New CPC464 Plus owner looking for help

[darthsteve333]

Hi,


Finally, after decades of only owning a ZX Spectrum, (but wanting to try all the gems I'd missed on other 8-bit systems), I've managed to find both an Amstrad CPC 464 Plus and a Commodore 64 within a week of each other.


Unfortunately, whilst the C64 works, the CPC464+ seems to only 'sort-of' work.  I'll explain...


I bought the CPC464+ from a chap who looked pretty trustworthy at a car boot sale.  He said that the system worked, explained how the cables connected up (i.e. you plug the monitor in and then run the 2 cables for power & display into the 'keyboard'.  He even offered to call me if he managed to locate some of the software he still had at home.


Anyway, I rushed home, connected the system up and ran into a bit of a problem.  The monitor appears to be powering up OK and the CPC itself also appears to be receiving power, as the power light seems OK.  The inbuilt tape deck seems to be OK; FF, REW, PLAY PAUSE and RECORD all seem to work and the on/off switches on both the PC and the monitor seem to be working fine. 


However, the display only shows a blank white screen and about 3 mm on the extreme left hand side of the screen shows alternating black and white lines that slowly move up the screen at a rate of about 2mm per second.  I can post pictures of the display if this helps at all.

Incidentally, I have checked both the brightness control and the volume control on the monitor; both appear to work OK.


The system was quite dusty and cosmetically grubby (dust mainly), so I took the keyboard section apart and gave everything a good clean internally with cotton buds and an air duster.  I basically tried to clean up anything that looked like it needed it.  On putting the system back together again, nothing appeared to have changed.


I'm hoping this is not an uncommon problem and that someone might be able to identify the cause.  Would it be a faulty monitor?  Or perhaps something wrong with one of the chips in the CPC itself?  As a complete newcomer to the world of the CPC, there's a limit to how much 'tinkering' I'll risk before consulting experts!


As such, any help or advice would be very gratefully received!


Thanks!

[endangermice]

This may sound stupid but does the computer have the cartridge plugged into the socket at the left hand side? All plus machines come with a cartridge that had Basic and the Burning Rubber game installed. If you don't have this plugged in the machine will do absolutely nothing and will produce the screen effects you describe.

[darthsteve333]

Aha!


That may well be it then; there is no cartridge there!  Looks like I need to hope the chap I bought the computer from finds it and calls me or I will need to find one on ebay!


Thanks for your help!


Steve

[ralferoo]

The burning rubber cartridge is pretty cheap on ebay. I bought one a few months ago for about £5 including postage.

My 464+ also suffers from a dirty cartridge slot, so if you wobble it slightly, it crashes. I need to get round to cleaning it up really...

[endangermice]

Just make sure you get a Burning Rubber cartridge that has the basic and Amsdos too, ones meant for the GX4000 console don't have this so you'll just get the game without basic. An alternative is to buy any old plus cartridge, unsolder the cartridge chip and replace it with a socket into which you can place an EPROM burnt with the correct cartridge image. If you don't have a burner I suspect for a reasonable price that someone on here will be able to burn an EPROM for you.

[darthsteve333]

Thanks for the additional advice; I was going to ask whether any CPC game cartridge would do the job, but given the most recent reply, you've answered that already!


Time to start searching!


Thanks again.


Steve

[Badstarr]

I can sort you a EPROM if you don't have a burner but I would need a cart to solder it into alternatively you can get a basic/burnin rubber cart for around 12 quid from tradingpost.

[darthsteve333]

I can sort you a EPROM if you don't have a burner but I would need a cart to solder it into alternatively you can get a basic/burnin rubber cart for around 12 quid from tradingpost.

Thanks for the offer - unfortunately, I don't currently have any cartridges.


Is 'tradingpost' somewhere specific or a general term for a 'for sale' thread?


Sorry to appear a little thick!

[dragon]

trade in post is a shop:


TRADE IN POST - KEY CUTTING, ENGRAVING, WATCH BATTERIES, PHOTOCOPYING, RUBBER


http://www.tradeinpost.com/6128.txt


PD maybe this interest you .


http://www.ebay.es/itm/Amstrad-CPC-464-PLUS-Computer-Upgrade-kits-/120967228649?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item1c2a356ce9#ht_500wt_1089

[darthsteve333]

Thanks - I didn't know that existed!


I think I'll see if I can find the chap I bought the 464+ from this weekend, (unlikely, as I found it at a car boot sale). 


