Fixing Commodore 64 Colour (though I'm colourblind) + Rescue on Fractalus!

[@RamonSmits]

Really, the quality of your videos is amazing. The humor and creativity is just awesome!

[@usps_firstclass]

The sound fx in this recipode will surely win an Oscar.

[@RetroRecipes]

😊 I'd like to thank... Ladyfractic, Puppyfractic, the capacitors...

[@TheDeeplyCynical]

@@RetroRecipes I thought it was just a load of Foley. 🤣I'll get me coat.

[@GentryBa1]

One of the best channels- no, THE best channel for retrocomputing-lovers so far! :) You have such a nice way presenting the good old stuff. I can see the "love" you and your wife? is putting into that things. It couldn't get more sympathic und authentic than this! Thank you so much for your hard work! Best greetings from germany, Matthias.

[@RetroRecipes]

Thank you for your kind words! Means a lot 👍🕹️

[@TaswcmT]

10:11 You know this channel makes good, involving stuff when you cheer for the success replacing a capacitor gives. The sound effects play a crucial part.

[@RetroRecipes]

Thank you for your kind words! Means a lot 👍🕹️ The capacitor expresses its gratitude also.

[@jay-gi9dk]

i love it when we can fix or re-purpose old stuff.

[@razterizer]

Strange. I always find myself hitting the like button on videos from this channel before the video has started. That’s when you know this channel always produce top quality contents.

[@RetroRecipes]

Wow, thank you!!

[@thumbwarriordx]

@12:13 lol the superfluous morph cut. *chef's kiss*

[@SwitchAndLever]

Nice video! I still need to get myself a Commodore64! One quick tip to help with soldering tip life is to ditch the wet sponge, as the thermal difference between the hot tip and cold sponge causes thermal shock in the tip which lowers its life, is to switch over to a brass wool scouring pad type tip cleaner. I find they work better too! 🙂

[@RetroRecipes]

Nice "tip"! I just like the sizzle and extra clean look TBH 😉

[@josko50]

I came to watch the Commodore 64 repair, but I stayed for the dogs and the humorous Ladyfractic scenes.

[@MrKeys57]

HOW RELAXING it to se this, in the midst of these bad times! Dex is as always following PFs every move!Lol! thankyou!! Levi&Dex

[@RetroRecipes]

PF = Perifractic? ;-) Glad you found this relaxing. Stay well friends.

[@MrKeys57]

@@RetroRecipes hm..PuppyFractic.. ;)

[@surebrec5113]

10:13 it's been that long since I had a CRT screen that I forgot about the old static buzz you got from running your hand across it.

[@6581punk]

If it's a Trinitron tube then if you tap the casing you see a pattern on the screen. This is because they use a wire mask and the wires move around. That's why a Trinitron tube has two feint horizontal lines about a 3rd and 2/3rds of the way down the tube, these are due to the supports for the wires.

[@MrPafleouf]

every new video is always such a delight ! your soothing voice, the jokes, ladyfractic screwing noise, and puppyfractic (btw now he must be called big doggofractic)

[@RetroRecipes]

Thank you! From all of us and Bigdoggofractic ;-)

[@xaGe__]

Our dog "helps" the very same way any time someone falls. Another great video Fractic family!

[@MarvelousLXVII]

When I had my C64 in the 80's, I had it on a black and white and white tv. I programmed a lot of games in different in black and white using whatever looked good in different shades of gray. When I finally got a colored monitor, my games looked crazy lol.

[@prokrastnation6071]

15:10- Ha! I’m feelin’ your ongoing incorporation of Puppyfractic. Great overall video.

[@russellharris5072]

The last old tech m/c i used was an Amiga 1200 with a 68030 and memory upgrade and a workbench upgrade from an independent coder who's name escapes me.Love the doggies..................

[@coaleb]

Thats cool to find someone else who sees less red than most of people. I have always confused certain shades of blues and purples as well. Seeing someone also mixes blues and purples is a relief.

[@RetroRecipes]

🙌

[@zap2002]

Great video man. Your quality is getting better and better.

