Applause for Mark and Neil! You guys have done a marvellous job cleaning this formerly sad-looking +2. It's almost hard to believe it's the same machine in the "after" footage.
I like that you chosen not to use a filler, these have battle scars and this is just part of its history :) Hopefully at some point in the future we are allowed to travel again, only seen the first Spectrum in action, Got a lampda 8300 hidden away somewhere that properly could use a restoration. First machine I got to play around with in the early 80s with friends of the family, had to type it all in for the race car to run :)
Neil: "That smaller one looks a lot harder to pull off, Mark?" Mark: "When you finally manage to pull it off, it's really satisfying." Neil: "I could see it on your face when you managed that."
It's deeply satisfying to watch how you restore these beautiful machines that meant so much in our childhood. I had a +2 like this and I love the way you talk about it. Also, I really liked the "it's part of the history of the machine" part, it was thoughtful. Thank you
I know I've said it before, but it's refreshing having a team of people on a channel like this. It gives a lot more flavour and actually feels more involving
12:38 I learned of this from John Riggs. There's a product called Brite Boy, and it works like Brasso but it doesn't have the oily residue that Brasso has. He uses it on game cartridges that he repairs.
The +2 is an Amstrad machine, it has a tape deck built in just like the CPC464. When Amstrad bought Sinclair, he discontinued all Sinclair machines including the QL. His engineers brought out the +2 then the +3, that was the end of the Spectrum line
The tape player in the 464 was better. It had a tape counter (essential if you are programming, believe me). Tape player on the +2 was a piece of crap, with no tape counter, and no connection on the back for an external tape deck.
Yes it was sad but not entirely surprising. The Amstrad and Spectrum computers were essentially competitors. So to keep both going once in common ownership would be to essentially competing with yourself. Mind you I do think the QL could have been a success if it hadn't been killed off so quickly.
Yes the original grey plus 2 is probably the Spectrum I spent most time with. It was Amstrad's very quick re-jig of the Spectrum before they went for a bigger re-design with the Plus 3 and Plus 2A. I loved my grey Spectrum Plus 2 back then and spent serious hours gaming on it. I just loved it. Incredible memories. The Spectrum game library was so utterly huge with many amazing games even if the graphics and sound were a bit sub par compared to other computers.
Yep, the grey +2 is basically a 128K spectrum in a different case with a datacorder. The +2A/B and +3 are when they changed the I/O layout. The vast majority of games don't care, but there's a handful that don't work correctly.
Great video guys! Keep the coming. The +2 was my first ever computer. I remember being in Tandys facing the decision of getting either a spectrum +2 or a Commodore 64. Having no idea at the time I went with the +2 purely because it came with a light gun 😀. Still have it to this day. Great little machine.
@@Retrohertz C64 I co-owned alongside my +2 ..SID chip tunes are nice but the AY chip was still competitive ..driving games + certain others shone on the Spectrum imo
What with youtube, netflix, prime and *ahem* other sources (yar me hearties etc) let alone gaming, I have not watched conventional telly for almost 3 years and last year I opted to stop paying my tv licence as it was not being used.
even when i was a young argumentitive brat, in the first few years of having a c64 around 1990, i always did appreciate the speccies ability to create nice cartoony graphics. the colour it lacked it could more than make up with in the right hands, wonderfully drawn scenary and wicked smooth scrolling sprites despite the spectrums lack of hardware in general let alone graphics chips lol. the spectrum will always be one of the great 8-bit machines in my eyes.
I’ve always admired this model for its built-in “Datacorder”. I thought it was a very neat design. I also like how the buttons on the cassette recorder match the keys on the keyboard too.
@@alistairwilkinson4055 True. I had a C64 and some games such as Turbo Outrun and multi load compilation tapes the tape counter was a necessity which of course was a standard feature on the Commodore Datasette. As for the ZX Spectrum Datacorder how did their users manage without a counter?
The black +2 looked horrible + had the tape buttons blank with white paint above them rather than "on" them - the grey looked perfect to me .. it might have been compared to the Amstrad CPC464 but the 464 was just ugly in comparison much like it's brainless owners. 464 owners were always late to the Microcomputer party (it was their "first"
As an older retro-computing enthusiastic, I can't accept any "Spectrum" that has proper keys. My dad, who's still with us, bought me a 16k Speccy in 1982, and whilst I didn't appreciate his cheapskate choice at the time, I had great fun with it.
I can. I somehow managed to find an imported 48K in the classifieds in 1982 months before they were sold in Australia, but I programmed and played on it so much I killed the keyboard membrane several times and bent the faceplate, which was glued on mine, while replacing the membrane. Finally I bought a proper keyboard to put the Speccy in, and that served me well until I was able to buy an Amiga 1000. But I never had any of these Speccy+ or Amstrad Speccies so I'm not familiar with the feel of those keyboards.
