I'm in the middle of future proofing and cleanning a VIC 20 I recently picked up (the first Commodore I have ever owned!) Watching this is a great little guide for what I need to do as I am a Commodore newbie (I mostly know TRS-80's) Thanks!
I do enjoy a good old C64 future-proofing video -- well done, as usual. Those are the perfect heatsinks, too -- I will have to try to source those locally. Oh! Love the refreshed workbench area -- and that scope!!! 😜
Congratulations! The new scope will become your best friend to find and resolve electronic issues soon. It's so much more useful than a multimeter (at least after the initial checking-all-voltages-phase).
Great work ! Always good to see making these old machines last longer. This TVS diode is very good, I use the 1N5908 type, which is at bit more protective 🤓
Jan devo dirti che sei un tecnico leggendario e un grandissimo appassionato Commodore come me,non perdo mai un tuo video,sei il migliore!.volevo anche dirti che la musica di focus 10 e mitica.sei grande!!,dico sul serio.ciao.
22:22 Hey Bert!!! Haven't seen them character(s) in many decades. Don't think I've said it before. Thanks for all the retro content, even the non computer repairs 🖖👍
Hi Jan, and thanks for this video! It will be very helpful since my C64G has almost the same board revision (B instead of 3), so I ordered capacitor packs for the board and RF modulator and will be retracing your steps when they arrive.
As always: NICE WORK, JAN! One liiiiittle correction at 24:12 :The plastic gets injected on the underside, where the label should be (underneath it). You can see it by looking on the inside of the case, there is a dome, which is there so that the plastic gets easier in the moulding while injecting. :)
This really makes me more and more confident and convinced about doing a re-cap on my breadbin C64. I am also thinking about that overvoltage fix. How would it be best done on a breadbin? I'm using a BasicWayne PSU for my daily driver, and I have one of the Polish models for my travel kit, so no fears of original PSU frying, but I'd still like to protect it.
I know that by the time this model was in production the C64 was considered pretty much obeslete but I think that the layout design of this computer is pretty nice in that there were none of those dodgy ribbon cables to the keyboard (which always seem to go wrong) and the whole thing came apart with pretty minimal fuss. It did suprise me that there was no cardboard and tinfoil shielding in there though as that seemed to be a big thing back in those times. I have to admit that I don't understand why you bothered re-capping the TV modulator rather than just removing it or swapping it out with one of those video output mods that you have featured in other episodes.
A suggestion for keys: the 8-bit guy did a video experimenting with retrobrighting techniques, and there was one very effective and fast for small parts like keys that involved boiling them (it was the most effective of the tested ones, but due to physical constrains it only works for small parts unless you have access to largescale equipment).
I love the fact that you take ESD seriously. Also, a suggestion for future videos. Do a capacitance/esr test on the removed capacitors to see how far out of spec they have gone. Your videos are great!
This might be interesting, but the remaining capacity and even the ESR value can be poor indicators for aging. With a capacity above the nominal value and a reasonable esr the dielectric strength can be substantually reduced and unsafe.
I found that adding a little hydrochloric acid into the peroxide solution can activate it and works much better even without an ultraviolet light. If you can't find that then acetic acid or vinegar will do to a certain extent.
In most cases, electrolytic capacitors are used to filter the power line, so fitting one with a bigger capacity won't harm. Exceptions are the audio filters/couplings and RC time circuits.
I disagree, even with capacitors just used for the power lines, bigger capacitance can (I'm not saying it is necessarily the case in the C64 and probably many others) put more strain on the power supply circuit and mess things up considerably in some cases. I learned that the hard way in audio equipment. So to be safe, I would recommend always using the nominal capacitance.
@@JanBeta Electrolytic capacitors used in that days had a tolerance of -20%/+80%. What really could put more stress on the PSU while turning power on is low ESR of the new capacitors. The lower ESR is, the higher initial current will be. If you put 100uF in place of 47uF in a power rail, nothing bad will happen. It is also completely ok, to put one low ESR 1000uF capacitor in place of a bank of 4x220uF standard capacitors.
