Acorn Electron | Restoration - Trash to Treasure

[@malcolmdonohoe9388]

Colour looks spot on to my memory. Got one when I was eight... Great video

[@RMCRetro]

Well that's good to know thank you I wasn't quite sure

[@TheRealMentat001]

Good to see you took the time to clean the excess flux. A lot of people neglect that bit and it can cause you some real headaches. Nice work, it came out beautifully. It warms my heart to see these old systems brought back to operating condition.

[@saarek]

Great video! There's something cathartic watching an old computer being restored to its former glory.

[@deivuuk]

Look. I've been watching KZbin since the beginning and I have to say the three videos on the Acorn Electron that I've just watched have quite possibly been the best I've ever seen on this site. The presentation is clear, precise, informative and I didn't want it to end. Luckily, there are plenty more to get through.

[@ITTom]

As a former user of ZX Spectrum, A500, A1200 I must admit that I did not have much knowledge of Acorn computers. Thank you for the presentation of this machine. Your videos are exceptionally pleasant and rewarding. Thanks for the effort in creating them.

[@NumberOneGeek]

I had an Acorn Electron as my first computer and I loved it. Really does my heart good to see it so loved.

[@aishalotter9995]

Me too loved it to death !!! Spilt a load of tea over it many times , it still worked though !!! Bomb proof !!!

[@tomputnam5364]

I found your stuff after your appearance on Iain Lee’s podcast. Watching this Electron getting spruced up again was wonderfully nostalgic as I had one when I was 13/14. Whilst I understand why my Dad wanted me to have it, I wished everyday it could be a C64. Thank you for your videos - I’m loving the back catalogue

[@RMCRetro]

Hey that’s great thank you for watching!

[@retrojem8531]

Rewatching in January 2025, amazing how far the channel has come. Trash to treasures are always good

[@odius94]

Best way to start the day: new RetroManCave video!

[@cbmeeks]

This is quickly becoming my favorite channel on KZbin. Keep up the great work.

[@marybergquist8017]

who needs ASMR to unwind when there's british dudes restoring computers to watch? feels good man

[@RMCRetro]

+Mary Bergquist I've never been called a dude but I'll take that thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@martin-1965]

I'm just zoning out for a lazy sunday afternoon watching these videos - perfect nostalgia trip :)

[@fabiStgt]

16:59 I always recommend against moving CRTs while they are running (or still hot) - in some tubes, the heating element is quite brittle while turned on (and therefore glowing red) so even a slight bump can cause it to break.

[@RMCRetro]

+fabiStgt Thanks for the tip!

[@djmoch1001]

Interesting learning about these old computer systems that I've never heard of. It's amazing watching them get transformed to their former glory. Very satisfying to watch. Kudos for keeping the spirit of these old computers alive.

[@chrismac777]

This guy should seriously have more than 18k subscribers.

[@eecajledo8430]

What a lovely area you live in. The two houses to the bottom right at 6:34 look like they were built before my country was born. I would so love to own and live in a home that old.

[@wimwiddershins]

I just retrobrighted my ole C64 from 1987. It isn't until you try it that you can really appreciate the effect. Now I'm going to install a SD2IEC. Retro gaming bliss! :)

[@reggiebenes2916]

Most relaxing restoration ever. Awsome.

[@michielvandewijgaart8858]

And yet another acorn lives on. Nice work

[@AndyGarton]

Fantastic job! The colour is spot on.

[@paddycoleman1472]

Had an Electron back when it was released. It was a very underrated wee computer. Still one of the best keyboards I have ever used.

[@Ben-fr8gi]

I think Vishay are one of the high end capacitor brands, alongside Rubycon, Nichicon and Panasonic - their specs certainly are comparable and I've only had good results with their caps. Vishay have bought many of the good brands of the past and continued making/developing their products, such as Sprague, Roederstein and BCcomponenets (aka, Philips). So don't worry, you've bought good caps :) New capacitors tend to be smaller than old ones however, so vintage devices tend to have generous room for replacements. Low value small caps of 6.8 uf or less I often replace with film capacitors, since they're good enough going to last forever. Also, I've had varied results when replacing parts on vintage circuit boards. I find it safest in general, where I can, to clip the component off, leaving just a bit of lead in the hole, then let it fall out when I wick up the solder, rather than pull, which has sometimes lifted pads.

