This is my collection of Drean Commodore.

The Drean company (household appliance manufacturer in Argentina) since 1983 bought the individual components from Commodore and to avoid the import costs has started to assemble the computers independently.

I wanted to make individual posts for each computers/devices also of the electronics pcb but the time is tyrant and i have postponed too many times, so i have decided to make a single post with all the models in my possession.

My Drean Commodore Computers:

• Drean Commodore 16
• Drean Commodore 64
• Drean Commodore 64c
• Drean Commodore 1541
• Drean Commodore 1531

Gallery:

12►

source: https://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/ckb/secret/drean.html

Why make a Retr0Bright if you have a 130XE (mint) to sacrifice to replace the yellowed case and keyboard of an Atari 800XE ?

If we talk about collecting an atari 800XE is more important than a 130XE, especially if you have more than one.

I have replaced only the upper side of the case, the keyboard and the plastic piece of the led which in the 800XE is white and not red, the back side with the adhesive fortunately was in perfect condition.

I didn’t have to do any repairs except to calibrate the XC12 cassette recorder motor speed using an old but still valid speed calibration system, a music cassette, obviously only if you have a “good ear” and you know the music track perfectly.

NOTES: i have never seen the XC12 in a white box and miss it in my Atari collection.

NOTES 2: How did i listen the Billy Idol cassette? the Atari SIO connector supports Analog audio with a dedicated pin to this purpose.

Gallery:

123►

The monkey took me to collect all the Mini Consoles and Computers.

It all started when the NES Mini came out and then i have continued with all versions of NES and of Super Nintendo, PSX Mini, The C64 Mini and NeoGeo Mini.

And now … i fell again; Sega Mega Drive Mini, which includes the European, American and Japanese versions + Mega Drive Tower Mini (Japan).

What i can say about the Sega Megadrive Mini/Tower mini and about the Packaging ? aesthetically very beautiful, about the software? the usual soup, but i don’t like to play so the problem does not arise :-)

NOTE: The USB Joypad works perfectly under Windows 10, personally tested with the Dolhpin emulator (WII/Gamecube).

Gallery:

review: https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/12/20861085/sega-genesis-console-retro-mini-review-launch-games
wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Genesis_Mini
official website: https://megadrivemini.sega.com

This computer has kept for many years my BBS “Hidden Power / Nightfall HQ” up until closing, previously the BBS ran on the Amiga 1000 … then A500 and A2000.

I also publish two historical photos of my “BBS Room” where you can see this Amiga 3000 running.

I give a brief description of what was done and what i did today for this computer.

• Year 2001 i have removed the battery and one of the two SCSI Harddisks that was dead.
• Year 2010 i have cleaned the external/internal case and published the photos on the blog.
• Year 2018 i have cleaned the keyboard.
• Year 2019 i have carefully cleaned the motherboard that was covered with a sticky layer of Nicotine (in the BBS Room peoples likes to smoke a lot)
  • Cleaned the Floppy Drive covered inside and outside by a sticky layer of Nicotine, to repair it i had to completely disassemble it.
  • Replaced the Kickstart ROM 2.04 with version 3.1
  • Removed the last died SCSI Harddisk.
  • Installed “new” 250Mb Quantum Maverick SCSI Harddisk.
  • Installed WB 3.1 and MagicWB + a couple of Demos and of course Pinball Dreams Harddisk version.
  • Replaced the WD33C93A SCSI controller chip with AM33C93A-16PC.
  • Cleaned the Keyboard pcb and replacements of the rubber pad, more than 20 keys are died.
  • Removed the Zorro BSC / Alfa Data MultiFace Card 3 (multi Serial) card and installed the Village Tronic Ariadne II (Ethernet Card)

Everything works perfectly as you can see from the photos.

Gallery:

I received as a gift… we start badly,i have recover, we are not there, i purchased, much better, yet another computer from Radio Shack that was missing in my collection.

The computer equipped with several manuals and Floppy Disk was given to me by a dude (thanks Scott) from the United States, he had written “near mint” and is this phrase that attracted me.

The Computer is a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 4 (GATE ARRAY) therefore of last production with cathode ray tube with green phosphors.

The seller was not joking saying that it was “near mint” and working, the computer is kept very well it almost seems like it has never been used, it can be observed from the cathode tube, from the pcb of the monitor and from the flyback transformer, keyboard, External and internal Case and from the power supply, the usual ASTEC, which has never warmed up, perfect.

The warranty sticker was also intact.

Since there was nothing to clean/repair i have made some hardware enhancements and little replacements.

