What a marvellous video. Really enjoyed watching this one. I am now inspired to sort out my 6128 which probably has the same problem. Or can I just send it to you? :D
This was almost 2 videos, as I was going to upload the belt replacement part before the socket/adapters arrived, and done the PSU bodge as a 2nd video. I'm glad I waited, as the 1st part would have looked like a fail.
Huge congrats on fixing that lil AC problem and disk drive Steve, I know you are flying on cloud 9 after you got it up and running. This is an informative video indeed and for what you paid to get it, well worth it. = )
finally getting to finish watching this. yes, I have one of these on the way, got the belts already waiting for it. Now I'm scared after watching you do this, but I don't use instructions, I just strip things lol :o)
Ooh bugger, I was double scared when you'rs would not work :o(
Wow, you did it, amazing, doesn't it feel great when you fix things, why I love doing it :o)
At replay, I'm picking up an almost dead cpc monitor so will have fun seeing if I can get that going :o)
@RetroGamerVX You'll be fine, and probably better off without instructions. I only took so long coz I was looking to unplug wires that weren't where I expected them to be. Had I had no expectations, I'd have just unplugged everything right away and got on with it.
It definitely feels good, but you wouldn't catch me digging around inside a monitor. Far too scary :)
Ah yes, the pin that fall out is pretty classic (chuckle) all amstrad people does that one the first time they replace the drivebelt :)
Anyways, quite brave of you to make your own psu for the drive as the cpc has zero protection (yup ive tried frying one myself too).
Anyone out there in the same situation i strongly suggest instead buying a prebuild psu (like the ones on ebay). Also quite easy to get a prebuild scart cable there as well as getting a monitor/mp2 can be really hard.
Great video Steve, really enjoyed it, cheered me right up :) I was rooting for you to save the machine so glad its working now and for £15 you cant go wrong. This is the kind off stuff I love doing making somthing work again :) Whats next servicing you PET ?
@Rockythefishman The PET is definitely something I plan to have a go at, though it's only the keyboard that's having issues, I doubt I'll be making a video of it.
Impressive! I didn't think there was a shot in hell of it working when you changed the belt. Those types of experiences usually go bad when I try them.
Also, for future reference, you can put the entire motherboard in the dishwasher (if you have one) to clean it, as long as you let it thoroughly dry before trying to use it again. It goes against all logic, but it does work.
Its a great feeling to get something which is not working, working again! Im going to have to do a little work with my sears tele-games console. Great work!
Oh man, that was a rollercoaster ride. I literally applauded when you eventually got a game to load. Good work keeping a piece of classic hardware out of the landfill!
@gryz0r Hmm. Even with the pcb lifted up the way I did it here, getting the belt off was a fairly fiddly task. I don't think I could do that without removing the pcb, screwdriver or no screwdriver. It might be technically possible, but I certainly wouldn't want to try it.
@SteveBenway Yes, you do have to lift it a bit but need not take any wires off. You push the belt around the central wheel with the tip of the screwdriver, then you pull it around the outer one. You can't do it with the first try, but it won't take more than a couple of minutes... And I'm not an artist in this :D
@gryz0r The thing is, not all of these drives are the same. Mine had wires in places not described in the instructions I was reading... and none where some were described. Without unplugging them, it would be impossible to get at the belt on my drive.
@DansGameCorner I just took the view that it already didn't work, I had a rough idea of what the problem was, and that I could probably fix it, so what the heck. Nothing ventured, nothing gained :)
If anyone finds one of those write-protect pins, I need one to fix a Spectrum +3. Annoyed, because I sold a drive-less +3 and gave them a spare pin I'd found...
Good to see you got it working in the end the cpc 6128 is the nicest looking of the amstrad cpc machines. The one cpc i think most people forget is the CPC 664 it was sold for only one year.and replaced by the 6128 .
@paulb4uk I've read about the 664. Pretty much identical to the 6128 except for less ram. They're very hard to come by these days. Dunno what they sell for, being a less capable machine.
There is a seller on ebay that is selling a psu and an after market modulator for the amstrad it might even be the same seller that has the drive belts .
@paulb4uk Yes, I've seen those. It is indeed the same guy I got my belts from. That would have been my next option if messing about with wires and plugs and crap hadn't worked :)
@AtsumaKarin I tend to fall into the "throw it away and buy a new one" camp myself usually. The difference here was I knew (or thought I did) what the problem was and knew it was not a complex fix (though very fiddly) and should be within my capabilities to fix.
@wrestletube1 Heh... I wish. Thing is, this was pretty elementary stuff, and the only soldering was a couple of wires onto a couple of plugs. Pretty big chunky items in reality. My 7800 needs works on the circuit board itself. Far too delicate for someone with my lack of skill :)
@electricadventures Blimey... no-one better send their kit for me to fix if they want a hope in hell of it working again... lol. This one case was just a big fluke, and probably would have been a total non-issue if I'd had a working PSU in my monitor, or an MP2 module.
Mmmm... Spectravideo SV-318. You're one of the *very* few people I know who even knows what that is, let alone owns one. I'll keep my eyes open :)
That was THE best 30 min Ive spent in a long time! I absolutely loved watching you repair this unit and figure out what the problem was and be able to correct it, just amazing work Steve. Even though you said you hate working on electronics I give you an A+ for this job right here, that was brilliant. I want to see some Ghouls n Ghosts game play now, Ive never seen that version of it and it looks fantastic!!
Excellent job Steve - I used the CPC religiously from Christmas 86 up until Christmas of 1990 so it's a hugely nostalgic bit of kit for me. Looking forward to seeing some gameplay vids :)
@bluetonic78 They're still quite a new thing to me, and having used this 6128 a bit now, I find the loading commands quite bemusing. So many different ways to make a game load. I'm thinking of interspersing the Atari vids I already have recorded with some 6128 games.