Thanks very much for making this video. I will probably replace the four electrolytics near the bridge rectifier in my recently-acquired short board 64C as well as procure a modern power supply. I'm also considering adding heat sinks, but for the tabs that reach down from the RF shield and make contact with the CPU, VIC-II and SID chips - I'm wondering if those tabs can safely rest against the heatsinks, or perhaps they should be bent back or removed altogether? Thanks again for any tips.
I like to open the power switch and clean the contacts inside properly and spray it with lubricating contact cleaner. I shudder to think how many machines have been thrown in the trash over the decades just due to a faulty switch... because that's how I got my C64C, from the trash and nothing else was wrong with it :)
Yes, I've seen some of those fail, too. But I found them to be mostly failing in older bread bin C64s so far. Makes sense to clean them though, good point!
Yes, I built a secondary desk for the editing PC so I have more room to tinker. Still a bit work in progress but I am quite satisfied with it so far. :)
I'd say to do the replacement power supply and heatsinking at a minimum since some of those chips, particularly the SID are totally non-replaceable at this point except for old spares and imperfect replacements.
I've been soldering up some PCBs lately and tried isopropanol and it just seems to spread the flux around and leave the board sticky feeling. I ended up getting some flux remover which is heptane and isopropanol. It works good. Have you ever had pure isopropanol leave the board with a sticky haze on it?
Yeah I found that at out, my case has no screws just clip down case, I thought the standoffs where missing as still has screw holes for it. I bought some and realised the case doesn't close with them in as keyboard has to clip into the top.
Hi Jan good vid as always, have you ever checked the old caps for value and ESR against your replacements? I noticed the large axial cap was a Nichicon which is a well respected high end brand of capacitor.
The power supplies were marginal, even when new. Look at any contemporary mid 1980's computer magazine and there are usually dozens of ads for aftermarket power supplies.
Thanks again Jan, nice to have also a list of parts and used equipment. Sometimes it looks like you do this in 30 minutes but I think this is a couple of days (not every minute of course) work?
It roughly takes me a day (8-10 hours) to do this (while filming, so it would probably be faster without making a video). Retrobrighting can take longer though, depending on the plastics and the state of yellowing.
You should get a 3D printed keycap stand like I use Jan! Can print you one off if you haven't got a 3D printer yet bud! Not sure it will work on C64 keys tho as the have female connections unlike the Amiga keys!
But breaking the warranty seal can lead to a variety of problems, including the loss of the warranty. In extreme cases, you will not receive any product support at all from Commodore, so you should think carefully beforehand!
I have a C64C that has been hardly used since the day I got it, it does not need retobrighting but maybe I should change the caps and if so how do I know what ones to buy as a set from certain sellers ? I have ordered a new power supply today : )
Hi Jan, what kind of soldertin do you use? These old machines all have lead based tin which doesn't mix very well with modern lead-free tin. My favorite tin is Sn60Pb38Cu2 (Stannol). It contains lead and flows perfectly but unfortunately Conrad doesn't really sell it anymore. Lead based tin costs around €60 now instead of €9 a few years ago.
@@Doug_in_NC I bought some of that on Aliexpress but it's either fake and Sn99 tin or something else but it don't solder very well. Perhaps the Cu2 makes all the difference. And I can't find that anywhere. I bought some more tin on Aliexpress to try it out. I hope to find something good and will order enough of it for the next 30 years.
@@ctrlaltdudeCould be fake. In general I prefer to bay a bit more and get the guarantees that come with using Amazon unless I’m sure i know what I’m getting. I was happy with the 60-40 I got in Amazon a few weeks back, and it had about a 4.8 star rating from a few thousand people, so it wasn’t just me.
Quality video as always Jan there is one question i would like to ask though...can you tell what is the easiest way to measure the 12 and 9 voltages in an 250469 motherboard?