@@andrewdunbar828 The +2 keyboard is a nice clacky sound mine has lasted the test of time although Amstrad made the grey +2 it's essentially Sinclair left over inventory inside the machine .. the black +2(a) and +3's had 5 pin power sockets with a bolder sized power brick and the expansion port was same but not compatible with older Speccy add ons yet the grey +2 WAS so be careful folks if you are unfamiliar with this fact
Thanks a lot for these videos! For key caps there is a trivial method I have been using for a while: Corega Taps! Get a bowl, throw the dirty caps in, throw 5 or so tabs in and fill with warm water. Stir gently and let it sit while it bubbles along. After an hour or so all dirt and grime is gone. Now rinse and dry. Done. The blue color doesn't colorize the caps - nobody is running around with blue teeth because of these tabs either.
What a fantastic job you did on that +2. Congratulations guys. BTW, I always find it easier to plug in the keyboard first, then the tape deck when I'm reassembling them.
@@TheFusedplug I have no idea what happened to that speccy. I used a screw driver to lever the press play mechanism after the button snapped. Recently I picked up a mint 25 quid plus 2, to relive those memories
Had a ZX-81 built from a kit. Never saw a TS2068 or a ZX Spectrum in the wild here in the U.S. You folks rock restorations - this was a well done job on such a computing rarity.
One mod that you may want to look into on the +2 is the sound levels mod to adjust the sound output of the ULA, AY and tape output to make them all the same level (usually the AY is noticably quieter).
Nae Dizzy games? I thought Treasure Island Dizzy was a right of passage for all of us. Dizzy, Jack the Nipper, Skool Daze/Bak 2 Skool, Where's Wally?, Monty Mole, Manic Miner, Horace Goes Skiing, Chase HQ, Head over Heels...
Correct Sir. Might I also mention that I remember the news on the TV and that infamous picture in most of the Sinclair magazines when Sir Clive (RIP) and Sugar made the 5 million quid deal. I was delighted to get a brand spanking new grey +2 following the buy out Xmas 1986 (Thanks Mum and Dad). I still have that same computer to this date :)
@@blackterminal As the information stated in the video was incorrect, it's best to point it out. The +2 was pure Amstrad, not the +3 that Mark stated at that point in the video. Picky? Maybe. Wrong to point it out? No.
I recently bought one of those CompuCleaner Pros and I can't believe how well it works. I thought it would be an half-assed attempt at best, but no, it actually is a really good tool for blowing out the dust. I have gone though all of my PCs with it and have been searching through my cupboards for old junk to use it on. But next time I need to clean on dry a keyboard, I need to try the CompuCleaner on that as well.
As someone from the US, I never heard of micro computers until a few years ago and I agree, the Speccy games have a charm to them and their color pallete. That and a near endless library of games and homebrew. Really nice episode, great chat and the cleaning montage was a nice progression from start to end.
Great job on the Spectrum. I never owned one, but it is a fascinating machine. My childhood memories are of my neighbours BBC and later on C64 and my own MSX1. I am looking forward to a video about the SGI Indy. At one point I actually owned three of them and an SGI Indigo, but unfortunately they had to go at one point during an appartment cleanup. I just did not have the space! When the current crisis is over and travel is once again possible, I will have to come and visit to see the cave in person :-).
As a user of my parents' 48k original Spectrum, I've always longed for owning a +2 and a +3. Don't think I ever will but you can always dream. Anyway, great seeing this machine getting the T2T treatment. :)
I admire the patience and the love for the restoration process. It would have been so much easier to buy a better condition unit for The Cave, but now another speccy has a new lease of life.
Ah, memories! I had a 128k +2 between 1988-91. The joystick ports on the side never worked (thank you Alan Sugar) so I resorted to using an interface from my secondhand 48k+.
I often use car scratch remover or tcut on clear plastic ,pays to take keyboard apart and clean dust off the membrane as it can stop your keyboard working completely great restore Neil and Mark top work.
Why would this video even have 1 downvote. The spectrum was my childhood I was so proud I had one not knowing that it was the bottom of the market lol. Was constantly in for repairs to the tape deck.
I'd like to see you do a video on modern solutions for playing games on Commodore 64 without need for floppies or cassettes. I tried researching, but its awfully confusing for a newbie as to what devices are right. I'm sure there are other like myself with a C64 that would like that, and you're great at covering these components. Great content either way!
In the motor trade we do the gag, clean those plastic headlamp glasses with toothpaste, cheep customers spend all weekend with the "blue minty gel" just to get old headlamp plastic lenses through the MOT beam image check, as a garage it takes us about 90 seconds each headlamp to buff the plastic with a spinning mop and wet Brasso, but some of customers know best ! love your videos and have just bought a spectrum 48k as I had a bit of space next to 2 old Window 10 pcs and 2 Macs in my Mcave x
"The smaller they are, the harder they are to get hold of, but when you finally pull them off, it's really satisfying" Why Vicar, I don't know what you mean! 😄✨
I had a 'black' +2. It's actually a +2A; essentially a late model which was a +3 with a tape deck instead of the disk drive. Had a few compatibility issues; I seem to remember 'Paperboy' specifically stated that it wasn't +2A compatible, seemed to work OK though!
@@legin3753 Tell me about it! I bought my first +3 for £1 around late 1999 early 2000! it was in the local newspaper classified ads and I restored that machine with a new drive belt and a cleanup. Then I decided to gab another one recently but it hit me at £100 on ebay.