@VectorClash68 I don't find the insides of these old things too scary in itself. It's the removing, replacing and soldering of components that gets me.
Hi Steve, I've just moved to the uk, but I'd like to know some places where I can get some retro games, the retro gamer magazine and maybe some arcade places. Do you know how to find it here in Leeds? (I'm definitely going to your town, I've heard so many great things about it)
@loperaja I don't know Leeds at all, and sadly my town (Worksop... I only live near Sheffield) is far from cool. Sheffield's interesting though and well worth a visit. As for arcades and good places to buy retro stuff... I really wish I knew. I get all my retro kit from ebay. I can help you with regard to Retro Gamer magazine though. Any branch of W.H.Smith should stock it, and you can find those in most towns.
@SteveBenway aah dont know i though you were living on Scarborough. I've seen some retro stores here in Leeds but everything is very expensive. Worksop is near here so I'll go there as well, I think England has great places to visit, everything seems wonderful. Thanks for your info my friend!
Hmmm...I have been that busy with my Atari Falcons and STE machines that my Amstrad CPC6128 and addons have not had a look in for over a year. I even bought a 3.5" external floppy drive (home made and immaculately done), but did not get it working straight away, but the seller said to contact him if I got stuck.
Regards the polarity thing, that is something I always check carefully.........except that last year I made the mistake of doing something while being tired which = dead Spectrum + 128
@EgoShredder I killed an Oric 1 some years back by getting the polarity wrong. These days, if I'm not absolutely certain, I don't do anything with it. That accounts for me specifying it was negative and not positive.... I'd just gone to double check before doing anything, rather than relying on my dodgy memory. Just as well too :)
I bought a very handy tiny polarity testing device from cpc.co,uk for less than £1. It was just a basket filler but has been used a lot; just plug in the PSU and the led lights show + or -. Thing is, I had this when I blew the Spectrum+ 128 but due to being tired forgot to use it! Think retro....think roads......tiredness kills so put it down and watch TV or go to bed! Hahaha!
I think I've only used a CPC once in my lifetime, and I think it had an external disk drive with an internal tape recorder, I'm assuming it was a 464 or something. I've read about the power supply arrangements with the 6128, why on earth did Amstrad design it like that? It just seems really stupid to design it with 2 power cables for one box. The error symptoms with the random characters are a bit strange as well.
@Lachlant1984 The whole design philosophy for the CPC series was a bit daft really. The idea was that you only needed to use one plug to power both computer and monitor... with the monitor powering the computer. Made it damned expensive though... and then when they stuck a disk drive in, there wasn't enough power for the computer and drive, so they needed another PSU in the monitor. Big mess of leads. Not clever. It's even worse when you try to buy them. No monitors etc.
@SteveBenway That's all well and good, and I understand that the disk drive news 12 volts, so really Amstrad should have designed the whole system can be powered by just one cable that powers the computer and the disk drive, I mean they had to make a new monitor for the 6128 anyway didn't they? The older monitors wouldn't have had that extra power cable, it really sounds like a mess. Hmm, interesting, maybe it's just as well I never owned one of these things.
@UKRetroGames I think I may have caught something to that effect. There's been a few of 6128s and +s on there, all slightly on the "might work/might not" side. I shall watch with interest :)
@UKRetroGames I think the belt I took out was a recent inclusion, as it was neither porous or squidgy. Maybe didn't need replacing at all... but what the heck... might as well start with the obvious things first.
The only giveaway about the power was that the drive LED stayed on, even when I pulled out the drive's power lead. I don't even know what made me think to do that though.
I don't know if it was a power issue or a "lack of drive" issue that made the keyboard odd.
@UKRetroGames Funny thing about the pin is, I knew there was "something" likely to fall out, as I'd been warned, in a round about manner. So I really facepalmed when I saw it fall out like that.
RetroComputerShack PSU kits were the next thing on my list of things to try if I couldn't get it going through bodgery. It was from one of their ads that I learned the central pin had to be negative rather than positive.
Great Job :D My first Computer was a CPC464 and I still love the CPC series. I replaced the DriveBelt think on my external DiskDrive too but at the moment I do not have the storage to use the system now. However, great machines :)
@headbangersworld I didn't have a CPC back in the day, and often wondered why Retro Gamer magazine raves about them. Since I did some vids on my 464 a year or so back, and then started playing with this 6128, I can really see where they're coming from.
It was funny watching you get confused by the drive internals. It's good you had a go at fixing it. I love fixing stuff. Loved the cable splicing. I do cable splicing all the time. Intesting how the power to the disk drive was the source to the random charictors. Must power other parts of the computer to.
@TheEPROM9 I speeded up the bit where I was grappling with the drive and trying to open it, and cut out about 10 mins where I was just looking at it and mumbling... lol.
I dunno if it was the lack of power or the lack of a drive that was making the keyboard do that, but I had the feeling it was fixed as soon as it didn't fill the screen with crap when I turned it back on.
Congratulations Steve!!it is such a great feeling when you succeed a task like that!!well I remember the problems i had with my A600 but when a friend of mine managed to plug her in a PC power supply works like a dream!!now to get he some SDrom to replace the dead drive!!good job mate!hope all is well and you are healthy :)!Greets from Greece :)!
