Can we fix Sinclair Spectrum +3 design flaws? Drive fix plus Better Sound & Video!

[@EzeePosseTV]

I've never heard a Spectrum sound so good. I like how the audio has a more fuller detailed sound. Nicely done, keep up the good work!

[@danielson9579]

Putting all the screws back before testing I admire your confidence 😁👍

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Haha! Thanks. I don't always do that.

[@8BitRetroReFix]

Thank's Mark .. I know at this point it's an old video .. But still this has helped a lot :) .. All the best Steve

[@tobymalamute2856]

Never actually watched the channel, just saw you on RMC - Spectrum +3 Refurbishment ordered - nice one mate, I needed that. This Spectrum is already in superb condition, off to Wales it goes:)

[@havenisse2009]

Fixed my cpc 6128 drive belt using a slice of bike tubing. Worked great. And was free.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

havenisse2009 I applaud your ingenious solution.

[@DecayingReverie]

Restorations and repairs are like my ASMR. It is so satisfying to see a majestic beast restored to its previous glory.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Decaying Reverie I’ll do some deeper voices and rub the microphone a bit next time ;)

[@markorollo.]

I said the same thing on another retro technology channel, retro recipes. If I need to chill out I watch things like this. And I don't even have a clue how to do this stuff.

[@ReverendJackson]

superb video - easily the best breakdown of a +3 disc drive - I now feel confident in trying to repair mine - thanks :)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+ReverendJackson you are welcome and thank you for your kind words 😊

[@SwainyAtRetroAsylum]

Mark you done a superb job mate. Firstly it’s now safe to have the volume up and listen to some great AY tunes without any distortion and everything else is working nicely 👍 Thanks again mate!!!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

AY tunes are the best tunes. 100%. You are really welcome mate. 🙂🙃🙂😀

[@joefish6091]

three oscillators plus noise and ADSR envelope. yuck. it works but it's not Amiga.

[@seraphinberktold7087]

​@@joefish6091It's always pointless to compare different generations or market segments aka price levels of computers.

[@grahamking3602]

Ian at mutant Caterpillar is absolutely brilliant he fixed my plus 4 done a fantastic job I highly recommend him

[@MarkFixesStuff]

He's a nice bloke too.

[@RetroTech100]

All over my head but fun to watch. Im sure Dean appreciates you hard work.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks for watching mate. I appreciate it :)

[@mnomic8371]

Brilliant video. I had a +3 as a kid & loved it. My dad put all my original tape games onto discs so they loaded instantly - well it was instantly back then. I have fond memories of playing those three games you had on your disc, mailstrom was awesome. I also loved Rebelstar II, Chaos, Aliens, Sir Fred, the great escape, Infiltrator, & the numerous text adventure games like Rigel’s Revenge, Gremlins etc. This video has got me remeniscing now lol.

[@imnickleonard]

I fixed my +3 sound this week following your video. Absolutely awesome. Thank you for posting this.

[@lokz9632]

Great work Mark! Keep up fixing stuff!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks Lokz and thanks for watching!

[@ibarzabal]

This video is so satisfying to watch!

[@JamieCrookes]

Just found you, watched this and subbed. How have you only got 7.1k subs man? :-o

[@MrDaveP75]

This explains why my +2B displays an RGB over SCART picture properly on one of my (fairly new) LCD telly and not the (older) other one. I thought it was the TV not being compatible with the old scart timings not a manufacturing defect on the speccy! I should have known better given Sinclair's manufacturing history :-) Thanks for this excellent tutorial.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yes, it's the good old SCART blanking signal.

[@seraphinberktold7087]

This time it's not Sinclair's fault. Amstrad produced the +3 Spectrums. 😉

[@Rip-Van-Tinkle]

Great video Mark, I'm a Commodore man really, but I very much enjoyed that! 👍

[@TheEPROM9]

Always satisfying getting another machine restored. My IBM 5150 drives got a full service & clean, if it moved it was lubed, everything elce was cleaned. Did not need aligning, but both drives now work even the one thta sounded more like an angel grinder.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+TheEPROM9 a service is always a good thing for these old beasts and can make a massive difference

[@Edman_79]

How the hell was I not subscribed to this? I was sure I subscribed when you first appeared on RetroManCave. Never mind, I'm subscribed now - 'cause this is oil for my wounds :D

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Welcome to the channel Edman!

