Posts tagged "commodore"
![thumbnail for "Mini-updates 2 - A501 battery, PC-98 Gotek update, SparcStation 1+ debugging" thumbnail for "Mini-updates 2 - A501 battery, PC-98 Gotek update, SparcStation 1+ debugging"](/thumbnails/2018-11-17-a501-battery.jpg)
Mini-updates 2 - A501 battery, PC-98 Gotek update, SparcStation 1+ debugging
I’ve been up to a bunch of little projects while waiting on parts and time for the big jobs, so here is another mini-update on three of those projects.
![thumbnail for "C64 keyboard fixed" thumbnail for "C64 keyboard fixed"](/thumbnails/28477244198_39f9125df4_c.jpg)
C64 keyboard fixed
The replacement keys for my battered C64 arrived from Retroleum. It took a bit longer than I expected, but then again the postage was ridiculously cheap and it wasn’t like I was biting my nails waiting to play with the C64 I’ve had on the pile for a few weeks now. I’ll definitely be back to get more parts from them.
![thumbnail for "Reassembling the Amiga 2500, Part 3 - 5.25" Bay" thumbnail for "Reassembling the Amiga 2500, Part 3 - 5.25" Bay"](/thumbnails/28087211048_c1d1a162e5_c.jpg)
Reassembling the Amiga 2500, Part 3 - 5.25" Bay
Today was a good step forward. I finally got the case back onto the Amiga 2500, but there are still a lot of tasks left until the machine is really “ready” to be tucked away on my desk.
![thumbnail for "Reassembling the Amiga 2500, Part 2 - flickerFixer" thumbnail for "Reassembling the Amiga 2500, Part 2 - flickerFixer"](/thumbnails/41171466854_6352ac768a_c.jpg)
Reassembling the Amiga 2500, Part 2 - flickerFixer
Now that work space is once again at a premium in my workshop, I find myself having to reassemble the diaspora of parts that were removed from my Amiga 2500 when it was dismantled to replace the 68000 socket.
![thumbnail for "The C64 is alive!" thumbnail for "The C64 is alive!"](/thumbnails/27680823468_01f224424b_c.jpg)
The C64 is alive!
A power supply arrived from Ray Carlsen, and it works great. I spent the time while I was waiting by soldering a really bad video cable. I only managed to melt one DIN plug in the process!
![thumbnail for "Reassembling the Amiga 2500, Part 1 - Hard Card" thumbnail for "Reassembling the Amiga 2500, Part 1 - Hard Card"](/thumbnails/27480166288_eae50430f8_c.jpg)
Reassembling the Amiga 2500, Part 1 - Hard Card
Things are starting to get hectic again with real life, but there was still some time recently to work on the Amiga 2500. My objective was simple: get the machine back together into a working box again so it is no longer spread all over my workbench.
![thumbnail for "Commodore A501 memory expansion battery removal" thumbnail for "Commodore A501 memory expansion battery removal"](/thumbnails/39492088450_a36dc97e50_c.jpg)
Commodore A501 memory expansion battery removal
When I first got my Amiga 500, it wouldn’t boot. Suspecting something was wrong with the A501 512K memory expansion, I pulled the card, at which point it did boot. It didn’t take me long to realize that battery corrosion had killed it.
![thumbnail for "Commodore 64 pickup" thumbnail for "Commodore 64 pickup"](/thumbnails/27342716368_75766716a3_c.jpg)
Commodore 64 pickup
I picked up a Commodore 64 off the local classifieds. It came with a 1541 floppy drive, a bag full of blank floppies and tapes, the C64 itself, the infamous black finned power supplies that kill C64s, a Rixon modem, and a Nortel multi-line keyset from the 90s.
![thumbnail for "Amiga 2500 keyboard refurb" thumbnail for "Amiga 2500 keyboard refurb"](/thumbnails/40478544214_95abb4c208_b.jpg)
Amiga 2500 keyboard refurb
The keyboard I got with my Amiga 2500 had:
- A broken right alt key,
- A spotty (at best) return key,
- And a numpad enter key that wouldn’t stay up, but did work,
![thumbnail for "Gotek with FlashFloppy on the Amiga 2500" thumbnail for "Gotek with FlashFloppy on the Amiga 2500"](/thumbnails/26290588797_180dff67c1_z.jpg)
Gotek with FlashFloppy on the Amiga 2500
I recently flashed an eBay Gotek floppy emulator for use in my Amiga 2500 with the FlashFloppy firmware (based on the phenomenal work of HxC).
![thumbnail for "The Amiga 2500 lives! (on its original 68K)" thumbnail for "The Amiga 2500 lives! (on its original 68K)"](/thumbnails/39186170920_192d693af1_c.jpg)
The Amiga 2500 lives! (on its original 68K)
I just got my A2500’s badly corroded CPU socket replaced with the help of my buddy and his employer’s substantial rework gear.
![thumbnail for "Experiments in booting the A2500" thumbnail for "Experiments in booting the A2500"](/thumbnails/39699603362_4f7795eff9_b.jpg)
Experiments in booting the A2500
Threw a few more hours at the A2000 today, cleaning up here and there. I popped out the 68000, cleaned up the pins, and checked the socket. The socket wipers are immaculate, not a speck of corrosion or acid on them (I checked with a magnifying glass). The pins for the socket on the underside of the board are still nice and shiny, so I’m willing to say the socket is alright.
![thumbnail for "Battery removal from the Amiga 2500" thumbnail for "Battery removal from the Amiga 2500"](/thumbnails/26954654999_9235a34719_c.jpg)
Battery removal from the Amiga 2500
I’ve had this Amiga 2000 for several years, but it was only recently that I put in the effort to fix it. The big problem with these machines long-term is that the Varta clock batteries explode and corrode all the traces and sockets. Mine has a leaky battery for sure, so I hope I can save it.
![thumbnail for "Starting on the Amiga 2500" thumbnail for "Starting on the Amiga 2500"](/thumbnails/lSZEHQ7l.jpg)
Starting on the Amiga 2500
A couple years ago, I traded some car parts to a friend for his dad’s old Amiga A3000 and A2500. I knew that clock batteries were going to be a threat on both of those, so I nobly waited a year to take apart and desolder the battery from the A3000. That was back in 2014.