SINCLAIR ZX Spectrum +2 NOT playing Games & Faulty Key - EASY FIX

[@andrewferguson7762]

Being about the same age it brought a grin to my face, those red and blue lines catapaulted me back to 1983. Thanks for the memories....

[@EmeyeP]

Watching this video brings back good and bad memories. There was nothing more frustrating that fighting your way through multiple levels of your favourite game only for the cassette to fail to load the next ones! Outrun was the worst for it. When our dad finally upgraded the family computer to an Amiga, floppy disks were a revelation. I still have all our old home computers, including our very first ZX81.

[@canarybirb6151]

underrated comment😎✌🏻

[@SonySupporter]

I still don't understand why 8bit computers in UK, Germany and maybe France adopted the compact cassette as 8bit gaming media. They are good for music but for games sucked. Upto 10 minutes for a 8bit game to load!!!!.

[@EmeyeP]

@@SonySupportercheap and universally available. At the time I don’t think there were many other options.

[@markbailey64]

The Spectrum 48k was the first computer i ever owned which became an addiction for me to this day. I remember typing codes from a Spectrum magazine which tooks a few hours in order to play a free game. Your video brought me personal joy in seeing the loading sequence. Thank you Vince!

[@blackcountryme]

That sound is one of the memorable... Even though now I use an SD card loader, occasionally I tape load or load from a phone for the sounds

[@AcornElectron]

Must have been a nightmare on that crappy keyboard with one key function inputs. Electron was a piece of piss to knock out basic or assembler because of the awesome keyboard. Hence this revision of the Speccy having a semi useable keyboard.

[@markbailey64]

@@AcornElectron Indeed it was a nightmare, but being a young man i had a lot of patience.

[@SpeccyMan]

@@AcornElectron Not so much of a nightmare once you got used to it. Still it wasn't very long before I bought a DK'Tronics keyboard which allowed me to install both my Spectrum 48K and my Interface 1 into it. Proper keys made a lot of difference.

[@bogwhopet1032]

My grandad took me to the computer shop when I was a kid and bought me a zx spectrum...happy memories overload 😃

[@StezStixFix]

SPECtacular! Brought back some fond memories! Thanks Vince 👍

[@kiphakes]

Love these old machines, such simple things!

[@Mymatevince]

Thanks Kip 👍👍👍

[@carloso5910official]

@@Mymatevince Hey Vince, please do How to Setup the Xbox Series X/S for Beginners.

[@malcolmmurphy2924]

Telling my girlfriend iam wanting to go to visit England so bad just from watching your videos. I find it so interesting.

[@AC_Milan1899]

Loved the +2 great memories. All those pirate games on D90s

[@kcryptouk8124]

OMG amazing. This was my first computer. Im so grateful of my parents buying me this. Remembered it comes in a long rectangle box cover sleeve that you slide out. My favourite games were Dizzy, and I would go to Woolworths to buy the games!!

[@Dragonmad1963]

OMG!! That sound of the game loading gave me goosebumps! I had the 48K with rubberised keyboard and separate tape loader.

[@davidwhite5631]

Aw the sound ,the screen loading stripes which could trigger a seizure. Memories love it . Great vid vince

[@PhilipBryden]

It was worth watching just to be reminded of the Spectrum loading screen. I spent more time looking at the loading screen than I did playing the games. Spyhunter was a great game too.

[@player07441]

my birthday was a few days ago so i consider this as a blessing in disguise

[@RolandCorpSealSoundcloud]

Ohhh how I miss my old 48k and 128k speccys. Well done vince.

[@RestorationRelaxation]

Quick tip for the spring. I have a video on my channel where I make a spring from scratch using a drill and guitar string. It’s easy and lets you make a spring of any size

[@PMCRetroGamer]

Would love to see more 8bit micro computer fixes. This was my favourite video by far

[@evilmissf]

Omg! That brought back some memories, I had the origina rubber key 16K speccy, saved up my pocket money to buy the chip to update it to 48K, also had that 128k with the tape drive, unfortunately had to sell them when I moved house, wish I never had, the case and thermal printer went with it too 😢 😞 😕 😔

[@gamerX-wk7ct]

I know the feeling the things I've sold through the years sometimes it was worth it and sometimes it wasn't

[@Falconurbex]

wow tje spectram i use to have 1 of these with games, i left it in the attick when i moved out of my house over 15 years ago, i keep telling myself to go back to my old house and ask them if its there, but they will probs say they either havent been in the attick or they have thrown it out, but they will have kept it as i believe they are worth something now, thanks for the video this has braught back some good memmeries.

