Importing, the usual way: Buy a step down converter, hook your device to a multistandard TV and you're good to go. Importing, The 8-bit Guy way: Swap components, transformes and oscillators from at least three different units from two regions and print some labels. That's why I love this channel :D
@@theforerunnerreclaimer EU to US would be stepping 115 vac up to 250 vac to use the original EU power supplies, but that's not how our friend and humble narrator chose to do things. He preferred to convert the equipment to use 115 by installing an appropriate power supply or transformer for US use. That's a better solution long-term, and presents less of a chance for mis-powering and thus causing damage to the equipment. There are switching power supply units available that will fit in a 1541 enclosure with little to no modification. Some of these are even switch-selectable for 115 or 250 volt service. They will cause the drive enclosure to run cooler, be more power-efficient and more versatile. Arctic Retro just did a video which showed one of these units toward its end: ruclips.net/video/-21WMK_X7oQ/видео.html
TheGeekPub when I was younger my job was to repair almost all c64's damaged here in patagonia, in the south of Argentina. About 6 to 8 a day! Some of them were ntsc and I had the oportunity of digging into one, one day, that inside had a little convertion pcb, consisting of a couple of transistors and a coil. I took the schemmatic from it, duplicated it, and I modified to pal-n almost 20 other c64's. Good days in 1993 or so.. only eith this boards, no ic replacrment needed. Not exactly knowing what the board was doing ..
I remember seeing ads in argentinean magazines to convert NTSC C64 to PAL, fortunately my father bought me a Drean C64C, it was the first time I could play games in color! I'm sure it was amazing for you to convert those computers!
Speaking as someone who's still a relative beginner at this stuff in spite of having a good few restorations under my belt, Same. It's always great seeing the process in action since written word can leave a lot to be desired.
Dear David, Thanks for this episode--it is super interesting. You don't have to try to excuse "unplanned episodes"; this stuff is fascinating and many of us really enjoy them. Thanks again for your hard work.
It's always awesome to see Commodore equipment get fixed and come back to life! A quick tip about solder wick: if it doesn't seem to be working, brush some solder flux on it. That'll help draw solder into it.
Keep solder wick in a cool and dry place, and, if it shows signs of crystallized flux, use a just a bit of extra heat with it. Adding extra flux may work, but keeping the stuff in proper conditions will definitely extend its useful life.
Classic! That had me ROFL! You would be dead right (pun intended)... A centre negative barrel can certainly be the 'f-you' pin, if your device doesn't have a bridge rectifier or reverse polarity protection diode!
I can't stand center negative plugs. Roland used them all the time for their 80s/90s music gear, even though everyone else like Yamaha is center positive. Ugh.
I killed a Center Positive board for a mini black and white CRT, didn't realise I had a center negative adapter until I started modding the board and realised that's how I killed it.
Even though I am 13, I love seeing your content and seeing computers and all from before I was born (Before 2005). I'm like.. The only person I know that likes your content and watches it daily. Stay cool, The 8-Bit Guy! Edit: Now 16, Still watching content from you. I'm also hella surprised that this comment got a decent amount of likes/replies.
Learning things about retro computers actually helped me a lot when I started to pick up programming languages that are on the more low-level side, like C. It definitely helps to understand the simpler systems, it helps teach you about the newer systems and it gives you an appreciation for what you had to work with in the past.
@@ryjelsum I was born the same year as the Commodore 64 - 1982 the best year ever :D Everybody likes to make out we're all separate but the rules changed in 1982, home computing were born! We basically grew up together... So everybody from 1975-2001 can be grouped as the "Web babies" as we all had a totally different upbringing and appreciation of life, compared with pre 1975 people who were on horses carts and dynamo driven FM radios! We are the future people lol.
That's true enough, especially given how much the internet has helped generational exchange of knowledge. I started my computer tinkering at about 12 or 13, and learned a lot by annoying people twice my age in chatrooms and message boards :)
@@ryjelsum The next big thing in computers, will be AI operation... If you're smart which you are; you should have a look what companies like Amazon are doing with AI. It's mind blowing when you consider how far we've come since the 1908's when 64k of RAM was considered "Far too much". Haha, oh and 5.25in floppy disks! You ever seen one, it's bigger than your hand :D That was new when I was a babe. Now though what's new is Boston Dynamics robot dog bodies, powered by sensor driven AI modules and controlled 100% by voice and pointing! Amazing stuff you'd be right at home :)
Ryan Smith He also has an amazing hair style, I'm thinking about replicating it myself rather than letting nature take its course as year after year none ever falls out...
The way you time the music in the cleaning segments is just the best. You always pick the moment that makes your cleaning seem the most over-the-top awesome and it's funny but it also totally works. It gets me hype as hell every time.
