This video is bringing back many memories for me back in the late 70s. My friend sold Commodore PET computers in Eastern Canada. On the original PET, the front plastic nameplate would snap out. I was just finishing high school and my friend gave me a contract to build an audio option for the PET to produce sounds from a bit port. I sourced Radio Shack audio amplifiers which had a volume control and 2 audio jacks. I routed out a slot for the ON/OFF volume control and two audio jacks. The nuts on the audio jacks held the small board to the back of the name plate and I made a cabling harness to go over to a inline pin array to pickup power and the bit port. I was doing many of these per month - can't remember what I made, maybe $10 or $20 a unit. More fun and better money than a paper route or working at McD's. My friend did amazingly well selling these computers as he sold a couple into the school boards and the government and then next year others in the government and the schools said me too and his sales soared. He won some trip with Commodore for top sales and got to fly on the Concorde. Those were the days.
I’m wondering what will people think when this randomly turns up in a yard sale or flea market in 70 years. Because it’s basically a whole custom computer with little to no documentation other than your videos.
@@paco3523 More like the 64 bit guy :-) "remember 2020, they had arm64 and amd64, it was so confusing, only one letter difference between two radically distinct arches, fortunately ARM renamed to Nivarm in 2025, making things much less confusing!"
well it is technically a standard PET, just in a custom case. plus the PCB says "Mini-PET" on it so if someone where to regonize the case as a Commodore based one and saw the BASIC screen, they could likely come to the conclusion that it's a Commodore PET
When building oddities like this it's always good to make a small label or index card with information on its construction and origins and place it inside the case.
This is a great example of engineering, ingenuity, and teamwork. I like how you decided to modify an existing (new) case rather than attempt to make an entirely custom deal, since the work involved is accessible to many people. Even those without a 3D printer could likely have a 3D print service make parts for them, and most people can afford/work with a dremel. Excellent work, guys!
You got the pronunciation of "Tynemouth" correct the first time. As I said when we originally discussed this, I would be happy to respin the Mini PET board to fit into a C64 case, but there doesn't seem to be much point in doing that until there is a suitable keyboard solution available that would not require the case to be modified. Also we now have the clear perspex case and chiclet style keyboards available from TFW8b, which does a similar job.
Ever consider using one of the joystick ports as a socket for an external Numberpad key matrix. 9 pins could get you a 4x5 matrix, which covers the whole number pad. Any keys that don't fit in the standard C64 main layout area, could possibly be remapped to the function key area. While not as ideal to the PET layout, it _could_ work as far as just using an unmodded C64 case.
The main QWERTY area of the PET Business Keyboard has the same layout as the C64, AFAICT, and when using it you can get numbers on the top row and don't need the keypad: retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/12466/what-were-commodores-keyboard-layouts-before-the-vic-20 As @richfiles π says, an external keypad could be connected. This wouldn't use the function key area but that could be used on the Mini PET for things like reset and NMI debugger keys, blinkenlights, etc.
@@hjalfi At first glance they are similar, but when you look there are rather a lot of keys which are different. Some are missing, some in different places and importantly most of the punctuation is in different combinations of shifted / unshifted states. I've been through it all sorts of ways and it's too different. If you want to use a C64 case, we need a new keyboard with the right keys, and ideally based on the graphics not business layout for better support for some older software which does not use the kernal keyboard routines. (or maybe just build a different case or use the perspex one we sell that was designed for the Mini PET and the chiclet keyboard)
I suppose you are all referring to this track of the three: bedroomcassettemasters.bandcamp.com/track/sim-1 The other two: th-cam.com/video/ZoMMUCCF_28/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/HIE8bT_IWWs/w-d-xo.html Happy New Year!
LOL. At first I misread the title of this video. I read "Building *the* case for the Mini Pet," which I took to mean that David was going to make an argument as to why the Mini Pet is a great computer and why we should all go out and buy one. Then he proceeded to build an actual *case* into which to mount the thing. Hahaha!
To be clear, those are new "Commodore 64C" cases ("sixty-four cee"), the "c"ompact (or "c"heaper ) later, flatter version of the C64 from the late 80's. Although the story accounts vary, the plastic injection molds (along with plus/4 molds) were fortuitous saved from the scrap melters by an astute enthusiast.
@@jackandersen1262 If they are still good at the moment, they will probably be good forever. They will never be used for making hundreds of thousands of cases again. I don't know what's the minimum number of cases which is worth making in one run, I guesstimate 5000. If they make 5000 cases every 2-3 years, or even just every 5 years, I would assume that would be plenty. And with rates like this, the molds wouldn't wear out in the next 30-50 years, I guess, if stored properly.
Nice project and always good to see no original hardware was butchered during the experiments, although I have to admit I did butcher quite a few c64 back in the day when they were considered outdated trash.
That turned out a lot better than I thought it would; the white & black contrast really makes the keyboard pop. 🇨🇦🐧 As for a PET case, I'd like something more like my chiclet 2001, but lighter and smaller; perhaps with a display that folds up and down.
I just realized something while watching this. Whoever is doing your editing is really, really good. The cuts and audio are timed to absolute perfection.