[@andybrooks7228]

Great vid reminded me of my first home computer ZX Spectrum 128 +2 A got it for XMas around 87-88 ish, hours of fun. I used to get the gaming mags that were available at the time that came with games and demo's, the best game I remember playing on it was called Driller a Sci-Fi game about planting gas rigs on a moon. Thanks for the memory's and please keep up the great content.

[@geoffowen7627]

That game loading part gave me a warm fuzzy feeling, awesome ohhh good times. These young'uns are spoiled with their ssd's and other dark magic these days, Thank you 👍👍👍👍

[@Pablus96]

I don’t belong to the age of this Spectrum but I got to work with these tapes (one subject of the computer science degree about emulation) and I found it very entertaining. The only thing I miss of being just 25 is having missed this age of computers/consoles. As always both an entertaining and educating video as well Vince 💪🏻

[@bensmith1689]

My first computer was a ZX Spectrum + and later a +2a. They were brilliant. The sheer size of the games catalogue meant there was always some new exciting game for you to try, that you'd never heard of. Damn I need to start a Retro games room...

[@mancavehobbies6213]

We need more retro computer fixes

[@mikethemusicman1978]

definitely

[@Leviathan_1992]

I'm hitting the like button on every video to get you back into the algorithm Vince.

[@jamesdye4603]

I can honestly say that you have the curiosity and instincts to make you a splendid auto repair technician. I have worked with the best and the worst in my profession, and I think you would be among the best.

[@chezsnailez]

Whatta neat little machine! All we had back in the day was a boogity 16K TRS-80 Color Computer. Never got any games for it and maybe tried some programming for a few months. Thing sat in the closet for the rest of its days at La Casa Caracol. Sometime in the mid-'90s we got hold of a Commodore 64 setup. Fun times...

[@bdmgm]

The memories. I had this exact machine and it was splendid. Thanks for the video

[@hoofbags]

Not meaning to cause conflict or argument but isopropyl alcohol should never be used on a pinch roller. John Peel mentioned this in Making 4 Track Music book, my late partner of over 50 years experience said same and I have extensive experience in cassette mechanisms myself. People will continue to do this, regardless but as tape mechanisms aren't made anymore, it will lead to failure, splitting and total loss. John P suggested spit, and some might not like the thought of this, so another suggestion is a solution of dish soap and water, applied with a cloth. I hope I haven't offended anyone, as this isn't my motive. Nice repair advice. 🙂

[@Dataserve57]

I concur with hoofbags - I (DataServe Retro) have serviced 100's of these machines over the years and know from first hand experience that you don't clean the pinch rollers on any cassette mechanism with IPA. Platen cleaner is a solvent special blend for this type of rubber (also used for cleaning high end hifi cassette players and things like photocopier and printer rubber pickup rollers). It also has a second advantage in that it makes the pinch roller surface tacky again so the tape doesn't slip.

[@mrjsv4935]

Massive thumbs up :) Always love to see 80's home computers getting fixed :)

[@colinboneham7387]

That load scream brings back a few happy happy memories

[@Old_Man_Pete]

Memories, I had the 48k with rubber keys, that noise just took me back to childhood 👍

[@FootNinja88]

Brilliant Brought back a lot of memories for me thanks ,I had The 48K and the 128K. version of the spectrum. I remember loading the game & it used to crash right at the end.

[@leighsmith2361]

I had one of these when I was a kid, loved it, and the bruce lee game, and those ear-bleeding loading screens, are good old memories hey, love your videos Vince.

[@TheGreekWatcher]

Hello Vince! What a great watch collection you have!! Keep up the qood work!!

[@corty1980]

Never had a ZX Spectrum and didn't know of anyone else that did, probably not very popular here in Australia compared to the UK. Even so I do enjoy videos where old tech/computers are brought back to life. Currently about 95% through doing an Amiga with a new ReAmiga motherboard, current chip shortages is the only thing that is stopping me from finishing it :(

[@mikethedigitaldoctorjarvis]

I had one of those in my teenage years,absolutely loved it ! 😊

[@markbennett3400]

Great vid Vince, it brought back so many happy memories of those long wait to load days.

[@Zadkiel343]

You should look into Acetone plastic welding - it would have been much superior here than the superglue, which will undoubtedly fail after under a little stress.

