Stuff and Things.

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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

It's the little things that keep you going :)

800XL LED problem was a crack in the ribbon, which I was able to bridge with solder:

PXL_20220406_175040678.jpg
PXL_20220406_175040678.jpg (168.32 KiB) Viewed 1762 times

Luckily it's heavy duty ribbon cable, so soldering was really quite easy.

All working now:

PXL_20220406_175624859.jpg
PXL_20220406_175624859.jpg (217.84 KiB) Viewed 1762 times

Happy days.

Add to that my 65XE mylar is actually in the UK, so fingers crossed will arrive by the weekend, The Dragon is now fixed, and I also managed to pick up a PSU for the NC-200, so I'm on a roll :)

That just leaves the VIC-20 VIC chip, which has been dispatched from the Netherlands, so maybe I'll get lucky with that at the weekend too, you never know.
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: Stuff and Things.

Post by stephen_usher »

:dualthumbup: :cheer: :yay2:
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: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Wed Apr 06, 2022 8:51 pm :dualthumbup: :cheer: :yay2:
Any luck with your outstanding stuff?
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: Stuff and Things.

Post by stephen_usher »

Nope!
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: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Wed Apr 06, 2022 10:06 pmNope!
Booo!!
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: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Hooray!!!

The 65XE replacement mylar is here, all the way from the US:

PXL_20220408_115242751.jpg
PXL_20220408_115242751.jpg (273.22 KiB) Viewed 1710 times

So I can get the XE wrapped up over the weekend, though time may be limited due to gardening activities!!
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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Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by stephen_usher »

:dualthumbup:
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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mrbombermillzy
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Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:37 pm

Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by mrbombermillzy »

rubber_jonnie wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:01 pm
So I can get the XE wrapped up over the weekend, though time may be limited due to gardening activities!!
I take it you've already run out of room in the house and have resorted to burying your retro gear in the garden? :lol:
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

mrbombermillzy wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 7:48 pm
rubber_jonnie wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:01 pm
So I can get the XE wrapped up over the weekend, though time may be limited due to gardening activities!!
I take it you've already run out of room in the house and have resorted to burying your retro gear in the garden? :lol:
:lol:

Nope, still got plenty of room in the house, but perhaps I can persuade the wife to let me have a shed to store the overflow......
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: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Aaaand, the XE is done:

PXL_20220408_210124061.jpg
PXL_20220408_210124061.jpg (236.16 KiB) Viewed 1663 times

All keys tested and working, most specifically the Reset key that was totally unresponsive.

A word of warning if you have a bad mylar, there are 2 keyboard types that I'm aware of (There could be more) for the XE.

There's the rubber dome type like I have, and the new mylar I could only find in the US from The Brewing Academy. I have to say it was shipped in a nice solid box, and arrived quicker than I expected, though it was quite expensive if you include shipping.

Then there is a type with springs under the keys, and the two mylars differ. I found this second type of mylar easily on eBay from UK based retro sellers.

Just be careful to identify your keyboard if like me your mylar has gone bad.
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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