I have not discovered absolutely anything new, it is all explained in these video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P1OVj0IcqY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eBynrpdLdk

I’m absolutely against retrobright but i wanted to try with a yellowed Commodore VIC-20 / Amiga 1200 Keyboard and Amiga 1200 TOP Case.

Many people told me to try, but disagreeing with this technique, i never did, but later my friend Federico di Dato of Retrobitlab has tried it and actually seemed to work, i state that i did not believe it right away, the first thing i thought; it seemed like a cosmic bullshit.

Ok, i have to change my mind, it works!, below are the various phases and times of exposure to the sun (a beautiful sunny day!)

VIC-20 (front):

• Let’s start with the first photo just exposed under the sun, then 6 hours, +7 hours, 7 hours, so a total of 3 days = 20 hours.

VIC-20 (back):

• Let’s start with the first photo just exposed under the sun, then 2 and a half hours, 7 and a half hours so a total of 2 days = 10 hours.

Amiga 1200 Keyboard:

• Let’s start with the first photo just exposed under the sun, then 7 and a half hours x 3 days = 22 and a half hours.

Amiga 1200 TOP Case:

• Let’s start with the first photo just exposed under the sun, then 7 and a half hours x 3 days = 22 and a half hours.

I have not used any chemical product, there is nothing more to say.

Lightbrighting technique:

NEW TAG: C64 BIG GAME PACK

Some new games or tools (Cracked / Trained or Unrealeased) for Commodore 64 have been released from your favorites groups.

Titles:

• Commodore Dungeon Preview &D
• Lava Flow +1DG
• Lost Realms of Murkasada Episode 1 +2
• Kong +3
• Ninja Carnage +3D [spanish]
• Lost Realms of Murkasada Episode 1
• Kong +
• Ninja Carnage +3D [english]
• Ninja Carnage +3D [german]
• Ninja Carnage +3D [polish]
• Ninja Carnage +3D [italian]
• Ninja Carnage +3D [greek]
• Ninja Carnage +3D [french]
• Phoenix Recovered +2M
• Phoenix-Recovered +4H
• The Mad Scientist +2
• Phoenix-Recovered
• Phoenix-Recovered +2
• Laser Invaders +3
• Lost Realms of Murkasada Episode 1 +3 [tape]
• The Raven +1DGMS
• T-Rex 64 Preview 4 +2H
• Islands +1DG
• Minotaur Maze +1D
• Space Battle +1D
• Polar Pete +1D
• Kiro +2
• Lady Pac +
• Dig Dug +1DGHJM
• Droid Rumble [seuck]
• Space Eggs [seuck]
• Roboform-X 2 [seuck]
• Galaga Preview +1D
• Galaga Preview &D
• Galaga Preview 2
• Freeway +1D
• TAZ +1HD
• Taz C64 +1D
• Rock Invaders
• Pilot Lander
• Lady Pac V1.0.3 +1D
• Fast Food +1D
• Fast Food +1HD
• Plekthora +2D
• Midsummer Olympics +TD
• Thunderground +1HD
• Thunderground +1D
• Plekthora +3HD
• Heli 1983 Part 2 +3D
• Lady Pac V1.0.4 +1D
• Space Snakes +2DG
• Time of Silence +1DW
• The Empire Strikes Back Preview +2
• Phoenix Fight +1G
• Ranatan
• Final Defense +1DGF
• Heat Seeker +1DG
• Heli 1983 Part 2 V1.1 +5DF
• Tanks 3000 +D [EasyFlash Release]
• Head On +D
• Cyborgrid
• Alchemist64 &DJ
• Cosmic Jailbreak +1DGH

Download: All Games in One Archive (4013)

source: csdb.dk

Bildschirmtext (Btx) was a German online service that existed from 1983 to 2001.

To use the service with a C64, this decoder cartridge was required, which connected to the expansion port.

The cartridge is actually a Siemens product, it’s just Commodore-branded.

