Great wireless game controller for imaginary games. It always wins.

Just because 🤣🤣🤣 I have made slow advances in my C64 keyboard project. The shift lock circuit was sensitive to the supply voltage, which is not ok, so I have redesigned that. I will soon buy new prototype PCBs. I also want a version with hot swap sockets for the switches.

New video! Refurbishing 5 broken Commodore Datas(s)ettes with various different problems. YouTube: youtu.be/iCeelTxUmiQ PeerTube: makertube.net/w/5tPAz5zpzU... #Commodore #C2N #Commodore1531 #Commodore1530 #Commodore64 #Commodore16 #C16 #C64 #Datasette #Datassette #RetroComputing #VintageComputing

Lo, thy laboratoire shal be bespeckled unto the Yonge Doom itself; for thou, with brussh and spirit of ysopropanol, dost scour the newe-sowed boordes of copper and tynne. (Cleaning up flux residues from 100 little PCBs)

I have installed an LED strip under my work bench, because I drop a lot.

Blue tack is a cool thing, which I have learned about after having an „away from home“ job. It is great to keep components in place before the actual soldering. It sucks, when it gets warm, so I only solder one pin and then remove it.

@morefunmakingit.bsky.social This is my favorite dispenser thingy for flux. Why? Once you learn, it works in the opposite direction (ccw=press), you can control it pretty well. After applying the flux, turn it clock wise and the pressure is released, no further flux comes out.

Today, I have learned, that 30mm wide shrinkable PVC sleeve, like it is used for batteries, is also cool for protecting the label on a DIN connector. The length is also shrinking a couple of mm.

Soldering DIN connectors with The Potato is so easy and relaxed. It even reminds you to install the sheath. What could go wrong?

These vertical DIP switches are really ugly to assemble🤮🤮🤮. The pins are never aligned and they don’t stay in place. Every of them is a puzzle. The piano style ones and the horizontal are way easier.

I still don’t have DSL internet. After a week talking to hotlines for four hours. My mobile network reception is close to zero, too.

Happy Easter egg day, y‘all!

New video! Recapping the Amiga 3000T power supply. YouTube: youtu.be/uKZePkkBd9g PeerTube: makertube.net/w/rSCTC3Ddws... #Amiga #Amiga3000T #Amiga3000 #A3000T #Commodore #Restoration #PSU #PowerSupply #Recapping #Capacitors #Replacement #RetroComputing #VintageComputing #RareCommodore

Ready for some retro yuck?

@morefunmakingit.bsky.social Did you know, that the AMTECH NC-559-ASM flux is fluorescent in UV light? That is for making checking for a proper cleaning easier.

I am trying to understand my precision source (U, I, R, f). It is not very intuitive. And I don’t know, how well my multimeters are calibrated. Good enough for normal work. #FNIRSI #SG004A #precisionSource

This is such a great youtube channel about photography. The guy has some great stories to tell. youtube.com/@fredandharr...

Actually a nice toy for little money. I think, it should include adapters for other type of barrel connector. It has a 5.5mm/2.1mm connector input and does not work with most 5.5/2.5mm PSU connectors. And in some modes there are too many decimals for the accuracy.

Another one back to life. It was simple: the fuse was blown by testing a harness with a short circuit. Result: blank screen. I am glad, anyway. #commodore #C64 #repair #diagnostic #harness

New lab power supply. Unfortunately, not every review on youtube is great. But it looks pretty cool.

Pewww… finally, it works.

Another hot plate soldering. It is so much easier and faster than through hole assembly. #diagnostic #harness #C64 #Commodore

@morefunmakingit.bsky.social That is the glass isopropanol dispensers, which I have mentioned. It is still working (other than the two before, that I have binned).

While looking for my Gorillapod, I have found my Commodore duffel bag. It is a bit yellowed. I wonder, if retro brighting works here. Would be a pity, if it was ruined.

