Introduction

Since mid-2008 I've been documenting my adventures with these old computers. These jottings help me remember what I've done but hopefully they are also interesting or even useful to others.

The list below shows the entries to date. I've grouped them under rough categories, with the latest post at the top. If interested in following these activites, subscribe to this RSS feed.

Checkout the planned projects page for a hint of what's coming...

Enjoy!

(1) Repairs, restoration and new acquisitions

• Macintosh Classic II shows vertical stripes and won't boot. A safer alternative to the "Dishwasher" solution (9th January, 2012)
• An RCA CDP1802 (COSMAC) trainer of unknown origin (11th December, 2011)
• Smoke from a BBC PSU - A repair four years in the waiting (5th December, 2011)
• TRS-80 Model 1 RS-232 - The puzzling case of the burnt-out baud rate generator (29th October, 2011)
• The NEC PC-8281a and The Personal Application Kit - A cassette drive plus software for the NEC PC-8201a (26th September, 2011)
• Deleting At Ease on a Macintosh Classic II (6th August, 2011)
• Black and white monitor blank out: An easy fix (I think) (20th July, 2011)
• Repairing two faulty Commodore PET mainboards - Part 2 (16th July, 2011)
• Repairing two faulty Commodore PET mainboards - Part 1 (14th July, 2011)
• Upgrading ROMS with EPROMS in a Commodore PET (4th July, 2011)
• Exidy Sorcerer BASIC ROM-PAC repair (Part 2) - ROM replacement with EPROM (2nd July, 2011)
• Exidy Sorcerer BASIC ROM-PAC repair (Part 1) - Diagnosis (26th June, 2011)
• Welcoming an Exidy Sorcerer (8th June, 2011)
• A massive 5.25 inch floppy disk haul (5th June, 2011)
• Another Apple 8-bit adventure: Restoring two Apple IIe units (Part 5) - Disk Drives (9th May, 2011)
• Another Apple 8-bit adventure: Restoring two Apple IIe units (Part 4) - Mixing main components) (8th May, 2011)
• Another Apple 8-bit adventure: Restoring two Apple IIe units (Part 3) - The Apple IIe (standard or non-enhanced) (6th May, 2011)
• Another Apple 8-bit adventure: Restoring two Apple IIe units (Part 2) - The Apple IIe (enhanced) (4th May, 2011)
• Another Apple 8-bit adventure: Restoring two Apple IIe units (Part 1) - Initial checks (28th April, 2011)
• Removing graffiti and marks from computer cases: an IBM 5151 Monochrome Monitor (24th April, 2011)
• Keys damaged on an Apple Lisa. Poor retr0bright technique possibly at fault (11th April)
• Repairing Apple Lisa 2 512k Memory Boards (Error 70) (2nd April, 2011)
• Repairing and Rejuvenating an Apple Lisa 2/10 (Macintosh XL) (5th March, 2011)
• Time and Date fixes for an IBM XT, a Kaypro 4 and a Pentium 1 (11th January, 2011)
• Salvaging an Apple Lisa 2 (11th January, 2011)
• A Christmas Kaypro 4 (20th December, 2010)
• A new Spectravideo 728 (26th November, 2010)
• Wellington Osborne 1a- Insert disk in Drive A and press Enter (You idiot!) (25th November, 2010)
• Wellington haul - The aftermath (23rd November, 2010)
• Sussing out a Shimasu 286-16 (20th November, 2010)
• Exploring a Commodore PC-10 III (20th November, 2010)
• Impressions of the Commodore PC-5 (14th November, 2010)
• Checking out three IBM PS/2 30-286s (13th November, 2010)
• Firing up a New Zealand Telecom Computerphone (aka ICL One-per-desk or OPD)! (9th November, 2010)
• Repairing and Restoring an IBM XT (5th November, 2010)
• Dick Smith System 80 / Video Genie / PMC -80 video problem: Another one! (28th October, 2010)
• Frustrating floppy controller fix in a Dick Smith System 80 X-4020 Expansion Unit (23rd October, 2010)
• Mysterious RAM problems in two Dick Smith System 80 X-4020 Expansion Units (21st October, 2010)
• Restoring a second Dick Smith System 80 Part 4: Removing the yellow from the keys (3rd October, 2010)
• Restoring a second Dick Smith System 80 Part 3: Instability and a CPU board swap (2nd October, 2010)
• Restoring a second Dick Smith System 80 Part 2: Cassette repair (30th September, 2010)
• Restoring a second Dick Smith System 80. Part 1: Missing memory fix (28th September, 2010)
• Restoring three Dick Smith System 80 drives (14th September, 2010)
• Wellington vintage computer haul (12th September, 2010)
• TRS-80 Model III fails to boot! (by Philip Avery) (10th September, 2010)
• Kaypro II boot failure fix. A lesson in making assumptions (8th September, 2010)
• Fixing an Atari 400 'garbage screen' issue (5th September, 2010)
• Faulty RAM traced to power supply in an Atari 800XL (29th August, 2010)
