HxC arrived today! But how is side switching handled?

[Bryce]

The supposed upgrade kits on ebay.co.uk are a useless overpriced collection of IC sockets and a few resistors. The RAM and disc controller ICs aren't included. I'm sure some victims still fall foul to this trick.

Bryce.

[Jase]

Well, the memory is easy to get hold of:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330449389204#ht_500wt_922
(Tried, tested and bang on!)


And the rest - well, a cheap +3 can be cannibalised for these.


And whilst the kits are a over priced, they are useful for people like me who are still at the stage of needing a helping hand. I asked about the memory upgrade kit, and received lots of detailed instructions, and I didn't have to buy anything from him! Fortunately I have a reasonable stash of components, but buying them all individually would ultimately cost a lot more than the kit.


I'm not defending him, just putting another point of view across.

[Badstarr]

Oh dear, the ebay guy doesn't seem to be winning any friends with these upgrade kits! I did think they seemed a little light on components for a "kit", plus the info to do this mod is all over the net or simply use the service manuals as a guide.


Fortunately I don't need the upgrade, but I did bid on a 464+ motherboard a couple of days ago, but lost because I was using my phone to bid, 3G Sony Ericsons suck! I wanted a spare just in case something goes wrong with my plus but lost out by £1 ! I would have been adding a disc interface, I did a search for the components but they were nowhere to be found, however, I found some components that were claimed to be compatible replacements, but I guess I will not know if they work until I find a board to experiment with.

[Bryce]

I'm sure he has helped some people, but I just think his advertising method is somewhat misleading. It's like advertising a kit-car, where only the air for the tyres and a pair of drivers gloves are included. The difficult bits to get are ALL missing.

One of my "background projects" is to find alternatives for all the hard bits: ACID, µP765, CRTC, ASIC, memory (to some extent). These are all parts that are discontinued and when they break, the CPC is usually deemed useless. If I can create alternatives for these from modern parts, every CPC can be saved from the tip.

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

Back to the case mod: if I were you I'd take the CPC to a paint dealer and have him produce a spray of the same color with which to paint the screen casing...

[CanonMan]

I'm sure he has helped some people, but I just think his advertising method is somewhat misleading. It's like advertising a kit-car, where only the air for the tyres and a pair of drivers gloves are included. The difficult bits to get are ALL missing.

To be fair to the seller, he does state that certain parts are not included in the 'upgrade' kits.

However, I have to agree that the kits are bloody useless. They are dirt cheap, so it's only to be expected 

[steve]

The only reason to buy a kit is to get all the parts necessary to complete the job, if you are able to buy the important parts yourself then you certainly do not need any help getting the common parts.

People may not read the description fully, believing from the title that a full kit is on offer.

[Jase]

Back to the case mod: if I were you I'd take the CPC to a paint dealer and have him produce a spray of the same color with which to paint the screen casing...

Yes, back to the case mod. I had a tin of spray paint that matched up really well when I modded my Amiga A600. It was from the BMW range of paints available in Halfords (a uk based rip-off merchant), but can I hell remember the exact name of it.
So this is really a crap comment really isnt it

[Jase]

By the way badstarr, great mod - and great use of the spare space in the +... probably the best place to put the HxC imho. And yes, I am a bit jealous I just used that space for something else, and it's well and truly glued in now!

[norecess]

By the way badstarr, great mod

Actually I don't like is at all. I think that the box with the HxC inside is not visually aesthetic and does not fit well with the CPC. Sorry to be that frank 

[Badstarr]

lol, Just to be accurate the "box" with the HxC inside is the CPC!


Thanks Jase, I will be improving the aesthetics of the mod as and when I have time, but as a working solution its not as painful on the eye as the mark one version, and it works quite nicely. What have you installed in your plus by the way?

[norecess]

Yeah, you got the idea. HxC's screen is tiny ; your box around it is round and too large for that stuff.

[Badstarr]

Whoo Hoo! I'm so pleased! Genesis8 have covered my mod! I have been visiting that site for years, seeing all the great CPC achievements over the years and I've been lucky enough to have something featured on there. I feel honoured! yay! Now I feel like a proper CPC geek! So hopefully for my next trick... I'll make that Plus Cartridge Emulator I've been dreaming about!   

[norecess]

Congrats!


BTW - don't get me wrong, I did not intend to look agressive in my previous answers. As an real Amiga 600 modder, I can definitively understand why and how we can freak out sometimes about new hardware stuff 

[Badstarr]

@Norecess Thanks Don't worry I didn't take offence, everyone has their own opinion on things. And you are right the screen case is a little bulky, but it was the best I could find. It's just for now as I'm putting together a case that looks like it's part of the CPC at least in the same sort of style anyway. Also I have been working on a cover for the SD card door.  I think when it's finished it will be more to everyones tastes. :-)