[@joseph9770]

Indeed. They are also known for their high quality pot's and resistors.

[@straightpipediesel]

Yeah Vishay picked up most of the Western manufacturers, e.g. US and Europe, so their passives are too expensive for consumer electronics. They tend to focus on expensive applications, like RF, industrial, medical, automotive, aerospace and military.

[@rich1051414]

Nothing wrong with Vishay, but they aren't known for their spectacular electrolytics, but instead their solid state capacitors. The big three, Rubycon, Nichicon and Panasonic, are mostly known for their great ESR performance in their higher end designations. I love Vishay film capacitors.

[@Ben-fr8gi]

@@rich1051414 Those are good brands too. I use a lot of Panasonic FR. They're relatively inexpensive and have great ESR, temperature and projected life span. By far I use more of these than anything else when repairing vintage computers, TVs, HiFi, etc. However, axial electrolytics tend to bring me back to Vishay - they have a wide selection and the quality is good.

[@Ravenesque]

You've no idea how long I've spent looking for a british 8-bit-guy who looks like Michael from V-sauce! You've made my dreams come true! :) Thank you! :)

[@RMCRetro]

The pleasure is all mine sir :p

[@MartinKidd]

That was fantastic! It really turned out nice and is very timely as I had ordered a usb keyboard adapter board for my other electron just before this video popped up!

[@RMCRetro]

Thank you Martin, and thank you again for the donation originally it really does take pride of place in my collection

[@MartinKidd]

I'm glad you like it, I really do have fond memories of that machine and am glad it is having a second lease of life.

[@davidkennedy6208]

This was the computer my parents bought us back in the 80s. I have some great memories of my first true home gaming experiences (before that we had a multi game Pong type console) I loved our Electron, it wasn't the most popular of the time but I had a mate who had a BBC B so we would swap/copy games. I play a modern update of one of those great games now Elite Dangerous.

[@Atomic_Haggis]

I used an Electron and several BBCs (A, B, 128) at school. Fantastic of you to put this much effort into restoring it and also for giving a tour of the addons. That SD card addon is brilliant, and I'm going to have to look for an Electron to buy now!

[@RMCRetro]

+badreaxion great little add on isn't it. You can also find similar for the BBC, Spectrum, C64 as well as compact flash and USB for Amigas and Ataris among others. They really do make these old machines accessible

[@johnkortink8133]

GoSDC (the blue board) is, in fact, mainly a BBC addon. It plugs straight into a BBC's sideways ROM socket (no software changes). The green boards are only Electron adapters (by themselves they only provide the ROM socket and some sideways RAM).

[@DubiousEngineering]

I just got an electron.... Neil ... you are an absolute inspiration!

[@SSteelification]

"Foo Taba" for the pronunciation. I love your videos, so satisfying and gets me into a cleaning mood.

[@gamesessions]

Wow - you’ve just recovered a memory for me. I remember helping my teacher to “program”, one lunchtime, all my classmates into Tree of Knowledge on the BBC Micro. That must be a good 30 years ago. Thanks for making this video and helping me recover lost memories :)

[@RMCRetro]

You're welcome and thanks for watching

[@gregoryoakman8639]

I really enjoyed watching this video. Thanks for the effort.

