[comp.sys.amiga] Reseating Fat Agnus

haj@auc.UUCP (Harvey Johnson) (07/11/89)

(I'm new at this posting stuff, so please excuse inconsistencies!)

In article <5500033@hpfcdc.HP.COM> Sean writes:
>Greetings.  About 10 months ago, I got a nice, shiny new 2000.  Now, I seem
>to be having problems.  2 weeks ago, I posted a message about the "Green screen
>on boot".  I got a reply that said that I might try to re-seath the Agnus.
>I did, and everything was fine for about a day.  Then it happened again.  So
>I did it again.  It lasted even shorter.  After 3-4 tries, I'm getting a little
>tired of opening her up, pushing on the chips, and closing her back up.  I went
>to the dealer, and they couldn't find the "Agnus Clip" listed in their parts
>list.  The best they could do is "Why not buy a new Fatter Agnus?"  "Will
>that solve the problem?" "I don't know, but it's worth a try."
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Thanks
>Sean

I have an Amiga 500 that I've had for about 1 1/2 years and while it was 
in warranty, I experienced the "green screen" and other types of discomforts
due to everyones' favorite fat lady.  So I took it to the shop a few times
until it got out of warranty.  

Until a few weeks ago, I was able to just press on the chip to get my machine
working for a few more days until that didn't work anymore and I figured I had
to take it to the shop.  Since I figured I would have to pay to get it fixed
anyway, I figured I'd give them something to fix, which, luckily, I didn't
have to anyway.  This is what I did:

      1)  After opening up my machine, I took out the Fat Agnus chip, making
          sure that I remembered how everything came out (make sure the power
          is disconnected before doing anything!!)

       2)  Next, I spread all the pins on the chip outward SLIGHTLY, but
           noticeably.

       3)  I then spread all of the pins on the seat outward also.  This
           is to create a better contact between the chip and the seat.

       4)  I placed everything back on my Amiga and haven't had the 
           slightest trouble since.  Of course, it has only been a few
           weeks.

But watch out for salesmen who are eager to sell you a Fatter Agnus or a new
chip.  Many times, a new one isn't needed, but just some reseating.

(If you are interested in getting the fatter agnus because of its specs, then
that's a different story).

harve!