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 grouped under rough categories. Latest additions will be posted on my Twitter account at @classiccomputNZ so follow me there if you want to be notified. The planned projects page gives a hint of what I might tackle in the future...

Enjoy!

Tips, how-tos and advice

• Aligning a full-height floppy disk drive when the alignment screw proves inadequate. Check the stepper motor coupling! (3rd September, 2022)
• Why can’t my computer read my floppy disks? One possibility: disk degradation and/or damage (14th January, 2020)
• Linux as a good alternative to Windows for older hardware (14th June, 2019)
• Reading floppy disk images in Windows 10 (30th March, 2018)
• How to add USB flash drive capability to MS-DOS and Windows 98 (6th February, 2018)
• EPROMS: The minimum you need to know to burn your own (22nd October, 2012)
• Writing software from floppy disk images to real floppy disks for numerous classic computers (Original 23rd December, 2011. Some linked pages updated 28th July, 2015)
• 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 (Original 10th February, 2010. Latest update 28th July, 2015)
• Classic computer emulators (Original 6th April, 2010, latest update 14th May, 2023)

Research

• De-yellowing (Retrobrighting) plastics in computer gear: Is the Sun all you need? (20th March, 2020)
• Viscount Electronics: Memories of personal computer retailing in the early to mid-1980s in New Zealand (27th August, 2018)
• Retr0Bright (or RetroBright) treated plastics re-yellowing even with minimal light exposure? (15th January, 2013)
• 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)
• Recovering data by washing 5.25 inch disks with soap and water!! (21st Feb, 2009)

Repairs, acquisitions, adventures or reference

• Worlds Inc. Worlds Chat and Time Warner's The Palace: Life in two Graphical Chat Environments from 1995-2002 (Part 1) (15th Dec, 2022)
• Worlds Inc. Worlds Chat and Time Warner's The Palace: Life in two Graphical Chat Environments from 1995-2002 (Part 2) (16th Dec, 2022)
• Worlds Inc. Worlds Chat and Time Warner's The Palace: Life in two Graphical Chat Environments from 1995-2002 (Part 3) (17th Dec, 2022)
• Worlds Inc. Worlds Chat and Time Warner's The Palace: Life in two Graphical Chat Environments from 1995-2002 (Part 4) (18th Dec, 2022)
• Second New Zealand Lower North Island Vintage Computer Meet (25th October, 2021)
• New Zealand Lower North Island Vintage Computer Meet (6th May, 2021)
• SD2PET Future: An SD card storage solution for the Commodore PET (A Review) (22nd April, 2020) (Note: this link is duplicated in the Commodore PET section below)
• Adventures with an 8 inch (8”) disk drive - Part 1. New acquisition: A Mitsubishi M2896-6 (15th April, 2017)
• Adventures with an 8 inch (8”) disk drive - Part 2. Preparation and testing (15th April, 2017)
• Adventures with an 8 inch (8”) disk drive - Part 3. Imaging and extracting files from my own Panasonic JD-850M and Poly 1 8” floppies (15th April, 2017)
• PA SITE: An Archaeological Simulation for New Zealand Schools (for the Apple II) (27th February, 2017)
• The Challenger 1P Technical Report (25th December, 2016)
• Testing computers in a computer collection. Here's what usually happens... (28th November, 2015)
• Re-coding classic-computers.org.nz for Mobile (and modern browsers) (A RetroChallenge 2015/07 project)
• Atari SIO2SD disk drive emulator (13th June, 2015) (Note: this link is duplicated in the Atari section below)
• Xmas Rescue for an Apple Mac Plus and several Apple IIe Platinums (23rd Dec, 2014)
• Replacement disk drives for a TRS-80 Model 1 or Dick Smith System 80: The HxC SD Floppy Disk Drive Emulator (6th April, 2014) (Note: this link is duplicated in the System 80/TRS-80 sections below)
• The SD2IEC: A 1541 disk drive replacement and more! (29th March, 2014)
• A massive 5.25 inch floppy disk haul (5th June, 2011)
• New acquisition - External 40-track, double-sided 5.25 inch drive (6th October, 2012)
• My 2012 vintage computer switch on and test (6th May, 2012)
• Wellington haul - The aftermath (23rd November, 2010)
• Wellington vintage computer haul (12th September, 2010)
• Micro Peripherals Model 51 and 52 Flexible Disk Drive Manual (13th December, 2009)