That was a stubborn problem. This user port dongle blew up the 9V fuse in the C64. It turned out, there was a short circuit between one 9VAC and GND. I did not find it, so I have set a lab power supply to 5V/1A and connected it between that AC pin and GND. Good enough to burn the short circuit 🔥

Postie has delivered #beer. A bit expensive, of course. But since I have a passion for the unknown, so I have to pay the price 👍🏻

I have opened a suspect Dela DOS cartridge and found a 40 year old problem. I have seen those curled up pins a couple of times, already.

The new crew member (Fnirsi HS-02A) arrived. I have built a harness for testing (usually, I soldered it with the hot plate). I cannot say anything negative, yet. I need to try it a bit more.

Well, after watching @morefunmakingit.bsky.social video about C64 keyboards using a cordless screwdriver, I needed to get myself one. The recommended model was on amazon, which I don’t buy from, so I have found a pretty equal model on Crazy Ali, which arrived today. So far I like it.

No kidding…

Calories cease to exist when subjected to a thorough cheese gratination.

This is a nice one. It can test a lot of different components. I have tested diodes, transistors, MOSFETs, tvs diodes, zener diodes, resistors, capacitors, LEDs, double LEDs.

Ali Express declared this degausser was 220V UK plug. The plug fits into the US outlet of my transformer, so I used it with 115V. That shook the image on my PET CRT quite a bit. Does anybody know this model?

The big solar spot (AR4366) has erupted probably 20 times today. I guess, there is a chance of northern lights tomorrow or Wednesday. Would be exciting.

Afzer quite a long time, I have found time and motivation to install the retroFuzion Mechboard64 in my Ultimate 64 elite (without II). The CBMstuff keycaps were transplanted from the C64 keyboard, that was in there before.

Yesterday was π day. I have updated the os of my ultimate 62 elite II from 3.12a to 3.14. Just some minutes after Gideon announced the new version on facebook. C= and RESTORE now calls the ultimate menu. Cool :-)

I wish you a happy weekend.

Happy New Year, y‘all. As long as I am alone at home, the Ultimate 64 will stay in the living room. Just did a joystick cord repair with UV activated glue. The stuff is as good as Lee @morefunmakingit.bsky.social said in his video. Glad, that I have mine for two or three months now in use.

Y‘all have a Merry Christmas. We habe the tradition of xmas ass. Who gets the xmas ass has to drink a beer. #merryChristmas #tradition #xmasAss #xmasArse #beer #xmasTree

This was quite a bit of fun during the days, when twitter was a thing. I did not find everybody in there on bluesky, yet. I remember, I have used a demo maker for this.

Omnifixo, good for my nerves. It ist still no fun, though.

My new PC. I need a Win11 computer to use my development tool from January 2026 on. I already hate Windows 11!

Never solder with a blunt soldering iron! Wow… a marketing department running wild. Life would be dull without.

The nano sponge cleaned #PET #keyboard is now pretty low impedance. I would still not call it a verified method, because I have screwed up the „before measurement“. I need to find another bad keyboard. #nanoSponge

The neighbor‘s cat is Lee‘s latest fan 🙂 youtu.be/XJB2_IaeUM4?...

Dinner. That FLIT in the Armor 28 ultra is just too much fun. Actually, that was the reason, why I have bought this smart phone.

I wanted to test, if cleaning the conductive rubbers of a keyboard reduces their impedance significantly. The keyb was so high impedance, that it might show something. After rubbing the rubbers, I noticed, the bridges on the PCB were not really great anymore 🤣

I am a bit lazy, so I want to use a double screwdriver😉 Actually, it is a spanner for camera lens repair etc. For unscrewing threaded rings with opposite slots. I sometimes had this requirement.

Two of 200 connectors were soldered in the wrong orientation. The solder bath was a great help. Used some masking tape and carefully pulled them out, after the solder joints melted simultaneously. It was a flux mess. The nano sponges were good to clean up after the rework.

I am doomed!