I owned a Spectrum 48k+ and a 128+3 .. The floppy disc drive was awesome although.. It only ever got used for text files, Dos coding and saving game data.
Beautiful restoration Neil and Mark! My childhood right there. The Grey +2 model did suffer from a wobbly power connector, especially from heavy use. Probably the reason why Amstrad changed the connector type in the +2A (best model ever). Can't wait to visit the cave!
another great vid- i think i'm getting used to the back and forth and sharing the limelight rather than just yourself. looking forward to seeing the next episode and really hope to come visit one day (post covid 22 or whatever we end up with)
Thanks Kieron! It's a learning process that's for sure but I think we're shaping a good format with each new episode we make together, and most importantly we're restoring lots of machines!
I have a +2B stored at my parents house, which was the last +2 edition and is basically the +2A without the sound defects. Once this whole pandemic is over I'm going to visit them and bring it back to Florida for restoration (will need to figure out power and some way to make the display output to a modern monitor, but that shouldn't be a huge deal). Hopefully it's still in good shape, it worked the last time I switched it on in 1999 but it's had 20 years for the belts to turn to mush.
My brother and I had hours of fun with our +2. We got one of the launch packs with Oh Mummy!, Disco Dan, Crazy Golf, Treasure Island, Alien Destroyer and Punchy, none of which were anywhere close to being 128k (or even 48k) games. Alien Destroyer was addictive, though. I have fond memories of reading Your Sinclair, turning over a tape to see if it had a 128k version on the B side, and spending summer holidays mapping adventure games. It was a great machine. One thing I can't forgive Amstrad for, though, was omitting a tape counter. It probably saved a few pence per unit, but it was so annoying not to have one!
As an old American, I never knew much about the ZX Spectrum. I had a Commodore 64 like so many back in the day. Learning a lot from you though about the Spectrum.
Brilliant work! Would love to come and see the museum one day, though I would be tempted to try to see the backs of all the machines. Surely it’s not just me who likes to look at all the ports?
"New" add ons are made to this date for the "old grey" including an SD card reader for which you can load Speccy software in an instant if u like and save wear and tear on "Datasettes" (I love to still use tapes I'm a purist)
Another great video guys! The +2 was my second spectrum after I told my dad the benefits of having a 128k machine. Goodbye 48k+, hello games loading all in one go and better music.
@@BertGrink As I said, the 128k had a better sound chip (I think). Also, many multiload games would load all in one go. No need to reload level 1 every time you needed to start a new game.
I remove all RF modulators from retro consoles. They just leak and cause damage and are never used, especially in certain consoles. Edit: great vid btw, I'm American so I didnt have a Speccy, but they look great. Always here for a restore vid regardless :)
I always wonder if we'll live to regret removing them in the same way people regret throwing whole computers away... but unless the next generation of hipsters want to 'feel' a more 'organic', 'gritty', and 'analog' signal path to their retro equipment - RF is probably never making a comeback!
@@fkthewhat Most of the time they were converted composite signals, with how bad the picture looked I think it's safe to say the designers didn't like them either
I actually think the Spectrum+2 is a decent looking machine. A friend two doors down the road had one and I used to go round his house to program it because I preferred coding it to my C64. Later on another friend got a +3 and that disk drive was awesome. So I'm looking forward to seeing a +3 episode soon!
The best way of removing keys from the Amstrad Spectrums is actually to remove the metal backing plate and the membrane, then you can squeeze the retaining clips for each key and they'll just pop out. Using a spudger or puller will put stress on those clips which aren't designed to be popped like that :) Also, a good clean of the membrane itself with a damp cloth will remove any debris which can stop the keyboard working - 99% of keyboard failures on these machines are caused by dirt.
I remember eventually having to wire in a separate headphone/ mic cable to bypass the built in tape deck. It made altering the tone using a graphic equaliser and azimuth angle (you'll be using the hole in the zx one a lot to get clear sound otherwise). Amazing how you could tune your hearing to the sound of data to determine when it was correct. Little posi screwdriver is your friend.
The clear plastic on the datacorder was heavily scratched on my ebay purchase tried all methods. In the end I used clear perspex left over from the garden shed window. Just scored it and snap the perspex to size.
Good to see some more ZX Spectrum coverage on the Cave, I guess Mark is using some Jedi mind tricks on the Commodore Man ;) Variety is the spice of life. Maybe a ZX Spectrum Next 2 eventually for the exhibition space?
My father bought us one, I think it was a timex 2068k with cartridges, great memories learning to play it with my big brother I think he still has it, not sure if it is working. I remember going to the game store to buy lots of games just looking at the covers, it was a real gamble...
I bought one of these refurbished for 80 quid, this exact model. It's an odd thing for me as I'm 21 and used to some pretty hefty games but the game that came with mine, alchemist I think got me hooked, it's slow with no music but it's still a solid game to play
As an old fart who witnessed the home computer revolution firsthand, it pleases me immensely that more and more of you youngsters are beginning to look back to the roots of gaming! 🙏
Around about 1991/1992 the tape deck died on my +2A my dad having electronics training and NO internet or such to go by somehow worked out how to bypass the tape deck and attack a 2.5 port on the case so I could connect it up to an external tape deck like the older models, this had its ups and downs, some games didn't play other games meant I could adjust the equaliser on a stereo or such to get it working. I left it when I moved to college in 1999 and tested it around 2010 and it just gave a pink screen, though in its final years in the 90's if I did the hidden diagnostics test when you power on it failed one of the ram tests so could be that.