• Amstrad external floppy disk drive (FD-1) adventure (9th October, 2015)
• Amstrad CPC6128 - Acquisition, drive repair and software stockup (25th September, 2015)
• Acquiring an Amstrad CPC464 (4th August, 2015)

• Replacing broken keys on an Apple IIe Platinum (27th December, 2015)
• No video in an Apple IIe (22nd December, 2015)
• Repairing an Apple II+ motherboard (15th December, 2015)
• Repairs to my Apple II Europlus (again!) (30th November, 2015)
• The CFFA3000: The ultimate Apple IIGS companion (29th October, 2012)
• Apple IIGS: All together again at last! (2nd September, 2012)
• 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)
• 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)
• Other Apple II "Disk II"-type Drive Repairs (28th March, 2009)
• More Vintage Forensics: Re-repairing an Apple II+ Clone (26th March, 2009)
• Repairing two Apple II "Disk II"-modified TEAC Disk Drives (23rd March, 2009)
• De-yellowing an Apple IIe Platinum (5th Feb, 2009)
• 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)
• 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)

• Apple Macintosh Plus checkerboard screen repair (15th May, 2015)
• Replacing leaky capacitors on a Macintosh SE/30: this time with modern SMD ones (27th April, 2015)
• Replacing the capacitors on a Macintosh Classic II (28th May, 2014)
• Macintosh Classic II shows vertical stripes and won't boot. A safer alternative to the "Dishwasher" solution (9th January, 2012)
• Deleting At Ease on a Macintosh Classic II (6th August, 2011)
• 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)
• Upgrading the RAM on a Mac SE/30 (Aug 23rd, 2008)

• 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)
• Salvaging an Apple Lisa 2 (11th January, 2011)

• NTSC Atari 800 shows good video on "modern" PAL monitors using a UAV video upgrade board (6th March, 2018)
• Atari SIO2SD disk drive emulator (12th June, 2015)
• Fixing an Atari 400 'garbage screen' issue (5th September, 2010)
• Faulty RAM traced to power supply in an Atari 800XL (29th August, 2010)
• Maintaining an Atari 8-bit software collection using the Atarimax Universal SIO2PC Interface (1st January, 2010)
• Finishing the Atari 130XE restoration - Key de-yellowing (5th Feb, 2009)
• More case de-yellowing. An Atari 130XL and a RX-8800 (Jan 1st, 2009)

• Adding colour composite video to the BBC (b) Microcomputer (12th January, 2016)
• A quick look at the Acorn BBC b MMC solid state disk drive (9th October, 2012)
• New 80-track double-sided drives for my BBC(b) (13th March, 2012)
• Smoke from a BBC PSU - A repair four years in the waiting (5th December, 2011)
• Repairing a Remex 5.25 inch floppy disk drive for a BBC (b) (12th April, 2010)

• Blowing up and then fixing a Commodore 64 (14th Feb, 2009)
• Restoring a Commodore Executive SX-64 (Oct 18th, 2008)

• Where is the battery in an Amiga 500? (January 15th, 2016)
• The HxC floppy disk drive emulator: A fine replacement for a faulty Amiga 500 disk drive (June 20th, 2014)
• Amiga 500 External Drive Fix (2nd September, 2009)

• Exploring a Commodore PC-10 III (20th November, 2010)
• Impressions of the Commodore PC-5 (14th November, 2010)

• SD2PET Future: An SD card storage solution for the Commodore PET (A Review) (22nd April, 2020)
• Commodore disk drive emulation with PETdisk - A modern-day storage and file transfer solution for the Commodore PET (17th October, 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)
• Downloadable games and other software for the Commodore Pet (4th March, 2011)
• Replacing the full-stroke keyboard on a CBM 3032 (Commodore PET) (14th November, 2009)
• Getting programs for a Commodore PET (20th Feb, 2009)
• Diagnosing faulty Commodore PET ROMS (6th Feb, 2009)
• Repairing a Commodore Pet (Jan 27th, 2009)

