Some bits for an A500 (not plus)

Hi,

I'm restoring an old A500 (not plus) with Kickstart 1.2 which seems to have been abused by it previous owner (for shame!) and I'm looking for the following bits to bring it back to its former glory if anyone has them for sale.

1. Keyboard keys: I need keys 6 through to 0 (not numpad) the -_ Key and += key of if your A500 kb does not work that is fine I just need the key covers really but I'll that the lot for spares I don't mind.

2. The side plate cover for the expansion slot where an Action Replay III would be placed.

3. Kickstart rom: I'm not sure if I can put a 3.1 kickstart for the A500 in this mobo as I have heard rumours that it has to be modded based on the mobo version (can anyone set me straight on that)???

Basically if anyone has an official kickstart that is >V1.2 for an A500 im interested. I know amigakit do the 1.3 but I would love to put in a more upto date one if there is one going.

The mobo has the following markings which might help identify it:
B52/ROCK LOBSTER
GRR/JSP/TF/GUAY
RBW/VFA/DCA

Thanks,

DelboyJay

Hi Mate,

I have two A500's (I'm sure at least one is 1.3Rom) and a whole spare case+keyboard here, I listed them for £25 including post but if you can collect them you can have em for a tenner and then you'll have all the spares you'll ever need and I'll have some space :lol:

I'm in Sevenoaks, Kent... I forget where in Surrey you are - but hopefully a quick trip down the A25?

Steve.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DelboyJay

Hi,

I'm restoring an old A500 (not plus) with Kickstart 1.2 which seems to have been abused by it previous owner (for shame!) and I'm looking for the following bits to bring it back to its former glory if anyone has them for sale.

1. Keyboard keys: I need keys 6 through to 0 (not numpad) the -_ Key and += key of if your A500 kb does not work that is fine I just need the key covers really but I'll that the lot for spares I don't mind.

2. The side plate cover for the expansion slot where an Action Replay III would be placed.

3. Kickstart rom: I'm not sure if I can put a 3.1 kickstart for the A500 in this mobo as I have heard rumours that it has to be modded based on the mobo version (can anyone set me straight on that)???

Basically if anyone has an official kickstart that is >V1.2 for an A500 im interested. I know amigakit do the 1.3 but I would love to put in a more upto date one if there is one going.

The mobo has the following markings which might help identify it:
B52/ROCK LOBSTER
GRR/JSP/TF/GUAY
RBW/VFA/DCA

Thanks,

DelboyJay

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This is an old rev 3 motherboard! (lucky you :) )

You can put a 1.3 KS with no modifications, 2.x or 3.x will require a small wire hack (same applies for rev 5 boards).

As for the keys, if your keyboard is a Mitsumi model (single ribbon) you need Mitsumi keycaps. If it's a Samsung model (dual ribbons) you need Samsung keycaps. There's a clipping tip on the underside of the keys - it's a square tip on the Mitsumis but rectangular on the Samsung.
And since it seems it's one of the earliest Amiga 500's, based on the board revision, it might have come with a completely different microswitched keyboard (no ribbon), in which case I think it's easier to replace the whole keyboard than find individual keycap replacements. Those might be the ones with the C= instead of the L-Amiga key, too.

Regards

BLTCON0 is right: A500 from revision 3 era can even have a Cherry keyboard. About the ROM the rev #3 is the same as rev5.

Cherrys normally have a strange keycap under the keycap (if it made any sense). But this brand is easy to spot because the red A in the right and the C= symbol on the left, instead the solid A

If the keyboard have the same common little square pin as later Amigas the unit is a Mitsumi and you can use one from any other A500/2000/3000 keyboard you find around.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I have added some pictures of the keyboard, I have no idea there were different revisions. The power light for this is red which freaks me out a bit cos i'm used to the good ol' green usually flashing power light!

There is no "ribbon" for this Amiga it's a set of 8 wires into a connector. the board says its from hi-tek corporation and has the following markings:

p/n 113516 Rev A
cpc-10 94v-0
a/w 113528 Rev-B

I cannot identify the revision of the motherboard because it just is not printed on there so I assume it's one of the first revisions (i.e. 3) Again I have attached a picture maybe one of you guys might know?

@Steve thanks for the offer steve. Do you know if keyboards you have are the same as this at all? I would come and collect them depending on how long it would take me to get to you but if they are different and I cannot use them for this project the wife will likely kill me for hoarding more "crap" her words! I'm interested in the kickstarts though if you are willing to split it out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DelboyJay

@Steve thanks for the offer steve. Do you know if keyboards you have are the same as this at all? I would come and collect them depending on how long it would take me to get to you but if they are different and I cannot use them for this project the wife will likely kill me for hoarding more "crap" her words! I'm interested in the kickstarts though if you are willing to split it out.

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Hi Delboy :)

I'm not sure off hand what the versions of all the bits are, to be honest I'd like to clear them as a job lot since I'm short on space at the moment.

I'll reserve them for you until you know if you want to take them or not :thumbsup:

Steve.

@DelboyJay
It is a rev 3 board and yes it doesn't say so anywhere on the PCB, but the info you gave in the first post was already sufficient (it's the only revision with those exact names etched). I have never personally owned one but I've read it can be a bit quirky with sidecar expansion boards.

You can find your keyboard second from top in this great thread:
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=31893
Good luck finding replacement caps :( just replace it altogether or maybe you can try fixing the mitsumi/samsung keycaps on the switches using some sort of self-made stem, perhaps canibalising the original mitsumi stems, and gluing it on the switch.

Regards

I still have loads of spares for the 500 laying about. I should be able to certainly help you out with a side door and a keyboard if you wish? Give me a shout if your interested, say for a couple of quid plus P+P?

Funny that The Big Book of Amiga Hardware show your board as the rev5 type 1. But they don't have a rev3 picture to compare.

But Amiga Hardware Database shows it as revision #3.

Your keyboard is indeed a Cherry unit, although it doesn't identify itself as one. But the keycaps have exactly the same print as A2000 keyboards from 87/88.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tokyoracer

I still have loads of spares for the 500 laying about. I should be able to certainly help you out with a side door and a keyboard if you wish? Give me a shout if your interested, say for a couple of quid plus P+P?

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Thanks tokyoracer I'll bear that in mind if fitzsteve amigas are missing anything I might need... I might even end up restoring those as well!

---------- Post added at 13:00 ---------- Previous post was at 12:55 ----------

That keyboard is impossible to clean the design of it is robust but horrible for cleaning. To remove the metal top plate on this thing so you can wash it would mean unsoldering all of the key switches!

I gave up in the end and just shoved the whole thing in the diskwasher on a 45deg wash!!! It's still a bit dirty after washing but after it dries out it should still work! If it doesn't, then I've lost nothing as far as i'm concerned.