A stored collection piece is a Schrodinger's cat

Adrian Graham witchy at binarydinosaurs.co.uk
Sat Nov 28 04:58:14 CST 2015


On 27/11/2015 19:38, "Terry Stewart" <terry at webweavers.co.nz> wrote:

> This self-satirizing flow diagram reflecting my experiences testing
> computers in my collection may (or may not) amuse some on this forum.  I'm
> sure at least some can relate to the scenarios though...
> http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2015-11-28-computer-collectors-testin
> g-flowchart.htm

That's what I've been doing for the last 2 months, all centred around fixing
a PET4032. What started out as a 'well this hasn't worked since I got it in
2000, let's have a go' has turned into my living room and kitchen covered in
electronic bits as I find things I'd forgotten about while looking for
widget X or doofer Y and sources for missing/broken component Z. Add one
tick for finding a Mac Plus with leaky caps and a soon-to-explode mains
filter cap.

Then I discovered I could use a ZX Spectrum board as a 4116 RAM tester with
suitable mods for dual-boot ROMs etc so I've spent 2 weeks finding every
Spectrum I have and fixing/cleaning up the ones that have bit-rotted away
while discovering an awful lot I didn't know about these comparatively
simple playthings. 

Today it's all going to come together and hopefully the outcome will be a
fully working PET4032 and an extra diagnostic tool to add to the collection.
Of course we all know something ELSE unexpected will happen.

-- 
Adrian/Witchy
Binary Dinosaurs creator/curator
Www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk - the UK's biggest private home computer
collection?




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