The first thing to do with this home computer before turning it on after many years that it was off is replacing all capacitors, which i did (some capacitors with acid leaks) and the computer worked well for about 15 minutes.

After the first 15 minutes while running a “for next” cycle, the computer started to show signs of slowing down and then freezed.

The problem was a RAM (4116) on BANK 2 [POSITION 416] (see photo), replaced the RAM the computer has started working again for another 15 minutes then it was freezed again.

I turned it off and on again and in this time a single line was repeated for X times, only with the composite video output, the VFD Display worked well (see photo)

Looking at the wiring diagram i found the area that manages the composite video output and i started to making measurements with the oscilloscope and after quite some time i have found the IC 74LS157 [POSITION 449] with a strange measurements that did not convince me for example the output pin 7 (OUTPUT Y2), in fact was broken, replaced the component the computer has started to work again.

Hopefully nothing will happen again: D

Gallery of the repair:

Useful link to visit: 8bit-homecomputermuseum.at

I used the 22Disk & TeleDisk software for writing the Floppy Disks for the Grundy Newbrain.

The Floppy disk writing software & the Grundy Newbrain software can be downloaded here: newbrainemu.eu

Gallery:

This is the Battery Pack for the Newbrain, very comfortable and very light :-D useful for taking the computer to the beach during the summer holidays.

Obviously the Battery Expansion Unit after many years of inactivity has presented some problems of the 20 x 1.2V 600mA NiCd batteries.

The batteries besides being completely exhausted i had leaked acid. (see photo)

Fortunately, there are no major damages with the leakage of acid and it was enough to clean well, unsolder the 20 batteries and replace them with new ones of 1000mA.

Last update: I noticed a malfunction of the Battery Expansion Unit, when i set the switch to OFF the “discharge” LED remained on.

Looking at the schematic, the switch suspend the charge and the use of batteries, the problem was caused by a pcb pad (see photo) that at first sight seemed to be connected together with another, immediately close, but in truth it was not so, it was enough isolate the connection and now everything works correctly.

Gallery:

12►

I have removed the blown filter capacitor of both PSU and cleaned the dirty cables.

Gallery:

What can I do with this?

With the new Ultimate 64 firmware (>=1.1c) there is an option to receive video frames & audio over a network connection at 50fps.

You can use this tool to capture those frames into an image, audio or video file.

Changelog v1.1a (21/07/2019):

• Added audio capture

Download: U64 Streamer v1.2 (756)

source: u64streamer

DirMaster is a Windows-based GUI application designed to help Commodore enthusiasts explore and manage their disk image collections.

DirMaster supports common (and uncommon) emulator disk image formats (such as .d64, .d81, .d2m, etc), almost every native Commodore archival format (such as .arc, .sda, .lnx, etc), and many native graphic formats (such as koala, doodle, amica, etc).

DirMaster was designed to give users a perfect blend of familiar appearance (e.g. natural looking disk image contents using the PETSCII character set) and modern GUI functionality (e.g. drag and drop, opening multiple disk images at once). The first version of DirMaster was released in 2006

Issues reported by users that were resolved in v3.1.3:

• Windows XP compatibility restored in 3.1.3 [0182] (Luca/FIRE + others)
• Extending a d64 from 35 to 40 tracks, track 35 is destroyed [0172] (stephan-andres)
• cvt file copy would result in failure to validate the disk in GEOS [0178] (scott.hutter)

Thanks to all who made an effort to submit bug reports. If you sent a bug report and don’t see it addressed here, don’t worry, it’s in the queue.

Other issues resolved in v3.1.3:

• “Mark disk for GEOS” incorrectly writes the border sector [0181]
• New d64 images are more accurately matching the 1541 formatted content (open1,8,15,”n0:” style) [0179]
• BAM view could cause a crash when viewing truncated disk images, this should be less likely now [0168]
• An error message would sometimes be shown when quitting DirMaster after launching a disk image in an emulator [0159]

Belated thanks to Bacchus/FLT who sent most of the issues that were addressed in 3.1.2.