[@MokkaMatti]

As someone who has used it in both hobby kit model building, going back to my youth, and in my projects as an Industrial Design major back in my Uni days, I was going to suggest that Vince look into a product like Plastruct Plastic Weld - or an equivalent solvent-based bonding agent, that would actually allow the pieces to actually fuse back together, rather than be held together by an adhesive agent . Sufficient drying time would have to be provided (longer than with CA glue), but as you stated, would be better for these types of applications like screw posts/mounting bosses, etc. Depending upon the type of polymer, Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) also works well (particularly for styrene); it could be applied by either a brush or small hypodermic syringe.

[@SimonEllwood]

Or decent Epoxy

[@michaleus]

You couldn't see the motherboard and its circuitry at all in the video, which is a shame. Otherwise, great content creation on KZbin Vinci.

[@willrobinson7599]

Great video.i had a chuckle when u said that the sticky tape might be original ,I know late 80's ,early nineties standards could be low but surely they wouldn't use sticky tape like that lol

[@BlackGymkhana]

If case plastic is ABS you can use acetone to weld pieces together. The joint will be strong as it originally was.

[@miro_trendafilov]

New vid! Awesome! Hi Vince! Love to see you working on a ZX Spectrim, a very British system.

[@stevemitson8498]

Excellent video great repair. I am an A+ computer tech and this video was top notch! And yes a lot of memories!

[@bluetuscani5607]

I never seen that device before, it belongs in a museum.

[@dannyhtheretrogamingmaster9548]

I remember the good old spectrum from back in the day and using the keyboard or joystick to play the tape games. Good repair job there.

[@Mymatevince]

Thanks Danny, I think this might have been the one I got of you some years back. I couldn't find the listing on eBay since so much time has passed. I still need to look at your job lot of Wii's as well 😂. That was probably a couple of years ago by now. Hope you're keeping well 👍👍👍

[@gamerX-wk7ct]

Vince if you read this what brand soldering and heat gun do you use . and good video I always enjoy watching your content 😊

[@davidayres7973]

That takes me back. First ever computer I had was one of those in the very early 90s

[@daz41262010]

wow such an easy fix and so great to see the spectrum back to life I used to play a game called Dizzy :) and also manic miner not to mention jet set willy lol :)

[@mark-andrews]

Great video, used to spend hours playing ZX Spectrum games back in the day, Bruce Lee, is a good game.

[@AnonymousRepair]

Nice one, One thing to do using Qbond is to rough up the plastic where you are going to apply the powder it gives it more surface area to grip on to, great video 👍👍👍👍👍

[@Mymatevince]

Oh yes, I think you might have mentioned that to me before. I'll remember for next time. I did remember the little hole in the lid this time though 😂 👍👍

[@SNEEKYPEEK]

Brought back some happy memories mate all started with the zx81 then zx spectrum with the rubber keys, had the external ram plus a thermal printer Jet set willy was my favourite 😊 Nice one mate 👍 Ps love your videos

[@scottls]

I don't have any fond memories of computers back when I was young (back in the 70s and early 80s everything we had over here in the States was too expensive) but, yeah, I can imagine I would have been really geeking out with something like this. Instead, I was fixing lamps, then radios, then TVs that were all tossed in the garbage before I got to them.

[@pyjama9556]

Hi Vince, been watching you’re channel and subbed, can’t believe how many things you’re able to fix!! Odd one here I have a PlayStation 2 train controller that is isn’t responding. I’ve gone online and seen some info but I’m unable to fault find this myself 😞 Is this something you might be interested in?

[@Parknest]

I started off with a rubber key 48K Spectrum. The one you had Vince was the Spectrum+ which had the QL-style case and keyboard but was still a 48K Spectrum under the skin with the addition of a reset button. I have a +2A myself which I featured on my own channel. Unfortunately, the RF modulator is broken. I should've got my late uncle to fix it before his passing. He knew his way round the Spectrum. These days, I get my Speccy fix with an emulator.

[@SpeccyMan]

If the modulator has failed you could just do the composite video modification. It's not that difficult and there are plenty of videos showing you how to do it.

[@Parknest]

Yes, I'm aware of the composite video mod that can be done. I think the connector itself is damaged. I'll have to dig it out of the loft. It has never been 100% since I bought it in 1995.

[@onasazi]

Oh really nice fixing there! Didn’t know you can buy assortments of springs! 😂

[@JoystickDivision]

I can't remember who I got this trick from, but to fix screw posts back into place, I use acetone. I get a little bit on the end of a cotton buds, wipe it lightly on the problem area and press the posts on. The acetone should fuse it back together and in my experience it's a really strong join. Some say it's as strong as when it was new.

