Hopefully this topic won't provoke the more ardent C= supporters... ;-)
I got a 128k Speccy on Tradera this week, which is a bit of a rarity in Sweden. It was an official import, with Beckman badge.
Alas, it won't work. No screen output whatsoever. And with the usual high Sinclair standards of construction, there isn't even a power LED to guide you. =/
So what to do, but go to a Commodore forum and ask for help? Any takers?
Spectrum +128
Moderator: Moderators
Spectrum +128
C128, C128D, C64, C64C, ABC80, ABC800, ABC806, 130XE, ZX81, Spectrum 48k, Dragon 32, TI99/4A, Laser 200, Spectravideo 328, Sord M5, VIC20...
Do you have the original PSU? I think all Speccys up to the 128K model uses reversed polarity, and then switched to normal polarity when Amstrad took over and gave the world the +2 and +3 series.
I have a 48K Speccy that is dead. When I tried to use it with a suitable PSU, the machine kept resetting all over (thus screen output) but at a later occassion I accidentally used a PSU with wrong polarity, and the computer just hummed. Maybe it would never work again even with the correcty polarity, maybe some rectifier bridge or whatever it is called was damaged.
Theoretically, I suppose the bus contact should at least on some pin generate a voltage, so you could measure it to see if the board gets power. Otherwise, I'm sure people in comp.sys.sinclair or maybe some online forum linked from World of Spectrum would help you, only if you confess that the Commodore 64 is crap (which it is of course, compared to VIC-20 !). Good luck.
I have a 48K Speccy that is dead. When I tried to use it with a suitable PSU, the machine kept resetting all over (thus screen output) but at a later occassion I accidentally used a PSU with wrong polarity, and the computer just hummed. Maybe it would never work again even with the correcty polarity, maybe some rectifier bridge or whatever it is called was damaged.
Theoretically, I suppose the bus contact should at least on some pin generate a voltage, so you could measure it to see if the board gets power. Otherwise, I'm sure people in comp.sys.sinclair or maybe some online forum linked from World of Spectrum would help you, only if you confess that the Commodore 64 is crap (which it is of course, compared to VIC-20 !). Good luck.
Anders Carlsson
Re: Spectrum +128
I'd check in on the forum at the World of Spectrum. They're always friendly and helpful over there.idrougge wrote:So what to do, but go to a Commodore forum and ask for help? Any takers?
Bacon
-------------------------------------------------------
Das rubbernecken Sichtseeren keepen das cotton-pickenen Hands in die Pockets muss; relaxen und watschen die Blinkenlichten.
-------------------------------------------------------
Das rubbernecken Sichtseeren keepen das cotton-pickenen Hands in die Pockets muss; relaxen und watschen die Blinkenlichten.
Thanks for your suggestions. Though I had already spent some time on W.o.S., it didn't occur to me that they had a forum. Mind you, after looking through other technical discussions there, any suggestions should be taken with both one and two grains of salt.
Carlsson: Nope, I used a range of third-party PSUs. The only original Sinclair PSU I've got is for the ZX81, and that one uses a 3,5 mm earphone plug.
Carlsson: Nope, I used a range of third-party PSUs. The only original Sinclair PSU I've got is for the ZX81, and that one uses a 3,5 mm earphone plug.
C128, C128D, C64, C64C, ABC80, ABC800, ABC806, 130XE, ZX81, Spectrum 48k, Dragon 32, TI99/4A, Laser 200, Spectravideo 328, Sord M5, VIC20...
Spam message meant for Swedish readers:
On the subject of 3rd party PSUs, I just paid a visit to Biltema without finding either of the three items I was looking for. However, they had a sell-out of various outdated stuff and among the spoons, pieces of mini car race track (!) and things I can't describe, they had a bunch of 12VDC 1A adapters for 5 SEK each (that is 0.72 USD, 0.88 CAD or 0.55 EUR). It has cost 49 SEK, and I suppose it is unregulated? Although I don't really have a need for one, it was too cheap to pass. Hopefully it works too..
On the subject of 3rd party PSUs, I just paid a visit to Biltema without finding either of the three items I was looking for. However, they had a sell-out of various outdated stuff and among the spoons, pieces of mini car race track (!) and things I can't describe, they had a bunch of 12VDC 1A adapters for 5 SEK each (that is 0.72 USD, 0.88 CAD or 0.55 EUR). It has cost 49 SEK, and I suppose it is unregulated? Although I don't really have a need for one, it was too cheap to pass. Hopefully it works too..
Anders Carlsson