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Wintermute_BBSGood news from the <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/CZSpectrumPlus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CZSpectrumPlus</a> that I am trying to get back to life:having replaced the proprietary <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ZX8401" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZX8401</a> chip with a modern FPGA based replacement, the system now comes up again - wooohooo !! 🥳 I've also replaced the old keyboard membrane which had brittled to oblivion with a new one, however only a fraction of the keys are working. Maybe I need to replace the keyboard "big" ribbon cable connector as well (I already replaced the "small" one).But things are going into the right dircetion ...EDIT: I've replaced the "big" / "wide" keyboard connector with a new one and now all keys are working. More footage later, gotta go now to get cat food.<a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/RetroComputing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RetroComputing</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Sinclair" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Sinclair</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ZXSpectrum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZXSpectrum</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Clone" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Clone</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Argentina" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Argentina</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Czewerny" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Czewerny</a>

Wintermute_BBSToday, I picked up my loose ends with regards to the <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Czerweny" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Czerweny</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/CZSpectrumPlus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CZSpectrumPlus</a>, the <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/rare" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#rare</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ZXSpectrumPlus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZXSpectrumPlus</a> clone from mid-1980s <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Argentina" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Argentina</a>.Since I was unable to remove the ICs myself (did they use "nuclear solder" back in the day?! Those ICs sat tight in their holes) I asked a friend who had a friend who was up to the job and very professionally removed these at his workshop.So today I soldered sockets in place and prepared a <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Diagnostic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Diagnostic</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ROM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ROM</a> in order to find out what the problem is. Looks bad.I have already replaced all "lower" RAM chips with new ones, leaving the "upper" RAM as they were.However, given that *all* memory seems to be faulty, I now expect the <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ZX8401" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZX8401</a> to be the problem. So now I need to get either one of those modern drop-in replacements or start hunting a real one ...On the up side, video is working and the beeper is beeping. At least.<a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ZXSpectrum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZXSpectrum</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Repair" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Repair</a>

Wintermute_BBSBack to the <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/CZSpectrumPlus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CZSpectrumPlus</a> with the defunct <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/RAM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RAM</a> - in preparation for the repalcement RAM that will arrive toorrow, I tried to de-solder the <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/IC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IC</a> marked in the photograph, but there were three pins that seemed to be nuke soldered to the <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/PCB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PCB</a> and which I just couldn't free from solder in order to remove the chip. Especially pins 1 and 16 are very hard to come by.Since I did not want to <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/heat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#heat</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/damage" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#damage</a> the PCB I stopped for the moment being to rethink my options. If you have any suggestions, let me know.Meanwhile, I was able to cleanly remove what seems to be a makeshift fix for the keyboard connector. A fresh one, including a new keyboard membrane, is underway.<a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ZXSpectrum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZXSpectrum</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Clone" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Clone</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Argentina" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Argentina</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Repair" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Repair</a>

Wintermute_BBSHere's a question to the <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ZXSpectrum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZXSpectrum</a> and <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Sinclair" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Sinclair</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Experts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Experts</a> - I've got a <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/damaged" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#damaged</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/CZSpectrumPlus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CZSpectrumPlus</a> from Argentina which shows the following at power on. Any hint at where to look first? <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ULA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ULA</a>?!<a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Broken" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Broken</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Speccy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Speccy</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Help" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Help</a>

Wintermute_BBSDoes anyone know if the <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/CZSpectrumPlus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CZSpectrumPlus</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ZXSpectrum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZXSpectrum</a> Plus clone from <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Argentina" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Argentina</a> also uses <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/center" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#center</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/negative" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#negative</a> polaraity on its power jack?

Wintermute_BBSI am currently in the process of re-structuring my <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/RetroComputer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RetroComputer</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/collection" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#collection</a>, swapping individual devices with a collegue of mine. As a result, there's this new entry, the "CZ Spectrum plus" - a <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ZXSpectrumPlus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZXSpectrumPlus</a> clone from <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Argentina" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Argentina</a> !!<a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/CZSpectrumPlus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CZSpectrumPlus</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/ZXSpectrum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZXSpectrum</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Sinclair" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Sinclair</a> <a href="https://oldbytes.space/tags/Clone" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Clone</a>

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