[@RetroRecipes]

Thank you for your kind words! Means a lot 👍🕹️

[@KiwiJackson]

That "Bloody Alien" scared me half to death as a kid! My dad and uncle would scare me on purpose. I would hide under the computer table whenever I saw the green "Helmet" approaching! LOL ;-)

[@ams718]

Perry, while soldering a TH component on a PCB, you can actually break off the solder pad with the mechanical stress while forcing the other leg into place as seen in this video. In order to prevent that, you can make a "wiggle" on both pins before placing the capacitor so that it wouldn't fall all the way down. Once it's done, insert both pins in the pads in same time before soldering. Hope it helps.

[@actuallyusingmyrealnameher5061]

I think a little high pitched “freedom!” in a Scottish accent would have added to the capacitor pulling part when it came out 🙂

[@zuhff]

dont think anyone asked

[@00Skyfox]

I love those old video clips from the C64 factory. Makes me wish I could go back in time and get one hot off the presses. Of course, while I was there I’d tell them to skip the cardboard RF shield and to put heat sinks on all the major chips.

[@RetroRecipes]

Haha!

[@MrRaivokasMagma]

So I need to go to gym to see wavelenghts. Makes sense.

[@skilgannon1971]

Another great video Chris :) liking the wee loader screen you had in the intro ;)

[@RetroRecipes]

I know, some genius made it for me! Cool right?!

[@robertmiles9942]

15:32 Sixth grade; Friday night sleepover; We played this game all night on my friend's Atari, and we did exactly THAT the first time this happened to us!

[@RetroRecipes]

🤭

[@JohnnyWednesday]

Fantastic video Mr Fractic :) hope you're all well!

[@richardblack5710]

Color blindness is a problem in the X chromosome. Since women have 2 X chromosomes, it is unlikely that both chromosomes will have the issue. Men only have 1 X chromosome, so if it has the issue then you are color blind. I am color blind. You are correct that the term is a misnomer. I think when you tell most people that you are color blind that they think you only see black & white and shades of gray which is incorrect. Anyway I enjoy your channel.

[@robertmiles9942]

Prosopagnosia, or "face blindness" is another term used in a strangely similar way. It doesn't mean you can't see faces, it means you have trouble distinguishing between them (and in some cases, even in determining if what you are looking at is a face at all.)

[@P5ychoFox]

“Pounding on the rear airlocks.” Smirk smirk.

[@RetroRecipes]

🤭

[@kevincozens6837]

It is always nice when you can come up with a simple solution to a problem. It would have been a lot easier to install the new capacitor if you had inserted it after clearing the holes and then using fresh solder to keep it in place.

[@RetroRecipes]

Well, I've tried that technique and don't find it easier. Mainly because you can't easily keep the cap slightly up in the air off the board. This way, you use the already in situ solder to provide instant grip as the cap drops down. Besides didn't you hear how much the cap enjoyed it?! Anyway, as we all know everyone has their preferred methods, and it's absolutely fine if you have a way you prefer. The video is aimed at those who might not know any method at all :-)

[@kevincozens6837]

@@RetroRecipes The main thing is you have a technique that works for you. I cringed a little when I saw how much you had to bend the lead to get the other one in place. The approach I would take is to use a pair of pliers to grab one lead and hold the part in the holes where you want it. Get a touch of solder on the end of the soldering iron tip. Use it to tack the one of the leads in place. Fully solder the other lead then go back and finish soldering the first. For me, that is easier and less risk of damaging the cap as there is no lead bending when getting the part in to place on the PCB.

[@TaswcmT]

06:02 Happiness is having a lady that makes the best screwing sounds around.

[@zuhff]

thats what i was thinking ! ! ! !

[@GORF_EMPIRE]

Puppers!

[@delinuxspecialist]

I would put in the capacitor after sucking out the old solder, then solder it from the top (with the shortened legs of course), saves your board getting damaged by too much heat :)

[@Foxcb27]

I just love you SFX. Great episode :)

[@nw4538]

I have red-green color blindness too. For me it basically never affects my vision unless it’s a very specific shade.

[@PHSPictures]

Likewise. Playing snooker is a real problem.