There is an epoxy resin called "stick 2 metal syringe adhesive" from "ever build" that looks like medium/dark grey plastic once cured. You may want to take a look into that in case you want to attempt restoring missing chunks of plastic or simply plugging holes.
I was firmly in the Spectrum camp back in the early 80's. Some friends had C64 machines and I have to say I wasn't particularly impressed by what a lot of the game designers did with the added color capabilities. While the Spectrum had very limited color options. Each character position consisting of 8 x 8 pixels could only have a foreground and a background color. That meant you had to be very careful with how you assigned colors or it would look really bad. The graphics artists actually got really good at fooling the eye and making it look a lot more detailed than it sounds like. On the C64 however every pixel can have the color specified which makes it possible to create much better looking graphics. But a lot of the time it looked to me like they got carried away and you ended up with garish blurry sprites where it looked like they made every attempt to use every color at least once. I'm not saying they all looked bad, but I remember wondering just what they thought they were doing when creating the graphics for certain games. There is no doubt the C64 was technically a better machine, but the Spectrum was so wonderfully simple to program and work with. It was also a lot cheaper than the C64. And yes there were other computers out there, but at least in Europe the C64 and Spectrum owned the market. Later the Amiga and the Atari ST battled it out with the Amiga winning the war only to fall prey to the almighty PC compatible tribe which steam rolled everything and has kept it up until today.
You guys are like the Tango & Cash of the retro computer scene on YT.
Haha I love that
More like Twins Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito
At least they're not Turner and Hooch
a fitting 80's film reference to describe these capable retro individuals :)
I do enjoy these restorations with Neil and Mark. I was concerned about the lack of double-entendre, but at 16:01 my faith was restored 🙂
Happy that we were able to give you one
Applause for Mark and Neil! You guys have done a marvellous job cleaning this formerly sad-looking +2. It's almost hard to believe it's the same machine in the "after" footage.
I like that you chosen not to use a filler, these have battle scars and this is just part of its history :)
Hopefully at some point in the future we are allowed to travel again, only seen the first Spectrum in action, Got a lampda 8300 hidden away somewhere that properly could use a restoration. First machine I got to play around with in the early 80s with friends of the family, had to type it all in for the race car to run :)
love that mark pushes the innuendo boundary at every opportunity :)
I thought it was just my dirty mind seeing things that were not there. LOL
He really likes making it hard for Neil
You don’t want anything stretched out too much
Neil: "That smaller one looks a lot harder to pull off, Mark?"
Mark: "When you finally manage to pull it off, it's really satisfying."
Neil: "I could see it on your face when you managed that."
Thought I was watching an episode of Rainbow at one point.
It's deeply satisfying to watch how you restore these beautiful machines that meant so much in our childhood. I had a +2 like this and I love the way you talk about it. Also, I really liked the "it's part of the history of the machine" part, it was thoughtful. Thank you
When the 'murder gloves' come out, you know it's going to be a good ep! Neil & Mark make a great team.
I know I've said it before, but it's refreshing having a team of people on a channel like this. It gives a lot more flavour and actually feels more involving
12:38 I learned of this from John Riggs. There's a product called Brite Boy, and it works like Brasso but it doesn't have the oily residue that Brasso has. He uses it on game cartridges that he repairs.
I'll check that out thanks
The +2 is an Amstrad machine, it has a tape deck built in just like the CPC464. When Amstrad bought Sinclair, he discontinued all Sinclair machines including the QL. His engineers brought out the +2 then the +3, that was the end of the Spectrum line
Yep, i noticed that the board was a Amstrad branded while they worked on it.
The tape player in the 464 was better. It had a tape counter (essential if you are programming, believe me). Tape player on the +2 was a piece of crap, with no tape counter, and no connection on the back for an external tape deck.
Yes it was sad but not entirely surprising. The Amstrad and Spectrum computers were essentially competitors. So to keep both going once in common ownership would be to essentially competing with yourself. Mind you I do think the QL could have been a success if it hadn't been killed off so quickly.
Yes the original grey plus 2 is probably the Spectrum I spent most time with. It was Amstrad's very quick re-jig of the Spectrum before they went for a bigger re-design with the Plus 3 and Plus 2A. I loved my grey Spectrum Plus 2 back then and spent serious hours gaming on it. I just loved it. Incredible memories. The Spectrum game library was so utterly huge with many amazing games even if the graphics and sound were a bit sub par compared to other computers.
Yep, the grey +2 is basically a 128K spectrum in a different case with a datacorder. The +2A/B and +3 are when they changed the I/O layout. The vast majority of games don't care, but there's a handful that don't work correctly.
Great video guys! Keep the coming.
The +2 was my first ever computer. I remember being in Tandys facing the decision of getting either a spectrum +2 or a Commodore 64. Having no idea at the time I went with the +2 purely because it came with a light gun 😀. Still have it to this day. Great little machine.
You made a good choice. Although the C64 would have been a good choice too.