[@RMCRetro]

Gregory Oakman thanks for watching

[@crumplezone1]

I had many a happy hour playing `Citadel` thanks for the memories :)

[@Doobie3010]

Remember being given one of these new by a relative who never knew how to operate it,so rather than return it,gave it to her computer-crazy nephew! Sadly it only came with one game “Joey” a kangaroo platform game.Played that one game for days at a time 😂😂😂

[@refractionpcsx2]

Ahh there's the beep :D *nostalgia* Great looking result dude, enjoy your Elk :)

[@RMCRetro]

Haha yes I couldn't leave it out this time! Thank you it's a lot of fun

[@refractionpcsx2]

RetroManCave good to hear! Get yourself some positron and citadel games if you can, they're super fun :) there was more I used to play but can't remember the names :(

[@whoho1]

Vishay are the good stuff as well , not ordinary :) Great video, do not wait too long with the next upload!

[@RMCRetro]

Thank you, I gathered they were good but I couldn't find anything to suggest they were better than average. Having said that people do seem to have wildly varied opinions on these things depending on personal experiences. Either way I think we're good for a few years now! Sorry it took a while but hopefully the extra length of this episode made up for it :)

[@whoho1]

Absolutely, great video :) Vishay, Rubycon, Nichicon, Panasonic, Wurth are all good. As long as they are from a major "brand" they are fine, the problems are mostly the "off brand" caps. Look for the operating temp on them, get 105°C or above rated from one of the brands above and there should be no reason to worry at all.

[@marcbradley5394]

Never had the Acorn personally but we had one at my school along with a BBC Micro (i think it was called) you do a great job bringing these old things back to life

[@Slugsie1]

The Electron is the computer I had as a teen in the early 80s. I still have it today along with another I picked up. Pretty sure it still works, so I'll have to dig it out and give it a try. I also have a Plus1 for mine too. I will have to check out those SD card add-ons, as I don't have a cassette deck anymore to load the games with. I must have spent hundreds of hours playing Thrust, Repton, and Elite (a rank I did achieve eventually).

[@peterjennings8258]

Another Marvellous video. Considering trying a bit off retrobriting myself. Keep up the good work. Cheers.

[@TheRetroShed]

Love this little machine! Still not sure whether to get one as have two Beebs already.

[@4282richard]

Wow that brought back some memories.

[@i-am-ber]

My first ever computer. Great to see it again, thanks for the video!

[@PaulGraham1977]

This was my first computer and gaming platform. I must remember to ask my dad if it's still in their loft so I can add it to my retro collection and bring it up to date. :) Great vid!

[@EgoChip]

Acorn electronics are a work of art.

[@Dhalin]

Oh, wow, that game at 21:56 looks like.... a distant precursor to.......Solar Jetman... mind=blown

[@DubiousEngineering]

Lovely - I had an Electron, it was indeed off-white - elite was the best game!

[@pyroslavx7922]

You are one unusually disciplined/thorough guy ;-) i never get further than getting things to work and (sometimes) blowing dust out with compressed air... and defenestrating any creature living in there ;-) PS. You DO NOT want to know what it contains.

[@therushden]

RMC produces quality content again. 👍

[@milesc.anthony2811]

That most certainly is a beautiful area to dwell upon! And it's not luck.

[@DavidHT]

Great work. Thoroughly enjoyed watching this.

[@RMCRetro]

Thank you David

[@amigadude6409]

Awesome video....I had a Electron back in the day...with a plus one cartridge expansion.

[@ronsherr1]

Excellent episode. Thank you very much!

[@RMCRetro]

Ron Sherrell you are most welcome!

[@MindFlareRetro]

Really enjoyed this video. There's not much opportunity to come by Acorn computers in my neck of the woods. It's beautifully clean design inside and out. Nicely done, as usual.

[@AnimalFacts]

The ol elk is a beautiful beast.

[@doctorcrankyflaps1724]

The Costwolds!? You lucky man : )

[@IceMaverick1986]

I really love all the work you're doing on this! I look forward to watching more and you Sir have earned a new subscriber!

[@RMCRetro]

Very kind, thank you for taking the time to watch

[@AmirKhan-qx2lr]

my first ever computer, many many years ago... thanks for doing this.

[@RMCRetro]

+Amir Khan thanks for watching!

