The damn Apollo 1240 seems to have given up the ghost...

olegil · 10-20-2002, 02:32 AM

I haven't been using the A1200 much lately, and the last time I tried to switch it on the apollo didn't work at all...

Usually it's just been really unstable until I managed to fiddle enough with it to make it work. This time nothing gave ANY indication of starting up.

The A1200 is in an E/Box tower and has a Mediator, so I'm not about to chuck it out... But with no accelerator the future doesn't seem bright.

So, does anyone know where a guy like me can get hold of a new accelerator? Datakompaniet doesn't seem to be able to get me an A1260 at all... I can live with an LC, but I seriously cannot live with an EC020 :-P

Acill · 10-20-2002, 02:48 AM

I've seen several at www.amibench.com and on ebay. I think there is a 060/PPC on ebay now too.

The_Editor · 10-20-2002, 02:55 AM

From all the previous reports, the Apollo doesn't seem to have been a very good card.

Although ther've been slagged to death here & on Ann, my blizzard 060 has given (and is still giving) sterling service since I bought it one week after it was released !!

Not much help to you Ole-gil. Just an observation.

olegil · 10-20-2002, 03:20 AM

That wasn't an observation, that was a face-rub :-)

Come on, rub it in some more :-P

The_Editor · 10-20-2002, 03:37 AM

Well ... You got the ultimate face rub for me ...

YOU got a AMIGAONE :-? :-?

I WANT ONE NOW !!

The money's burning a hole in my pocket.

olegil · 10-20-2002, 03:41 AM

Well, duh :-)

I'm saving up for an XE (not trading in my SE either), but that doesn't mean I can't cry a little over the lost A1240 :-P

Castellen · 10-20-2002, 03:58 AM

Are you sure it's the 1240 at fault??
Perhaps try it in another A1200, or try a different CPU board in your
A1200.

Since it's been dodgy in the past, it might be something as simple as
power supply problems, or intermittent connections between the 1240
and the A1200's edge connector.

Anthony.

PaSha · 10-20-2002, 04:54 AM

Quote:

So, does anyone know where a guy like me can get hold of a new accelerator? Datakompaniet doesn't seem to be able to get me an A1260 at all... I can live with an LC, but I seriously cannot live with an EC020 :-P

Yup, I live in Norway and have a Blizzard 1260 with SCSI module and 48MB RAM for sale at a reasonable price. And the Blizzard boards are way better than the ones from Apollo.

-Paul

nOw2 · 10-20-2002, 06:28 AM

Check and clean the connections on the card. The SIMM and CPU slot, for example. I take it the fan is still spinning fine? Try cleaning any dust out of the heat sink too.

The Apollo cards have terrible standard software (which can be worked around) but the hardware seems good.

I have an A1200 which runs unattended about 60 miles from me on an Apollo 1240/40 - it sent me this yesterday: "23:50:02, 9 days 13:55, load: 0.20, 0.03, 0.00"

9 days uptime

I fully expect it to last another few weeks before memory fragmentation means it requires a reboot.

olegil · 10-20-2002, 08:18 AM

Well, I'm running a custom jobbie ;-)

No fan, HUGE heat sink. 25MHz CPU overclocked to 8^H40MHz. CPU is soldered on, so cannot clean that socket. Tried booting without RAM, which doesn't help. (CPU never comes out of reset, it seems)

I'm a research and development engineer in electronics, so you would THINK I tried the usual tricks :-)

I guess I'll have to take it with me to work (along with the A1 for more linux-hacking (already have a private RS6k in the office...)) and check it with an oscilloscope...

I suspect the CPU might have been damaged by the stupid clock chip being loose (I don't know how well the 68040 handles 0MHz clock over a long period of time...).

olegil · 10-20-2002, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Castellen wrote:
Are you sure it's the 1240 at fault??
Perhaps try it in another A1200, or try a different CPU board in your
A1200.

Since it's been dodgy in the past, it might be something as simple as
power supply problems, or intermittent connections between the 1240
and the A1200's edge connector.

Anthony.

It's the A1240. If I HAD another A1200 I would try that, but I'm NOT bloody buying a new A1200 just to try the accelerator in that. Also, the A1200 works fine without the 1240.

Radfoo · 10-20-2002, 03:20 PM

Quote:

olegil wrote:
So, does anyone know where a guy like me can get hold of a new accelerator? Datakompaniet doesn't seem to be able to get me an A1260 at all... I can live with an LC, but I seriously cannot live with an EC020 :-P

You must have met Alan Redhouse from Eyetech a few times with your A1 stuf?!

They have 1240's for sale and the web site shows 1260's too.

Doobrey · 10-20-2002, 05:25 PM

Quote:

olegil wrote:
Well, I'm running a custom jobbie ;-)

No fan, HUGE heat sink. 25MHz CPU overclocked to 80MHz. CPU is soldered on, so cannot clean that socket.

Erm, 25Mhz to 80 Mhz and it no longer boots?
And with no fan??
040`s are well known as running hot in standard form.
OK, so you`ve got a "HUGE heat sink "..but that means bugger all if you haven`t got the airflow to cool the heatsink down.

My tip, restore the crystal/oscillator back to bog standard boring 25Mhz, and try it again.

olegil · 10-21-2002, 01:40 AM

TYPO ALERT!

Sorry, _40_MHz.

Anyway, the A1G3-SE is in the office today, we'll see if I can't carry the A1200 down here tomorrow.

Desler · 10-21-2002, 03:55 AM

Is the CPU surface soldered? If its not and if the CPU is broken I have a spare 68040 25 mhz you can have. Dont really know about its condition though

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Apollo 1240 vs. A3640	Tension	Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion	12	11-19-2008 12:33 AM
Dead Apollo 1240?	stefcep2	Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion	5	09-12-2008 05:37 PM
apollo 1240 problems	webhead	Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion	0	01-10-2007 01:15 PM
Apollo 1240: replacing 1240 cpu with 1260	PG	Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion	4	02-18-2006 10:07 PM
Apollo 1240	leofoe	Amiga Marketplace	3	06-23-2005 01:45 PM