Today people often refer to this as the first affordable computer. As you point out, it was still quite expensive for the time, just darn cheap for a computer. When I first saw the kit advertised, I knew I had to own one. Unfortunately, I would have to wait for the ZX81 as all the Z80 kits were sold out. Overheating, lousy keyboards and ram packs that wobbled causing reboots did not matter, it was a computer !!! and I owned it. Still, I wish I had gotten that Z80. I still have my eye out and one day my wallet and an Ebay listing will align. Thank you for sharing and evoking the nostalgia.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment! I missed the ZX80 boatd and started with a ZX81 and it too suffered from exactly the same flaws. But would I have swapped it for another game or toy? Not on yourlife. To me, it was perfect as it was. Well, maybe not the Rampack wobble...
The ZX80 looked so cool in the ads. Teenage me saved hard so I could almost afford one, my mum even decorated my birthday cake to look like a ZX80. When I eventually saw it for real I couldn't believe that it had the build quality of a disposible yoghurt pot, and that somewhat put me off. It was still nearly my first computer... Still wish I had one. Btw, your video would be *much* better without the background music.
Thanks for the memorys David! My first was the ZX81 so missed out on the ZX80. I have to agree, the plastics are aweful and why not actually have vents at the top??? Apologies about the background music, it's supposed to be 'ambient' unless I'm using it to fill in for the soldering/disassembly montages so it's obviously too loud if you're noticing it :( Unfortunately TH-cam won't let us just relace it and I'd have to delete everything and start again :(
I nearly have a stroke every time I have to work those push pins on my ZX80s. I do like to keep the ZX80s as close to original as possible but I'd think a modern voltage regulator might be OK considering heat issues but if you're not likely to use it, I'd probably remove the extra heat sink. But hey, it's yours, do what thou wilt. ;)
I seriously thought I was going to destroy the plastics taking those out - NOT for the faint hearted! I did think about removing the extra heatsink, but for me, I'd need to put an undamaged one in its place. I don't have one so it'll remain for the moment! If I do get another ZX80 in better condition, then I'll leave that stock and re-visit this one though as have used a Traco Power in my old ZX81 - runs cool and fine :)
I enjoyed that a lot. The Zx80 is a machine that I had never seen or heard of until I saw one in "Micro men" in 2009. I've never ever been in the presence of one and I doubt that I ever will be, given how rare they are. Well done on this acquisition and how great is it that it worked just like that? I look forward to part 2 and moreover seeing if you can save stuff to cassette with that mic port, or was the mod a valid one? Good luck and enjoy your holiday ;)
Thanks! Yes, the price of what is in reality a very basic set of chips has become ridiculously expensive. Even a replacement original TV aerial is £20! Though as a collector, I'm just glad I got one! :) I suspect the mod was possibly to increase the audio output volume when saving, though not sure. Will be fun finding out!
I had a ZX80 and ZX81 then the Spectrum at the time, the Spectrum was binned after a short in the PSU that today is a 5 minute fix, but I don't remember what happened to the ZX80 and ZX81. Today I'm a collector of these and other computers of the era, but to get a ZX80 today is way too expensive.
I was lucky that I kept all mine, well most of them. Wish I'd kept my A1200 and the A1010 drives pluus a fewmore, though just grateful I kept the ones I did. Had the seller of the ZX80 not been an absolute gem of a woman and was happy these were going to someone who would restore them, the I doubt if I'd own one either tbh. Glad you enjoyed the video though :)
I think, if I was to do anything, it'd be replace the heatsink with a replacement to keep it original. Happy enough with the filing down of the screw as it no longer touches the top case at the moment though. Lets see what the future brings!
Today people often refer to this as the first affordable computer. As you point out, it was still quite expensive for the time, just darn cheap for a computer. When I first saw the kit advertised, I knew I had to own one. Unfortunately, I would have to wait for the ZX81 as all the Z80 kits were sold out. Overheating, lousy keyboards and ram packs that wobbled causing reboots did not matter, it was a computer !!! and I owned it. Still, I wish I had gotten that Z80. I still have my eye out and one day my wallet and an Ebay listing will align. Thank you for sharing and evoking the nostalgia.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment!
I missed the ZX80 boatd and started with a ZX81 and it too suffered from exactly the same flaws. But would I have swapped it for another game or toy? Not on yourlife. To me, it was perfect as it was. Well, maybe not the Rampack wobble...
Lovely restore sir. I had a secondhand ZX81 and loved it.
Thanks Snorkers! The ZX81 was my first too and it's true what they say. You never forget your first... ;)
The ZX80 looked so cool in the ads. Teenage me saved hard so I could almost afford one, my mum even decorated my birthday cake to look like a ZX80. When I eventually saw it for real I couldn't believe that it had the build quality of a disposible yoghurt pot, and that somewhat put me off.
It was still nearly my first computer... Still wish I had one.
Btw, your video would be *much* better without the background music.
Thanks for the memorys David! My first was the ZX81 so missed out on the ZX80. I have to agree, the plastics are aweful and why not actually have vents at the top???
Apologies about the background music, it's supposed to be 'ambient' unless I'm using it to fill in for the soldering/disassembly montages so it's obviously too loud if you're noticing it :( Unfortunately TH-cam won't let us just relace it and I'd have to delete everything and start again :(
I nearly have a stroke every time I have to work those push pins on my ZX80s.
I do like to keep the ZX80s as close to original as possible but I'd think a modern voltage regulator might be OK considering heat issues but if you're not likely to use it, I'd probably remove the extra heat sink.
But hey, it's yours, do what thou wilt. ;)
I seriously thought I was going to destroy the plastics taking those out - NOT for the faint hearted!
I did think about removing the extra heatsink, but for me, I'd need to put an undamaged one in its place. I don't have one so it'll remain for the moment! If I do get another ZX80 in better condition, then I'll leave that stock and re-visit this one though as have used a Traco Power in my old ZX81 - runs cool and fine :)
I enjoyed that a lot. The Zx80 is a machine that I had never seen or heard of until I saw one in "Micro men" in 2009. I've never ever been in the presence of one and I doubt that I ever will be, given how rare they are. Well done on this acquisition and how great is it that it worked just like that? I look forward to part 2 and moreover seeing if you can save stuff to cassette with that mic port, or was the mod a valid one? Good luck and enjoy your holiday ;)
Thanks! Yes, the price of what is in reality a very basic set of chips has become ridiculously expensive. Even a replacement original TV aerial is £20! Though as a collector, I'm just glad I got one! :)
I suspect the mod was possibly to increase the audio output volume when saving, though not sure. Will be fun finding out!
I had a ZX80 and ZX81 then the Spectrum at the time, the Spectrum was binned after a short in the PSU that today is a 5 minute fix, but I don't remember what happened to the ZX80 and ZX81. Today I'm a collector of these and other computers of the era, but to get a ZX80 today is way too expensive.
I was lucky that I kept all mine, well most of them. Wish I'd kept my A1200 and the A1010 drives pluus a fewmore, though just grateful I kept the ones I did.
Had the seller of the ZX80 not been an absolute gem of a woman and was happy these were going to someone who would restore them, the I doubt if I'd own one either tbh.
Glad you enjoyed the video though :)
Nice .. I've repaired lots of specys .. but never had the pleasure of zx80 ...
You could solder the heat sink and bracket and remove the screw ...
I think, if I was to do anything, it'd be replace the heatsink with a replacement to keep it original. Happy enough with the filing down of the screw as it no longer touches the top case at the moment though. Lets see what the future brings!