[@tomwilson2112]

The fun part is trying to read color codes on resistors. Is that blue or purple?

[@PHSPictures]

@@tomwilson2112 aaaaand out comes the old faithful multimeter.

[@nw4538]

Another problem is trying to make out numbers in those dot-circle things.

[@damirko06]

Rescue on Fractalus 😃 Inception really works... 😉 You made my day for C64 content alone 😘

[@DarrenCoull]

Ah, "Behind Jaggi Lines" - one of my favourite Atari 8-bit games - the C64 version seems to be a little lacking in the colour and sound department with this particular title. BTW, I think the game was called both names, but don't know if it was a region thing, or a pre-release/release naming thing.

[@lurkerrekrul]

Behind Jaggi Lines was the development title of the game, the released game was always Rescue on Fractalus. The reason the other name is known is that hackers managed to download a copy of the game from Lucasfilm's servers before the game was released and spread it on pirate BBSs.

[@bonzobanana1]

@@lurkerrekrul Yes I'm ashamed to admit when I bought my Atari 800XL many years ago for £129 I got a pirate copy of behind jaggi lines and absolutely loved it. The C64 version looks ok to me except the frame rate seems more jerky than the Atari. A bit like BBC Elite vs C64 Elite again the C64 is horribly jerky in comparison.

[@lurkerrekrul]

@bonzobanana1 - Most of my software for the C64 was pirated. I did have original copies of Rescue on Fractalus, Ballblazer, The Koronis Rift and The Eidolon though. Sadly, I later sold the originals after making working backups of them. I wish I'd kept more of my originals. It's too bad that most of those games never came out for any 16-bit systems. There was Masterblazer, which was an updated version of Ballblazer, but that's it. The Masterblazer intro on the Amiga had a section where it flies through fractal mountains, which made me hope that RoF would be updated for it, but it never happened. There is a freeware Windows port being worked on though. At least until Disney stomps it out of existence.

[@alan_flynn]

12:16 I love your word plays!

[@makesnosense6304]

8:22 But why? Wouldn't it be easier to put the component in, before applying the solder?

[@RetroRecipes]

Well, I've tried that technique and don't find it easier. Mainly because you can't easily keep the cap slightly up in the air off the board. When you have access to the other side of the PCB, you can bend the pins on the underside, but this way prevents that. My way, you use the already in situ solder to provide instant grip as the cap drops down. Besides didn't you hear how much the cap enjoyed it?! Anyway, as we all know everyone has their preferred methods, and it's absolutely fine if you have a way you prefer. The video is aimed at those who might not know any method at all :-)

[@generalbyzantine8735]

That explains the unique look of your videos! Somehow that Mr. "Perfect video production" isn't perfect himself gives me hope that I'll do something watchable someday. Grats on doing a 16 mins video about avoiding 5 mins of work to solder in one little capacitor. :)

[@RetroRecipes]

Ha you're welcome

[@Lilithe]

That alien and the tumble actually scared me 😱😂

[@seshpenguin]

Omg those little capacitor noises!!

[@ulysses2162]

10:40 - Ladyfractic was rolling her eyes at you... in her mind. 😂

[@zuhff]

no way lmfao ass off

[@heathwellsNZ]

I loved my C64 which I owned at the same time as an Atari 600XL (with super expensive memory expansion to make it 64K) and my 130XE that replaced the 600XL... but I do have to say... my Atari was my favourite to play Rescue on Fractalus... one of the few times a game was better on the Atari! It was a Christmas present and became (and, well... still is) one of my favourite games of my computing childhood!

[@drewpaschal9294]

Any particular reason why you didn't solder the cap from the bottom of the board? I haven't looked but are the pads just on top?

[@RetroRecipes]

Yeah, I mentioned before the soldering that the PCB is hard to remove because the switch is bolted on above one of the screws so this was just easier as a technique. 😊

[@LuisFCorreia]

soldering that capacitor, while fun to watch makes my body quiver...

[@Leeds71]

I remember Rescue On Fractalus and Koronis Rift was great as well. Heady days - time to get the emulators out and the pdf copies of Zzap 64.

