I know this is a site for the VIC, and I love the VIC-20, but this time I need some help with a different computer.
I got a Commodore 64 with a 1541 drive and some old disks and joysticks from a lady about a week ago. It used to be their family computer, and a lot of the disks were old disks from Commodore and helped kids study different things, like math and science.
It had obviously been put away for a while, but it worked really well. There were no problems with the drive or the C64. For the first day, anyway.
The second day the 1541 stopped working. It's pretty obvious it needs realignment, but I don't have the disk for it.
After that I just started using my VIC's Dattasette to save programs. But then a few days later, the whole computer had problems. Occasionally, it would have a light orange screen when I turned it on, but that would go away. Now, about a week later, the C64 just gets stuck on an orange screen, with occasional random flashing characters. It never goes to the normal blue/white screen.
I read that it could be due to an overheated and running down power supply, and that it could also be a VIC-II chip problem. But it seems like if it were a VIC-II problem, the computer would at least go to the normal screen.
Has anyone ever encountered this problem, or a problem like it with another old computer? And also, does anyone know where I can get the disk to help me realign the 1541? If I could just fix that I could still use it for my VIC-20 or Plus/4.
C64 Help
Moderator: Moderators
Where in the USA are you?
(Just asking for shipping etc)
Do you have a voltmeter to test the voltages?
For me most of the time this kind of error is a failed PLA chip.
Usually it's soldered to the motherboard so it's a little bit of a pain to replace for people who don't solder much.
If you are close to Chattanooga,TN, you can ship it over and I'll repair it for you cheap.
later,
dabone
(Just asking for shipping etc)
Do you have a voltmeter to test the voltages?
For me most of the time this kind of error is a failed PLA chip.
Usually it's soldered to the motherboard so it's a little bit of a pain to replace for people who don't solder much.
If you are close to Chattanooga,TN, you can ship it over and I'll repair it for you cheap.
later,
dabone
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Ihavenousername
- Vic 20 Drifter
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:00 pm
I solder every so often and I had a good voltage meter, but it gave out and I was planning on getting a new one.
And that's a great offer, but I like kind of far from Tennessee. I'm in Michigan, near the Detroit area. I would want to ship it out there, but I don't think I have the money left to ship it. I lost my job a couple of weeks ago. I spent some of my last extra money on the Commodore actually.
And that's a great offer, but I like kind of far from Tennessee. I'm in Michigan, near the Detroit area. I would want to ship it out there, but I don't think I have the money left to ship it. I lost my job a couple of weeks ago. I spent some of my last extra money on the Commodore actually.