General Stuff(tm)

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rubber_jonnie
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 2:52 pm It looks like I'll be exhibiting stuff at the Retro Computer Festival in Cambridge in October.
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/ ... h-October/

I've still to decide what to take. I have a 1.8m long table so I can only really have a couple of working machines, with some extra static display.

I could do:
  • Unusual British computers from the mid-80s. (Memotechs & Apricots (floppy converter and maybe RAM board) and possibly Sinclair QL (with Super Gold Card clone))
  • Accelerated Atari ST (520STFM+TF536 and CPU switch board) and Atari TT030.
  • Or something else.
I'd better decide quite quickly and start writing the display bumph and pulling together a set of software for the systems.
I've been thinking about it and I think you hit the nail on the head with item 1 on your list TBH. If you are going to take something Atari, I'd go for the TT as they were so much less visible in the UK compared to the normal ST.
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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Icky
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by Icky »

stephen_usher wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 2:52 pm It looks like I'll be exhibiting stuff at the Retro Computer Festival in Cambridge in October.
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/ ... h-October/

I've still to decide what to take. I have a 1.8m long table so I can only really have a couple of working machines, with some extra static display.

I could do:
  • Unusual British computers from the mid-80s. (Memotechs & Apricots (floppy converter and maybe RAM board) and possibly Sinclair QL (with Super Gold Card clone))
  • Accelerated Atari ST (520STFM+TF536 and CPU switch board) and Atari TT030.
  • Or something else.
I'd better decide quite quickly and start writing the display bumph and pulling together a set of software for the systems.
Have you got an H4 or H5 you can show @stephen_usher - how the ST still lives on.
rubber_jonnie wrote: Tue Sep 07, 2021 4:54 pm I've been thinking about it and I think you hit the nail on the head with item 1 on your list TBH. If you are going to take something Atari, I'd go for the TT as they were so much less visible in the UK compared to the normal ST.
The TT is a nice system @rubber_jonnie and a solid piece of kit to show.
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stephen_usher
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

No recreation boards I’m afraid.
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 »

I'm leaning towards having a different display each of the two days. On the Saturday the unusual British computers and the second day the TT and modified STFM.
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 Sep 08, 2021 9:44 am I'm leaning towards having a different display each of the two days. On the Saturday the unusual British computers and the second day the TT and modified STFM.
Sounds like a plan :)
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 »

I've just been out the back garden doing a photo shoot for RMC's charity "crashed retro micro" calendar.

Took the Macintosh Portable out into its natural environment, powered on and hit the debug switch to cause it to crash and get a sad Mac.

Anyway, not all of the photos were of it crashed. :-)

DSC_6032.jpg
DSC_6032.jpg (51.56 KiB) Viewed 2095 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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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

In other news, I sanded down the rather crudely 3D printed frame which I got with the Gotek for the Amstrad CPC6128.

After sanding on a flat surface with first 250 grit and then 600 grit wet and dry I then polished with tooth paste and finally sprayed it with clear, satin sealant.

Doesn't look too bad at all now. The next jobs will be adding a rotary encoder and replacing the round, green LED with a rectangular red one, more in keeping with the original drive.

IMG_2377.jpg
IMG_2377.jpg (47.38 KiB) Viewed 2089 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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HigashiJun
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by HigashiJun »

Nice to know you have a CPC6128 !

:D
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stephen_usher
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

I got it last weekend, or rather picked it up then. I won the eBay auction a couple of weeks before but it was a personal pick-up only and in Bristol, about 60 miles away.
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
Posts: 5580
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
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Re: General Stuff(tm)

Post by stephen_usher »

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?

D'oh!
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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