[@tonylancaster8704]

I remember playing this game when it first came out and the when the allien appereared because i had not seen it before i jumped and my wife who was sat next to me knitting i made her jump aswell and she lost most of the stitches off her needles she was not impressed.

[@RedFoxRoaming]

If I recall correctly, that's like the way I used to play Rescue on Fractalus ! Don't think I ever saw the alien smash the window though... only the slapping sounds as he beat me up after letting him on board.

[@chrisamadeus4647]

Very entertaining video as usual, especially the closing credits featuring real life reenactment of me the the Mrs squabbling by the puppies. PEEEE CEEE BEEE WAAAAAAAAAAYY

[@tomwilson2112]

I’m really loving the extended gameplay sequence at the end. 😂

[@RetroRecipes]

You'll love next week's vid then! #Elite

[@TheJosep70]

Rescue on Fractalus! The first videogame that managed to give me a serious scare.

[@SeanBZA]

Just snip the top half of the capacitor off, and, providing it does not shatter, that will tell you if reducing capacitance will help. you can change it then, or leave it there and dab a bit of nail polish over the top where you cut it, or a drop of candle wax.

[@grfeld84]

Dog: :Grrrrr! Rowrf!" English: "Bugger off!!" That would be my guess! lol

[@zaftra]

Oddly learnt more about soldering on this than instructional videos

[@RetroRecipes]

🙌

[@UnholyTriforceDelenn]

"Bloody Alien!" - Perifractic. I couldn't have put it better myself. Well, maybe: "Get off my windshield, you toothy git!" Oh, and this is coming from someone who was an English major in college, the correct spelling is colour, just as the correct spelling of the word "analyse" is with an s, not a zed. You're welcome. :)

[@rolfingerbier]

sweet couple... and great video! thanks.

[@richard--s]

Remember? NTSC stands for "never the same color" ;-) (because of the bandwith-saving solution to transfer the image in analog times, the color varies a bit - more or less...)

[@ZTK-RC]

We have the same soldering station, good choice mate! (oh wait, there I was British sounding)

[@warsstar]

12:23 - Thanks for the memories

[@neilloughran4437]

You should do a video on those glasses.. I have the same colourblindness as you and have thought about those glasses a lot. in general colourblindness hasn't been a big problem except for the time I was air traffic controller for a week... :P

[@RetroRecipes]

Ouch!

[@TomDBKK]

Bro hahaahahah I have never ever laughed so much before as to your editing of the game there in the end, absolutely hilarious!! 😆😆❤️❤️ We were folded like Swiss army knives! You're the best, always!!

[@RetroRecipes]

🤣

[@awilliams1701]

I got the tape adapter for my U2+. I still haven't used it yet. I have a few T64s, but they load instantly and apparently don't go through the tape adapter. So to this day I've never used a tape (real or virtual) on a C64. lol

[@charlesshamseldin9555]

I am a recent subscriber and I just love that you are a Commodore64/128 lover. I grew up on Zork/Necromancer/Raid on Bungeling Bay/Ultima/Dragonriders of Pern/Archon/M.U.L.E./etc in a very Stranger Things basement as a kid just before I discovered girls 🤣 Keep up the great work!

[@RetroRecipes]

Thank you for your kind words. Means a lot! 👍🕹

[@rolandgerard6064]

So many good things in this video, wow, thanks.

[@MC-1173]

Nice video Peri. Good info to have. And, I feel your pain on the color deficiency. Same here. Can't see light pink very well. Looks like a dirty white, or light grey to me. I can't remember exactly, but I believe we have less Rods and Cones in our eyes. "Look" forward to the next video, just don't add any subliminal messages in light pink.

[@RetroRecipes]

Deal! 🍨

[@RobA500]

Superb and funny reaction to that bloody alien🤣, you should take up acting.... oh wait a minute 👏. Have you ever thought of adding your own sound effects too a retro game?

[@RetroRecipes]

Haha thanks! I haven't thought about that, but if anyone's making any, I'm available! ;-)

[@ThereIsOnly1ArcNinja]

The "Blue screen of life" - only took me over 30 years to really appreciate a blue screen 😁

[@ThereIsOnly1ArcNinja]

BTW: I really think an Emmy award is due for the "Retro Recipes" channel! Vote F for Emmy!