@@Retrohertz C64 I co-owned alongside my +2 ..SID chip tunes are nice but the AY chip was still competitive ..driving games + certain others shone on the Spectrum imo
Goddammit the new cave looks immense. Does anybody even watch TV any more now that we have such high quality content on TH-cam?
I don't; it's been more than 10 years since I last saw a TV broadcast.
Many hours a day, versus about 20 minutes of TH-cam.
What with youtube, netflix, prime and *ahem* other sources (yar me hearties etc) let alone gaming, I have not watched conventional telly for almost 3 years and last year I opted to stop paying my tv licence as it was not being used.
@@B3tanTyronne I'm 37 and those bastards never got a penny off me :)
What is TV? *JK*
Yet another quality production... My favourite part was all the innuendo that professionalism brushed aside.. "edited out" 😉..
even when i was a young argumentitive brat, in the first few years of having a c64 around 1990, i always did appreciate the speccies ability to create nice cartoony graphics. the colour it lacked it could more than make up with in the right hands, wonderfully drawn scenary and wicked smooth scrolling sprites despite the spectrums lack of hardware in general let alone graphics chips lol. the spectrum will always be one of the great 8-bit machines in my eyes.
Spot on bro !
I’ve always admired this model for its built-in “Datacorder”. I thought it was a very neat design. I also like how the buttons on the cassette recorder match the keys on the keyboard too.
Except there was no tape counter 😠
@@alistairwilkinson4055 True. I had a C64 and some games such as Turbo Outrun and multi load compilation tapes the tape counter was a necessity which of course was a standard feature on the Commodore Datasette. As for the ZX Spectrum Datacorder how did their users manage without a counter?
@@pi6706 Badly. If you wanted to play the second (or third) game from a covertape, you had to load the others first.
@@alistairwilkinson4055 That is bad. What a struggle that must have been!
The black +2 looked horrible + had the tape buttons blank with white paint above them rather than "on" them - the grey looked perfect to me .. it might have been compared to the Amstrad CPC464 but the 464 was just ugly in comparison much like it's brainless owners. 464 owners were always late to the Microcomputer party (it was their "first"
As an older retro-computing enthusiastic, I can't accept any "Spectrum" that has proper keys.
My dad, who's still with us, bought me a 16k Speccy in 1982, and whilst I didn't appreciate his cheapskate choice at the time, I had great fun with it.
I can. I somehow managed to find an imported 48K in the classifieds in 1982 months before they were sold in Australia, but I programmed and played on it so much I killed the keyboard membrane several times and bent the faceplate, which was glued on mine, while replacing the membrane. Finally I bought a proper keyboard to put the Speccy in, and that served me well until I was able to buy an Amiga 1000. But I never had any of these Speccy+ or Amstrad Speccies so I'm not familiar with the feel of those keyboards.
@@andrewdunbar828 Spectrum to Amiga is a big upgrade, though, whatever third party keys it had. 👍
@@andrewdunbar828 The +2 keyboard is a nice clacky sound mine has lasted the test of time although Amstrad made the grey +2 it's essentially Sinclair left over inventory inside the machine .. the black +2(a) and +3's had 5 pin power sockets with a bolder sized power brick and the expansion port was same but not compatible with older Speccy add ons yet the grey +2 WAS so be careful folks if you are unfamiliar with this fact
My first computer, great to see one restored to full working order. I'm surprised the tape heads themselves are still up to the job!
Thanks a lot for these videos!
For key caps there is a trivial method I have been using for a while: Corega Taps! Get a bowl, throw the dirty caps in, throw 5 or so tabs in and fill with warm water. Stir gently and let it sit while it bubbles along. After an hour or so all dirt and grime is gone. Now rinse and dry. Done.
The blue color doesn't colorize the caps - nobody is running around with blue teeth because of these tabs either.
What a fantastic job you did on that +2. Congratulations guys.
BTW, I always find it easier to plug in the keyboard first, then the tape deck when I'm reassembling them.
Played my +2 so much, the play button on the datacorder snapped off. Great memories 👌
Did you manage to get that key replaced
@@TheFusedplug I have no idea what happened to that speccy. I used a screw driver to lever the press play mechanism after the button snapped. Recently I picked up a mint 25 quid plus 2, to relive those memories
Had a ZX-81 built from a kit. Never saw a TS2068 or a ZX Spectrum in the wild here in the U.S. You folks rock restorations - this was a well done job on such a computing rarity.
One mod that you may want to look into on the +2 is the sound levels mod to adjust the sound output of the ULA, AY and tape output to make them all the same level (usually the AY is noticably quieter).
I got a SCART for mine it uses the sound port with a little separate lead so for me at least it improved the sound anyway for the AY
I love the Speccy +2. It feels like the most mature, authentic Speccy before Amstrad started breaking stuff.
I got one of these towards the tail end of the 80's. Monty Mole and Rockstar Ate My Hamster were some of the classics I played on my Speccy.
School Daze was one of my favourites from way back when.
Nae Dizzy games? I thought Treasure Island Dizzy was a right of passage for all of us. Dizzy, Jack the Nipper, Skool Daze/Bak 2 Skool, Where's Wally?, Monty Mole, Manic Miner, Horace Goes Skiing, Chase HQ, Head over Heels...