• A wavy video fix for a System 80 / Video Genie (27th August, 2010)
• A Dick Smith System 80 / Video Genie parts haul (27th August, 2010)
• Restoring a System 80 / Video Genie/ PMC-80 Part 5: Adding a switch for sound (30th July, 2010)
• Restoring a System 80 / Video Genie/ PMC-80 Part 4: Another cassette issue fixed (27th July, 2010)
• Restoring a System 80 / Video Genie/ PMC-80 Part 3: A replacement case, keyboard, RF cable and a cassette toggle switch (12th July, 2010)
• Restoring a System 80 / Video Genie/ PMC-80 Part 2: Fixing a cassette deck problem (6th July, 2010)
• Restoring a System 80 / Video Genie/ PMC-80 Part 1: Repairing a screen flicker issue (2nd July, 2010)
• Repairing a Dick Smith System 80/ Video Genie/ PMC-80 power supply unit (30th June, 2010)
• Fixing a disk corruption / reboot / no-boot problem on a System 80 (29th June, 2010)
• Tandon TM100 -2A disk drive alignment on an IBM-PC (5150) (29th June, 2010)
• Replacement rechargeable NiCad batteries for an Epson HX-20 (17th June, 2010)
• Repairing a Remex 5.25 inch floppy disk drive for a BBC (b) (12th April, 2010)
• Common 2716 EPROM technique for replacement Apple II PROMS has limitations (6th March, 2010)
• Incorrect IOU replacement causes Apple Colour Screen shimmy and vertical misalignment in an Apple IIe Platinum (4th March, 2010)
• Fixing a keyboard problem on a Kaypro II (26th February, 2010)
• Fixing and upgrading a NEC 8201a (with more than a little help from my friends) (23rd February, 2010)
• A TRS-80 Model 100 as a Kaypro II Keyboard (by Philip Avery) (18th February, 2010)
• Smoke from a Kaypro II. The fault and the fix (15th January, 2010)
• Modifying a Dallas DS 1287 battery/real-time clock in a Compaq SLT/286 Portable Computer (6th December, 2009)
• Replacing the full-stroke keyboard on a CBM 3032 (Commodore PET) (14th November, 2009)
• My new NEC 8201a (and some comparisons with the TRS-80 Model 100) (5th November, 2009)
• Fixing a Flat Dallas DS1287 Real Time Clock Chip (10th October, 2009)
• Restoring a PS/2 Model 70 (29th September, 2009)
• Turbulence on the way to a working IBM PS/2 Model 30-286 (19th September, 2009)
• Amiga 500 External Drive Fix (2nd September, 2009)
• Reviving an IBM AT: Part 2 - BIOS and hard drive setup (20th August, 2009)
• Reviving an IBM AT: Part 1 - Diagnosing a PSU non-start (17th August, 2009)
• An easy fix for a TRS-80 Colour Computer 1 keyboard problem (6th June, 2009)
• Ohio Scientific Challenger 1P: The Mystery of the Missing Memory (26th April, 2009)
• Mac SE resurrection. This time a Bridge too Far? (23rd April, 2009)
• Your Dishwasher. An Indispensable Tool for Fixing a Mac Classic II? (13th April, 2009)
• Disk drive repairs on an Osborne 1 (4th April, 2009)
• Other Apple II "Disk II"-type Drive Repairs (28th March, 2009)
• More Vintage Forensics: Re-repairing an Apple II+ Clone (26th March)
• Repairing two Apple II "Disk II"-modified TEAC Disk Drives (23rd March, 2009)
• Fixing a RAM problem on an IBM-PC (IBM 5150) (18th March, 2009)
• Recovering data by washing 5.25 inch disks with soap and water!! (21st Feb, 2009)
• Bringing a Vic-20 back from the dead (20th Feb, 2009)
• Blowing up and then fixing a Commodore 64 (14th Feb, 2009)
• Diagnosing faulty Commodore PET ROMS (6th Feb, 2009)
• De-yellowing an Apple IIe Platinum (5th Feb, 2009)
• Finishing the Atari 130XE restoration - Key de-yellowing (5th Feb, 2009)
• Repairing a Commodore Pet (Jan 27th, 2009)
• Fixing a Tandon TM100 drive on a Kaypro II (Jan 18th, 2009)
• More case de-yellowing. An Atari 130XL and a RX-8800 (Jan 1st, 2009)
• Removing the yellowing from a Vic-20 case (Dec 30th, 2008)
• Repairs to an old Osborne 1a (Dec 6th, 2008)
• Restoring and repairing an Apple IIe Platinum - last of the Apple haul (27th October, 2008)
• Restoring and repairing an Apple II+ (Europlus) (26th October, 2008)
• Replacing the keyboard membrane in a Sinclair QL (19th October, 2008)
• Restoring a Commodore Executive SX-64 (Oct 18th, 2008)
• Turning an Apple II+ Clone into a CP/M Workhorse (Sept 26th, 2008)
• Working through the rest of the Apple haul (Sept 20th, 2008)
• Restoring and repairing two Apple ][+ clones (Sept 19th, 2008)
• Leaky battery consequences in an Apple IIgs (Sept 4th, 2008)
• Salvaging a load of ailing old Apples (Sept 4th, 2008)
• A new Colour Genie! (Aug 24th, 2008)
• Upgrading the RAM on a Mac SE/30 (Aug 23rd, 2008)
• Repairing an IBM-PC (5150) CGA Monitor (Aug 23rd, 2008)

