Switching a ZX Spectrum’s RF output for Composite Video. Is it worth it?

[@stuartgrier5605]

Jetpac was my fav Speccy game. I remember going through all the ships without losing a life. Classic!!!!

[@blackterminal]

That and Quazatron for me.

[@NotFalco]

Having a massive tip sure makes life easy

[@peterwhitey4992]

The expansion port (lower pin 15) also has the composite signal, the same one that goes to the rf modulator, so you can get composite signal without modding and removing original hardware.

[@cygil1]

Got a schematic? Or can I just connect the pin directly? I don't want to mod my spectrum away from the original design but that sounds ideal.

[@retrojb101]

Awesome! I literally got a boxed 48k yesterday so will look at doing this soon. Keep it up Mark!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Have fun!

[@pauljones8135]

alot of hard work for a av mod.i seen this done without any soldering done just with a cut

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yeah... that was my video as well. This is just if you want to be extra tidy etc.

[@TheMalMeninga]

Great work as always, Marko!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@frankowalker4662]

I just cut the resistor from the RF out and wire the comp signal straight onto it. I get perfect results. For some reason, my notifications were turned off for the past month. I thought you'd stopped posting. LOL.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I had a lot of work going on at the house, so I didn't record for ages.

[@blackterminal]

I think your idea is better than throwing away antique parts.

[@frankowalker4662]

@@blackterminal It's easy to revert to original RF too. Not that anyboby would want to. LOL.

[@blackterminal]

@frankowalker4662 I like the original rf on a original crt as that's what I had as a child. Can't put a price on nostalgia.

[@frankowalker4662]

@@blackterminal Definately. But is getting harder to find a good working CRT these days.

[@kevinh96]

Mark really is the Nigella Lawson of KZbin Tech channels with his double entendres.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Creamy buns.

[@Colin_Ames]

Always good to see another video from you. Nice simple mod, all I need is a Spectrum to put it in!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

That's the hardest part now!

[@Colin_Ames]

@@MarkFixesStuffI know. I have never seen one here in the US. I should have bought one when I still lived in Coventry, but then that’s the story of my life. Could’ve Should’ve Would’ve 😀😀

[@BodaScambaits]

I love the tips you give. I need to brush up on my soldering.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Cheers mate!!! I love listening to you rip scammers! MegaLOLs!

[@carlosamerico4327]

A imagem ficou bem melhor...Bom trabalho Mark...Abraços aqui do Brasil.

[@kensmith5694]

If I was doing this, I don't think I would put the video out in the can. Just a PCB with a RCA connector on it would serve and would be easier to install. Thick wires can hold it above the main PCB

[@nickblackburn1903]

Fairly massive tip on my iron lol. Manual sucking work? Carry on Charmain Sinclair spectrum?

[@nickblackburn1903]

Joking aside, this was very useful and I'll be trying this out on one of my many spectrums with buggered rf modulators. Thanks Mark.

[@theforthdoctor7872]

Seeing you wield that huge tip gives me the fear...What next? Mark does board level repairs on a c64 with a hot masonry nail and some home made solder. 😊

[@ncot_tech]

blowtorch and plumbing solder.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Hammer and buzzsaw.

[@nigeltrigger4499]

I modded my 48K spectrum back in the late 80's for composite output by simply adding an RCA female socket connected to the input pin of the modulator and ground (no additional circuit board required) You do not need to disconnect the modulator, so you can still use it with a TV of that era or compatible.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yes indeed. You can just wire up a "rat tail" as well. Leaving the modulator running does introduce a bit of noise into the signal but it's passable as we both know. The only real reason for removing the modulator is if you are not likely to use it anymore. I have kept any modulator boards/cans in a filing system in order to be able to reinstate them for posterity. Thank you so much for watching the video and taking time to comment Nigel. It means a lot to me.

[@peterwhitey4992]

You can also just connect it to lower pin 15 on the expansion port. That has the same composite signal that goes into the rf modulator.

[@Tech-Nobby]

great stuff, cheers - what're the pros and cons of the 3 options? especially over the more 'typical' composite mod?

[@AlistairBrugsch]

I'm really intimidated by Mark's massive tip

[@MarkFixesStuff]

You should be...

[@jantonkens9820]

Many good memories of my "huge" memory (who'd ever need more than 48K?)... But indeed, with all Spekkies flaws many really good memories 😊

[@paulb4uk]

Nice neat simple mod i need to do all of mine there all still using rf though i have crt,s that are rf only though i also have a scart to rf converter i shoul think composite would work through that .

[@sirtinley-knot2944]

I was about to ask about those components shorting on the bottom of the RF box but I'm assuming you added that insulation sheet after and just didn't show it? This is a lovely tidy job. I've bought an "eBay special" speccy to do a test refurb on before I go ahead and do it for real on my actual childhood speccy 😍 I think the eBay special will get the simple composite mod but my childhood speccy will get this version ❤️

[@GORF_EMPIRE]

A lovely job! Could you try to capture the video directly from the new composite jack? Would love to see the direct signal.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Great suggestion! I'll do that when I do my Spectrum Rebuild Project.

[@GORF_EMPIRE]

@@MarkFixesStuff Looking forward to it!

[@stuartwright7496]

Hi Mark, looking to do this and have ordered the board, I just wondered what AWG gauge the wire you used is. Thank you

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It's been a long time, but probably 26AWG. There's hardly any current so you can use pretty much anything you have to hand.

[@stephencresswell4760]

Hi there. I have an old Pong Grandstand game (slider controls etc). I can’t get it to work on any modern TV. Could I do this mod and plug it into the AV in on a modern LCD TV?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I’ll be honest, I don’t really know but it’s worth a try!

