I Tested 7 Unknown Commodore 64s. How Many Still Work?
Mark Fixes Stuff
7,084 views
Seven unknown vintage Commodore 64 computers, one questionable original C64 power supply, and no idea how many of them still work. Before I risk powering them up, I build and calibrate an OpenC64Saver to protect the machines from a failed 5V supply.
These are real vintage Commodore 64 machines in unknown condition. Some were given to me, some were dumped on me, and some survived my house fire. Once the OpenC64Saver is finished, Mabel, Doris, Ethel, Gladys, Phyllis, Maureen and Barbara all face exactly the same C64 test.
I check power, the power LED, booting to Commodore BASIC, keyboard operation, video output, SID audio, an Ms. Pac-Man cartridge and loading Konami's Ping Pong from cassette using a known-working Commodore Datasette.
Before any of that can happen, though, there's the small problem of the original Commodore 64 power supply. A failed 5V regulator can put excessive voltage into the computer, so I'm building an OpenC64Saver protection circuit and setting its cut-off voltage before connecting it to the seven machines.
PCBWay kindly sponsored this video and supplied the OpenC64Saver PCBs. I use PCBWay when I need prototype or small-run PCBs made from project Gerber files. They are my go-to PCB supplier for builds such as this, where I need a proper fabricated board rather than assembling the circuit on stripboard.
You can get your own boards for this project here: https://www.pcbway.com/project/sharep...
PCBWay: https://www.PCBWay.com/
OpenC64Saver by SukkoPera: https://github.com/SukkoPera/OpenC64S...
OpenC64Saver is an open-hardware implementation of the Computer Saver developed by Ray Carlsen. It monitors the Commodore 64’s 5 V supply and disconnects it if the voltage rises beyond the calibrated protection threshold.
Ray Carlsen’s original Computer Saver documentation: https://portcommodore.com/rcarlsen/cb...
Many thanks to SukkoPera and Ray Carlsen for making this work available to the Commodore community.
BENCH POWER SUPPLY: RUZIZAO adjustable bench power supply: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CXSQX7B1 -
The RUZIZAO supply made it straightforward to set a precise voltage and calibrate the Saver’s cut-off point.
C64 Video Cable by Retro Computer Shack: https://www.retrocomputershack.com/
Thanks to Mike "Lemmings" Dailly for the Ms. Pac-Man cartridge PCBs used during the tests.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Testing Seven Unknown Commodore 64 Computers
00:44 Commodore 64 Power Supply Failure and Overvoltage Risk
01:30 OpenC64Saver PCB Project and PCBWay
02:05 Building the OpenC64Saver C64 Protection Circuit
07:35 Calibrating the Commodore 64 5V Cut-Off Voltage
11:47 OpenC64Saver Enclosure, Wiring and Final Assembly
19:42 Commodore 64 Test Matrix: BASIC, Keyboard, SID, Cartridge & Tape
20:03 Mabel: First Vintage Commodore 64 Test
22:54 Doris & Ethel: Testing Two More C64 Computers
24:00 Gladys & Phyllis: Fire-Damaged Commodore 64s Tested
26:16 Maureen & Barbara: SID, Keyboard & Datasette Tests
28:12 Seven Commodore 64 Test Results + 1980s Pop Quiz
Patreon:
Patreon: MarkFixesStuff
So, seven vintage C64s go onto the bench. Some are filthy, some have faults, at least one has been through smoke and water damage, and I genuinely don't know what we're going to get when the switches are flipped.
How many still work?
And once we've found out, there's the considerably more serious matter of the 1980s pop lyrics quiz.
#Commodore64 #C64 #RetroComputing
20 Comments
And you should just do a Marathon type vid where you fix all of the easily fixable C64s, then eventually a separate vid for the harder ones. Whatever the case, no C64 deserves living the rest of our lives in an unfixed state...