[@dodgydruid]

The tape inside is likely assembly tape used on the assembly line to keep it all in place where the lady with the zzz zzz gun would whizz in the screws, nearly all the Spectrum plus and my Amstrad CPC's had that tape in from new and the tape on yours looks about as old as the machine is. BTW got a cracking watch vid coming, 1980's Pulsar solar, absolutely immaculate with its original box, all papers and manuals and this was the watch that kickstarted Seiko in marrying a quality Seiko quartz movement with a solar panel and capacitor defining the modern "eco-drive" watches of today. Just waiting on the new capacitor cell to arrive as the original one holds about 2 secs of power.

[@CORNISHMANUK]

My Mate Vince gaming channel??? Love the vid I remember mine and I'm currently repairing a 16k and upgrading too to 48k. Wish me luck

[@PaddyPatPatrick]

If I remember correctly this is my first computer and the funny thing is I still have it and a bunch of cassette tapes 😀

[@johnboy4809]

Hi Vince, great repair, still have my old amstrad and amiga that I want to try and get working at some point. Just seen a job lot of broken Raspberry Pis and ebay, wandered if thats something youve though about looking at

[@rambledogs2012]

18:54 and the memories come flooding back.

[@TheSkaldenmettrunk]

Never seen such a thing. Probably to young I guess. Still pretty interesting to see it and even not just from the outside.

[@HuntersMoon78]

Recently got rid of my retro collection including 3 48K, 3 Spectrum+, +2 and a +2a but I did keep my ZX Spectrum Next. I ain't selling that beauty.

[@krisbagnall3683]

Well done buddy. I would of been so dissapointed if you hadnt loaded up and played bruce lee!!!! Ah the days of waiting for the tapes to load only to come back 10 mins later to find an error and have to do it all again.....after rewinding hahaha

[@lordtwister1436]

Hey @Vince how about getting a ZX81 to work on. That would be class.

[@burnleytraveller4556]

I used to love my Spectrum. I had all the Dizzy games, they were my favourite.

[@Devilboy-6666]

Another great video mate 👍 Love the new outro song 🎵 lol

[@roytom2054]

Brill fix. These computers were wonderful in their day.

[@colinboneham7387]

I used to have a ZX80 & 81 till I upgraded to Spectrum +3 128k with a disc drive. I love the game technician ted & the chip factory & a few other.

[@thebincleaner]

Wow....I love my retro stuff...this was great to watch and Bruce LEE WAS ALSO A FAVE OF MINE ON THE 48K How mad is it that today you can fit 2.7 million 48k's on a 128gb micro SD card

[@kennethbarker852]

1st class video to watch thank you take care kind regards from me kenneth🙂

[@TomMannCenturia]

I love the Speccy. You've still got it with Bruce Lee!

[@markvandesande8855]

Wow wow wow i had spectrum +2 back in 2005 i loved it. But now my mate Vince has a jingle. It reminds me of old thames television themes like Rainbow wow still my favourite tune from the eighties. 😁

[@amnril]

I’ve got a Spectrum+3 (with a crappy hybrid amstrad disk drive) in the loft somewhere. There’s little chance it actually works now though, perhaps Vince would like to make a video on it….. assuming it doesn’t work

[@mattcorby]

Those are worth a mint on eBay now.. boxed they go for about 2-3 hundred quids

[@marktasker9581]

Had this system...the memories 😁

[@mrhairypalm5006]

Brings back some memories 👍🏻

[@DEmma1972]

Massive thumbs. Still want to see a rubber spectrum fixed lol. They do have a new rubber spectrum out now with USB slots and stuff. Could be interesting seeing the differences.

[@DIYBuildandRepair]

For the broken screwposts i usually use 2 component epoxy adhesive, it is usually stronger than superglue. I used it on an Samsung QVO 1tb SSD, it had a broken plastic support, the one under the sata pins, the SSD is currently in my laptop.

[@JessicaRyan7of9]

I had one of them when I was a kid. Nice fix.

[@neonteepee8453]

Big smiles here. You must have the only Spectrum in the world that doesn't need an azimuth angle tweak to load a tape

[@TechGorilla1987]

@12:39 - You can simply use 91-99% IPA on a cotton bud as an activator. Most of the labels list IPA as an ingredient. It's the moisture that cures cyanoacrylate. The IPA simply makes the moisture get in to the bond to harden it.

[@qualisarphate681]

Omg, you found the lost signed copy of the 128k spectrum, and that's Lord sugar to you. Lol! Still that model still sold better than Alan's flagship product the Amstrad videophone, so prestigious it still on his desk on apprentice. :p

[@paulstir]

Ahh I miss my 48k ( rubber key ) that was an amazing memory of the lined screen with the noise , also what was the game called where there was ladders and a car build it was so much fun ( now I’m thinking about buying a 48k 🤦‍♂️ haha

[@Obenfiquista81]

I just got one and i have the same problems with the tape loader and a key or two not responding very well. I actually managed to get the tape loader to work ok, but maybe it need some lubrication or something to work better...