Oh my, that brings back memories, had the Commodore C-116 back in the day in germany when I was a kid. I remember the terrible rubber keyboard, where the keys became more and more unresponsive very well. Back then I could fix the keys temporarily by glueing some aluminium foil to the rubber keyboard mat under each key. But they became loose quickly again, and it was just a mess. In the end my dad bought me a Commodore plus 4, which I was much more happy with !! ;) There was a commodore magazine, where they provided a project to solder your own speech A/D, D/A converter for the expansion port. By connecting a microphone, you could record your own speech digitally, and play it back on the C- 116, I think only with 1 or 2 bit / 4 kHz audio resolution, but back in the day that was an amazing project. Thanks 8- bit guy, for bringing back such memories, and keep doing what you're doing !! ;)
Next time you don't have a fuse handy, you can use your multimeter in current mode to jump a fuse. It has its own internal fuse. I suggest using the lower range (like 500ma if you have it), the 10A fuses are often HRC and can be expensive to replace! :D
Not everyone has a fluke, i don't, you also have to get one to replace it. that link shows blank in the buy it now column. Or you can just order a selection of common equipment fuses and keep them in stock. checking amazon, the 440ma ones are $0.70 each, and are HRC. Not only does a meter fuse need to have the right current rating, but also the voltage, my meter can test up to 1000vdc/750vac
I cringed when he jumpered directly across the fuse connector with no protection. He's lucky it didn't trigger the "flame enable" even though no short was expected. An old school trick we used to use was to put an incandescent bulb in place of the fuse. Incandescent bulbs are nonlinear and work as a current limit in this case. Next, take a heat gun and start heating areas of the board: the lamp will get brighter when the bad spot is located. If you use freeze spray, the light will dim if the cold opens the short. Night light bulbs work quite well for this. Here's a link to an article about using incandescent lamps for troubleshooting: www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1331961
Just watched an Amazon prime series, saw that a new 8Bit guy video is out, stopped the series to watch your video. Your videos are just too interesting, they have to be watched immediately! :-)
I have fond memories of these magnificent computers! As badly as it bombed, the C16 was one of the most attractive Commodore computers I have ever seen and I think the vertical-dash rainbow strip between the Commodore brand name and the number 16 are the best packaging graphics I have seen on a computer to date!
Just seeing how much circuitry is in the Commodore drives (as well as looking at similar early IBM PC drive controller boards and drive mechanisms,) makes me appreciate Steve Wozniak's engineering even more. It's amazing he was able to implement a floppy controller with so few chips - later reduced to a single chip - where the competitors were using chips that were essentially the *SAME* chip as in the main computer itself. (The use of a 6510 also reminds me of IBM's early "Professional Graphics Card" - a graphics card that was basically another IBM PC spread across _three_ full-length ISA cards, used solely for rendering graphics.)
@@davidkinkade81 (i'm the same guy) You're wrong. I have two 240 volt outlets in my house; one is for my clothes dryer and the other isn't being used at the moment.
It seems that David was a reverse Dr. Frankenstein on this video. He took spare parts from one machine to give life to one. That takes a real man. The 8-Bit Guy is one awesome computer doctor.
Surely just a transplant surgeon. XD We take the organs from one dead person, and give them to a dozen others that need them. Same principle. The disk drive thing is a perfect example; Fixed 3 drives by taking apart one.
Solder wick problem solutions(?): 1. Add new solder to the joint before using the wick - quite often the more the merrier (as it will displace the old stuff) 2. Add flux... I have the stuff in a shoe polish type round tin. I dip the iron into the flux to melt some and then drag the wick through the pool. I don't know if you'd already done this, but you didn't mention anything so I thought I'd add my 3 cents. GL
C16 my first computer. :) Thanks to this computer, I learned to program in addition to the Basic language, the assembly language that came with Basic. It was not the computer in his time to play, but to learn programming and logic. Thanks for posting this video. Greetings from Santiago of Chile !! :)
I'm sure others might have said this, but just about every house in the US has 240 volts. Its just not commonly used for regular everyday needs. The bigger problem is the phase difference.
Looking forward to the amiga episodes David. I use to be in the amiga demoscene and have a lot of great memories of both my commodore 64 and amiga 500 / 3000T! :)
This is easily the most satisfying video you have, its equivalent to those powerwashing driveway videos. The fact that everything had a place to go and everything in its place, it was really satisfying to see.
For a unplanned video it was pretty good, I enjoyed it, good job, thank! Here is a free de-soldering tip, you will have better luck if you apply some fresh solder to the joint first then use the wick, also put some flux on the wick and the joint.
We waited 5 years for that followup C116 computer episode - but you have so many amazing projects going at once since, it don't matter! looking forward to it one day , maybe by retirement.
Great video, always amazes me how much circuitry there is in Commodore disk drives compared to other systems i.e. pretty much an entire computer board almost as complicated as the system they plug into. They are built like tanks though, and seem to keep working. Also good save on the C116 computer, they are a bit more common over here in Australia (although I still don’t have one), but there is not anywhere as much information on them compared to other Commodore machines so I look forward to your full video on it.
Dude, if you already have a NTSC/60Hz C16, leave the other PAL, and try to get hold of a multistandard TV set, most Philips or Magnavox from the 90s will support just about any sort of Color TV standard. There is next to zero software for these machines in NTSC Land, and you won't run all the cool European Games and especially, Demos !
+Carlos Bragatto I was about to say the same thing but you beat me to it ^^ Pal have all the software and like the C64 alot dosnt work on a Ntsc machine so you repaired it but made it less compatible ^^
For what it's worth, I thoroughly enjoy videos that include getting old tech to work. There's nothing quite like the feeling of a successful POST after trying a completely non-documented fix.
Man, I really do enjoy watching you troubleshoot and repair all this old hardware. I find it fascinating, as just about all of the hardware you work with is about a decade before my time.
I absolutely loved this video. Using the crappy drive to repair the other 3 was brilliant. This is exactly the kind of content that keeps me coming back to your channel.
