Hey all, I'll be the first to post for 2025...

Something about retromcomputing, including BBSing thats a real draw for me. Reminds me of simpler times perhaps IDK.

Anyway, I have a few Commodore 64s, complete with 1541 drives and one 1702 monitor.

I was able to get a few disks working here and there but I found the heads would stop reading. I had to continually scrub them with alchol --so annoying.
I ended up with a SD reader which is super cool.. load up a .D64 and away you go. The system still takes the same amount of time as it would with a disk, kinda funny but hey, its the experiance right. I also have a card that reads disks and then with the PC encodes it to .D64 which I used a few times.

The real fun came when I found a wifi cart for it and then I could actually BBS with it. That was cool.. CCGMS was my go to back then and that's what I used.

I also at times have used VICE emulator intadem with the real deal, sometimes just easier to try something out or program and then move the .D64 file to the real machine.

My goal for 2025 is to learn all I can about the hardware. I have a diagnostic cart and I have plans to watch youtube videos to learn how to fix. I have a C64 that does not work that I'd like to fix. What I found is that it seems like trial and error at least with swapping chips so maybe I should find a working C64 just so I can figure out whats wrong and then buy replacement parts.

Anyone have experiance with Commodore? what do you do with it.

/)arkman /\lmighty

Re: Retrocomputing
By: Darkman Almighty to All on Sat Jan 04 2025 09:09 am

My goal for 2025 is to learn all I can about the hardware. I have a diagnostic cart and I have plans to watch youtube videos to learn how to fix. I have a C64 that does not work that I'd like to fix. What I found is that it seems like trial and error at least with swapping chips so maybe I should find a working C64 just so I can figure out whats wrong and then buy replacement parts.

Anyone have experiance with Commodore? what do you do with it.

Alas, I have very little experience with the C64 outside of using them in elementary school. But there's a pretty active C64 community on the web, so I know you can get your questions answered if you run into stumbling blocks.

I love your goal of learning about the hardware, though. I've done a little bit of hardware stuff myself, but for anything super-ambitious. I find I'm reluctant and don't want to take unnecessary risks. For example, I'd love to swap out the LCD in my Atari Lynx handheld one of these days, but I know that job is extremely involved and would benefit from soldering skills superior to my own.

Anyway, glad you called, and I hope to see your around here!

--Josh

////--------------------------------------------------
BiC -=- http://breakintochat.com -=- bbs wiki and blog

Re: Retrocomputing
By: Kirkman to Darkman Almighty on Wed Jan 22 2025 08:34 pm

Re: Retrocomputing
By: Darkman Almighty to All on Sat Jan 04 2025 09:09 am

My goal for 2025 is to learn all I can about the hardware. I have a
diagnostic cart and I have plans to watch youtube videos to learn
how to fix. I have a C64 that does not work that I'd like to fix.
What I found is that it seems like trial and error at least with
swapping chips so maybe I should find a working C64 just so I can
figure out whats wrong and then buy replacement parts.

Anyone have experiance with Commodore? what do you do with it.

Alas, I have very little experience with the C64 outside of using them in elementary school. But there's a pretty active C64 community on the web, so I know you can get your questions answered if you run into stumbling blocks.

I love your goal of learning about the hardware, though. I've done a little bit of hardware stuff myself, but for anything super-ambitious. I find I'm reluctant and don't want to take unnecessary risks. For example, I'd love to swap out the LCD in my Atari Lynx handheld one of these days, but I know that job is extremely involved and would benefit from soldering skills superior to my own.

Anyway, glad you called, and I hope to see your around here!

Stangely enough, I don't recall use of them in elementary school.. however, I did grow up with having one and at the time, not too many people had computers so it was pretty rare to even trade games or be one of the only ones in the class to type out a project on one.

There is a huge following for this retro machine and I was shocked when I came upon even using an emulator... or the huge database of games. It was like being a kid in a candy store. Sometime after that I bought the real machines... and I do play with them every so often.

I figure if you knew how to fix them, you could buy broken ones at a reduced rate. I'm scared to be doing an major mods on a working unit, but to be fair I have 3 working units. The nice thing is that I was able to use working units to diagnose, pulling chips but I hit a snag. I have a broken 64C 87 ed 128 case which does not work and it is very diff than the breadbin box 64...
I get entirely what you mean on having a pro service it but if its not working to begin with than nothing venture nothing gained. I'm moderate confident in trying but I have also screwed things up too lol.. all part of learning.

I'm actively searching for a 64C that works so I can get the other working.. and you do need a working one to compare readings as well. I'll let you know if I get one.

../)arkman /\lmighty