[@HuntersMoon78]

I've just subbed too.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Welcome to you too mate!

[@davidretrogamesplayedbadly3533]

Great video mate, always nice to see a machine brought back to life.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Cheers Dave!

[@Livebirdboxcatterall]

Great work, just one point, the data cable goes under the main pcb on its way to the drive. Not that it really matters when it's all back together I suppose. Top job.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Cheers James. You are correct of course. I think I've been mucking about with Goteks too much now.

[@hucky29]

My brother just gave me a basket full of games and a +3 he found in. Box on the street someone was chucking out. I’ve ordered a rgb cable and no doubt will be referring to your walkthrough to get it all in order. Cheers mark

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Nice one Hucky!!! Saved from the landfill and now going to be fixed up!

[@hucky29]

@@MarkFixesStuff RGB cable arrived. Tested and it works, except for the disk drive. Think I’ll need to change the belt. It’s exactly the same fault as your unit had!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@hucky29 Yeah. They all need a belt change. It’ll be gloop

[@hucky29]

Followed the video and she’s back, disk drive and computer fully working. Now to save up for a divMMC 😂

[@hucky29]

Ended up getting a little card from retroleum. Half the price of divmmc and works just as good!

[@DouglasTitchmarsh]

Great job Mark, those hands are looking great as usual.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+Douglas Titchmarsh Wild Mean Hairy Lip Squid...

[@CallousCoder]

Tip for easier and faster icky sticky belt removal. Use naphtha/benzeen. It dissolves the polymers that came from the rubber a lot better than IPA does. And also evaporates completely. And rotating a motor can have bad results, as you induce a current that can flow the wrong way and kill semiconductors… Don’t ask me how I know 😜

[@CZ350tuner]

I modded the heck out of Spectrum +3, back in the late 1980's. I installed an Amstrad 2 M.Byte double sided floppy disc drive, which required a boot disc with some machine code, to reset the expanded disc parameter base so that it would format & read both sides of the disc formatted to 320 K.Bytes. I took the part of the manual where it gave info of how one might be tempted to run a hard drive on the +3 as a challenge and managed to run a IBM Type 1 MFM 10 M.Byte hard drive (powered by a sperate power supply) through the drive B slot. The +3 could only format the hard drive to 8.6 M.Bytes though. This required a new boot disc to set both the double sided floppy disc and the hard drive. In the 1990's, work as an electronic engineer required a PC & a Mac so the +3 now resides in the loft. The IBM hard drive was put back into a PC as a Drive D: and reformatted back to PC format. I've mislaid all the notes on connections and the boot disc coding. It took aa lot of frustrating trial and effort to make it work fine. 8.6 M.Bytes seemed massive back in the late 1980's. I often wonder did anybody else ever take up the manual's challenge to install a hard drive on the +3. I know a few people converted the +3 to take the inferior 720 K.Byte 3.5 floppy drive.

[@JohnSmith-bh4zx]

Hi, great video. What type of grease did you use in the floppy disk drive.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

White Lithium.

[@JohnSmith-bh4zx]

@@MarkFixesStuff Thanks

[@bombjack1984]

Fascinating video, always enjoy watching your stuff.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+bombjack I always enjoy reading your comments :) thanks so much for watching!

[@TheRaven078]

Wow that is such a slick looking little computer. It's a shame the Sinclair line was not popular here in the US.

[@joefish6091]

Timex Sinclair , the American licensed version.

[@zxkim8136]

Nice fix mark and it sounds great love your Chanel mate 😁😁😁 Kim 😁😁😁

[@PantherUK]

Great video Mark, that sounds the nuts now... It ain't no SID but as far as AY goes that's proper sorted...

[@MarkFixesStuff]

SID vs AY... Beatles vs the Stones... Iron Maiden vs Judas Priest...

[@PantherUK]

@@MarkFixesStuff SID, Stones, Maiden... 😉😂

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+PantherUK of course.

[@vmisev]

@@MarkFixesStuff YM2413 OPLL, Led Zeppelin, Motörhead ;> BTW - great video, superb job! Cheers :D

[@bazza5699]

nice work mark, brought back great memories of my +3 :) I never used a scart, back in the day, i bet it is clear as a bell compared to the old RF..

