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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

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