You don't have a 12V rail in the short boards, the newer generation SID and VIC don't need them. The 9VAC and 5V you can check on the user port, the 9VDC unregulated on the Datasette port.
Isn't 6,8V a bit much? So it would cut out when the harm is already done to the chips. I thought the critical zone for the power supplies started somewhere above 5,5V.
It's a safety margin so it doesn't accidentally short the rails. You often have short voltage spikes when powering on and such, and the TVS diodes react extremely quickly. 6.8V is kind of a sweet spot. Most of the custom ICs can allegedly survive 7V or slightly more for some time.
Could it be that the C64C / the shortboard variants (also c64g, Aldi) are much more reliable than the breadbin / longboard? They have very few, quite simple faults. In general, they just work. In contrary, longboards (250407 / 250425) have often issues that can be a real pain to fix.
Yes, the more modern variants of the ICs (especially the PLA) are vastly more reliable than the old ones. I found that while the short boards are generally more reliable, they are way more difficult to troubleshoot and repair sometimes if they develop uncommon faults.
I'm trying to buy a set of replacement capacitors but its proving to be difficult locating a 1000uF 16V axial without buying them in bulk. There's another site that sells them individually but they don't have it in the axial orientation...
Yeah, component shortages also seem to stretch out to capacitors recently. I had some trouble finding certain values/form factors myself. You might want to check if your C64 board has footprints for radial capacitors in the filter cap positions. Some of them have pre-drilled positions for both axial and radial caps. Another workaround would be to bend over one leg of a radial capacitor and fit it into an axial footprint (which is something I've done a couple of times without any issues).
@@JanBeta It's the big C63 I'm having trouble to find a replacement for. I might try bending a radial cap like you suggested and see if it doesn't get in the way of anything, thanks Jan. I really love your channel :) yours was the best for learning how to refurbish a c64 for me.
@@JanBeta I'm also going with a lumafix module to try and get a better video signal. I ordered some c64 psu's just to try and pull it apart and rebuild the power supply case for aesthetics but I stuffed it up, damaged the casing during removals of the bottom cover. I ordered a modern c64 psu instead.
Again, I'm the opinion not to use that cream peroxide stuff. It's not good for the environment, it's higher in price and it leads often to stain effects, even if you are carefull and "massaging" the case. Best way for me is submerging in fluid peroxide in combination with sun. It's not only the light, it's also the heat, which leads to a better retrobrighting. And for the keys, just put a double sided glue tape on the bottom of the bin and stick the keys to it, then pour the liquid into the bin. If done right, the keys stay down and aren't floating around. You also don't have to shake them...
Ive been slowly repairing/modding a Turbografx 16 and keep wondering if I should replace all the caps. The Duos def but the TG16 original has a good amount of lower voltage electrolytics but I would just be replacing with my electrolytics anyway. Anyone have input? I took out the RF modulator which failed and I think was leaking too, no corrosion so far tho.
Good question! I actually don't know. Maybe to easily switch it between NTSC and PAL during manufacturing? I'll have to investigate about that, never occurred to me. :)
Thanks, @@JanBeta, for your quick response! Yeah, it's hard to imagine that it would be for PAL vs. NTSC, because the GPU (VIC-II chip) isn't switchable that easily. You have a video about switching the computer, right? As well as Chris "Perifractic" Simpson. Unless I'm misunderstanding and the point is really that the NTSC vs. PAL GPU is normally permanent but the modulator is independently manufactured and they just have to switch it to match the GPU and then forget about it. Yeah, I'd enjoy a little video about it because my C64 is buried in storage at the moment.
Wait, the metal housing around the RF modulator is used as a heat sink? I always thought its job was to stop the RF signal from leaking and causing interference. Why would the RF modulator even get hot, all the power stepping is done on the other end of the board.
I have several CRTs and use them a lot, I only use modern monitors for testing retro hardware when I shoot videos because it makes things a lot easier for that (CRT whine, shutter speed etc.)
