Fixing RGB LED Solar Garden Light

Defect:

• Dead.

Replaced parts:

• YX8018 Solar Led Driver.

Gallery:

Olivetti Prodest 128S (Acorn BBC Master Compact) Modding

I found in the box of the rubbish dump two Olivetti Prodest 128S that was given to me long time ago by a dear friend: Andrea Pierdomenico.

Both computers are without the Floppy Drive and Power Supply external module.

I chose one of two in a better conditions and i did a modding to use it with a VGA Monitor and SDCARD instead of Floppy Disk plus some extras.

Work that has been done:

• Replaced the lame Olivetti ROMS (EPROM 27C512) with the original one from Acorn BBC Master Compact (release MOS 5510)
• GBS8200 v4.0 for VGA Output installed inside the case.
• Removed the Input Video signal connector (YPbPr) of the GBS8200 because they cause problems to closing the case.
• Capacitor FIX for GBS8200
• Installed a Power Switch.
• Cutted two pcb track for the Power Switch.
• Installed a VGA Connector.
• Replaced the Power LED (RED) with a GREEN LED.
• External power supply (5v / 2.5A).
• Installed a potentiometer (10K) to adjust the speaker volume.
• Cutted one pcb track for the potentiometer, otherwise the external volume adjust don’t work.
• TurboMMC installed (see the pinout for the internal installation).
• Installed TurboMMC Eprom.

TurboMMC pinout for the internal installation:

Gallery of work that was done:

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Download:

• Acorn BBC Master Compact ROM (1001)
• TurboMMC ROM (970)
• TurboMMC 128MB MMC Image (Win32DiskImager format) (1085)

Commodore Amiga 500+ Replace Keyboard Membrane

Defect:

• 50% of the keyboard keys are totally dead.

Replaced parts:

• 1 x Keyboard Membrane.

Gallery of work that was done:

Conversion Amiga 500 REV 8A (512k Chip RAM) to 500+ (1MB CHIP Ram)

Some Amiga 500 sold at the end of 1991/beginning of 1992 have a motherboard of an Amiga 500+ but limited to the capabilities of a regular Amiga 500 with 512k of Chip RAM.

These motherboards can be converted to 500+ simply installing the missing pieces; RAM section and REALTIME CLOCK.

What i did is add a 512K to have 1MB of Chip RAM like the amiga 500+.

Gallery of work that was done:

Chinon FB-354 ReCAP (Amiga Floppy Drive)

Defect:

• Don’t read anything – Dead.

Replaced parts:

• 3 x Electrolytic Capacitors of 22uF.
• 1 x Electrolytic Capacitor of 1uF.

Gallery of work that was done:

Panasonic JU-253-043P ReCAP (Amiga Floppy Drive) #1

Defect:

• Don’t read anything – Dead.

Replaced parts:

• 1 x Electrolytic Capacitor of 10uF.

Gallery of work that was done:

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Panasonic JU-253-043P Replace Micro Switch (Amiga Floppy Drive) #2

Defect:

• The Floppy Disk is not recognized.

Replaced parts:

• 1 x Micro Switch.

Gallery of work that was done:

Teac FD-235F ReCAP (Amiga Floppy Drive)

Defect:

• Don’t read anything – Dead.

Replaced parts:

• 3 x Electrolytic Capacitors of 22uF.
• 1 x Electrolytic Capacitor of 4.7uF.

Gallery of work that was done:

Commodore 16 Repair

Defect:

• Black Screen / No Voltage.

Replaced parts:

• Replaced the Power Switch with a “new” original one.

Texas Instruments TI-99-/4A Empty PCB

This is what remained after the recovery. Some components (all TTL) are not been recovered, others were are already recovered some times ago for spare parts.

Gallery:

Hyperkin Supaboy S – RGB/Svideo HACK

I have decided to make this hack because the native video output of the Hyperkin Supaboy S is really bad, uses the composite video.

The photos with the LCD monitor use the SVIDEO output while the photos with the Sony CRT monitor use the RGB output.

The photos and the schematic describe very well the work that needs to be done, the hack is not complex but you always have to be makes particularly attention to the SMD (CXA 1645M) side welds.

RGB/Svideo Schematics:

Gallery of the work that was done:

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Philips Videopac+ G7400 RGB/Composite Hack – Repair – Recap

I have received a gift from my dear friend Andrea Pierdomenico a Videopac+ G7400 console with the BASIC Microsoft module and some cartridges that go into my collection of videopac cartridges.

This console running smoothly but with some problems.

• Power button not working (as usual)
• A capacitor of the power supply section has a broken leg.

The works that have been made:

• Replacing the power switch with a compatible one.
• Full recap of the power supply section.
• RGB/Composite HACK for unparalleled video output.
• RF Module Removal.
• Shifted the 220V Power Cable into the hole of the RF antenna.
• Two video cables (Composite-Audio / RGB-Audio)

Videopac+ G7400 RGB/Composite Hack (components that need to be added):

All the works that have been made are documented in the photos below:

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source: g7400 guide rgb mod

Texas Instruments Magic Wand Speak & Learn Fixed

Defect:

• Doesn’t always turn on.The power button doesnt work properly.
• Battery acid leak.

Fix:

• Cleaning the Battery acid leak in the battery compartment.
• Cleaning the strange power-on button with a spray Contact Cleaner R-11.
• Inserted a thicker on the power-on button because the plastic pin that pressing the contact has deteriorated.

Note:

• External power supply 6v (TIP POSITIVE)

Gallery:

Cartridge shell for FinalGROM 99 – TI-99/4A

I have fit in a best way the pcb of the FinalGROM 99 inside a standard cartridge shell of a TI-99/4a game.

As you can see from the photos the final result is good, there are still some minor imperfections but i’m very satisfied.

I have made three cartridges shells, one for me and two for my friends Ciro Barile of  TI-99 Italian User Club, Andrea Pierdomenico.

Some things about the FinalGROM 99:

The FinalGROM 99 supports ROM images, GROM images, and mixed images of up to 1 MB in size that use the write-to-ROM bank switching scheme. The cartridge does not require the Peripheral Expansion Box and runs on both PAL and NTSC consoles, including modified consoles with an F18A. It will also run on v2.2 consoles and enables those to run ROM-only programs.

The cartridge offers some advanced modes that provide RAM and GRAM to programs. It also allows a running program to reload another program from SD card or to dump its state to SD card. All firmware of the FinalGROM 99 can be updated by SD card.

FinalGROM 99 is released as Open Source Hardware under the CERN OHL license and the GNU GPL license. Both hardware design files and firmware sources are available on GitHub.

For more information about this project please visit the project homepage hosted at GitHub.

Gallery of the works that have been made:

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Download:

• FinalGROM99 SD CARD Utility/Games Compilation (878)

Commodore 128D Repair #1

Defect:

• Black Screen.
• Garbage Screen.

Replaced parts/Fix:

• 9v AC line Fuse of the PowerSupply.
• Made a bridge of a pcb trace interrupted.

Gallery of the repair:

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Commodore 128D Repair #2

Defect:

• Garbage Screen.
• Memory Problems.

Replaced parts:

• Replaced 74LS08 (U61)
• Replaced OKI M3764A [RAM] (U43)

Gallery of the repair:

Commodore Floppy Drive 1541 (ASSY 250442) Repair

Defect:

• Drive access problems (IEC): drive resets but the computer freez with a “searching for”

Replaced parts:

• Replaced EL74S14 with a 74LS14 (UA1)

Gallery of the repair: