want an 'as new' refurbished, all-checked Atmos. I haven't opened up an Atmos since I was at school and don't fancy my chances doing it again without frying the thing and blowing my face off.

So. Anyone got a really nice Atmos they want to sell that's been cleaned out and iffy parts replaced? I have no objection to minor alterations such as an on/off switch. In fact, that'd be cool.

Am I expecting too much? I'm a weirdo as most of you know. I have some plans/ideas and want to do it properly.
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Steve M
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by Steve M »

Don't know. I've got a few used ones that I can confirm are working OK. I don't repair them unless they are faulty.
The electrolytic caps could be swapped but it might not guarantee anything.
It might be as well to get an Atmos and have it refurbished to suit.

I don't have a French Manuel, so I'd be willing to swap a nice English one for the French one if you went for that.

I'll try and have a look at my manuals later. Time to take the dog out!
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by robcook »

So if I pick up a decent looking and working Atmos, do you reckon there's anyone here who would happily refurb it for me so it's sparkling new inside? For a fair payment, of course - I'm not gonna be cheap, happy to pay for quality and reliability.
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by Dbug »

I think contrary to many machines, when you get an Oric it either works or it does not, most of them are not pristine anyway because there was so many hardware patches done here and there to make them work with various peripherals :)

Of all the machines I had over the years, only one had ever needed to be cleaned: Just ask the seller to check that:
- the display is correct (on SCART if you plan to use it on a sane display)
- that all the keys correctly work
- that you the keyboard keyclick, zap, shoot, ping and explode work

If all that work, it means all the important chips are in working order (CPU, ULA, VIA, AY, ROM and RAM).
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by robcook »

Maybe you're right. It's just that I've watched loads of 'trash to treasure' restoration videos of really messy computers being made spotless and 'as new'. It has always involved soldering, cleaning and replacing iffy or potentially iffy parts. I confess, I've not watched such a video for an Oric 1/Atmos so that doesn't help me a lot. I do recall my Atmos gathering dust inside from back in the days when I would open it up and actually fix things: or am I dreaming that?

Any chance there's actually a business that specialises in refurbing old 8-bit machines? I reckon almost certainly not.

ETA: Grrr - where's the bloody Oric???
https://www.dataserve-retro.co.uk/
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by robcook »

This is the sort of thing I don't want.

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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by Dbug »

robcook wrote: Thu Oct 03, 2019 7:18 pm Maybe you're right. It's just that I've watched loads of 'trash to treasure' restoration videos of really messy computers being made spotless and 'as new'. It has always involved soldering, cleaning and replacing iffy or potentially iffy parts.(...)
Any chance there's actually a business that specialises in refurbing old 8-bit machines? I reckon almost certainly not.
This company does it:
http://www.mutant-caterpillar.co.uk/sho ... ts_id=3292

Regarding why there are not so many iffy things in the Oric is that
1) the power supply is separate from the machine
2) there is no battery backed up bios/clock
3) the capacitors seem to be of good quality

I think in the retro category, the Commodore machines are among the worst, specially the Amiga that seem to have been using the cheapest components known: Anyone who bought a "pristined boxed amiga" and left it in the box is probably going to cry when they notice some weird discoloration in the box caused by leaking stuff corroding the tracks on the motherboard.
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by Steve M »

Furthermore, if you get a computer worked on the likelihood is that they'll fit sockets for any chips they replaced. This has often happened already.
Earlier Orics had soldered ULAs and later ones had the socket.

I think the majority of Orics will have had some chips replaced by now. The number of boards I have with sockets fitted to the RAM would suggest a great many had work done until they gave up and swapped the whole motherboard.

I tend to go by the 'don't fix it if it aint broke' rule. But there are places like Mutant Caterpillar that can sort it if there is an issue.
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by Chema »

I got my original oric out of the basement 25 years later and it worked perfectly. No repair was needed at all.
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by robcook »

Thank you all for the feedback, info and suggestions. It is good to learn that Orics stand up to natural/time degradation better than what I've been seeing on vids for other machines. In some cases, they'd open the micro from unsealed and it was already buggered.

Okay. I guess main thing now is to get the Atmos with a good, 100% functioning keyboard (too many memories of fixing keys). The manual can follow and the box, I suppose, is just a luxury if it comes my way. I intend to hook it up to a small monitor so I'll need all the leads, etc. Will try to do this over the next month or two.
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Re: Oric Atmos manual wanted

Post by Dbug »

I would suggest targeting one element at a time: The probability you get a fully working Oric + good manual + box + good psu and cable... is kind of limited.

Also, regarding the cables, now I systematically get the SCART and audio cable new from ebay, and the cables that came with the machine go in a "spare bag of crap" because most of them are not working correctly, or they are full of grim, or look like the cat ate them :)
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