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      /  I just got an amiga A2000!
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dommer416 
I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 1:51:44
#1 ]
Member
Joined: 1-Jun-2017
Posts: 55
From: Western Earth

In other words......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Sorry about the images, not quite sure what to do about that....... Maybe I'll just leave them as links rather than making them the size of the sun...)

So as the title says I just got an A2000.

The basic story is that I was out with my parents helping them buy a shop smith. Its this giant ungodly contraption that is all the tools you need for a woodshop in one big thing. So we see where the people live, they show us around, and eventually we go where the shopsmith is stored in their barn.

Then I turn around and see this.

http://i.imgur.com/P3TMiPK.jpg

"Oh cool an amiga..... WAIT WHAT AN AMIGA????"

I'm in the states. Finding an amiga in the wild is like finding golden shoes here. Everyone knows the reason why.

In any case turns out the guy is trying to get rid of stuff very carefully. He doesn't want things strung about all over the place and he wants to make sure everything he sells or gives away goes to people who will appreciate it. As it turns out, he's 88 and fighting a second bout with cancer (though he really didn't look it). This machine is his pride and joy. Used it every day until around 2006 when he decided enough was enough and he needed to use the internet for stuff. Hi didn't really use it any more and they are trying to get some money for his latest hospital bill, but he asked 30 for it. Tried to convince him of higher but he didn't care too much. I also tried to convince him to give it to a computer museum because these are pretty rare to see, but nope. He was dead set on me.

So of course I bought it duh.

Took hours to clean, and the keyboard was a pain in the butt, but now I have a shiny basically new amiga on my desk. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but I'd like it to be more than just a toy to play games on and watch it die eventually.

Theres factory notes in the endless documentation the guy had (literally anything that he got as docs with anything for this machine he kept) that say that the machine had been upgraded since its original release and that it has a 68020 rather than a 68000 stock. Has a full 9mb ram, the magical fat agnus chip, and both the floppy drives work, though they don't eject correctly and I'm unsure of how to best fix that as I have never had to fix a floppy drive before.

I don't really know what hardware to get for it as it has no cards in it, but the amount of documentation that is with it makes up for that. As well as all of the original disks and a couple apps. He has a bunch of sermons on a bunch of disks that I need to pull off for him (he was a minister) and I'm assuming I can just do that on an AROS machine.

I know I want a Gotek for it and an internal hard drive, and even some period correct cards too, as well as the Kickstart 3.1 chip on the Amiga on the Lake website, but I'm not sure what else to really dig up for it!

Anyways, Thats been my recent development and it may not be something as cool as the A1200, but screw it this is my amiga and I love it. I'm only 23, so I need to start somewhere!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIaAwv1XUAULcOj.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIaAy8qXoAEth3H.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIROs4FXoAQicpH.jpg

Last edited by dommer416 on 31-Aug-2017 at 01:53 AM.

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QuikSanz 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 3:52:26
#2 ]
Super Member
Joined: 28-Mar-2003
Posts: 1236
From: Harbor Gateway, Gardena, Ca.

@dommer416,

You can stuff almost anything in there. My A2000 is almost full, USB, NIC, Video, Accelerator, and so on. Depends on what you want.

Chris

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dommer416 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 4:12:04
#3 ]
Member
Joined: 1-Jun-2017
Posts: 55
From: Western Earth

@QuikSanz

Wel l'd really love for the system to not be floppy based. Since I can get the newest Kickstart for it I imagine that I can run AOS 3? I don't really know.

I'd mostly like to have it as an available second machine. Do writing and such on it. I don't really know what cards I should look for though aside from a Vampire.

I also appear to need a completely new mouse... The buttons are worn out. And a gotek. I think those are the best places to start. I can probably manage a mouse, but am open to suggestions on a gotek. I don't wanna blow up my machine :3

I was looking into this one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gotek-ADF-Floppy-Drive-Emulator-8GB-USB-Stick-for-Amiga-500-600-1200-4000-/301976968423?autorefresh=true&autorefresh=true

Last edited by dommer416 on 31-Aug-2017 at 04:37 AM.

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jingof 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 4:47:38
#4 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 8-May-2007
Posts: 499
From: Jingo Fet is from "A Galaxy Far, Far Away"

@dommer416

Nice looking A2000 kit. You might want to consider putting a Vampire card in there. I know they are mainly for A500 and A600, but this guy was able to put one in his A2000 with no issues apparently:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPrfQ1OgMYU

_________________
Vic-20, C-64, C-128
Amiga 1000, 3000
AmigaOne X1000

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cap 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 5:53:26
#5 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 30-Jan-2003
Posts: 297
From: Melton Mowbray - Porkpie centre.