Since you don't use a solder sucker or desoldering machine, you may want to try this tip. Some call it the flood and tap method. Flood each of the connections with solder, but dont over do it, and tap the board and the part will usually fall out. Just keep cycling between connections so that all of the connections stay heated. You could use tweezers but usually they are not needed. Of course wear safety glasses when doing this in case of flicking. The solder wick will suck up the new solder easily but more wick will be needed of course. Keep up the good work! I sure miss my old Vic20 but have no space for it, so watching your show is the next best thing.
1541-II had external power supply, and it was a lot smaller. And didn't heat up like a toaster! I think everyone that I knew back in the day, had that newer version, or the really slim OC-118N drive.
The Commodore 264 series (16, 116, Plus/4) got dumped into Eastern Europe, mainly Hungary, where it really hurt the domestic computers, which were really primitive compared to even those.
Nah, computers in Eastern Europe was hurt by Soviet Union as everything from Soviet Union was "superior" and that is why IBM PC won and noone knows about computers like K-202 that was faster and cheaper than IBM PC produced 10 years after him... Inventor was so anoyed with communists and people that they puted in charge of things that he quit the job and started pig farm and when some jurnalist asked him later why he did that his response was that he prefer to work with real pigs... :P
I remember from old days - PAL signal on SECAM tv was just in gray scale.
6 лет назад+5
1551 uses 6510T CPU, but this is not the same 6510 as in C64s. 6510T CPUs has 8 bit "built-in CPU I/O port", while "normal" 6510s has only 6. To have this, some pins of 6510 has to be "re-defined" since these are 40 pin DIP ICs. So 6510T has no RDY and NMI signals compared to 6510. However it has additional two bits I/O, what I've mentioned. Anyway, it's just important to note, that some cannot exchange a 6510T with 6510 (or vice versa) thinking 6510T in 1551 is the same as used in C64s (6510). And yes, newer C64s uses the HMOS version of 6510, namely 8500, but again, that's though compatible with 6510, not with 6510T.
Thanks for sharing! You've just out-geeked the 8-Bit-Guy ;-)
6 лет назад
;-P It was not my intent though :) But I personally know a case when somebody wanted to put a 6510 from a C64 into an 1551 drive since its 6510T was dead. But that would not work, probably causing even hardware failure of the other circuits of the drive or the 6510 itself, so it can be important to note this.
Ya casi me iba a dormir cuando recibí la notificación del video......imposible irme a la cama antes de verlo!!!! (i was going to sleep when this video pops up.....can't go to bed without seeing it!!!!!!!)
Just looking at Commodore hardware makes me happy, and seeing the process of bringing these old drives back to life is strangely heartwarming. It's also useful, as I have a nonfunctional 1541 in storage and now have at last am idea of how to get inside and what I'll find. Can't wait for your next Commodore vid!
I used to love doing this kind of work. I found it extremely satisfying. I have lost the use of my left arm from a brain injury. But videos like this are very cathartic to me. Thanks for sharing.
HappyBeezerStudios - by Lord_Mogul That's what I meant, but he might want to keep the old caps for historical reasons and only replace the bad ones. I say this because the European version had Eiko caps made in West Germany (that's how you can tell it's old) and the American version had Nichicon (Japanese) caps, which is another interesting difference.
It is probably dead. But you don't really need all of the "current buffering" capacitors with the old "crude" technology from back then. Might run unstable though. It should be replaced because the other capacitors on the same supply lines are stressed more. Also the dead capacitor might cause a short eventually.
Great video. I appreciate how you are keeping alive these old pieces of hardware. Videos like this, and I realize this was unscheduled, is my favorite kind of video you do. Well, actually, all of them are my favorite.
As the best Commodore 116 / c16 software is written for PAL and not NTSC it would be pointless to convert them to NTSC as the graphics and colours will be different between the US and European software and it might affect the copy protection as well.
Mr T. Guru makes sense. Although the 116 is rarer, I would much rather have a c16 with the better keyboard. Also it is quite easy to upgrade the ram on a c16 to 64k.
Picture quality is not the problem, because the higher resolution of PAL is not used by the computer and the phase shifting that NTSC can suffer from does not occur for directly connected equipment. The real problem is, if you use a computer that was mainly sold in PAL countries, there will be very few NTSC compatible software.
LOL, "organ donations"! :-) Yeah, especially interesting about that is how it can be used to fix up two _different_ models that are still compatible enough in those areas.
Mmm.. Döner drive... :)~ You really need to apply fresh solder and then flux to make that wick wick like a champ. Also, you can test for shorts with that Fluke so you don't have to guess if the smoke comes out or not!
Just use flux with solder wick and it will work, fluxes are made exactly for working with coroded joints and metals. Except in a case where there is no VIA plating, that's about only scenario I can think solder wick would be useless in.
I've thrown flux at the screen several times, it never helps. I think he's just trying to demonstrate that there is never one best method, you want to use what works best. I will say that solder wick doesn't cut it when the pin is tied directly to the ground plane (or several) with no thermal. If there's only one such pin, you get lucky and you can push it through like in the video. Otherwise you really need good suction.
I couldn't help but smile all the way. It's a joy watch you handle these electronics. I was really young when we had a Commodore 64. I remember he only had a tape drive initially but later my brother bought a floppy drive (a 1541-II I guess). My neighbour had a weird 1570 with that weird closing mechanism. But looking at these gray boxes fills me with much nostalgia. The shape and the color is just perfect. I'd like to keep more Commodore stuff around but they take up a lot of space so I'll go with the Amiga 500 I cleaned up last year. David, keep em coming!
