---
title: "The Mega ST 2: Spare, Test and Donor Machine"
section: "retro"
tags: "retro"
description: "The Mega ST 2 that serves as a spare, test and parts donor machine for the rest of the Atari fleet."
layout: base.njk
parent: "/retro/"
---
<h1>The Mega ST 2: Spare, Test and Donor Machine</h1>
<div class="detail-content">

<p>The Mega ST 2 was given to me a while ago and today serves as a spare and test machine for the rest of the fleet.</p>

<h2>Current State</h2>
<p>It runs on original TOS with the internal RAM configuration, without the separate 4 MB expansion, which was removed for testing purposes and now sits set aside.</p>

<h2>Role as Parts Donor</h2>
<p>The original power supply was moved to the <a href="/retro/mega-st-high/">Mega ST 4 "High"</a> during its rebuild, and the Mega ST 2 now runs with the network hardware that used to be in the "High" machine. It serves as a safe platform to test upgrades and expansions before they're installed in the production machines, such as reinstalling the 4 MB expansion, trying other bus cards, or testing ROMs.</p>

<h2>Wi-Fi Experiment</h2>
<p>A side project involved connecting to the internet via a serial Wi-Fi adapter running czietz's firmware, communicating through Connect95. A self-built Linux proxy (WebOne) was meant to enable Telnet and HTTP access via the Cab browser. The Wi-Fi connection proved not to be consistently stable, and switching to Hatari on a Raspberry Pi 400 in VDI mode with a more stable network connection is recommended as an alternative.</p>

<h2>Ideas for This Machine</h2>
<p>A few possible directions for the Mega ST 2, none of them decided yet:</p>
<ul>
<li>An external <a href="/retro/gotek/">Gotek floppy emulator</a>, since an external unit would suit this machine well.</li>
<li>An <a href="/retro/eiffel-pico/">Eiffel Pico USB</a> adapter for a USB keyboard and mouse.</li>
<li>The <a href="/retro/sidecartridge/">SidecarTridge</a>, which could also serve as a MIDI link here.</li>
<li>The <a href="/retro/acsi2stm/">ACSI2STM</a> as an ACSI hard disk option.</li>
<li>A stereo sound mod.</li>
</ul>

</div>