@PSI236 I know Mark's very skilled... he fixed my C64 for me. This was something I felt I could attempt though, and it turned out to be good fun too :)
You say its not your forte but you appear at ease with it and so fast too. ^_^ The name you're looking for is Torx (star shape) fresh in my memory because of my research into RROD repairs. Damn, the ad people got you with the hate it but remember it trick they use. Antistatic hah, none of us live in a chip manufacturing plant. Those wire entrapments, what a bugger. You couldn't possibly be as bad at soldering as you think you are. Helpful stuff, most entertaining and smart troubleshooting. :D
@TheBladeJunker I wouldn't say I was at ease, so much as .. damn... how do you get the accent above the e? I want to say... blase... but without the accent it doesn't come out right... lol. Anyway, yeah, I just figured "it doesn't work now, so whatever I do, it's not going to get much deader." I guess it could have got a bit deader, and have not worked at all, but you get the picture :)
My soldering really is shocking... need 4 hands just to do a simple wire joins plug thing.
@SteveBenway Well 3 hands is the norm, that is why those clamp stands were made. And as far as a 4th hand you'll just have to ask assistance from your lady love. :)
That tool you didn't know what it was for is actually a tool to open an xbox360 case. It pushes all the plastic tabs in at the back at the same time so you can open it easier.
Oh I forgot to say. isopropyl alcohol is probably one of the best substance to clean out my disk drives + heads and computers it does a great job. I get the spray variety. Ah yes that damn read/write pin. The same thing happened to me on my Spectrum +3 when I changed my belt, I turned the drive upside down and the pin fell out luckily I knew where it went as explained in my +3 drive fix vid. I agree it is a fiddly job and the wires are so tight you can't really get in there.
@DLiberator78 I wish I could remember who it was who told me they'd been trying to fix their drive, and something fell out, leaving it inoperable. So there I was, with that in mind while I was working, and I *so* facepalmed when I saw the pin fall out :)
Retro Computer Shack is awesome I get my ZX Spectrum +3 belts from them a bloody good service and they provide good quality scarts for most of the retro computers. Nice pick-up 6128's are hard to come by on eBay these days (or at least it seems to me) I remember searching for this particular model one on eBay and you don't seem to find a lot these systems around for some strange reason.
@DLiberator78 I've had some stuff from Retro Computer Shack before and always found them to be great... and so fast.
6128's are indeed quite hard to find lately, especially in anything approaching working order. This one was sold as "worked last time I tried it, but has been in storage for ages". I don't usually go near those, but for £15, it seemed worth a shot :)
@TheSymbianFreak That may be worth a go. I figure I'll have a go at it with window cleaner first just to get a better look at what state it's really in. That may just be a coffee flavoured crust, rather than actual rust... we'll see :)
Well done Steve, I had exactly the same situation with a 6128 plus I bought a couple of months back, I bought the Retro-Shack belts too and they worked a treat! By the looks of it, you felt the same disbelief I did when the thing worked!
@TheRetroArchive Yup, I had no confidence in my own ability to diagnose and then fix whatever was wrong with the thing. Made it all the more pleasing when it worked :)
Steve great video! And great detective work! I was like hurrah when it started working. Also reminds me of what a twit I was in the past ! In about 98 I bought one of these and a gx4000. Can't remember how long I had em for but I ended up taking them apart to see what was inside and then chucking em out ! Idiot that I was !
@manspam1 The GX4000 itself isn't worth a lot in itself, so don't feel too bad about that. The games for them on the other hand... some of those sell for silly money. Still, I know what you mean. I had some comics when I was a kid that I chucked out... like the first couple of years of 2000AD, from issue 1 :S
@davidhass3lh0ff It's definitely very satisfying. As it is, there's was nothing complex going on here... just a known and easy fix, but for someone as inept at such things as me, it was quite an event :)
You did pretty well there Steve with a good result! The coffee and 2 sugars inside seemed to have little effect on the hardy 80's electronics. Try that with a laptop from today and it's good night Vienna!
@gollumondrugs Having had it running (kind of) before I opened it, I was quite shocked by the mess inside. I've seen steam engines and old tractors with less muck and corrosion on them than that motherboard. Well... it might not actually be rust... could just be a crusty coffee residue, but still.
Lol this was hilarious. I don't think you could have Jerri-rigged this anymore than you did. I thought for sure it wasn't going to work, I mean pins were falling out, you were just pulling screws out left and right. You were yanking on power-cables that you weren't sure if you could get back in. It was just crazy the whole way through. If I were a betting man I would have put all my money against you.
A repair video from Benway. I like it. I wouldn't worry too much about antistatic wristbands on these old machines. They are build like a tank. I use nail polish remover to clean up heads and pulleys and such, its pretty much same thing as rubbing alcohol and it vaporates pretty much instantly. Always good idea to unplug those keyboard ribbon cables and polish them up with fine steel wool. Good work! You can't beat the feeling of getting something like that working after such hard work!
@Polaventris Built like a tank is right. I'm amazed it works after it's had what looks like a cup of coffee tipped inside it. I'll have the thing apart again some time and clean up everything I can :)
I've got two Amstrad monitors, one with and one without that port. But it sounds like the power supply inside the monitor is fried. That or there's something in it.
But little tip if you want to know what else is on the disk, type in CAT instead, It'll give you all the programs on it.
Also Plus machines won't work on a normal monitor, they fit, but Amstrad for some reason decided to rewire the contacts.
Good video, very useful. But you have placed the write protect check pin in a wrong hole!
deimos1975 4 weeks ago
@deimos1975 That's odd. It's in the pin the instructions said it should go in, and it works just fine.
SteveBenway 4 weeks ago
he put the pin in the wring hole
JOCKATEO 2 months ago
Magnificent effort Mister. I really admire your patience!!! WELL DONE!
it9997 3 months ago
What a marvellous video. Really enjoyed watching this one. I am now inspired to sort out my 6128 which probably has the same problem. Or can I just send it to you? :D
ash81b4u 4 months ago
@ash81b4u Haha... no you can't, but it's definitely worth having a go at :)
SteveBenway 4 months ago
Congratulations !! I was really hoping for it to work !! I'll wait for the games "reviews" ! cheers
lord35ar 5 months ago
Contrats Steve! If I had recorded a video about me changing the drive belt on my Speccy+3 it would have looked quite similar to you doing this. :)
Persistence pays off!
markvergeer 5 months ago
@markvergeer I'd have enjoyed watching that.