The sticker says:

• SIEMENS
• Universal Btx Decoder
• S30817-S721-B101-7/02 EX/W8
• A30817-X732-B100-4-11
• Commodore Artikel Nr. 606491

The box with the Deutsche Bundespost logo is the registration (A506 131V). At the time, only explicitly Post-approved devices and software were allowed to be used for participating in Bildschirmtext.

(This is the “Btx Decoder Modul II”, even though the cartridge doesn’t say so. There was a completely different first model.)

There are three DIN ports at the back, from left to right:

• Modem: This connects to the proprietary Deutsche Bundespost “DBT-03” modem (1200 baud down, 75 baud up).
• RGB: This is for connecting an analog RGB monitor.
• FBAS: This port is identical to the C64 video port and allows using a C64 monitor.

The Post-approval for participating in Bildschirmtext required the decoder to be able to show a pixel-exact image of the service (480×240 pixels with 32 out of 4096 colors)1. Since the VIC-II in the C64 could not meet this, the decoder cartridge had its own video controller and therefore its own video ports.

The board reveals that the cartridge doesn’t only have its own video chip, it also has its own CPU, RAM and ROM – it’s a complete computer that only connects to the C64 in order to reuse the keyboard and the disk drive.

These are the major chips:

• Motorola MC6803: a 6800-family microcontroller
• Motorola MC68HC34: Dual-Port Memory Unit
• 64 KB RAM (two 41464 64Kx4 DRAM)
• 32 KB EPROM
• D65040GF206: NEC µPD65000 series CMOS gate array

The communication with the modem, the decoding of the CEPT data stream and the interaction with the Btx service are handled by 6800 CPU and the software in the EPROM.

I am assuming the software writes the RGB values of every single scanline into the dual-port memory in real-time, which the gate array then reads to generate the video signal – like on the Atari VCS and the Sinclair ZX81. This keeps the complexity of the video hardware minimal.

The chipset and the firmware are probably very similar to the technology used in dedicated Bildschirmtext terminals.

Gallery:

source: pagetable.com

The High Voltage SID Collection (HVSC) is a freeware hobby project which organises Commodore 64 music (also known as SID music) into an archive for both musicians and fans alike.

The work on the collection is done completely in the Team and contributors’ spare time and is proudly one of the largest and most accurate computer music collections known.

This update features (all approximates):

• 729 new SIDs
• 31 fixed/better rips
• 11 repeats/bad rips eliminated
• 314 SID credit fixes
• 23 SID model/clock infos
• 6 tunes from /DEMOS/UNKNOWN/ identified
• 3 tunes from /GAMES/ identified
• 28 tunes moved out of /DEMOS/ to their composers’ directories
• 5 tunes moved out of /GAMES/ to their composers’ directories

The collection should contain 54,387 SID files!

Download:

• HVSC Update #75 (604)
• Complete HVSC #75 (659)

source: www.hvsc.c64.org

Some new games or tools (Cracked / Trained or Unrealeased) for Commodore 64 have been released from your favorites groups.

Titles:

