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Syntax 2013: C64 – Official demo party results

November 18th, 2013 No comments

This is the official demo party results from Syntax 2013 (Top 3 Entries only). See also the CSDB Syntax 2013 section for more informations and download.

C64 Demo:

  • Soy un Delincuente by Onslaught
  • Roller Scroller by Defame, Onslaught

WiLD Demo:

  • Vandalism News #60 by Onslaught, Vandalism News Staff, Wrath Designs

C64 Music:

  • Slackjaw by iLKke
  • P48 Oppression Fighter by Duck and Chicken

C64 Graphics:

  • Hideout by Onslaught
  • An Eye For An Eye by Arise
  • Great Crested Grebe by Senex

Download: Syntax 2013 full Party stuff (1078)

source: noname.c64.org/csdb/

Sinclair Spectrum Break – Recovering & Repair *updated*

November 15th, 2013 2 comments
Sinclair Spectrum Break - Recovering & Repair

This gallery shows some stages of the repair of the Sinclair Spectrum 48k.

Defects found on the Sinclair Spectrum #1:

  • Black Screen of Death/Garbage Screen.

Components replaced:

  • 8 x 4116 RAM
  • 1 x Z80 CPU
  • Extra:
    • Composite Video

Defects found on the Sinclair Spectrum #2:

  • There are no colors.

Components replaced:

  • 5 x Electrolytic Capacitors 22uf / 16v
  • 1 x SN94459 (LM 1889) Tv video Modulator IC with Chroma Reference Signal (Color)

Defects found on the Sinclair Spectrum #3:

  • Jaundice problems.

Calibration:

  • Calibration of Trimmer (VR2)

Defects found on the Sinclair Spectrum #4:

  • Black Screen of Death.

Components replaced:

  • 1 x RAM TMS4532
  • 1 x Transistor ZTX650
  • Extra:
    • Composite Video
    • Conversion from Spectrum (Issue 2) To Spectrum +

Defects found on the Sinclair Spectrum #5:

  • Garbage Screen and high absorption on the 12v line and 0v (ground) with explosion of the transistors ZTX-650 (651) and ZTX-213

Components replaced:

  • 1 x Zener 5v1
  • 12 x Electrolytic capacitors
  • 3 x 4116 RAM (two of these in total short circuit between pin 8 and 16)
  • 8 x OKI 3732 RAM
  • 1 x Sinclair ROM
  • 1 x 74HCT(LS)32
  • 1 x Transistor ZTX-213
  • 1 x Transistor ZTX-650
  • Extra:
    • Composite Video
  • Info:
    • About the explosion of the transistors i have isolated the problem, are the ram (LOW).

      The bad way used some years ago was cut the pin 8 of the all 4116 ram to isolate the bad one, in this case, i didn’t cut the pins of the ram, but i have cut the track of 12v which is part of all the 4116 ram, doing so, the transistor ZTX650(651) doesn’t explode.

      At this point there is a short in one or more RAM between +12 and 0v. I have measured the absorption where i have cut the track and it absorbs too much.

      I just have to unsolder the pin 8 of the 4116 ram and trying to isolate it for find which ram is short-circuited.

  • …it was not over:
    • When the repair is finished and i have replaced all OKI 3732 RAM with a new one, another IC has decided to die, a 74HC(LS)32. I have no words.

Defects found on the Sinclair Spectrum #6:

  • Faulty / AutoLoad.

Components replaced:

  • 1 x TMS 4532 RAM
  • Extra:
    • Composite Video

Sinclair Spectrum Faulty / AutoLoad Video:

ZOO 2013: C64 – Official demo party results

November 12th, 2013 No comments

This is the official demo party results from ZOO 2013 (Top 3 Entries only). See also the CSDB ZOO 2013 section for more informations and download.

C64 Demo:

  • The First Ball by Fit
  • Senpituinense by Dekadence
  • Monday Night by Extend

C64 Music:

  • Hortus Zoologicus by Zardax
  • Funky as Frank by Slimex

C64 Graphics:

  • No more bets? by Tempest
  • Exploding Fist by Electric
  • Kollo by Duce

C64 Basic Demo:

  • Beisikki demo by Fit
  • Helsingin vesistoe by Hackers    

C64 Disk Cover:

  • Orangii. by Duce
  • Stamps back!!! by Junkie
  • Everything is Octopusied by Reekol

Mixed Graphics:

  • Ninja enters the battle by ilesj
  • Smoke King by Extend
  • Variable Medusa by rexbeng

Download: ZOO 2013 full Party stuff (1027)

source: noname.c64.org/csdb/

Firenze Vintage Bit 2013

November 8th, 2013 No comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

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

Small and Convenient retro-keychain

November 5th, 2013 No comments
Small and Convenient retro-keychain

Small and Convenient retro-keychain.

Cleaning & Repairing a Commodore PET 2001-8C

October 31st, 2013 3 comments
It Works!

This gallery shows some stages of repairing the Commodore PET 2001-8C

Two months have passed since i have received my Commodore PET 2001-8 Chicklet exchanged for a Sharp MZ-80K, was the day 28/08/2013.

The motherboard was in disastrous conditions, it took two months and a lot of patience to repair it.

Defect:

  • Garbled characters at boot.
  • Tape Recorder (Datassette) Motor Tired.

Replaced parts and various repairs:

A large number of short circuits visible and not visible (under the ic sockets)

  • 2 x 6540 ROM Basic 1.0
  • 2 x 74LS00
  • 3 x 74LS157
  • 1 x 7805
  • 2 x Electrolytic Capacitor / Tantalum.
  • 1 x Tape Motor
  • 16 x 2114 RAM

I want to dwell on the ram, i noticed that the PET 2001-8 Chicklet does not digest very well all ram.

These ram don’t work properly for my PET 2001-8 Chicklet:

  • TESLA 2114 (2/8)
  • MM2214N
  • SY2114-2
  • HKE2114L-2

I had to buy several stocks of ram in 2114 to find the right ram that work correctly. The ram that work very well are the ELCAP 2114L-3.

I have to thank Andrea Pierdomenico for the ROM test on his PET 2001-8C and Alessandro Polito. for the exchange.

Manosoft C64SD v2.0 Infinity available in stock

October 31st, 2013 No comments

Again available for sale the interface C64SD v2.0 Infinity by Manosoft.

Categories: Hardware, News & Rumors, Today

Repairing a Commodore CBM 610

October 26th, 2013 2 comments
Components replaced

This gallery shows some stages of repairing the Commodore CBM 610.

Defects found on the Commodore CBM 610:

  • Random raster lines on the screen.

Components replaced:

  • 2 x 74LS245
  • 1 x 74S32
  • 1 x 74S05
  • 1 X 74LS14
  • 2 x Capacitor 22uf 10v
  • 2 x Capacitor 1uf 50v

I have passed three weeks of suffering for repairing this CBM 610. The finding of the fault is not has been easy, the key component of the failure was the IC 74S05 (U96) followed by the other components.

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 (2825)

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) (2019)

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 (1591)

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: