From total failure to gaming perfection: the incredible ZX Spectrum Plus repair story
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
- Join me as I take you through the repair process of a ZX Spectrum Plus computer. In this episode, I replace faulty RAM chips, clean the keyboard using an ultrasonic cleaner, and test the machine with various games, including Manic Miner and Chucky Egg. I also receive a lower RAM module from Retroeleum and plan to replace the keyboard membrane. Despite encountering some difficulties, including a total failure of all the lower RAM ICs, I manage to get the computer working well. Don't miss this episode of my ZX Spectrum repair series!
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00:00 Intro
00:44 First look at the Retro Bodge
03:59 Board Inspection
04:10 Voltage Check and Coil Check
05:25 Remove the Coil and Test
07:07 TR4 Is Faulty
10:21 Composite Mod
11:34 First Test
14:25 I Made a Mistake!
15:20 A New Plan
18:22 Removing the Lower RAM
25:00 Replace Lower RAM
28:18 Testing Voltage
29:00 Switch on!
30:00 ULTRASONIC Bath Time!
#zxspectrum #zxspectrum40 #computerrepair 
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For an old bodge attempt, that's definitely one of the best I've seen done. Probably perfectly reliable.
I'm _slowly_ building up the confidence to have a go at fixing my grey +2 by watching all these videos. "Flashy graphics" would be the post-it stuck to it if it had one. ;) Is something to do with 'young Dave' seeing what would happen if I ran a screwdriver along the expansion port while it was switched on. Needless to say that was hidden away from my parents pretty quickly indeed.
Young Dave was a hooligan! 🤣
I've got a bunch of plus 2 greys coming soon. The aim is to fix them of course, but also to find one really nice I've and perform all the mods to make it as good as it can be.
Really like the videos, have a little tip... When you are using a hand pump get a little pot to empty the pump into rather than on your working area. I have been caught out before by a bit of ejected solder getting stuck to the underside of the board. I like the + because they usually have latter rev boards and 7 ULAs 🙂
Thank you Antony! I like the tip too! I need a solder spittoon 🤠
Chucky Egg was the only arcade game I ever really played, on my Amstrad CPC! I'm more an adventure game player...
Good job on this repair, BTW!
Thank you Fred! I've not tried Chucky Egg on the Amstrad. I'll have to give that a go.
Another wonderful spectrum repair. I didn't know you could put plastics in an ultrasonic cleaner!
Thank you mate!
You can put pretty much anything in there! Hard stuff is usually ok, organics are not. So no putting your fingers in the tank whilst its on!
That is freaking nuts! Jam in a TSR-1 2450. Same RAM on my Trash-80 all blew at once due to bad caps failing. Replaced everything.
I bought the upgrade kit for my original 48k Speccy back in the day. Mine was £20 though, I think they increased it to £30 after a while.
The addition of a reset switch was quite handy though. If you remember, it would be used for resetting a game after loading, and then entering a bunch of POKEs for infinity lives etc. Good times.
I did a little research when I was looking for that print advert for the replacement case. It started out at £30 and then after a few months they dropped it down to £20.
I would have loved a reset switch on my speccy. Amazed I never had to replace the power socket!
@@MoreFunMakingIt ah right, that explains it then. I knew mine was £20, I remember buying the postal order 😆
I'd forgotten until now. The ztx652 was always the fault and sometimes the pnp above it. My late 80s speccy I re-wrote some of the ROM so tape load & save to floppy disk operation instead of tape
Very nice!
Nice video and unbelievable that not a single RAM chip survived! Working on a + myself at the moment and based on how grubby the case is underneath the keys, I'm opting to do a full soapy bath experience with it. Wrist cramp, here I come!
Grubby keyboards are the least fun part of a restoration. Good luck with yours!
Didn’t know about that IPA hot melt glue trick 😀 thanks
You’re welcome 😊
Loved the cleaning of the keyboard in the sonic cleaner that was a great idea. I might have been temped to keep the vintage keyboard repair as its part of the machines history. Glad you fitted a RAM module so it lives again. I am seeing an increase in people parting out machines IE sell the ULA, case, and the board as “faulty” Sadly they are now worth more in bits, the same thing has been happing in the classic car world for years
I would have loved to have been able to keep the bodge, but sadly the membrane on the other side had deteriorated to the point it I couldn't salvage it.
It does make me sad seeing these old machines being stripped for profit. The problem is people like fixing things, but the market value of a working machine isn't much more than a broken one. Hopefully that will balance out over time and it won't be worth destroying good machines.
@@MoreFunMakingIt Ah well if it was broken then in the bin with it. I was hoping we where past the days of the hacksawed Amiga borads on ebay but I guess not. From what I have seen recently a faulty machine can go for more than a working one. Crazy times
that keyboard mod was a treasure!
Yes! I can imagine the pride someone took when they made that. And they did a really nice job too. Better than I could have done!