I didn't catch the part where he mentioned Hungary. Now I have to watch the whole video again. Here I come! :D Edit: Found it, it's that little Commodore thingy on the right. Now I can't stop watching the rest of the episode.
6 лет назад+8
Azt hittem én vagyok itt egyedül Magyarországról. - I thought that I'm the only person here from Hungary 🇭🇺! :)
robertsd247 Maybe when his current library starts to receive the attention it so justly deserves. His sub and view counts are absolutely insulting for his level of talent and effort in video making.
I've had a dispenser of solder wick in my tool box for something like 20 years. I never use it. A spring loaded "solder sucker" does the job well. The trick to the wick, however, is to put just a touch of flux on the wick. The minute amount of oxidation on the copper wick prevents the solder from drawing up into the strands and the flux neutralizes the oxides. But I still recommend the solder sucker. It makes a great fidget toy when your hands are idle.
Can I confess that I have no idea what's going on in like 65% of these repair videos (the parts that I do get are basically cleaning and the basic repairs), but nonetheless still enjoy watching him fix them? It's so satisfying.
Importing, the usual way: Buy a step down converter, hook your device to a multistandard TV and you're good to go. Importing, The 8-bit Guy way: Swap components, transformes and oscillators from at least three different units from two regions and print some labels. That's why I love this channel :D
*step-up
@@MrToradragon depends where you live
@@MrToradragon not always. If converting from 220/240 to 120 its a step-down. If you're doing the opposite (120 to 220/240) it's a step-up
@@theforerunnerreclaimer EU to US would be stepping 115 vac up to 250 vac to use the original EU power supplies, but that's not how our friend and humble narrator chose to do things. He preferred to convert the equipment to use 115 by installing an appropriate power supply or transformer for US use. That's a better solution long-term, and presents less of a chance for mis-powering and thus causing damage to the equipment.
There are switching power supply units available that will fit in a 1541 enclosure with little to no modification. Some of these are even switch-selectable for 115 or 250 volt service. They will cause the drive enclosure to run cooler, be more power-efficient and more versatile. Arctic Retro just did a video which showed one of these units toward its end: ruclips.net/video/-21WMK_X7oQ/видео.html
I was unaware you could convert PAL to NTSC so easily! Cool!
It sounds like something that would require you to swap the video chip.
Yes.. I had something totally different in my mind..
TheGeekPub when I was younger my job was to repair almost all c64's damaged here in patagonia, in the south of Argentina. About 6 to 8 a day! Some of them were ntsc and I had the oportunity of digging into one, one day, that inside had a little convertion pcb, consisting of a couple of transistors and a coil. I took the schemmatic from it, duplicated it, and I modified to pal-n almost 20 other c64's. Good days in 1993 or so.. only eith this boards, no ic replacrment needed. Not exactly knowing what the board was doing
..
Oh, yeah. You can do the same with game systems. As long as the proper parts are available it's an easy soldering job.
I remember seeing ads in argentinean magazines to convert NTSC C64 to PAL, fortunately my father bought me a Drean C64C, it was the first time I could play games in color! I'm sure it was amazing for you to convert those computers!
These repairs/restores are my favorite type of video from you.
Same here
yeah, so satisfying :)
I love the internet :) hello from sweden
Speaking as someone who's still a relative beginner at this stuff in spite of having a good few restorations under my belt, Same. It's always great seeing the process in action since written word can leave a lot to be desired.
same
Modern computers in black are a dime a dozen, but there’s something about these old computers in black that makes them look really cool.
Haha, you know your audience, we love watching you fix these old things.
Definitely
Absolutely yes!
Yeah 🙃
I agree
Best part fixing :)
That moment when it's a boring and slow day but The 8Bit Guy uploads something, day saved!
Yay
Plus you're first
and full of snow
EpicLPer I know the feeling. I will watch in class if I have to.
The music is so uplifting!
That's Exactly what i thought myself.
Dear David, Thanks for this episode--it is super interesting. You don't have to try to excuse "unplanned episodes"; this stuff is fascinating and many of us really enjoy them. Thanks again for your hard work.
It's always awesome to see Commodore equipment get fixed and come back to life!
A quick tip about solder wick: if it doesn't seem to be working, brush some solder flux on it. That'll help draw solder into it.
Keep solder wick in a cool and dry place, and, if it shows signs of crystallized flux, use a just a bit of extra heat with it. Adding extra flux may work, but keeping the stuff in proper conditions will definitely extend its useful life.
@@horusfalcon So far any solder wick I've bought was dry copper braid, ie. it had no flux on it. I've always had to add flux myself.
center negative barrel pin, aka the 'f-you' pin
Classic! That had me ROFL! You would be dead right (pun intended)... A centre negative barrel can certainly be the 'f-you' pin, if your device doesn't have a bridge rectifier or reverse polarity protection diode!
A *FULL* bridge rectifier !
this guy eyebrows
I can't stand center negative plugs. Roland used them all the time for their 80s/90s music gear, even though everyone else like Yamaha is center positive. Ugh.
I killed a Center Positive board for a mini black and white CRT, didn't realise I had a center negative adapter until I started modding the board and realised that's how I killed it.
Your intro song always makes me happy no matter what mood I'm in.
Nice work on fixing up the 1551 I sent you. Its a shame it didn't arrive in a better condition, but you've done a great job :)
Even though I am 13, I love seeing your content and seeing computers and all from before I was born (Before 2005). I'm like.. The only person I know that likes your content and watches it daily.