• Mimizuku Saga 10
• Helsing’s Hunt Preview 2 +2
• Moonspire 2 Preview +3
• The Unexpected +1D
• Swoop +
• Rogue4k V7 +3D
• C64 RPG Preview 2 +D
• Tetrabits Preview
• Terminal Fighter Preview V3 +4
• Cross Horde Preview +2D
• Ghost Mountain
• Para Lander DX +2D
• Para Lander DX
• Mario’s Cement Factory V1.3.1 +1HD
• UP
• Heli 1983 +3
• Space Dock +1D
• Jericho II &DG
• Xenium +3
• Tank Shootout &DG
• Para Lander DX +3D
• Space Swarm 64 V3.2 +2 [seuck]
• Birdie Bird V3.2 +2 [seuck]
• Dragon Soul V1.4 +2 [seuck]
• 1-Bit Dungeon V1.2 +2 [seuck]
• Puzzle Mania +1D
• Killer Olives +3DG
• Risk
• Heli1983 +5DF
• Survival Messenger Adventure
• Rocket Roger +5HDG
• Jump Out +2PH
• Jump Out +
• Synthia in the Cyber Crypt +2D [seuck]
• Mountaineer Mack +1D
• Space Panic
• Space Panic +3D
• Cross Horde V1.0 +2D
• Laser Invaders +
• Buccaneer’s Cache
• Candy Conquer +1JH
• Small Grid +
• Lost Tomb +3D
• Edufun! Mathfun! Frenzy & Flip Flop +D
• Tetris V1.4
• Destiny Hunter Preview +3D
• Dreamland
• T-Rex Runner 64 Preview V3 +2D
• Space Portal +2
• Murdlok + [german]
• Burger Mayhem Preview +1D
• Murdlok + [english]
• Minesweep V1.1
• Freecell V2.1
• Ricochet +D
• Watrfall &D
• Citro Drag &DT
• Ascension +1D
• Revenge of the Mutant Camels 2021 +2H
• Destiny Hunter +3D
• Alien Invasion +4HF
• Balloon Pop +1D
• Worron +3 [final version]
• Hexed Preview
• Tubes’n'Balls
• Tubes’n'Balls +2F
• Hibernated 1: This Place is Death – Director’s Cut (R6)
• Wrecking Ball Preview +3
• Witch Rescue Service Preview 2 +
• Rogue64 Preview +3D
• Nixy – The Glade Sprite +2
• Gyro Run
• Santa Claus Preview
• Snow Wars +2
• Gyro Run +3D
• Ninja Carnage
• Wheel of Fortune HF Special Edition V3.2
• Ninja Carnage +3D
• Ninja Carnage +1D
• Brush Strokes +4D
• Writhen +D
• Babylon’s Ark &D
• Bounce +5D
• Blox Trot +D
• Snow Wars +2
• Dogfight in Space +1DG
• Midway Command &D
• Chute Shootout &D
• Drixella’s Dilemma &D
• Delta War &D
• Gantry &D
• Ghoul Dogs +3DG
• Eremit Preview &D
• Same64 Preview +JD
• Worron + [final version]
• Spanky Doodle Dandy
• Spanky Doodle Dandy Preview
• Choplifter +1DGHJM

Download: All Games in One Archive (4253)

source: csdb.dk

Some new games or tools (Cracked / Trained or Unrealeased) for Commodore 64 have been released from your favorites groups.

Titles:

• Virus64 +2DG
• Turbo Poker &DG
• Umbrellas +1DG
• Planet Raider +2DGJ
• Wizard’s Demons +3DGH
• Litterbug +3D
• Koło Fortuny +4MT
• Bee Zone +2D
• Rascals +1DGJ
• Direct Hit +1D
• Ted Bear’s Rainy Day Games +D
• Super Bart Simpson +2
• Space Trek +2DG
• Dragon Hort Preview 2 +4
• Snake &DF
• Below the Root [1581]
• Target-X +2
• Jungeljakt [norwegian]
• Boray Gammon V2.31
• Berries +2D
• Termites! +1DGH
• Cats & Mice +2D
• BB Barrage &DG
• Apple Willy +1DG
• Wild Snake Boa +5DH
• Snackman Sales Version &D
• Flykten &D [swedish]
• PiXi
• Country Cab +1DG
• Wasteland Enhanced IDE64 fix
• Runestones &DG
• Lincoln Green +2DG
• Checker Command +1DG
• Coins +3DG
• Every Conversation I’ve Had With “Non Gamer” Girls at Parties
• Ice Guys +12
• Statyettens förbannelse [swedish]
• Alternate Reality – The Dungeon +MDF
• Invest and Win +TGD
• The Caverns of Tundor +1DGH
• Drakögats makt [swedish]
• Mono (Reset64 Edition) +4D
• Face Invaders +2DGH
• Altered Beast +8DHI
• Death-Quest Kullen [swedish]
• F1 +2TJD
• Crillion Junior +GJ
• Splish Splash +3H
• Psion Attack 2021 +1D
• Spider Fighter +3
• Spider Fighter
• Exterminator 64
• Spider Fighter +3
• Pancakes &D
• Space Firehawk +2
• Space Firehawk +5H
• Chomper +1DG
• HELI 1983 Preview +3
• Ray Fish [seuck]
• Meteor Math +1DG
• Gypsy Juggler +1D
• Krptar +3DF
• Pubjumper Mario +5DG
• Sammy Seal +2DG
• Ray Fish +2 [seuck]
• Det fruktansvärda äventyret [swedish]
• Trap 64 [swedish]
• Megamania 64 +5DF
• Döds-stjärna [swedish]
• Ship of the Line +DG
• Arcade Baseball +1D
• Mr.Business [swedish]
• Mario’s Brewery V2 +2DG
• Star Trek: Last Hope +1D
• Bloop +1D
• Super Nova V2 +3D
• Pinhead +1DG
• Traverse +3DG
• Grid Run +2DG
• Pac Invaders &D
• Daedaloff [255 bytes]
• Rock Paper Scissors [256 bytes]
• Towers of Hanoi [255 bytes]
• Charfall
• Mastermind [254 bytes]
• Star Trek Voyager Basic
• Dark Catacombs +1D
• Leilei Relay +2D
• Leilei Relay
• Bunny Chase +2D
• Frogman V2 +2DGH
• Space Condors +
• Bomb Squad +
• Dabbelklick +FT
• Katics 4k V1.1 +3
• Worms Borders 93%
• Borderline Pac-Man 92%
• Pickaxe Pete Preview +1D
• Borderline Pacman Preview 92% +
• Space Invaders +2
• Mini-Zork II +SM
• Dot Gobbler V2 +1DGH
• Rogue4k V1.1 +1D
• Crazy Blaster V1.3 +7HD
• Worms Borders 93% +
• Borderline Pac-Man 92% +
• Space Jump +3DGH
• Pickaxe Pete +3HD
• Rubber Bandit Ball +2D
• Hip Hop +3DG
• Lil’ Red Hatchback +1D
• Rogue4k V1.1 +3D
• Big Time Bugger +2D
• Rogue4k V2 +3D
• Ski +1D
• Sack Race +1D
• Ram Rod +D
• Bullshit
• Battleships
• Package Delivery (Cheater’s Edition)
• Kiteee
• Gardening vs. Global Warming
• Defuse
• Panic in the Bank
• Package Delivery
• Loopy
• Breakdance
• Ski
• Bloop V1.1
• Squeeze &D
• Boxnightmare
• Gardening vs. Global Warming +1D
• Schnip &D
• Centered
• Eggs
• Colour Screen Invaders +2 [seuck]
• Green Screen Invaders +2 [seuck]
• Snake Pit +1DG
• Tack Truck &DG
• Katics 4k
• Loopy +1D
• Floaty Balloon
• Para Lander Mini
• Rocket Away

Download: All Games in One Archive (4495)

source: csdb.dk

This is a Modem for Commodore 64 to allow the connection to the Compunet services.

Compunet was a United Kingdom based interactive service provider, catering primarily for the Commodore 64 but later for the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST. It was also known by its users as CNet.

Compunet hosted a wide range of content, and users were permitted to create their own sections within which they could upload their own graphics, articles and software. A custom editor existed in which the “frames” that made up the pages could be created either offline or when connected to the service.

The editor’s cache allowed users to quickly download a set of pages, then disconnect from the service in order to read them, thus saving on telephone costs.

Gallery:

I don’t feel like unwrapping the Modem box so i will only take a pictures of the outside.

The 1670 was Commodores first “Hayes Compatible” modem. Hayes compatibility meant that the modem understood a series of control commands that had become the standard modem “language” (a language still used today).

Commodore marketed the 1670 at Commodore 128 users, even going so far as to claim that the Commodore 64 was too slow to use the 1670 at 1200 baud.

This was false, however; the Commodore 64 could use the 1670 without problems. The original 1670 also had an annoying feature of answering your phone on the first ring automatically whenever it was plugged in.

Later, a newer version of the modem was released with a dip switch allowing you to turn this “feature” off. This later version was called the “New 1670″ or the “1670CR”, and except for the extra dip switch in back, was identical to the old 1670 modem.

Gallery:

The VICMODEM it’s been the first modem to cost under 100$ and the first to sold over a million units, contributing to the diffusion of online services and BBSes outside laboratories, universities, big Companies and military agencies.

Much of the credit for the project goes to Michael Tomczyk, who also created the Commodore Information Network to decrease the workload of the customer service department of the company. In 1982 the section with the most traffic on Compuserve was the Commodore network.

The modem connects to the user port of the Commodore VIC 20/64/128; on one side there’s a switch to choose if the computer answers the call (A) or originates it (O).

On the back there’s the plug for the cable that usually is connected to the phone handset – the modem couldn’t directly dial the number, so you had to dial it on the phone and then connect the modem in place of the handset.

You can read the full article by Giacomo Vernoni here

Gallery:

Firmware upgrades for THEC64 Mini/Max & TheVIC20 provide new features and/or correct any technical issues.

We always recommend that you use the latest version of the firmware.

Version 1.5.2 – Changes and additions:

• [THEC64 Full size European] Fixes missing Bluestar carousel cover image which was broken in release v1.5.1 under some circumstances
• [All models] Adds C64 joystick port selection; see notes below
• Adds C64 only Classic mode added to THEC64 Mini
• Adds disk swapping added to THEC64 Mini
• [All models] Adds Commodore REU support with 512K, 2MB or 16MB as filename flags or CJM parameters; see notes below
• New games for THEC64 Mini: Hessian (C64) and PET Snake (C64)
• New games for THEC64 full size: Hessian (C64), PET Snake (C64), City Crusher(VIC20) and Mine Sweep (VIC20)
• New games for THEVIC20: Hessian (C64), PET Snake (C64), City Crusher(VIC20) and Mine Sweep (VIC20)

Notes:

To enable REU support you can use either a filename flag or a CJM file parameter. Note that REU support does not work with VIC20 software.

To select using a filename flag, use one of the following:

• R5 = 512K REU enabled
• R2 = 2MB REU enabled
• RM = 16MB REU enabled

For example:

myreudisk_R5.d64

See the user manual for further details on the use of filename flags.

To select with a CJM file, use one of the following parameters:

• reu512 = 512K REU enabled
• reu2048 = 2MB REU enabled
• reu16384 = 16MB REU enabled

For example:

X:64,reu16384

See the user manual for further details on creating CJM files.

To switch the joystick in use between joystick port 1 or port 2 when running a C64 program, press and hold the joystick ☰ button, and then pressing joystick Ⓐ for port 1 or joystick Ⓑ for port 2. This will override the J1 filename flag or CJM primary port setting, if either are supplied.

Changes from previous versions:

• v1.4.2 – Fixes an issue with THEC64 Full size: Under some circumstances C64 games may not recognise joystick port 2 when VIC 20 is the default machine
• v1.4.2 – Adds Datasette controls for tape files in THEC64 Classic mode Media Access menu
• v1.4.2 – Adds soft and hard reset hot-keys to THEC64 and THEVIC20 Classic mode
• v1.4.2 – Adds freeze button support to THEC64 and THEVIC20 Classic mode
• v1.4.2 – Adds C64 games Barnsley Badger, Soulless, Galencia and Planet of Death, plus VIC20 games Blue Star, The Keep, and Gridrunner to THEC64 North American model
• v1.4.2 – Adds C64 games Barnsley Badger and Soulless, plus VIC20 games Blue Star and The Keep to the European THEC64 and THEVIC20 “Special Edition THEC64” models
• v1.4.2 – Adds C64 games Barnsley Badger and Soulless to all THEC64 Mini models
• v1.4.2 – Fixes Tank Battle on THEVIC20 to support two joysticks

Download:

• TheC64/TheVIC20 Firmware v1.5.2 (805)

source: retrogames.biz

Modem and Software for Commodore 64 by Total Telecommunications.

Full-duplex 300 Baud CCITT V21 Modem with Auto Dial, Auto Answer complete with software and manual for Commodore 64.

Gallery:

The Siel Midi interface allows the connection of one or more electronic synthesizers to a C64 or a Spectrum.

The interface communicates with the instruments through a standard communication protocol developed expressly for the interconnection of electronic instruments and called MIDI (Musical Instruments Digital Interface).

Produced by the Italian SIEL, manufacturer of popular electronic keyboards in the 80s, this MIDI interface is equipped with appropriate software application that also allows you to compose music, archive the compositions and listen to them again, save and program instrument timbres and other things.

The device is supplied with a special connector enabling immediate connection to the Commodore 64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum.

Gallery:

Download: Siel Midi-CMK49 C64 Software (920)

source: MCmicrocomputer #39 (March 1985)

The Commodore 1520 is a printer/plotter made by Commodore and the printer mechanism made by Alps. The printer has a IEC interface and is a device that draws computer graphics on paper using fiber pens.

The advantage of this device compared to a printer is the good resolution and especially the precision. The second advantage was that these were the first color printers.The main disadvantage is the very low printing speed and that you could not print areas so well with plotters.

Plotters were primarily intended for technical drawings, as the typeface usually looked very scrawly.

Gallery:

The Commodore 1581 is a 3½-inch double-sided double-density floppy disk drive that was released by Commodore Business Machines (CBM) in 1987, primarily for its C64 and C128 home/personal computers.

The drive stores 800 kilobytes using an MFM encoding but formats different from the MS-DOS (720 kB), Amiga (880 kB), and Mac Plus (800 kB) formats.

With special software it’s possible to read C1581 disks on an x86 PC system, and likewise, read MS-DOS and other formats of disks in the C1581 (using Big Blue Reader), provided that the PC or other floppy handles the “720 kB” size format.

This capability was most frequently used to read MS-DOS disks. The drive was released in the summer of 1987 and quickly became popular with bulletin board system (BBS) operators and other users.

Specifications:

• Onboard CPU: MOS Technology 6502 @ 2 MHz
• RAM: 8 kB
• ROM: 32 kB
• Disk controller: WD1770 or WD1772
• Communications controller: MOS Technology 8520A
• Transfer protocols: Standard and fast serial; burst mode; and commands for parallel interface (the latter not used)
• Disk type: 3.5″ inch
• Storage format: MFM, double density, double-sided
• Interface: CBM’s proprietary serial IEEE-488
• Power: 5 V @ 1 A (5 VA) – 12 V @ 0.5 A (6 VA)

Gallery:

The Oceanic OC-118N Floppy Drive is a perfect clone of a Commodore 1541/1541-II Floppy Drive.

The strong point of this Floppy Drive is the compatibility, i would say almost total with all the software available for Commodore 64 including obviously fastLoader/original software.

There are two models of OC-118N.

The model with three dip switches and the model with two dip switches.

The difference between one and the other model is essentially the ROM; JIFFYDOS Licensed (three dip switches) / R-DOS -ROX-DOS? (two dip switches).

Between the two models there are also some differences on the mechanical part (see photo) and also seems that on the three dip switches model the front sticker is missing (not confirmed).

Gallery:

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