Thank you for this video. Although I was a Commodore kid, this whole era was my life back when I was a teenager. Just seeing that prototype brings me so much happiness.
6:30 makes sense, of course, because Ninetiles worked on the Basic itself. So Sinclair would have had to provide the working prototype for them to work on the software, and then this prototype got shoved in a box someplace as newer boards came in. I'd actually probably try putting the dumped ROMS on a normal board first, just to see.
I'm glad this piece found its way to a museum. It's a little like finding the first plate made while inventing the printing press. It should be preserved as forever as we can implement.
My first computer was a 48K ZX Spectrum. Issue II printed circuit board, I think it might have been dated 1982, it had a transistor soldered onto three pins of the processor.
Have a look on ebay, you can usually find some. I got such a rush of nostalgia hooking up an ebay ZX81 and seeing that flashing black *K* in the bottom-left corner :)
Wire wrap was available in many colours a while before 1980. I had some ex-military computer boards from the 1970's with wire wrap connections in various colours, including blue, using gold-plated wrap pins.
I know it's somewhat off topic, but in terms of password strength (like the four word example "something horse battery staple", I believe), is it a good strategy to use a pseudorandom combination of letters, numbers and symbols? Or no matter what if it's under 10 characters, you're in trouble? Random example: x4Uy5*s3 as an 8-charset password? (yes, I just made that up).
Fascinating how even today nearly 40 years after it's release games are still being made for it ... had one many years ago, even now i look back at the way i abused it because i just couldn't get the the next level on Chuckie Egg .. silly boy...
Hmm. The American computer systems used VHF channel modulators. I could see different regions would need different channel numbers to select from, but I wonder why they made them on different bands.
Orxenhorf In Europe, all the VHF channels were in use for actual broadcast stations. But UHF 36 was reserved for RADAR, so it could be used for low power coaxial connections from video tapes, games etc. When cable TV came along, there were already enough home gear for them to avoid the channel too.
We will test them, but won't replace them unless absolutely necessary. We will bring the voltage up slowly to reform them as much as possible. We will be keeping it is as original as possible.
Yeah, I think the camera guy was excited as well, but I found the video a bit frustrating that we didn't get a proper top-down long close up shot of everything on the top and bottom of the PCB. Too amazing to have such a poorly recorded video, to be honest.
Love the Spectrum (as you can tell by my avatar) and already been following this find from Nine Tiles. But... i had to say.... Jason - Love the Stranger Things T-Shirt!! :-)
Oh the joys of fault finding wire wrap builds. Most times if there was room you double wire wrap if it was an o/c and dread unwrapping an incorrect wrap.
@@Atomic_Haggis More to the truth of the matter is the fact that I'm an *American* former C64 user, and thusly have no nostalgic feelings towards Sinclair's ZX line of computers. The central problem for all three machines in the line is the company's choice in keyboard design and layout. Membrane and "Chiclet" keyboards are a serious pain to use. I know this from first-hand experience though owning an Atari 400, a TS-1000, and a Color Computer.
It's unlikely since the company it was obtained from, Ninetiles were engaged by Sinclair to provide the BASIC from the zx80 to at least the 48K. (Not sure if they did the Sinclair 128)
RedCMD - You clearly weren't around in the days of ubiquitous CRT television! The ~10kHz whistling from the line output transformers of 405 line TV sets used to make me want to scream, and even adults could hear it. Then along came 625 line television, but that was even worse, with a loud whistle at around 16 kHz. The first flat screen computers were a godsend. 🙂 There are times when life does become more tolerable.
@@RWBHere It's strange then how CRT monitors and televisions have been around for many decades and yet I never heard anyone mention anything at all about hearing any weird noises...until the Millennials came along.
That belongs in a museum!
Oh, wait...
The bike was invented 200 years ago, and we still ride bicycles. And they should also be in the museum ... And I still love my Speccy...
The 48K was my first computer. I can still recognise the load tones.
Same here, still remember copying software from tape recorder to tape recorder :)
Thank you for this video. Although I was a Commodore kid, this whole era was my life back when I was a teenager. Just seeing that prototype brings me so much happiness.
Super excited to see them (eventually) turn it on. Thumbs up for their careful approach.
Still have my Spectrum, Spectrum+ and Spectrum (Amstrad) +2 in working condition and these are definitely keepers.
My second programming "language" was Z80 assembler. It touches my heart a bit to see a prototype.
Fantastic, looking forward to a follow up!
