The parts kit Jan used normally ships with ALL the passive components and RAM + Logic.. Little oopsie by me to forget to put the diodes/filter/transistor pack in the box. So no need to salvage anything from an old board expect the cartridge shield, modulator if you want to use an original and of course the MOS Chips (except the 8701 since I will include a new one), and if you use th 7805 you need a heatsink too.
@@JanBetaToo bad you didn't use the LEGO Brick keyboard and case of Christian @Retro Recipes ..... Also you have the original vintage C64... you could raffle these ones among your Patreons.. signed by you... (previous warning.. international delivery paid half and half with the winners )
I watched this when you released the video and I am about to embark on making one of these myself, so I thought I would watch it again and maybe get some pointers. I wish I could like it twice, such a good video, thank you Jan.
Wonderful! I enjoyed this very much! Great tip to screw the jacks onto the board BEFORE soldering to prevent cracking the solder joints! Impressed by the use of the Vishay component. I thought the clear case was going to look horrible, but surprisingly it actually looked very nice.
Thanks! Yeah, as I said, I'm a fan of the clear cases, especially for DIY projects like this. Hope the new keycaps are going to come through eventually. :)
It’s so good that stuff is still being made for vintage gear and to a higher quality usually. That board is a work of art with the black and gold looking very classy.
Thanks Jan! I think this video highlights the conspicuous absence of a new C64 keyboard solution - which of course you mention and I'm sure will be more available soon. Can't wait for that and can't wait for more great content from you . Thanks again!
Keyboards for the C64/VIC20 aren't a problem. They are relatively hardwearing and easy to fix. Also they turn up on Ebay relatively frequently and aren't ridiculously expensive. ( in UK at least).
I just discovered this video in my recommended videos. I enjoyed every bit of this video. I have 2 broken "bread bin" C64s that belonged to my dad that I would love to do the modern parts build/upgrade to. I also have my dad's C128 that was working the last time it was used maybe 6+ years ago. I also would like to do a modern upgrade to that as well. This video was very informative and I hope to do this project in the near future.
Certainly good to see things like this being done to keep these nice older systems going, and hadn't heard of Commodore 64 boards being made again like this, which makes it better for getting them going again, as the original ones do end up failing, being as old as they are. So with them being reproduced like this, always good to see & a nice video on you building a new C64 in this day & age, certainly more interesting than some new fan-dangle gaming PC being put together. With that, it'd just be someone installing components which is easy, but this is someone actually building a computer, putting all the little electrical components & chips onto the board, doing the testing as you would & in this case connecting the keyboard & putting it all together in it's case. The C64 Maxi & The VIC20 (The latter being a limited edition of the C64 Maxi, bought one from amazon, getting sent over from the UK to australia as it isn't sold here, so will have both myself as i have the C64 maxi already) which are decent recreations of said machines (Commodore 64 & VIC20), good that they are made so many of us can get access to a more real type of them, not being the real deal & don't have the ones from back when myself, but are still nice ones though. But these reproduction cases, components & the whole main boards which has been made for some time now am guessing, is even better that the whole thing is being made again in a way. Sure, you'd be using older components but still most of them are new. So yes, glad to see these good-old ones being remade as they are, keeping them going longer. And i wouldn't be able to put one together like this i'll admit, still a good bit of viewing though from you & pretty much most who do what they do with vintage computing. Also like some others have said here, similar machines from the time period need to get these whole boards & other bits for them made again too, keeping more going & hopefully getting more people into the fun that is this kind of vintage computing.
One technique I use when cleaning up flux residue is to use a lint free rag. I spray the board with isopropyl, put the rag down on the board, wet the rag with a bit more isopropyl, then use the brush to massage the rag against the solder joints. You’d be surprised how well it works. Keep changing to different spots on the rag, also.
This is my first video of yours I’m watching of yours Jan and as of 9:32 in will explore your content for ANY soldering repair needs! You just mention and refer to relevant things I have seen no where else for this numpty! 😊
@@JanBeta I sent you an e-mail with an adapted version of Super Zaxxon that works with the 1541 Ultimate I/II/II+ carts. However, it is still better to use a real Super Zaxxon or one of the replicas which use a 74LS74. Using a cart emulation does not properly replicate the sensitivity to glitches.
Ah, thanks! Currently plowing through a massive backlog of emails, didn’t see yours yet, sorry. Yeah, definitely need to get my hands on one of the real cartridges at some point.
I figured I'd watch for a few minutes and skip around... An hour later I realized I watched the whole thing from start to end. It was riveting to watch! Thank you!
Oh wow Jan! I've been trying to find that song you had on the SID player "To be on Top by Chris Huelsbeck" for YEARS! I had a demo on the C64 that used it and while I've long since lost that demo, that song for some reason stuck in my head and I've tried to find it for decades. And then I'm watching your video and I hear it and I couldn't believe it :) Amazing :)
Ha, what an amazing coincidence! The track remains one of my favorite SIDs ever. I remember being absolutely blown away by it when I first heard it back in the day. I'm a massive Chris Hülsbeck fan still. :)
@@JanBeta Right? I can remember visiting some friends of my Dad and they were big Radio Shack Colour Computer users and they were playing some music and being amazed at how a computer could make such great music (it wasn't actually very great). I was just thinking the equivalent of "If I had my C64 with me and that demo I'd say 'Here, hold my beer'" :)
I've been contemplating getting one of these diy C64 kits for a while, as I have not been able to stumble across a decently priced original. I believe after watching this that I've made up my mind to take the plunge. I love soldering and electronics repair in general; I love it so much that when I decided to get an oscilloscope, I bought a diy kit just because I wanted a fun project to do that my kids could watch, so they could better understand how modern electronics work XD I have friends that tell me I'm crazy to love such a meticulous project, but there's just something so incredibly satisfying about building working electronics out of a smattering of capacitors, resistors, diodes, and microchips. The best part is getting a successful first boot when you finish without having to troubleshoot, it's simply exhilarating! It can be a headache if you do need to troubleshoot, but it's still worth it in my opinion.
That turned out fantastic. It's always a pleasure to see a c64 rescued, but to see a new one (for the most part) being born is amazing. When 6510/VIC replacements are available, that will be the icing on the cake.
makes you appreciate how much went into these old computers compared to how much was charged for them (adjusted for inflation). Remarkable pieces of kit, i remember them fondly
when you solder a lot of pins for a device or socket, I like to do the corners first, then do one in the middle, then skip around from there. if you solder them all in a row, it can build up more heat in the part, which we want to avoid. it also affects the small stresses on the part. these things usually don't become a problem, but eh.. best practices.
I've built three of those SixtyClones, one 250466 with real 6581 SID, a 250407 with a MixSID modification running two 6581's at the moment. I've ordered a 8580R5 to fit on this. So one 6581 and one 8580 in stereo. Last one is a shortboard 250469 with an ARMSID on it. I also used that c0pperdragon modulator replacement board on all three of them. Great video output.
This was a lot of fun! I hope that we see a board where all the parts can be replaced with modern parts - not because I want to lose the original systems, but because I know there will come a time when we simply won't be able to find or afford them. I want to be able to pass along knowledge that my CS students don't know because modern computers are so different in many ways. Assigning them projects on old computers is a way for them to understand how parts relate and how to program them.
Hi Jan! Thanks for this amazing video! I have to say that you gave me the final push to start building my own C64 machine. I already received the same 466 board itself and some components as well. Now I'm very happy and excited. Thanks again, Jan! 😁😉🤞
That is an amazing project. I have coded a lot of SID music so you made my day! After some time, my brother took over the music stuff on C64 and is in this oldschool C64 world well known I believe with his 20th Century Composers music (EvS@20CC). Unfortunatelyhe is not with us anymore, he would have loved it as well.
I just found this channel, and didn’t know if I could make it through an hour long build video but this was so well paced and interesting throughout the whole vid! Great video and great job! :)
Thank you very much! I considered dividing this into several parts initially but decided against it in the end and just spend a lot of time editing it to get it right. Glad you liked it! :)
That was a really nice build! I also got myself an ARMSid replacement for my C64 because my original 6581 R4AR started to make some strange noises and is probably about to die sadly. I really like it a lot and with some tweaking with the provided software it sounds really good! The only strange thing about it that I can hear is some of the noise waves sound a little bit off, like they are at too low frequency. For example when playing Sam's Journey you hear a whoosh sound when you pick up a power up, and it sounds quite different on the ARMSid than it does on an original SID. It's kinda like the noise channel is one or two pitches too low. Hopefully a firmware update can fix that. Other than that I am really happy with the ARMSid and at that price it is a no brainer if you need a good replacement. Really nice that you can change the emulation between 6581 and 8580 modes and get the best of both worlds on the same board (I still highly prefer 6581 like you Jan) :)
I'm in two minds about producing these new boards. It makes more sense for computers with onboard batteries that leaked, you can then move the components across (if they haven't fallen to bits from corrosion) to the new board. But for the C64 it just spreads the already finite supply of chips across a greater number of boards.
I still have my c64 + 1541(old bread box shape) from my childhood. It was running last time in 1987, then amiga took over :-). One day I'll dig it out and see if it's still working. I was a little afraid of it because it might have died in the meantime. But with all the people who do something like this, I am now sure that it can be revived in case of doubt.
That's wonderful. And very impressive that it worked, as built. You should be very proud! Credit must also go to the people who designed and built those alternate replacement parts. Everything seems to work great.
19:41 how I remember that the longer lead is positive is that the minus sign "-" is only made up of one bar whereas the positive sign "+" is made up of a cross of two bars "- -", and putting two bars behind one another gives you a longer line than just one bar of the minus sign "-"
This is a fascinating video. Thanks for putting this together Jan. The Commodore 64 was my first computer and seeing anything like this takes me back. What an effort and the new case looks great.
When he say's : " ..because i love soldering.." i can really relate, there is just something so satisfying when leads or pins get (what i call marriage) together when you cover them with a cone-ring of solder :) . My father who is an electrician was the first i was observing when he was soldering my C64's Joystick switches and installed a reset switch on my C64. However it was my mother who taught me how to solder properly, as only than i found out that my dad was really sloppy at it , she than proceed to buy me a WTCP-S Weller solder iron which i still own and use till this day. I would love to do this kind of project and i believe i would require more day's maybe even weeks of time, but i would enjoy every second of it :) . However seems like a bit of an expensive project for me as i don't even have any broken C64's to take any needed spare parts :D . Jan Beta, very satisfying video , so nice to watch and listen to you, keep up the good work. Want to see more videos from you in the future !
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video. And soldering definitely has a soothing effect on me, especially when the things I put together work in the end... ;)
This is so cool. I've been aware of the replica C64 PCBs for a while now. I've still got my original 1983 Made in W.Germany C64 that still works (after fixing some electrolyte leakage damage). I don't know how many 6526 chips I blew up interfacing my C64 to the outside world. Luckily they were in sockets. I'd love to "build my own" Commodore 64, a project for 2021
It's great to see so much support for the C64, usually with older machines I always have a feeling in the back of my mind that I'm kinda taking it's life away by using it at this point, if that makes any sense.. for the C64 though you can get a replacement part for pretty much everything relatively easily at least if you don't require originals. Just try working on some old PC compatibles or other less common machines and you'll be on your own, some machines may not have any search results whatsoever and when a proprietary chip dies on one of those.. oh boy
Awesome assembly, Jan! It just occurred to me with your RF modulator replacement, that you’d have space to put a reset switch into the hole reserved for the channel switcher. It would actually be cool, if some RF replacement board would offer the option for the reset switch. You’d basically need to add a jumper lead to the reset signal from the RF replacement board.