This was almost 2 videos, as I was going to upload the belt replacement part before the socket/adapters arrived, and done the PSU bodge as a 2nd video. I'm glad I waited, as the 1st part would have looked like a fail.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Huge congrats on fixing that lil AC problem and disk drive Steve, I know you are flying on cloud 9 after you got it up and running. This is an informative video indeed and for what you paid to get it, well worth it. = )
OldSchoolNYCGamer 5 months ago
An Earlier IBM PC Disk drive will fit in that system. Just replace the drive ;)
GamingHistorySource 5 months ago
@GamingHistorySource But that doesn't matter when you need a 3" drive to play the disks :P
TeamRocketReviews 5 months ago
needle nose pliers bro ! You can never go wrong with a pair of them. ;) Get into tight areas easily.
GamingHistorySource 5 months ago
@GamingHistorySource I have two different pairs of artery forceps, but even those wouldn't have helped here.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
I'm a diy guy myself and absolutely enjoyed the video. Luke better watch out lol.
IrenicusFTW 5 months ago
finally getting to finish watching this. yes, I have one of these on the way, got the belts already waiting for it. Now I'm scared after watching you do this, but I don't use instructions, I just strip things lol :o)
Ooh bugger, I was double scared when you'rs would not work :o(
Wow, you did it, amazing, doesn't it feel great when you fix things, why I love doing it :o)
At replay, I'm picking up an almost dead cpc monitor so will have fun seeing if I can get that going :o)
Well done :o)
RetroGamerVX 5 months ago
@RetroGamerVX You'll be fine, and probably better off without instructions. I only took so long coz I was looking to unplug wires that weren't where I expected them to be. Had I had no expectations, I'd have just unplugged everything right away and got on with it.
It definitely feels good, but you wouldn't catch me digging around inside a monitor. Far too scary :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Ah yes, the pin that fall out is pretty classic (chuckle) all amstrad people does that one the first time they replace the drivebelt :)
Anyways, quite brave of you to make your own psu for the drive as the cpc has zero protection (yup ive tried frying one myself too).
Anyone out there in the same situation i strongly suggest instead buying a prebuild psu (like the ones on ebay). Also quite easy to get a prebuild scart cable there as well as getting a monitor/mp2 can be really hard.
Nice job :)
CholoCPC 5 months ago
@CholoCPC I definitely wouldn't have tried running the computer itself on a makeshift psu, but the disk drive seemed worth taking a chance on :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Yep, Retro Computer Shack are very good, I got a speccy, C64 and Amiga SCART cables from them. RF can nick off.
wubble78 5 months ago
Great video Steve, really enjoyed it, cheered me right up :) I was rooting for you to save the machine so glad its working now and for £15 you cant go wrong. This is the kind off stuff I love doing making somthing work again :) Whats next servicing you PET ?
Rockythefishman 5 months ago
@Rockythefishman The PET is definitely something I plan to have a go at, though it's only the keyboard that's having issues, I doubt I'll be making a video of it.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Impressive! I didn't think there was a shot in hell of it working when you changed the belt. Those types of experiences usually go bad when I try them.
Also, for future reference, you can put the entire motherboard in the dishwasher (if you have one) to clean it, as long as you let it thoroughly dry before trying to use it again. It goes against all logic, but it does work.
sandmanxo 5 months ago
@sandmanxo I was a little unsure about this working out too, until I turned on the power and it didn't do stupid things.
Hehe... I know of the dishwasher method. I've never done it yet, but as a last resort, I can see me trying it on one or two items I have :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Its a great feeling to get something which is not working, working again! Im going to have to do a little work with my sears tele-games console. Great work!
gabbogabbo 5 months ago
Well done Steve, that is a result and a half mate.
LeShark75 5 months ago
I gotta say Steve, I felt quite emotional by the end of all that. ;-) Nice work.
Martroid 5 months ago
Bravo! :D
DocHackenbush 5 months ago
congrats on getting it working right.
ArcadeMameMachine 5 months ago
Congrats!!
gato38 5 months ago
27:40 awesome win! kudos
nuclearjong 5 months ago
@nuclearjong Accidental wrong items cancelling each other out FTW :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Oh man, that was a rollercoaster ride. I literally applauded when you eventually got a game to load. Good work keeping a piece of classic hardware out of the landfill!
HiroGaems 5 months ago
@HiroGaems Thanks :)
I was as pleased capturing the moment that it worked on video, as I was actually making it work.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Great stuff. Can not wait for all the Amstrad gaming videos especially after seeing how much work you put in to get it working..
MrStephen182 5 months ago
awesome vid - and congrats on getting the drive working ! hopefully you'll put up some 6128 game reviews now ? the 6128 was my first computer.
w00dyblack 5 months ago
@w00dyblack There will most definitely be some 6128 vids, though exactly when I don't know yet.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Actually you don't need to take the PCB off; you can change the belt quite esasily by lifting it a bit and with the help of a fine screwdriver...
Gryzor
CPCwiki.eu
gryz0r 5 months ago
@gryz0r Hmm. Even with the pcb lifted up the way I did it here, getting the belt off was a fairly fiddly task. I don't think I could do that without removing the pcb, screwdriver or no screwdriver. It might be technically possible, but I certainly wouldn't want to try it.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@SteveBenway Yes, you do have to lift it a bit but need not take any wires off. You push the belt around the central wheel with the tip of the screwdriver, then you pull it around the outer one. You can't do it with the first try, but it won't take more than a couple of minutes... And I'm not an artist in this :D
gryz0r 5 months ago
@gryz0r The thing is, not all of these drives are the same. Mine had wires in places not described in the instructions I was reading... and none where some were described. Without unplugging them, it would be impossible to get at the belt on my drive.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
WOW The Retro Gaming Collector opening something up and soldering!?! *gasp*
nah just kidding =P
power to you my friend, I'm almost NEVER brave enough to open things for "fiddly jobs" like this, I'm afraid I'll make the problem worse.