That was a cool restoration, I loved it. 🙂 For the next time maybe I'd suggest you score the plastic with a ruler and an exacto knife. Then cutting away unwanted pieces would be a matter of bending the unwanted pieces with a pair of pliers. The plastic would just snap off cleanly saving you a lot of time and grief.
It looks very cool, and for an 80s type computer it's also ahead of its time with the black plastic look, plus it matches the black Samsung TV you're using as a monitor. That part of the case you scuffed up could be used for another badge or embellishment of some sort. Also, maybe make a label or index card explaining what the thing is, who made it, reference links, etc. and put it inside the case in case someone in the future finds it in an antique shop or something. Something to think about.
Nice work 8-Bit Guv'nor and Chris! Very satisfying. Puppyfractic also approves of the new "pet" home. 🐶 P.S. The last way you pronounced Tynemouth was correct - "tine-mth" 👍🕹️
Tine-m'th is pretty rare, most locals I've met pronounce it how it's written: Tine-mouth. In fact I think even the older, broader Geordies would say "Tyne-mooth" if anything, though that would be overkill for anyone outside the area. I'd say David got it right first attempt.
Oh, I kept thinking of seaside town Teignmouth in Devon. That's pronounced tin-mth like David's third try. I don't know why I wasn't thinking of the Geordie town.
I found that a sanding drum on the Dremel removes material without melting like the cutting tool. I'd cut with the wheel and then move to a sanding drum to bring it into tolerance. That way, you can use the file just for squaring the corners since the drum is round.
Man I forgot about the second generation 64C case! I only ever had a first generation I bought in 1982 at the local K-Mart for the princely sum of $188.00. Bear in mind that I was only 12 years old and I did a LOT of after school and summer hustling to get the cash. Two bills back then came slower than they do now, lol, but I got $60.00 selling the Timex/Sinclair 1000 I learned BASIC on to a schoolmate to help defray the cost. My old eyes actually thought I was looking at a +4 case when your video popped up in my feed. (My girlfriend way back when had one of those.) 😉 When I think about how hard I worked to buy not only the C-64 but a new 13” color TV “monitor”, and later a 1541 drive (4 pencils sacrificed to prop it up to cooler heights!), I get tired all over again. But it sure was worth it. And the C-128/1571 combo I got after that was even better. Those were the days of Star Trek: Next Generation and the aesthetic blended right in. It sure was easier to feel like you accomplished more back then.
You can see the Commodore PET on one of the most hated shows of all time. Star Wars Holiday special. Copies exist on TH-cam as Disney and Lucas pretend that never happened.
Wonderful as always. Still working on my Atari 8 bit "Space Invaders" game. Got the finer scrolling going, invaders being animated by loading different frames into the parts of the character set where they reside, your player can shoot pixel wide holes in the barriers (again. character set modification going on)...next thing is to detect the player shooting the invaders, and after that there'll be the missile multiplexing handling. Looks like most game mechanics going on in this game will be handled by means of a deferred vertical blank interrupt, which is awesome. The next game I will try to write will be a "Scramble" clone, but in all honesty, I probably will try to make the maze level not as much of a nightmare as the arcade version. Also bear in mind, still got quite some way to go with the current project.I just haven't looked at any of this sort of thing in years.
It looks like the mini-PET is small enough you could move it further back in the case, and print a PCB adapter just to to extend all the IO/ports to C64 positions to not require cutting a case for the IO.
7:15 when fitting ribbon cable like that. Strip back about 10mm of insulation. Twist the strands of the cores of each conductor together. Tin them. Trim them back to 5mm so they will not need much trimming if any once soldered in place. *THEN* fit them and solder them in place. It is 1000% easier than trying to poke the individual strands of wires through the holes and then tin them. Better still. Fit an IDC header and crimp connector. No soldering required and easily removed.
Why don't you make a more or less rectangular plasticard top plate with a cut out to match the keyboard layout, and fix that to the case. It will hide all of the unsightly gaps, and also give a much neater top case finish. You could do the same for the rear of the case too.
@@AndyHullMcPenguin Great tips there! We did this within a week so it was very fast done with quick decisions. Hit me up on some of your ideas and maybe I can revisit this on my channel.
Brand new Commodore style case, brand new Commodore style guts, all assembled and soldered by hand. A perfect combination of homebrew and mass market aesthetics. From one Mad Tinkerer to another, I salute you, sir.
to fill in the areas between the space bar and the numpad, you can superglue pieces of plastic in there. it actually wouldn't be that difficult, and it wouldn't show too much because it's black. you would just need to find some device that's about the right kind of texture at a thrift store and cut it apart.
For what you had I think it came out very good and Chris did a really nice Job , you can really see how much experience he has. Thank You for another fun and interesting video.
Ah, the old Dremel tool commercial where they showed the dozens (hundreds?) of things it could do... until they showed a partially hammered-in nail, implying it couldn't hammer a nail. A fraction of a second later, the voice-over says "Did I mention we cut?" as it proceeds to cut the nail off.
I come from the North East of England about 10 minutes away from Tynemouth and so I’m really proud to have the likes of Tynemouth Software being world famous for things like the Mini PET!
