Search found 19 matches
- Thu Nov 16, 2023 11:14 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: horizontal line interference on screen
- Replies: 12
- Views: 352
Re: horizontal line interference on screen
I had something very similar to this and it was due to the power supply I was using
- Thu Sep 14, 2023 10:34 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: DIY Joystick Port - strange issue
- Replies: 4
- Views: 156
Re: DIY Joystick Port - strange issue
Thanks Mark, that makes sense. I assume that the fact that the Interface 2 is using the expansion port avoids this problem?
- Thu Sep 14, 2023 8:01 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: DIY Joystick Port - strange issue
- Replies: 4
- Views: 156
DIY Joystick Port - strange issue
Here's an odd problem (of my own making) which I am after some advice on. I found this interesting article (http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jg27paw4/yr05/yr05_72.htm) from a magazine in 1984 which describes a method of creating a permanent joystick interface connected to keys 6,7,8,9 & 0, so e...
- Fri Sep 08, 2023 8:03 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Spectrum+ 128
- Replies: 2
- Views: 130
Re: Spectrum+ 128
Anyone who buys that will be very disappointed!
- Fri Sep 08, 2023 7:27 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Instead of a membrane...
- Replies: 8
- Views: 347
Re: Instead of a membrane...
I bought one of these - they are a bit fiddly to setup and I found that they didn't work so well on the larger keys on the edges. But the biggest problem I had was that if you regularly lift the lid to get at the board then the wire "ribbons" can snap off, so mine has been removed pending ...
- Wed Feb 22, 2023 10:49 am
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: ZX Spectrum Issue 1
- Replies: 5
- Views: 197
Re: ZX Spectrum Issue 1
What you have there (a 128K Toastrack and an issue 1 motherboard) are both worth serious money, so don’t pass them on to someone without checking the value first. I suspect the Spanish numeric keypad is also worth something. The fact that the issue 1 board is not in its original case will mean that ...
- Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:53 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: New open lower RAM module design (photoessay)
- Replies: 98
- Views: 3707
Re: New open lower RAM module design (photoessay)
Brilliant! I really enjoyed reading about that and the way that you have worked through it, especially given your lack of prior experience.
- Fri Dec 09, 2022 7:46 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Newbie - info on Spectrum 16k Series 1
- Replies: 14
- Views: 499
Re: Newbie - info on Spectrum 16k Series 1
If the case has not been opened, how do you know it is an issue 1 board? I suspect the serial number starts with 001, but that does not make it an issue 1, more likely to be an issue 2 board.
- Sun Mar 06, 2022 11:12 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: ZX issue 3 failed
- Replies: 30
- Views: 1738
Re: ZX issue 3 failed
Just replace tr4 and tr5, no need to start removing RAM chips at this stage.
- Mon Feb 28, 2022 8:16 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: DRAM tester
- Replies: 2
- Views: 136
Re: DRAM tester
The only problem with that is that it won’t test 4116 DRAM, which make up half a 48K speccy’s RAM chips.
- Mon Feb 07, 2022 8:24 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Newcomer resurrecting an early Speccy
- Replies: 15
- Views: 635
Re: Newcomer resurrecting an early Speccy
Assuming you want to get rid of the Interface 1 and microdrive (as opposed to using them with another Spectrum) I would definitely sell them separately. There will be plenty of people who want those, and plenty of people who would like an issue 1. In the event that anyone wants both they can bid on ...
- Wed Dec 15, 2021 5:41 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Spectrum 128 not loading games fully
- Replies: 40
- Views: 959
Re: Spectrum 128 not loading games fully
I believe that volume is important too, and that many mobile devices aren't loud enough. I read somewhere that the height of the horizontal coloured bars in the border needs to be the same. If one colour is higher than the other that suggests that the volume is too low. Whether that's true or not I ...
- Tue Dec 14, 2021 5:52 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Spectrum 128 not loading games fully
- Replies: 40
- Views: 959
Re: Spectrum 128 not loading games fully
Try loading a 16K game and see if that works - e.g. Pssst, Harrier Attack, Horace goes Skiing - see if that works. My first 48K would only load 16K games as one of the upper RAM chips had failed.
I hope you didn't pay too much for it - Toastracks normally go for more than £150!
I hope you didn't pay too much for it - Toastracks normally go for more than £150!
- Tue Dec 14, 2021 5:40 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Spectrum 128 not loading games fully
- Replies: 40
- Views: 959
Re: Spectrum 128 not loading games fully
That appears to be a 48K issue 3 board that presumably was upgraded from a rubber key case to the Spectrum+ case.
Did you take the heatsink off, because I notice there isn't one and the voltage regulator will die pretty quickly without it?
Did you take the heatsink off, because I notice there isn't one and the voltage regulator will die pretty quickly without it?
- Fri Nov 05, 2021 3:54 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Retroleum Smart Card V3
- Replies: 25
- Views: 2696
Re: Retroleum Smart Card V3
Love my Smart Card v2 and am debating whether to get the v3 version due to its new capability - although having only recently bought a 128K Spectrum I have yet to really try out any 128K games on it so don't know how many I would play.
- Wed Oct 27, 2021 5:45 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: What are people using to stick the faceplate down on a rubber key Spectrum?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 409
What are people using to stick the faceplate down on a rubber key Spectrum?
Hi all My Spectrum 48K issue 2 required a new membrane and since then the metal faceplate won't stay on. I'm using some Unibond double-sided tape which seems to work fine for a bit, but after a while it gives up and the facplate lifts off (usually around the heatsink so I suspect it is related to th...
- Fri Oct 15, 2021 2:24 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Up is 7, Down is 6
- Replies: 6
- Views: 362
Re: Up is 7, Down is 6
Yeah, the membrane has needed to be replaced on every + I have seen recently.
The Sinclair power supplies are 9V, not 12V. I doubt it will make much difference but thought I should point that out.
The Sinclair power supplies are 9V, not 12V. I doubt it will make much difference but thought I should point that out.
- Mon Sep 27, 2021 1:09 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: ZX Spectrum 48k - Issue 4A - not booting - white screen
- Replies: 29
- Views: 1144
Re: ZX Spectrum 48k - Issue 4A - not booting - white screen
Nice work - out of interest, how have you connected your Spectrum to your Monitor? I'm looking to do something similar. I'm assuming that the monitor doesn't have a composite input.
- Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:24 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: ZX Spectrum + Power Issues
- Replies: 3
- Views: 250
Re: ZX Spectrum + Power Issues
Hi Nick I'm not sure whether it is common for the jack's soldering to become a problem, but what I have seen happen is the wire from the original Sinclair PSUs can fail around the point where they enter the plug - I've had to replace a couple of plugs for this reason. Also, it could be that the inna...