Simple Commodore 128 Upgrades

Hello fellow AmiBayers. :)

Today I decided to install a few mods in my Commodore 128 that I've had sitting around for a while. Here's what I installed:

• Megabit 128 ROM adapter
• Jim Brain's ROM-el Chip with JiffyDOS for the C64 and C128

The actual hardware installation on both of these was extremely easy because the Megabit ROM simply plugs into the open C128 expansion ROM socket and the JiffyDOS chips replace two ROMs on the board. The hardest part about these mods was modifying the case and heat shield.

I hoped I could find a way to mount the JiffyDOS switch without drilling into the case but, in the end, I decided to mount it above the cassette port. A drill at low speed made very little mess and a very nice, clean hole. Since I wanted to keep the heat shield, I had to do a little cutting.

There was a small bent-down part of the heat shield that would have touched the bottom of the JiffyDOS chip on the left side of the computer so I removed the bent down bit. The ROM-el chips sit much higher than standard ROMs so I bent the bits touching the chips up so they would touch properly. The majority of the rest of my time was spent cutting out the heat shield around the Megabit ROM since it's so big. :)

The last picture is the system all put back together with the 1541U-II, 64NIC+ and Final Cartridge III plugged into Jim Brain's X-Pander 3.

Ciao!

Heather

"pimp my C64" a series starring SdG :D

It look like Chernobyl nuclear reactor before the disaster. :D
I love this COMMODORE 128 and also the 128D!!!
My collection is incomplete, no A4000, no CD32, no CDTV and no C128D :(

Like you, I must find some time to install my C128 and 1571 (failed).

Nice pictures!

Well done.
Great to meet a fan of C128 here :)

I am out of words looking in 2010 at such an 8 bit baby :oops: But I don't know about the rom adaptor.. I know there are some rom sockets waiting to be fillled on the C128..

They were not popular local, since no use, since no software..........

I would say C=64 rules forever :thumbsup: But the C128 had much more potential, unused :Doh:

Great work Heather,
I still have to get a 1541U though and find a permanent place to set up my C128 now that I finally have the 80 C. monitor for it.
Ditch the RF shield though and get the heat sinks, they are cheap and you will be glad you did after removing and replacing it a few times.

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Originally Posted by keropi

"pimp my C64" a series starring SdG :D

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LOL! I don't think I'd get many viewers. :wink:

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Originally Posted by LTAC

Nice pictures!

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Thanks LTAC! It was a lot of fun working on this earlier today.

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Originally Posted by JD6

Great to meet a fan of C128 here :)

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Defnitely! I really like the C128; it's a great machine.

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Originally Posted by jvdbossc

I am out of words looking in 2010 at such an 8 bit baby :oops: But I don't know about the rom adaptor.. I know there are some rom sockets waiting to be fillled on the C128..

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I still use my 8-Bit Commodore computers much more than my Amigas. This is the first time I've ever used the Expansion ROM in the C128. The Megabit ROM holds a lot of programs in memory, such as disk and file copiers, hex editors, etc, and makes them available through an easy menu. It's like having a multi-ROM cartridge installed without taking up your cartridge port.

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Originally Posted by quarkx

Ditch the RF shield though and get the heat sinks, they are cheap and you will be glad you did after removing and replacing it a few times.

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Thanks! I still need to find a 9-Pin male to 9-Pin male 80-column cable to connect my C128's 80-column mode to my 1084S. I have a few of the 9-Pin male to round DIN type connectors but they won't work on my setup.

I don't plan on doing much more inside the C128 so I'm just going to keep the shield in place. I like the heat sink mod you did but I really want to keep the system in as close to original condition as possible. :)

Heather

Heather,did you get the 64K VDC?

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Originally Posted by quarkx

Heather,did you get the 64K VDC?

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The Megabit ROM has a 64K VDC test that I ran that said the VDC tested OK. I never installed the 64K VDC but maybe the previous owner did? How exactly can I tell? :)

Thanks,

Heather

@ Heather - I have a C128 64k VDC board lying about somewhere, would it be of any interest to you? I think it`s the remains of a C128 i modified many years back.

Cheers,