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Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Blogs & guides and tales of woo by forum members.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Post by rubber_jonnie »

And the modulator works....

Hooked up via my UHF to HDMI adapter:

PXL_20260807_152042676.jpg
PXL_20260807_152042676.jpg (425.25 KiB) Viewed 82 times

Picture quality isn't exactly brilliant, but it does actually work:

PXL_20260807_152020716.jpg
PXL_20260807_152020716.jpg (272.41 KiB) Viewed 82 times

Full of surprises this one.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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stephen_usher
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Re: Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Post by stephen_usher »

I think that you just have the contrast too high on the telly so the noise is really showing up.

Other than being a bit soft and fuzzy the RF on my telly isn't too bad at all.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2026 9:41 pm I think that you just have the contrast too high on the telly so the noise is really showing up.

Other than being a bit soft and fuzzy the RF on my telly isn't too bad at all.
Yeah, TBH I didn't have much time to play around with it, so I expect I could improve on the image.

I'm just shocked (Like everything else with this machine!!!) that the modulator actually works.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Some work on the case this morning. It seems like the plastic used works very well with suplerglue:

PXL_20260808_110255890.jpg
PXL_20260808_110255890.jpg (266.32 KiB) Viewed 47 times
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PXL_20260808_110312461.jpg (244.19 KiB) Viewed 47 times

But whilst it's not perfect, it is solid and far better than the cracks. I also reinforced behind with GRP so I'm hoping that will keep it nice and strong for the future. It does seem to have been glued before but they weren't very careful and there were already glue smears.

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PXL_20260808_110345740.jpg
PXL_20260808_110345740.jpg (209.3 KiB) Viewed 47 times

The poor thing has had a hard life, but I'm happy to have rescued it and have it work after minor repairs and a good clean :)

I need to source some screws now as looking at them they are toast due to rust and I'm missing a few as well that were just not there when it arrived.

Not 100% sure what I'll do about the missing keys as my old 3d printer is not up to the job I don't think and I don't really want to buy a new one as I don't use it frequently enough.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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PhilC
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Re: Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Post by PhilC »

@rubber_jonnie I'll resin print you the keys if you can make or find the stl files.
If it ain't broke, test it to Destruction.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Post by rubber_jonnie »

PhilC wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2026 12:38 pm @rubber_jonnie I'll resin print you the keys if you can make or find the stl files.
Appreciate that, thanks. Have pulled a key to try and figure ot my options. Screws are on order, but the 2 for the heatsink cover have come up OK so I can re-use those at least.

Expansion headers are ready to go now too:

PXL_20260808_114740692.jpg
PXL_20260808_114740692.jpg (424.32 KiB) Viewed 44 times

And I've added heatsinks to the copper plate, though I have actually moved them back a little since as they weren't over the IC very well. I'm sure they would have worked, but moved them hoping for better effect.

PXL_20260808_114759819.jpg
PXL_20260808_114759819.jpg (358.64 KiB) Viewed 44 times

Going to have a quick go round the board to try and make it look a little less dusty too. Very pleased with the progress though.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Post by rubber_jonnie »

One other thing I was wondering is does anybody have thoughts about re-doing the wording on the keys?

My function keys have been scraped on the LHS, presumably when it slid along upside down in whatever flood it was in that broke the ESC and 1 keys off and filled it with silt:

PXL_20260808_125711601.jpg
PXL_20260808_125711601.jpg (230.75 KiB) Viewed 39 times

The keys are OK as it goes, just missing the lettering. There would I hope be a way to re-do the lettering, even if using some sort of label.

Anybody got any ideas?
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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PhilC
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Re: Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Post by PhilC »

Just looking at your keyboard, are the Egyptian characters printed directly onto the keys? Mine are all stickers on top of the normal lettering.
If it ain't broke, test it to Destruction.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Post by rubber_jonnie »

PhilC wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2026 3:11 pm Just looking at your keyboard, are the Egyptian characters printed directly onto the keys? Mine are all stickers on top of the normal lettering.
Yes, mine are actually printed on, but @stephen_usher said his were stickers too.

Mine appears to have been for that market originally.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Another Egyptian Enterprise 64

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Well, can't do much about it today as it's my wife's birthday and we're off out shortly, but the keyboard membrane just arrived from RWAP and it looks a whole lot more robust than the original.

Though considering what the original went through, it worked quite well.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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