Download: DirMaster v3.1.3 (705)

source: style64.org/dirmaster

NEW TAG: C64 BIG GAME PACK

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

Titles:

• Stercore XD +3D
• Stercore XD +2
• Stercore XD
• Stercore XD +
• For Speed We Need V2 +2
• Race Through Space +2HDF
• Agent USA +4DG
• Adventure +1D
• Sidelines V1.1
• Haunted House +2D
• Commodore Kung Fu
• Neutralizor +3DG
• Sidelines V1.1 +2
• Pocket Rockets +H
• Minimike Preview 3 +
• Looter Preview +
• Diamond Bucket +2
• Hexenküche +
• Valentino +3DMI
• Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? +1D
• Forgotten Worlds +13DI
• MW Ultra Framework Example Preview +2
• Blastopia DX
• RetroGameDev Space Shooter Preview 2 +2
• Blastopia DX +6HD
• Exodus +6DH
• RetroGameDev Space Shooter Preview 2 +3H
• Neutron V1.3 +2D
• Neutron V1.3 +6HD
• Take Down +2DF
• Pocket Dungeon +
• Dice Skater +2D
• Pocket Dungeon V1.1 +
• Vegetables V2.0 +1D
• Crystal Caverns
• Dice Skater [16kb cartridge]
• Dice Skater +2D
• Irmen’s Teh Triz
• Ninja Invasion Simulator Preview 2 +
• Crystal Caverns +2
• Cruiser-X 79 Preview
• Cruiser-X 79 Preview +2
• The Royal Hunt +1D
• Space Orbs Preview +D
• Dice Skater +3HD
• Ice Cold Beer
• Death Weapon
• Swarm 16k
• Death Weapon +2D
• Out of INK +
• Death Weapon +
• Death Weapon +1D
• Super Goatron +2
• Ice Cold Beer +1HD
• Terminal Fighter Preview +
• Ice Cold Beer +1D
• Relentless 64 [16kb cartridge]
• Death Weapon +3HD
• Relentless 64 +
• Rogue Trooper +3DG
• Swarm 16k +D
• Swarm 16k V1.0.2
• Swarm 16k V1.0.2 +D
• Out of INK +D
• Mashed Turtles 64 V2 +F
• The Search for the Nether Regions +DPS
• Space Orbs Preview 2 &D
• Space Orbs Preview 2 +D
• The Rocky Horror Show +7SDF [us version]
• Mike the Cave-Man +5T
• Soccer War +2F [seuck]
• Crystal Caverns +1D
• Hanoi Tower +DF
• Grubs Preview
• Relentless 64 +3H
• Dandy +7D
• Minor Jumper [german]

Download: All Games in One Archive (6102)

source: csdb.dk

Some retro-things received from my friend Gerben.

• 2 x Commodore 64 Manual
• 1 x Commodore 64 Programmer’s Reference Guide
• 1 x Sony HITBIT MSX-Basic Manual
• 1 x Sony HITBIT MSX-Disk Basic Manual
• 1 x Sony HITBIT Manual
• 1 x Jack Nicklaus Accolade game for Macintosh
• 1 x Commodore 64 Tune-up Book
• 1 x Getting More from your Commodore 64 Book
• 1 x Commodore VIC-1541 Manual
• 2 x Commodore Mouse 1351 Manual
• 3 x Spare Manuals of Coleco Vision Cartridge (Mouse Trap / Turbo / Time Pilot)
• 1 x 16k Memory Module for ATARI 800 (Boxed)
• 1 x Radio Shack TRS-80 Ribbon Daisy Wheel Printer II (Boxed)
• 1 x Donkey Kong Junior Coleco Vision Cartridge (Boxed)
• 1 x Narco Police C64 & C64GS Game Cartridge
• 1 x Simons’ Basic C64 Cartridge
• 1 x Power Cartridge for Commodore 64
• 1 x 16K Expansion Memory for Commodore VIC-20 (RED CASE)
• 1 x Homemade Joystick Interface for ZX-80/81
• 1 x Commodore 64 RS-232 Interface
• 1 x Multi Cartridge for VIC-20
• 1 x Protek Joystick Interface
• 1 x Philips MSX Mouse
• 1 x S.C.N. Modem for Commodore 64
• 1 x Modem House Spectrum VTX 711 for ZX Sepctrum (Boxed)
• 1 x Intel 8087
• 9 x IBM 2164-20 (RAM)
• 1 x Sony HITBIT HB-75P (MSX)
• 1 x Philips 8245 (MSX2)
• 1 x Frankenstein ZX-81 (Homemade wood case for ZX-81 with a ACORN Electron Keyboard) + Expansion Memory Inside. The worst thing i’ve ever seen.

Some RS-232 Gender Changer, Null Modem, RS-232 Tester and unknown cables.

The Frankenstein ZX-81 it works! the keyboard not but is not a problem of the keyboard but of the missing connections of the matrix, maybe an unfinished project ?

Gallery:

What can I do with this?

With the new Ultimate 64 firmware (>=1.1c) there is an option to receive video frames & audio over a network connection at 50fps.