[@psammiad]

Oh wow you're in the Cotswolds, how lovely. Dull, but lovely ;) You do have a very slight West Country accent now I listen out for it.

[@RMCRetro]

+psammiad what yer on about laddy we gots cows, sheeps, goats, all of the excitement here

[@StormWaltz73]

Excellent video and great job on the restoration!

[@reallybrokenalways]

Still got mine sitting in its original box. Memories of that original owners manual with the example BASIC programs. :-)

[@CambsNews]

Hi Neil. Love the Channel, thanks. I have finally got round to brightening my 1st two computers as a kid. An Acorn Electron and Atari 520STfm. The process seems to have ruined the Atari's badge do you know where I can buy replacements. I ended up getting carried away (two very hot days this week) and did the 2 plus ones and the Plus 3 I have as well as the Atari B&W monitor knobs :) Thanks in advance.

[@RMCRetro]

Hey that's great I'm glad you're having fun. I've not yet refurbished an Atari but at a glance Ebay has plenty of STFM badges so try that or jump on to an ST Forum I'm sure they will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

[@robbyxp1]

Cotswolds.. snap. Lovely view you have there. I had a BBC Micro with twin drives.. wish I still had the thing.

[@RMCRetro]

Very nice, I'd like a BBC Micro some day. Where abouts are you chap?

[@stephenelliott7071]

Very nicely restored as always. But what a lovely machine! Back in the day I already had my ZX Spectrum, and the BBC Micro was a bit out of my parent's budget - but that thing was also huge! I know it's a lesser machine in comparison to the BBC Micro, but it's so compact, looks great and with a great keyboard too!

[@Xesh001]

I've still got my Elk that I bought at one of the Acorn User shows, in the Barbican, way back in 1985! I have a Plus 3 and Plus 1 for it. If you think your Elk was bulky add a Plus 3 and see how big it is then! Luckily the Plus 3 comes with an upgraded PSU board to supply all that power when fully grown!

[@LemmyCaution66]

An awesome video. Thank you for your great work. Thank you!

[@pauledwards2817]

Another excellent video. Thank you. I have changed my mind a little about the electron. Unlike almost all cost reduced models it seems very well made, brass inserts for the screws and so on.

[@RMCRetro]

Paul Edwards and such a lovely keyboard. I do think Acorn found a nice balance between cost cutting and quality here compared to the ZX Spectrum

[@nuclear_war_games]

6:33 When it ain't raining, Britain turns into the most intense... GREEN!!

[@drewgehringer7813]

true of a lot of wet places: the northwest coasts of the U.S. and canada are, too

[@Commander_Applejack]

Oh this is beautiful, especially since the Acorn was my (well, my dad's) first computer.

[@vonkruel]

Beautiful job & great result. Thanks for sharing this!

[@mjwchapman]

beautifully done. my third computer and favourite to program on.

[@AtariFitness]

It was nice, seeing you restore the old Acorn Electron to it's fully glory. The BBC Model B was my machine.

[@JimmiG84]

Great production and narration, and a nice machine too :)

[@ncc74656m]

The use of the hair color brush was a nice touch for a slimmer object to get in between the switches on the keyboard. I'll remember that.

[@snooks5607]

5:45 I hear that heat alone works to start the process. discount stores sometimes sell small radiators for 9€

[@TonyVeart]

I remember buying one from Boots. They were very unreliable, I think I exchanged it 3 or 4 times with various faults before finally getting a BBC micro that never gave any problems. My first computer ! Good video. Thank you for bringing back some good and not so good memories :)

[@FrankWoodPhotography]

Lucky bugger living in the Cotswolds. I’m in Brum! Nice use of Grieg! 👏

[@RMCRetro]

+Frank Wood I sure am. From Dorset originally so very much a country boy at heart.

[@mintyfpv7809]

Thanks for another great video. Love watching them, its got me back into retro systems

[@RMCRetro]

That's really nice to hear! Anything you're working on or planning on getting soon?