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Dude, your english is flawless for a Deutscher. I really like to listen to you while i fix stuff and i'd love a video in Deutsch ;)
I'm in the middle of future proofing and cleanning a VIC 20 I recently picked up (the first Commodore I have ever owned!) Watching this is a great little guide for what I need to do as I am a Commodore newbie (I mostly know TRS-80's) Thanks!
I do enjoy a good old C64 future-proofing video -- well done, as usual. Those are the perfect heatsinks, too -- I will have to try to source those locally. Oh! Love the refreshed workbench area -- and that scope!!! 😜
Save the world one 64 at a time!
It looks beautiful. The heat sinks are nice too and should help with making it last much longer. Also, pretty snow. 😊✨👍
Thank jan, It's always a pleasure to view those Vids ;-) Preserve & Protect !
Heat sinks look so much better than the previous ones.
Always love seeing these machines returned to pristine condition! Nice work, Jan!
Such a satisfying video. I love the idea of future proofing the old systems.
Congratulations! The new scope will become your best friend to find and resolve electronic issues soon. It's so much more useful than a multimeter (at least after the initial checking-all-voltages-phase).
Love it,, Always good to see something be future proofed, but when I do this I always remember that some day these will inevitably be gone.
Great work ! Always good to see making these old machines last longer. This TVS diode is very good, I use the 1N5908 type, which is at bit more protective 🤓
It is the perfect tutorial how to completely futureproof Commodore 64C....
Jan devo dirti che sei un tecnico leggendario e un grandissimo appassionato Commodore come me,non perdo mai un tuo video,sei il migliore!.volevo anche dirti che la musica di focus 10 e mitica.sei grande!!,dico sul serio.ciao.
A good liner for your box would be a mylar survival blanket. Traps in heat well, and is reflective. Also cheap.
22:22 Hey Bert!!! Haven't seen them character(s) in many decades. Don't think I've said it before. Thanks for all the retro content, even the non computer repairs 🖖👍
Hi Jan, and thanks for this video! It will be very helpful since my C64G has almost the same board revision (B instead of 3), so I ordered capacitor packs for the board and RF modulator and will be retracing your steps when they arrive.
Someone cleaned up his workbench... :D ... Nice, I like it
Yes, rearranged the whole lab a bit. Well, I built a secondary desk for the editing PC so I have more space for tinkering on the workbench. :)
Jan, another great video,thank you. You content it always excellent.
Nice work sir. People are commenting on the new scope and your injury board. I use multiples of the square heat sinks so I hope that works.
First time I see this nice Keysight scope :) You are moving into a more professional phase. :-)
You know it. ;)
the workbench is tidier than before :D
Hey, da hast du ja deine Arbeitsplatte ordentlich gepimpt.Hast jetzt auch mehr Platz.. Cooles Scope 😁👍
Another lovely video! Thank you :)
New 'LIPS monitor!! I think it is actually a 'SUNG monitor this time around. :)
Thanks Jan, interesting video.
Bravo Jan Betta. Sehr shŏn und wieder zàuber alles
As always: NICE WORK, JAN! One liiiiittle correction at 24:12 :The plastic gets injected on the underside, where the label should be (underneath it). You can see it by looking on the inside of the case, there is a dome, which is there so that the plastic gets easier in the moulding while injecting. :)
Ah, makes sense, thanks! :)
27:09 World-class tinkerer here, folks. "Safety? Pfffft."
aka Running with scissors. lol
This really makes me more and more confident and convinced about doing a re-cap on my breadbin C64. I am also thinking about that overvoltage fix. How would it be best done on a breadbin? I'm using a BasicWayne PSU for my daily driver, and I have one of the Polish models for my travel kit, so no fears of original PSU frying, but I'd still like to protect it.