You can use this tool to capture those frames into an image or video file.

Changelog v1.1a (07/07/2019):

• Fixed settings window issue’s
• Check on valid IP address, and issue with remote start checks.
• GUI changes.
• Added visuals to start stream and video recorder button.
• Fixed window position for about and settings window.
• Added button icons.
• Stream statistics.
• Optimized code.

Download: U64 Streamer v1.1a (715)

source: u64streamer

Results and Downloads of the RGCD C64 16KB Cartridge Game Development Competition started on December 22nd 2018 and ended a few days ago, on July 1st 2019.

Results:

• Ice Cold Beer by Megastyle
• Dice Skater [16kb cartridge] by Geir Straume
• Doc Cosmos by Simon Jameson        
• Blastopia DX by The New Dimension
• Death Weapon by C64CD
• Swarm 16k by Commocore
• Lala Prologue [16kb cartridge] by Digital Monastery, Hokuto Force
• Let’s Invade 2 by The New Dimension
• Vegetables V2.0 by Mike Richmond
• Pocket Dungeon by Endurion
• Super Goatron by Misfit
• Out of INK by Hokuto Force
• Robots Rumble [16kb cartridge] by Digital Monastery, Hokuto Force
• Stercore XD by C64CD
• Tenebra Macabre V1.1 [16kb cartridge] by Digital Monastery, Hokuto Force
• Relentless 64 by Bitplane Technomantes

Download: RGCD C64 16KB Cartridge Game Competition 2019 (834)

source: csdb.dk

What can I do with this?

With the new Ultimate 64 firmware (>=1.1c) there is an option to receive video frames & audio over a network connection at 50fps.

You can use this tool to capture those frames into an image or video file.

Changelog v1.1 (02/07/2019):

• First official release.
• Various fixes, bug reports i received from users.
• Video capture: release of file handle.
• Focus / minimize window / restore window problems.
• Optimized stream start/stop functions.
• Embeded menu: removed.
• Floating menu, so menu is always visible but not in video output window.
• Video capture window background set to black, there was a small grey line visible (not nice in OBS).
• Option to start U64 streams remotely.

Download: U64 Streamer v1.1 (625)

source: u64streamer

The High Voltage SID Collection (HVSC) is a freeware hobby project which organises Commodore 64 music (also known as SID music) into an archive for both musicians and fans alike.

The work on the collection is done completely in the Team and contributors’ spare time and is proudly one of the largest and most accurate computer music collections known.

This update features (all approximates):

• 464 new SIDs
• 20 fixed/better rips
• 1 repeats/bad rips eliminated
• 49 SID credit fixes
• 94 SID model/clock infos
• 4 tunes from /DEMOS/UNKNOWN/ identified
• 2 tunes from /GAMES/ identified
• 17 tunes moved out of /DEMOS/ to their composers’ directories
• 6 tunes moved out of /GAMES/ to their composers’ directories

Download:

• HVSC Update #71 (1060)
• Complete HVSC #71 (908)

source: www.hvsc.c64.org

This is the official demo party results from Gubbdata 2019. See also the CSDB GUBBDATA 2019 section for more informations.

C64 Demo:

• 1 – The Elder Scrollers by Booze Design
• 2 – The Dive by Genesis Project
• 3 – Skåneland 2 by Fairlight
• 4 – Thera by Atlantis
• 5 – Innervasion by Genesis Project, Offence, Panoramic Designs
• 6 – 5 of 5 Slider by Offence, Panoramic Designs, Prosonix
• 7 – Gumbo by Camelot
• 8 – Dark Times by Software of Sweden
• 9 – Tech-Tech Magic by Censor Design
• 10 – Fat Albert by Triad
• 11 – Bender by Offence
• 12 – Pretzeled by The Solution
• 13 – Cash Heart GP by Triad
• 14 – Esløw Nästa by Esl0w

C64 Music:

• 1 – Aslång på Skansen by Fegolhuzz
• 2 – Dimelo by Zardax
• 3 – So Fucking Bitter and Oldschool by Mr.Death/AnaNg
• 4 – Azzid Jazz by RaveGuru
• 5 – Floppy in Action by TDM
• 6 – Entry Denied by Magnar Harestad
• 7 – Eurogubbe 2019 by Flex
• 8 – Accelerated by psych858o
• 9 – Roady by Apollyon
• 10 – GubbWubb by Spider Jerusalem
• 11 – Ikebukuro by Mibri
• 12 – Jack Door by DAM
• 13 – Whisteling Wolk by Wolk
• 14 – Vinegar by Barik
• 15 – Sun of Japan vby Ioviani
• 16 – Spacestation by Mythus
• 17 – Wild West Rider by Pal
• 18 – Gubbdataintrång by Zzap69
• 19 – Kaosmanicken by Båtsman
• 20 – Datatanten Theme by AnaNg
• 21 – Laholms baksida by E-Grass

