Amstrad CPC 6128 Repair & Upgrade Part 2

[@GadgetUK164]

Part 1 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3bXnHqZZsycl5Y BTW - Nothing wrong with fitting a Gotek to an Amiga ;) It's just easier running things from WHDLOAD imo! Those 2 screws that go in the side, I forgot to show that after cleaning them they were silver looking instead of black - I repainted the tops of them with black paint and they look like new now!

[@dlfrsilver]

if you want original disk images for CPC in HFE v3 format poke me, i'll send you any original you want to test :)

[@dlfrsilver]

note about the capacitors : smalls, but when they die, the display fucks on startup. I had to change them on mine to restore the display which was badly waving on left and right borders ;)

[@GadgetUK164]

@@dlfrsilver Cheers, much appreciated =D

[@dlfrsilver]

@@GadgetUK164 I have for example Red Heat :)

[@rastislavzima]

Sorry for offtopic but I like your accent, is that Manchester accent? :-)

[@notanfningain]

KZbin has made everyone a collector.

[@GadgetUK164]

Haha - very true!

[@notanfningain]

@@GadgetUK164 That's what ramped the prices up, got scalpers to. Back in the 90s you could pick up stuff for pennies.

[@pipschannel1222]

I love the color palette on these Schneider/Amstrad CPCs. It's one of the best. Pixel art really looked lovely on these machine!

[@GadgetUK164]

I totally agree!

[@AdamSommer70]

Love watching you clean up an old computer... makes me want to do more hardware work myself.

[@TheCod3r]

Awesome as always bud

[@GadgetUK164]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@tommyovesen]

I'm working on the exact same machine now. My keyboard membrane was full of dirt. Incredible amounts. But the keyboard still worked. Now everything is shiny :)

[@captaincorleone7088]

Another great video. :) I love that new conversion of Scramble by PuzCPC - and it even has two fire button capability! Can you tell me what were those two games that you showed from 55:36 to 55:56 please? I'd like to check them out.

[@GadgetUK164]

The first one is Abduction of Oscar Z - it came out end of 2020, new homebrew. The second one was from the 2020 CPC retro dev too I think, I forget the name. They can be found here:- cpcretrodev.byterealms.com/cpcretrodev-2020/

[@captaincorleone7088]

@@GadgetUK164 Cheers for that, I'll check them out. :)

[@TanjoGalbi]

The reason the 3D print is smooth on the bottom is because that is the part that was on the print bed. It would be easier to print it that way because less supports are needed. It looks like there were supports needed for the LCD screen hole which would be the source of those white spots you pointed out. If the mount was printed with the face down on the print bed then the screw blocks that are sticking up along the sides and the back bar of the mount would need support along the whole length of the mount using more filament that costs money.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Great job! Where exactly did you put the cap to get a sharper image? On the CRTC? I've never tried that but I'd love to get the slightly sharper image, especially for Mode 2!

[@GadgetUK164]

It didn't affect the video on this 6128 - It's on my list of things to look back at when I get time. I did look at the composite signal that is used for sync (off camera) and found no relation to the jailbars these suffer with. I also noticed that the plus models lack the caps on R,G,B lines etc, but this model does not. However this 6128 is not as sharp as my 464, so there is something further needs doing to improve it. I wondered about doing an RGB bypass - ie. disconnect the RGB lines from where they route on the PCB, feed them with shielded wires to the point they go to the connector (ensuring the caps are in place still). However it might be other traces routed around the Gate Array that are introducing some noise at source in the Gate Array. There is a big difference between the 464 and 6128 video though...

[@Plan-C]

Great stuff as usual. Thanks. That R Type games looks good on the CPC.

[@retrocomputerskarachi6158]

Impressive work. Greetings from Karachi, Pakistan.

[@faumnamara5181]

These disks were widely used in UK fishing industry with the decca light pen driven plotter - Racal-Decca CVP 3500 videoplotter.... had carrier bags of em back in the day.

[@Jayoldstuff1]

Oh boy that keyboard was manky underneath. I will have to try the conductive paint method on the membrane in my Samcoupe. least new membranes are sometimes available for it, at a price tho so if i can fix the old one all the better.

[@TheSeanBean]

I find the rotary encoder on the front a bit intrusive for a CPC. I drill a small hole above the existing left button button (right button has LED above it) and mount a 90 deg angled push button on top to give the 3rd button. I mount the button upside down and solder the body of the switch to the body of the switch below to hold it in place. Then just run wires to the header you talked about. So with HxC and having an OLED screen (and 3rd button) it is easier to run HxC in mode like FlashFloppy and just use buttons to scroll/select files rather than mounting to specific slots. Cheers

[@Floydzabarber]

Great videos, thanks for making them :) Have you ever tried denatured alcohol for cleaning pcb's? Some people swear by it but I am not sold yet on using it.