1:14 - Sinclair had been bought out before the +2 was released. That machine is pure Amstrad.
Correct Sir. Might I also mention that I remember the news on the TV and that infamous picture in most of the Sinclair magazines when Sir Clive (RIP) and Sugar made the 5 million quid deal. I was delighted to get a brand spanking new grey +2 following the buy out Xmas 1986 (Thanks Mum and Dad). I still have that same computer to this date :)
@@blackterminal As the information stated in the video was incorrect, it's best to point it out. The +2 was pure Amstrad, not the +3 that Mark stated at that point in the video. Picky? Maybe. Wrong to point it out? No.
@@blackterminal You're quite an angry person, aren't you. Best get that checked out, you'll live longer. Have a great day!
I recently bought one of those CompuCleaner Pros and I can't believe how well it works. I thought it would be an half-assed attempt at best, but no, it actually is a really good tool for blowing out the dust.
I have gone though all of my PCs with it and have been searching through my cupboards for old junk to use it on. But next time I need to clean on dry a keyboard, I need to try the CompuCleaner on that as well.
Nice job on getting it fixed up and clean again. I actually like scrubbing dirt off old computers. It's really satisfying somehow.
It's what kitchen sinks are for, isn't it? 😀
This was my first computer and oh the memories. Thanks for the nostalgia.
I really enjoy RMC, but I especially like the banter when Mark is on board. The two of you complement each other very well.
Thank you! I love working with Mark, he gets things done!!
As someone from the US, I never heard of micro computers until a few years ago and I agree, the Speccy games have a charm to them and their color pallete. That and a near endless library of games and homebrew. Really nice episode, great chat and the cleaning montage was a nice progression from start to end.
I've got a +2 under my bed. It needs new drive belts. I should get around to that some time.
You don't need the internal tape deck. You can wire an external.
Great job on the Spectrum. I never owned one, but it is a fascinating machine. My childhood memories are of my neighbours BBC and later on C64 and my own MSX1.
I am looking forward to a video about the SGI Indy. At one point I actually owned three of them and an SGI Indigo, but unfortunately they had to go at one point during an appartment cleanup. I just did not have the space!
When the current crisis is over and travel is once again possible, I will have to come and visit to see the cave in person :-).
Bravo gentlemen.
This computer looks awesome, i realy want one.
As a user of my parents' 48k original Spectrum, I've always longed for owning a +2 and a +3. Don't think I ever will but you can always dream. Anyway, great seeing this machine getting the T2T treatment. :)
I just love these Mark and Neil collaborations...
I admire the patience and the love for the restoration process. It would have been so much easier to buy a better condition unit for The Cave, but now another speccy has a new lease of life.
Ah, memories! I had a 128k +2 between 1988-91. The joystick ports on the side never worked (thank you Alan Sugar) so I resorted to using an interface from my secondhand 48k+.
You should have got port adapters as the built in ones are non standard u can buy those for about £3 off ebay brand new from most retro shops
I often use car scratch remover or tcut on clear plastic ,pays to take keyboard apart and clean dust off the membrane as it can stop your keyboard working completely great restore Neil and Mark top work.
Why would this video even have 1 downvote. The spectrum was my childhood I was so proud I had one not knowing that it was the bottom of the market lol. Was constantly in for repairs to the tape deck.
My compliments to the thumbnail editor.
*tips hat*
I'd like to see you do a video on modern solutions for playing games on Commodore 64 without need for floppies or cassettes. I tried researching, but its awfully confusing for a newbie as to what devices are right. I'm sure there are other like myself with a C64 that would like that, and you're great at covering these components. Great content either way!
In the motor trade we do the gag, clean those plastic headlamp glasses with toothpaste, cheep customers spend all weekend with the "blue minty gel" just to get old headlamp plastic lenses through the MOT beam image check, as a garage it takes us about 90 seconds each headlamp to buff the plastic with a spinning mop and wet Brasso, but some of customers know best ! love your videos and have just bought a spectrum 48k as I had a bit of space next to 2 old Window 10 pcs and 2 Macs in my Mcave x
Neil and Mark always makes for a great video! Well done gentlemen!
"The smaller they are, the harder they are to get hold of, but when you finally pull them off, it's really satisfying" Why Vicar, I don't know what you mean! 😄✨
"Murder gloves", "invite people and film them for you", "the exhibit", "mad mastermind" ... this script is so much fun 🥳
Nice one. Love it. Would love to see some Atari jaguar or CDI
I could sit and watch these refurb videos all day. Odd, because I've got a pile of old computers and consoles in need, but CBA :D
I had a 'black' +2. It's actually a +2A; essentially a late model which was a +3 with a tape deck instead of the disk drive. Had a few compatibility issues; I seem to remember 'Paperboy' specifically stated that it wasn't +2A compatible, seemed to work OK though!
Some incompatible games were rereleased after being patched, so I would guess that you had the patched version.
Paperboy on the spectrum was far more playable than ANY version including the arcade version it was simply just brilliant
I will be watching this closely as I’m needing to restore my +2 and a recently acquired +3
was looking on ebay for one they have shot up in price
Make sure you check which +2. There is the grey +2, the black plastic +2a and a black plastic +2b. Each has differences.
