ScuzzBlog: Diaries June 2017
Entry 14th June 2017: Post: 02
Back from the graveyard
Hi
I do have a small stack of very sad computers leaning against a
cupboard. So sad. Mostly C64 and VC20s to be honest. Dunno what it was
about these machines but the switches are a problem. I guess they can be
repaired.
Anyway I decided to give them a last go before I dismantle my 8 bit
corner with the black and white TV with the manual tuning knob. I do
struggle though with the VIC-20 cus its a pig what with the square power
connector and there being no TV socket. So I first set too with the
VC-20s which do have a regular circular power socket. I still had to dig
out my small box connector for the back of the machine so I could
connect the TV.
The good thing about the TV tuner is that you can do a heavy search and
then punch the centre knob and do a fine tune. So I was able to get some
picture static on the screen. All the machines worked, they just
couldn't display on the screen.
I then went in search of the magical square connector for the VIC-20 for
the power supply. I found one out and also uncovered a whole bag of RAM
cartridges, one of which was switchable.
I plugged the VC-20 in but it was dead. I rotated the tuning knob and
got a bit of static but nothing in truth. So I had this brilliant
idea... why don't I have a cup of tea. So I made some tea and leant
against the worktop and pondered how wonderful it is to utterly fail
with retro computers and then as I pushed myself off the worktop to
stand the bloody thing fired up ....
CBM BASIC V2 3583 BYTES FREE in quite crude large letters.... ' What did
I do ? ' The screen then went off. I gently lifted the video connector
to the black box and the computer came back up. No problem. I then
messed around with the connector and discovered over the years the
weight of the connector had probably disabled the pins as it relaxed at
a slight angle. So by easing the connector up very slightly I could make
it stay on. All the time.
I dragged out the various RAM expansions ... VIC-1111 16K, VIC 1210 3K,
VIC 1110 8K and VIC 1211A Super Expander. A couple were a bit dodgy but
I settled on the 1110 which gave me 11775 BYTES FREE. The switchable one
gave a whopping 19967 BYTES FREE ... I mean what are you going to do
with that much memory. Too much.. just too much.
Now you know how long it took me to get a tape working on the Atari and
the Spectrum.... get this. I plugged in a C2N Commodore tape machine,
wrote a single line of BASIC ' 100 scuzz rules '. Typed SAVE 'scuzz' and
the computer told me to press save and play on the datasette and it
saved the program. It even restored the program first time of asking. I
then pulled out a C64C and set up a datasette on that and took the tape
and it loaded first time of asking.
If you want my opinion of retro... seriously use Commodore stuff. Its
like so amazingly reliable... even when its busted. I can't back that
last bit up.
Anyway.. I have a VIC-20 motoring on the bench and I will now treat
myself to some S'ARGON II CHESS VIC-1919. All VIC cartridges are
numbered and they are the size of a modern telephone I guess in plan
shape. Not in depth. Probably the same weight I would have thought.
Saying that the cartridge is way more useful.
VIC 20
http://www.scuzzscink.com/amiga/vc20/scuzz_may15_01.jpg
http://www.scuzzscink.com/amiga/a_scuzz_nov02/a_scuzz_nov02_96.jpg
VIC 20 Naked
http://www.scuzzscink.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz301.htm
Commodore C2N
http://www.scuzzscink.com/amiga/tape/a153_tape01.jpg
http://www.scuzzscink.com/amiga/tape/a154_tape02.jpg
TV Connector Box
http://www.scuzzscink.com/amiga/wires/a184_pow04.jpg
SWITCHED RAM
http://www.scuzzscink.com/amiga/a_scuzz_may04/a_may04_014.jpg
SQUARE POWER CONNECTOR
http://www.scuzzscink.com/amiga/a_scuzz_nov02/a_scuzz_nov02_98.jpg
scuzz
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