@@JanBeta Yeah, I was thinking that either it would be a bracket that holds a tactile switch or that the RF replacement PCB would have solder points for an angled tactile switch.
For the LED, I think you can also get away with filing down a normal 5mm round LED to fit. A bit more work but if you have a supply of those may be better than buying square ones. The sides will not be as clear from the filing and the top you can leave a bit rounded or file flat but may need some polishing.
Nice to have that open space provided by the modulator replacement, perhaps an internal SD2IEC could go there and modify the case to have a slot for the SD card.
Schön zu sehen, dass auch du einen "Sixtyclone" aufgebaut hast - ich bin mit meinem vor einigen Tagen fertig geworden und habe ganz frisch ein "Tuning Board" fertig gestellt. Wie immer ein klasse Video, bin auf das nächste Projekt gespannt (bei mir wird es ein Modular 64).
@@JanBeta Absolut spannend das Dingen, mache gerade den Aufbau (m. Video) und staune echt wie klein der Rechner an sich sein wird. Könnte mir vorstellen, dass das mein 64er zum Zocken wird :D
Nice! Simply nice! This beauty of a board deserves a clear case. I like the idea to use modern replacement parts. It would be interesting to watch the waveforms of the signals with a scope and compare it to an original C64. Perhaps they are much more precise on the new board.
This is exciting... what I was initially interested in with 8 bit computers, is peripherals and automation, and then decided against it, because old machines working 24/7 would lead it to fail, break down, and maybe even burn-down my operations.... but with new build like this, it is probably worth a try now! I would get a kick of having my aquaponics run by a c64, or even better: a vic-20
I think it's fabulous that 30 years later new Commodores are being built, I have two of the A1200 boards and A1200.net cases that one day I will get all the bits I need and make two brand new A1200's. Even if that plonker Mehdi Ali killed the greatest computer company ever, we the enthusiasts will bring them back into being. I wish I was cleverer at electronics and could reverse engineer all the custom chips of the Amigas and then we could all keep on building A500, A600 and A1200 and beyond forever and keep that brilliant piece of history for future generations.
Really liking the build! The only thing (especially for headphone users) I would like to be different, is the volume between the music in this video compared to your voice. Music is a bit loud and myself, I'm often turning the volume down when the music is on, and up again when you're talking about the build. I grew up with an Amiga 500 that my father bought for the family to use, and it's just in the later years I've been lucky to get hold of a C64. Your videos (and other) "C64 fanatics" are very informative and I feel I learn more and more from you guys! :D
Oh, I’m using studio monitors to mix the sound levels and they sound fine through those, I’ll see if I can double check with headphones for future videos. Thanks for the feedback!
Nice to see my old U17 PLAnkton design. I used the star for ground connection when programming them in my little homemade rig. There's a new version on the way that I finished the board for a couple of days ago. It's a little little tiny bit improved and has all components on one side to enable factory soldering (hand soldering is why I stopped making them). There's not much to actually improve on - it's called the U17 PLAnkton EV. Would have liked to see a ROM replacement as well.
Ah, nice. The PLAnkton is a great replacement, works flawlessly as far as I can tell. Nice work! I am eventually going to replace more parts, a ROM switcher is definitely on the list. I just haven’t quite decided which one to choose. :)
@@JanBeta Its tough at the moment. Ive just lost my job of 25 years because of covid . So I know how you feel. Your YT videos keep all of us going. Many thanks .
I was 20 when Commodore VIC20 and Sinclair ZX81 came out and was to old to be interested in video games. I wish I was younger and could've enjoyed playing video games with my friends. Then I remember as teenagers, we were on our speed bikes outside most of the time, as opposed to being couch potatoes :)
You get lucky waiting for a transparent C64C case for my C64 Reloaded MK2 / TC64 V1. Nice build with the replica 250466. Is also my best C64 board ever second is the 250425 RevA.
Geiles Video, wird auf jeden Fall auch Mal nachgebaut. Hatte das Kit vor einiger Zeit schon gefunden und das Video ist mit Abstand das beste Video dazu.
Awesome project! I love to see a C64 come to life, especially a brand new one. Since you went with the clear case, you should mount some white or colored LEDs on the underside of the keyboard so they light up the motherboard from the inside. There's a 5V line on the keyboard connector you could tap into.
Really enjoyed the video Jan, it amazes me how people are able to create replacement chips for these machines. I never thought i would see the day where you could actually built a C64 from scratch :)
Really great video, thank you! I don't know if I am ever going to build my own one but for me the most loving part is the music from Focus10 ;) I'm mega happy to found him even on spotify!
Great build Jan! Love the transparent model you chose too. I guess that would prevent the need for retrobrighting in future? I'm very jealous. BTW, you broke your record for saying "so much for" 😆 I can see it's an expression that's very hard to unlearn. Keep up the great work with these videos mate - I can't wait to see that ARM-SID comparison! 👍🏾
Sweet! And the music as well matches the video. So much fun actually building your own computer than getting it readily-assembled. The time component is, however problematic for some.
I have been umming and ahhing over building one and decided to do a youtube search to get some more info on it and could not of asked for a better video! I think I'm going to try. The boards are so reasonably priced!
That was brilliant to watch and so exciting when it worked. 🎉🎈👍 I do like the clear case although I think it needs a slight tint to warm it up a bit. You did ask! Cheers.
Jan, This is one of your best videos yet.... I have been subscribed for the past year and love this episode!! Kudos! :) Tony K, Melbourne, Florida U.S.A. .....