@dommer416

I`ve literally just been reading in Brian Bagnall`s new book (digital copy) about the Germans coming up with this design at the same time the Americans were doing the A500.
Its packed full of Zorro and pc isa slots for compatibility which made it expensive to manufacture.

_________________
A1/G4 1GHZ

OS4.1 latest update.
1ghz Radeon Club3d 9250
Usb/Dma fixed.

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dommer416 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 6:24:25
#6 ]
Member
Joined: 1-Jun-2017
Posts: 55
From: Western Earth

@jingof

Vampire V4 is supposed to have a proper slot and compatibility set with the A2000. I don't have the ability to get another one so I want to be careful here. More or less I want to get a gotek, 3.1 kickstart, and hard drive kit first before I get any real boards. I'd like to have a hard drive based OS set up so I can just turn it on and go, though how possible that really is is beyond me TBH.

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SACC-dude 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 6:31:20
#7 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 15-May-2005
Posts: 295
From: Sacramento, CA

@dommer416

what ever else you do..

CHECK the battery, remove it at once and replace as you figure things out!

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SACC-dude 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 6:42:55
#8 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 15-May-2005
Posts: 295
From: Sacramento, CA

@dommer416

The easy hard drive controller is the 2091 (most available)
You will have to get at least 1.3 rom to auto boot (that's the main feature of 1.3)
If you get 3.1 rom you will need to update the rom on the 2091 to version 7 rom)

A small (4 gig) scsi drive or smaller is plenty.

If you are close to Sacramento CA come to AmiWest!

The SACC table has lots of used fun hardware (cheap)



Quote:

dommer416 wrote:
@jingof

Vampire V4 is supposed to have a proper slot and compatibility set with the A2000. I don't have the ability to get another one so I want to be careful here. More or less I want to get a gotek, 3.1 kickstart, and hard drive kit first before I get any real boards. I'd like to have a hard drive based OS set up so I can just turn it on and go, though how possible that really is is beyond me TBH.

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Beans 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 13:19:22
#9 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 26-Aug-2016
Posts: 447
From: Bear Delaware USA

@SACC-dude

Amedia IDE disk controller for the A2000.

https://www.amedia-computer.com/en/accueil/273-ide4-zorro-2-board-for-amiga-2000.html

And I'd second the Vampire4 for the Amiga 2000 once its available.
It will make this bulletproof Amiga a real power house.

_________________
Amiga! "Our appeal has become more selective"

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Kronos 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 14:19:24
#10 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 8-Mar-2003
Posts: 2553
From: Unknown

@dommer416

Quote:


Theres factory notes in the endless documentation the guy had (literally anything that he got as docs with anything for this machine he kept) that say that the machine had been upgraded since its original release and that it has a 68020 rather than a 68000 stock. Has a full 9mb ram,


Quote:

I don't really know what hardware to get for it as it has no cards in it,


If it has a 020 and 9MB it has to have atleast 1 card in it.

Either a 3rd party accel on the 68000 socket with 8MB.

Or more likely an A2620 with 2 or 4 MB in the MMU-slot and a Zorro card adding the rest of the RAM.

_________________
- We don't need good ideas, we haven't run out on bad ones yet
- blame Canada

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dommer416 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 15:31:50
#11 ]
Member
Joined: 1-Jun-2017
Posts: 55
From: Western Earth

@SACC-dude

Haha! Actually the machine was serviced in 2002! Thats been done long ago but will need to be done in a year or two for my sanity :3

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dommer416 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 15:33:44
#12 ]
Member
Joined: 1-Jun-2017
Posts: 55
From: Western Earth

@Kronos

I have no idea I'm just echoing the docs. It may have had the card at one point and he sold it.

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SACC-dude 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 22:00:20
#13 ]
Regular Member
Joined: 15-May-2005
Posts: 295
From: Sacramento, CA

@Kronos

The 020/ 8 megs card could be "hidden" under the drive tray as a 68000 connected extra!

Last edited by SACC-dude on 31-Aug-2017 at 10:01 PM.

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dommer416 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 22:18:27
#14 ]
Member
Joined: 1-Jun-2017
Posts: 55
From: Western Earth

@SACC-dude

I have no clue personally, but I definitely do have 9mb of ram!

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intangybles 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 22:35:36
#15 ]
Member
Joined: 22-Aug-2017
Posts: 33
From: Brisbane, Australia

@Beans
@dommer416
@SACC-dude


Quote:

Beans wrote:
@SACC-dude

Amedia IDE disk controller for the A2000.

https://www.amedia-computer.com/en/accueil/273-ide4-zorro-2-board-for-amiga-2000.html

And I'd second the Vampire4 for the Amiga 2000 once its available.
It will make this bulletproof Amiga a real power house.