I know that by the time this model was in production the C64 was considered pretty much obeslete but I think that the layout design of this computer is pretty nice in that there were none of those dodgy ribbon cables to the keyboard (which always seem to go wrong) and the whole thing came apart with pretty minimal fuss. It did suprise me that there was no cardboard and tinfoil shielding in there though as that seemed to be a big thing back in those times. I have to admit that I don't understand why you bothered re-capping the TV modulator rather than just removing it or swapping it out with one of those video output mods that you have featured in other episodes.
A suggestion for keys: the 8-bit guy did a video experimenting with retrobrighting techniques, and there was one very effective and fast for small parts like keys that involved boiling them (it was the most effective of the tested ones, but due to physical constrains it only works for small parts unless you have access to largescale equipment).
here is the part: th-cam.com/video/qZYbchvSUDY/w-d-xo.html
Looks like new, great job mate, big thumbs up :o)
I love the fact that you take ESD seriously. Also, a suggestion for future videos. Do a capacitance/esr test on the removed capacitors to see how far out of spec they have gone. Your videos are great!
This might be interesting, but the remaining capacity and even the ESR value can be poor indicators for aging. With a capacity above the nominal value and a reasonable esr the dielectric strength can be substantually reduced and unsafe.
I found that adding a little hydrochloric acid into the peroxide solution can activate it and works much better even without an ultraviolet light. If you can't find that then acetic acid or vinegar will do to a certain extent.
In most cases, electrolytic capacitors are used to filter the power line, so fitting one with a bigger capacity won't harm. Exceptions are the audio filters/couplings and RC time circuits.
I disagree, even with capacitors just used for the power lines, bigger capacitance can (I'm not saying it is necessarily the case in the C64 and probably many others) put more strain on the power supply circuit and mess things up considerably in some cases. I learned that the hard way in audio equipment. So to be safe, I would recommend always using the nominal capacitance.
@@JanBeta Electrolytic capacitors used in that days had a tolerance of -20%/+80%. What really could put more stress on the PSU while turning power on is low ESR of the new capacitors. The lower ESR is, the higher initial current will be. If you put 100uF in place of 47uF in a power rail, nothing bad will happen. It is also completely ok, to put one low ESR 1000uF capacitor in place of a bank of 4x220uF standard capacitors.
Thanks very much for making this video. I will probably replace the four electrolytics near the bridge rectifier in my recently-acquired short board 64C as well as procure a modern power supply. I'm also considering adding heat sinks, but for the tabs that reach down from the RF shield and make contact with the CPU, VIC-II and SID chips - I'm wondering if those tabs can safely rest against the heatsinks, or perhaps they should be bent back or removed altogether? Thanks again for any tips.
I like to open the power switch and clean the contacts inside properly and spray it with lubricating contact cleaner. I shudder to think how many machines have been thrown in the trash over the decades just due to a faulty switch... because that's how I got my C64C, from the trash and nothing else was wrong with it :)
Yes, I've seen some of those fail, too. But I found them to be mostly failing in older bread bin C64s so far. Makes sense to clean them though, good point!
@clive mccabe you trying to summon Adrian with making reference to DeOxit?
Hey-hey, you remodelled! Neat.
Yes, I built a secondary desk for the editing PC so I have more room to tinker. Still a bit work in progress but I am quite satisfied with it so far. :)
Danke Jan :)
I'd say to do the replacement power supply and heatsinking at a minimum since some of those chips, particularly the SID are totally non-replaceable at this point except for old spares and imperfect replacements.
I've been soldering up some PCBs lately and tried isopropanol and it just seems to spread the flux around and leave the board sticky feeling. I ended up getting some flux remover which is heptane and isopropanol. It works good. Have you ever had pure isopropanol leave the board with a sticky haze on it?
Yeah I found that at out, my case has no screws just clip down case, I thought the standoffs where missing as still has screw holes for it. I bought some and realised the case doesn't close with them in as keyboard has to clip into the top.
Water cooled C64 when?
Haha, don't give me ideas!
I have got 2 psus from c64psu, one for a c64c and one for an A500.