Love this video! I looked at the "Sixty Clone" option in my own "Building a new C64 in 2020" video. In my case, I ended up going down the Ultimate 64 Elite route, as I'm not as good at wielding a soldering iron as you are.
Reminds me that I really need to pull out my commodore 64, clean it up, and see if it still works - or pass it on to someone else. Including a VicModem. Thanks for the video!
I love making chiptunes with the Atari 800 Pokey soundchip and the C64 SID soundchip. SID 6581 chips have gotten expensive but Pokey chips are now not only expensive but extremely rare. They don't come up on eBay often but when they do the bidding wars are ridiculous. I ended up getting a replica Pokey chip. It works in a synthesizer circuit but it does not work in the computer because it has no keyboard functionality. It's just such a shame. Perhaps someday I'll own the 800 if someone comes up with a solution.
I think that eventually, we will be able to have new builds of every platform that still has a community of users... I think this is how the problem will be solve and keep prices reasonable, we cannot continue with crumbling machines and increasing prices forever. I am more into early PC's... and it is now possible to build a brand new 8088 machine from completely new parts now. exciting times for retro-computing. most of what we do in life, play, work, does not require today's powerfull machines, when you think of it. some famous writers still use programs like Wordstar, and word perfect for dos.
The numbers on those caps are their value in pf, with the first two significant digits and then never of zeroes to add. 104 is 100000pf or 0.1uf 510 is 51pf 391 is 390pf
I've used them a few times now. They totally make sense for the Sinclair machines as they don't have much air space inside and the big heatsink near the ULA isn't ideal.
Mmmm commodore c64 open source kits? that interest me... a lot! P.S: The music was a good surprise too!! i like it. Nothing better than electronic music to work on electronics xD
The DC-DC converters are a lot more power (and heat) efficient than a 7805, even the very clean ones can be pretty noisy (compared to a 7805). I recommend a large decoupling cap and a 5v Zener diode (the dose is installed backwards across the power rails) to clean up the voltage, so the analog components won't have to deal with all the noise.
I’ve used the exact same model for the 5V regulator in my everyday C64 for years now without any issues. I think the frequencies of the switching noise are too high to have any effect at all on the old ICs. The SX64 and C128 used (older, much noisier) switching power supplies from , too, so I doubt that the modern components will have any negative effects. Obviously the linear regulators are cleaner, as you said.
The parts kit Jan used normally ships with ALL the passive components and RAM + Logic.. Little oopsie by me to forget to put the diodes/filter/transistor pack in the box. So no need to salvage anything from an old board expect the cartridge shield, modulator if you want to use an original and of course the MOS Chips (except the 8701 since I will include a new one), and if you use th 7805 you need a heatsink too.
packing list might help you and the next costumer ;)
@@vectorjoe Well, the stupid thing is I actually have that. Must have been sleeping. Will not happen again :)
@@mbosschaart then you need a checklist where "packing list" is one of the bullet points ;)
@Shannon Smith you can buy the board from one vendor, part kits from other vendors, chips from yet another vendor.....links are in the description
@@nneeerrrd Easy, buddy, easy... it's @Apple
this board is just so beautifull. really high quality
True.
It would be a crime to close it in non transparent case.
This whole project is incredibly fascinating.
Glad you like it!
@@JanBetaToo bad you didn't use the LEGO Brick keyboard and case of Christian @Retro Recipes .....
Also you have the original vintage
C64... you could raffle these ones among your Patreons.. signed by you... (previous warning.. international delivery paid half and half with the winners )
Indeed!
A stupid question perhaps; when booting , using it with c64 programms....whats the difference in practice?
hello friend question for you can I buy that is already build ?? thanks
I watched this when you released the video and I am about to embark on making one of these myself, so I thought I would watch it again and maybe get some pointers. I wish I could like it twice, such a good video, thank you Jan.
Wonderful! I enjoyed this very much! Great tip to screw the jacks onto the board BEFORE soldering to prevent cracking the solder joints! Impressed by the use of the Vishay component. I thought the clear case was going to look horrible, but surprisingly it actually looked very nice.
Thanks! Yeah, as I said, I'm a fan of the clear cases, especially for DIY projects like this. Hope the new keycaps are going to come through eventually. :)
@@JanBeta Is there available a clear keyboard module with clear keycaps?
Alleine die Nachricht, dass Jan Beta einen neuen C64 baut... Hammer!
It’s so good that stuff is still being made for vintage gear and to a higher quality usually. That board is a work of art with the black and gold looking very classy.
Thanks Jan! I think this video highlights the conspicuous absence of a new C64 keyboard solution - which of course you mention and I'm sure will be more available soon. Can't wait for that and can't wait for more great content from you . Thanks again!
Keyboards for the C64/VIC20 aren't a problem. They are relatively hardwearing and easy to fix. Also they turn up on Ebay relatively frequently and aren't ridiculously expensive. ( in UK at least).
I just discovered this video in my recommended videos. I enjoyed every bit of this video. I have 2 broken "bread bin" C64s that belonged to my dad that I would love to do the modern parts build/upgrade to. I also have my dad's C128 that was working the last time it was used maybe 6+ years ago. I also would like to do a modern upgrade to that as well. This video was very informative and I hope to do this project in the near future.
