Sinclair - Cheap and Nasty Design :(

  • Thread starter Thread starter TheCorfiot
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 35
  • Views Views 1093
TheCorfiot

TheCorfiot

Out in the Wild
VIP
Joined
Mar 28, 2008
Posts
8,697
Country
Greece
Region
Corfu
UUUURRRGGGGGHHHH

I have to let some steam out...

I have so much Empathy for our fellow member Limboy777 today.
He sent me a beautiful condition Sinclair 128K, NOS, for repair

System had no sign of life....and here's the replacement component list to bring her back to full working order.

Main +5V Regulator, Replaced with 2 Amp part instead of inadequate Sinclair original.
New 12V Regulation circuit, ZTX 650, ZTX 213....
New TEA 2000 Video Encoder Circuit
New System ULA
New Keyboard Membrane

At this point you have to ask is it really worth it, how can a system fail and take so many components down with it?????
Had it been a rubber key Speccy the Bin would have claimed it long ago..

Anyway, my point is I feel sorry for genuine Sinclair Enthusiasts who try and keep their systems working...Not cheap.

TC :)
 

Attachments

  • DSC00809.jpg
    DSC00809.jpg
    191.9 KB · Views: 4
  • DSC00808.jpg
    DSC00808.jpg
    195.1 KB · Views: 4
I'd cool off by recapping a TG-16. Very therapeutic I hear :thumbsup:

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
 
I will still be sending my 48k rubber key sometime........hopefully not as bad as above.
 
I think there's a gap opened up in TC's schedule when I'll be in Cardiff Hospital having a TG-16 removed from a certain orifice after mentioning it 3 days on the trot :thumbsup:
 
Thjat is why I do not even turn on my Spectrums - loads of schrodinger cat's :)
 
bebek said:
Thjat is why I do not even turn on my Spectrums - loads of schrodinger cat's :)
Click to expand...

Awesome statement...

Lets go one further and just have a Spectrum box and wonder if theres one in there or not, never mind if it works lol :)
 
sir_beaker said:
I'd cool off by recapping a TG-16. Very therapeutic I hear :thumbsup:

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Let me guess, you've sent bas your TG-16? :)

@Bas: Sounds like it was whacked by an over-voltage or reversed poles on the PSU (other than the mebrane issue, but that's a known weakness).

Bryce.
 
Bryce said:
sir_beaker said:
I'd cool off . recapping a TG-16. Very therapeutic I hear :thumbsup:

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Let me guess, you've sent bas your TG-16? :)

@Bas: Sounds like it was whacked by an over-voltage or reversed poles on the PSU (other than the mebrane issue, but that's a known weakness).

Bryce.
Click to expand...

Lovely jubbly....Steve knows where this is going to end up, he's booked the hospital bed ;)
 
TheCorfiot said:
bebek said:
Thjat is why I do not even turn on my Spectrums - loads of schrodinger cat's :)
Click to expand...

Awesome statement...

Lets go one further and just have a Spectrum box and wonder if theres one in there or not, never mind if it works lol :)
Click to expand...

next to your other pet hate.... Intellivision Box and wonder if theres one in there or not, never mind if it works
 
In that case you could just have a retro room, locked of course, and believe that it was full of the rarest retro computers ever made. Cheapest retro collection ever.

Bryce.
 
TheCorfiot said:
UUUURRRGGGGGHHHH

I have to let some steam out...

I have so much Empathy for our fellow member Limboy777 today.
He sent me a beautiful condition Sinclair 128K, NOS, for repair

System had no sign of life....and here's the replacement component list to bring her back to full working order.

Main +5V Regulator, Replaced with 2 Amp part instead of inadequate Sinclair original.
New 12V Regulation circuit, ZTX 650, ZTX 213....
New TEA 2000 Video Encoder Circuit
New System ULA
New Keyboard Membrane

At this point you have to ask is it really worth it, how can a system fail and take so many components down with it?????
Had it been a rubber key Speccy the Bin would have claimed it long ago..

Anyway, my point is I feel sorry for genuine Sinclair Enthusiasts who try and keep their systems working...Not cheap.

TC :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Bas for agreeing to do the work. Its more than I wanted but as the unit is in nice condition, I will be keeping it as my main sinclair. Thanks for posting the pics of the unit - its nice to see quick progress!
 
Bryce said:
In that case you could just have a retro room, locked of course, and believe that it was full of the rarest retro computers ever made. Cheapest retro collection ever.

Bryce.
Click to expand...

It does not work this way. Cat in the box is real.

But maybe dead or alive until you open the box. Imaginary cats do not count :).
 
cat.jpg

Sorry about the language - not sure if you need to pull the post but it made me think of this :)
 
Got my 128k back the other day. Bas has done an absolute superb job. Im really pleased with it. Dont feel like using it and want to leave it on display now:D
 
TheCorfiot said:
Main +5V Regulator, Replaced with 2 Amp part instead of inadequate Sinclair original.
New 12V Regulation circuit, ZTX 650, ZTX 213....
New TEA 2000 Video Encoder Circuit
New System ULA
New Keyboard Membrane
Click to expand...

That's like what?, 50% of the total part count? :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

protek
Resurrection of a Sinclair ZX Spectrum
2
Replies
25
Views
13K
protek
protek
Back
Top Bottom