Spectrum Computing

Hi All, Does anyone have any experience with these devices? In particular the programming of the PIC chip and the bits that need to be set when you program it. I have the .Hex file and when I open it in my programmer with the correct chip selected the bit flags are already populated but I’m not sure...

I really liked Fred and Bugaboo was pretty good and Glass was a decent shoot em up as well. I liked Ant Attack but I just feel there were other good games released by Quicksilva aside from Sandy White’s game.

CDS Pool was my favourite out of that lineup.

Ast A. Moore wrote: ↑Sat Dec 28, 2019 8:27 pm

Morpheus wrote: ↑Sat Dec 28, 2019 6:56 pm Did anyone ever fit the 220nf capacitors on the lower RAM to help with the “jailbars” ?

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=2132

Thinking more in terms of the 48KB models rather than the 128K/+2 but interesting nonetheless.

Did anyone ever fit the 220nf capacitors on the lower RAM to help with the “jailbars” ?

This diode snapped in half at some point when desoldering the lower ram chips. Can somebody tell the specs? https://i.postimg.cc/YvbchZF3/15775285872486390683017505730799.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/21JsQvHb/1577528670474844228197197467091.jpg Looks like a 47nf capacitor used on the Speccy and not a d...

Mine arrived yesterday, very nice package

Got an email today to say this should be shipping early next week so looking forward to getting that cassette fired up on my +2

Placed my order today for the Clamshell version so looking forward to this arriving.

I always liked Hacker so I went with that

Yes, sorry I think you posted it a while back and I thought you had made it. My bad

If you add the extra circuitry, you could replace the 3.5 mm jack with a single TRS one and wire it the same way it’s wired on the +3. If you don’t want to bother with all that, you can just buy a generic cassette adaptor. They’re cheap and work well. If I remember you made a video of this using so...

I have just repaired my interface 1 with one of Charles’ vLA1 parts and was wondering if anyone had connected these two before, that being the +2 Grey and a 48K with IF1 using the RS232 ports. I have seen an adapter on the inter web with a BT jack to a DSub so wondered if it was possible to network ...

Thanks, I’ll leave the PAL as is based on your advice. I wasn’t keen on clipping it out as it was a one-way choice. I was looking at the mod that connects the ear input of a new mono socket to pin 5 to the LA6324. Then I can use my TZXDuino I was also going to try extra grounding on the cassette uni...

Yep already done! :D Noise is hum from the Cassette unit - disconnect it and the noise/hum vanishes. I probably won't use it much but need to fit an external Ear socket so might have to live with it. I do have external AY interfaces to get stereo AY minus the Beeper if I really want to listen to the...

Replaced TR8 and TR9 today, now have 12V on the Edge connector and on pin 11 of the TEAC. Cannot get it tuned in on the modulator but the RGB socket works. Just need to sort the noise on the audio that +2 Greys were prone to.
In all other aspects it runs fine so have saved it from the scrapyard

Hi, Just as an addendum to this I found that D18? or the 5V1 whichever that one is was broken and I mean physically cracked into two halves. I haven't got the 12V back online yet, still awaiting replacement TR9 and TR8. If that fails I have a working spare coil I can try. So once they are in and I h...

Thanks I have just ordered some from Phil Ruston so should have them by the end of the week hopefully or Monday and then I can have a go and try and fix it.

I have been reading some of the other posts on here regards to +2's video and various things. I did some tests on the voltages and finding the 12V is only around 1.3V even on the edge connector. I'll do some more tests but that could explain why there is no modulator signal and/or it cannot switch i...

I take it that you have found Paul’s site where he goes into detail about the various video circuits including that of the +2. Mark Yeah I have read that, It's what made me think about the wrong blanking signal. I checked the transistor and and I fitted a new one turned it around and got no picture...

The cable I bought is a proper 128/+2 Cable and Pin 1 was set as Pin 16 ( Blanking ) on the SCART end. The +2 had Link 4 set which made Pin 1 CVBS. I fitted a 470R Resisitor to R9 ( which was empty ) and set the link to 2 so Pin 1 would be 12V to the Pin 16 Blanking. It still cannot switch it into R...

Hi Just picked up a new Grey+2 and have a new RGB Cable for 128/+2 Machines. Problem I have is the Output is very,very dark almost black. I can just make out the Menu screen for the 128 and can hear the menu bar moving. Do i need to move Link 1 ( TTL ) to Link 3 ( 12v via 1K ) I have a +2B that was ...

Hi
Looking for a defunct Microdrive even missing the metal cover to fit a vDrive ZX in.

Yeah all the pin moves I have talked about are all at the DIN pin. I got the sound working this morning by doing the wire move so the cable works now. My new cable from Retrocomputershack arrived this morning and worked from the get-go. I’m not sure what happened with the other cable maybe someone h...

I bought the +2/+3 cable for this machine. Managed to get the cable working last night by moving the 12v wire to pin 1 ( it was on pin 3 ) there is no sound yet but the audio wire is connected to pin 5 and not 3. I bought this cable from Cool Novelties and it's the first time I have used them.