Certainly good to see things like this being done to keep these nice older systems going, and hadn't heard of Commodore 64 boards being made again like this, which makes it better for getting them going again, as the original ones do end up failing, being as old as they are. So with them being reproduced like this, always good to see & a nice video on you building a new C64 in this day & age, certainly more interesting than some new fan-dangle gaming PC being put together. With that, it'd just be someone installing components which is easy, but this is someone actually building a computer, putting all the little electrical components & chips onto the board, doing the testing as you would & in this case connecting the keyboard & putting it all together in it's case. The C64 Maxi & The VIC20 (The latter being a limited edition of the C64 Maxi, bought one from amazon, getting sent over from the UK to australia as it isn't sold here, so will have both myself as i have the C64 maxi already) which are decent recreations of said machines (Commodore 64 & VIC20), good that they are made so many of us can get access to a more real type of them, not being the real deal & don't have the ones from back when myself, but are still nice ones though. But these reproduction cases, components & the whole main boards which has been made for some time now am guessing, is even better that the whole thing is being made again in a way. Sure, you'd be using older components but still most of them are new. So yes, glad to see these good-old ones being remade as they are, keeping them going longer. And i wouldn't be able to put one together like this i'll admit, still a good bit of viewing though from you & pretty much most who do what they do with vintage computing. Also like some others have said here, similar machines from the time period need to get these whole boards & other bits for them made again too, keeping more going & hopefully getting more people into the fun that is this kind of vintage computing.
One technique I use when cleaning up flux residue is to use a lint free rag. I spray the board with isopropyl, put the rag down on the board, wet the rag with a bit more isopropyl, then use the brush to massage the rag against the solder joints. You’d be surprised how well it works. Keep changing to different spots on the rag, also.
This is my first video of yours I’m watching of yours Jan and as of 9:32 in will explore your content for ANY soldering repair needs! You just mention and refer to relevant things I have seen no where else for this numpty! 😊
Would be cool to see this updated over time, adding newly developed chips
Thanks for showing PLAnkton which I still make and sell. Yes, Eslapion is french in origin.
It is an amazing replacement, thanks for your great work! :)
@@JanBeta I sent you an e-mail with an adapted version of Super Zaxxon that works with the 1541 Ultimate I/II/II+ carts. However, it is still better to use a real Super Zaxxon or one of the replicas which use a 74LS74. Using a cart emulation does not properly replicate the sensitivity to glitches.
Ah, thanks! Currently plowing through a massive backlog of emails, didn’t see yours yet, sorry. Yeah, definitely need to get my hands on one of the real cartridges at some point.
I figured I'd watch for a few minutes and skip around... An hour later I realized I watched the whole thing from start to end. It was riveting to watch! Thank you!
Oh wow Jan! I've been trying to find that song you had on the SID player "To be on Top by Chris Huelsbeck" for YEARS! I had a demo on the C64 that used it and while I've long since lost that demo, that song for some reason stuck in my head and I've tried to find it for decades. And then I'm watching your video and I hear it and I couldn't believe it :) Amazing :)
Ha, what an amazing coincidence! The track remains one of my favorite SIDs ever. I remember being absolutely blown away by it when I first heard it back in the day. I'm a massive Chris Hülsbeck fan still. :)
@@JanBeta Right? I can remember visiting some friends of my Dad and they were big Radio Shack Colour Computer users and they were playing some music and being amazed at how a computer could make such great music (it wasn't actually very great). I was just thinking the equivalent of "If I had my C64 with me and that demo I'd say 'Here, hold my beer'" :)
The great Jan Beta is becoming a legend in the classic computing. The youtube is his window to show what the love + WILL and knowledge can do !
I've been contemplating getting one of these diy C64 kits for a while, as I have not been able to stumble across a decently priced original. I believe after watching this that I've made up my mind to take the plunge. I love soldering and electronics repair in general; I love it so much that when I decided to get an oscilloscope, I bought a diy kit just because I wanted a fun project to do that my kids could watch, so they could better understand how modern electronics work XD I have friends that tell me I'm crazy to love such a meticulous project, but there's just something so incredibly satisfying about building working electronics out of a smattering of capacitors, resistors, diodes, and microchips. The best part is getting a successful first boot when you finish without having to troubleshoot, it's simply exhilarating! It can be a headache if you do need to troubleshoot, but it's still worth it in my opinion.
Well done! :) I've built Bob's A500++ board, and the quality of his work is really great!
I love this and it really inspires me to work on my Franken64! Your videos are getting more and more captivating! Great work
That turned out fantastic. It's always a pleasure to see a c64 rescued, but to see a new one (for the most part) being born is amazing. When 6510/VIC replacements are available, that will be the icing on the cake.
Thanks! I’m going to put more modern things into it whenever they are available. The goal is to have all new parts at some point, would be amazing.
makes you appreciate how much went into these old computers compared to how much was charged for them (adjusted for inflation). Remarkable pieces of kit, i remember them fondly
when you solder a lot of pins for a device or socket, I like to do the corners first, then do one in the middle, then skip around from there. if you solder them all in a row, it can build up more heat in the part, which we want to avoid. it also affects the small stresses on the part. these things usually don't become a problem, but eh.. best practices.
Makes sense! Thanks for sharing!
A new Video - the evening has been rescued!
I've built three of those SixtyClones, one 250466 with real 6581 SID, a 250407 with a MixSID modification running two 6581's at the moment. I've ordered a 8580R5 to fit on this. So one 6581 and one 8580 in stereo. Last one is a shortboard 250469 with an ARMSID on it. I also used that c0pperdragon modulator replacement board on all three of them. Great video output.
Since you built all of the revisions, which is your favorite?
This was a lot of fun! I hope that we see a board where all the parts can be replaced with modern parts - not because I want to lose the original systems, but because I know there will come a time when we simply won't be able to find or afford them. I want to be able to pass along knowledge that my CS students don't know because modern computers are so different in many ways. Assigning them projects on old computers is a way for them to understand how parts relate and how to program them.
It's amazing how much support exists for a computer that 25 years ago was a by-word for obsolescence.
Hi Jan!
Thanks for this amazing video!
I have to say that you gave me the final push to start building my own C64 machine.
I already received the same 466 board itself and some components as well.