[@GadgetUK164]

I am sure that works just as well as IPA. The main benefit is denatured alcohol is not toxic, IPA is apparently!

[@charlesjmouse]

Agreed: I have a floppy emulator in my 6128 for the same reason. I'd be even happier if there was some kind of 'DivMMC' or even a 'HDD' solution for the system but to my knowledge there isn't anything reasonably available. To be fair most CPC software (games) is hard-coded to run from drive A so even with an ABBA switch that 'only' gets you a useful external floppy... ...my "favorite" mod is a gutted slimline 3.5" FDD to fit the case along with a Gotek-like solution along with an ABBA switch - kludgey but useful. Hardware I can do, and design, but I'm not a software guy - one of the old Speccy Z80 socket to CF boards would work fine if there was an AMSDOS for it. The CPC is such a good 8bit system and for me carries a fair bit of nostalgia as I had a 464 back in the day, sadly mine doesn't get a lot of use.

[@Deleted_Goodbye]

SamDisk, Kyroflux, Drawbridge or Greaseweasel to image protected disks to image file. Protections often included Speedlock produced by David Looker on the Amstrad. Speedlock used a decryptor and protected tracks. Speedlock was first developed by ZX Spectrum developer David Aubrey-Jones. It was first used on the ZX Spectrum to increase loading times, and to encrypt loaded data. Much like the disk based Speedlocks, a JP subroutine would call the decrypter after loading, to descramble the encrypted code then launch the game. Such protections allowed faster loading times, and to squeeze more onto a disc. David Aubrey-Jones whom developed the Speedlock loading system wrote Mercenary on the ZX Spectrum. Fact.

[@dazzathedazza]

A lot of software will only run from Drive A (nominally the internal drive), so if you want to place the internal drive into an external case, you might want to look into adding an 'ABBA' switch which would allow you to swap around whether the internal drive is configured as A and the external as B, or vice versa. These tended to be fitted "back in the day" to allow booting of software from external 3.5" drives, but should also work for swapping between a 3" and a gotek.

[@alanclarke4646]

On a 6128, they generally need to be fitted internally and requires cutting a PCB track and soldering wires to one of the ICs.

[@jason_a_smith_gb]

I had one that plugged on the external connector and switched the lines with a switch before plugging on the drive. Will work with 3” or 3.5”. In the day I had a 3.5” with a switch so that first 40 tracks were Side A and second 40 tracks were Side B. But, these days, ParaDOS 1.2 is the way to go for large formats.

[@discoHR]

Both my 6128 and +3 have internal Gotek. Amiga 4000 has it too but it has external Gotek while keeping original Chinons inside. There are external 3.5" PC drives with A/B switch on the cable, they're compatible with both 6128 and +3. I bought it a while ago from a Greek retro guy on eBay, forgot his name. That would be a cheaper alternative to 3" disks.

[@hucky29]

Where did you find an external enclosure for your 3 inch drive? I can’t find any anywhere!

[@GadgetUK164]

They do pop up on eBay from time to time, but pretty expensive usuall! eg. 100 euros.

[@hucky29]

Thanks@@GadgetUK164 . Until then I'll keepit as spare in case i need for my plus 3 o

[@CooChewGames]

I had a similar issue with the membrane of a TRS-80 and I found the conductive paint (same one you used) to have too much resistance when used in a thin line. I ended up using copper tape and scotch tape. I wonder what the difference was? It worked well for yourself :-)

[@Kerveros1904]

For the storage upgrade i installed the M4Board. Adds wifi, makes the CPC a server for your home network so that you can drag and drop your disks from the Web Browser of your PC directly to the SD card which is connected to the CPC. You do not have to remove SD and put it in the PC inorder to add new files. Also you can use additional file manager features, and control from your PC through Wifi from the Web Browser. You can also add ROMs. You cannot go wrong with this solution.