[@mintyfpv7809]

Just got myself 2 x Amiga 600. One works and the other one was a spares/repair. So that is one project. Now looking for a Acorn Electron after watching your videos plus i want a ZX Spectrum 48k. Was always a Commodore C64 and Amiga 500 person back in the 80's

[@mintyfpv7809]

Just got myself my first Acorn Electron (unit only). Just need to source myself a power supply and tape player now.

[@mrjsv4935]

Excellent restoration, very satisfying to see dirty old computer cleaned and becoming like new again :) Just recently grabbed my first computer, Salora Manager from my parents place to my home. It stayed at least 20 years unused so first thing I did was open it up for inspection. Noticed it has Nichicon capacitors as well and they looked still good after all these years and the computer works fine so I guess Nichicon is indeed good brand in capacitors.

[@RMCRetro]

+Mr JSV Excellent! I've never heard of a Salora Manager and now I'm going down a rabbit hole...thank you

[@mrjsv4935]

Maybe Vtech (Video Technology) Laser 2001 sounds more familiar? ;)

[@duncangarnett1976]

When Mrs RetroManCave's toothbrush was used to clean the computer, was Mr RetroManCave sleeping on the couch afterwards 😁

[@thearcadeviking1912]

Awesome video man! Keep up the amazing work.

[@RMCRetro]

Thank you I appreciate your kind words

[@thearcadeviking1912]

RetroManCave Any time ^_^

[@RobA500]

Another old computer restored to its former glory, that's nice to see. A little tip for when you do your soldering, you should really trim the leads before soldering as cutting them the way you are in the video can lead to small fractures in the joint.

[@andymouse]

I loved my Electron and my VIC, and the Electron version of "Williams Defender" was incredible the graphics and game play second to none

[@claw_md]

I should point out that the Centre For Computing History is not in Bletchley Park, it's in Cambridge. There is a computer museum at Bletchley Park as well, but that one is the National Museum of Computing which focuses more on larger business and defense systems from the likes of IBM and Ferranti, as opposed to the '70s and '80s 8-bit stuff that the CFCH is primarily concerned with. I've been to both and they're well worth a visit.

[@RMCRetro]

+Steve Pick ah Steve thank you yes I've mixed them up! However, the Centre for Computing history has an excellent channel so well worth a watch. I must visit! I've been to Bletchley but evidently not this one. Have you been to the Swindon museum?

[@claw_md]

Nope, I didn't know about that one, will have to check it out!

[@DavidRickard1]

There is also a Telephony museum at the Milton Keynes museum, so if you're in the area of Bletchley Park, it's not a million miles away, and has some interesting stuff (if that's your thing).

[@RMCRetro]

David Rickard sounds like my kind of thing! I'll look it up

[@DavidRickard1]

There's loads of neat stuff. All the phones on display are attached to the exchange gear on display. Full Strowger setup (mechanical exchange) and (I think) System X. It's all there, right on display. Loads of old phones, very good explanations and displays of how it works. Yeah... definitely my thing. :D

[@prebaned]

I have zero interest in this but found myself watching the whole video. You are a very good narrator.

[@MrBads_Games]

A fantastic video! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am now I want to renovate my entire computer collection :D unfortunately I don't know where to start! The Acorn looks superb!

[@RMCRetro]

+MrBads Retro Games hehe thanks it turned out well and it's always nice to know I've inspired others to do the same. Pick a computer and do something small for it today, maybe check for leaking batteries amd capacitors and blow the dust out. Before you know it all those small tasks turn into a full refurbishment.

[@MikkyTee]

Another excellent series rmc ;)

[@RMCRetro]

+MikkyTee cheers Mikky!

[@shmupshmuppewpew5260]

Great vid!

[@DoRC]

Vishay is more known for their resistors but everything they make is absolute top notch.

[@ralphmalone8337]

What a cool little computer, must not have been many in the USA.. Never seen one before thanks..

