Exhausted and Old but always better than ever the Commodore 64 looks down the newcomer with immense scorn; the Sinclair ZX Spectrum NEXT (Accelerated Version).

Three years have passed since the campaign on Kickstarter was opened and although i’m a Commodore man i have decided to take this bad misstep.

Many things have changed in three years and in that period i did not have money problems to spend for these fucking lame things, now and probably in the future is no longer possible.

I don’t just like collecting but also owning, whether it is a beautiful or ugly, new or old, if attracts me for some obscure reason, it must be mine.

Tests and updates that have been made:

• RAM upgrade from 1Mb to 2Mb
• Added a Piezo Buzzer.
• RGB/VGA Port Lock posts fitted.
• Update to the latest firmware version from GITHUB (downloadable here).
• VGA Video Output Test.
• RGB Video Output (SCART) Test.
• Loading Games/Demos from SD-CARD.
• Loading Games from Cassette Recorder.
• Testing new CORE.
• CP/M OS.
• 8BitDo Wireless Gamepad (Black Edition) Test.

I leave you with some photos of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum NEXT.

If you are interested in more information and photos go to the official support page.

Last minute:

After upgrading the Firmware and OS of the Spectrum Next from GIT (NextZXOS v2.06I / Firmware 1.29C / System/Next 1.3.2) the things are much better now.
Also an update of the piSend, the SID/XM/MOD… Audio Format Player has been released.
Player absolutely necessary and that could not miss going to make up for the bad audio of the AY/YM.

Gallery:

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source: specnext.com

Cute 32 – CBM Universal Tape Emulator by Manosoft

Has been passed a while since Manosoft (known for the C64SD, Princess and Princess Ultra) announced the arrival of the CUTE 32,
but now this jewel Made in Italy is finally available.

The group Manosoft consists of two people; Hawui1 (Andrea) takes care of the software part and Manosoft (Damiano) takes care of the hardware part.

The CUTE 32 is a CBM Universal Tape Emulator which means that it works with most Commodore machines.

• Commodore 64
• Commodore VIC-20
• Commodore Plus4
• Commodore C16/C116
• Commodore PET

The heart of CUTE 32 is enclosed in a FABULOUS small-scale reproduction of a Commodore Datassette 1530 (C2N).

The finishing and the quality of the material used for the external box is something of spectacular both to the touch and aesthetically.

The ease of use is Manosoft style, which is all very intuitive; WIFI connection, File Management and options on the CUTE 32 Display and finally with the Windows application.

The main features are many and i try to summarize them very briefly, at the bottom of the page i leave you the official Link of the WEB page
where you can find the complete list of technical characteristics.

Main Technical Features:

• Remote Control Console program that allows you to use all the functions of the CUTE32 from a PC via Wi-Fi.
• CUTE32 has a display and a keyboard and can be used in all its functions even without a PC.
• Ability to control multiple cards simultaneously from a remote device via the console.
• Firmware update directly from CUTE 32 if connected via WIFI or via a file downloadable from the website www.manosoft.it.
• Real Time clock with automatic update.
• Fully digital, logarithmic volume adjustment of the buzzer.
• Player compatible with TAP V0, V1 and V2 – DMP V0 and V1 – HTAP V0. All positioning functions are active on any file format.
• Progress bar that allows you to understand where you are in the virtual tape.
• PCB designed to reduce noise and RF interference, optimized impedance to minimize signal deformations.
• Very high quality case printed with the latest 3D technologies (even better quality than a printed container) and designed with CAD / CAM
• Visual Azimuth check functionality directly on the display with two levels of precision that allows accurate adjustment of the Azimuth of the recorder before grabbing.
• .. and much more.

What is supplied with the CUTE 32:

• 1 8-pole miniDin cable for connection to the Commodore 16/116/ Plus4.
• 1 Tape adapter for connection to the Commodore 64 / VIC20 / PET.
• 1 Micro USB cable for external power supply.
• 1 A care leaflet for the precautions for use in Italian / English.
• 1 User manual in Italian / English.
• 1 Metal pin for Factory Reset.
• 1 Sticker to replace the graphics of the CUTE 32 with one similar to the original of the Commodore Datassette 1530 (C2N).

I thanks Manosoft, it was really a pleasure and an honor to try the CUTE 32.

I tried the CUTE 32 with a U64 (Ultimate 64) and a Commodore PET and everything works perfectly.

Gallery:

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Video:

source: manosoft.it

Commodore Magic Voice Speech Module:

“Magic Voice” is an expansion cartridge for the Commodore 64 that can speak 235 predefined words.

Magic Voice does not combine words from phonemes, but contains 235 prerecorded words in a 16 KB ROM. It was meant to be used with tape, disk or cartridge based software that made use of the extension, but few titles were released.

Without any extra software, the speech features are accessible through added BASIC commands.

Commodore Expander FM Sound Module:

The Commodore Sound Expander or SFX Sound Expander is a sound synthesizer cartridge with 9 voices for the Commodore 64.

It was developed by Richard Watts. The synthesizer chip is a Yamaha YM3526 OPL, which can upgraded by a YM3812 OPL2 chip, which is also used by AdLib- and Soundblaster sound cards in PCs.

This cartridge was produced by Music Sales Limited in the UK and marketed as “Commodore SFX series” by Commodore world-wide.

Gallery:

source: pagetable.com – c64-wiki.com

The SIEL Sound Buggy system is a music module expansion (synthesizer) released around 1985 in Italy for Commodore 64.

VOICE Buggy interface transforms the Commodore 64 into an entry-level arranger for family: just plug the interface to the CMB64 then turn on your old retro beast and load the included software by tape or drive.

SYNTHESIS unit based on a M112B1 (SGS Thompson) organ tone generator already found on other synth like SIEL DK-70 able to generate only digital square waves.

DRUM up to 28 preset drum patterns styles are available like Rock, Samba, March, Swing, Tango, Beguine, Disco, Funky and more. Drum section is an indipendent circuits and generates 4 percussions instruments: kick, snare, hihat and rimshot.

SEQUENCER simples 2 tracks sequencer with arpeggiator that can be hooked to Midi interface system with special interface and master keyboard including SIEL CM K49.

MEMORY:

• 14 patch presets
• 14 free slots for edit
• 500 events
• 100 chords

Songs can be saved to disk or magnetic tapes.

Gallery:

Download:

• SIEL Sound Buggy Brochure (Italian) (878)
• SIEL Sound Buggy D64 Software (716)

source: polynominal.com

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 (975)

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 (928)

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 (881)

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