There are not many interesting things to recover, for example the 256k x 4 ZIP Ram are absolutely useless.

So what i have recovered that could helpful (never) is the Motorola 68030RC20B CPU, the 68882RC25 math coprocessor and 3 x Clock Oscillator.

Gallery:

This monitor is the PAL predecessor to the Commodore 1802. It appears to be a contemporary of the CM-141 and the brown-casing 1802. They both have dual inputs (Composite video/audio, and chroma/luma/audio) with a switch in front to select between them.

The Monitor although in excellent condition don’t work correctly, the image displayed was in black and white.

The problem was the oxidation of a little trimmer (see photo / orange trimmer) and it was enough to turn it a bit and put it back in its original position.

Other small defects fixed:

• Bad geometry – Calibration of the Deflection yoke.
• Out of Focus – Calibration Trimmer Focus on Flyback.
• V-HOLD fine adjustment on the Monitor PCB.
• Glued a piece of plastic broken at the base of the monitor.

Gallery:

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Download: Commodore Monitor Model 1801 Instruction Manual (753)

source: gona.mactar.hu/Commodore/monitor/

The C64 Mini & Max. There are those who like it and those who don’t.

There are those who like and those who do not like said Totò in the movie “Totò in color“, personally they make me throw up both. I have nothing more to say about these two terrible objects that try to EMULATE the Commodore 64 and the VIC-20 and should remember the 80s.

Why did i buy them ? i bought them because i like to collect beautiful things and ugly things, useless things and even more useless things.

So there is no a real “why”, i can only say that i haven’t even tried them, they are still packaged and will remain packed forever.

Defect:

• Background noise (AC) and doesn’t reproduce sound from the cassette.

Repair:

• Replacement of two electrolytic capacitors of 22uf and 100uf  (see photo)
• General cleaning.

Gallery of the repair:

The Commodore 128, also known as the C128, C-128, C= 128 is the last 8-bit home computer that was commercially released by Commodore Business Machines (CBM). Introduced in January 1985 at the CES in Las Vegas, it appeared three years after its predecessor, the bestselling Commodore 64.

The Commodore 128DCR model features a stamped-steel chassis in place of the plastic version of the C128D (with no carrying handle), a modular switched-mode power supply similar to that of the C128D, retaining that model’s detachable keyboard and internal 1571 floppy drive. A number of components on the mainboard were consolidated to reduce production costs and, as an additional cost-reduction measure, the 40 millimeter cooling fan that was fitted to the D model’s power supply was removed. However, the mounting provisions on the power supply subchassis were retained, as well as the two 12-volt DC connection points on the power supply’s printed circuit board for powering the fan. The C128DCR mounting provision is for a 60mm fan.

A significant improvement introduced with the DCR model was the replacement of the 8563 video display controller (VDC) with the more technically advanced 8568 VDC and equipping it with 64 kilobytes of video RAM—the maximum amount addressable by the device. The four-fold increase in video RAM over that installed in the “flat” C128 made it possible, among other things, to maintain multiple text screens in support of a true windowing system, or generate higher-resolution graphics with a more flexible color palette. Little commercial software took advantage of these possibilities.

The C128DCR is equipped with new ROMs dubbed the “1986 ROMs,” so-named from the copyright date displayed on the power-on banner screen. The new ROMs address a number of bugs that are present in the original ROMs, including an infamous off-by-one error in the keyboard decoding table, in which the ‘Q’ character would remain lower case when CAPS LOCK was active. Some software will only run on the DCR, due to dependencies on the computer’s enhanced hardware features and revised ROMs.

Despite the DCR’s improved RGB video capabilities, Commodore did not enhance BASIC 7.0 with the ability to manipulate RGB graphics. Driving the VDC in graphics mode continues to require the use of calls to screen-editor ROM primitives or their assembly language equivalents or by using third-party BASIC language extensions, such as Free Spirit Software’s “BASIC 8″, which adds high-resolution VDC graphics commands to BASIC 7.0.

Gallery:

source: wikipedia

The VIC-1010 or VC-1010 is an optional expansion to the VIC-20 manufactured by Commodore. It plugs into the VIC-20′s game/expansion/bus port, providing 6 more such ports along the top.

The rest of the unit sits behind and a bit off to the right of the machine, preventing any obstruction of the VIC’s other ports. Built into the 1010 is a 220v/110v power supply to supplement the computer’s supply.

Gallery:

This VIC 20 was one of the first model shipped in a rush from Japan to North America in early 1981 before production started in the US. Even the box art was just a quick rework of the Japanese VIC 1001 one.

Gallery:

source: oldcomputr.com

The Commodore VIC-1001 is the first computer in that series, being released only in Japan October 1980.

The computers that followed it, including the famous VIC-20, arrived in the American and European markets on the heels of its success. Aside from being first, the VIC-1001 also has the unique virtue of a modification from the standard Commodore PETSCII graphics set.

Being Japanese designed and born, this computer includes the Japanese “character” set, called “Katakana”.

The VIC-1001, like all other Commodore 8-bit computers, greets the user with a flashing READY prompt.

The operating system is built into the hardware of the computer, and the user interface is BASIC 2.0, a programming language Commodore purchased from Microsoft in the late 1970s.

The VIC featured 5 kilobytes of memory, and color graphics at a time when that was very uncommon, though it’s display is only capable of 22 characters per line.

The joystick port and game cartridge port are prominent features, as Commodore meant to market the VIC as a game console/computer hybrid. The cartridge port could also be used to expand the VIC-1001 memory.

Software on Cartridge:

• Programmers; Aid PacK (VIC-1212) [BOXED]
• Machine Language Monitor (VIC-1213)
• Rally-X (VIC-1903) Red Label [BOXED]
• Night Drive (VIC 1909) Red Label [BOXED]
• Omega Race (VIC-1924) [BOXED]

Memory Expansion Cartridges:

• 3K Ram Pack (VIC-1210) [BOXED]
• Super Expander + 3k RAM (VIC-1211M) [BOXED]
• 8k Ram Pack (VIC-1110) [BOXED]
• 16k Ram Pack (VIC-1111) [BOXED]

Gallery:

Download: Japanese Kernal and Characters (612)

source: zimmer.net

I could not miss in my Collection another failure of Commodore ; the Commodore 64 Game System (64 GS)

Practically a Commodore 64C (PCB ASSY NO. 250469) castrated, without keyboard or possibility of connecting external peripherals, the only ports available besides the Cartridge port are the Video (Composite/S-Video/RF) port, 2 Joystick ports and Power supply.

NOTE: The Narco Police cartridge is not included in the original package.

Gallery:

source: wikipedia

This is the Commodore MAX Machine (Ultimax/VC-10), as fascinating as it is useless and unusable.

The packaging of the Commodore MAX Machine is mint and nothing is missing, i could dare to say that it has never been used.

I don’t want to dwell on the technical features of the Commodore MAX Machine that can be easily found on the internet, so i leave you with the photos and a link at the end of the post.

Software on Cartridge:

• Mini Basic I
• Max Basic
• Wizard of Wor (Commodore 64/Max Machine)
• Super Alien
• Omega Race
• Radar Rat Race
• Avengers
• Road Race
• Mole Attack
• Jupiter Lander
• Kick Man (Missing Box)

Gallery:

Download: Max Machine 325565 Rev B Schematics (644)

Source: C64-Wiki.com Max Machine One Wire Video Mod

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:

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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:

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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:

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Download: TRS-80 M4 GA Dual Boot ROM (610)