Hello all, I hope you don't mind me chiming in! (my last efforts were hounded down by a very rude person).... Anyway.. I am in much the same position, I am in the process in "inheriting" am A2000 - it should be on its way to me this week - a good mate and I purchased 2 A2000's back when they were new and unfortunately my machine is long gone. I was very happy to leaner that he still had his and its been untouched for years, from memory it has a HDD (SCSI) installed and he can't remember what else... I can't wait to see!

So the questions running through my head are much the same, how to make the most of it. I was very encouraged by the Video's I have seen running the Vampire V2 in the A2000's but the things is do you wait for the V4? Its high in my thoughts as I no longer have a standard monitor for the beast when it arrives! I shall list it full contents when it arrives, but any suggestions in the mean would be appreciated!

Wishing everyone a great day!

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dommer416 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 22:45:17
#16 ]
Member
Joined: 1-Jun-2017
Posts: 55
From: Western Earth

@intangybles

From what I have seen the V4 is supposed to be a beast and I will absolutely be getting one one it lands as long as it properly faces out of the rear of the case. I'll also be getting a ram card and an IDE controller IF the V4 doesn't have a SATA controller like the V3 had. Or at least the V3 supposedly had (I only know the pre-release notes on it).

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ferrels 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 31-Aug-2017 23:22:54
#17 ]
Cult Member
Joined: 20-Oct-2005
Posts: 922
From: Arizona

@dommer416


The V4 won't be facing out the rear of your A2000's case. It isn't much larger than a Pi board. You will either plug it into your existing 68000 CPU socket or you can buy one of Acill's card-slot adapters and plug it into the A2000's CPU card slot. Dimensions are on page 5.


http://www.apollo-accelerators.com/files/V4_announcement_v1_5.pdf

You can read about Acill's adapters here: http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=72693

Last edited by ferrels on 31-Aug-2017 at 11:31 PM.
Last edited by ferrels on 31-Aug-2017 at 11:26 PM.

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QuikSanz 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 11-Sep-2017 2:39:08
#18 ]
Super Member
Joined: 28-Mar-2003
Posts: 1236
From: Harbor Gateway, Gardena, Ca.

@ferrels,

The V2 adapter wont work as the V4 is longer. Need an extender to clear the MB.

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intangybles 
Re: I just got an amiga A2000!
Posted on 11-Oct-2017 2:18:11
#19 ]
Member
Joined: 22-Aug-2017
Posts: 33
From: Brisbane, Australia

@dommer416

Hi, and hello to all..

@dommer416 how did you go with your A2000?

I have at last received the A2000 I was waiting for, and it consists of the following:

Standard 68000 CPU and Motherboard with added 16 bit ISA sockets.
Kickstart switch board with 1.3 and 3.1 ROM's installed.
A2091 Card with 2MB Ram and 50MB HDD installed.
Goldengate 486 Bridgeboard.
Old ISA NIC in 16Bit ISA socket.
3 1/2 Amiga Floppy.
5 1/4 Floppy attached to Bridgeboard.

An unknown bug had made a nest on the RAM of the A2091 card, which I have cleaned-up enough to be safe but it really will need RAM and sockets replaced.

After a careful check over of all the socketed chips and caps and the A2091 removed - I hit the power button and up came kickstart - to my great joy! Kickswitch working 1.3 and 3.1 both selectable and booting.

Double checked the cleanup of the A2091 RAM and plugged it back in. Powered up and FANTASTIC we have a 3.1 Workbench Boot!

The GoldenGate board does not appear to be functioning (and to be honest, we seem to remember it was failing way back when the machine we stored away) you get a power LED on it and a couple of clicks from the speaker when the Amiga tries to load the "digger" interface software and then the digger software load fails and Amiga boot completes.

Not too worried about the Bridge board - a 486 is no great loss but using its resources in server mode would be nice!

So, thinking along the same lines - what to do with it next! To make the best use of the lovely old machine, what would be the best options to add to make it really useful? Keeping in mind cost and availability!

I have seen some nice SCSI CD drives are still about at a reasonable cost.. (I still have a very large collection of Amiga CD's so I would say thats a must).

The more I read on the Vampire V4, the more it rises on my wishlist for the future!

Given the added features that would bring, would an Amiga Zorro NIC card be a worthwhile purchase?

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

Last edited by intangybles on 11-Oct-2017 at 02:18 AM.

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