Stay cool, The 8-Bit Guy!
Edit: Now 16, Still watching content from you. I'm also hella surprised that this comment got a decent amount of likes/replies.
Learning things about retro computers actually helped me a lot when I started to pick up programming languages that are on the more low-level side, like C. It definitely helps to understand the simpler systems, it helps teach you about the newer systems and it gives you an appreciation for what you had to work with in the past.
@Fernan Schouffoer I was born in 98 and yall make me feel old
@@ryjelsum I was born the same year as the Commodore 64 - 1982 the best year ever :D Everybody likes to make out we're all separate but the rules changed in 1982, home computing were born! We basically grew up together...
So everybody from 1975-2001 can be grouped as the "Web babies" as we all had a totally different upbringing and appreciation of life, compared with pre 1975 people who were on horses carts and dynamo driven FM radios! We are the future people lol.
That's true enough, especially given how much the internet has helped generational exchange of knowledge. I started my computer tinkering at about 12 or 13, and learned a lot by annoying people twice my age in chatrooms and message boards :)
@@ryjelsum The next big thing in computers, will be AI operation...
If you're smart which you are; you should have a look what companies like Amazon are doing with AI. It's mind blowing when you consider how far we've come since the 1908's when 64k of RAM was considered "Far too much".
Haha, oh and 5.25in floppy disks! You ever seen one, it's bigger than your hand :D That was new when I was a babe. Now though what's new is Boston Dynamics robot dog bodies, powered by sensor driven AI modules and controlled 100% by voice and pointing! Amazing stuff you'd be right at home :)
I think part of the charm of this channel is that you have a down-to-earth, cool guy who is a total genius and does amazing things.
Ryan Smith He also has an amazing hair style, I'm thinking about replicating it myself rather than letting nature take its course as year after year none ever falls out...
The way you time the music in the cleaning segments is just the best. You always pick the moment that makes your cleaning seem the most over-the-top awesome and it's funny but it also totally works. It gets me hype as hell every time.
Oh my, that brings back memories, had the Commodore C-116 back in the day in germany when I was a kid. I remember the terrible rubber keyboard, where the keys became more and more unresponsive very well. Back then I could fix the keys temporarily by glueing some aluminium foil to the rubber keyboard mat under each key.
But they became loose quickly again, and it was just a mess. In the end my dad bought me a Commodore plus 4, which I was much more happy with !! ;)
There was a commodore magazine, where they provided a project to solder your own speech A/D, D/A converter for the expansion port. By connecting a microphone, you could record your own speech digitally, and play it back on the C- 116, I think only with 1 or 2 bit / 4 kHz audio resolution, but back in the day that was an amazing project.
Thanks 8- bit guy, for bringing back such memories, and keep doing what you're doing !! ;)
I really like these videos where you just go straight inside the case and fix things at the component level. *thumbs up*
Next time you don't have a fuse handy, you can use your multimeter in current mode to jump a fuse. It has its own internal fuse. I suggest using the lower range (like 500ma if you have it), the 10A fuses are often HRC and can be expensive to replace! :D
I don't suggest that, some meter fuses are special and harder to obtain
Sparky Projects
Yeah AND more expensive!
Not everyone has a fluke, i don't, you also have to get one to replace it.
that link shows blank in the buy it now column.
Or you can just order a selection of common equipment fuses and keep them in stock.
checking amazon, the 440ma ones are $0.70 each, and are HRC.
Not only does a meter fuse need to have the right current rating, but also the voltage, my meter can test up to 1000vdc/750vac
I cringed when he jumpered directly across the fuse connector with no protection. He's lucky it didn't trigger the "flame enable" even though no short was expected.
An old school trick we used to use was to put an incandescent bulb in place of the fuse. Incandescent bulbs are nonlinear and work as a current limit in this case. Next, take a heat gun and start heating areas of the board: the lamp will get brighter when the bad spot is located. If you use freeze spray, the light will dim if the cold opens the short.
Night light bulbs work quite well for this. Here's a link to an article about using incandescent lamps for troubleshooting:
www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1331961
Dave McAnulty a better option is to jump it with, say, 0.1ohm 2W resistor and measure the voltage (0.1V range) on its leads. Works up to 4amps.
Just watched an Amazon prime series, saw that a new 8Bit guy video is out, stopped the series to watch your video. Your videos are just too interesting, they have to be watched immediately! :-)
The man in the High Castle is a very good series.
The Good Guy me I watch the grand tour
I have fond memories of these magnificent computers! As badly as it bombed, the C16 was one of the most attractive Commodore computers I have ever seen and I think the vertical-dash rainbow strip between the Commodore brand name and the number 16 are the best packaging graphics I have seen on a computer to date!
Just seeing how much circuitry is in the Commodore drives (as well as looking at similar early IBM PC drive controller boards and drive mechanisms,) makes me appreciate Steve Wozniak's engineering even more. It's amazing he was able to implement a floppy controller with so few chips - later reduced to a single chip - where the competitors were using chips that were essentially the *SAME* chip as in the main computer itself.
(The use of a 6510 also reminds me of IBM's early "Professional Graphics Card" - a graphics card that was basically another IBM PC spread across _three_ full-length ISA cards, used solely for rendering graphics.)
Wow, I've never even heard of the C16 or 1551 drive! I learn something new with every video! Thanks!
1:28 "We don't have 240 volts here in the United States."
