20 years in cold/damp storage

[The Last Bandit]

So got my first CPC464 for Xmas back in '84 or '85 (whatever year it was first released in Ireland), served me faithfully for several year till I went to college and discovered booze 
Decided to see if I could find the CPC at home this Xmas, had suspected if got binned years ago, but no it had moved to an outside shed to live with the spiders. 


The years haven't been kind... at all... no sign to the green monitor can only assume it got binned.








Not sure how much is salvageable... almost afraid to look inside..

[Bryce]

Very sad The PCB may be ok, but I suspect the tape mechanism will be a mess.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Aww... what a shame... Well, maybe good for spares (keys are the tall ones, aren't they?)

[The Last Bandit]

Ya its got the tall keys - although I'm sure the 'Enter' keys were blue at some stage 


Younger brother says it was dead before it got chucked so might be able to salvage just a few bits.. Tape counter seems ok

[ralferoo]

If you're going to dismantle it, I'm on the hunt for a tall small enter key...

That said, most of it would be useful to someone for repairs...

[Bryce]

I'm sure the mainboard is saveable if it hasn't been physically damaged.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

You can use the key caps to create some lovely fridge magnets:


Amstrad CPC464 keyboard mod - fridge magnets!

[The Last Bandit]

Well cleaned it up a bit and fed in the required 5V.  Dead as a dodo, brief flicker on screen but nothing else. 


Will have to get out the scope and poke around a bit closer.


Tape mech seems good though, pulls well in both directions and counter working.

[Bryce]

Well cleaned it up a bit and fed in the required 5V.  Dead as a dodo, brief flicker on screen but nothing else. 


Will have to get out the scope and poke around a bit closer.


Tape mech seems good though, pulls well in both directions and counter working.

Probably just dirt on the power switch. Open it up and give it a good clean.

Bryce.

[The Last Bandit]

I wish it was that easy


Power is good. Xtal is putting out a stead 16Mhz & Z80 is working (tested on a Jamma board). So take a closer look later and see if the Z80 is actual fetching anything. 


Do the 'newer' 464's, the ones with the updated Amstrad logo have the same mobo ? I know there is an update GA but not sure what other changes were made.

[robcfg]

Could you tell us the MCxxxxx code of your motherboard? That would be useful.


Also, if you could take some pictures of both sides of it, we may spot some problems.

[TFM]

MC68000 would be really bad. 

[The Last Bandit]

Pick up a 'spare' 464 as the shell of mine is wrecked. Was advertised as an untested CPC474 and was going cheap so took a chance on it.. and... its works great
Ok needed a wash and there is a lot of wow & flutter on the tape so a drive belt is needed but very happy with it.


GA 40007 on my old one is dead and I suspect some of the RAM is dead as well so its back in the box of spares with it..










And big brother with internal HXC for serious use

[TFM]

If you like Tasword, then you may like to give Prowort a chance. I'm sure you won't regret. 

[dcdrac]

I was thinking about how to add  my bare bones HXC to a 6128 plus, the itnrenal drive is beyond rescue.

[redbox]

Pick up a 'spare' 464 as the shell of mine is wrecked. Was advertised as an untested CPC474 and was going cheap so took a chance on it.. and... its works great

What did you use to hook up the 464 and 6128 to the monitor?

I was thinking about how to add  my bare bones HXC to a 6128 plus, the itnrenal drive is beyond rescue.

HxC SDCard Internal

[Bryce]

What did you use to hook up the 464 and 6128 to the monitor?

It a Commodore 1084 Monitor with RGBS input?? A simple cable will do the job.

@dcdrac: How is the internal drive beyond repair? They are usually easily fixable unless you accidentally threw it off a bridge?

Bryce.

[The Last Bandit]

Just using a CPC-SCART cable which came with the 6128.


I've a DB9-SCART adapter connected to the monitor pretty much all the time for use with consoles & superguns so not point in making another cable just for the CPC's.