(and yes forgetting to put things on cables is a constant curse especially if theres melting plastic that stops you redoing it. Most recently I soldered a pair of MIDI sockets outside of the box - had to screw them to the inside of it and didnt get to hide the messy holes)
1. Toto - Africa
2. Waterboys - Whole Of The Moon
3. Talk Talk - It's My Life
4. Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good
5. Pet Shop Boys - Rent
I think with Gladys, you should put that in a specialist frame and hang it on the wall with out cleaning it. It's a special part of history that will always be a talking point... Unless that might bring back bad memories 😬
I Tested 7 Unknown Commodore 64s. How Many Still Work?
Mark Fixes Stuff
7,084 views
Seven unknown vintage Commodore 64 computers, one questionable original C64 power supply, and no idea how many of them still work. Before I risk powering them up, I build and calibrate an OpenC64Saver to protect the machines from a failed 5V supply.
These are real vintage Commodore 64 machines in unknown condition. Some were given to me, some were dumped on me, and some survived my house fire. Once the OpenC64Saver is finished, Mabel, Doris, Ethel, Gladys, Phyllis, Maureen and Barbara all face exactly the same C64 test.
I check power, the power LED, booting to Commodore BASIC, keyboard operation, video output, SID audio, an Ms. Pac-Man cartridge and loading Konami's Ping Pong from cassette using a known-working Commodore Datasette.
Before any of that can happen, though, there's the small problem of the original Commodore 64 power supply. A failed 5V regulator can put excessive voltage into the computer, so I'm building an OpenC64Saver protection circuit and setting its cut-off voltage before connecting it to the seven machines.
PCBWay kindly sponsored this video and supplied the OpenC64Saver PCBs. I use PCBWay when I need prototype or small-run PCBs made from project Gerber files. They are my go-to PCB supplier for builds such as this, where I need a proper fabricated board rather than assembling the circuit on stripboard.
You can get your own boards for this project here: https://www.pcbway.com/project/sharep...
PCBWay: https://www.PCBWay.com/
OpenC64Saver by SukkoPera: https://github.com/SukkoPera/OpenC64S...
OpenC64Saver is an open-hardware implementation of the Computer Saver developed by Ray Carlsen. It monitors the Commodore 64’s 5 V supply and disconnects it if the voltage rises beyond the calibrated protection threshold.
Ray Carlsen’s original Computer Saver documentation: https://portcommodore.com/rcarlsen/cb...
Many thanks to SukkoPera and Ray Carlsen for making this work available to the Commodore community.
BENCH POWER SUPPLY: RUZIZAO adjustable bench power supply: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CXSQX7B1 -
The RUZIZAO supply made it straightforward to set a precise voltage and calibrate the Saver’s cut-off point.
C64 Video Cable by Retro Computer Shack: https://www.retrocomputershack.com/
Thanks to Mike "Lemmings" Dailly for the Ms. Pac-Man cartridge PCBs used during the tests.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Testing Seven Unknown Commodore 64 Computers
00:44 Commodore 64 Power Supply Failure and Overvoltage Risk
01:30 OpenC64Saver PCB Project and PCBWay
02:05 Building the OpenC64Saver C64 Protection Circuit
07:35 Calibrating the Commodore 64 5V Cut-Off Voltage
11:47 OpenC64Saver Enclosure, Wiring and Final Assembly
19:42 Commodore 64 Test Matrix: BASIC, Keyboard, SID, Cartridge & Tape
20:03 Mabel: First Vintage Commodore 64 Test
22:54 Doris & Ethel: Testing Two More C64 Computers
24:00 Gladys & Phyllis: Fire-Damaged Commodore 64s Tested
26:16 Maureen & Barbara: SID, Keyboard & Datasette Tests
28:12 Seven Commodore 64 Test Results + 1980s Pop Quiz
Patreon:
Patreon: MarkFixesStuff
So, seven vintage C64s go onto the bench. Some are filthy, some have faults, at least one has been through smoke and water damage, and I genuinely don't know what we're going to get when the switches are flipped.
How many still work?
And once we've found out, there's the considerably more serious matter of the 1980s pop lyrics quiz.
#Commodore64 #C64 #RetroComputing