The A4000T rescue

Thought I might share my recent adventure with a gem I found recently. As I already posted in my introduction I found a guy who literally wanted to throw away his Amiga's. Lucky I found them and offered to pick it all up.

My mouth fell open when I first saw the guys table completely full with Amiga stuff, everything I could take along. He already told me, the A4000T didn't work but I told him I find this a challenge to get the thing running again.

Coming home and after at least 5x walking up and down the car (with 2 people) I finally had everything inside, so the first test round started. At that stage, part of my living room looked like this:

http://www.bartvandenakker.nl/amiga/Amiga1.jpghttp://www.bartvandenakker.nl/amiga/Amiga3.jpg

First picture show the A4000T connected to the Amiga M1764 monitor. An A500 (with German keyboard layout) and a bit of the GVP A530 (both are for sale). The second picture shows the Amiga4000 box, 2x A500 box (one of the A500's is in there) and 8 boxes full of Amiga software.

I first tried the A4000 which gave a working 3.1 "Insert Bootdisk" image. So, the Amiga was working! Given the fact it was already kinda late in the evening, I didn't look further and after trying one game, booted from floppy, I was ok with this one working. Next, the 2 A500's where both worked. The other A500 has a 3.1 kick and 512kB extra memory. The german one is completely original.

Skip to the next day. Thanks to the guys at AmigaScene.nl I really looked forward to get more information on the A4000T.

Coming back from work I immediately started to open up the A4000T, finding some huge surprises inside.
http://www.bartvandenakker.nl/amiga/IMG_0336.jpg

This is the internal of the 4000T. I haven't cleaned it, it's just exactly this after being on an attic for several years.

The trained eye can spot a Cyberstorm MK-II 060 with SCSI-II card and 32MB RAM.
Also visible is a CyberVision64 with 3D-addon (this last one is not visible).
The 4000T was internally practically clean. :bowdown:. Apart from normal dust, but it seemed the machine never been opened. According to the receipt in the A4000-box, it is shipped in 1994 from Germany to the Netherlands. I couldn't find boxes or proof these 2 cards have been build in at a later time. I did find the manuals and all installation documents/software but that's it.

At this stage, I also noticed the HD which just didn't spin up. Power lines are good, so those aren't the problem. I kinda figured the HDD would be dead so my next goal was to bootup the original 3.1 workbench disks and install it on the external 270MB SyQuest disk (no backups there of a bootable system :dry: ). But, knowing now and not then, you cannot boot WB 3.1 with a 68060 CPU. It just kept on hanging on the "WorkBench" and nothing more.. :unsure:
The guys at AmigaScene.nl gave me the tip to remove the CyberStorm and try to install WB with the original CPU. So, I grabbed my screwdriver to remove the items which prevented me to remove the CyberStorm card. As you all know (and can see), the harddisk is located in this part and this was removed too and at that moment it hit me, I could try to ask the harddisk in a somewhat unfriendly way to at least spin up. So, I gave it a fair shake and plugged in the power and :cool: it was spinning up!

I tried to bootup the Amiga without the CyberStorm anyway, but it just didn't boot at all :blink:. But hey, I seem to have a working HDD. So, plugged everything back in and booted up and the wonder was here:
http://www.bartvandenakker.nl/amiga/IMG_0342.jpg

Yay!

http://www.bartvandenakker.nl/amiga/IMG_0343.jpg

As you can imagine, I went :bounceBoingBall:. I managed to get this beautiful 4000T running!
Next for my todo is to get a CF drive so I can put in a couple of GB's drive and install OS 3.9 (both ordered yesterday evening). Also will try to get a network adapter for this machine so I can actually browse the Internet. Upcoming weekend I'll clean and try to make everything sparkling new again (the keyboard is kinda dirty of dust). This A4000 is now back in business and saved from people who just wanted to throw it away :wooha:

One of the 500's is for sale together with the GVP A530. The other 500 (with extended memory) will be dedicated for gaming. Also, a PPC addon card for my 4000T will be welcome ;)

Wow that's awesome, I look forward to checking out this thread later in more detail :-)

Congrats, A4000T + CSMkII is an awesome setup and CV64 too :)
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Nice living room! :lol: (i'm turning green)

Wow, that's what I call luck, nice to see that miggys rescued and find a new home, their previous owner must be out of his mind if he wanted to throw them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WHiZZi

The trained eye can spot a Cyberstorm MK-II 060 with SCSI-II card and 32MB RAM.
Also visible is a CyberVision64 with 3D-addon (this last one is not visible).

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Only a small clarification:

For what I know that's a Cybervision 64/3D (not to be confused with the Cybervision 64, that's a different board), this one have no 3D module at all (BTW neither of the Cybervisions that existed had this kind of module anyways), the 3D capabilities are provided by the GFX chip itself (the S3 Virge).

If you are talking about that little board hooked next to it, this is actually a Cybervision 64/3D scandoubler, it's role is providing a pass through for native AGA graphics to the Cybervision's VGA output.

In fact this scandoubler is hooked to one of the two 4000T's video slots, that are aligned with the first two zorro slots.

Hope it helps :)

Had a proper read on the main PC and all I can say is WOW, what a great find and an awesome machine. Everything looks original, even the SCSI cables inside and appears to be in great condition.