[@RetroRecipes]

Thank you for your kind words. Means a lot! 👍🕹

[@daskarman]

To funny, just got a very dead (Black screen) commodore 64 the other day! Looking forward to resurrecting that With upgrades - thanks for the video!

[@DaCrazyDingo]

red green colorblindness. I also have this! greens and reds are super odd and hard to communcate about with normal people. my tints and shades are always off.

[@robbiew73]

The Atari 800XL version of Rescue on Fractulus runs a bit smoother than the C64 version. Be interesting to see if modern coding techniques could improve the C64 frame rate.

[@ThereIsOnly1ArcNinja]

Regarding the demos and games that have ermerged over the past 20 years, I'd say there's a pretty good chance that a modernised version for this game would probably have a smoother gameplay. But don't expect wonders, the C64 is still on the slow side when it comes to 3D graphics, although it is still much fast than you can draw, I would presume 😉

[@rootbeer666]

Can you do a video on RF modulator delete mod (using just Chroma/Luma outputs)? From what I've heard it's a drastic picture improvement, but I haven't figured out the optimal schematic to build the mod circuit myself yet.

[@RetroRecipes]

Interesting! Is there a specific product, or is it just a mod?

[@rootbeer666]

@@RetroRecipes It's a mod. It's been done over the years by a few, and there are some circuit variations you can do, such as whether or not to keep the composite or just leave Luma+Chroma only. For example:atariage.com/forums/topic/266566-removing-the-rf-modulator-on-a-c64-pal-1983-w-germany-251137-rev-b/ Or this: i.imgur.com/ninHipZ.jpg (sorry no part for that transistor) Or one of the few boards: www.breadbox64.com/blog/c64c-rf-box-mod/ Since C64 Luma/Chroma signals aren't 100% S-Video compatible, perhaps some of these boards correct that. Anyhow, these produce a clearer picture with the RF modulator out of the circuit. Would be nice if you would do a video on this and show us what works best.

[@rootbeer666]

@@RetroRecipes Also, here's another. Also haven't tried this. github.com/c0pperdragon/C64-Video-Enhancement/tree/master/analog_only

[@Ikrananka]

I suspect this is what you're looking for. Just remove 2 or 3 existing components (or bypass one of them) and you get a massive improvement in sharpness and reduced smearing : kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIXRZGmLlrqZqM0. No mod board needed. I did this on one of my NTSC C64s and the difference was incredible.

[@TheJeremyHolloway]

@Retro Recipes, is that an actual Commodore branded [Atari] joystick sitting next to your C64 or is it an actual Atari CX40 painted to resemble those rare Commodore joysticks that Commodore had to stop selling after Atari sued them?

[@RetroRecipes]

I thought it was Commodore branded when I bought it on eBay but it was generic. It isn't painted though. Commodore did release them this colour, and were then sued by Atari, allegedly. My guess is they all came from the same factory, who were to blame.

[@TheJeremyHolloway]

@@RetroRecipes That's a definite possibility on factory shenanigans, even if they came from the Atari Wong plant in Hong Kong. There were also rebranded Commodore [Atari] Paddles. They all were from the VIC-20 era. I'm pretty sure they both can be seen in the Shatner VIC-20 commercial featuring games in it...

[@ctbullett300]

Fractalus should be a walk in the park for a genuine Star Wars pilot like yourself. Plus Commodore really did hire a lot of women to assemble those c64's, ahead of there time it seems. Just to let you know that soldiering iron is PINK....tough guy.

[@RetroRecipes]

Hehe yeah I know, it was a charity sleeve for breast cancer awareness month that Hakko sold 🎗️

[@Ilanvain]

Great video like always :)

[@massimiliano2258]

Lovely, as always!

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

Can you not us a MC145151-2 frequency synthesizer chip on a small board you just have to program the N+M dividers using diodes, I just wonder how the COMMODORE C64 can process IEEE754 Long Doubles.

[@Applecompuser]

When I was a teen, I programmed an original game for an Atari 800 in Basic. Any chance you could take look on your channel? PS How could I get it on my normal computer? Is there anyway to adopt the program for Mac? (Its. saved on the 5 1/4 floppy.)

[@RetroRecipes]

Nice! Try Googling for an Atari 800 emulator, and asking on the forums if anyone can convert it from the original media to an emulator file. 👍🕹

[@labbecedaire4243]

Hello, I Have to replace my capacitor too. Are you sure it's a 7PF 50V capacitor ? I don't want to make a mistake, I have a ASSY 250407 Motherboard. Thanks a lot !

[@waynenewark5363]

As a someone who suffers from red/green colour blindness I'm always being asked "What colour is this?". Why do so many people spell colour incorrectly?

[@ThereIsOnly1ArcNinja]

Oh, that is simply because they are language impaired. "Some" of them even spell cancelled with only ONE L, can you believe?! Bloody yanks *JKOC*

[@8bitwarrior]

Haha I love the doggies 🥰

[@wolvenar]

Great to get my mind off things. Thank you for the upload.

[@RetroRecipes]

ЯR is here for you 🙏🕹️

[@mbob4337]

Leonardo narating games. Yes please.

[@perinoid]

You should try Rescue on Fractalus running on Atari with the Rapidus accelerator.

[@Raptor50aus]

What if my C64 still has the original PAL crystal in it and it has no colour?

[@RetroRuminations]

Another fun video. Moderate Deutan here!

[@darkmode1145]

Regarding this at 6:49 Do you wear a mr motivator style leotard underneath your clothes in all of your videos?

[@RetroRecipes]

Those are my gangster underpants! Link in description ;-)

[@whoopingcoughfun]

Pcb way logo appears, braces for impact, cheesey set up is made, it's coming, IT'S COMING.... "PCB WAYYYYYYYY" Euphoria..... Damn you and your brainwashing

[@zuhff]

that was so funny

[@zuhff]

youre*

[@whoopingcoughfun]

Ugh, my keyboard constantly ruining my contractions

[@danyf3116]

PCBWAY- Putting Color Back in C64 the WAY it should.

[@BocaRetroGames]

Brazil has never used PAL from Europe, but PAL-M which is a hacked version of NTSC used in US and Japan.

[@ToTheGAMES]

The dogs said Hòurrrrrrrrr, thats horrrrr in American. ;)

[@alexmichael8615]

Why did you pick the Aussie ad

[@Reman1975]

Rescue on Fractalus. Bloody hell, That takes me back. I had that on 3" diskette for my Amstrad CPC6128 as a young kid. First time an alien jumped up I almost sh*t myself ! :)

[@joncrawford3485]

What, no stunt double? At least you got rescued by PuppyFractalus ...

[@numbers9to0]

Why are there VIC20 F-keys an a C64?

[@RetroRecipes]

Those are grey aren't they? 😉 Some C64s had orange keys. Commodore would use whatever they had in stock.

[@brianh2771]

Another great video. I think the plug and play solution from icomp.de is also worth mention.

[@TheGadgetPanda]

I "had" Rescue on Fractalus back in the day, but I don't believe I ever saw any pilots to rescue. I just wandered around the fractal landscape and got bored. Pretty quickly.

[@BenRattigan]

Hope the puppies are PALs again?

[@TaswcmT]

15:33 "Can your chair do this?" can be a bit painful when it happens suddenly.

[@eilidh8146]

Not C64 related but thought I'd comment anyway :) The reason why protanopia affects males more than females is because although the mutation is on the X chromosome, its a recessive mutation. So it only takes one copy on the X chromosome for a male to be affected, for females to be affected they would need the mutation on both X chromosomes and chances are they'll have one good copy on an X chromosome (unless both parents were carriers). Nobody asked for this, but I like science hah.

[@AlphaMatt1000]

Would a 10pF capacitor work?

[@RetroRecipes]

Might!

[@craftsman123456]

Does the 1084 display both NTSC and PAL?

[@RetroRecipes]

Some models do. I wanted this one to work with the NTSC mode for a few reasons. Now it does!