C64 Graphics:

• 1 – Hola! by The Sarge
• 2 – The Mighty Octopussy Hunter by Facet
• 3 – Purgatory by Razorback
• 4 – Hard2B by Raphis
• 5 – Mind The Power by Apollyon
• 6 – Vortex by Fabs
• 7 – Paradroid by Arcadestation
• 8 – King Dogg by Alta
• 9 – Fall of the Desert by Leon
• 10 – Gubba Gubba Hey by Lobo
• 11 – Vakttorn – Med plutonium tvingar vi dansken på knä by Danskjävel
• 12 – Psychotropical Eden by RailSlave
• 13 – Spacestation gfx by Mythus
• 14 – Fager by luNix
• 15 – Girl in Darkness by Splash

Wild Demo:

• 1 – Gubb Wish VI, Return of the Senior Citizen by Fairlight
• 2 – The Weapon by Fairlight
• 3 – Rasters of the Universe by Fossil
• 4 – Blade Runner by Pretzel Logic
• 5 – Miami Advice by Artline Designs
• 6 – HazlHof by Alta
• 8 – Maniac Mansion by Fantastic 4 Cracking Group

Mixed:

• 1 – Camel Ohio [2sid] by Encore (Music)

Mixed Graphics:

• 1 – Punished by Being Toppled from the Top by Mayday!
• 2 – Armakuni Returns by Genesis Project
• 3 – On a Bed of Silicon by Lft
• 4 – Lethal Eve by 8R0TK4$T3N
• 5 – Grumpy by Latex
• 6 – Uriel by Aeleus
• 7 – Gubbub by Hardcore Mofokkahz
• 8 – Øresundståg by Jucke
• 9 – Creatures by Hardcore Mofokkahz
• 10 – 1984-2019 by Logiker
• 11 – Hello I Love You by Triad
• 12 – Pigselated by Beardswitcher
• 13 – Rosa Ögat by Pravda
• 14 – How mås it? by Beardswitcher
• 15 – Kyckling by Lola
• 16 – Kool by Beardswitcher

Mixed Music:

• 1 – 80′s Ad by Fairlight
• 2 – Gubbrock is Law! by Latex
• 3 – Free Fallin’ by Censor Design
• 4 – Sweet Dreams by Båtsman
• 5 – Stockholmsserenad [2sid] by Zeta
• 6 – Rytmen av ett regn by Zapac

Mixed Demo:

• 1 – Samantha Fox Strip Poker Pro by Triad

Productions released outside compos:

• Datastorm 2019 Invite by Genesis Project (Invitation)
• Irmen’s Teh Triz by Genesis Project (Crack)
• Miami Advice by Artline Designs (Graphics)
• NGC 1277 100% by Samar Productions (Demo)
• Ninja Invasion Simulator Preview 2 + by Genesis Project (Crack)
• Phreeeeeeedh by Hardcore Mofokkahz (Intro)
• Relentless 64 promo by Bitplane Technomantes (Intro)
• Space Orbs Preview &D by Genesis Project (Crack)
• Terminal Fighter Preview + by Triad (Crack)

Download: Gubbdata 2019 Full Party stuff (829)

source: gubbdata.se

Yes, it’s a long story, because i have modded this Atari 2600 JR many times.

The first time have made a simple composite video mod without adding any external components, so i have made the composite mod with 1 transistor and a couple of resistors, the last composite mod is the UAV (Ultimate Atari Video) made from a dude of AtariAge that was given to me by my friend Charlie and today i have put 3 x RCA for video/audio output in place of a cable passed through the RF hole.

I used the same hole as the RF output for the VIDEO output and soldered a RCA connector in the same pcb pad of the RF RCA connector, i have used the same pcb track that was needed for the RF signal for the Composite signal, i have also removed a resistor (R19) to isolate the pcb track.

Gallery:

Ultimate64/U64 Speaker with a little improvement.

I didn’t really like to see the U64 Speaker which due to the small connector and weight he tended to tilt and was not aligned with the motherboard.

I solved the problem quite elegantly by inserting a small thickness of plastic glued with a drop of Loctite on the botton side of the U64 Speaker motherboard.

Gallery: