General Stuff(tm)

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rubber_jonnie
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by rubber_jonnie »

It's a shame the Apricots have had to go away, I was looking forward to more 'episodes' :)
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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stephen_usher
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

Hehe. They'll be back. I think I may try to get a couple of Goteks for the F1 and fit them in instead of the Sony drive. The only issue is access to the media and control. I'll have to think about that. I might need someone with a 3D printer to help me out too.

It would also be a good project for an internal RGBtoHDMI board, so I may have to investigate getting those fabricated by PCBway with the surface mount stuff pre-installed. It's a pity that I can't find anyone selling the pre-built boards on-line. (Getting the Rasp-Pi isn't an issue.)

I may try pulling the '8" floppy/5.25" floppy' switch pin on the controller low so as to reduce the data rate back to the normal 300rpm standard so that I don't need an extra image format in the FlashFloppy configuration. It may even be possible to fit a Gotek and a newer standard drive in the machine, with the real floppy being drive B. We'll see.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:29 pm Hehe. They'll be back. I think I may try to get a couple of Goteks for the F1 and fit them in instead of the Sony drive. The only issue is access to the media and control. I'll have to think about that. I might need someone with a 3D printer to help me out too.

It would also be a good project for an internal RGBtoHDMI board, so I may have to investigate getting those fabricated by PCBway with the surface mount stuff pre-installed. It's a pity that I can't find anyone selling the pre-built boards on-line. (Getting the Rasp-Pi isn't an issue.)

I may try pulling the '8" floppy/5.25" floppy' switch pin on the controller low so as to reduce the data rate back to the normal 300rpm standard so that I don't need an extra image format in the FlashFloppy configuration. It may even be possible to fit a Gotek and a newer standard drive in the machine, with the real floppy being drive B. We'll see.
Sounds like a few good things to come then. I may well also be in for some RGB2HDMI boards so let me know if you do decide to go down that route as we could perhaps share costs on a batch.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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stephen_usher
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Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

This morning there was a partial eclipse of the Sun and working from home I was able to get the Meade LX90 telescope and solar filter out...

So, here's the Moon eating the Sun... Note that you can just make out the mountains on the edge of the Moon as tiny lumps and bumps.

IMG_2339.jpg
IMG_2339.jpg (18.9 KiB) Viewed 6489 times

This was taken using my iPhone through the 40mm eye piece,
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:54 pm This morning there was a partial eclipse of the Sun and working from home I was able to get the Meade LX90 telescope and solar filter out...

So, here's the Moon eating the Sun... Note that you can just make out the mountains on the edge of the Moon as tiny lumps and bumps.

IMG_2339.jpg

This was taken using my iPhone through the 40mm eye piece,
Nice. I bloody missed it!
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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JezC
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by JezC »

We had a short break in the clouds just after midday, so saw the last stages of the eclipse...then 5 minutes later we had solid cloud cover again :roll:
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stephen_usher
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

It's not just Falcons which have clock chip issues, Sun workstations have them too.

For the older machines the M48T02 and M48T08 chips are still readily available but for the later Ultra machines they use the M48T59Y chip which is very similar to the M48T08 but also has the ability to send an interrupt to the machine at a certain time. Unfortunately they're not quite pin compatible with the previous chips and they're no-longer in production.

So, the only way to revive them (and the machines) is to Dremel away part of the package until you get to the internal connection to the epoxied in coin cell and piggy-back a CR2032.

This is what I've done today with the chip from the Sun Ultra 80 I had donated to me a few days ago.. not pretty but it works.

IMG_2341.jpg
IMG_2341.jpg (69.12 KiB) Viewed 6468 times
IMG_2342.jpg
IMG_2342.jpg (64.81 KiB) Viewed 6468 times
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
User avatar
stephen_usher
Posts: 5532
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

After working out which of the four CPU modules was half dead, discovering which RAM DIMM had an iffy parity chip and reprogramming the NVRAM I now have a fully working Sun Ultra 80! with 3GB of RAM.

(I'm pretty sure that the previous owner just wanted it out of the house. I believe that he offered me the machine a few years ago but I said no as I knew I had nowhere to store it... but now I have the storage unit.)

IMG_2343.jpg
IMG_2343.jpg (83.76 KiB) Viewed 6432 times
(Note: the machine is on its side.)

There's no way of putting this heavy lump upstairs and in the loft. OK, I did take it up and down the stairs once but it almost killed me. The thing must weigh about 60Kg! So, it'll be off to the storage tomorrow, if I can lift it in and out of the boot of the car that is!
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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stephen_usher
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Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

I’ve just discovered that the planning application for my workshop and model railway outbuilding has been refused. Apparently the top of the roof was 40cm too high (architect should have known this and not made it so high) and the planning officer thought the building too big and could be inhabitable. They didn’t ask if it would have any services such as water, which it won’t.

Bah!

Should have found a proper architect rather than one suggested to me as this one is obviously only good for minor extensions.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
User avatar
rubber_jonnie
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Posts: 10385
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: Essex
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:53 pm I’ve just discovered that the planning application for my workshop and model railway outbuilding has been refused. Apparently the top of the roof was 40cm too high (architect should have known this and not made it so high) and the planning officer thought the building too big and could be inhabitable. They didn’t ask if it would have any services such as water, which it won’t.

Bah!

Should have found a proper architect rather than one suggested to me as this one is obviously only good for minor extensions.
Ahh, that's rubbish, can you re-submit with the 40cm lopped off?
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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