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It's very good mate. Not as sharp as a ZX-HD mind you, but damn good. I'm going to have one for sale shortly with all the fixes done... :whistles:

[@RetroRecollections]

Really enjoyed this Mark, great job. :)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks so much +Retro Recollections

[@piecaruso97]

Great video, you absolutely need more subscribers

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+piecaruso97 thank you so much. Hoping the subscribers come but grateful to those who have subbed already.

[@CZ350tuner]

I installed an Amstrad 3 Inch double sided drive on my +3 but on power up it would initially start as a single sided drive until I ran a few bytes of machine code to reset the expanded disc parameter base (refer to Built In Operating System "how to do" info in the +3 manual) to switch the drive A: to double sided. After reading the part in the manual (more of a challenge) that gave the XDPB and info on possibly attaching a hard drive to the +3, I later managed to run an IBM MFM 10 M.Byte HD on the B: drive expansion (with some messy wiring and circuitry) but the +3 BIOS only allowed a format to give 8.5 M.Bytes. It required a boot disc in drive A: to initialise the XDPB to recognise that Drive B: was an 8.5 M.Byte HD. The HD also required its own power supply. Did anyone else have a go at running a hard drive on the +3?? The +3 is now up in the loft in a container full of Silica Gel packets, having been replaced by a succession of PC's and Mac's since the 1990's. The +3's HD ended up back in a PC. I'm kind of tempted dig it out and fire it up again.

[@alynicholls3230]

there are replacement bios files that are supposed to make it easier, +3e i think its called, but an expansion interface is better the div ide was originally intended to put drives on the speccy, but it has morphed into an sd card solution. if you shop around all versions of the drive interface can be found, though sdcard is the tits.

[@dLLund]

thank you for posting. new sub. it might be heresy, but i wonder if the 3" fdd could be replaced w/ a 3.5" fdd. waiting for the booing & hissing to die down. take care & stay safe.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It definitely can, and was even done back in the day. These days people like to use a USB drive emulator like the Gotek.

[@spudhead169]

Most refurbishes on a +3 generally replace the FDD with a 3.5 inch drive.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I like to keep it with the original drive. These days most people seem to go for Gotek drives in 3d printed cradles if they are swapping the original 3" out.

[@spudhead169]

@@MarkFixesStuff Wow, thanks for the reply :) I guess the Gotek and its ilk are better choices now. The refurbs I saw were many years ago. It'd be nice if there were some hack to plug in an external drive and have it act like the internal, so you can keep the original hardware and not have to cut cases etc.. I know this can be done on the Amiga.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@spudhead169 It's not only possible, but it's been done by Zaxon and you can buy it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eH-VY2V8p7etqLc (short and shaky video) That being said, I have Div MMC devices form ByteDelight and The Future Was Eight Bit, so it's almost entirely unneeded here.

[@discoHR]

Nicely and thoroughly done.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks +discoHR :)

[@StanfordYell]

Great video, what type of grease did you use at the end?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Plastic safe silicone - I use Silverhook! amzn.to/2T59mAf

[@pvc988]

That keyboard looks so nice. I wouldn't mind having Spectrum +3 styled keyboard for my PC.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+pvc I think someone does these on Etsy? You’d need some specific butttons for things like the windows key I guess?

[@seraphinberktold7087]

As long as you use something to rest your wrists on, go ahead! Most 8-bit computers had their keyboards too far up in the air since the board was located underneath it. One of the few exceptions is, wait for it, the rubber-keyed wonder itself aka original ZX Spectrum. But that keyboard had other issues, some say. 😊

[@pvc988]

​@@seraphinberktold7087 Yeah, typing on those thicc machines was not nice at all. But things got much better in 16 bit era. I really like the feel of A500 keyboard. This is the machine that I really started coding on and this is where I got my preference for tilted keyboards from. To this day I 3D print extra tall stands for my keyboards. Stock ones are usually too short for me. And it physicaly hurts my hands when I have to type on a laptop or some other flat keyboard.

[@DbugII]

Very nice, that being said, a before/after for the sound would have been helpful to know the actual difference in sound :)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thank you! The before and after samples are located on the SFEO website. They are not on the video because KZbin messes with audio. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the audio player. spectrumforeveryone.com/technical/fixing-audio-distortion-spectrum-3/

[@DbugII]

@@MarkFixesStuff Ok, that's some quite dramatic changes, it's like the signal was clipped while having some weird reverberating sound like bad vibrating plastic enclosure on cheap speakers. Definitely worth doing the fix. Thanks!

[@paulb4uk]

Nice job at some point i need to do the plus 3 i bought ages ago so far all i have done is the dust cleaned out of the keyboard the audio fix makes a massive difference ,my black plus 2 has bens stereo sound mod .

[@CortinasAndClassics]

Hi Mark, nice work. I always wanted a +3 but sadly it wasn't to be. I have a rare ish console and was wondering if you could help with it. I think my Amstrad GX4000 is dead and the power supply has taken a permanent holiday. 🤞

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I don't know a whole lot abou the GX4000 but it's my understanding that the PSU is simply feeding a 5v regulator, so any PSU with any regulated DC 9V to 12V and 750ma or higher should do the trick? The centre pin on the PSU must be +ve and the outer barrel -ve. I have read that a failing PSU can fry the ram in the unit but maybe you are lucky?

[@CortinasAndClassics]

@@MarkFixesStuff Fingers crossed yes, I have heard of the original psu burning themselves out. The power input is 11volts as far as I recall.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@CortinasAndClassics yes the original PSU was about that, but unregulated like most decent modern supplies. In the machine it goes into a 7805 regulator which takes the an input of 7.5v to around 28v and reduces it to a stable 5v. You can usually run a regulator from as little as 7.5v to get the required 5v, but a 9v PSU is a safer bet. anything more than the minimum requirement is output as heat by the regulator.

[@CortinasAndClassics]

Thanks for your advice Mark it was the psu. I got it working I just need to adjust the display :)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Simone J Stogrin great news!

[@mr.y.mysterious.video1]

I discovered at the time that the sound was far better when I connected the plus 3 to a tape recorder via the audio socket. My friends refused to believe me until they heard it

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+mr y mysterious video that’s really interesting actually.

[@Nukle0n]

17:30 I always wondered why nobody ever recaps the drives? Even though they do have some electrolytics on them. Great video though.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

There is a reason as follows. Capacitors are often used in tandem with a resistor for timing functions. When you change the capacitors in a disk drive you risk throwing those mechanical timings out and this can affect rotational speed and other functions that would need to be recalibrated. This is a job that need special hardware, some of which is no longer available. So the approach is “if it’s not causing a problem then don’t change them until they do”.

[@vmisev]

@@MarkFixesStuff This is very interesting q&a, thanks :) I did some digging and here is nice article describing sw&tools used for adjusting floppy drives: PC Mag; Sep 29 1987: "Disk Drive Utilities/Floppy Problem" (mag. pg 323/arch. pg n340): archive.org/details/PC-Mag-1987-09-29/page/n340 pls, see also pg 334/n351 about "Interrogator" by Xidex Corp. archive.org/details/PC-Mag-1987-09-29/page/n351

[@Synthematix]

Because amateurs think its only capacitors that can go wrong

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yes, I used to repair drives as a part of my job in the 90's. I worked in a large diskette duplication factory near Heathrow, and as the drives would wear out, the heads would be replaced, aligned and calibrated. The big problem these days is that the alignment diskettes are no longer made. They were written on special certified drives and the patterns on them did not conform to MFM encoding so are not able to be made with standard drives.

[@vmisev]

@@MarkFixesStuff Thanks for the reply. Computer history is my passion, but IDK much, if anything at all about this subject. After some more digging, all I found are Dysan/Xidex made disks (224/2A, 40 tracks, PN 800180; 206-31, 80 track, PN 802166 and 3 1/2" - 350/2A, PN 810234). This brochure (pdf) has instructions for 350/2A: deramp.com/downloads/mfe_archive/020-Disk%20Drives/Dysan/Alignment%20Disks/Dysan%20350A%20Alignment%20Disk%20info.pdf And here is Dysan Performance and Alignment Tester (PAT-2+): archive.org/details/bitsavers_dysan95045AlignmentTesterDec90_5960100 Do you know of any company other than Dysan/Xidex that made disks and tools for same purpose? Thanks one more time for bringing this subject to my attention :)

[@bamdadkhan]

as much hate as amstrad gets (most of it deservedly), this machine is put together quite well, better than its average contemporaries..

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It's a high quality machine, despite the mistakes in the circuit out of the factory.