So many memories. Back in 1979 when I was a teen, I couldn't afford even the cheapest computer and would have taken ANY computer handed to me and enjoyed it. Never really used a PET, but i think I messed with most models as I used to skip school and learn to program them from a combination of the public library and store displays. :)
Very cool project, thank you for sharing! I remember our schools having PET's, around that time I got my first computer a TI-99/4A. Those were the good 'ole days! Happy New Year, love your channel!
Tynemouth, where my grandmother ran a hotel when I was a little boy, is pronounced in a perfectly straightforward way, so it is Tyne (the river and pronounced like the tine of a fork) and mouth, pronounced mouth. I know lots of English place names have spellings that bear almost no resemblance to their pronunciation but Tynemouth is not one of them.
The generic formula: R=(Vsupply - Vf_led) / I_led Vf_led depends on color if the LED is of the older styles, while newer might all be around 3V and generate blue internally and then use phosphors for the final visible color - if uncertain test/check what you've got or start with higher resistance/lower current for initial testing/verification. I_led can typically be set to 20mA for 3/5mm LEDs, but they're usually almost as bright, and will live longer, at 10-ish... But also beware to not overtax the supply if from say a chip. Then check the power dissipated in the resistor, P=R x If_led^2 and pick an appropriately sized resistor.
@@michaeltempsch5282 5v supply. 2fv. 10ma draw.= 300ohms. i know the formula. 300 to 1k. 1k if you want the LED to not be so bright. (i have electronics degree since 1996). some indicator LEDs are ran right off line voltage 120VAC that use 1/4watt resistors. 10ma * 5v = way less than quarter watt.
@@michaeltempsch5282 oh i thought you were saying i was wrong or something LoL. i was like wait a minute i figured that up before i posted it. i did the math real fast again and was like i was right! LOL. but yes. your formulas were right on! happy new year!!
It won't. There are the cursor keys and the help and delete keys between Keyboard and Numpad... Maybe ac C128 Case might fit better, if I remember it correctly.
@@markusjuenemann Yes - the c128 would probably make a better case. It does have an extra row of keys at the top, but since they are separate from the main key groupings, they could be filled in.
(2:18) That's how we do it in the retail industry-pull the tape with the plane of the box, lifting the tape up as little as possible in the process. Depending on how well it's adhered, most of the time this works well.
I just did a search. The company is back in business under the name “Commodore Business Machines LTD.” They came back in 2015 and dived into smartphone manufacturing. The first smartphone they created was the “Commodore PET” for the 2015/2016 season and the “Commodore LEO” for the 2016/2017 season. Nothing much has been done since then. The new company is based in London, England UK.
The real Commodore was Jack Tramiel. After he left if the Amiga hadn't gone to Commodore I feel they would have died off much sooner, maybe just become a seller of PC clones.
David manages to make such small things like modifying a case enjoyable and whole project with its clear goal, results and nice inspiring additions like game development and plans (I'm an indie gamedev myself). Very nice video to end 2020!
tynemouth software you got right first time, tynemouth is a really nice place in north east UK not far from me, nice to here a local company get a mention on your channel
Hi guy! Your channel channel is awesome, this project is beautiful and awesome, and the intro music is a symphony for my ears, thank to you and your time!
As I remember those years, CP/M PCs and IBM clones dominated, not the PET. But many cases looked like the PET and Apple II machines with stacked CRTs. Then there were the many machines with mini-cabinets, such as New Brain and Spectrum.
Your onto something here my good man!! Should one have enough enthusiasm to do it, this would make an awesome pre-made product for the amazon-ebay market!
Nice. Love to build that too. Your suggestions to make it fit in a c64 case are great. Love to see this happen too. Love the content. One 8 bit guy to another.
To make the case look better take the 'BBC Micro approach'. Cut a hole that is rectangular that can fit the whole keyboard into it. Then use some poster card (Black?) and cut holes out in it to the exact shape to harness the keyboard into the rectangular hole and attach it to the underside of the top part of the C64 case making sure its overall perimeter is slightly larger than the rectangular hole cut out of the top part of the case so you can stick the edges to the underside of it. ADDTIONAL: You can also line the Poster Card with black self adhesive laminate (similar looking to what the BBC micro has - available at arts & crafts stores). It will look much more professional and no unwanted spaces or holes!! :)
always fun to watch these, you are very good at description and easy to understand. the videos make me feel like we are in the same room and youre a nerdy cousin assembling things ina hobby sense. very fun chill time
That's awesome, definitely makes it nicer to use. For mine I think I still want to design and print something more PET-looking (but more compact). Hmmmm 🤔 The best thing about the Mini PET versus a real one - they should be more robust over time whereas the real ones, even if they survive shipping to Canada, will eventually need a lot more maintenance :)
I agree completely. My goal for a drop-in replacement solution would be something that could go in a breadbin case as well as C64C styled case. I think a custom breadbin would look pretty amazing with the Mini PET. Obviously anything you do would have to be 100% reversible with no case mods at all.
We used Commodore PETs in my computer class back in High School (around 1986 or 1987). Lots of nostalgia here! I’m looking forward to trying your new game.