[@emilyslifewithautism6499]

awesome video Vince always like listening to them

[@gjnieuwenhuis2440]

Really good memories of my 48k with rubber keyboard playing Manic Miner against my brother

[@Retro_andy_1977]

Date code 60730 Could be 30th July 1986?one of the Sinclairs built by Amstrad after they bought Sinclair out but obviously still used the Sinclair name Enjoyed the video again Vince

[@ArreglandoCosas]

Excelente video Vince!

[@jonathanmartin3375]

Very cool. So how do the tapes work? Do they just load data onto the main system then you play from there?

[@Daud76]

Exactly like you said. Sometimes games did not load and one would get a "tape/load error" message. As a kid, my neighbourhood friend and I suspected game loadings were caused by watching the screen, so we would go find something else to do whilst game was loading. Or simply turned our backs away from the screen.. and games usually loaded fine by using our secret method. 😄

[@samuelfellows6923]

That is a PHILIPS compact cassette - originally conceived to record and play audio. As a rival to the other cartridge based magnetic tape media, and it won. I have that cassette, but I record and play music on them. I have seen that some vintage cassette/radio boombox’s have din aux sockets on them to connect a computer - similar to a ZX spectrum, to it, to load a audio data cassette to the computer/record data from it.

[@infinityeight8705]

@@Daud76 There was definitely somthing in what you said - I had a commodore 64 and like you say games did not always load 100% of the time, but one specific game that I had would fail to load every time you were in the room! but it loaded no problem if you went out of the room - it was the only game that ever did this and it was weird!! (the game was jack charlton match fishing).

[@Daud76]

@@infinityeight8705 That is amazing! You and me perfect strangers to one another and yet experienced exactly the same thing on different computers and quite possibly in different countries and found the same solution to our loading dilemmas? 😄 I honestly have no idea how or why some games only loaded when we left the room and or turned our backs and also how we discovered a work around. Thinking back, one game which refused to load the entire weekend when another friend came over to play was the ZX Spectrum version of "World Series Baseball". It only loaded properly half an hour before his mother came to fetch and take him home. He was not impressed at all! 😄

[@infinityeight8705]

@@Daud76 I think one time when a game had not loaded after a couple of tries, I started it again and went downstairs for my dinner/tea - when I came back it was loaded no problem! I think that's how I got into doing it, as the tape/heads etc were magnetic it seemed that the field or energy of a person could affect loading! At least that was my theory - it was like the blowing on carts to get them to work!

[@gingerhippygaming7962]

Nice to see a zx spectrum being saved

[@Omega_Mark]

You can use a coffeemaker filter and some IPA to wife off the keyboard contacts. These filters are useful, as they do not create little paper particles left on a surface (if used gently). They are also useful when wiping off a thermal paste from a CPU or similar. Most of all, these coffee filters are cheap :).

[@kareno8634]

Thanks! usually when Finally, (Years later) getting more, i say, 'another lifetime supply'.

[@spamspace6878]

Or use a microfiber towel

[@GadgetUK164]

Lovely job Vince =D

[@Mymatevince]

Thanks Chris 👍

[@filevans]

Do you have any for sale after fixing them mate?

[@mickyjb2003]

I have a 48k spectrum with the rubber keys. Would it work plugged in to a monitor like yours? What connection cables would I need. would?

[@kareno8634]

*LOL You are a Trip!* Another Life SAVED _and_ History Continues.

[@brendonelton]

I love watching a speccy being repaired & dragged back into life agian!

[@10p6]

Why do you not have 'What happens when' listed as a sub channel?

[@Lachlant1984]

Were these model +2s made in the UK as the early models were? Did you know that Retro Games will soon release a modern ZX Spectrum replica later this year?

[@llewellyn56]

awesome. great video. my system still works. have the same game. love it

[@readmore7180]

I've still got mine in the loft in the same place as the rubber key one, and the upgrade of the 128k that came with a disk drive. They are my version of the Toby jugs old people wrap in newspaper and put in the loft lol

[@readmore7180]

P.s, if you want super glue to activate quicker without having to buy activator just use water. Water make super glue set in seconds 👍

[@jimlondon1]

God, me and my sister had a +2. We had loads of games. My favourite was VAMPIRE. bloody difficult but addictive.