• Commodore VIC-20 datasette won't read or write. Problem solved! (28th December, 2016)
• Bringing a Vic-20 back from the dead (20th Feb, 2009)
• Removing the yellowing from a Vic-20 case (Dec 30th, 2008)

• An RCA CDP1802 (COSMAC) trainer of unknown origin (11th December, 2011)

• Rescuing more Dick Smith software with a System 80, three drives and an HxC SD floppy disk drive emulator (14th Jan, 2018)
• Original Dick Smith System 80 Mark 1 lives again! (15th March, 2015)
• Replacement disk drives for a TRS-80 Model 1 or Dick Smith System 80: The HxC SD Floppy Disk Drive Emulator (6th April, 2014)
• Saving Dick Smith System 80 disk software (19th February, 2013)
• 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)
• A Dick Smith System 80 / Video Genie parts haul (27th August, 2010)
• A wavy video fix for a System 80 / Video Genie (27th August, 2010)
• Dick Smith System 80 memory expansion gone wrong (7th 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)

• Eaca Colour Genie Auckland User Group Newsletters March 1984 to March 1986 (18th March, 2017)
• Beta Testing a New Windows-enabled Colour Genie Emulator (28th July, 2009)
• Rescuing colour genie programs from audio tape (Aug 29th, 2008)
• A new Colour Genie! (Aug 24th, 2008)

• An Epson QX-10 checks in (1st June, 2013)
• Replacement rechargeable NiCad batteries for an Epson HX-20 (17th June, 2010)

• A downloadable software library for real or virtual Exidy Sorcerers (30th January, 2017)
• Black and white monitor blank out: An easy fix (I think) (20th 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)
• Obtaining software for an Exidy Sorcerer (18th June, 2011)
• Welcoming an Exidy Sorcerer (8th June, 2011)

• Pimped-out IBM PC (5150): Acquisition, Checkout and Repair (12th August, 2020)
• The XT-CF-Lite card. Future-proofing hard drive capability on my PC-XT-class machines (17th August, 2014)
• Authenticating my IBM XT (20th December, 2013)
• Removing graffiti and marks from computer cases: an IBM 5151 Monochrome Monitor (24th April, 2011)
• Time and Date fixes for an IBM XT, a Kaypro 4 and a Pentium 1 (11th January, 2011)
• Sussing out a Shimasu 286-16 (20th November, 2010)
• Checking out three IBM PS/2 30-286s (13th November, 2010)
• Repairing and Restoring an IBM XT (5th November, 2010)
• Tandon TM100 -2A disk drive alignment on an IBM-PC (5150) (29th June, 2010)
• Modifying a Dallas DS 1287 battery/real-time clock in a Compaq SLT/286 Portable Computer (6th December, 2009)
• Disassembling a Compaq SLT/286 Portable Computer (6th December, 2009)
• Fixing a Flat Dallas DS1287 Real Time Clock Chip (10th October, 2009)
• Retrospective impressions of OS/2 2.1 (3rd 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)
• Vintage Viruses - Dormant but not dead (30th August, 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)
• Fixing a RAM problem on an IBM-PC (IBM 5150) (18th March, 2009)
• Repairing an IBM-PC (5150) CGA Monitor (Aug 23rd, 2008)

• A Christmas Kaypro 4 (20th December, 2010)
• Kaypro II boot failure fix. A lesson in making assumptions (8th September, 2010)
• Stocking up on software for a Kaypro II (24th March, 2010)
• Fixing a keyboard problem on a Kaypro II (26th February, 2010)
• Writing 5¼” CP/M floppy disks on a 1.2MB PC drive with Windows 98 (by Philip Avery) (19th February, 2010)
• A TRS-80 Model 100 as a Kaypro II Keyboard (by Philip Avery) (18th February, 2010)
• The original Kaypro II User's Guide (2nd February, 2010)
• Smoke from a Kaypro II. The fault and the fix (15th January, 2010)
• Fixing a Tandon TM100 drive on a Kaypro II (Jan 18th, 2009)