NEMA 6-20 outlets: "Am I a joke to you?"
Also level 2 ev chargers: same here buddy.
@DJOLEX 555 k
Well there no wire in your home will have 240v (breaker)
@@davidkinkade81 (i'm the same guy)
You're wrong. I have two 240 volt outlets in my house; one is for my clothes dryer and the other isn't being used at the moment.
@Ronnie Roo Yeah, we use one for an electric oven too.
It seems that David was a reverse Dr. Frankenstein on this video. He took spare parts from one machine to give life to one. That takes a real man. The 8-Bit Guy is one awesome computer doctor.
Surely just a transplant surgeon. XD
We take the organs from one dead person, and give them to a dozen others that need them.
Same principle. The disk drive thing is a perfect example; Fixed 3 drives by taking apart one.
Yeah, and so is stating the obvious, like you are doing.
The needs of the many outweighs the need of the few... or the one. :)
Thank you, Johan Petur Spock. :)
Took spare parts from one machine to give life to -one- three.
Solder wick problem solutions(?):
1. Add new solder to the joint before using the wick - quite often the more the merrier (as it will displace the old stuff)
2. Add flux... I have the stuff in a shoe polish type round tin. I dip the iron into the flux to melt some and then drag the wick through the pool.
I don't know if you'd already done this, but you didn't mention anything so I thought I'd add my 3 cents. GL
C16 my first computer. :)
Thanks to this computer, I learned to program in addition to the Basic language, the assembly language that came with Basic. It was not the computer in his time to play, but to learn programming and logic. Thanks for posting this video.
Greetings from Santiago of Chile !! :)
I'm sure others might have said this, but just about every house in the US has 240 volts. Its just not commonly used for regular everyday needs.
The bigger problem is the phase difference.
Looking forward to the amiga episodes David. I use to be in the amiga demoscene and have a lot of great memories of both my commodore 64 and amiga 500 / 3000T! :)
This is easily the most satisfying video you have, its equivalent to those powerwashing driveway videos. The fact that everything had a place to go and everything in its place, it was really satisfying to see.
For a unplanned video it was pretty good, I enjoyed it, good job, thank! Here is a free de-soldering tip, you will have better luck if you apply some fresh solder to the joint first then use the wick, also put some flux on the wick and the joint.
Absolutely enjoyed seeing this process. Unscheduled video or not I liked it.
This not planned videos are pretty good actually hahaha. I enjoy seeing them, keep at the good work David!
We waited 5 years for that followup C116 computer episode - but you have so many amazing projects going at once since, it don't matter! looking forward to it one day , maybe by retirement.
Thanks for all you do to help keep these machines alive 🕹️👍
Europe want to be your PAL
Lol
Haha
lol
Lol.
lol
Great video, always amazes me how much circuitry there is in Commodore disk drives compared to other systems i.e. pretty much an entire computer board almost as complicated as the system they plug into. They are built like tanks though, and seem to keep working.
Also good save on the C116 computer, they are a bit more common over here in Australia (although I still don’t have one), but there is not anywhere as much information on them compared to other Commodore machines so I look forward to your full video on it.
The C116 was my first computer ever. Learned so much playing around with it. Happy memories.
the idea that you kept the transformer in his shield/frame is very smart, bravo !
Dude, if you already have a NTSC/60Hz C16, leave the other PAL, and try to get hold of a multistandard TV set, most Philips or Magnavox from the 90s will support just about any sort of Color TV standard. There is next to zero software for these machines in NTSC Land, and you won't run all the cool European Games and especially, Demos !
Although you are right, he's right, too. He wanted an NTSC C116, now he has one. He can watch the demos on the C16 or on a +4...
Or install a rom switcher and some circuitry to switch clocks
+Carlos Bragatto
I was about to say the same thing but you beat me to it ^^ Pal have all the software and like the C64 alot dosnt work on a Ntsc machine so you repaired it but made it less compatible ^^
The fix didn't made it less compatible, it's the mod he made next that did.
Well yes but you know what i meant :)
Italy is right here! Cheers, and keep it on, David.
For what it's worth, I thoroughly enjoy videos that include getting old tech to work. There's nothing quite like the feeling of a successful POST after trying a completely non-documented fix.
Man, I really do enjoy watching you troubleshoot and repair all this old hardware. I find it fascinating, as just about all of the hardware you work with is about a decade before my time.
Watching this on a Windows XP. No problem! : )
Hour voice makes me calm and relaxed
You and these videos are always so comforting. Especially in the middle of the night when I watched this. Thank you!
This is one of the few RUclips channels that I actually learn somewhat useful knowledge about old tech from. Keep up the good work.
Right before you mentioned the PET I was going to comment "remember you did the keyboard repair on the PET?"
He's gonna take you back to the past...
To fix the computers that look like trash...
The Angry Old Computer Nerd.
@@KanawhaCountyWX Yes but no.
@BedrockPlayer123 I'm aware. It was a joke.
Love your content @The 8-Bit Guy. I love watching you review your collection. I also enjoy collecting vintage products. Thanks for making me smile.
I absolutely loved this video. Using the crappy drive to repair the other 3 was brilliant. This is exactly the kind of content that keeps me coming back to your channel.
always like these types of videos though it is a bit depressing since i miss all my commodore computers...
7:08 doesn't it feel good when you are working on a project, and it all falls together and you fix more than just one thing!