Now I'm very happy and excited.
Thanks again, Jan! 😁😉🤞
Hope your build goes well! :D
That is an amazing project. I have coded a lot of SID music so you made my day! After some time, my brother took over the music stuff on C64 and is in this oldschool C64 world well known I believe with his 20th Century Composers music (EvS@20CC). Unfortunatelyhe is not with us anymore, he would have loved it as well.
I just found this channel, and didn’t know if I could make it through an hour long build video but this was so well paced and interesting throughout the whole vid! Great video and great job! :)
Thank you very much! I considered dividing this into several parts initially but decided against it in the end and just spend a lot of time editing it to get it right. Glad you liked it! :)
That was a really nice build! I also got myself an ARMSid replacement for my C64 because my original 6581 R4AR started to make some strange noises and is probably about to die sadly. I really like it a lot and with some tweaking with the provided software it sounds really good! The only strange thing about it that I can hear is some of the noise waves sound a little bit off, like they are at too low frequency. For example when playing Sam's Journey you hear a whoosh sound when you pick up a power up, and it sounds quite different on the ARMSid than it does on an original SID. It's kinda like the noise channel is one or two pitches too low. Hopefully a firmware update can fix that. Other than that I am really happy with the ARMSid and at that price it is a no brainer if you need a good replacement. Really nice that you can change the emulation between 6581 and 8580 modes and get the best of both worlds on the same board (I still highly prefer 6581 like you Jan) :)
I'm in two minds about producing these new boards. It makes more sense for computers with onboard batteries that leaked, you can then move the components across (if they haven't fallen to bits from corrosion) to the new board. But for the C64 it just spreads the already finite supply of chips across a greater number of boards.
I built one and it was pretty straight forward. I enjoyed it so much I built an A500++ and am now getting ready to start on an A1200. 😁😎
I like solid black cases and clear cases myself. Solid red cases work too.
Nicely done video with step by step assembly. Rarely does a complex board as this work on the first try! 👍👍
I still have my c64 + 1541(old bread box shape) from my childhood. It was running last time in 1987, then amiga took over :-). One day I'll dig it out and see if it's still working. I was a little afraid of it because it might have died in the meantime. But with all the people who do something like this, I am now sure that it can be revived in case of doubt.
That's wonderful. And very impressive that it worked, as built. You should be very proud!
Credit must also go to the people who designed and built those alternate replacement parts. Everything seems to work great.
19:41 how I remember that the longer lead is positive is that the minus sign "-" is only made up of one bar whereas the positive sign "+" is made up of a cross of two bars "- -", and putting two bars behind one another gives you a longer line than just one bar of the minus sign "-"
Congrats! Looks good! I had Vic and C64 when they came out! Loved typing 3000 lines of code out of magazine's make my own games! :p
This is a fascinating video. Thanks for putting this together Jan. The Commodore 64 was my first computer and seeing anything like this takes me back. What an effort and the new case looks great.
Oh, this video makes me happy. Love it.
Looking forward the to homemade keyboard too.
Thanks! More episodes coming whenever I get new parts in. :)
Outstanding. What a beautiful result! Well done!
When he say's : " ..because i love soldering.." i can really relate, there is just something so satisfying when leads or pins get (what i call marriage) together when you cover them with a cone-ring of solder :) . My father who is an electrician was the first i was observing when he was soldering my C64's Joystick switches and installed a reset switch on my C64. However it was my mother who taught me how to solder properly, as only than i found out that my dad was really sloppy at it , she than proceed to buy me a WTCP-S Weller solder iron which i still own and use till this day.
I would love to do this kind of project and i believe i would require more day's maybe even weeks of time, but i would enjoy every second of it :) . However seems like a bit of an expensive project for me as i don't even have any broken C64's to take any needed spare parts :D . Jan Beta, very satisfying video , so nice to watch and listen to you, keep up the good work. Want to see more videos from you in the future !
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video. And soldering definitely has a soothing effect on me, especially when the things I put together work in the end... ;)
This is so cool. I've been aware of the replica C64 PCBs for a while now. I've still got my original 1983 Made in W.Germany C64 that still works (after fixing some electrolyte leakage damage). I don't know how many 6526 chips I blew up interfacing my C64 to the outside world. Luckily they were in sockets.
I'd love to "build my own" Commodore 64, a project for 2021
Clear case. That is awesome. I'd do that or the red one I see from time to time from other content.
It's great to see so much support for the C64, usually with older machines I always have a feeling in the back of my mind that I'm kinda taking it's life away by using it at this point, if that makes any sense.. for the C64 though you can get a replacement part for pretty much everything relatively easily at least if you don't require originals. Just try working on some old PC compatibles or other less common machines and you'll be on your own, some machines may not have any search results whatsoever and when a proprietary chip dies on one of those.. oh boy
Awesome assembly, Jan! It just occurred to me with your RF modulator replacement, that you’d have space to put a reset switch into the hole reserved for the channel switcher. It would actually be cool, if some RF replacement board would offer the option for the reset switch. You’d basically need to add a jumper lead to the reset signal from the RF replacement board.
Ah, that's a great idea actually. Would be pretty easy to implement, too. :)
@@JanBeta Yeah, I was thinking that either it would be a bracket that holds a tactile switch or that the RF replacement PCB would have solder points for an angled tactile switch.
For the LED, I think you can also get away with filing down a normal 5mm round LED to fit. A bit more work but if you have a supply of those may be better than buying square ones. The sides will not be as clear from the filing and the top you can leave a bit rounded or file flat but may need some polishing.
Nice to have that open space provided by the modulator replacement, perhaps an internal SD2IEC could go there and modify the case to have a slot for the SD card.