Dan.
DansGameCorner 5 months ago
@DansGameCorner I just took the view that it already didn't work, I had a rough idea of what the problem was, and that I could probably fix it, so what the heck. Nothing ventured, nothing gained :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
If anyone finds one of those write-protect pins, I need one to fix a Spectrum +3. Annoyed, because I sold a drive-less +3 and gave them a spare pin I'd found...
MarkTheMorose 5 months ago
Good to see you got it working in the end the cpc 6128 is the nicest looking of the amstrad cpc machines. The one cpc i think most people forget is the CPC 664 it was sold for only one year.and replaced by the 6128 .
paulb4uk 5 months ago
@paulb4uk I've read about the 664. Pretty much identical to the 6128 except for less ram. They're very hard to come by these days. Dunno what they sell for, being a less capable machine.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
There is a seller on ebay that is selling a psu and an after market modulator for the amstrad it might even be the same seller that has the drive belts .
paulb4uk 5 months ago
@paulb4uk Yes, I've seen those. It is indeed the same guy I got my belts from. That would have been my next option if messing about with wires and plugs and crap hadn't worked :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Well...this isn't my usual type of video but I found it quite interesting and it was great seeing your documentary of how you got it working. :)
You had more patience than me, though. I'm inept at that kind of thing too and I'd have been like: "ah, sod it! I'll just buy another one!" :P
Anyway: awesome stuff, glad to see you got it working and that you now have yet ANOTHER system to build up a library of gaming vids for! :)
AtsumaKarin 5 months ago
@AtsumaKarin I tend to fall into the "throw it away and buy a new one" camp myself usually. The difference here was I knew (or thought I did) what the problem was and knew it was not a complex fix (though very fiddly) and should be within my capabilities to fix.
I wouldn't have even tried otherwise :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
That was entertaining.
Really!
Glad you got it working! It's a great feeling, that first time you turn it on and it works, eh?
alecjahn 5 months ago
@alecjahn Thanks :D
I was thrilled to bits when it worked, and pleased to actually catch the moment on camera too :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Looks like Mr Steveo his own friendly game system doctor may be able to fix his 7800 problem now. lol.
wrestletube1 5 months ago
@wrestletube1 Heh... I wish. Thing is, this was pretty elementary stuff, and the only soldering was a couple of wires onto a couple of plugs. Pretty big chunky items in reality. My 7800 needs works on the circuit board itself. Far too delicate for someone with my lack of skill :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
And the crowd goes wild!
What a horrible fiddly job - but you did very well. People will be sending their gear to you for servicing :)
It's nice to see the insides of a retro computer like the Amstrad, they did do alright in Australia, but just not in the circles I was in at the time.
If you ever come across the instructions for servicing a Sprectravideo 318/328 tape drive (SV-903) let me know :) belt slipping I think.
electricadventures 5 months ago
@electricadventures Blimey... no-one better send their kit for me to fix if they want a hope in hell of it working again... lol. This one case was just a big fluke, and probably would have been a total non-issue if I'd had a working PSU in my monitor, or an MP2 module.
Mmmm... Spectravideo SV-318. You're one of the *very* few people I know who even knows what that is, let alone owns one. I'll keep my eyes open :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
That was THE best 30 min Ive spent in a long time! I absolutely loved watching you repair this unit and figure out what the problem was and be able to correct it, just amazing work Steve. Even though you said you hate working on electronics I give you an A+ for this job right here, that was brilliant. I want to see some Ghouls n Ghosts game play now, Ive never seen that version of it and it looks fantastic!!
lukemorse1 5 months ago
@lukemorse1 Coming from the master of electronic repairs, that really means a lot to me Luke. Thanks :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Excellent job Steve - I used the CPC religiously from Christmas 86 up until Christmas of 1990 so it's a hugely nostalgic bit of kit for me. Looking forward to seeing some gameplay vids :)
bluetonic78 5 months ago
@bluetonic78 They're still quite a new thing to me, and having used this 6128 a bit now, I find the loading commands quite bemusing. So many different ways to make a game load. I'm thinking of interspersing the Atari vids I already have recorded with some 6128 games.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
I glad you got it working, and I enjoy this vid.
cyrus649 5 months ago
@cyrus649 Thanks :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Awesome job repairing the beast. I get more than three screws out of a console and I start to panic. lol
VectorClash68 5 months ago
@VectorClash68 I don't find the insides of these old things too scary in itself. It's the removing, replacing and soldering of components that gets me.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Hi Steve, I've just moved to the uk, but I'd like to know some places where I can get some retro games, the retro gamer magazine and maybe some arcade places. Do you know how to find it here in Leeds? (I'm definitely going to your town, I've heard so many great things about it)
loperaja 5 months ago
@loperaja I don't know Leeds at all, and sadly my town (Worksop... I only live near Sheffield) is far from cool. Sheffield's interesting though and well worth a visit. As for arcades and good places to buy retro stuff... I really wish I knew. I get all my retro kit from ebay. I can help you with regard to Retro Gamer magazine though. Any branch of W.H.Smith should stock it, and you can find those in most towns.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@loperaja ...and curse my wretched manners.... welcome to the UK :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@SteveBenway aah dont know i though you were living on Scarborough. I've seen some retro stores here in Leeds but everything is very expensive. Worksop is near here so I'll go there as well, I think England has great places to visit, everything seems wonderful. Thanks for your info my friend!
loperaja 5 months ago
Its like watching Kenny Everett's handyman, you're just waiting for Steve to lose a finger or a hand ;)
RiFFxxx 5 months ago
@RiFFxxx LOL! Long time since I've seen Kenny Everett :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Hmmm...I have been that busy with my Atari Falcons and STE machines that my Amstrad CPC6128 and addons have not had a look in for over a year. I even bought a 3.5" external floppy drive (home made and immaculately done), but did not get it working straight away, but the seller said to contact him if I got stuck.