@@legin3753 I got very lucky with a Gumtree Ad not too far away from where The cave is either 😆
@@Retrohertz Thanks, I’m new to the world of these systems!
@@legin3753 Tell me about it! I bought my first +3 for £1 around late 1999 early 2000! it was in the local newspaper classified ads and I restored that machine with a new drive belt and a cleanup. Then I decided to gab another one recently but it hit me at £100 on ebay.
I owned a Spectrum 48k+ and a 128+3 .. The floppy disc drive was awesome although.. It only ever got used for text files, Dos coding and saving game data.
Lovely to see these old machines getting such love.
There's something very soothing about watching Neil cleaning stuff 😊
This was my favourite spectrum and the one I really properly learnt to code on.
Beautiful restoration Neil and Mark! My childhood right there. The Grey +2 model did suffer from a wobbly power connector, especially from heavy use. Probably the reason why Amstrad changed the connector type in the +2A (best model ever).
Can't wait to visit the cave!
The Spectrum was a large part of the UK bedroom coder revolution. From which an awful lot of high end software would not be what it is now.
another great vid- i think i'm getting used to the back and forth and sharing the limelight rather than just yourself. looking forward to seeing the next episode and really hope to come visit one day (post covid 22 or whatever we end up with)
Thanks Kieron! It's a learning process that's for sure but I think we're shaping a good format with each new episode we make together, and most importantly we're restoring lots of machines!
I have a +2B stored at my parents house, which was the last +2 edition and is basically the +2A without the sound defects. Once this whole pandemic is over I'm going to visit them and bring it back to Florida for restoration (will need to figure out power and some way to make the display output to a modern monitor, but that shouldn't be a huge deal). Hopefully it's still in good shape, it worked the last time I switched it on in 1999 but it's had 20 years for the belts to turn to mush.
Another great video!!
hope that tub was big enough to hold all the keycaps.....thought it was gonna be touch and go for a second🤣🤣🤣
Finished articled looked magnificent!
Oh I do love a good RMC cleaning montage!
Crud is my favourite descriptor for dirt.
My brother and I had hours of fun with our +2. We got one of the launch packs with Oh Mummy!, Disco Dan, Crazy Golf, Treasure Island, Alien Destroyer and Punchy, none of which were anywhere close to being 128k (or even 48k) games. Alien Destroyer was addictive, though. I have fond memories of reading Your Sinclair, turning over a tape to see if it had a 128k version on the B side, and spending summer holidays mapping adventure games. It was a great machine. One thing I can't forgive Amstrad for, though, was omitting a tape counter. It probably saved a few pence per unit, but it was so annoying not to have one!
good job, the restoration board part is pleasant process as always, buuut the cleaning part is very satisfying step for me. :)
"You don't want anything stretched out too much." Neil, you deftly left that one alone.
You clever guys. I see you, heh. Nice restoration!
As an old American, I never knew much about the ZX Spectrum. I had a Commodore 64 like so many back in the day. Learning a lot from you though about the Spectrum.
Posh speccy with built in datacorder.Nice to see vintage computers brought back to life..thanks.
Brilliant work! Would love to come and see the museum one day, though I would be tempted to try to see the backs of all the machines. Surely it’s not just me who likes to look at all the ports?
"New" add ons are made to this date for the "old grey" including an SD card reader for which you can load Speccy software in an instant if u like and save wear and tear on "Datasettes" (I love to still use tapes I'm a purist)
It came out looking great.
SPECCY+2 was my first computer, not family one but mine ... sweet memories ...
Another great video guys! The +2 was my second spectrum after I told my dad the benefits of having a 128k machine. Goodbye 48k+, hello games loading all in one go and better music.
Just out of curiosity, what benefits did you tell your dad that 128K would bring? 😄
@@BertGrink As I said, the 128k had a better sound chip (I think). Also, many multiload games would load all in one go. No need to reload level 1 every time you needed to start a new game.
@@johnabbitt690 Ahh, I see... I had thought you would use the "It will improve my homework for school" argument.
I don't know why but I get intense pleasure from watching a broken thing get repaired for future use.
I remove all RF modulators from retro consoles. They just leak and cause damage and are never used, especially in certain consoles.
Edit: great vid btw, I'm American so I didnt have a Speccy, but they look great. Always here for a restore vid regardless :)
I always wonder if we'll live to regret removing them in the same way people regret throwing whole computers away... but unless the next generation of hipsters want to 'feel' a more 'organic', 'gritty', and 'analog' signal path to their retro equipment - RF is probably never making a comeback!
@@fkthewhat Most of the time they were converted composite signals, with how bad the picture looked I think it's safe to say the designers didn't like them either
I did love the +2, I had the rubber keyed 48K and I lusted after the proper keyboard on the +2
I actually think the Spectrum+2 is a decent looking machine. A friend two doors down the road had one and I used to go round his house to program it because I preferred coding it to my C64. Later on another friend got a +3 and that disk drive was awesome. So I'm looking forward to seeing a +3 episode soon!