Schön zu sehen, dass auch du einen "Sixtyclone" aufgebaut hast - ich bin mit meinem vor einigen Tagen fertig geworden und habe ganz frisch ein "Tuning Board" fertig gestellt.
Wie immer ein klasse Video, bin auf das nächste Projekt gespannt (bei mir wird es ein Modular 64).
Vielen Dank! Den Modular64 habe ich auch schon beobachtet, vielleicht baue ich auch bald mal einen. Ist auf jeden Fall ein großartiges Projekt!
@@JanBeta Absolut spannend das Dingen, mache gerade den Aufbau (m. Video) und staune echt wie klein der Rechner an sich sein wird. Könnte mir vorstellen, dass das mein 64er zum Zocken wird :D
Nice! Simply nice! This beauty of a board deserves a clear case. I like the idea to use modern replacement parts.
It would be interesting to watch the waveforms of the signals with a scope and compare it to an original C64. Perhaps they are much more precise on the new board.
There are so many good modern replacement chips now. I wonder if one day a C64 compatible could go into production using 100% modern parts.
I think so! For most of the chips I had to use the originals there are already replacements in the works. Should happen sooner or later. :)
I love the C64 startup screen :)
Jan Beta, That was a fantastic build. Well done. Almost worked first time, if it weren't for the faulty CPU. Cool machine. love that ARMSID...
Revisited this from the latest episode. Brilliant build!!
I am drooling, I will probably come back to watch this again, building a modern PC is satisfying enough, but this is next level. Want!
C64 was my first computer for online banking! I used a 1200 baud modem on it for online banking and reading online news.
What a good old time....
Haha, nice! Never tried online banking with a C64. :)
This is exciting... what I was initially interested in with 8 bit computers, is peripherals and automation, and then decided against it, because old machines working 24/7 would lead it to fail, break down, and maybe even burn-down my operations.... but with new build like this, it is probably worth a try now! I would get a kick of having my aquaponics run by a c64, or even better: a vic-20
I think it's fabulous that 30 years later new Commodores are being built, I have two of the A1200 boards and A1200.net cases that one day I will get all the bits I need and make two brand new A1200's. Even if that plonker Mehdi Ali killed the greatest computer company ever, we the enthusiasts will bring them back into being. I wish I was cleverer at electronics and could reverse engineer all the custom chips of the Amigas and then we could all keep on building A500, A600 and A1200 and beyond forever and keep that brilliant piece of history for future generations.
Really liking the build! The only thing (especially for headphone users) I would like to be different, is the volume between the music in this video compared to your voice. Music is a bit loud and myself, I'm often turning the volume down when the music is on, and up again when you're talking about the build.
I grew up with an Amiga 500 that my father bought for the family to use, and it's just in the later years I've been lucky to get hold of a C64.
Your videos (and other) "C64 fanatics" are very informative and I feel I learn more and more from you guys! :D
Oh, I’m using studio monitors to mix the sound levels and they sound fine through those, I’ll see if I can double check with headphones for future videos. Thanks for the feedback!
I remember doing my computer homework in basic on the commodore 64 for my engineering masters degree in the late 1980's.
Nice to see my old U17 PLAnkton design. I used the star for ground connection when programming them in my little homemade rig.
There's a new version on the way that I finished the board for a couple of days ago. It's a little little tiny bit improved and has all components on one side to enable factory soldering (hand soldering is why I stopped making them). There's not much to actually improve on - it's called the U17 PLAnkton EV.
Would have liked to see a ROM replacement as well.
Ah, nice. The PLAnkton is a great replacement, works flawlessly as far as I can tell. Nice work! I am eventually going to replace more parts, a ROM switcher is definitely on the list. I just haven’t quite decided which one to choose. :)
I'm on the same quest, and that C64 parts kit is a godsend! Thanks Jan!
You are very welcome, hope your build goes well!
This video makes me want to break out the soldering iron and build one of these. Thanks, seriously.
Hi Jan, hope your keeping well. All the best .
Thanks, yeah, I'm having a bit of a rollercoaster ride mentally (not helped by the whole pandemic situation) recently but I'm fine.
@@JanBeta Its tough at the moment. Ive just lost my job of 25 years because of covid . So I know how you feel. Your YT videos keep all of us going. Many thanks .
I was 20 when Commodore VIC20 and Sinclair ZX81 came out and was to old to be interested in video games.
I wish I was younger and could've enjoyed playing video games with my friends.
Then I remember as teenagers, we were on our speed bikes outside most of the time, as opposed to being couch potatoes :)
You get lucky waiting for a transparent C64C case for my C64 Reloaded MK2 / TC64 V1.
Nice build with the replica 250466. Is also my best C64 board ever second is the 250425 RevA.
Geiles Video, wird auf jeden Fall auch Mal nachgebaut. Hatte das Kit vor einiger Zeit schon gefunden und das Video ist mit Abstand das beste Video dazu.
I’m going to get one board in blue or red just to hang it on my wall it’s so beautiful!
Yes, the boards are beautiful indeed. :)
Awesome project! I love to see a C64 come to life, especially a brand new one. Since you went with the clear case, you should mount some white or colored LEDs on the underside of the keyboard so they light up the motherboard from the inside. There's a 5V line on the keyboard connector you could tap into.
Really enjoyed the video Jan, it amazes me how people are able to create replacement chips for these machines. I never thought i would see the day where you could actually built a C64 from scratch :)
We are not too far from having replacements for all the ICs. It's just wonderful people are still interested in these old machines. :)
That clear case would look great if he spray painted the inside with the classic ROYGBIV Commodore rainbow and blend each stripe into the next.
If it's a pre rev. 1.4 then remember to do the cartridge port fix mentioned on the tindiepage for the sixtyclone. 👍
I didn’t have the fault on this board, actually measured it before I started filming and forgot to mention it later.