6:30 makes sense, of course, because Ninetiles worked on the Basic itself. So Sinclair would have had to provide the working prototype for them to work on the software, and then this prototype got shoved in a box someplace as newer boards came in.
I'd actually probably try putting the dumped ROMS on a normal board first, just to see.
I first started in computer electronics during the seventies, wire wrapping of connections were very common in construction of first IC construction.
The prototyping there is just a beautiful sight
I'd be interesting to get the ROM dump out of this prototype.
Yes!
The ROM content can be found online. There is also a book with the whole ROM (Z80 assembly sources , with comments).
@@RoGeorgeRoGeorge For the released version, yes. Not the prototype 😉
@@NerdyNEET you say that like the final version didn't have any bugs
Great for emulation
I'm glad this piece found its way to a museum. It's a little like finding the first plate made while inventing the printing press. It should be preserved as forever as we can implement.
As I said, leave it as it is! Touching it is sacrilege!
First of all: LOVE the shirt!! Secondly: My retro-heart just exploded!
Thank you :) New series coming out soon!! Can't wait :)
Love the paper and Sellotape on the keykaps :)
The ZX Spectrum is such a staple of classic British computers that, even as an American, I feel obligated to pronounce it "Zed-Ex Spectrum".
Now apply that to the entire language, and voila, no more C/Z confusion!
Wow very nice. It's not very often you get to see prototypes like this.
Pure amazing. And I love the big chunky IC sockets. I really want to see the hacked ZX81, and the PDPs.
My first computer was a 48K ZX Spectrum. Issue II printed circuit board, I think it might have been dated 1982, it had a transistor soldered onto three pins of the processor.
Here is a proud owner of still functional ZX and ZX+.
Same here - I have 3 48K's and 3 Pluses along with a +2 and a +2a
I miss my Spectrums. Oh, and my ZX81.
Have a look on ebay, you can usually find some.
I got such a rush of nostalgia hooking up an ebay ZX81 and seeing that flashing black *K* in the bottom-left corner :)
@@massimookissed1023 LOL. I know what you mean but I think I'll stick to the memories. Owning someoneelses doesn't seem quite the same ...
It's amazing that after all these years I will still drool over anything Speccy related.
My first computer 😍
The Spectrum had some amazing games
Wow. That brings back memories.
I really like your museum, greetings from France!
Greetings :)
The starting up needs to be a follow up video!!!
how cool is that!
I don't recall blue epoxy wire wrap circuit board in 1980-81. Did you check the dates on the TTL & eprom ICs?
Wire wrap was available in many colours a while before 1980. I had some ex-military computer boards from the 1970's with wire wrap connections in various colours, including blue, using gold-plated wrap pins.
@@RWBHere Not the colored wire but the board. Wrapping was mainly made on phenolic resin board, not epoxy.
You could buy it from RS
Yes, the chip dates are correct and you could buy the board from suppliers like RS. We have several other examples from this era too.
Great news. A real treasure!
First "program" I wrote was on a ZX
Very nice!
I know it's somewhat off topic, but in terms of password strength (like the four word example "something horse battery staple", I believe), is it a good strategy to use a pseudorandom combination of letters, numbers and symbols? Or no matter what if it's under 10 characters, you're in trouble? Random example: x4Uy5*s3 as an 8-charset password? (yes, I just made that up).
Fascinating how even today nearly 40 years after it's release games are still being made for it ... had one many years ago, even now i look back at the way i abused it because i just couldn't get the the next level on Chuckie Egg .. silly boy...
Hmm. The American computer systems used VHF channel modulators. I could see different regions would need different channel numbers to select from, but I wonder why they made them on different bands.
Orxenhorf In Europe, all the VHF channels were in use for actual broadcast stations. But UHF 36 was reserved for RADAR, so it could be used for low power coaxial connections from video tapes, games etc. When cable TV came along, there were already enough home gear for them to avoid the channel too.
I wonder if they built a version before the ULA out of TTL chips?
Are you going to test all of the electrolytic caps and replace any with high ESR before firing it up?
We will test them, but won't replace them unless absolutely necessary. We will bring the voltage up slowly to reform them as much as possible. We will be keeping it is as original as possible.
that tshirt is awesome. :D
Manic miner and jet set willy. Ha. But how cool. What a find.
Yeah those games were amazing. Also Knight Lore and Batman were pretty damn cool.
That T-Shirt is WIN
Awesome find. Let me know if you would like me to design a case for it :-)
Dopest shirt my dude
mmm. These big electrolytic capacitors, after all that time....
Didn't it have 256k of memory? but was too heavy to carry so had to be reduced to 16k
Is it working? Can you show us.