And your oscilloscope in the beige version 😊
Nice, nice, double nice! :D
heh, nice, just got the same set of psus. but I have no scope :-(
Keep doing great work.
Thank you! I'm going to try my best. :)
Please link where you purchased those nice black heatsinks, and the thermal glue used. Thx
Hi Jan good vid as always, have you ever checked the old caps for value and ESR against your replacements?
I noticed the large axial cap was a Nichicon which is a well respected high end brand of capacitor.
nice new oscilloscope
The power supplies were marginal, even when new. Look at any contemporary mid 1980's computer magazine and there are usually dozens of ads for aftermarket power supplies.
Thanks again Jan, nice to have also a list of parts and used equipment. Sometimes it looks like you do this in 30 minutes but I think this is a couple of days (not every minute of course) work?
It roughly takes me a day (8-10 hours) to do this (while filming, so it would probably be faster without making a video). Retrobrighting can take longer though, depending on the plastics and the state of yellowing.
You should get a 3D printed keycap stand like I use Jan! Can print you one off if you haven't got a 3D printer yet bud! Not sure it will work on C64 keys tho as the have female connections unlike the Amiga keys!
Got a big smile hearing the music of giana sister in the credits :-D
(How many hours have I heard it in total in my life?!)
Assuming it is possible, anything against just replacing the PSU regulator with a modern, new L78S05CV
Tidy bench! :)
Thanks, just rearranged the lab quite a bit. Still work in progress but I like it so far. :)
Dang, what happened to your desk! It's tidy! I should do that here :D
But breaking the warranty seal can lead to a variety of problems, including the loss of the warranty. In extreme cases, you will not receive any product support at all from Commodore, so you should think carefully beforehand!
But I am always too impatient and don't consider the consequences!!
Shhh, it‘s just a joke! ;)
high voltage rock'n'roll ;)
I have a C64C that has been hardly used since the day I got it, it does not need retobrighting but maybe I should change the caps and if so how do I know what ones to buy as a set from certain sellers ?
I have ordered a new power supply today : )
Hi Jan, what kind of soldertin do you use? These old machines all have lead based tin which doesn't mix very well with modern lead-free tin. My favorite tin is Sn60Pb38Cu2 (Stannol). It contains lead and flows perfectly but unfortunately Conrad doesn't really sell it anymore. Lead based tin costs around €60 now instead of €9 a few years ago.
Must be new EU safety regulations or something. Here in the US Sn60Pb40 is still $9-12 on Amazon.
@@Doug_in_NC I bought some of that on Aliexpress but it's either fake and Sn99 tin or something else but it don't solder very well. Perhaps the Cu2 makes all the difference. And I can't find that anywhere. I bought some more tin on Aliexpress to try it out. I hope to find something good and will order enough of it for the next 30 years.
@@ctrlaltdudeCould be fake. In general I prefer to bay a bit more and get the guarantees that come with using Amazon unless I’m sure i know what I’m getting. I was happy with the 60-40 I got in Amazon a few weeks back, and it had about a 4.8 star rating from a few thousand people, so it wasn’t just me.
@27:05 "Saftey... Pfffft." Nice. Hahaha.
I think most of the capacitor hole spacing on the PCB is 5.0mm. Do you like using caps with 5mm spacing or 2.5mm spacing?
Never mind. I did some looking, and basically you can get the small lead spacing and bend them or pay to have them pre-bent.
Yes, Commodore originally used both spacings and so do I. Fits fine with a little bending. :)
Quality video as always Jan there is one question i would like to ask though...can you tell what is the easiest way to measure the 12 and 9 voltages in an 250469 motherboard?
You don't have a 12V rail in the short boards, the newer generation SID and VIC don't need them. The 9VAC and 5V you can check on the user port, the 9VDC unregulated on the Datasette port.
@@JanBeta Many thanks this information is much appreciated :)
oh hast ja mal deine "workbench" aufgeräumt 😸😸😸
Isn't 6,8V a bit much? So it would cut out when the harm is already done to the chips. I thought the critical zone for the power supplies started somewhere above 5,5V.