[@moth.monster]

Fun fact: 70% isopropyl alcohol is better for general disinfecting, as it's better at breaking down the cells of bacteria and fungi when the water is there. (This is also why you should not drink it.) The more pure stuff isn't as good at killing microbes (but still decent at killing humans and pets if you drink it!) though it's still good as a general purpose solvent, and the quick evaporation makes it better suited for electronics.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+eri yes indeed. Which also leads me to say that pure IPA is not great for cleaning some stuff due to the lack of water. For that I use window cleaner mainly. My fun fact is that pure IPA does not conduct electricity!

[@dtanaskovic]

Cool vacuum pump. Never saw one so nice

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Dragan Tanaskovic is called an SS02, a Japanese engineer tool but you can buy them from EBay.

[@dtanaskovic]

Thank you so much Mark!

[@GaryAudley]

Great video keep up the great work.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks +Gary Audley and thanks for watching :)

[@Anthony_Matabaro_3D_360]

. Hi Mark, This is the first time I have seen your channel and have just subscribed as this a really great video with an excellent choice of sound tracks. Could please tell me what you meant by backing out when replacing screws ? Do you mean to turn them anti clockwise upon reinsertion ? Kind Regards, Anthony Matabaro. .

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Hi Anthony. Yes. Imagine that you put the screw back in the thread and turn it counter clockwise until it "drops" into the groove already made when the case was first screwed together. Then it is easier to screw in with less force and is better for the plastic. You can feel when it drops. If you try it you will know :) Thank you for watching and your kind words.

[@Anthony_Matabaro_3D_360]

. Hi Mark, Thank you for response it is much appreciated, and your very welcome. Have a good weekend. .@@MarkFixesStuff

[@StephenBlower]

I've used a normal rubber (pencil eraser) on edge connectors and then a Glass Fiber pencil to clean them and remove all the dark marks from use and age. Now I'm not saying this is better, but it does work, as I had a 128k Toastrack that crashed when putting any joystick interface in. Cleaned it with the above and it then worked fine. Have you tried this? I don't see how Braso would have work though? However there's usually more than one way to achieve the same effect. And Braso does smell nice.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+Stephen Blower I have a glass fibre pencil here which I use for reworking boards and that would work as well. Brasso has ammonia which cleans the surface oxidation off but also contains a mildly abrasive rubbing compound which is why it dries slightly powdery. I’ve use it for years on game carts with great success. I think using the fibreglass pencil might take a bit more work? I’ll give your go a whirl next time though. Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@Acidbottle]

Hi Mark, I have put a completely refurbished working drive in my +3 and its not spinning. Power LED is on but I cant run disks from loader. Is there anything else I can check, cables all in place as should be. Great vid on the sound fix though! Cheers

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Sounds like the belt is still a problem. Do you get a short whirring sound when the machine powers on? Also are you 100% sure the data cable is the right way around? That’s a common gotcha. The LED will still light.

[@Acidbottle]

@@MarkFixesStuff Cables all good, +3 working well just the drive wont spin up and read disks. The drive itself was working from another machine. Checked all solder joints. Flummoxed me this time :( Costly repair to send off, might even be cheaper to camp on ebay for a cheap machine. Damn! Cheers anyways Mark.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+Acidbottle 0101 I would check for 12v on the drive power connector in that case. The 12v from the PSU is only needed by the floppy. The fuse in the PSU can blow on the 12v side and cause this kind of problem. If you have another PSU try that. I have a video on checking the fuse in the +3 PSU.

[@Acidbottle]

That was the exact issue, you're a genius! Would never have suspected the PSU fuse. Working perfectly again 👍

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Glad it's working for you! Genius is a bit strong hahah!

[@SelfIndulgentGamer]

I always thought the sound capabilities of the Spectrum have always been underrated. Having both the 64 and Spectrum they have very different sounds, but some of the best speech I have heard on the Spectrum, such as Robocop. Blew me away the first time I heard that on my 128 :)

[@paulgascoigne5343]

What I usually do is take a photo of the boards I'm disassembling and then when I remove screws I place them on the sheet of paper in the same locations. Then I accidentally smack the piece of paper when I'm not paying attention, flinging the screws across the room.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+Paul Gascoigne I never smack the paper because my cats get to the screws first...

[@stevemayne9305]

Enjoyed watching this video, thank you Sir! PS Any tips on sneaking Spectrum related items past the better-half as my ratio is one item per year.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+Steve Mayne keep it in the shed until she goes out then advance it into the house...