ZX Spectrum +2 128k is the one my dad owns. It been in the loft since the 90's due to failure of the graphics. Always wanted to restore it :)
What a great job you did with this Speccy. It looks almost factory fresh. You do your machines proud.
The best way of removing keys from the Amstrad Spectrums is actually to remove the metal backing plate and the membrane, then you can squeeze the retaining clips for each key and they'll just pop out. Using a spudger or puller will put stress on those clips which aren't designed to be popped like that :)
Also, a good clean of the membrane itself with a damp cloth will remove any debris which can stop the keyboard working - 99% of keyboard failures on these machines are caused by dirt.
Good point about key removal; I'll add it to my bag o´tricks if you don't mind. 🙂
I remember eventually having to wire in a separate headphone/ mic cable to bypass the built in tape deck. It made altering the tone using a graphic equaliser and azimuth angle (you'll be using the hole in the zx one a lot to get clear sound otherwise). Amazing how you could tune your hearing to the sound of data to determine when it was correct. Little posi screwdriver is your friend.
You two bounce off each other really well.
Mark is a Spectrum vet and I've said it before and I'll say it again you two make a good duet 😊
The clear plastic on the datacorder was heavily scratched on my ebay purchase tried all methods. In the end I used clear perspex left over from the garden shed window. Just scored it and snap the perspex to size.
There's something just perfect about finding an old micro in a shed and then using the shed itself to restore it 😁
Good to see some more ZX Spectrum coverage on the Cave, I guess Mark is using some Jedi mind tricks on the Commodore Man ;) Variety is the spice of life. Maybe a ZX Spectrum Next 2 eventually for the exhibition space?
Down with brown! LOL
Always fascinating to see mangy (inside and out) computers getting a new life with a good restoration and cleanup. It's really like day and night!
This one's truly a trash to treasure! Aside from those few small flaws, that thing looks fantastic!
Yet another thoroughly enjoyable and informative video, thank you!
Thanks Sean!
What a nice work !
Moving through the spectrum of Spectrums
My father bought us one, I think it was a timex 2068k with cartridges, great memories learning to play it with my big brother I think he still has it, not sure if it is working. I remember going to the game store to buy lots of games just looking at the covers, it was a real gamble...
Love a bit of speccy restoration. These spots with you & Mark work really well, looking forwards to the next one!
Yeah classic content right here. Glad to see Mark making some regular appearances, too.
Love that pan of the restored +2. It made my day!
A thing of beauty!! Well done!!
I bought one of these refurbished for 80 quid, this exact model. It's an odd thing for me as I'm 21 and used to some pretty hefty games but the game that came with mine, alchemist I think got me hooked, it's slow with no music but it's still a solid game to play
As an old fart who witnessed the home computer revolution firsthand, it pleases me immensely that more and more of you youngsters are beginning to look back to the roots of gaming! 🙏
My first computer was a grey +2! Memories!
Around about 1991/1992 the tape deck died on my +2A my dad having electronics training and NO internet or such to go by somehow worked out how to bypass the tape deck and attack a 2.5 port on the case so I could connect it up to an external tape deck like the older models, this had its ups and downs, some games didn't play other games meant I could adjust the equaliser on a stereo or such to get it working. I left it when I moved to college in 1999 and tested it around 2010 and it just gave a pink screen, though in its final years in the 90's if I did the hidden diagnostics test when you power on it failed one of the ram tests so could be that.
the +3 (similar to +2A) had a "stereo" jack socket for sound, the "right" pin was actually tape input, took me ages to realise that when i was a kid!
@@willyarma_uk That is correct, but on the +2A the 'Tape in' function was disabled.
@@BertGrink Though, it can be restored, which sounds like exactly this mod.
several of my friends had these when we were kids, and some of us had Amstrads - We were always debating whether Spectrum or Amstrad were better LOL
Great job!
There is an epoxy resin called "stick 2 metal syringe adhesive" from "ever build" that looks like medium/dark grey plastic once cured. You may want to take a look into that in case you want to attempt restoring missing chunks of plastic or simply plugging holes.
I was firmly in the Spectrum camp back in the early 80's. Some friends had C64 machines and I have to say I wasn't particularly impressed by what a lot of the game designers did with the added color capabilities. While the Spectrum had very limited color options. Each character position consisting of 8 x 8 pixels could only have a foreground and a background color. That meant you had to be very careful with how you assigned colors or it would look really bad. The graphics artists actually got really good at fooling the eye and making it look a lot more detailed than it sounds like.
On the C64 however every pixel can have the color specified which makes it possible to create much better looking graphics. But a lot of the time it looked to me like they got carried away and you ended up with garish blurry sprites where it looked like they made every attempt to use every color at least once. I'm not saying they all looked bad, but I remember wondering just what they thought they were doing when creating the graphics for certain games.
There is no doubt the C64 was technically a better machine, but the Spectrum was so wonderfully simple to program and work with. It was also a lot cheaper than the C64. And yes there were other computers out there, but at least in Europe the C64 and Spectrum owned the market. Later the Amiga and the Atari ST battled it out with the Amiga winning the war only to fall prey to the almighty PC compatible tribe which steam rolled everything and has kept it up until today.
Vampire V4 cart for the 1200 "The Icedrake"