What i have done:

• Replacement of the 3 filter capacitors (RIFA) which i usually remove and i don’t replace.
• Converted the ASTEC power supply from 115V to 230v because this version of the power supply allows it because has a 115v/230v switching.
• Replaces the 115v power plug with a schuko.
• Various labels to identify the computer has been converted to 220v.
• Installed 64k RAM to update the Model 4 to 128k (blue wire mod as well)
• Dual ROM to BOOT from FreHD or from Floppy Drive. I have used the Jim Brain ROM-el 2364 which uses a Flash ROM (AT49F001AN) but with a standard Mask ROM 2364 pinout.
• Installed a switch for Dual ROM hidden in the ventilation slots without drilling the case.

All test are made with the FreHD interface by Ian Mavric.

Gallery:

123►

Download: TRS-80 M4 GA Dual Boot ROM (767)

The Atari XE Video Game System (Atari XEGS) is a home video game console released by Atari Corporation in 1987.

Based on Atari’s 8-bit 65XE computer, the XEGS is compatible with the existing Atari 8-bit computer software library. Additionally, it is able to operate as either a stand-alone console or as a full computer with the addition of its specially designed keyboard.

In computer mode, it may utilize the majority of peripherals released for Atari’s 8-bit computer line. Atari packaged the XEGS as a basic set consisting of only the console and joystick, and as a deluxe set consisting of the console, keyboard, joystick and light gun.

Gallery:

source: wikipedia

Robotron 2084 (TI-99/4a) – Cartridge by Fabrizio Corpetti [FACELE.EU]

I thank Fabrizio Corpetti [FACELE.EU] for giving me the assembled version of the PCB of Robotron 2084 cartridge for TI-99/4a through Ciro Barile [TI99IUC.IT].

As Ciro writes, this cartridge has never been released by AtariSoft, the only thing can you found on the net is the ROM DUMP.

Gallery:

The TONEL PC is basically a ZX-81 clone. Made in Hong-Kong (by Lambda Electronics LTD? DEF?), it was designed as a cheap computer for initiation and was licenced to many companies throughout the world. This explains why the same computer can be found under many different brands and names (DEF 3000, Power 3000, Basic 2000, Basic 3000, PC 2000, PC 8300, Marathon 32K, IQ 8300, Futura 8300, Your Computer, etc.). But on all mainboards is written a generic “PC 8300″, which explains why 8300 or 3000 are often used in licenced names.

The system is thus a cloned ZX-81 with a modified ROM (to avoid legal problems), a better keyboard, more RAM (2 KB), sound features, a composite video output and even a joystick connector (Atari compatible). These represent in fact all the upgrades ZX-81 users usually wanted to add first to their system, but all bundled for a cheaper price.

With its modified ROM, the Tonel PC was only ZX-81 compatible with Basic programs. But soon, a ZX-81 ROM was available to turn your system into a real Sinclair ZX-81 machine, being able to run all software including machine code.

Different addons were available : 16 KB and 32 KB RAM upgrades, color (and high resolution graphics ?) expansion, joysticks, printers… The expansion bus is supposed to be compatible with the ZX-81 one (to be confirmed).

Gallery:

Tonel PC (Lambda 8300) Loading Game (GIF)

Download:

• Some Tools/Emu/Games for Tonel PC (Lambda 8300) (766)
• Different ROMs for Lambda 8300 (Tonel PC) (863)

source: old-computers.com

The new version of the PenUltimate+ cartridge even if apparently it seems identical to the previous version, is not, because the new version has some modifications and a software update made to support the DeadTest+ Diagnostic software.

All cartridges produced since December 2018 supports the DeadTest+ diagnostic software.

The DeadTest+ Diagnostic software can be lauched via the menu or by holding Reset button down for 10seconds at power on.

Compared to the first version this new one brings even more ROMs (70+) and a brand new user interface.

Some tfw8b games have been included (The Future Was 8Bit) including Cheese & Onion, RodMan, Pentagorat (Easier edition) and many others.

And of course, it’s still the best ram pack you’ll ever stuff into your VIC20. 3-35k expansion ram can be selected direct from the menu.

Many thanks to Dave Curran of Tynemouth Software and tfw8b (The Future Was 8Bit)

Gallery:

My name is “jaundice” and my last name is “lucky”.  :-)

Why “lucky”? because the battery used in this Amiga was not VARTA but GP, these batteries resist slightly to aging and release less acid.

The only defect of this Amiga 500 Plus was the Floppy Drive which did not read any Floppy Disk, the motor running slower than normal, it was enough replace a 4.7uF electrolytic capacitor to make it work again.

I thank my friend Igor for the donation.

Gallery:

12►

Everything seems to work perfectly including Hard Disk and Floppy Drive.

I must thank my friend Ralf Schmitz for this gift.

Gallery: