Looking for DDI-1

[awergh]

Think this fits better here maybe anyway,
since I live in 464 land instead of 6128 land like most of the people here I would like to find a DDI-1 unfortunately they don't seem to be around so much unless I missed something?
haven't seen any on ebay for ages except this which I'm not even sure is buyable
http://annonces.ebay.fr/viewad/Recherche-Interface-lecteur-de-disquette-CPC-464/5016765634?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.fr%2Fi.html%3F_nkw%3DRecherche%2BInterface%2Blecteur%2Bde%2Bdisquette%2BCPC%2B464%26_sacat_sel%3DSee-All-Categories%26_trksid%3Dp3286.c0.m1308%26_pgn%3D1%235016765634
Afterall if i cant ever find I'll never be able to play Orion Prime although there is that other minor problem of no memory expansion and no colour monitor but I'm happy to ignore those sorts of problems.

[mikeych]

Hi Awergh. Having a similar issue myself. Look at my post its just below yours. Can I make a sugestion. As long as you are looking overseas take a look in ebay germany or ebay uk and buy a 6128. German versions are branded as schnieder and the keyboard layout is very similar. Once you have a 6126 you can get an SD floppy emulator and you wont have to wory about if the disc drive works or not. As for the monitor, well you can get yourself a CRT or lcd with a scart conection, then all you need is a cpc to scart cable which are very easily obtainable. CRT tvs are going for nothing these days so you should have no trouble them, damn, i have even seen on ebay in aus a32"  Sony CRT which can display 1080i, looks like its gonna go for just over $100.

I realise it might seem like a bit of mucking about, but i think you would be able to put together a system a lot quicker this way than waiting for DD-1 to arrive on the market, and even if one does it would most likely fetch some really good dollars.

What part of Aus are you in by the way?

Cheers
Mike

[awergh]

I guess i kindof didn't want to get a 6128 because I have two 464s and GT64s and though having a DDI-1 would be better for some reason maybe cause I wouldn't have to work out where to put a 6128. I think i was thinking of attaching a 3½ floppy drive opposed to the HxC because its free that way I think.

On the thought of a SCART cable that probably is a reasonable solution but I was thinking of using it with an adapter and plug it into a video capture card and hope the quality hasn't degraded too much, this again saves me buying more then I have to.

I'm still fairly happy to wait for a DDI-1 at the moment I think surely someone will have one to get rid of eventually. Hmm and the thought of actually buying a CPC might be strange since both my 464s were given to me.

I'm in Canberra by the way.

[xesrjb]

 http://www.forum64.de/wbb3/board45-flohmarkt/board299-biete/40070-v-cpc-ddi-1-floppy-disk-drive-mit-controller-drucker/

ask him, he came from germany and is a very friendly C64 user. I think his prize will be approx. 35 Euro without shipping.

xesrjb

[awergh]

That sounds good except that I don't think I am allowed to post without be verified in some way, and I doubt I can do that without being able to speak german, Google Translate/Babelfish probably isn't enough.
Other then that it sounds alright assuming shipping wouldn't be too large, I really have no use for a printer.

[Amstari]

I think i was thinking of attaching a 3½ floppy drive opposed to the HxC because its free that way I think.

If you don't want to modify a 3½ floppy drive youself there is someone selling them on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Lecteur-disk-3-5-pour-AMSTRAD-SCHNEIDER-6128-centronic-/130460652144?pt=FR_GH_Informatique_Ordinateurs_Ordinateurs_de_Collection&hash=item1e600f9270

I got one from the same seller earlier in the year but I think I paid some extra for postage to Australia.

[mikeych]

This guy has a dd-1 but no interface. The interface is th most important thing tho. =(

http://www.dataserve-retro.co.uk/index1.html

[awergh]

Yeah its a pitty I saw just the drive on some other site as well.

[mikeych]

heres one in france

http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260702685717

[awergh]

don't think it ships even outside of france

[Bryce]

Ask them in an e-Mail, they usually change their mind. I've done this a few times, and they 've changed their mind every time (at least for Germany, australia might be another matter).

Bryce.

[mikeych]

Heres one in the uk . Will ship aswell.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Amstrad-DDI-1-Disc-Drive-Interface-CPC464-/170577524482?pt=UK_VintageComputing_RL&hash=item27b7367702

[awergh]

that sounds good, and I'm sure someone can explain how to clean the contacts to me as well since I would have to do it anyway since I don't think the expansion port has ever been used.

[awergh]

I guess it isn't going to be since the shipping is 90GBP which seems a bit much for me, I'll keeping hoping one magically comes along.

[arnoldemu]

that sounds good, and I'm sure someone can explain how to clean the contacts to me as well since I would have to do it anyway since I don't think the expansion port has ever been used.

I used a cotton bud which I made damp to clean the dirt off.
Then I dried it with a dry cotton bud.
After this you can use an eraser over the contacts. Bryce recommended to me the eraser which has pencil on one end and pen on the other and to use the pen end.
Clean both sides if you can.
Once your done the contacts should be really clean and you'll not have problems with them working.
I didn't.

[Blurredman]

you get it awegh?

[awergh]

no shipping was very expensive (144 AUDish), I would rather wait and pay less for it, I guess I want it but not quite that much.

[Blurredman]

Ah well. I myself was looking at a 6128 with discs but it went over my budget of £20 plus £10 postage (it went for £27).
And if I didn't get that, I would go for the disc drive, but that went for just as much as the whole 6128 system! So..

Just gotta keep looking, there's another one on already and it's pretty close to me by 50 miles. But I am going on holiday next Sunday so won't have time.
But will visit the local car boot sale next Saturday if it is on. My brother bought an Acorn Archimedes A3010 from there for £1 

[redbox]

My brother bought an Acorn Archimedes A3010 from there for £1 

Wow, they're pretty rare too.  I'd love an Archimedes 

Best thing I got at a car boot was a 15" Dell TFT flatscreen for £1.50.  I asked the guy if it worked to which he just said "dunno" - got it home and it's had a perfect picture!

[Bryce]

<Completely Off Topic>

I got a 2 channel analogue oscilloscope for 50 quid at a car boot sale, back in the days when you paid 5 figure sums for these. The guy didn't seem to know what it was, he said "it's some sort of reciever thing, maybe for a telly" I don't use it any more, but I still have it, sentimental attachment, as it was my first one.

</Completely Off Topic>

Bryce.

[Blurredman]

Wow, they're pretty rare too.  I'd love an Archimedes 

Best thing I got at a car boot was a 15" Dell TFT flatscreen for £1.50.  I asked the guy if it worked to which he just said "dunno" - got it home and it's had a perfect picture!

Hehe, that what my bro asked.

But, they're not rare here because they used to be used as school computers before the schools used PC's supplied by 'RM'. So as such, they are probably more common than Amstrad computers because aswel as schools buying them in bulk, they were also used as business and also as home computers advertised as education use for the kids

I would love to get deals such as Bryce talks of.