All information is in one place. TY
You are more than welcome. It was incredibly fun to build this. :)
What a fantastic build!! A 64 clone is definitely being added to my wish/build list!! (And that Black board in a clear case... just wow!!🤩👍)
Really great video, thank you! I don't know if I am ever going to build my own one but for me the most loving part is the music from Focus10 ;) I'm mega happy to found him even on spotify!
That flashing cursor is still hearthbreaking after 35 years. Great job!
🅁🄴🄰🄳🅈
■
You mean heart-warming. ;)
Great build Jan! Love the transparent model you chose too. I guess that would prevent the need for retrobrighting in future? I'm very jealous. BTW, you broke your record for saying "so much for" 😆 I can see it's an expression that's very hard to unlearn. Keep up the great work with these videos mate - I can't wait to see that ARM-SID comparison! 👍🏾
Sweet! And the music as well matches the video.
So much fun actually building your own computer than getting it readily-assembled.
The time component is, however problematic for some.
my next project is the same version with the blue board i allready have a dead scrap c64 board :) cant wait to build this
I have been umming and ahhing over building one and decided to do a youtube search to get some more info on it and could not of asked for a better video! I think I'm going to try. The boards are so reasonably priced!
Good luck! I can only recommend it, very rewarding (at least if you get it to work in the end...;))!
That was brilliant to watch and so exciting when it worked. 🎉🎈👍 I do like the clear case although I think it needs a slight tint to warm it up a bit. You did ask! Cheers.
Thanks! I wouldn't mind a tint at all actually. Maybe I could add a layer of clear colored paint on top at some point.
Jan, This is one of your best videos yet.... I have been subscribed for the past year and love this episode!! Kudos! :) Tony K, Melbourne, Florida U.S.A. .....
Love this video! I looked at the "Sixty Clone" option in my own "Building a new C64 in 2020" video. In my case, I ended up going down the Ultimate 64 Elite route, as I'm not as good at wielding a soldering iron as you are.
The Ultimate64 boards are awesome, admittedly the easier way to go. But less fun if you like to solder. ;)
Great project Jan, and a great pleasure to watch.
Thanks!
I put my Ultimate64Elite in an old breadbin case, so I guess I did the opposite 😆. Also, it has 6581R3 (4885) and 8580R5 (5092) in the SID-sockets.
Reminds me that I really need to pull out my commodore 64, clean it up, and see if it still works - or pass it on to someone else. Including a VicModem. Thanks for the video!
Hello from Canada :) i still have my commodore 64 with original box , with programs and games, dual floppy disk drives etc... :)
Don't change the LED, just need to reduce value of current limiting resistor
Yes, thought of that too. I haven't decided yet. I might put in a kernal switcher that uses a multi-colored LED at some point, too.
For sentimental reasons i'll always stay with the original "Brotkasten" design. Great video, subbed 👍
Same, there's nothing more nostalgic than the good old breadbox. ;) I still have 4 original brownies somewhere in the attic.
I must admit. I'm a little more a "Atari fanboy" rather than C64 so I'm really jealous about those new mainboards for C64
Atari will have its day someday I hope 😊
Same, but TRS-80 Colour Computer...
I love making chiptunes with the Atari 800 Pokey soundchip and the C64 SID soundchip. SID 6581 chips have gotten expensive but Pokey chips are now not only expensive but extremely rare. They don't come up on eBay often but when they do the bidding wars are ridiculous. I ended up getting a replica Pokey chip. It works in a synthesizer circuit but it does not work in the computer because it has no keyboard functionality. It's just such a shame. Perhaps someday I'll own the 800 if someone comes up with a solution.
I think that eventually, we will be able to have new builds of every platform that still has a community of users... I think this is how the problem will be solve and keep prices reasonable, we cannot continue with crumbling machines and increasing prices forever. I am more into early PC's... and it is now possible to build a brand new 8088 machine from completely new parts now. exciting times for retro-computing. most of what we do in life, play, work, does not require today's powerfull machines, when you think of it. some famous writers still use programs like Wordstar, and word perfect for dos.
1088XE
Everything about this project is just great. Really interesting video Jan. 👍
Thanks! It was a lot of fun to build this thing, too!
The numbers on those caps are their value in pf, with the first two significant digits and then never of zeroes to add.
104 is 100000pf or 0.1uf
510 is 51pf
391 is 390pf
Really looking forward to this as a series. I want to try doing this myself.
Excellent video! I love the switching regulators, I didn't even know those were available! I must have learned at least 20 things watching this.
I've used them a few times now. They totally make sense for the Sinclair machines as they don't have much air space inside and the big heatsink near the ULA isn't ideal.
Mmmm commodore c64 open source kits? that interest me... a lot!
P.S: The music was a good surprise too!! i like it. Nothing better than electronic music to work on electronics xD
i liked the vintaj comodor in 2020 and i liked the " humus achla " of yours,good job
Thank you! :)
I love this build , Jan!
The DC-DC converters are a lot more power (and heat) efficient than a 7805, even the very clean ones can be pretty noisy (compared to a 7805). I recommend a large decoupling cap and a 5v Zener diode (the dose is installed backwards across the power rails) to clean up the voltage, so the analog components won't have to deal with all the noise.
I’ve used the exact same model for the 5V regulator in my everyday C64 for years now without any issues. I think the frequencies of the switching noise are too high to have any effect at all on the old ICs. The SX64 and C128 used (older, much noisier) switching power supplies from , too, so I doubt that the modern components will have any negative effects. Obviously the linear regulators are cleaner, as you said.
Ja! I was waiting for such video from a quality TH-camr for a long time.
"Quality TH-camr", thanks! :D
@@JanBeta I mean there were other videos but the realization of the video was bad. No offence "other" TH-camrs ;)