🚀 go-pugleaf

>>I really don't suggest you get a memory upgrade for the 1040st.  
>[very general reason why not]
>Could you be more specific ??

Sure I can.  The power supply in the 1040ST was only meant to supply
power for 1 meg of chips.  Of course, there is a little extra output in
the supply (a safety margin of sorts).  But since nothing is perfect,
and we live in a non-perfect world, not every power supply in every 1040
has the same output.  Some have more, some have less, some have the
intended output.  Ergo, a memory upgrade MAY OR MAY NOT strain your
power supply.  If Atari had given us a LARGE safety margin, then
probably every 1040 could be upgraded.  From what I know of the 1040,
a 2.5 meg upgrade should be ok.  However, your power supply may not be
able to handle a 4 meg upgrade.  This is why I discourage upgrading the
1040 to more RAM.  You just don't know if it will work or not.

This leads into the next question......

>>Of course, you could rig a PC power supply to the ST.......          
>HOW !!!!! I've thought about it but what kind and where would it go ??

The Atari 520ST requires the following voltages:

+5V, +5V, +12V, -12V, and two grounds.

A standard PC power supply offers:

+12V, -12V, -5V, +5V, +5V, +5V, and four grounds.

Since the PC supply offers the needed inputs, you can hook one up to the
ST.  I do NOT know the requirements for the 1040, 520STFM, and Mega, but
I would assume they are the same.  However, the built-in power supply is
probably hard-wired, not having the connector I have on my 520 (external
power supply).

The HUGE advantage of the PC supply is the increased power it supplies.
My 520 power supply offers something like 15W, where a PC supply can be
as high as 250W or so.  This allows you to hook up your disk drives,
hard disks, and even your monitor (you plug it into the monitor port on
the PC supply using an adapter).  Theoretically, you could have
EVERYTHING on one power supply.


>WHile I'm here ---> Has anybody tried to shove a 1040STf into a tower
>style case ?? They usually come with a pretty hefty power supply.... 
>Before I spend any money I'd like to know.
>							ANdy :-)

I don't believe it possible.  The design of a tower case doesn't give
you enough room to put in a motherboard.  The disk drives would be in
the way.

Chris Freemesser, Rochester Institute of Technology | What I like :
BITNET: %clf3678@RITVAX   GEnie: C.FREEMESSER       | 1) My Atari ST
USENET: Just reply and hope it gets through         | 2) My '77 Mercury
                                                    | 3) Coke Classic