[@ClassicRetroByte]

Nice little video not too long and boring with just a touch of light entertainment thrown in for good measure. I wonder how those gummy bears have lasted all these videos. 😁

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Thanks mate. You could knock a nail in with Terry and Dave. They are definitely beyond their Best Before date...

[@thegray-man]

For more of Marks 'massive' tip subscribe to his Patreon for too hot for youtube content!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I read that in his voice.

[@arttu76]

Did you forget the black thing that goes around the video connector? :)

[@MarkFixesStuff]

You know what.... I bloody well did... but you didn't :)

[@LOTPOR0402]

Is there any advantages using this as opposed to just cutting the supply and re routing the output capacitor or not ?.Does it give better picture again ?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Tidyness really. If you use the follower emitter option it can help with some edge case displays. It's a tidy thing really though!

[@davidretrogamesplayedbadly3533]

Great little mod mate, fairly sure your using camera trickery to make your tip look bigger though, I hear it's teenie tiny 😆

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It's mini.

[@Hardwarenerd]

What a nice way to do a comp mod on the Zx spectrum... I'm wondering if I can find anywhere the modulator case? I need only the complete case, not the board inside because i will do the exact same mod

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Well, if not then ProjectSpeccy have a version that mounts to the board without a case. You can get the kit here... www.tindie.com/products/projectspeccy/zx-spectrum-flat-composite-kit/

[@LOTPOR0402]

Did composite mod on a spectrum years ago .At the time if i rememberer correctly you just bypassed to Modulator with no extra components .What's the difference using this ?

[@joefish6091]

@@LOTPOR0402 Early Spectrum ULAs had weak video drive.

[@grantm902]

what's the feasibility of getting flux moulded in gummy bear shapes?

[@simonbarnes8303]

Why did you choose option 2? Are any better or worse pictures?

[@DavidAdkins]

Does the ZX Spectrum audio pass through the composite to the TV audio? Doesn't seem like it would since there are separate audio inputs. Seems useless if audio is lost.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

ZX Spectrum audio plays from a speaker inside the spectrum. Nothing changes the audio.

[@homelate1306]

Great video Mark. That's an interesting wire stripper, where did you get it from?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It was an Aldi special buy. They have them from time to time. About £4 iirc! Similar things are called a "Wire Demolisher" my discord people tell me!

[@homelate1306]

Thanks Mark!

[@preferredimage]

Nice. Would have been cool to see how the images varies based on the three options.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

I did think of that, but my LCD TV is a bit poor to be honest. I might do that with a capture card though??

[@pcroom34]

What guage wire is that you are using 18awg or 24awg?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It's actually 30 AWG wire - (thinner) - amzn.to/3idjYXJ - could have done with the thicker stuff

[@JVHShack]

I was going to ask about audio, then I remembered that there's a speaker inside the Speccy... Sorry for not being British. I'm sure that it'd be easy to pipe it to a monitor, though.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yes. They gave a little speaker for the beeper sound. I suppose it is quite British. Not something you’d want amplified too loud though! There were mod kits to put the sound into the TV back in the day iirc!

[@chrisshaw451]

Very nice mod, just ordered mine, can I ask where you got that box of wire, very handy ?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

24 AWG wire (thicker)- amzn.to/3cdLeBS 30 AWG wire - (thinner) - amzn.to/3idjYXJ

[@MarkFixesStuff]

the 24 AWG is better for this stuff to be honest.

[@DadLadsGaming]

That was really interesting Mark 👍 Have you got a link for the board holding thingy and the box of cable?

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Glad you found it interesting mate! PCB Holder - amzn.to/3g0MVDu 24 AWG wire (thicker)- amzn.to/3cdLeBS 30 AWG wire - (thinner) - amzn.to/3idjYXJ

[@MarkFixesStuff]

24 AWG is best for all purpose. 30AWG can be a bit thin for somethings. With AWG a bigger number is a smaller wire.

[@DadLadsGaming]

@@MarkFixesStuff thanks Mark.

[@DadLadsGaming]

@@MarkFixesStuff 👍🏻👍🏻

[@therushden]

Terry and Dave are the same colour as the text on the keyboard. Apologies to the gummy pair if this doesn't comply to confectionery based diversity.

[@danielson9579]

Your comments crack me up 😂😂😂

[@spawnlink]

A little flux would have probably handled that bridge more easily.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

Yes indeed!!

[@fsddevelopment4513]

Use quality solder rather than Biffins Solder otherwise you will just keep getting a bridge.

[@MarkFixesStuff]

It's always dangerous on Biffin's Bridge. One slip and you're in the $h*t.

[@blackterminal]

I wouldn't want to do this to my family original Spectrum. It also seems sad to remove original parts if not absolutely needed like some no longer made chips for a Commodore or Atari. The original modulator is going in the bin or in a box to never be used again. For something antique this is sad. Imo using a CRT with slight interference on the screen is part of the original experience. Perfect output is not how it was. I was very happy as it was back in the day. There is no need to force a Spectrum to be good on a tv it was never designed for. Each to their own.

[@Jpetersson]

And now......... it´s toyme............ fuh Jetpac!

[@MarkFixesStuff]

::DRAMATIC VOICE::

[@andygozzo72]

noo, dont 'gut' the modulators, no need !

[@andygozzo72]

just link the modulators input to the centre contact of the phono via a 220uf 10v capacitor, and reduce the modulator driver transistor emitter resistor by 3 , so to improve negative going drive (helps squareness of sync pulse leading edges)

[@itnaklipse1669]

i bet you made that solder-bridge just to show the tool... what utter tosh this is.

[@blackterminal]

Using a Spectrum on.a modern tv is not what you should do.