Buying a Burner, Need rookie advice

[Magicslots]

I have saved my pennies and decided it is time to buy a burner. After advice from several here, I have decided to go with the GQ-4X
that seems so popular here.  Reading other posts, i am confused on whether I still need to buy the 16 bit adapter to burn the 27c4002.
Some have suggested that the updated software for the burner makes this no longer necessary? 
I would rather go ahead and buy whatever i need all at once, rather than piecemeal it together.

http://www.mcumall.com/comersus/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=4289

I understand i will need to stock up on the following chips?
27c4002
27c801
27c1001

All at speeds of faster than 120ns correct?
27c512 are for S+ ?
Epromman comes recommended as a decent choice for chips?  I wont be making hundreds like some of the guys on here, but I would like to build a nice back up inventory for both the S2K's, S+, and I-games.

I am totally new to this so any advice is welcome.  I read something about chip offsets?  I have a feeling this is way deeper than I imagined it is. 

[Buzz]

Let me see how many members I can piss off today.

Sure you hear good things about a GQ-4X you wanna know why, because they bought a piece f crap and misery loves company. Sure it gets the job done, I suppose you could overhaul your car engine with a couple of crescent wrenches, they will get the job done but would you? I have a hard time understanding, Guys pay thousands of dollars for machines and cut corners buying a cheap programmer ! 

Your pretty correct on the chips you will need, S+ also uses a 27C64 for the reel chip. ( I know you can do a offset and use a 512 ) been there and done that !!

I think when you read about making a backup chip most of us just read a chip and store it on our PC hard drive. I recommend also storing the files on a thumb drive or better yet on a external hard drive. Or burn them on a DVD    ( back up the back up ) A used M27C801 chip from China are costing $5.50  to $6.00 each, and that's a good price.  Epromman doesn't have the 4 and 8 meg chips, the ones he does sell are cheap enough but expect to be straighting a lot of legs. ( I buy from him )

[FORDSBS]

I am totally new to this so any advice is welcome.  I read something about chip offsets?  I have a feeling this is way deeper than I imagined it is.

Buzz told me a way to do it. If this old boy can do it anyone can.

[stayouttadabunker]

I bought the MCUMall $125 dollar GQ-4X programmer with the adapter board in Feb, 2009.
Love it! 
For what I use it for...it was worth every penny! 

Don't worry about offset address lines - the copy&paste method is simple enough for anyone!
If you want pictures of how one does it - email me!

[CVslots]

Buzz, if I may ask, which burner do you use/like? Just curious.... 

We use the GQ-4X and it does the job. No real complaints. The program is so simple it often feels like I've stepped back in time, but it does what I ask (shut up, I know you have a joke there!!!). 

[Buzz]

I have a BX40   http://www.batronix.com/shop/programmer/eprom-programmer.html

Roslyn  You don't know simple until you use a Batronix. If it was difficult I would be trouble. ( I was going to say SOL ) For what I use it for I need NO adaptors. It has chip Auto Identify, which means I don't have to know which chip I have in the programmer, it tells me. A GQ-4X takes 8 minutes to program a M27C801, in that same length on time I can program 5. In 2 or 3 years since I bought it I have never ever had to look at the manual for anything, it's a no brainier programmer.  And it didn't come from China !!   

[CVslots]

Hmmm.....I'm checking that out. I like the Auto Identify feature (not that big of deal, but it's cool) and no adapters. 

And it gets some extra points for the NOT Made In China sticker!!!   


Thanks for the info Buzz, as always!

[4 Deuces]

   I really like my GQ-4X, but ignorance is bliss!      

The BX40 looks good.  My hobby hasn't matured enough yet though to shell out double the cost.  Hats off to the pros.   

[Buzz]

I bought the MCUMall $125 dollar GQ-4X programmer with the adapter board in Feb, 2009.
Love it! 
For what I use it for...it was worth every penny! 

Don't worry about offset address lines - the copy&paste method is simple enough for anyone!
If you want pictures of how one does it - email me!

Bunker  Should we forget about this thread ???  http://newlifegames.net/nlg/index.php?topic=1947.msg14431#msg14431  129 replys     

[stayouttadabunker]

hahaha! Buzz! That WAS a doozy! 
However, I must point out that I've received a few emails from members thanking me for starting that one! 
They basically said that they learned a lot by reading that thread on how to back up their games!

[CVslots]

I just went back and re-read that entire thread from end to end, all 129 posts....and all I can say is WHEW!!! (we need a marathon smiley, or a panting, wore out one)

IMHO, it is one of the better posts on the whole forum, information wise anyway. Maybe it should be made a sticky? (I didnt look, maybe it is already.) Condensing it into a info only document would not do it justice in some ways, since it was nice to ride shotgun through Bunker's trials and errors doing the offsets and learning about EPROMs and how they work, etc. It was like a good book you can't put down until you're done!

Once again, a perfect example of the vast resources of knowledge of the members here. 

-Roslyn

[Buzz]

Ros   quote " A Good Book You can"t put down"   Obviously you don't know Bunker very well, I put him down all the time.   

Bunker Your burrer thread kind of makes my point. When I bought the BX 40 I didn't have to start a thread trying to figure out how to use it.  If all you have every know is JUNK it's kind of hard to explane there is something out there that's better and IMO worth the extra expense. Oh I know I'm whistling in the wind in this thread, but boy it's sure fun F****** with the members minds. Most of them are to cheap to buy a decent burner anyway. 

[stayouttadabunker]

I re-read some of it today...I kinda like it!  
It's very informative and really has a lot of other stuff relating to backing up your eproms and games.
I had never used an eprom reader/burner before that time and I think a lot learned from it!  


Oh! By the way!
I'm proud to be a high standing Life Time member of
Buzz's FWdaMM's Country Club and regularly pay my dues...