(engineers join chat) 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 you always love doing funny like burning finger or else
i just love watching you fixing it and taking it aparts (most satisfying watching someone get headache trying to troubleshoot it)
Thank you K Z! I promise to keep burning my fingers for lols 😆
Generally if i find TR4 blown, I assume one or more of the lower ram's has died - and i remove all of them. Theyre not worth the hassle - so a lower ram replacement module is the best option. Usually if one blows and takes TR4 out, the loss of the supplies usually kills the others
Try using a super tight, large, alligator clip to help with removal
Ps. “It’s never the coil”
Happy birthday!
Thank you!
I have just had to make that exact same membrane mod with a saga 1. The previous owner cut it too short and replacement membrane's are not available. Thought I was being really original till I watched this.
I am in awe of the idea though! You still are a genius in my eyes 😁
Got a Saga Emperor and DKTronics that I need to fix too
Nice vid… thanks!
Thanks for watching 😁
It's always the RAM ! 😆
Its ALL of the RAM! 😂
has anyone ever confirmed a faulty coil? leaving it switched on for hours after blown up does more damage. The quiet high pitched buzzing that changes is instant proof the voltage converter is running ok
After the 4th or 5th blown TR4, maybe just install a socket. Like 3 pin female header or something. 😅
I had never considered that... Clever!
@@MoreFunMakingIt btw, happy belated birthday (just got to that part). 🖖🏻
Cheers! 😁
There is info out there about re/winding the coils.. someone did figure out the number of turns.. just need to find it!
BTW, ZTX653 is the best option for TR4, and it is not hard to get - CPC carry them
I've got the link for rewinding a coil. I'm more interested in finding a good source of new ones.
@@MoreFunMakingIt I did see someone making them, but as they were hand made they were expensive.
Really enjoying your videos with the dry sense of humour comidic edge.
Could you help me at all with my current (well, current as in the last 35 years) project?
I all harks back to my youth where I tried to make a NMI "launch" push-button switch that went on the edge connector and er, well, toasted the machine.
Scroll forward to 2023 and I'm starting to summons the courage to fix it. I can't remember if it's got the black screen, white border, red vertical lines output and/or flashy-coloured blocks problem. I daren't plug it back in, just yet for fear of reaking more damage. It's a 3B board.
I think I have a dodgy 5v regulator, because both the +5v and -5v rails are giving a squiffy value on the DRAM chip (as well as the regulator itself) when measuring the resistance.
Which leads me to my question, what range of resistance values should I expect for the 5v regulator, +5 and - 5v when measured at the lower RAM chips? You always "fast forward" at this point, so I never know what I am aiming for! Thanks.
To reply to myself... The coil's OK, as are TR4 and 5.
Hi Matthew! Thank you for the kind words 😁
Happy to help if I can.
It might be best to communicate on a different platform though. RUclips comments tend to disappear for no reason and after the initial comment I don't get a notification of replies.
Either twitter, discord or email would be good. You can find links to the first 2 in the description for every video, and my email is in the about tab on my youtube home page.
What capacity/model is the Veyvor ultrasonic cleaner?
Its the 22l one.
@@MoreFunMakingIt Can you drink it all in one go?
Did you plug that ULA into the machine while it was on.
Naughty 😉
Oh no! Did I? Got a timestamp?
@@MoreFunMakingIt ruclips.net/video/RLLU0sNEPD4/видео.html it looked like you plugged in the nebula ULA replacement in the screen comes to life.
it might have been the TV recording being out of sync with your action.
Phew! Was just a bit of bad editing. You can see the switch is in the off position while I'm plugging it in :D
woohooo
May I ask what power supply you use for your soldering iron?
It's a 24v brick with a barrel jack on the end. Pinecil only recommend up to 20v but it seems to work just fine. Heats up super fast
@@MoreFunMakingIt Oh right thanks, it looked in the video like it was powered through the USB C port.
@@DavidGouge I've got a converter 😁
@@MoreFunMakingIt lol, fair enough, thanks. :)
@@DavidGouge I've been using the UGREEN 65W Dual USB C Charger with my Pinecil.
just make sure you also get a nice silicone usb c cable that supports the 60w supply.
Those coils don't seemtoo complicated to rewind id it was ever needed.
There are modern remakes of these available
That coil is part of a simple DC-DC converter. They are so ubiquitous and cheap nobody would waste time on winding one themself. Just measure the inductance.
Not a fuse, but fused.
I have some spares coils for sell.
Could you email me a price? My email address is in my about tab.
@@MoreFunMakingIt just sent it
Throughout this video I was backseating you ...backseating yourself, except I wasn't helpful but more insulting
How about I send you the raw footage and you can ride pillion on the backseating?
@@MoreFunMakingIt yes please
I'll start copying it all onto floppy discs
@@MoreFunMakingIt boomer
I'm not sure I understand the voice over commentary making fun of yourself. Some of the things you said would be rude and hurtful if they came from someone else. Why say them?
Self deprecating humour is a very British thing. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable.
I'm not uncomfortable, more puzzled. I fail to see the humor in it. But I'm aware of this idea and the British infatuation with it. You do you. Otherwise I enjoed the video.