Since you don't use a solder sucker or desoldering machine, you may want to try this tip. Some call it the flood and tap method. Flood each of the connections with solder, but dont over do it, and tap the board and the part will usually fall out. Just keep cycling between connections so that all of the connections stay heated. You could use tweezers but usually they are not needed. Of course wear safety glasses when doing this in case of flicking. The solder wick will suck up the new solder easily but more wick will be needed of course.
Keep up the good work! I sure miss my old Vic20 but have no space for it, so watching your show is the next best thing.
You’r videos have influenced me into actually caring about computers vintage and modern. Thank you.
A really good video as always.
The Frankenstein monster of disk drives XD
Still, excellent work :D
It's like a salvage car rebuild
It got size of X-box 360.
1541-II had external power supply, and it was a lot smaller. And didn't heat up like a toaster! I think everyone that I knew back in the day, had that newer version, or the really slim OC-118N drive.
#DiskDriveSurgeon
btw i can't use hashtag correctly
I just love everything you do! Always love when you fix something that is broken!! Please never stop uploading!!
The time you take to make these is something I'll always appreciate
The Commodore 264 series (16, 116, Plus/4) got dumped into Eastern Europe, mainly Hungary, where it really hurt the domestic computers, which were really primitive compared to even those.
They were also sold very cheaply in the UK to get rid of all the unsold stock. The ZX spectrum remained far more popular though.
Nah, computers in Eastern Europe was hurt by Soviet Union as everything from Soviet Union was "superior" and that is why IBM PC won and noone knows about computers like K-202 that was faster and cheaper than IBM PC produced 10 years after him... Inventor was so anoyed with communists and people that they puted in charge of things that he quit the job and started pig farm and when some jurnalist asked him later why he did that his response was that he prefer to work with real pigs... :P
thought you were gonna slice your finger at 4:58. scared me there ha ha
onedeadsaint I've done that to myself with an Original Xbox. I never knew how sharp those things could be! I had a wicked cut!
VFuzball well too bad I guess
Cio Dokop can’t we all be nice in this comment section. It such a good community and stuff like that is uncalled for.
ScribTOON I agree
Cio Dokop if this was meant as joke I think it fell flat. let's all be good to each other.
If there's one thing that sends shivers down my spine it's little bits of who-knows-what rattling around inside of electronics.
I remember from old days - PAL signal on SECAM tv was just in gray scale.
1551 uses 6510T CPU, but this is not the same 6510 as in C64s. 6510T CPUs has 8 bit "built-in CPU I/O port", while "normal" 6510s has only 6. To have this, some pins of 6510 has to be "re-defined" since these are 40 pin DIP ICs. So 6510T has no RDY and NMI signals compared to 6510. However it has additional two bits I/O, what I've mentioned. Anyway, it's just important to note, that some cannot exchange a 6510T with 6510 (or vice versa) thinking 6510T in 1551 is the same as used in C64s (6510). And yes, newer C64s uses the HMOS version of 6510, namely 8500, but again, that's though compatible with 6510, not with 6510T.
Thanks for sharing! You've just out-geeked the 8-Bit-Guy ;-)
;-P It was not my intent though :) But I personally know a case when somebody wanted to put a 6510 from a C64 into an 1551 drive since its 6510T was dead. But that would not work, probably causing even hardware failure of the other circuits of the drive or the 6510 itself, so it can be important to note this.
Ya casi me iba a dormir cuando recibí la notificación del video......imposible irme a la cama antes de verlo!!!! (i was going to sleep when this video pops up.....can't go to bed without seeing it!!!!!!!)
A menos que você esteja na Espanha, ainda está cedo para ir dormir.
Daniel López regresar a México
Comentario salvaje en español aparece :v
frankstrawnation si...lo veo desde España
Just looking at Commodore hardware makes me happy, and seeing the process of bringing these old drives back to life is strangely heartwarming. It's also useful, as I have a nonfunctional 1541 in storage and now have at last am idea of how to get inside and what I'll find. Can't wait for your next Commodore vid!
I used to love doing this kind of work. I found it extremely satisfying. I have lost the use of my left arm from a brain injury. But videos like this are very cathartic to me. Thanks for sharing.
It looks like there's a bulging electrolytic capacitor on your 1541 logic board. Better fix that.
Better recap completely. if one fails, the next one might be not far away. It's a feel-good thing.
HappyBeezerStudios - by Lord_Mogul That's what I meant, but he might want to keep the old caps for historical reasons and only replace the bad ones. I say this because the European version had Eiko caps made in West Germany (that's how you can tell it's old) and the American version had Nichicon (Japanese) caps, which is another interesting difference.
Good eye. Surprised it's not already dead if it's bulging.
It is probably dead. But you don't really need all of the "current buffering" capacitors with the old "crude" technology from back then. Might run unstable though. It should be replaced because the other capacitors on the same supply lines are stressed more. Also the dead capacitor might cause a short eventually.
Where exactly? I don't see it in the video
It bugs me that the back of the disk drive still says 50hz, not 60hz
Same
Love your videos! Fellow Texan here! Keep up the great vintage computer repairs.
Great video. I appreciate how you are keeping alive these old pieces of hardware. Videos like this, and I realize this was unscheduled, is my favorite kind of video you do. Well, actually, all of them are my favorite.
As the best Commodore 116 / c16 software is written for PAL and not NTSC it would be pointless to convert them to NTSC as the graphics and colours will be different between the US and European software and it might affect the copy protection as well.
