exxos's Atari, Amiga & retro forum

I think we've all got some hidden treasures, glad you found this one 😁

@mrbombermillzy

Did a quick joystick test in basic and it all works just fine :)

Doesn't seem to be analog though, despite the feel.

Thanks again :)

rubber_jonnie wrote: 07 Feb 2022 10:19 @mrbombermillzy
Doesn't seem to be analog though, despite the feel.

:shock: Really? Man, that is loose then!

Reminded me of the gearbox in my old Fiat Panda 4x4! :lol:

I'm guessing it's meant to be like that then?!

mrbombermillzy wrote: 07 Feb 2022 10:23

rubber_jonnie wrote: 07 Feb 2022 10:19 @mrbombermillzy
Doesn't seem to be analog though, despite the feel.

:shock: Really? Man, that is loose then!

Reminded me of the gearbox in my old Fiat Panda 4x4! :lol:

I'm guessing it's meant to be like that then?!

I'll pull it apart and check it out, but yeah, super soggy!!

Will get some pics.

Colour me impressed, the Tosh has brass case screw inserts:


Lid is off as the 'S' key is a bit variable so I'll pull the switch for cleaning, everything else so far is very well built.

And here is the very neat mainboard:

Gosh!

How neat and orderly is that?!

mrbombermillzy wrote: 07 Feb 2022 10:55 Gosh!

How neat and orderly is that?!

Clearly laid out by somebody with a penchant for things that are neat and orderly!!

So, I found out the reason why the 'S' key was a bit erratic:


The light grey dome is from the MSX machine, and has a large tear, and won't go back into the housing. The dark grey dome is from my ST spares drawer, and was taken directly from a scrapper keyboard.

The ST dome fits perfectly in the switch housing, and after cleaning the contacts at the bottom of the housing, it works just fine!!

The feel is a bit firmer, and actually a bit nicer than the original MSX item (The ST dome isn't as thin, so a bit more resistive to force), but it works for me and a nice quick fix for the problem at hand.

Minor repairs and a deep-ish clean of the Tosh keyboard and it's looking great!!


I have to say, the build quality is fantastic, and compared to some of the comparable machines of the era it feels kind of high end :)


Composite display is very nice, though not the best pic of it I've taken:


But the biggest surprise was the joystick, seen here disassembled for cleaning:


@mrbombermillzy it turns out that it is analog, but when reading the stick, all I get are values from the 8 corners and trigger.

Wondering if there is a way of reading the analog values?

Seems there is some minor damage to the handle, but kind of cosmetic and not enough that can't be fixed with a spot of glue, and certainly nothing that would stop it working.

Just needs a clean inside and out, probably a spot of contact cleaner on the pots and off we go.

I just need to get the bits to make a cassette cable and I should be able to get some games going on it.

Very impressed with this machine overall.