Awsome!!
Still have it at home. :D
This is a jewel! :D So much camera shake and out of focus though :( But it's fascinating to see all the wire wrapping :D
Yeah, I think the camera guy was excited as well, but I found the video a bit frustrating that we didn't get a proper top-down long close up shot of everything on the top and bottom of the PCB. Too amazing to have such a poorly recorded video, to be honest.
Eric the Wireman's handiwork...
2:20 Manic Miner
Leave it as it is!!! It was put together by Gods!!! It is sacred!!!!!
Wondering if the gloves negate the antistatic equipment?
Well he's overdoing it a little bit if it comes to static charge and electricity. Bit of a face palm to be honest. I guess it's cute.
@@merlingallagher4484 Maybe more for dramatic effect in the video?
oils are another matter
As we said in the video, the gloves are to prevent contaminants like oil and grease from getting onto the artefact.
I would assume those gloves are conductive(?)
Well, more _dissipative_ than conductive, but yes, there are blue nitrile ESD-safe disposable gloves.
Ok but where did you get that shirt?
Cool
agree
What's with the high pitch ringing throughout the whole video?
Ah, I didn't filter the audio - sorry I forgot there were some CRT monitors behind us :( >Sean
Millennial somatization.
Anyone notice the yellow wire broken off the keyboard from handling
Yes, before we received it though. It will be re-connected in due course :)
Love the Spectrum (as you can tell by my avatar) and already been following this find from Nine Tiles.
But... i had to say.... Jason - Love the Stranger Things T-Shirt!! :-)
Oh the joys of fault finding wire wrap builds. Most times if there was room you double wire wrap if it was an o/c and dread unwrapping an incorrect wrap.
Nice Stranger Things shirt!
This been tested yet?
Valuable museum piece, yes. Entire Sinclair line of computers have always been total junk for serious use, also yes.
Found the former C64 user.
@@Atomic_Haggis More to the truth of the matter is the fact that I'm an *American* former C64 user, and thusly have no nostalgic feelings towards Sinclair's ZX line of computers. The central problem for all three machines in the line is the company's choice in keyboard design and layout. Membrane and "Chiclet" keyboards are a serious pain to use. I know this from first-hand experience though owning an Atari 400, a TS-1000, and a Color Computer.
For nerds this is equivalent to the holy grail.
UK nerds. US nerds didn't really know much about it, apart from the really keen "international" types.
At the time I watched this video, it had 48k views :)
Ak! Right.In. The. Nostalgia.... gland.
It's.... too late for... me... save.... yourselfs
*gasp*
What if this is a copy, maybe with modifications, not a prototype?
It's unlikely since the company it was obtained from, Ninetiles were engaged by Sinclair to provide the BASIC from the zx80 to at least the 48K. (Not sure if they did the Sinclair 128)
🧡
I want his T-shirt.....lol
love the guys at this museum, the interviewer is terrible tho, almost confrontational
The wire wrapping is one of the Stranger Things I've seen lately.
If done properly, it was very reliable. It could comply with military specifications, and was used in computers, guidance systems, etc.
Those keycaps! Hnnnnnngggg
My first ZX80 was a knock off MicroAce build yourself kit.
I think any speccy owner woulda died for that keyboard :P
the smell of really warm electronics... mmmmmh...
Sorry but I did wire wrap. It was anything but nice.
Are you sure it is not a Russian clone? :-) There are hundreds of those and that one looks pretty similar.
Wow LBGT group was better at 1982 xD
joking aside to be able to make monitorless AIO pavked in a keyboard is amazing at 1982
Power it up and see if it does the 'big firework'
There is a high pitch sound during the whole video :(
-Hello allo
whiney Millennial
@@ct6502-c7w xD
RedCMD - You clearly weren't around in the days of ubiquitous CRT television! The ~10kHz whistling from the line output transformers of 405 line TV sets used to make me want to scream, and even adults could hear it. Then along came 625 line television, but that was even worse, with a loud whistle at around 16 kHz. The first flat screen computers were a godsend. 🙂 There are times when life does become more tolerable.
@@RWBHere It's strange then how CRT monitors and televisions have been around for many decades and yet I never heard anyone mention anything at all about hearing any weird noises...until the Millennials came along.
ct92404 I remember imagining I could faintly hear the 15625Hz line signal in the distance. That's 625x25 or 25x25x25.
and today the entire computer can be emulated by your wrist watch. ZX was my first computer. I have no nostalgia for it.
Wrong path, mate.
Second!
Single shittiest computer ever.