It's a safety margin so it doesn't accidentally short the rails. You often have short voltage spikes when powering on and such, and the TVS diodes react extremely quickly. 6.8V is kind of a sweet spot. Most of the custom ICs can allegedly survive 7V or slightly more for some time.
oooo new scope :)
Yes, I'm going to show it off in more detail soon. :)
Hello Jan i assume the 1x 4.7uF 25V radial cap in your list is a typo? or am i wrong
Should be correct. C59 is the position on the board. (There may always be variations in the parts that Commodore used though!)
Could it be that the C64C / the shortboard variants (also c64g, Aldi) are much more reliable than the breadbin / longboard? They have very few, quite simple faults. In general, they just work. In contrary, longboards (250407 / 250425) have often issues that can be a real pain to fix.
Yes, the more modern variants of the ICs (especially the PLA) are vastly more reliable than the old ones. I found that while the short boards are generally more reliable, they are way more difficult to troubleshoot and repair sometimes if they develop uncommon faults.
I'm trying to buy a set of replacement capacitors but its proving to be difficult locating a 1000uF 16V axial without buying them in bulk. There's another site that sells them individually but they don't have it in the axial orientation...
Yeah, component shortages also seem to stretch out to capacitors recently. I had some trouble finding certain values/form factors myself. You might want to check if your C64 board has footprints for radial capacitors in the filter cap positions. Some of them have pre-drilled positions for both axial and radial caps. Another workaround would be to bend over one leg of a radial capacitor and fit it into an axial footprint (which is something I've done a couple of times without any issues).
@@JanBeta It's the big C63 I'm having trouble to find a replacement for. I might try bending a radial cap like you suggested and see if it doesn't get in the way of anything, thanks Jan. I really love your channel :) yours was the best for learning how to refurbish a c64 for me.
@@JanBeta I'm also going with a lumafix module to try and get a better video signal. I ordered some c64 psu's just to try and pull it apart and rebuild the power supply case for aesthetics but I stuffed it up, damaged the casing during removals of the bottom cover. I ordered a modern c64 psu instead.
Can you please give us link for uv light? Where you bought uv light?
Again, I'm the opinion not to use that cream peroxide stuff. It's not good for the environment, it's higher in price and it leads often to stain effects, even if you are carefull and "massaging" the case. Best way for me is submerging in fluid peroxide in combination with sun. It's not only the light, it's also the heat, which leads to a better retrobrighting. And for the keys, just put a double sided glue tape on the bottom of the bin and stick the keys to it, then pour the liquid into the bin. If done right, the keys stay down and aren't floating around. You also don't have to shake them...
Ive been slowly repairing/modding a Turbografx 16 and keep wondering if I should replace all the caps. The Duos def but the TG16 original has a good amount of lower voltage electrolytics but I would just be replacing with my electrolytics anyway. Anyone have input? I took out the RF modulator which failed and I think was leaking too, no corrosion so far tho.
Since the channel selector is in the back of the computer poking through the case, then what's this little switch on the inside of the modulator for?
Good question! I actually don't know. Maybe to easily switch it between NTSC and PAL during manufacturing? I'll have to investigate about that, never occurred to me. :)
Thanks, @@JanBeta, for your quick response! Yeah, it's hard to imagine that it would be for PAL vs. NTSC, because the GPU (VIC-II chip) isn't switchable that easily. You have a video about switching the computer, right? As well as Chris "Perifractic" Simpson.
Unless I'm misunderstanding and the point is really that the NTSC vs. PAL GPU is normally permanent but the modulator is independently manufactured and they just have to switch it to match the GPU and then forget about it.
Yeah, I'd enjoy a little video about it because my C64 is buried in storage at the moment.
Wait, the metal housing around the RF modulator is used as a heat sink? I always thought its job was to stop the RF signal from leaking and causing interference. Why would the RF modulator even get hot, all the power stepping is done on the other end of the board.