You can still support him by liking, following, telling your social media or volunteering to help. Many ways you can help without paying a single cent. :)
Very nice! FWIW: Taking a leaf out of Acorn's book one way to neaten up the keyboard would be to get some textured sticky-backed vinyl cut to fit around the keys.
This video is bringing back many memories for me back in the late 70s. My friend sold Commodore PET computers in Eastern Canada. On the original PET, the front plastic nameplate would snap out. I was just finishing high school and my friend gave me a contract to build an audio option for the PET to produce sounds from a bit port. I sourced Radio Shack audio amplifiers which had a volume control and 2 audio jacks. I routed out a slot for the ON/OFF volume control and two audio jacks. The nuts on the audio jacks held the small board to the back of the name plate and I made a cabling harness to go over to a inline pin array to pickup power and the bit port. I was doing many of these per month - can't remember what I made, maybe $10 or $20 a unit. More fun and better money than a paper route or working at McD's. My friend did amazingly well selling these computers as he sold a couple into the school boards and the government and then next year others in the government and the schools said me too and his sales soared. He won some trip with Commodore for top sales and got to fly on the Concorde. Those were the days.
I’m wondering what will people think when this randomly turns up in a yard sale or flea market in 70 years. Because it’s basically a whole custom computer with little to no documentation other than your videos.
Some youtuber named The 32 Bit Guy will open it up and analyze it in his retroretrocomputing channel
@@paco3523 More like the 64 bit guy :-) "remember 2020, they had arm64 and amd64, it was so confusing, only one letter difference between two radically distinct arches, fortunately ARM renamed to Nivarm in 2025, making things much less confusing!"
Although it is basically a Mini PET inside, a thing you can buy and is a bit more documentated. Still pretty funny to think about it
well it is technically a standard PET, just in a custom case. plus the PCB says "Mini-PET" on it so if someone where to regonize the case as a Commodore based one and saw the BASIC screen, they could likely come to the conclusion that it's a Commodore PET
When building oddities like this it's always good to make a small label or index card with information on its construction and origins and place it inside the case.
This is a great example of engineering, ingenuity, and teamwork. I like how you decided to modify an existing (new) case rather than attempt to make an entirely custom deal, since the work involved is accessible to many people. Even those without a 3D printer could likely have a 3D print service make parts for them, and most people can afford/work with a dremel. Excellent work, guys!
I REALLY like the bold contrast between the white keys and the black case - REALLY makes it POP!!!
GREAT JOB!!!!!
You got the pronunciation of "Tynemouth" correct the first time. As I said when we originally discussed this, I would be happy to respin the Mini PET board to fit into a C64 case, but there doesn't seem to be much point in doing that until there is a suitable keyboard solution available that would not require the case to be modified. Also we now have the clear perspex case and chiclet style keyboards available from TFW8b, which does a similar job.
Hey! Ts! You guys are great. I love all the things you do for retro computing. Cheers!
Ever consider using one of the joystick ports as a socket for an external Numberpad key matrix. 9 pins could get you a 4x5 matrix, which covers the whole number pad. Any keys that don't fit in the standard C64 main layout area, could possibly be remapped to the function key area. While not as ideal to the PET layout, it _could_ work as far as just using an unmodded C64 case.
I'm working on the keyboard concept with Jim Brain. Maybe we can make this happen.
The main QWERTY area of the PET Business Keyboard has the same layout as the C64, AFAICT, and when using it you can get numbers on the top row and don't need the keypad: retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/12466/what-were-commodores-keyboard-layouts-before-the-vic-20 As @richfiles π says, an external keypad could be connected. This wouldn't use the function key area but that could be used on the Mini PET for things like reset and NMI debugger keys, blinkenlights, etc.
@@hjalfi At first glance they are similar, but when you look there are rather a lot of keys which are different. Some are missing, some in different places and importantly most of the punctuation is in different combinations of shifted / unshifted states. I've been through it all sorts of ways and it's too different. If you want to use a C64 case, we need a new keyboard with the right keys, and ideally based on the graphics not business layout for better support for some older software which does not use the kernal keyboard routines. (or maybe just build a different case or use the perspex one we sell that was designed for the Mini PET and the chiclet keyboard)
This soundtrack made me thinking in a crossover between The 8 Bit Guy and Beverly Hills Cop.
Midnight Run Vibes as well
But you mean an action movie with The 8 Bit Guy or a retrocomputing TH-cam video with Axel Foley?
@@paco3523 Yes
@@paco3523 I would pay good money to see a movie with Eddie Murphy and David as his sidekick.
I suppose you are all referring to this track of the three:
bedroomcassettemasters.bandcamp.com/track/sim-1
The other two:
th-cam.com/video/ZoMMUCCF_28/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/HIE8bT_IWWs/w-d-xo.html
Happy New Year!
The end result looks great. Definitely think the black case with the white keycaps was the best choice.
Agreed, it's like a computer tuxedo.
Yes it does ☺
Agree!
LOL. At first I misread the title of this video. I read "Building *the* case for the Mini Pet," which I took to mean that David was going to make an argument as to why the Mini Pet is a great computer and why we should all go out and buy one. Then he proceeded to build an actual *case* into which to mount the thing. Hahaha!
same!