[@Zhixalom]

I was (and still am) a huge fan of the Amiga Action Replay III Cartridge. I used it for a lot more than just cheating in games back then and would therefore prefer to retain having that option. But the AR3 doesn't work with any hard drives or accelerators... or at least you'll have to turn them off... So, if you want the Action Replay III experience on your Amiga 500 without the DJ experience, then a Gotek is the only way to go. - Having said that, I am also a huge fan of keeping the internal floppy drive a real drive. So, the Goteks on both my A500 and my PowerPuff CPC6128 are both external. For that reason, I have installed a DF0/DF1 boot selector mod in my A500, which can "trick" it into seeing the external Gotek as DF0... And in the Amstrad I have made an "ABBA Switch" mod (in a more elegant and less intrusive way, than the original butcher-mod from the '80s). So that by flipping a switch, A: is swapped to B: and B: to A: (ABBA), very similar to the Amiga boot selector mod. - If you are wondering why I call it my "PowerPuff CPC"... it is simply because it was made by Sir Alan Sugar, with spice and everything nice 😆❤

[@neilobusk]

exactly the same problems with the one i got...bloody keyboard i had lots of keys not working.... and it looked imaculate after i stripped it down..... currently just changed the 74ls chip... not tested it yet...mare of a job... maybe should have gone with the blobby stufff sound chip Ay on the way too.... :) yep and the disc games.......... sooooo pricey... just had to buy steve davis snooker though... :) even though i cant try it...... :) and yes you need to buy another 6128 for parts to test the one you have and another one to test that.... lol all good fun edit... im ringing Alan Sugar on monday...... N x

[@alanclarke4646]

If lots of keys have gone, then it's probably the AY that's causing it, especially if you're having sound problems ( key scanning goes through the AY...). AY chips are available but don't get the version with 'A' at the end, as it doesn't have pull-up resistors on the parallel port.

[@neilobusk]

@@alanclarke4646 Thanks for this Alan... yep changing the 74ls IC101 didnt help... I have an Ay chip on order...but its comming from spain......and getting in touch with Alan sugar is soooo diifficult.. he will not call me back..:)

[@alanclarke4646]

@@neilobusk Try applying for next series of The Apprentice lol! Hope the AY sorts your CPC out. If not, have a look on the CPC Wiki forums. They're a great bunch of really helpful people.

[@SimonZerafa]

Screen capture at the end? 🙂🤷‍♂️

[@GadgetUK164]

Yes, direct capture using the Elgato =D

[@discoHR]

44:30 I would just toss it into ultrasonic cleaner, 60°C, 2 minutes each side. It would come out looking brand new like it just came from the factory.

[@GadgetUK164]

I will have to get one!!!

[@rastislavzima]

Just for the purpose of testing gotek and starting HCX, without reparing the keyboard, you could use arrow keys (with Shift) and COPY key to copy H letter from the file list you got with CAT command. :-)

[@GadgetUK164]

Clever idea =D

[@davidevans643]

My keyboard types weird symbols not letters Any clue how to fix

[@GadgetUK164]

It could be a membrane fault - you would need to take the keyboard to bits to inspect (or test with a known working keyboard), but beyond that I would suspect the sound chip (it handles keyboard input). It could also be some other problem, perhaps related to display rather than the keyboard?

[@davidevans643]

Thanks😀😀😀😀

[@methanoid]

CPC6128 (looking back) was probably my favourite machine until Amiga came along... If I could get one at a sensible price I would.....

[@ChipGuy]

I didn't know that later CPC6128 did not have the Centronics style connectors anymore. A bit of cost saving there. Yours seem to be a very late model from 1988. Mine was from 1985 or 1986. Edit: I also have never seen that soundchip branded "Microchip". Only "GI". So definetly a very late model

[@rastislavzima]

Neither Amstrads had centronics. Just German and USA 6128 had centronics.

[@ChipGuy]

@@rastislavzima Ah I didn't know that. I had the Schneider CPC. Do you know why the difference?

[@rastislavzima]

@@ChipGuy suppose due to electromagnetic shielding regulations (when you look inside schneider youll also find heavy shealding around pcb not present in amstrads) but that is just my assumption.

[@ChipGuy]

@@rastislavzima Yes my Schneider CPC6128 had a shielding on top of the board. This one did not. That must be it.

[@Deleted_Goodbye]

Just use a silver conductive pen rather than conductive paint = less mess ;)

[@Stjaernljus]

For problems with FlashFloppy read the FlashFloppy wiki on github. More help is available in the FlashFloppy facebook group.

[@roasthunter]

Why add caps when they are not required, there were maybe a million 6128 sold without adding extra caps.

[@GadgetUK164]

A bit of extra smoothing, around the side of the board far away from the electrolytics on there. It's not essential on the 6128 as there are electrolytics on there. On the 464 I covered there were litterally none, which is not a good design imo. Smoothing power lines can improve stability.

[@MrFlint51]

WD40 is just Naphtha. It dissolves grease but not most plastics