Regards the polarity thing, that is something I always check carefully.........except that last year I made the mistake of doing something while being tired which = dead Spectrum + 128
EgoShredder 5 months ago
@EgoShredder I killed an Oric 1 some years back by getting the polarity wrong. These days, if I'm not absolutely certain, I don't do anything with it. That accounts for me specifying it was negative and not positive.... I'd just gone to double check before doing anything, rather than relying on my dodgy memory. Just as well too :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@SteveBenway
I bought a very handy tiny polarity testing device from cpc.co,uk for less than £1. It was just a basket filler but has been used a lot; just plug in the PSU and the led lights show + or -. Thing is, I had this when I blew the Spectrum+ 128 but due to being tired forgot to use it! Think retro....think roads......tiredness kills so put it down and watch TV or go to bed! Hahaha!
EgoShredder 5 months ago
@EgoShredder I'm gonna have to get one of those polarity testers :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@SteveBenway
Just checked and it is actually at Maplin, not CPC.co.uk as I previously said. Order Code: RS87U and it costs £2.79
I think I will get a couple more as they are so handy!
EgoShredder 5 months ago
I think I've only used a CPC once in my lifetime, and I think it had an external disk drive with an internal tape recorder, I'm assuming it was a 464 or something. I've read about the power supply arrangements with the 6128, why on earth did Amstrad design it like that? It just seems really stupid to design it with 2 power cables for one box. The error symptoms with the random characters are a bit strange as well.
Lachlant1984 5 months ago
@Lachlant1984 The whole design philosophy for the CPC series was a bit daft really. The idea was that you only needed to use one plug to power both computer and monitor... with the monitor powering the computer. Made it damned expensive though... and then when they stuck a disk drive in, there wasn't enough power for the computer and drive, so they needed another PSU in the monitor. Big mess of leads. Not clever. It's even worse when you try to buy them. No monitors etc.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@SteveBenway That's all well and good, and I understand that the disk drive news 12 volts, so really Amstrad should have designed the whole system can be powered by just one cable that powers the computer and the disk drive, I mean they had to make a new monitor for the 6128 anyway didn't they? The older monitors wouldn't have had that extra power cable, it really sounds like a mess. Hmm, interesting, maybe it's just as well I never owned one of these things.
Lachlant1984 5 months ago
Great vid. Unexpected, but great.
All these years and that's the first time i've ever seen the inside of a disc drive, Was quite interesting.
FreemanOfNewcastle 5 months ago
@FreemanOfNewcastle Thanks. First time for me too :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Oh my oh my oh my, glad to see you fixed it. :) Happy gaming (and recording :p )
Trusteft 5 months ago
@Trusteft Thanks. I'm really pleased :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@UKRetroGames I think I may have caught something to that effect. There's been a few of 6128s and +s on there, all slightly on the "might work/might not" side. I shall watch with interest :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@UKRetroGames I think the belt I took out was a recent inclusion, as it was neither porous or squidgy. Maybe didn't need replacing at all... but what the heck... might as well start with the obvious things first.
The only giveaway about the power was that the drive LED stayed on, even when I pulled out the drive's power lead. I don't even know what made me think to do that though.
I don't know if it was a power issue or a "lack of drive" issue that made the keyboard odd.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@UKRetroGames Funny thing about the pin is, I knew there was "something" likely to fall out, as I'd been warned, in a round about manner. So I really facepalmed when I saw it fall out like that.
RetroComputerShack PSU kits were the next thing on my list of things to try if I couldn't get it going through bodgery. It was from one of their ads that I learned the central pin had to be negative rather than positive.
Not heard of RWAP. Thanks for the tip :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@horrorbabe666 It's definitely somewhere on the bulletproof side :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Hi Steve, congratz on fixing it...
On another note, I think those shiny plates you don't know what are they for, I think those are some kinf of pliers to open the XBOX 360
1UPGameOver 5 months ago
@1UPGameOver Thanks for the tip. I don't have a 360, so will probably find alternate uses for it... lol :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Great Job :D My first Computer was a CPC464 and I still love the CPC series. I replaced the DriveBelt think on my external DiskDrive too but at the moment I do not have the storage to use the system now. However, great machines :)
headbangersworld 5 months ago
@headbangersworld I didn't have a CPC back in the day, and often wondered why Retro Gamer magazine raves about them. Since I did some vids on my 464 a year or so back, and then started playing with this 6128, I can really see where they're coming from.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
It was funny watching you get confused by the drive internals. It's good you had a go at fixing it. I love fixing stuff. Loved the cable splicing. I do cable splicing all the time. Intesting how the power to the disk drive was the source to the random charictors. Must power other parts of the computer to.
TheEPROM9 5 months ago
@TheEPROM9 I speeded up the bit where I was grappling with the drive and trying to open it, and cut out about 10 mins where I was just looking at it and mumbling... lol.
I dunno if it was the lack of power or the lack of a drive that was making the keyboard do that, but I had the feeling it was fixed as soon as it didn't fill the screen with crap when I turned it back on.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Congrats on getting it working again. :)
RPKGameVids 5 months ago
@RPKGameVids Cheers. It made me smile :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Retro Computer Shack is yer man for the power supply kit for the Amstrad CPC ;-)
I bought one last year.
EgoShredder 5 months ago
@EgoShredder I was looking at those, and would've gone that route if my cheap bodge hadn't worked :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Congratulations Steve!!it is such a great feeling when you succeed a task like that!!well I remember the problems i had with my A600 but when a friend of mine managed to plug her in a PC power supply works like a dream!!now to get he some SDrom to replace the dead drive!!good job mate!hope all is well and you are healthy :)!Greets from Greece :)!
kakabixlis 5 months ago
@kakabixlis Yup, getting things fixed and working really does feel good... and well done with your A600. Gotta love Amigas :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
i know the amstrad like the back of my hand retro computershack are good for supplies m8
retrocomputerkidkris 5 months ago
@retrocomputerkidkris Yeah, they really are a great ebay store :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
+ Retro Computer Shack
Very helpful guy too when you need to speak with him, or ask advice on setup stuff.
EgoShredder 5 months ago
@EgoShredder I've bought stuff from him before, and always been impressed :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
yay amstrad 6128 u were lucky m8y gettin it for £15 i paid £25 get lotharek check the keyboard ribbon m8y
retrocomputerkidkris 5 months ago
yay an amstrad 6128 my childhood computer
retrocomputerkidkris 5 months ago
@retrocomputerkidkris First time I've ever laid my hands on one :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Nice screwdriver set...
But you should've just sent it to UKretrogames
v
v
v
PSI236 5 months ago
@PSI236 I know Mark's very skilled... he fixed my C64 for me. This was something I felt I could attempt though, and it turned out to be good fun too :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
lukemorse1... eat your heart out
nookie077 5 months ago
@nookie077 not heard much of him lately
retrocomputerkidkris 5 months ago
@retrocomputerkidkris He's still doing his thing, just not on a daily basis any more.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@nookie077 Haha... no way. He actually knows what he's doing. I just bodged it and got lucky :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Excellent job Steve :)
thomas3120 5 months ago
@thomas3120 Thanks. It was as much luck as judgement :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
So does the 6128 have 2 power supply connections? One for the computer and one for the disk drive?
CoolDudeClem 5 months ago
@CoolDudeClem Yeah the computer runs off a 5v supply and the disk drive runs off a 12v supply.
P5ychoFox 5 months ago
@CoolDudeClem yes 1 for drive and other for computer
retrocomputerkidkris 5 months ago
The tool thing you didn't know what was is a Xbox 360 case opening tool, they're quite handy :)
grantandcorky 5 months ago
@grantandcorky I don't have a 360, but could probably find amusing uses for it :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago
You say its not your forte but you appear at ease with it and so fast too. ^_^ The name you're looking for is Torx (star shape) fresh in my memory because of my research into RROD repairs. Damn, the ad people got you with the hate it but remember it trick they use. Antistatic hah, none of us live in a chip manufacturing plant. Those wire entrapments, what a bugger. You couldn't possibly be as bad at soldering as you think you are. Helpful stuff, most entertaining and smart troubleshooting. :D
TheBladeJunker 5 months ago
@TheBladeJunker I wouldn't say I was at ease, so much as .. damn... how do you get the accent above the e? I want to say... blase... but without the accent it doesn't come out right... lol. Anyway, yeah, I just figured "it doesn't work now, so whatever I do, it's not going to get much deader." I guess it could have got a bit deader, and have not worked at all, but you get the picture :)
My soldering really is shocking... need 4 hands just to do a simple wire joins plug thing.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@SteveBenway Well 3 hands is the norm, that is why those clamp stands were made. And as far as a 4th hand you'll just have to ask assistance from your lady love. :)
TheBladeJunker 5 months ago
That tool you didn't know what it was for is actually a tool to open an xbox360 case. It pushes all the plastic tabs in at the back at the same time so you can open it easier.
gamerdude0 5 months ago
@gamerdude0 Ah... right. I don't have a 360, which explains why it looked so alien to me. Thanks for the info :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Well done Steve, tinkering and experimenting is the best way to learn :D
TheWeepingCorpse 5 months ago
@TheWeepingCorpse It's definitely an educational experience :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Oh I forgot to say. isopropyl alcohol is probably one of the best substance to clean out my disk drives + heads and computers it does a great job. I get the spray variety. Ah yes that damn read/write pin. The same thing happened to me on my Spectrum +3 when I changed my belt, I turned the drive upside down and the pin fell out luckily I knew where it went as explained in my +3 drive fix vid. I agree it is a fiddly job and the wires are so tight you can't really get in there.
DLiberator78 5 months ago
@DLiberator78 I wish I could remember who it was who told me they'd been trying to fix their drive, and something fell out, leaving it inoperable. So there I was, with that in mind while I was working, and I *so* facepalmed when I saw the pin fall out :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Retro Computer Shack is awesome I get my ZX Spectrum +3 belts from them a bloody good service and they provide good quality scarts for most of the retro computers. Nice pick-up 6128's are hard to come by on eBay these days (or at least it seems to me) I remember searching for this particular model one on eBay and you don't seem to find a lot these systems around for some strange reason.
DLiberator78 5 months ago
@DLiberator78 I've had some stuff from Retro Computer Shack before and always found them to be great... and so fast.
6128's are indeed quite hard to find lately, especially in anything approaching working order. This one was sold as "worked last time I tried it, but has been in storage for ages". I don't usually go near those, but for £15, it seemed worth a shot :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
LOL @ the fast speed bit!!
Congratulations for fixing the computer!! Awesome video!! Have a thumbs up!! :D
SushiSunshine2000 5 months ago
@SushiSunshine2000 Thanks :)
It's very tiring unscrewing computers that quickly ;)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
You are an absolute tech mastermind. :D
Paperinjerate 5 months ago
Congrats on fixing it, you could prob use some pcb cleaner from Maplin to clean that coffee stain.
markybhoyuk 5 months ago
@markybhoyuk Yeah, something like that seems like the way to go.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Congrats Steve.