The SCSI card you can see is the A4000T's own SCSI adapter, you don't have the CSMkII's SCSI boar, but thats not a problem as the A4091 SCSI is just as fast so far as I can tell since I have the same setup.

As lostrego says you have the CyberVision64/3D with the optional Scan doubler, this means you have auto switching native and RTG graphics, cool eh?

A very nice setup indeed, I hope you enjoy it :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by fitzsteve

Had a proper read on the main PC and all I can say is WOW, what a great find and an awesome machine. Everything looks original, even the SCSI cables inside and appears to be in great condition.

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Quote:

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The SCSI card you can see is the A4000T's own SCSI adapter, you don't have the CSMkII's SCSI boar, but thats not a problem as the A4091 SCSI is just as fast so far as I can tell since I have the same setup.

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Really? The SCSI cables are connected to a board on top of the CSMkII-board so I'm pretty sure it is the SCSI add-on card ;)
I have 2 SCSI connectors on the back ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lostrego

Only a small clarification:

If you are talking about that little board hooked next to it, this is actually a Cybervision 64/3D scandoubler, it's role is providing a pass through for native AGA graphics to the Cybervision's VGA output.

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I'm 100% sure I have a 64/3D CyberVision. The manual and drivers say so ;)
Still having a question after your clarification. At this moment, I have 3 VGA outputs on the back and 2 of them are working (the original VGA and on of the Cybervision's). Does it mean I have to put a cable between the non working and original?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WHiZZi

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fitzsteve

Had a proper read on the main PC and all I can say is WOW, what a great find and an awesome machine. Everything looks original, even the SCSI cables inside and appears to be in great condition.

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Quote:

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The SCSI card you can see is the A4000T's own SCSI adapter, you don't have the CSMkII's SCSI boar, but thats not a problem as the A4091 SCSI is just as fast so far as I can tell since I have the same setup.

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Really? The SCSI cables are connected to a board on top of the CSMkII-board so I'm pretty sure it is the SCSI add-on card ;)
I have 2 SCSI connectors on the back ;)

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Sorry you are right, I thought I saw the cables coming from your A4000T's SCSI board, but indeed you are correct you do have the CSMkII's optional SCSI-2 module, very nice :thumbsup:

Quote:

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by lostrego

Only a small clarification:

If you are talking about that little board hooked next to it, this is actually a Cybervision 64/3D scandoubler, it's role is providing a pass through for native AGA graphics to the Cybervision's VGA output.

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I'm 100% sure I have a 64/3D CyberVision. The manual and drivers say so ;)
Still having a question after your clarification. At this moment, I have 3 VGA outputs on the back and 2 of them are working (the original VGA and on of the Cybervision's). Does it mean I have to put a cable between the non working and original?

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The CV64/3D has it's own VGA output for RTG screen, as you have the scan doubler attached you only need to connect a cable to the scan doubler and the RTG will pass through this so long as you have the jumper set correct (for one screen solution as per the manual) and also if you use CGX4 you must have the 'passthrough' tooltype set :thumbsup:

You can get the manuals here:

http://phase5.a1k.org/index.php?manuals

For the Scan Doubler where it tells you about Jumper settings you want this manual :cool:

You can get all the other manuals you need there such as the CSMkII/SCSI Module/CV64/3D :coffee:

Steve.

What a great find :D

Have you checked the battery?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WHiZZi

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lostrego

Only a small clarification:

If you are talking about that little board hooked next to it, this is actually a Cybervision 64/3D scandoubler, it's role is providing a pass through for native AGA graphics to the Cybervision's VGA output.

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I'm 100% sure I have a 64/3D CyberVision. The manual and drivers say so ;)
Still having a question after your clarification. At this moment, I have 3 VGA outputs on the back and 2 of them are working (the original VGA and on of the Cybervision's). Does it mean I have to put a cable between the non working and original?

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Yes, that's a Cybervision64/3D, I have not said otherwise. :)

Nope, the cybervision's scandoubler will work also as an AGA/RTG switcher, so no external cable routing is needed (in fact it may be dangerous plugging something alike) , as said by fitzsteve, if its jumpering is ok to 1 monitor config you'll need to attach it to the first VGA output from of the cybervision's backplate (the scandoubler's VGA) , the one located at the left (or the the one closer to the A4000 motherboard) if you look from behind the 4000. :)

As said, this means that you can use any standard VGA CRT/LCD monitor to display both AGA and RTG modes, all by the same VGA plug.

That third "VGA" plug may be the original 15khz 23 pin port RGB output with some VGA dongle attached to it (maybe).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kawazu

What a great find :D

Have you checked the battery?

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No need. The A4KT only shipped with a Coin Battery. No leakage. :thumbsup:

Also, from the Pic above, there is no CSMKII SCSI Module fitted. The cables running to the Board are the IO Cables for the A4KT's Expansion boards.

The blue-ish cable on the I/O Board is the floppy cable & the Grey one underneath and not connected to the Quantum LPS hard drive is from the A4KT's SCSI header. Hard to tell if its a SCSI Quantum or IDE. Counting the blurry pins is 25-ish a row for me. :unsure: