Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Tomswork wrote: 09 Aug 2021 18:03 Unfixed or parts computers are not a part of the hoarding
I quite agree.
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: Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

And it arrived today :)

IMG_20210810_221323.jpg
IMG_20210810_221344.jpg
IMG_20210810_222454.jpg

The FDD controller looks very much homemade, if indeed it is an FDD controller! I need to look and see what P5 & P6 are.

EDIT - turns out they are 2K PROMS so I perhaps need to see if I can download the contents for safe keeping.
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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: Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

Post by stephen_usher »

:cheer:
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: Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: 10 Aug 2021 23:12:cheer:
:girldance: :girldance: :girldance:

The big power on is tomorrow :)

Also, definitely an FDD controller :)
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: Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

Post by stephen_usher »

Let's hope for no magic smoke.
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: Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: 11 Aug 2021 08:12 Let's hope for no magic smoke.
Yep, I second that!
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...
Tomswork
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Re: Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

Post by Tomswork »

Just a reminder there are rifa caps in the power supply if it has not been recapped.
:fire:

Tom
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Ok, so RIFA replacements are inbound and old ones are out.

Next up I need to pull the mainboard and check the video out connector as the signal is not great right now. I'll check the solder has no cracks and give the connector a clean up too.

I need to find a better composite cable too as the one I have can best be defined as 'poor quality'!

After that I need to source a FDD emulator and an AUX port memory card so that I can use 80 column mode.

Trying it out the other day it reminded me that BASIC commands need to be upper case, something I'd forgotten in the 40 years since I last used 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...
lilwashu
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Re: Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

Post by lilwashu »

rubber_jonnie wrote: 15 Aug 2021 11:18 Next up I need to pull the mainboard and check the video out connector as the signal is not great right now. I'll check the solder has no cracks and give the connector a clean up too.

I need to find a better composite cable too as the one I have can best be defined as 'poor quality'!
Some guys on Stardot have recently posted how to get an RGB2HDMI board working properly on a IIe which I will be doing as soon as I get hold of a board - I am used to RGB video from when I had one as a kid, and composite on a PAL machine is just awful when it switches to colour mode.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Oops, my obsession with computers from my childhood strikes again!

Post by rubber_jonnie »

lilwashu wrote: 15 Aug 2021 14:39
rubber_jonnie wrote: 15 Aug 2021 11:18 Next up I need to pull the mainboard and check the video out connector as the signal is not great right now. I'll check the solder has no cracks and give the connector a clean up too.

I need to find a better composite cable too as the one I have can best be defined as 'poor quality'!
Some guys on Stardot have recently posted how to get an RGB2HDMI board working properly on a IIe which I will be doing as soon as I get hold of a board - I am used to RGB video from when I had one as a kid, and composite on a PAL machine is just awful when it switches to colour mode.
I'll have a look over there, see what it says as also a member due to my BBC Bs & Electron. Also have a Mac Classic I'll be working on and trying what Adrian Black did here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvjsXbz1xlk&t=803s
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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