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CPC472 on eBay

Started by the KING, 12:49, 22 May 09

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the KING

I just found this Spanish CPC472 on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150336278892

It's a "buy it now" item, so I shouldn't be ruining anyone's "bid strategy" by posting it here. I have no interrest in it, but I'm sure someone here will grab it, as it quite rare, I believe.
I'm still looking for a very cheap 6128, though ;-) anyone?
Tom

the KING

#1
Sorry guys..... I have been walking around in circles here for some hours now..... and I just couldn't resist.....
I bought it

Tom

Ygdrazil

Damn.. You beat me to it!  >:(

Anyone with cheap 6128s around?

/Ygdrazil

the KING

:-( sorry
But send me a 664/MP2 and it's yours ;-)
Tom

the KING

Strange creature this 472....I opened it the second it arrived at my house, and I of course found the "add-on" board with the extra "dummy" RAM inside.
I guess my 472 is a rather late model, as it has the "low-key" type of keyboard, actually WITH spanish layout, and spanish characters in the ROM. What puzzles me is why then the "dummy" RAM board? Why would Amstrad go the extra mile, adding a "dummy" RAM board, if the computer IS indeed fitted with spanish keyboard and character set. I thought the whole point with the extra RAM was to "bypass" the requirements for spanish keyboard/character set?
And if the point was to disguise it as a 72K model (as it is written both on the upper case part, and underneath), why didn't they bother putting 72K on the startup screen? Especially when they obviously already made a new ROM with the spanish character set???
....as I said; strange creature, this 472....
Tom

Gryzor

Damn my illness, or I'd have it now :D

Anyhow, you are right in all that you say, it makes no much sense. I think, after seeing lots of variations, that maybe Amstrad's operations didn't know what they were doing every now and then... *Unless*, from a marketing point of view, they wanted to continue the '472' moniker and so they justified the cost of the extra k...

Anyhow, could we have some photos? :)

the KING

Yes, I will shoot some photos of it, after I have found a way to clean it......
Does anyone have some good advice how I can clean the motherboard? It is soked in dust, that is stuck to the board. A vacuum-cleaner was to no use, as the dirt didn't come off.
Is there any fluids that are safe to clean electronics with?
Tom

Gryzor

If you are handy enough to take the whole board out of the case, then distilled water is great. Of course, you'll need to make *absolutely* sure you let it dry 100% afterwards...

the KING

Quote from: Gryzor on 21:15, 13 June 09
If you are handy enough to take the whole board out of the case, then distilled water is great. Of course, you'll need to make *absolutely* sure you let it dry 100% afterwards...
So I could just take the board out and put it in a bucket of distilled water???  :o
Tom

Ygdrazil

hi Tom

There are several guides to cleaning old hardware

eg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkWePqTfD14

The question is if the hardware is working afterwards?

Personally I prefere to use compressed air. But i guess the hardware does not look like new!

Whatever you choose, please make a video of it!! This would be a nice feature!

Good luck

Regards,
Ygdrazil



Quote from: the KING on 15:24, 14 June 09
So I could just take the board out and put it in a bucket of distilled water???  :o
Tom

Gryzor

Quote from: the KING on 15:24, 14 June 09
So I could just take the board out and put it in a bucket of distilled water???  :o
Tom

...exactly :D It'd be even better if you could douse it with pressure. A hardware engineer friend of mine taught me that - they used to just wash boards in order to clean them without batting an eye in the lab. Just make sure you use something without any residues (like salt) and that it's completely dry before you power it on.

Ygfrazil is right, compressed air should be the first step, but it's not enough when you've got 25 years' worth accumulated muck stuck in there.

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