• NEC PC-8201a RS-232 Fault - Diagnosis and Fix - Part 2 (20th August, 2020)
• NEC PC-8201a RS-232 Fault - Diagnosis and Fix - Part 1 (16th July, 2020)
• The NEC PC-8281a and The Personal Application Kit - A cassette drive plus software for the NEC PC-8201a (26th September, 2011)
• Errors in the schematics in the NEC 8201a Service Manual (23rd February, 2010)
• Fixing and upgrading a NEC 8201a (with more than a little help from my friends) (23rd February, 2010)
• My new NEC 8201a (and some comparisons with the TRS-80 Model 100) (5th November, 2009)

• An OSI C4P Adventure (including fixing a RAM expansion board, enabling for cassette, writing a software demo and lots of other things!) (a 2014 Retrochallenge) (31st July, 2014)
• 502, 540 and 542 Ohio Scientific Instruments (OSI) boards: Old school computing circa 1978 (14th June, 2014)
• Checking out an Ohio Scientific Instruments Challenger 4P (10th January, 2014)
• Ohio Scientific Challenger 1P: Stocking up on Software (2nd May, 2009)
• Ohio Scientific Challenger 1P: The Mystery of the Missing Memory (26th April, 2009)

• Wellington Osborne 1a- Insert disk in Drive A and press Enter (You idiot!) (25th November, 2010)
• Disk drive repairs on an Osborne 1 (4th April, 2009)
• Repairs to an old Osborne 1a (Dec 6th, 2008)

• Playing with a Panasonic JD-850M (22nd November, 2013)

• New capacitors and replacement RAM breathe life into a Polycorp Poly 1 (9th January, 2017)
• Acquiring a Poly 1: A dedicated school computer from New Zealand (8th October, 2016)

• Kitting out a Sinclair QL with Toolkit 2 (15th March, 2012)
• Software for a Sinclair QL : From microdrive to disk drive (19th January, 2012)
• Replacing the keyboard membrane in a Sinclair QL (19th October, 2008)

• Adding composite video to a Sinclair ZX81 (3rd January, 2016)

• A games library for a Spectravideo 728 (3rd January, 2011)
• A new Spectravideo 728 (26th November, 2010)
• Stocking up on Software for a Spectravideo 318 (11th August, 2009)

• Firing up a New Zealand Telecom Computerphone (aka ICL One-per-desk or OPD)! (9th November, 2010)

• Repairing and reconstituting a Texas Instruments TI-99/4A (22nd February, 2014)

• TRS-80 Model 4 drive re-alignment - again! (3rd September, 2022)
• TRS-80 Model 4 drive re-alignment (4th April, 2020)
• Fixing a vertical linearity problem in a TRS-80 video monitor (30th March, 2020)
• Screwed up characters from a TRS-80 Model 1 (Level 1 BASIC) (3rd May, 2015)
• Radio Shack TRS-80 Level 1 BASIC Model 1 resurrection (13th March, 2015)
• Pimping a TRS-80 Model 4 with a FreHD hard disk emulator (17th May, 2014)
• Replacement disk drives for a TRS-80 Model 1 or Dick Smith System 80: The HxC SD Floppy Disk Drive Emulator (6th April, 2014)
• Screen Replacement in a TRS-80 Model 4 (6th May, 2013)
• An Altair Emulator for the TRS-80 Model III (by Philip Avery) (17th October, 2012)
• Dead TRS-80 Model 1 monitor now lives! (30th July, 2012)
• TRS-80 Model 4 file transfer (19th November, 2011)
• TRS-80 Model 1 RS-232 - The puzzling case of the burnt-out baud rate generator (29th October, 2011)
• Stocking up a TRS-80 Model 4 with software (29th December, 2010)
• TRS-80 Model III fails to boot! (by Philip Avery) (10th September, 2010)
• Saving the Stringy Floppy: My small role in emulation development (18th July, 2009)
• An easy fix for a TRS-80 Colour Computer 1 keyboard problem (6th June, 2009)
• Transferring single-density TRS-80 Model 1 disk images to real disks (Oct 7th, 2008)