[@projectfanboy]

Does it matter what way you put a resistor in or do you have to match ihow it was originally on the board?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Resistors work either way and don’t have any polarity.

[@moth.monster]

Inside, a resistor is essentially just a long thin bit of wire that is very precise in it's longness and thinness; the direction doesn't matter one bit!

[@boblowes]

That's awesome. I have my childhood +2B still (I've checked the motherboard, and it's definitely not the +2A) - is there last problems with the Scart compliance and sound? I know there are mods you can add that give you a better audio balance, but other than that, I don't know what bugs Amstrad didn't clear up, or perhaps introduced. I also need to replace the microswitches on my PowerPlay Cruiser Sinclair-wired joystick, but am not sure what type they need replacing with. Any pointers?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

The sound was allegedly fixed in the +2B but some models do suffer from an imbalance in volume between the beeper and AY sound. Nowhere near as bad as the +3 though. SCART should be fine on that model. Dunno about microswitches. I'm sure you can find a fit though.

[@KolliRail]

Well done!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thank you +KolliRail :)

[@alanhammerton]

I rather like the ASMR version of Mark ;) Excellent work, really nicely shot.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thank you +Alan Hammerton - We still need to have coffee BTW!

[@alanhammerton]

Will sort it out when I'm back :)

[@captaincorleone7088]

This wasn't the final Amstrad Spectrum, the +2B was produced afterwards. ;)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Well the final "evolution" of the model that added something new I mean haha!

[@captaincorleone7088]

@@MarkFixesStuff LOL.. Fair enough! Nice work btw. :)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@captaincorleone7088 Thank you sir. Very kind of you to say so and thank you for watching :)

[@davidkennedy8]

22:00 you do know the disk drive data cable goes under the mainboard to reappear near the floppy drive

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yeah. A few people have mentioned it now. I cocked up.

[@MDFRESCUER]

Good job.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+MDF RESCUER thanks mate. :)

[@gravious]

never had any exposure to the +3 but i had a +2a which i loved. I can't take the +3 seriously anymore since i noticed how much dead space there is on the case and how off-center the keyboard is :-/

[@davidkennedy8]

21:15 the data cable is routed under the board

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+David Kennedy you are correct!

[@Bignbeardedadventures]

Yeah I spotted that too.... good job though will have to do all this to mine I got in attic for last 20+ years

[@MarkFixesStuff]

@@Bignbeardedadventures Just too used to fitting Goteks these days.

[@dave8864]

does this fix apply to a revision 1 board?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Only the black one

[@TzOk]

16:22 - Actually IPA is not very poisonous (not much more than ethanol), you won't die after drinking small amount it, yet I wouldn't recommend trying that.

[@MacMelmac]

Never seen a RS232 and MIDI in the same port! What was the main MIDI program?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Not going to lie, I don't really know about that at all!

[@peterbaillie8363]

Why not do a video about replacing the psu with laptop psu?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I actually planned that with a Cisco Router PSU and bought three parts but then the house fire happened. I’ll put it back on the list. Thanks!

[@StephenBlower]

Two questions. 1: What soldering iron tip are you using? It looks incredibly black and not silvery from the solder and cleaned. I clean mine constantly and keep it looking silvery. 2: I'm currently using a 1.6mm chisel tip, yours looks nothing like that and quite a lot bigger, but that might be due to the magnification/zoom of the camera. That's a Bevel Tip, why do you use that? From what I've read it's good for holding solder on the tip, but you don't do that in this video. Intriguing. Disclaimer: This is a question from someone who only started refurbing Spectrums in December 2018, so please be gentle and very specific and assume I know very little. I've had three +3's and the first 2 worked fine with the SCART Cable made as per the PDF below. But a current +3 and 2A have issues with major artifacting, whereas three +2 Greys work perfectly with the same cable. Looks like I got lucky before, or they had been modded and I didn't pay attention. www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/vanmezelf/ZX%20Spectrum%20128K%20video%20fixes%20and%20video%20cables.pdf

[@MarkFixesStuff]

1. It's a very well used tip and was due to be replaced. I have about ten different tips for various tasks. 2. It's a 3mm 45° Chisel Soldering Iron Tip. I use these generally because I'm used to them. I can use the edge of the blade for fine work, or the flat of the chisel for larger areas. cpc.farnell.com/tenma/21-10154/tip-chisel-angled-3-0mm It's also worth noting that I have two stations, with the second iron having a 1.2 "normal" chisel tip. This is so I can switch from one size to another quickly without changing tips. Regarding your Spectrums, different models produced over time had different in-factory revisions, but even the TV being used can affect the image. This +3 worked fine on my TV without mods, but not on Deans. Hope this helps!