[@Chokkan]

I should donate a keycap puller. I was worried you'd damage the keycaps or the switches. It was great to see those old games I used to play those classics, too. BBC Model B was my guy.

[@RMCRetro]

One is incoming for future works! As it happened though the keys came off with the lightest of pressure, any more and I would have rethought my approach so as not to cause damage.

[@pyroslavx7922]

Plastic tweezers (used in hospitals/by surgeons... don't know what the thing is called???, but it is single use/disposable, dirt cheap, well made, hard green plastic thing) are usefull for that and can be bought in any bigger pharmacy (at least here in Slovenia) for like 0.2 eur.

[@9uuuu]

Always fun to see two of my favorite youtubers interracting in the comments

[@FerintoshFarmsPhotography]

I was just thinking someone will probably send you a key puller after watching that

[@Hagledesperado]

They're less than a dollar on the fleabay. I have one for the few times in a decade that I pick keyboards apart. That anyone who regularly restores computers for a hobby doesn't have one, does not compute.

[@jakeagusta]

Fantastic, enjoyed this restoration 😃👍🏻 You got a new Subscriber

[@RMCRetro]

Thanks Jake and welcome aboard!

[@nataliekate2176]

Your backyard view looks like a faerie land! 💜🙌🏼 great vid!

[@TheSaabClinicUK]

Having watched this again for probably the 3rd time ( i know, Sad...) , and now thinking about buying an Electron. Oh the memories. Ive remembered that my new Electron when i was 12yrs old arrived from dixons broken !. The Barrel Jack socket on the electron itself had a broken solder joint. My mum was really upset about this as it cost her a fortune. So i fixed it myself even though i was a kid. Took it apart, and re-soldered that socket. I seem to remember learning later that a lot of the ones sold in shops were refurbs. So i assume ones with faulty ULA's that were returned. Fixed, and then pushed back out in new boxes again.

[@GadgetUK164]

LOL @ Mrs Retro Man Caves tooth brush. Don't give me ideas lol.

[@jms019]

Correction: Centre for Computing History in Cambridge and The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley. You should visit both.

[@RMCRetro]

You got it, I had the two mixed up, both worth a visit and the Computing History YT channel is well worth a sub

[@cheater00]

Loved the video! Thanks!

[@andrewefimov4488]

клавиши... вся клава целиком... просто супер! я хочу себе такой компьютер в коллекцию

[@reallybrokenalways]

Awesome video as usual sir.

[@thepenultimateninja5797]

Pro tip for drying keycaps: Spread a bath towel out on the floor or a table, and put the wet keycaps in the middle. Gather up the sides of the towel to make a loose 'bag' with the keycaps inside. Shake the 'bag' gently for 20-30 seconds. The water that is stuck inside the keycaps will get shaken out and absorbed by the towel, leaving the keycaps almost dry. Spread the towel open again and distribute the keycaps evenly so they are not overlapping each other. The keycaps will usually be dry within an hour, or as fast as 20-30 mins if you point a fan at them. You could also use a salad spinner, but that is actually more effort vs a towel.

[@RMCRetro]

That's a great tip thank you!

[@paulb4uk]

Vishay should be decent caps often used in spectrum recapping .looks really nice now its done i have an electron somewhere must dig it out .Loving your sony triniitron crt as well i have 4 sonys my favorite is from 1984 a semi portable i got from a charity shop a 14 inch from my dad and 2 21 inch 4:3 aspect ratio 1 dumped in an alley behind my flat the other dumped on the pavement in the street great find when drunk and all working well , i also got a sharp 32 inch lcd that worked fine as it was dumped in the alley behind the flat but it has no stand .

[@ThePCPitChannel]

I put my Electron out in the baking sun yesterday, no peroxide at all. It made a massive difference ;)

[@005AGIMA]

Ah the view! Now not only do I want all my old computers back, but I want my home back. England forever. That said, my view from the hills in Perth in Australia is not a bad one, but I will forever consider England my home.

[@Ikrananka]

Superb video - love the work you do.