I meant it carries the heat from the soldering/desoldering iron. Its purpose while the machine is running is to shield the rf obviously. :)
@@JanBeta AHH, my apologies Jan. Love your stuff m8
Nice 4-channel 'scope. What brand is that?
Keysight. Looks like it might be the DSOX1204G
I'd really like to know about all the MLP stuff and why your phillips displays just say "lips" on them. xD
Another great video :)
I am wondering for a time, your intro music, wich game is this from. It sounds so familiar, but i cant come up with the title.
Thanks! The little jingle is from the C64 version of Flip & Flop. :)
@@JanBeta Yeah i looked that title up and i remember that game.
Awesome, thank you so much :)
nice video has always, but this time you missed to put the message jan beta was here under the rf modulator :D
Ha, that's true. I considered it but I didn't want to wipe away the original signature under the modulator.
Jan, care to comment on the accident that happened 2 days before the end of this video ? haha
No comment. :D
@@JanBeta have you looked at any of the modular c64 systems that have a backplane ?
@@leesmithsworkshop that would make an interesting video. I was looking at them a couple of days ago. They look intriguing
@@Doug_in_NC I have seen a few pictures, are they actually for sale yet ?
@@leesmithsworkshop Yes, here - www.uni64.com/en/p/modular64
So when is the C64 Museum opening, Jan? It seems like you have enough of them to have a LAN party. lol
Ha! I wish I could run a computer museum at some point. :)
@@JanBeta That would be just perfect with you at the helm of the organization and sharing your knowledge of these wonderful machines :)
Is that a new oscilloscope?
Any chips need sockets?
Heh "Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher" on the retrobrite box how fitting
Subtle placing of the new ‘scope there....
I'll show it off in more detail soon. Just got it a couple of days ago.
Wo hast du das andere Ende des Erdungskabels befestigt?
An einem speziellen Erdungsstecker an der Steckdosenleiste. Geht über einen Widerstand an PE.
@@JanBeta wollte nur sichergehen dass du das nicht wie andere youtuber gar gar nicht oder am Tischbein befestigt haben.🤣🤣
You could throw an USB Stick with this Video in there, for context. 😎
Or a 5.25" floppy disk?
@@JanBeta if you use H299 compression in 160p… maybe
what is that blue thing on your wrist jan?
Anti-static band. Snap a ground wire on to it and then clip it on the device to prevent static shock.
Living in northern germany have you ever heard of the interface in kiel?
Yes! I briefly visited the 25th Interface in early 2020 together with Daniel aka C64_CUSTOMS. I really hope to go again after the pandemic.
Whats the interface? Greetings from hamburg
Du hast den Digifix vergessen!
Unless you inject it... couldnt you have mentioned this in previous videos?😅
Because the seal is already gone the warranty is no longer valid, sadly. 🤣 😂
You should sign this one. Refurbished by Jan Beta
Anyone find it amusing he's restoring a C64 inside a Microsoft Refurb box?
It uses Microsoft BASIC after all! ;)
you forgot write the date of rf cap kit
Your monitor's name is "lips"? 😁🤣
Now you only need to buy a CRT monitor for a real retrocomputing exprerience.
I have several CRTs and use them a lot, I only use modern monitors for testing retro hardware when I shoot videos because it makes things a lot easier for that (CRT whine, shutter speed etc.)
There's one sat on the left hand side of the desk in the video :D
hi, you must be new here
In fact, he HAS a nice Sony Broadcast Monitor. 😎
That's it a bit of a bumer
Sorry
Wrong channel
Noel where are you???
Noel says hello, he couldn't be here for this video. ;)
What is a "lost time" accident?
Normally it means one that results in someone being unable to work for a period of time afterwards, ie working time is lost in a factory.
LIPS 😁
I went with the subtle approach.
C=!
(Currently working on a Spectrum +2, actually, but don't tell anyone!)
@@JanBeta Love your work!