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Irradio XTC-506R (TV/Monitor)

October 22nd, 2013 1 comment
Irradio XTC-506R (My Lab)

Finally i have found a small CRT Color TV with Composite input and an External RF Antenna input. This is a very useful in my lab where the free space is always a problem.

Autopsy:

Graph2Font v3.9.8.7 (Lite / Full version)

October 21st, 2013 No comments

TomaszTebeBiela has released an update of the program Graph2Font v3.9.8.7.

This project began many years ago as a simple graphics converter for Atari but over the years the features are significantly increased. The converter runs under Windows.

Download:

source: g2f.atari8.info

C64 Game: Zoo Mania Final +3H / Vampire’s Empire +3DM …

October 20th, 2013 No comments

Some new games or tools (Cracked / Trained or Unrealeased) for Commodore 64 have been released from your favorites groups.

Titles:

  • Voltage +4EF 101% [pal/ntsc]
  • Grey Seas, Grey Skies &GD
  • Ultimate Quest: Catacomb
  • Tic-Tac-Toe 2013
  • Tic-Tac-Toe 2013 Crack
  • CBM Asteroids Preview +
  • Zix +5DMG
  • Box Nightmare 0.1
  • Nu pogodi
  • Space Trap +3GD [pal/ntsc]
  • Helsings Hunt +2
  • Vampire’s Empire +3DM [pal/ntsc]
  • Jara-Tava
  • Zoo Mania Final +3H (eapi fix) [EasyFlash]

Download: All Games in One Archive (2864)

source: csdb.dk

CBM-Command v2.3 Final

October 18th, 2013 No comments

CBM-Command is a disk manager for the Commodore 64 / Commodore 128 / Commodore VIC20 / PET and Commodore C16 computers. It is written like Norton Commander or Midnight Commander, but is much simpler due to the target platforms. Both the C128/C64/VIC20/C16/PET have their own native version of the application.

Release Notes – Version 2.3 Final

This is the final release for CBM-Command Version 2.3. What happened to version 2.2? Well, cc65 went through several breaking changes and I wanted to make a clear delineation that this version of CBM-Command isn’t a simple fix and recompile of the last version 2.2.

New Features:

  • Provides Side-By-Side panels or Top-And-Bottom panels on 40-column systems.
  • Batch disk image creation.
  • User can select drive or partition number.
  • The disks have a little BASIC-language program that can update your configuration files.

Known Issues:

  • It can trigger the write-and-replace bug.
  • It can’t create or write back D80 and D82 images.
  • The REL-file copier doesn’t truncate old target files that have the same record size as the new file.
  • It will try to copy DEL files if they are selected.
  • Errors don’t stop batch operations; the file is skipped.

Download: CBM-Command v2.3 Final (D64/D80) (2059)

source: cbmcommand.codeplex.com

New Donation: Fenner MX-66 (Monochromatic Monitor)

October 16th, 2013 No comments

I thank a friend for the donation.

Donated item:

  • Fenner MX-66 (Monochromatic Monitor)
    • The Mx-66 was a green phosphor CRT-based monochrome monitor manufactured in Italy by Fenner.

Brusaporto Retrocomputing Edizione 2013

October 15th, 2013 No comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Categories: Event(s), News & Rumors, Today

Sharp X68000 Personal Computer CZ-662C-GY (Boxed)

October 13th, 2013 No comments
Sharp X68000 Personal Computer CZ-662C-GY

Autopsy:

This computer/console in good cosmetic condition is arrived for a repair from a friend a few weeks ago. The defect is The Black Screen of Death, the computer turns on but doesn’t turn off, the standby LED remains faint green.

Unfortunately after several hours spent to trying the fault and i have tried just everything, the computer is still dead, my suspicion falls on the Custom Chip “SCOTCH” IX 1267CE from Sharp.

Components that have been tested and replaced:

  • Tested all capacitors.
  • Tested all transistors.
  • Tested all SMD fuses.
  • Test all the Coils.
  • Tested all voltages.
  • Replaced 74LS08 ic that controls the logic of power on/standby.
  • Replaced 74LS244 ic that controls the logic of power on/standby.
  • Replaced the power supply.

Download: Sharp X68000 Schematics (1625)

from Wikipedia:

The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer released only in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU (hence the name), 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030 CPU, 4 MB of RAM and optional 80 MB SCSI hard drive. RAM in these systems is expandable to 12 MB, though most games and applications did not require more than two.

The X68k ran an operating system developed for Sharp by Hudson Soft, called Human68k, which features commands very similar to those in MS-DOS (typed in English). Pre-2.0 versions of the OS had command line output only for common utilities like “format” and “switch”, while later versions included forms-based versions of these utilities, greatly improving their usability. At least three major versions of the OS were released, with several updates in between. Other operating systems available include NetBSD for X68030 and OS-9.

Early models had a GUI called “VS” (Visual Shell); later ones were packaged with SX-WINDOW. A third GUI called Ko-Windows existed; its interface is similar to Motif. These GUI shells could be booted from floppy disk or the system’s hard drive. Most games also booted and ran from floppy disk; some were hard disk installable and others require hard disk installation.