[@samcoupe4608KB]

I bought a +3 first thing I did with the 3" toaster was put it in the bin and bought a diskiple twin 3 1/2" drives from byte delight...

[@TheTigermask1]

Hey Mark dose anybody make a replacement case for a zx Spectrum 128k toastrack?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

No mate. Sorry!

[@MeneGR]

Is that a facom screwdriver? I used to lust over them, can we have any specs? I also have no idea how i wasn't already subscribed.. KZbin should know better and have your videos in my feed all the time!

[@AstAMoore]

Heh. I wonder if +3B Spectrums have ever been spotted in the wild. Many sources say that Amstrad made them (which makes sense, since +2Bs are quite plentiful-I myself own one-and there’s a +2B/+3B service manual), but I haven’t seen a single +3B machine. That would have saved you quite a bit of time you spent modding the audio output circuitry.

[@Fifury161]

Inspired me to dust down my +3 - never occurred to me that drive belt might disintegrate!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+Fifury161 they all have. Thankfully they are cheap and easy to find.

[@markorollo.]

Had a 48 and 128k (+2?) But never had this one. I think I moved on to Amigas when this came out.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

The +3 was a bit of a late bloomer for sure.

[@Regaljester75]

do you plan on doing a specrum +2 fix or mod? I need help! I get no picture through the RF, I tried poking it with a sponge finger I had planned on eating later...Having reached the limit of my electrical engineering know how I reached out to the intranet, it recoiled in horror hitching up its petticoat and screaming like a girl, so naturally I watched your lovely vid. Please please can you fix it for me? Update: the sponge finger contained too much Sugar (a bit like the specrum) ;)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+Regaljester75 no plans to do plus 2 at the moment, but the info is on the website. If you need someone to do it I can recommend Ian at Mutant Caterpillar Games. Link is in the video description.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+Regaljester75 no plans to do the +2 yet but it is similar and listed on the SpectrumForEveryone website mentioned in the video with the link in the description. I’m afraid I’m very busy with repairs here, but I can heartily recommend Ian Gledhill at Mutant Caterpillar Games. Again the link is in the video description.

[@Regaljester75]

@@MarkFixesStuff thank you kind sir.

[@electronash]

Ooh, it's all gone a bit more "ManCave". lol Good vid, mate. ;)

[@Retromaniapt]

@Mark Fixes Stuff Hi Mark love your videos, keep up the good work ;) Can i make a request? please make a video, showing all the different ways to copy a single game or several to a +3 floppy disk, i cant find that kind of tutorial anywhere, not even on video. Im wondering if its possible to do this kind of task with a SD device. Thanks in advance.

[@davidkennedy8]

25:44 (looks good from the back" NOT, the data cable goes under the board not above and loose

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yes. I put it back after the video when a few people alerted me. Thanks for letting me know.

[@3dmotormaker]

I lost my write protect pin - do you know where I can get another ?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

www.dataserve-retro.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p389.html

[@HuntersMoon78]

Would the Scart fix work with the +2a

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+Hunter's Moon it’s exactly the same. Replace R44 with a 680 ohm resistor.

[@HuntersMoon78]

@@MarkFixesStuff Awesome, I'll get round to doing that soon.

[@sgkonfetti]

Have you ever tried CP/M running on the Sinclair Spectrum ?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+Stefan Gies not once!

[@sgkonfetti]

@@MarkFixesStuff ZX CP/M 2.2: www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0023486

[@sgkonfetti]

CP/M Software: www.cpm.z80.de/

[@davidkennedy8]

21:36 the data cable should go under the pcb

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yeah I made a mistake.

[@samdavid8531]

I drunk isopropyl alcohol once and I'm still alive.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

😂😂😂 Legend!

[@samdavid8531]

@@MarkFixesStuff we ran out of booze so we just started pouring it into orange squash. I didn't notice any ill effects.

[@Sloposse]

#24:57 that IDE cable oh my eyes!!!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yeah, I messed up. No excuses.

