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General Category => Amstrad CPC hardware => Topic started by: The Last Bandit on 14:27, 23 December 13

Title: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: The Last Bandit on 14:27, 23 December 13
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  :D
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.


(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3810/11513872296_9d562c9229_c.jpg)


(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3692/11513832304_c8f028e5b5_c.jpg)


Not sure how much is salvageable... almost afraid to look inside..
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: Bryce on 14:39, 23 December 13
Very sad :( The PCB may be ok, but I suspect the tape mechanism will be a mess.

Bryce.
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: Gryzor on 19:56, 23 December 13
Aww... what a shame... Well, maybe good for spares (keys are the tall ones, aren't they?)
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: The Last Bandit on 15:55, 24 December 13
Ya its got the tall keys - although I'm sure the 'Enter' keys were blue at some stage  :o


Younger brother says it was dead before it got chucked so might be able to salvage just a few bits.. Tape counter seems ok :)
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: ralferoo on 17:13, 24 December 13
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...
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: Bryce on 17:45, 24 December 13
I'm sure the mainboard is saveable if it hasn't been physically damaged.

Bryce.
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: Gryzor on 19:40, 25 December 13
You can use the key caps to create some lovely fridge magnets:


Amstrad CPC464 keyboard mod - fridge magnets! (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/amstrad-cpc464-keyboard-mod-fridge-magnets!/msg63315/#msg63315)
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: The Last Bandit on 22:07, 28 December 13
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.
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: Bryce on 23:52, 28 December 13
Quote from: The Last Bandit on 22:07, 28 December 13
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.
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: The Last Bandit on 14:48, 29 December 13
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.
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: robcfg on 18:13, 29 December 13
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.
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: TFM on 06:14, 30 December 13
MC68000 would be really bad.  8)
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: The Last Bandit on 21:34, 16 January 14
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..





(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7371/11985250014_1a3df592c3_b.jpg)




And big brother with internal HXC for serious use :)




(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3766/11985244734_7046c58658_b.jpg)



Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: TFM on 21:52, 16 January 14
If you like Tasword, then you may like to give Prowort a chance. I'm sure you won't regret.  ;) :)
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: dcdrac on 21:56, 16 January 14
I was thinking about how to add  my bare bones HXC to a 6128 plus, the itnrenal drive is beyond rescue.
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: redbox on 22:03, 16 January 14
Quote from: The Last Bandit on 21:34, 16 January 14
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?

Quote from: dcdrac on 21:56, 16 January 14
I was thinking about how to add  my bare bones HXC to a 6128 plus, the itnrenal drive is beyond rescue.

HxC SDCard Internal (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/HxC_SDCard_Internal)
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: Bryce on 09:32, 17 January 14
Quote from: redbox on 22:03, 16 January 14
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.
Title: Re: 20 years in cold/damp storage
Post by: The Last Bandit on 10:05, 17 January 14
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.
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