Same here. My first thought was "There are people arguing against the Mini Pet? Why?"
Ditto here :D
Me too! 😆
Fun mental typo :-)
Using an old case would've likely cracked the plastic of it as well.
Makes sense
That keyboard holder is god damn slick. Kudos to the designer for making those available!!
Aww shucks, thanks!
Genuinely surprised how small that Mini PET is; it didn't show up well on previous videos but compared to a 64C case it's tiny!
You could fit a pet's processing power on a fingernail nowadays.
@@bitterlemonboyprobably a bit more; im sure theres an ARM processor capable of emulating the PET by itself thats slightly larger than a fingernail
You are a light in a dark world. I wish i could go back to the late 70's early 80's, such a simpler time. So thank you!
I'm now realizing that in 6 months, my VIC-20 will turn 40 years old.
Glad you mentioned the service menu for your TV. I have now fixed my off-centre TV too!
To be clear, those are new "Commodore 64C" cases ("sixty-four cee"), the "c"ompact (or "c"heaper ) later, flatter version of the C64 from the late 80's. Although the story accounts vary, the plastic injection molds (along with plus/4 molds) were fortuitous saved from the scrap melters by an astute enthusiast.
Yeah, I wish they saved the breadbins too though. :(
Eventually you’ll have to make new molds as the old ones get used up to the point they are no longer serviceable.
@@jackandersen1262 If they are still good at the moment, they will probably be good forever. They will never be used for making hundreds of thousands of cases again. I don't know what's the minimum number of cases which is worth making in one run, I guesstimate 5000. If they make 5000 cases every 2-3 years, or even just every 5 years, I would assume that would be plenty. And with rates like this, the molds wouldn't wear out in the next 30-50 years, I guess, if stored properly.
what a cool unique PET. great work by Chris. I'll bet you could simply print the whole case such that it requires no modification to fit all that in.
I wish I could print a case that big, would've saved a lot of pain and suffering. ;)
I can actually smell the burning plastic as he used the Dremel tool.
I'm so sorry to hear about your brother John being killed.
@@KnuckleHunkybuck you mean kylie jenner she mad of plastic
Nice project and always good to see no original hardware was butchered during the experiments, although I have to admit I did butcher quite a few c64 back in the day when they were considered outdated trash.
That turned out a lot better than I thought it would; the white & black contrast really makes the keyboard pop.
🇨🇦🐧
As for a PET case, I'd like something more like my chiclet 2001, but lighter and smaller; perhaps with a display that folds up and down.
I am working on some ideas. :)
Normally I'm not a big fan of using 3d printing to solve simple problems, but this guy Chris clearly is a mad perfectionist, amazing work.
Aww, thanks! :)
I just realized something while watching this. Whoever is doing your editing is really, really good. The cuts and audio are timed to absolute perfection.
David does all of his video work himself. We just send him video if we do segments like my 3D printing videos.
That was a cool restoration, I loved it. 🙂
For the next time maybe I'd suggest you score the plastic with a ruler and an exacto knife. Then cutting away unwanted pieces would be a matter of bending the unwanted pieces with a pair of pliers. The plastic would just snap off cleanly saving you a lot of time and grief.
"probably a pipe dream" "probably never gonna happen". You underestimate your pull in this community.
I know, I'm already on the ball on this! ;)
It looks very cool, and for an 80s type computer it's also ahead of its time with the black plastic look, plus it matches the black Samsung TV you're using as a monitor. That part of the case you scuffed up could be used for another badge or embellishment of some sort. Also, maybe make a label or index card explaining what the thing is, who made it, reference links, etc. and put it inside the case in case someone in the future finds it in an antique shop or something. Something to think about.
I think case stickers all over! :) I have plenty he can have.
Nice work 8-Bit Guv'nor and Chris! Very satisfying. Puppyfractic also approves of the new "pet" home. 🐶 P.S. The last way you pronounced Tynemouth was correct - "tine-mth" 👍🕹️
Thanks sir, I appreciate your input! Hopefully the daughter board comes to fruition and we can have a drop-in solution.
Tine-m'th is pretty rare, most locals I've met pronounce it how it's written: Tine-mouth. In fact I think even the older, broader Geordies would say "Tyne-mooth" if anything, though that would be overkill for anyone outside the area. I'd say David got it right first attempt.
Oh, I kept thinking of seaside town Teignmouth in Devon. That's pronounced tin-mth like David's third try. I don't know why I wasn't thinking of the Geordie town.
Very nice. The black looks great against the white keys and cool name too.
I found that a sanding drum on the Dremel removes material without melting like the cutting tool. I'd cut with the wheel and then move to a sanding drum to bring it into tolerance. That way, you can use the file just for squaring the corners since the drum is round.
Man I forgot about the second generation 64C case! I only ever had a first generation I bought in 1982 at the local K-Mart for the princely sum of $188.00. Bear in mind that I was only 12 years old and I did a LOT of after school and summer hustling to get the cash. Two bills back then came slower than they do now, lol, but I got $60.00 selling the Timex/Sinclair 1000 I learned BASIC on to a schoolmate to help defray the cost.
