The Commodore-SX64 keyboard after some time isnt’t responding anymore (all or some keys). In this case, the keyboard needs some cleaning and repair.

First of all you have to disassembly the keyboard housing, pay particular attention to the screws, this plastic is very old and not of a good quality, it breaks only if you look it.

Gently remove the membrane and clean with alcohol all the metal contacts on the keyboard pcb and also clean all the contact pads on the membrane without alcohol.

Next i took some graphite in cream (Keypad Fix) to reconstruct the pads on the membrane by simply applying a very fine layer of graphite on the contacts.

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This monitor although fully functional in the video section, was missing audio. The integrated circuit of amplifying sound (TDA 2611A) was not powered.

The problem was a broken pcb track (see photo), solved this problem the sound is back.

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I received this small Black and White CRT monitor from a friend, Ciro Barile of TI-99 Italian User Club, this monitor was used as a video intercom and i didn’t know the power supply voltage, the pinout but especially if it worked.

Found the pinout and the power supply voltage i saw the image turned upside down, this because the monitor could be hooked both from top and from bottom, nothing could be easier it was enough to change the deflection yoke connector on the motherboard to flip the image.

I drilled two holes on the back of the case to facilitate access to the composite video input and power supply (12v 2A).

Pinout:

• RED (Video)
• GREEN (Ground)
• BLACK (Positive)
• BROWN (Ground)

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Another 2 x Gotek (HXC) with some Enhancements.

Enhancements:

• OLED Display (light blue version)
• Piezo Buzzer.
• Rotary Encoder with knob.
• Firmware HxC by J.F. Del Nero.

Gallery:

Credits for the best firmware Jean-françois Del Nero.

Why throwing away a Commodore Floppy Disk Drive with a broken head it could become a great gadget to clean Floppy Disks.

How to do ? just disassemble the entire part that controls the movement of the head including the head itself.

The power supply used is 12v with at least 1A, you can see the connection in the photo.

Good Cleaning.

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Video:

Myarc Geneve 9640 (Replacement filter capacitors and voltage regulators).

I have replaced all the voltage regulators (7805 / 7812) of 1A with the 1.5A version and all the 22uF / 35v filter capacitors.

Will also be installed the missing heat sinks in the geneve with plastic case.

Mattel Intellivision MOD 5155 (PAL) with GSOD (Grey screen of death) Repair.

Defect:

• GSOD (Grey screen of death)

Components replaced:

• 2 x wrong resistors (who has replaced ?!?) of 150 Ohm instead of 300 Ohm.
• 1 x 74LS00 (burned because the value was wrong of the two resistors)
• 1 x RAM GTE 3539 UCP (U19)

Gallery of the repair:

Download: Mattel Intellivision Service Manual & Datasheet (741)

Irradio XTC-506R Repaired again.

It seems this small Irradio TV/Monitor always suffers from some problem, last time there were short circuits caused by the pressure of the cathode ray tube on the PCB.

This time some cold joints on the solder pads.it would have been very sad to throw it in the garbage trash.

Gallery of the work done:

Nintendo Virtual Boy Repair.

First of all, i thank Andrea Pierdomenico for this fantastic gift.

Below i explain how i have repaired the Nintendo Virtual Boy which show the classic display malfunction problems (both).

I have used only a pencil eraser and a SMD Rework Station to fix the connections of the ribbon cable to the Display PCB of the Virtual Boy.

The process involves heating the connection of ribbon cable to the Display and using a pencil eraser to push segments of the ribbon cable to the PCB.

I configured the hot air station to 145 Degrees and 55 of Air Pressure and i made 3 fast transition without ever stopping at a specific point, pressing between one pass and another with the pencil eraser.

It Works!

Gallery of the work done:

UAV (Ultimate Atari Video) Video Upgrade for Atari Computers & Consoles.

This circuit improves the signal video output and allow to use both output (SVIDEO and COMPOSITE). The circuit is compatible with all Atari 2600, 5200, 7800 consoles and all Atari Home Computers 400, 800, 1200 …

I thank my friend Charlie for giving me this circuit that i have immediately installed in my Atari 2600 Jr which i use with the Harmony SD Cartridge.

NOTE:

Don’t use the socket in place of the IC 4050 as seen in the photo. The external case of the Atari 2600Jr console is too thin and cannot be closed anymore.

Gallery of the work done:

source: atariage.com

Mean Well T-60B switching power supply put in a box to be used for Amiga computers.

This is a nice summer job for my friend Andry.

Gallery of the work done:

Download: Mean Well T-60B datasheet (1011)

Another Gotek (HXC) with some Enhancements.

Enhancements:

• OLED Display
• Piezo Buzzer
• Push Button for select
• Rotary Encoder

Gallery:

Video:

Credits for the best firmware Jean-françois Del Nero.

Available for sale the ZOE RGB rev 2.0 interface for Mattel Intellivision.

The Zoe interface lets you connect the PAL Mattel Intellivision console to a TV/monitor through the RGB signal of a SCART connector, dramatically increasing the quality of the video signal and bringing it to the highest possible quality: the original output is a modest RF/Antenna signal.

The interface is connected in place of the National LM1886 IC (TV Video Matrix DAC) to take the RGB and Sync signals and convert them for the SCART output.

Below some examples of video quality using a Sony PVM9041QM CRT Monitor and a Sony KD-49XD8305

The ZOE rev 2.0 interface is tested individually piece by piece before shipment.

The assembled kit is available and you can buy it now from ebay or privately (An installation service on the console will be available for less experienced users)The kit includes:

• 1 x ZOE rev 2.0 pcb with 3 bioadhesive supports.
• 1 x Dupont connector to the 8-pin DIN female panel socket (30cm long)
• 1 x Flat cable to connect the ZOE RGB to the socket of the LM1886  (19cm long)
• 1 x SCART Cable to 8-pin DIN male (2mt long)
• 1 x Audio cable with dupont connector from one end and to solder on the other side (30cm long)
• 1 x Precision IC Socket to replace the LM1886.
• 2 x Screws to fix the 8-pin DIN female.

Video test (Italian Only):

The video was made by a friend Vincenzo Sinceri.

If someone wants to remake the din-scart cable (example: more length), this is the pinout:

Download: Zoe RGB rev 2.0 Interface Installation Manual (English/Italian) (1188)

If you have problems to viewing in the correct way the manual in PDF format click here for the instruction how to configure the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

This poor computer was given to me in year 2015 but unfortunately it arrived at destination destroyed.

In these days i have decided to fix it and make some upgrades to make it more usable.

Upgrading & Restoration:

• General cleaning of external case and motherboards.
• Fixed the ventilation grid as the best i could do.
• Glued the pins where the screws lock the keyboard.
• Cleaning and Belt replacement of the 360k Floppy Drive.
• Replaced MASKROM MSX VG-8235 (U7) with an EPROM 27C512 with the firmware of the MSX VG-8245 to use 720k floppy disk on the internal drive.
• Replaced the original Floppy Drive with the GOTEK (HXC).
• Removed the battery for the system clock.
• Bypassed the impedance L1 on the power supply stage (solves video noise if the original Floppy Drive is not used)
• Rerouted Floppy Drive cable to make it compatible with a standard Floppy Drives.
• Fix for the missing signals of the Internal Floppy Drive but present on the external Floppy Drive (you need to solder 2 wires)

Gallery of the work done:

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Download: MSX 8245 50hz Rom [27512] (946)

Playing with the MSX and HXC with DSK support, meanwhile updating the ROM of the FDD Interface to support double sided disk (720KB).

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Download: MSX FDD Interface ROM (360k/720k) (679)