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Acorn Electron - Repairs
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lk
Oct 4, 2011, 1:41:27 PM10/4/11
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Hi all
Does anybody know of (or even offer themselves) an Acorn Electron repair
service? If so, could you post the details please?
As a youngster in the 1980s, the Electron was my first ever wholly owned
machine and, while I can't say I'm a fanatic (I'm not into collecting every
single game or peripheral), I would like to make sure I have a working one
for as long as that is economically possible.
I currently have 3. Two power up ok - the other does not - not even a beep
or a light. Of those two "working", one has a problem displaying output in
Mode 2. I've not tested it very much at all but connected via UHF (I do
have an RGB SCART lead but not tried it) - the top of the screen is garbled
/ flickering.
I realise that nothing is 100% guaranteed to work and it must be nearly 30
years since the Elk was released - 1983?? - but it would be nice to know if
I spent a few quid with someone who knew what they were doing - it would be
well spent.
I've seen this
http://www.classicacorn.freeuk.com/8bit_repairs/elec_ula/elec_ula.html but
for various reasons I don't want to attempt to fix it myself.
Thx
Does anybody know of (or even offer themselves) an Acorn Electron repair
service? If so, could you post the details please?
As a youngster in the 1980s, the Electron was my first ever wholly owned
machine and, while I can't say I'm a fanatic (I'm not into collecting every
single game or peripheral), I would like to make sure I have a working one
for as long as that is economically possible.
I currently have 3. Two power up ok - the other does not - not even a beep
or a light. Of those two "working", one has a problem displaying output in
Mode 2. I've not tested it very much at all but connected via UHF (I do
have an RGB SCART lead but not tried it) - the top of the screen is garbled
/ flickering.
I realise that nothing is 100% guaranteed to work and it must be nearly 30
years since the Elk was released - 1983?? - but it would be nice to know if
I spent a few quid with someone who knew what they were doing - it would be
well spent.
I've seen this
http://www.classicacorn.freeuk.com/8bit_repairs/elec_ula/elec_ula.html but
for various reasons I don't want to attempt to fix it myself.
Thx
patric
Oct 4, 2011, 2:42:59 PM10/4/11
to
lk
Oct 5, 2011, 10:15:16 AM10/5/11
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"patric" wrote in message
news:20111004184259....@invalid.net...
Thx but apparently he doesn't handle Electrons
Theo Markettos
Oct 5, 2011, 10:37:56 AM10/5/11
to
The trouble with Electrons is that about 80% of the logic is in the ULA.
There's a fairly high probability the ULA is broken, and if it is there
isn't a source of replacements (except another Electron). So taking this on
as a commercial repair job has a fairly low probability of success. If you
repair it yourself, the only risk is some wasted time.
Do you know of another Electron you can swap ULAs with, to see if it still
causes the problem?
Theo
There's a fairly high probability the ULA is broken, and if it is there
isn't a source of replacements (except another Electron). So taking this on
as a commercial repair job has a fairly low probability of success. If you
repair it yourself, the only risk is some wasted time.
Do you know of another Electron you can swap ULAs with, to see if it still
causes the problem?
Theo
lk
Oct 5, 2011, 1:25:27 PM10/5/11
to
"Theo Markettos" wrote in message
news:y9F*XR...@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk...
>Do you know of another Electron you can swap ULAs with, to see if it still
>causes the problem?
Programming chunky old 80s machines I can handle - but fiddling with
circuitry and chips is beyond me.
Looks like, as you say, there's no (profitable) market for it. What a
shame.
Jules Richardson
Oct 5, 2011, 4:34:31 PM10/5/11
to
On Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:41:27 +0100, lk wrote:
> I realise that nothing is 100% guaranteed to work and it must be nearly
> 30 years since the Elk was released - 1983?? - but it would be nice to
> know if I spent a few quid with someone who knew what they were doing -
> it would be well spent.
I suspect someone might be prepared to give the completely-dead one a go,
> I realise that nothing is 100% guaranteed to work and it must be nearly
> 30 years since the Elk was released - 1983?? - but it would be nice to
> know if I spent a few quid with someone who knew what they were doing -
> it would be well spent.
just because there's a chance the problem is something relatively easy to
fix - someone with a background in repair could check PSU rails, the
reset circuitry, basic clocking of the CPU, bus activity etc. and
(fingers crossed) find a fault in something other than the ULA.
Whether it's worth your money though, I can't say - you could probably
pick up a working BBC micro for nothing (freecycle etc.) and have pretty
much the same 80s experience, but I realise that the nostalgia angle of
"first machine" is important (I kept a 48K Spectrum for the same reason
even though Acorn machines became my "thing")
cheers
Jules
David Holden
Oct 6, 2011, 9:19:44 AM10/6/11
to
On 5-Oct-2011, Jules Richardson <jules.richa...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I suspect someone might be prepared to give the completely-dead one a go,
> just because there's a chance the problem is something relatively easy to
> fix - someone with a background in repair could check PSU rails, the
> reset circuitry, basic clocking of the CPU, bus activity etc. and
> (fingers crossed) find a fault in something other than the ULA.
unit) is a common cause of a dead computer. I think I've read somewhere that
it's quite easy to bypass this and connect up an external regulated PSU.
--
David Holden - APDL - <http://www.apdl.co.uk>
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