I really thought it wasn't going to work.
You sounded elated at the end.
Best video for a while.
Banshun 5 months ago
@Banshun Thanks :)
I had my doubts too, right up until it didn't give an error message when I turned it on after plugging in that PSU.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
hehe Congrats on fixing it steve :)
also i think there is a home mixture that involves lemon you can use to clean it up with some cotton buds to at least stop the corrosion
TheSymbianFreak 5 months ago
@TheSymbianFreak That may be worth a go. I figure I'll have a go at it with window cleaner first just to get a better look at what state it's really in. That may just be a coffee flavoured crust, rather than actual rust... we'll see :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
@SteveBenway oh steve i left you a pm for a game i wouldn't mind donating to ya but yea google around to see if there is an easy mixture :D
Seeing a 6128 brought back memories :)
TheSymbianFreak 5 months ago
Well done Steve, I had exactly the same situation with a 6128 plus I bought a couple of months back, I bought the Retro-Shack belts too and they worked a treat! By the looks of it, you felt the same disbelief I did when the thing worked!
TheRetroArchive 5 months ago
@TheRetroArchive Yup, I had no confidence in my own ability to diagnose and then fix whatever was wrong with the thing. Made it all the more pleasing when it worked :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Oh forgot to say nice ring :-)
manspam1 5 months ago
@manspam1 Cheers. It's zirconium and gold :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
nicely done Steve! looking forward to seeing some vids of the games ya got sent!
Jago666 5 months ago
@Jago666 It's gonna be a while before I upload any, as I still have a stockpile of Atari vids to upload, but rest assured, they will be made :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Steve great video! And great detective work! I was like hurrah when it started working. Also reminds me of what a twit I was in the past ! In about 98 I bought one of these and a gx4000. Can't remember how long I had em for but I ended up taking them apart to see what was inside and then chucking em out ! Idiot that I was !
manspam1 5 months ago
@manspam1 The GX4000 itself isn't worth a lot in itself, so don't feel too bad about that. The games for them on the other hand... some of those sell for silly money. Still, I know what you mean. I had some comics when I was a kid that I chucked out... like the first couple of years of 2000AD, from issue 1 :S
SteveBenway 5 months ago
ITS ALIVE !!!! congrats that was a mint video mate
Jamiepr 5 months ago 2
@Jamiepr Thanks! I had fun making it :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago
awesome video, it's great when you get somethink working :D i reamber some time back when i fixed my psx disc drive i was realy proud of my self
davidhass3lh0ff 5 months ago
@davidhass3lh0ff It's definitely very satisfying. As it is, there's was nothing complex going on here... just a known and easy fix, but for someone as inept at such things as me, it was quite an event :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
It's ALIVE!!
saberblock 5 months ago
@saberblock Flash! AAAAaaaahhhhh! ... oh.... wait....
SteveBenway 5 months ago
You did pretty well there Steve with a good result! The coffee and 2 sugars inside seemed to have little effect on the hardy 80's electronics. Try that with a laptop from today and it's good night Vienna!
gollumondrugs 5 months ago
@gollumondrugs Having had it running (kind of) before I opened it, I was quite shocked by the mess inside. I've seen steam engines and old tractors with less muck and corrosion on them than that motherboard. Well... it might not actually be rust... could just be a crusty coffee residue, but still.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
Lol this was hilarious. I don't think you could have Jerri-rigged this anymore than you did. I thought for sure it wasn't going to work, I mean pins were falling out, you were just pulling screws out left and right. You were yanking on power-cables that you weren't sure if you could get back in. It was just crazy the whole way through. If I were a betting man I would have put all my money against you.
Hyakitaki 5 months ago
@Hyakitaki This is why you don't see many repair videos from me ;)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
A repair video from Benway. I like it. I wouldn't worry too much about antistatic wristbands on these old machines. They are build like a tank. I use nail polish remover to clean up heads and pulleys and such, its pretty much same thing as rubbing alcohol and it vaporates pretty much instantly. Always good idea to unplug those keyboard ribbon cables and polish them up with fine steel wool. Good work! You can't beat the feeling of getting something like that working after such hard work!
Polaventris 5 months ago
@Polaventris Built like a tank is right. I'm amazed it works after it's had what looks like a cup of coffee tipped inside it. I'll have the thing apart again some time and clean up everything I can :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
I've got two Amstrad monitors, one with and one without that port. But it sounds like the power supply inside the monitor is fried. That or there's something in it.
But little tip if you want to know what else is on the disk, type in CAT instead, It'll give you all the programs on it.
Also Plus machines won't work on a normal monitor, they fit, but Amstrad for some reason decided to rewire the contacts.
LarryBundyJr 5 months ago
@LarryBundyJr I figure either that power socket in the monitor isn't wired up to anything, or as you say, it's fried.
I found out about the CAT command... also there's some cpm commands which are interesting(ish).
Good old Lord Sugar, screwing over his userbase to make a buck.
SteveBenway 5 months ago
you should take it apart again and clean that motherboard
fleetwoodsucks 5 months ago
@fleetwoodsucks Yeah, I plan to, now I know it works :)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
steves gone all lukemorse1 on us. hes a genius
murrayefc78 5 months ago
@murrayefc78 Haha... no way. He actually knows what he's doing. This was en exploration into the heart of incompetence :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago
04:43 i think this is for opening the xbox 360.
DiePixelspieler 5 months ago
@DiePixelspieler Hmm... should've included a big hammer for that ;)
SteveBenway 5 months ago
4:46 silly steve its for disarming boombs of course ;-)
vertifai 5 months ago
@vertifai Ahhh... of course :D
SteveBenway 5 months ago