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,
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.
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 ?
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!
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.
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 !
Quote from: radu14m on 20:33, 15 March 14
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..
Quote from: G40rocket on 20:36, 15 March 14
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.
Quote from: arnoldemu on 20:46, 15 March 14
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 ?
Quote from: G40rocket on 22:32, 15 March 14
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.
Quote from: G40rocket on 22:32, 15 March 14
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 (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 (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/imgs/1/1f/Service.manual.cpc664.ctm644.gt65.pdf)
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.