My old eyes actually thought I was looking at a +4 case when your video popped up in my feed. (My girlfriend way back when had one of those.) 😉
When I think about how hard I worked to buy not only the C-64 but a new 13” color TV “monitor”, and later a 1541 drive (4 pencils sacrificed to prop it up to cooler heights!), I get tired all over again. But it sure was worth it. And the C-128/1571 combo I got after that was even better. Those were the days of Star Trek: Next Generation and the aesthetic blended right in. It sure was easier to feel like you accomplished more back then.
"The Theory of Everything" is another movie where you would see a Commodore PET.
The Americans. Every office scene is either a Pet or an XT.
You can see the Commodore PET on one of the most hated shows of all time. Star Wars Holiday special. Copies exist on TH-cam as Disney and Lucas pretend that never happened.
Wonderful as always. Still working on my Atari 8 bit "Space Invaders" game. Got the finer scrolling going, invaders being animated by loading different frames into the parts of the character set where they reside, your player can shoot pixel wide holes in the barriers (again. character set modification going on)...next thing is to detect the player shooting the invaders, and after that there'll be the missile multiplexing handling. Looks like most game mechanics going on in this game will be handled by means of a deferred vertical blank interrupt, which is awesome. The next game I will try to write will be a "Scramble" clone, but in all honesty, I probably will try to make the maze level not as much of a nightmare as the arcade version. Also bear in mind, still got quite some way to go with the current project.I just haven't looked at any of this sort of thing in years.
It looks like the mini-PET is small enough you could move it further back in the case, and print a PCB adapter just to to extend all the IO/ports to C64 positions to not require cutting a case for the IO.
That was the original idea but there wasn't enough time to do it.
7:15 when fitting ribbon cable like that. Strip back about 10mm of insulation. Twist the strands of the cores of each conductor together. Tin them.
Trim them back to 5mm so they will not need much trimming if any once soldered in place. *THEN* fit them and solder them in place. It is 1000% easier than trying to poke the individual strands of wires through the holes and then tin them. Better still. Fit an IDC header and crimp connector. No soldering required and easily removed.
Why don't you make a more or less rectangular plasticard top plate with a cut out to match the keyboard layout, and fix that to the case. It will hide all of the unsightly gaps, and also give a much neater top case finish. You could do the same for the rear of the case too.
@@AndyHullMcPenguin Great tips there! We did this within a week so it was very fast done with quick decisions. Hit me up on some of your ideas and maybe I can revisit this on my channel.
Brand new Commodore style case, brand new Commodore style guts, all assembled and soldered by hand. A perfect combination of homebrew and mass market aesthetics.
From one Mad Tinkerer to another, I salute you, sir.
to fill in the areas between the space bar and the numpad, you can superglue pieces of plastic in there. it actually wouldn't be that difficult, and it wouldn't show too much because it's black. you would just need to find some device that's about the right kind of texture at a thrift store and cut it apart.
Filling in the space between the main and numeric key areas: I thought the "biggest piece" you cut out would be saved for just that purpose.
I like Chris's call out to Mass Effect 2 on his ipad. One of my favorites of all time.
Thanks! Was watching a fundraiser and they were playing ME2. :)
5:22 apparently Chris was watching Ozzy Osborne play Cyberpunk 2077 on his iPad while he was making your 3D print lmao
I was actually watching Mass Effect 2 on a charity stream for 1UpOnCancer. ;)
For what you had I think it came out very good and Chris did a really nice Job , you can really see how much experience he has. Thank You for another fun and interesting video.
Aww, thanks for the kind words!
Thing: doesn't fit
8bitguy: pass my dremel
Thing: fits
Ah, the old Dremel tool commercial where they showed the dozens (hundreds?) of things it could do... until they showed a partially hammered-in nail, implying it couldn't hammer a nail. A fraction of a second later, the voice-over says "Did I mention we cut?" as it proceeds to cut the nail off.
I come from the North East of England about 10 minutes away from Tynemouth and so I’m really proud to have the likes of Tynemouth Software being world famous for things like the Mini PET!
In addition to being more portable and all that, I imagine the newer version is going to be more reliable in the long run than a real PET..
So many memories. Back in 1979 when I was a teen, I couldn't afford even the cheapest computer and would have taken ANY computer handed to me and enjoyed it. Never really used a PET, but i think I messed with most models as I used to skip school and learn to program them from a combination of the public library and store displays. :)
Good video as always, don't have a whole lot to say but it looks like the process went smoothly and it was fun to see it come together!
Very cool project, thank you for sharing! I remember our schools having PET's, around that time I got my first computer a TI-99/4A. Those were the good 'ole days! Happy New Year, love your channel!
Tynemouth, where my grandmother ran a hotel when I was a little boy, is pronounced in a perfectly straightforward way, so it is Tyne (the river and pronounced like the tine of a fork) and mouth, pronounced mouth. I know lots of English place names have spellings that bear almost no resemblance to their pronunciation but Tynemouth is not one of them.
Who cares how much it costs, this is awesome and it looks badass!
You'd think he could afford it with $6k a month via Patreon.
@@Okurka. He deserves every penny.
@@ddrfraser1 Not sure why he tries to hide it.
This is so cool. Makes me want to go back to when I first started on computers in 1986
You restored a vintage original case on a clone motherboard!! Awesome!!
for 5v on the power LED 330 ohms to 1k ohms resistor should be fine. that is an awesome machine. i love it! :)
The generic formula:
R=(Vsupply - Vf_led) / I_led
Vf_led depends on color if the LED is of the older styles, while newer might all be around 3V and generate blue internally and then use phosphors for the final visible color - if uncertain test/check what you've got or start with higher resistance/lower current for initial testing/verification.
I_led can typically be set to 20mA for 3/5mm LEDs, but they're usually almost as bright, and will live longer, at 10-ish... But also beware to not overtax the supply if from say a chip.
Then check the power dissipated in the resistor, P=R x If_led^2 and pick an appropriately sized resistor.
@@michaeltempsch5282 5v supply. 2fv. 10ma draw.= 300ohms. i know the formula. 300 to 1k. 1k if you want the LED to not be so bright. (i have electronics degree since 1996). some indicator LEDs are ran right off line voltage 120VAC that use 1/4watt resistors. 10ma * 5v = way less than quarter watt.
@@mikehensley78 Comment wasn't really for you, but for anyone else that was in the same, general, but not exactly same, situation.
@@michaeltempsch5282 oh i thought you were saying i was wrong or something LoL. i was like wait a minute i figured that up before i posted it. i did the math real fast again and was like i was right! LOL. but yes. your formulas were right on! happy new year!!
@@michaeltempsch5282 also, it is good to see another electronics nerd! :)
Bro your videos are always amazing. The amount of work you put into these projects is amazing and they turn out looking so good.
This is a great project.
An alternative starting point case could be an amiga case - it would have space for the custom keyboard pcb's numpad
It won't. There are the cursor keys and the help and delete keys between Keyboard and Numpad... Maybe ac C128 Case might fit better, if I remember it correctly.
@@markusjuenemann Yes - the c128 would probably make a better case. It does have an extra row of keys at the top, but since they are separate from the main key groupings, they could be filled in.
But other than C64-cases, Amiga- and C128-cases are not in prodoction any more, so original old cases would have to be destroyed - not cool.
@@NuntiusLegis I thought that new Amiga cases had been made available
@@radishdalek In that case I give my blessings. :-)
As always thank YOU for the great job. You are a truly inspiration.
Tynemouth is pronounced to sound like Fine-mouth. It’s at the mouth of the River Tyne in north east England. You did well. 😃
Yes, he got it right on the first try. I don't live far from Newcastle so it was fun hearing his other attempts.
Only thing better than getting one 8bitguy video notification is getting *two* of them in the same week!
I am a simple man, the 8-Bit Guy uploads, I watch.
(2:18) That's how we do it in the retail industry-pull the tape with the plane of the box, lifting the tape up as little as possible in the process. Depending on how well it's adhered, most of the time this works well.
Commodore themselves would be impressed if they were still around.
If Commadore were around they'd still be making C64s/Pets. It'd be a single SOC and cost $5. They were always obsessed with driving down costs.
They're still around, among us
I just did a search. The company is back in business under the name “Commodore Business Machines LTD.” They came back in 2015 and dived into smartphone manufacturing. The first smartphone they created was the “Commodore PET” for the 2015/2016 season and the “Commodore LEO” for the 2016/2017 season. Nothing much has been done since then. The new company is based in London, England UK.
The real Commodore was Jack Tramiel. After he left if the Amiga hadn't gone to Commodore I feel they would have died off much sooner, maybe just become a seller of PC clones.
I would want the gaps filled personally. Looks better in the end than just the board.
Yeah, sadly we just ran out of time on this one. :)
Back looks unpleasant and given the tools you had available, could have been neater. That said, looks great man.
David manages to make such small things like modifying a case enjoyable and whole project with its clear goal, results and nice inspiring additions like game development and plans (I'm an indie gamedev myself). Very nice video to end 2020!
Will be seeing WW1984 today actually so I will keep my eye out for the PETs!
tynemouth software you got right first time, tynemouth is a really nice place in north east UK not far from me, nice to here a local company get a mention on your channel
Did I heard "making another game"? Well reasons to finally buy my Mini-Pet are coming.
There may be competition in the miniaturized PET community coming soon. :) Stay tuned!
Happy new year's 8bit guy
You know what I love about your channel? The complete and total absence of politlcs
Hi guy! Your channel channel is awesome, this project is beautiful and awesome, and the intro music is a symphony for my ears, thank to you and your time!
Never before have I seen "46 seconds ago"! Great job, TH-cam.
I’m glad smart people like y’all exist. We can’t all be construction workers nor can we all be good with computers
When I saw WW1984, was I very happy to see so many PETs in the office. Everything I know about old computers, I learned from David.
Lol, David taught me everything I know too
As I remember those years, CP/M PCs and IBM clones dominated, not the PET. But many cases looked like the PET and Apple II machines with stacked CRTs. Then there were the many machines with mini-cabinets, such as New Brain and Spectrum.
