General Stuff(tm)

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DoG
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by DoG »

stephen_usher wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 7:36 pm Why is it when you're doing an order for RS, Farnell etc. you rack your brains thinking if there's anything else to add, spend 5 minutes doing this before hitting the order button and then a minute later you find something that you've forgotten?
Every f**ing time...
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stephen_usher
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

Well, it was only rectangular, red LED. Found 100 for ~£8 on Amazon, so that's OK. 8p per LED is a reasonable price. Not sure I'll be able to use the other 99 LEDs though. :-)
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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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

The other day I had a look on-line for EPROM erasers and was shocked at their price. Over £80 for the cheapest (non-Chinese electricution risk version) one! It's a box, UV lamp and timer... How can it be that expensive?
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 »

I have a Chinese UV eraser, cost I think about £15 shipped from eBay. I try not to think about the questionable electrical safety as it erases my EPROMs lovely.

I get a decent tan if I sit near it when it's in use too.

As for Farnell, RS, DigiKey etc, every bloody time.
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 »

Seeing as I'm now waiting for the MkII circuit board for the Apricot memory board to be manufactured it's back to the Amstrad CPC6128, or rather the Gotek and mounting bracket.

This morning I've replaced the round green LED with a more prototypical red rectangular one, in the same location as the original drive has it, and made a hole for the rotary encoder, if it ever turns up. The encoder was supposed to have been sent 1st Class "Signed for" on Monday and it's still not arrived.

IMG_2399.jpg
IMG_2399.jpg (38.76 KiB) Viewed 1981 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.
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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 »

No hardware hacking today. Instead I've been creating the info-signage for my displays at the Retro Computer Festival in Cambridge next month.

Just as a taster, here are the titles for Saturday:

British-Computers-Mid80s.jpg
British-Computers-Mid80s.jpg (126.69 KiB) Viewed 1959 times

and Sunday:

Sixteen-Thirty-Two.jpg
Sixteen-Thirty-Two.jpg (126.41 KiB) Viewed 1959 times

Each system will have its own A4 info-display too.
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: Sun Sep 19, 2021 3:46 pm No hardware hacking today. Instead I've been creating the info-signage for my displays at the Retro Computer Festival in Cambridge next month.

Just as a taster, here are the titles for Saturday:
British-Computers-Mid80s.jpg
and Sunday:
Sixteen-Thirty-Two.jpg

Each system will have its own A4 info-display too.
Nice, if I can make it up on one of the days I'll be able to find you :)
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 »

Well, i might as well post the whole lot as I have pictures...

Saturday:

IMG_2402.jpg
IMG_2402.jpg (304.86 KiB) Viewed 1944 times

Sunday:

IMG_2403.jpg
IMG_2403.jpg (277.99 KiB) Viewed 1944 times

I've a 1.8m wide table to fill with stuff.
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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HigashiJun
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Location: Tokyo

Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by HigashiJun »

stephen_usher wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 2:26 pm Seeing as I'm now waiting for the MkII circuit board for the Apricot memory board to be manufactured it's back to the Amstrad CPC6128, or rather the Gotek and mounting bracket.

This morning I've replaced the round green LED with a more prototypical red rectangular one, in the same location as the original drive has it, and made a hole for the rotary encoder, if it ever turns up. The encoder was supposed to have been sent 1st Class "Signed for" on Monday and it's still not arrived.


IMG_2399.jpg
Looks nice !

I feel like doing the same mod on mine.
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stephen_usher
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

Well, it's definitely time to start preparing for the show.

This evening I've sprayed the top cover of my 520STM with sealant, which I didn't do when I painted it a couple of years ago. This should make the paint robust enough in the long term.

Now I've got the Third Coast Technologies HD box down from the loft and I've wiped the SD2SCSI drive connected to the ICD AdSCSI host adapter and am starting from scratch using ICD Utils. The aim is for a true representation of an early 90s machine with Spectre GCR install and a Mac environment. No need for games on this one.
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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