It surely felt like I was fighting an Ent getting the damn thing out of the ground!!
Can all registered uses please login, even just for a few minutes..
It helps build a picture where our "good traffic" is coming from..
Thanks :)
It helps build a picture where our "good traffic" is coming from..
Thanks :)
OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15073
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
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Re: OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
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...
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...
- mrbombermillzy
- Moderator

- Posts: 2347
- Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:37 pm
Re: OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
Blimey @rubber_jonnie no wonder you were knakered!rubber_jonnie wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 10:26 am Sadly no progress this weekend, I I spent all my time digging this up out of the garden!!!
PXL_20220508_122004168.jpg
Looks like the attack of the triffids to me!
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15073
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
The soil round here is heavy clay too, which made it all the worse.mrbombermillzy wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 11:23 amBlimey @rubber_jonnie no wonder you were knakered!rubber_jonnie wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 10:26 am Sadly no progress this weekend, I I spent all my time digging this up out of the garden!!!
PXL_20220508_122004168.jpg
Looks like the attack of the triffids to me!![]()
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...
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...
- mrbombermillzy
- Moderator

- Posts: 2347
- Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:37 pm
Re: OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
I've got a ~20ft tree in the back garden. Causes a problem with fences and such (i.e. big roots).
I'm not going to cut it down though. It was here first, so I'm letting it be.
I'm not going to cut it down though. It was here first, so I'm letting it be.
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15073
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
Agreed, the tree should be left as is.mrbombermillzy wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 11:27 am I've got a ~20ft tree in the back garden. Causes a problem with fences and such (i.e. big roots).
I'm not going to cut it down though. It was here first, so I'm letting it be.![]()
This one was already gone when we moved in, but clearly they didn't dig very deep after it was chopped down!!
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...
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...
- mrbombermillzy
- Moderator

- Posts: 2347
- Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:37 pm
Re: OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
Thats the problem when the previous owner does half a job. 
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15073
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
We 'think' it was down to the builders of the bungalows behind us (Not the ones who built our house) as the centre of the stump pretty much transected by the fence between our properties.mrbombermillzy wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 11:56 am Thats the problem when the previous owner does half a job.![]()
We also know that the houses on the road parallel to ours originally had gardens with trees at the end, roughly finishing at the fence line. They obviously cut down the trees and probably ground the stumps well below the surface, as we didn't find them until rotivating and found the stump about 6-8 inches below ground.
We also came to visit our house before they laid topsoil and turf at our place, and there was no sign of the stump then.
Hopefully we won't find anymore when we get planting!!
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...
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...
- mrbombermillzy
- Moderator

- Posts: 2347
- Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:37 pm
Re: OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
Ah, forgot you said it was a new build.
Well, hopefully no more surprises...other than the old chest of Roman coins they didn't find down the bottom of the garden. Did you want me to pick up a metal detector at the next car boot sale?
Well, hopefully no more surprises...other than the old chest of Roman coins they didn't find down the bottom of the garden. Did you want me to pick up a metal detector at the next car boot sale?
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15073
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
Yeah, the Roman coins would be nicemrbombermillzy wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 1:38 pm Ah, forgot you said it was a new build.
Well, hopefully no more surprises...other than the old chest of Roman coins they didn't find down the bottom of the garden. Did you want me to pick up a metal detector at the next car boot sale?![]()
Think of all the retro I could buy
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...
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...
- rubber_jonnie
- Site Admin

- Posts: 15073
- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
- Contact:
Re: OPD - Long overdue service and keyboard fix
And finally the OPD has a.fully working keyboard again 
The problem? Well a mixture of bad keyboard switches, made better with ST rubber domes, and bad keyboard ribbon to mainboard connections.
A bit of cleaning and tweaking and we're running again, though the m key is not 100%, it does work and I have plenty of ST domes spare!
No more RIFAs to blow either
The problem? Well a mixture of bad keyboard switches, made better with ST rubber domes, and bad keyboard ribbon to mainboard connections.
A bit of cleaning and tweaking and we're running again, though the m key is not 100%, it does work and I have plenty of ST domes spare!
No more RIFAs to blow either
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...
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...