(2) Tips, how-tos and advice

• Writing software from floppy disk images to real floppy disks for numerous classic computers (23rd December, 2011)
• TRS-80 Model 4 file transfer (19th November, 2011)
• Adjusting the radial alignment a Tandon TM100 -2A drive without an alignment disk (by Philip Avery) (28th June, 2010)
• Tips on buying a vintage computer (10th February, 2010)
• Disassembling a Compaq SLT/286 Portable Computer (6th December, 2009)

(3) Research

• De-yellowing computers with laundry whiteners (i.e. sodium percarbonate) only (21st January, 2011)
• The Plummeting Price of Home Computers in the early-mid 1980s (30th May, 2009)
• De-yellowing old computer cases: Arrowroot vrs Xanthan Gum/Glycerine, and why heat and fast drying conditions are best avoided (22nd March, 2009)
• A Recipe for Removing Yellowing from Computer Cases (12th Feb, 2009)

(4) Experiences in saving/obtaining software

• Software for a Sinclair QL : From microdrive to disk drive (19th January, 2012)
• Obtaining software for an Exidy Sorcerer (18th June, 2011)
• Downloadable games and other software for the Commodore Pet (4th March, 2011)
• A games library for a Spectravideo 728 (3rd January, 2011)
• Stocking up a TRS-80 Model 4 with software (29th December, 2010)
• Stocking up on software for a Kaypro II (24th March, 2010)
• Writing 5¼” CP/M floppy disks on a 1.2MB PC drive with Windows 98 (by Philip Avery) (19th February, 2010)
• Maintaining an Atari 8-bit software collection using the Atarimax Universal SIO2PC Interface (1st January, 2010)
• Vintage Viruses - Dormant but not dead (30th August, 2009)
• Stocking up on Software for a Spectravideo 318 (11th August, 2009)
• Beta Testing a New Windows-enabled Colour Genie Emulator (28th July, 2009)
• Saving the Stringy Floppy: My small role in emulation development (18th July, 2009)
• Ohio Scientific Challenger 1P: Stocking up on Software (2nd May, 2009)
• Getting programs for a Commodore PET (20th Feb, 2009)
• Transferring single-density TRS-80 Model 1 disk images to real disks (Oct 7th, 2008)
• Rescuing colour genie programs from audio tape (Aug 29th, 2008)

(5) Reviews/Impressions

• Commodore disk drive emulation with PETdisk - A modern-day storage and file transfer solution for the Commodore PET (17th October, 2011)
• Retrospective impressions of OS/2 2.1 (3rd October, 2009)

(6) Resources

• Classic computer emulators (Original 6th April, 2010, latest update 12th May, 2011)
• Errors in the schematics in the NEC 8201a Service Manual (23rd February, 2010)
• The original Kaypro II User's Guide (2nd February, 2010)
• Micro Peripherals Model 51 and 52 Flexible Disk Drive Manual (13th December, 2009)