[@Sloposse]

Just very awkward to see if your a fan of the hardware :)

[@Jpetersson]

E´s are good E´s are good, E´s Ebeneezer goode!

[@WxAxNxDxExRxExR]

A genuine noob question -- how did you get this Cisco PSU to work, i.e. where did you get the -12V from??

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I'm going to cheat and send you to a link. spectrumforeveryone.com/technical/replacement-psu-2a-3-machines/

[@dr.zippymcscoots8725]

Wow haven't seen one of these in a about 30+ years.

[@ms-ex8em]

about this microcomputer the ltd. is it ltd or ltd. ???? thanks on boot up thanks......

[@StephenBlower]

I've had lots of problems with the RGB to SCART mod. Replacing with a 680 OHM resistor caused issues on 2 TV's. Then I changed it to a 470 OHM resistor and the problem was solved on one TV but then got worse on the other. So it looks like this fix isn't for ALL TV's. Bloody typical, I'll have to put a note in the box for the sold +2B and +3 that the RGB to SCART isn't guaranteed to work. And replace the 470 with the recommended 680. I've previously bought the RGB to SCART cable (the same one you have in the video) and that has such a disclaimer on it also. The issue is detailed here in Spectrum For Everyone. facebook.com/groups/spectrumforeveryone/permalink/849723738707432/ The cables I've made are as per this document: www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/vanmezelf/ZX%20Spectrum%20128K%20video%20fixes%20and%20video%20cables.pdf

[@joefish6091]

Use a switch , switch in a parallel resister to drop the 680 to 470.

[@TheEPROM9]

I have about 90% of my computer colection restored now =-)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+TheEPROM9 that’s some going mate.

[@samcoupe4608KB]

Could u replace the 3" toaster with two 3 1/2"drives please?

[@miikasuominen3845]

One other solution to 128k versions sound problems would be this kit: www.bytedelight.com/?product=stereo-kits-for-any-zx-spectrum-128k-model Also giving stereo sound at the same time. I installed it to my 128+2b. Top Stuff... P.S. Just refurbished two 6128s, interesting to see, that they had a quite different FDD-assemblys compared to this Speccy one... Which brings to my mind, that it seems to be near impossible to find 3" disks anymore... P.P.S. Though I have watched your videos for a long time, for some reason I had not subscribed... "Fixed" now... xD

[@joefish6091]

3" prob became rare and expensive in the 90s, a custom Gotek solution.

[@kaczan3]

I always use vodka for cleaning electronics. Is that bad?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Not too bad, but very expensive!

[@stephenhargreaves9011]

Drinking IPA does not kill you, but it leaves one hell of a hangover (joking, kiddies, don't try that at home).

[@joefish6091]

Just go buy a CPC 6128, way easier.

[@RealSnarb]

Amstrad spring over membrane keyboard, huh? Condolences.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Ahh, it is what it is. They seem to last well and were an improvement over the 48k plus style keyboard.

[@MrMortull]

*No tape loading*? That's just not kosher, sir.

[@eLJaybud]

Well it wasn't saught after a year or two ago. 😂

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+eLJaybud that’s certainly true! If I could go back to the 2000s and buy them all up for £5 each... yippee!

[@eLJaybud]

@@MarkFixesStuff I got offered any spectrum I wanted in the 90's for £30 each. Someone had set up a retro shop right when nobody was interested in retro systems. I could also have had a basketful of loose cartridges for £30, nobody wanted them at the time, before I managed to get back there they had closed down.

[@Synthematix]

This video is 30 years too late.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

+N Gauge England -Synthematix- ah but I was just a child back then and knew no better.

[@Synthematix]

@@MarkFixesStuff the +3 wasnt a bad computer but the commodore64 was in another league

[@MarkFixesStuff]

The C64 is frankly amazing for the time. I have a whole raft of C64 hardware and software, modern and ancient +N Gauge England -Synthematix-

[@vladnickul]

Its hard to solder because you use shitty solder and a junky tip :) that ground plane is nothing also you better pull out the whole tranzitor not bending it like that. they are not made to du that. and in a old parts like that you even rish to brake the capsule itself. The iron tip must pe super shinny and wet with molten solder to have a rapid transmission of heat between the tip and pcb, put a little leaded solder on the part you want to pull. it will lower the temperature of all the solde, and you will mork faster and safer and don't be afraid yo use some flux.