Another great show! Love the keyboard case and the background music. Happy New year from London, UK
I need me some construction blog part 3
With the Texas freeze that video is a bit on hold. It'll come out soon though! :)
Fantastic. I really think it could be worth getting these made as a complete product. Full computer.
I am working with a group of people to do this this. Stay tuned!
you preserving the old gaming technology
Deserves respect
But it's all brand new.
@@Okurka. but the technology is old
That bare board looks pretty cool.
"How many videos about 8-bit stuff will you make?"
David Murray: Yes
It’s in his name
he lS called the *8-bit* guy for a reason, you know?
Your onto something here my good man!! Should one have enough enthusiasm to do it, this would make an awesome pre-made product for the amazon-ebay market!
9:51 Intergalactic planetary planetary intergalactic
Looks clean, especially considering what you were working with! Well done.
Thanks!
@@ChrisKewl Where did you learn all the 3D cad, or whatever it's called, to create the 3D printed objects? What's your favorite software to use?
@@alexrowland Tinkercad.com is a free online utility that allows you to experiment. I just got very comfortable in there.
Tynemouth is actually pronounced “why aye man” 🤣
Nice. Love to build that too. Your suggestions to make it fit in a c64 case are great. Love to see this happen too. Love the content. One 8 bit guy to another.
Dave: "filling those gaps would be too much trouble"
Parifractic: "Hold my beer.."
To make the case look better take the 'BBC Micro approach'. Cut a hole that is rectangular that can fit the whole keyboard into it. Then use some poster card (Black?) and cut holes out in it to the exact shape to harness the keyboard into the rectangular hole and attach it to the underside of the top part of the C64 case making sure its overall perimeter is slightly larger than the rectangular hole cut out of the top part of the case so you can stick the edges to the underside of it.
ADDTIONAL: You can also line the Poster Card with black self adhesive laminate (similar looking to what the BBC micro has - available at arts & crafts stores). It will look much more professional and no unwanted spaces or holes!! :)
Yeah, I did see Perifractic build out additional case structure before. He made it look easy somehow. I was really impressed!
@@ojbeez5260 Bv cat una este greu si noi rapoarte cf greu fimeri multi hoti si multi hoti si dai sms ok da greu este
Ok ok
Cf ok ok
always fun to watch these, you are very good at description and easy to understand. the videos make me feel like we are in the same room and youre a nerdy cousin assembling things ina hobby sense. very fun chill time
Kid: "Hey, mom? Can we get a Commodore 64?"
Mom: "We already have a Commodore 64 at home"
The Commodore 64 at home:
I painfully watched WW1984 and my only resolve was seeing retro tech in it. I instantly thought of your channel!
Techmoan: I don’t know about you, but I don’t really use dental floss...
For those who don’t know, Techmoan wouldn’t leave the 8-bit guy alone
th-cam.com/video/cIXOH1tJJu4/w-d-xo.html
Happy new year to you, David, your family and all the viewers!
It's pronounced "Tine-mouth." I was actually born near there lol.
I was going out of my mind when I noticed you put the K and L keys on wrong. Thank God you fixed it at 10:43
That's awesome, definitely makes it nicer to use. For mine I think I still want to design and print something more PET-looking (but more compact). Hmmmm 🤔
The best thing about the Mini PET versus a real one - they should be more robust over time whereas the real ones, even if they survive shipping to Canada, will eventually need a lot more maintenance :)
I agree completely. My goal for a drop-in replacement solution would be something that could go in a breadbin case as well as C64C styled case. I think a custom breadbin would look pretty amazing with the Mini PET. Obviously anything you do would have to be 100% reversible with no case mods at all.
Pretty elegant considering what the kit starts you with. I'd be happy with that result.
Thanks, this was fun to work on!
To all Mega Man Battle Network fans:
Don't be disappointed, here's a new type of PET you can learn about!
Good job. I have a few PET's out in my garage somewhere!!! But, no, I'll just let them be. LOL! Nice project. Well done!!
3:40 the cassette port kind of looks like a set of Mickey mouse ears
We used Commodore PETs in my computer class back in High School (around 1986 or 1987). Lots of nostalgia here! I’m looking forward to trying your new game.
Um, when are we getting more awesomeairguns?! >:(
TH-cam would ban him lol.
Too many projects, not enough time. That channel didn't have as much traction so it was left sitting. Even 8-Bit Keys has more traction.
Because that Channel is no longer use anymore
Also because Everyone especially on the Twitter hate The 8-bitguy because that Channel
Loks nice, and fine 3D print work 🙂
I wish I could get Patreon for the 8-Bit Guy but I don't have the money sadly.
You can still support him by liking, following, telling your social media or volunteering to help. Many ways you can help without paying a single cent. :)
@@ChrisKewl I know and I do. But it's not the same. I really do wish I could. Thank you for the heads up anyway. :)
Very nice!
FWIW: Taking a leaf out of Acorn's book one way to neaten up the keyboard would be to get some textured sticky-backed vinyl cut to fit around the keys.
Now that's some nice custom work!!!
Thanks!
You are a man of many talents David! Wish I was as handy with soldering and cutting and filing things as you are. I always enjoy your videos!
Practice makes perfect :)