Since the system’s release, Human68k, console, and SX-Window C compiler suites and BIOS ROMs have been released as public domain and are freely available for download.

Early machines use the rare Shugart Associates System Interface (SASI) for the hard disk interface; later versions adopted the industry-standard small computer system interface (SCSI). Per the hardware’s capability, formatted SASI drives can be 10, 20 or 30 MB in size and can be logically partitioned as well. Floppy disks came in a couple of different formats, none of which are natively readable on other platforms, although software exists that can read and write these disks on a DOS or Windows 98 PC.

source: wikipedia

Easy Repair of a Commodore VIC-20 and a C64 for a friend

October 10th, 2013 4 comments

I have received these computers to be repaired for a friend.

Defects found on the Commodore VIC-20:

  • Error message (device not present) when trying to access the IEC devices, like a Floppy Drive.

Defects found on the Commodore 64:

  • Black screen of death after installing the missing roms.

The repair of the Commodore VIC-20 was made by replacing a HEX Inverter Buffer 7406.

The repair of the Commodore C64 was made by replacing the MOS 906114-01 (PLA – Programmable Logic Array).

Gallery of repairs:

Stary Piernik 8: C64 – Official demo party results

October 7th, 2013 No comments

This is the official demo party results from Stary Piernik 8 (Top 3 Entries only). See also the CSDB Stary Piernik 8 section for more informations and download.

C64 Demo:

  • Fogyish
  • In Thorn by Sabath
  • Kazachski piesek by Provocator

C64 Music:

  • Nasty Bitch by Wacek
  • One Life by Surgeon
  • Filth And Scottish Words 50% by Randall

C64 Graphics:

  • The Jungle by JSL
  • Black Sun Logo by Miras
  • Gdzie by Maciaszczyk

Download: Stary Piernik 8 full Party stuff (1066)

source: noname.c64.org/csdb/

Some donations of the weekend

October 7th, 2013 No comments
Some donations of the weekend

Thanks go to: Damiano (manosoft) and my Brother Alessandro.

Things that have been donated:

  • 4 x Box of Verbatim Datalife 3.5  2HD Floppy Disk.
  • 1 x Apple Keyboard for my iMac G3 “Bondi Blue” M5521
  • 1 x Iomega Zip Drive SCSI + Cable.
  • 1 x Iomega Zip Drive USB + Cable.
  • 11 x Zip Disk.
  • Some 3.5 Floppy Disk.

Mupi CineVisor recovered from the cellar

October 6th, 2013 No comments
Mupi CineVisor

Autopsy:

The Mupi CineVisor was a must in the 70/80′s year and was used to project movies on the small screen.

The CineVisor was very cheap compared to a classic projector and perfectly manageable by children, don’t require special aptitude like the super8 projectors.

Peak Atlas ESR+ 70 In-Circuit Capacitor Tester

October 5th, 2013 1 comment
Peak Atlas ESR+ 70 (close-up)

Autopsy:

Finally i have replaced my old and inaccurate Capacitor tester with a better one. My lab is beginning to have a semblance semi professional ;-D

Download: Peak Atlas ESR+ 70 User Guide (1384)

Video Review:

Mentor Colour 6 (Pong clone) has been Repaired

October 3rd, 2013 1 comment

Mentor Colour 6 (Pong clone) has been Repaired

Defects:

  • Black screen of death.
  • No sound.

The problem of the power supply has been fixed by replacing the transitor CS 9013 that is used in a very bizarre way to lower the voltage from 9v to 6.85v. The problem of the audio was always caused by a transistor CS 9013 brutally in short circuit. In this case, the transistor is used like a amplifier.

The transistor CS 9013 can be replaced with a BC 337 that it’s equivalent.

Radio Shack TRS-80 Telephone Interface II (Acoustic coupler)

October 3rd, 2013 No comments
Radio Shack TRS-80 Telephone Interface II

Autopsy:

from Ira Goldklang’s TRS-80.com Homepage:

This is the fast way to transfer data from one location to another – by telephone with the Telephone Interface II. It’s a full “originate/answer” acoustic coupler which allows two TRS-80‘s to talk to each other. You can also communicate with another computer which has “originate only” capability (like our Telephone Interface I). You can pass all types of data or prograas between computers, or one of you can operate the other’s computer via the telephone lines. No direct connection to the telephone line is required.

It’s very simple to operate. Just dial the phone number at the location of the TRS-80 you desire to communicate with; after the connection is made, each telephone handset is placed on its interface. Now you’re ready to receive and transmit data. Requires RS-232 Serial Interface Card, Expansion Interface, RS-232 Conununications Package and Level II. Adds versatility to your TRS-80.

Specifications: Baud Rate: Up to 300. Mode: Originate and Answer, full or half duplex. Receive Sensitivity: -45 dBm. Power Requirement: U.L. listed 120-volt AC power module. Size: 2-3/8 x 4-3/4 x 10-1/4″.

source: trs-80.com

New Donation: Sandy Sinclair QL Printer Converter

October 2nd, 2013 No comments

I thank a friend for the donation.

Donated item:

  • Sandy Sinclair QL  Printer Converter.
    • The Sandy Printer Converter was a serial to parallel printer interface made by Sandy (UK).