Otherwise, I think the Trade In Post looks like the way forward.


Thanks again to everyone who has helped so far, I'll keep you posted as to how I get on!


Steve

[Badstarr]

Oops ! Sorry, I thought I had added the link to my reply! Look at the link posted by dragon, I have ordered a few things from them in the past and they are usually very good! Send them an email stating what you re looking for and they will usually reply with the price etc. I usually pay via PayPal.

[Gryzor]

Missing cartridge was my first thought, too, but does it really produce the effect at the side that he mentioned?


Also, welcome. Hope you figure it out soon and have a blast

[Badstarr]

Well I didn't want to jump ahead too far, but it is possible that there are other issues with the machine, but hopefully not. Either way a basic cartridge will be useful/necessary (as you know    ) in the event that the machine is working or if not when the machine is repaired, so it's a good investment if you view it as a relatively inexpensive diagnostic tool.


Hopefully the machine is working and the image onscreen is just some odd random bytes in screen memory that have not been properly initialised due to missing firmware/game ROM. It is a shame when one of the machines has an issue as the extra visual treats that are available in some games etc are well worth the premium you pay for a plus machine (in my opinion anyway). For me, I always felt I was missing the full CPC experience until I found my 464 plus.


The weak spot on these machines seems to be the ASIC version of the gate array, at least if this item is dead in a classic CPC you can source a new one and hopefully that solves the problem. A dead ASIC will be a real pain in the ass to replace even with specialist equipment it will be a challenge. But above all else it is possible to repair if you have the spare parts available it's just a question of how comitted you are to getting the machine up and running again.

[endangermice]

My 6128 Plus generates exactly the same screen display as described when there is no cartridge in the slot, as Badstarr says its just random bytes in the screen memory. I was getting similar issues when my 6128 was sick, some of the rom tracks had been damaged so it wasn't initialising properly.


ASICs are indeed possible to replace, Ian Glendhill aka Spirantho recently did just this on a 6128 plus - you can read how he got on here:

CPC6128+ repair job


Getting hold of the ASIC can be tricky though there is talk of a potential replacement being created via reverse engineering, but whether that ever comes to fruitition is probably remote - though stranger things have happened....

[McKlain]

Missing cartridge was my first thought, too, but does it really produce the effect at the side that he mentioned?

My first experience with a cpc plus was exactly that one. A friend from school just got a 464 plus and called me to set it up. When I arrived he had connected the cables already. We turned it on and... blue screen (or was it white? he had a colour monitor) and the infamous lines on the left side of the screen. I read the manual, saw the cartridge in place... then I just checked it and my friend hadn't plug the thing properly, he had just put it in the cartridge slot but haven't applied any pressure. A bit of pushing and it worked as expected. I still can remember hearing the burning rubber tune for the first time.

[Spirantho]

That's "Gledhill" not "Glendhill" (Why do so many people put a 'n' in my name?)


If you can find a bog-standard Plus cartridge (e.g. Burnin' Rubber - I wouldn't suggest using Chase H.Q. 2 as that might go "missing" ) on eBay - any old one - then send it over with a fiver and I'll crack it open and stick a nice new EPROM with the BASIC on it.


Also, if it really is dead (it probably isn't, if you're getting those symptoms), then I can repair it under my "Repair your Amstrad" service I offer in my shop. I've been practising. I also have two working ASICs in my spares bag that I've not soldered back onto the donor GX4000's.

[endangermice]

Ian Glendhill aka Spirantho

Oh brother!! Typically I spent ages checking that I had your handle spelt correctly (probably got that wrong as well) and ahem managed to get your actual name wrong in the process!


I shall attempt to mould the correct version in my brain by staring at it on the monitor for a few hours (that should do it - usually does as long as the madness doesn't kick in first....)


Anyway... my gut instinct is that the Plus is absolutely fine and that a cartridge will almost certainly cure it of it's current woes.


If I were you I'd get a nice custom EPROM burnt with Parados and the removal of that terrible game / basic selection menu that graces the screen on first boot, image available as part of the WinAPE emulator.

[ralferoo]

There's a burning rubber / BASIC cartridge on ebay at the moment for 99p plus 3.50 postage: BURNING RUBBER - AMSTRAD GX 4000 GAME | eBay

[Spirantho]

Shush! You want the world to know?


*Rushes off to check he's still the high bidder*


I have a working EPROM cart but I'd rather have the proper thing.

[Gryzor]

Ouch, it ended at 15 GBP! Did you get it?