Mr T. Guru makes sense. Although the 116 is rarer, I would much rather have a c16 with the better keyboard. Also it is quite easy to upgrade the ram on a c16 to 64k.
Why convert PAL to NTSC when than means having inferior picture quality?
Picture quality is not the problem, because the higher resolution of PAL is not used by the computer and the phase shifting that NTSC can suffer from does not occur for directly connected equipment. The real problem is, if you use a computer that was mainly sold in PAL countries, there will be very few NTSC compatible software.
This is why I'm subscribed. This kinda in depth stuff is so cool to watch and learn from.
Your repair/restore videos are always so satisfying
Ugly disk drive was so useful with its organ donations
LOL, "organ donations"! :-)
Yeah, especially interesting about that is how it can be used to fix up two _different_ models that are still compatible enough in those areas.
I was half expecting him to dye the underside black and use that to replace the broken underside from the 1551.
Mmm.. Döner drive... :)~ You really need to apply fresh solder and then flux to make that wick wick like a champ. Also, you can test for shorts with that Fluke so you don't have to guess if the smoke comes out or not!
Agreed on the flux! Always use flux!!
Always, ALWAYS a pleasure to see someone repair old electronics rather than dump them. Thank you for preserving some history for future generations.
A great video as always. Great to hear that you got those disk drives safe as sound and they were such easy fixer-upers.
Just use flux with solder wick and it will work, fluxes are made exactly for working with coroded joints and metals. Except in a case where there is no VIA plating, that's about only scenario I can think solder wick would be useless in.
I've thrown flux at the screen several times, it never helps. I think he's just trying to demonstrate that there is never one best method, you want to use what works best.
I will say that solder wick doesn't cut it when the pin is tied directly to the ground plane (or several) with no thermal. If there's only one such pin, you get lucky and you can push it through like in the video. Otherwise you really need good suction.
0:24 he’ll slip n slide on this banana peel!
I couldn't help but smile all the way. It's a joy watch you handle these electronics. I was really young when we had a Commodore 64. I remember he only had a tape drive initially but later my brother bought a floppy drive (a 1541-II I guess). My neighbour had a weird 1570 with that weird closing mechanism. But looking at these gray boxes fills me with much nostalgia. The shape and the color is just perfect. I'd like to keep more Commodore stuff around but they take up a lot of space so I'll go with the Amiga 500 I cleaned up last year. David, keep em coming!
Some of these fixes I see online never cease to amaze me! :) Great job!
I'm a firm believer of fixing things where possible, rather than replacing,
From Hungary?
Üdv Magyyarországról! - Greetings from Hungary! :D
Ummm.. Water heater for sale! Bojler eladó! :D
I didn't catch the part where he mentioned Hungary. Now I have to watch the whole video again. Here I come! :D
Edit: Found it, it's that little Commodore thingy on the right. Now I can't stop watching the rest of the episode.
Azt hittem én vagyok itt egyedül Magyarországról. - I thought that I'm the only person here from Hungary 🇭🇺! :)
Funny that water heater is "bojler" in Hungarian. Cause that is almost exactly what we call it in German as well.
Dehogy vagy egyedül. :)
Jelen :)
Nice you fixed them
I just realized that I have been doing the EXACT same stuff as you since 1987... but never recorded it! I love your channel 8-bit guy. Great video.
I love these repair videos, apart from learning quite a bunch on electronics, I find it very motivating to watch you work
11:00 The label still says 50hz :/
You didn't have a spare .22 LR round to substitute for the fuse? :D
(PROTIP: Don't do this. Go watch the Mythbusters try it.)
That was before...
Great video. Those were well thought out projects for your Commodore machines. Your 1541 is a hero! He saved 3 of his men by sacrificing himself.
I'm thrilled you made such good use of the donor drive!
Kudos to the Obsolete Geek for offering his disk drive.
A noble and quite useful sacrifice. The 8-bit gods are pleased.
robertsd247 Maybe when his current library starts to receive the attention it so justly deserves. His sub and view counts are absolutely insulting for his level of talent and effort in video making.
I’m in school. A new 8 bit guy video comes out. It’s worth risking for a day of detention
that's what I do, and it is worth it!
NotSoGoodGamer18 you'll end up being homeless stoner if you continue to do this. Not a successful dude as David is.
Lol I totally get you, I risked going to jail for life but I had to watch those drives fixed.
Isn't that the truth, Nikola?
Stay right where you are.
I've had a dispenser of solder wick in my tool box for something like 20 years. I never use it. A spring loaded "solder sucker" does the job well. The trick to the wick, however, is to put just a touch of flux on the wick. The minute amount of oxidation on the copper wick prevents the solder from drawing up into the strands and the flux neutralizes the oxides. But I still recommend the solder sucker. It makes a great fidget toy when your hands are idle.
Great work! i Love seeing how these machines were built and how to fix them!
Make America 240V again!
"I bought this from Hungary"
*Happy Hungarian noises*
Can I confess that I have no idea what's going on in like 65% of these repair videos (the parts that I do get are basically cleaning and the basic repairs), but nonetheless still enjoy watching him fix them? It's so satisfying.
love these repairs you are doing, so relaxing
Why such a slow release of new content? Seems like it's down to 2 or 3 per month now...
Ah yes brain and guts swap lets get the Harlem Globetrotters on the case.
I enjoy learning about older computers! We weren't able to afford any at the time and i wasn't as exposed to them but now I get to see what I missed.
repair and restoration videos are actually my favorite