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Printed Amstrad Addict magazine announced, check it out here!

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#1
We all got it as a gift.

I imagine that as my parents have never been flushed for cash they chose it because they could see the upcoming change and need for a computer in the home and it was the most affordable "plug and play" option which didn't require more than one purchase and didn't use the TV. They got the MP-1, too, though so we could use it on the TV when needed.
#2
Quote from: Bifford on Today at 13:46Hi all. Just joined.

I've had my CPC464 since the mid 80's when my parents bought us a green screen set up with an MP-1 for when we wanted to go colour and bigger (and the TV wasn't in use). It served me well for many years, getting a dot matrix printer (now gone) with a box of ream paper and some joysticks.

I started buying Amstrad Action to learn more about it but never got further in coding than the stuff in the magazine. I always wanted a Multiface II but that was beyond my means. Frontier Elite was given away on the last issue and that, along with all the Dizzy games, has always been my favourite.

Getting near Christmas one year I asked my dad for an "upgrade" computer. I really wanted to get a 6128 (still do!) but I would imagine that was too hard to find and too expensive, so instead I got an Amiga 500 and that's where that journey started (and never went away).

I got he 464 out every now and then, but for the most part it remained stored away. Recently, though, it came back out and I took it to an Amiga User Groupo meeting, where a fair amount of people had some very nostalgic moments, some of them even having a play with it!

I recently bought a Dk'tronics RAM Expansion off an Amstrad user and I plan to upgrade it to more RAM when I can. No software tape, though, so I've downloaded the .cdt file and am trying to get my hifi tape system to record the sound to tape. Work-in-progress still.

Having bought the special edition Amstrad Addict I discovered that there is a LOT more the old girl can do these days as people have, in the intervening years, delved into what the hardware can really do and worked with it to do fantastic stuff. I got in touch with Duke and ordered an m4 board. I paid for it yesterday (he had 11 other people to build for in the queue in front of me) and it is being shipped out today! Exciting stuff!!

I also got a power lead so I can use it without the green monitor or MP-1 and am trying to get it working on a modern monitor. All in good time, though. My main priority is to get all the aging tapes into digital format for the m4 board.

Anyway, hi all! :)

Sam / Bifford

Welcome!
#3
avatar_PulkoMandy
Programming / Re: Playing music with BASIC
Last post by PulkoMandy - Today at 13:56
This doesn't seem to have a simple way to replay the musics in my own BASIC listing. I was expecting something that would export ENV, ENT and SOUND commands that I could integrate in my own code. Maybe it's possible to extract the player from the editor BASIC listing but that doesn't look very fun.

Well, it's an option if nothing else exists...
#4
Welcome, and have fun! You haven't even scratched the surface yet😊
#5
Hi all. Just joined.

I've had my CPC464 since the mid 80's when my parents bought us a green screen set up with an MP-1 for when we wanted to go colour and bigger (and the TV wasn't in use). It served me well for many years, getting a dot matrix printer (now gone) with a box of ream paper and some joysticks.

I started buying Amstrad Action to learn more about it but never got further in coding than the stuff in the magazine. I always wanted a Multiface II but that was beyond my means. Frontier Elite was given away on the last issue and that, along with all the Dizzy games, has always been my favourite.

Getting near Christmas one year I asked my dad for an "upgrade" computer. I really wanted to get a 6128 (still do!) but I would imagine that was too hard to find and too expensive, so instead I got an Amiga 500 and that's where that journey started (and never went away).

I got he 464 out every now and then, but for the most part it remained stored away. Recently, though, it came back out and I took it to an Amiga User Groupo meeting, where a fair amount of people had some very nostalgic moments, some of them even having a play with it!

I recently bought a Dk'tronics RAM Expansion off an Amstrad user and I plan to upgrade it to more RAM when I can. No software tape, though, so I've downloaded the .cdt file and am trying to get my hifi tape system to record the sound to tape. Work-in-progress still.

Having bought the special edition Amstrad Addict I discovered that there is a LOT more the old girl can do these days as people have, in the intervening years, delved into what the hardware can really do and worked with it to do fantastic stuff. I got in touch with Duke and ordered an m4 board. I paid for it yesterday (he had 11 other people to build for in the queue in front of me) and it is being shipped out today! Exciting stuff!!

I also got a power lead so I can use it without the green monitor or MP-1 and am trying to get it working on a modern monitor. All in good time, though. My main priority is to get all the aging tapes into digital format for the m4 board.

Anyway, hi all! :)

Sam / Bifford
#6
avatar_Gryzor
Games / Re: The Key, a A "full" point ...
Last post by Gryzor - Today at 13:39
I mean I'm not what I used to be back in the day when it comes to adventures, but I hardly consider this a puzzle...
#7
Fantastic! Especially the device mounting.
#8
Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone had experience of hooking up a EME-157 drive (taken from a broken 6128 Plus) to a PC or Kyroflux device and if they could advise on the power connection?

I'm aware that there are voltage differences, and that you have to use a flipped version of the power cable - but I understand that the EME-157 is 5V only.  I have purchased this cable that comes with a modified power cable: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135035278228 - but have a feeling the power connector isn't going to work due to the voltage differences. I'm sure that I read somewhere that just using a standard 3.5" drive connector from a PC supply on the EME-157 would work fine, but I can't find reference to it now (maybe I dreamt it!) and thought I'd check in here first, before potentially blowing the thing up!

Not able to test just yet anyway, as the drive belt has deteriorated and have just ordered a replacement in. I'm hoping to get the drive working, so that I can preserve 3" disks from time to time (commercial or unreleased for Games That Weren't).

Any recommendations/suggestions would be really welcome, and apologies for my lack of confidence in this area!
#9
avatar_SerErris
Games / Re: The Key, a A "full" point ...
Last post by SerErris - Today at 12:52
And if you never have seen the puzzle, it is ... https://www.paketesoft.com/es/the-key-eng-version

You need to find the key in the puzzle ...
#10
Quote from: Wiggs1979 on 19:33, 04 May 24Hello,

Firstly, just wanted to say thank you for such a great forum - I've been a long time lurker and read so many helpful posts on here that have helped get my 464's and 6128 fully functioning. I was never a CPC user back in the day, but I have a growing collection of retro computers!

I have a CTM 644 that wasn't working, but having replaced the HOT it seems to be back to life again. However, the vertical hold adjuster on the rear seems to need tweaking every time I power on the machine connected to it, else I have a rolling image or an image that is out of sync, split with part of the black border. If I leave the screen on for a bit, occasionally it'll start rolling very slowly too. The adjustment seems to be very sensitive, very small adjustments required, is that normal? Before I go desoldering and hunting for a suitable replacement 20k POT as I don't have anything to hand, I wondered if it's there's a common issue I might be missing? It's got the Z70215 PCB. Other than that, it shows a good, clear picture when it's not rolling!

Thank you!
the pot's internals might be dirty - give it a good blast of contact cleaner and give it a spin the full range a few times while the monitor is off and see if that helps?

I've found a lot of issues with the CPC and accessories misbehaving *so often* being down to purely things being dirty.
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