Amstrad CPC 464 NO Turn ON again

[G40rocket]

Hello Amstrad Fans !

I'm new here but i love retro gamming so i like test and collect good things.

Recently a friend of mine ask me if i knew how CPC 464 works (for play games).

My friend don't know how to play and he doesn't have the manual.

So i found the CPC 464 instructions manual online and read to know how to play games in this Amstrad and it's easy really.

Little different then Spectrum but similar.

I have a big problem now and i need your help if possible.

I plug the CPC screen and computer and turn on.

Everything was ok, i press the play commands in the keyboard, press play in the k7 deck and the game started to beep beep

When the game was already reaching the end of first cassette side the CPC 464 just turn off by itself and now he don't turn on !

The screen don't turn on and the computer too.

I have affraid to open the screen because have high voltage.

What would be the problem for this ?

What a really bad luck..

Thanks,

[arnoldemu]

Turn off the monitor, wait a few minutes and turn it back on, does cpc and monitor start up? EDIT: If it does then it could be the voltage regulator on the main PCB of the monitor. I don't remember the part number.

When you turn on the power switch on the CPC does the red light on the keyboard go bright? EDIT: If it doesn't try cleaning the switch.

When you press power button on monitor can you hear it charge and does the display brighten a little? If you turn up the brightness on the monitor do you see if change? EDIT: Try it with and without the CPC. If it does, then it could be that regulator.

There is a regulator inside the monitor that will switch off the computer and monitor if it draws too much power. I had this fail on one of my monitors and it needed to be replaced.

Also I had the power switch fail on another of my CPCs, it needed cleaning.

[G40rocket]

Hello arnoldemu,

Thanks for your fast reply really.

I tested right now the Amstrad again and no luck.

The screen stays off for a long time (because the last time that i tested and he turn off completly was on Wednesday).

I plug again the screen and computer, turn on and i can hear the usual screen CRT click's but no image, no power in the CPC (red light always off).

I don't think that is a button faulty, the CRT screen don't have any image even if i turn the bright button.

I imagine that the power supply for the CPC is inside of the CRT screen so what could be ?

It's safe open the CRT cover ?

[Gryzor]

It's safe as long as you know what you're doing. As discussed in the forum in the past parts in the monitor can hold a high voltage for long after it's been turned off, so one needs to be extra, extra, extra careful!


Oh, and welcome!

[G40rocket]

Yeah, i know for knowleadgment that the old CRT and televisions can hold high voltage even if they turned off for several years.

That's why i have a little affraid to open that because i don't know what are really the dangerous parts inside.

[radu14m]

On mine cpc i had the same problem, no start.
It comes up that the switch button was faulty.
Open the cpc and check the switch. I bypass the switch and it starts !

[G40rocket]

On mine cpc i had the same problem, no start.
It comes up that the switch button was faulty.
Open the cpc and check the switch. I bypass the switch and it starts !

But my CRT don't turn on like before (even if you don't plug the CPC) so i don't think that is a CPC computer problem.

He simply turn off when was reading the cassette..

[arnoldemu]

But my CRT don't turn on like before (even if you don't plug the CPC) so i don't think that is a CPC computer problem.

He simply turn off when was reading the cassette..

Can you try a different power supply? One that gives 5v. Be careful of polarity.

[G40rocket]

Can you try a different power supply? One that gives 5v. Be careful of polarity.

I already think about that but when i read in the label that the CPC need's 5v 2A i quit because my selected power supply only have 1A..

Other problem is polarity, the label don't show any polarity signal so i don't figure out really.

The Amstrad CRT have some fuse power ?

[gerald]

Other problem is polarity, the label don't show any polarity signal so i don't figure out really.

Gnd is on the outside ring, 5V inside.

The Amstrad CRT have some fuse power ?

Yes !

You can find the monitor schematic there :
for CTM640/GT64 in the 464 service manual : http://www.cpcwiki.eu/manuals/service.manual.cpc464.ctm640.gt64.zip
for CTM644/GT64 : http://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/1/1f/Service.manual.cpc664.ctm644.gt65.pdf

[G40rocket]

Thanks for the links gerald,

I think that i need to open the CRT to check if the fuse blow.

Will tell more news soon.