Ben's Hobbies http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php Copyright 2012, Ben Versteeg Ben Versteeg en-US SPHPBLOG 0.4.8
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ZX Spectrum 128K composite video fixes in 1 document http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry120126-204743
Click here for the topic on WoS.]]> http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry120126-204743 Ben Versteeg Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:47:43 GMT http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/comments.php?y=12&m=01&entry=entry120126-204743
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Selling nice stuff on eBay http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry120122-072414 http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/quantit/m.html

I am offering lot's of rare sets the coming weeks.
On right now: a very complete boxed ZX81 set!

These are some of the items you can expect the coming weeks:
- Boxed 128K heatsink ZX Spectrums (yes, more than one)
- Opus Discovery disk systems (again, more than one)
- Disciple disk interfaces (unbelievable, even more than one of these)
- Lot's of 48K ZX Spectrums
- Interface 1 + Microdrive sets
- Original ROM game-cartridges
- ZX81 sets
- And much more....

So, put my eBay channel in your browsers favorites to not miss one of these incredible offers!]]> http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry120122-072414 Ben Versteeg Sun, 22 Jan 2012 06:24:14 GMT http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/comments.php?y=12&m=01&entry=entry120122-072414
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Hires Opus Discovery board pictures http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry111201-123839
Here's a video in which I'm dissassembling a floppydrive from an Opus because I forgot to set the driveselect correctly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjvzLBlzDgY

Here they are pics (click for hires):









Some problems I had to repair with these Opus Discovery interfaces were:
- defective rectifier
- defective ROM
- one didn't have a 6116 ram chip, don't know if it is needed, but I ordered one anyway
- one had a defective WD1770 floppy controller; replaced it with a WD1772 from an Atari ST: another model but pincompatible, and that worked great!
- one floppydrive failed, but luckally that Opus had two! Only needed to make a bracket to cover the space
- the soldered wires on the 'flying' LM317's come off easily with some movement: very frustrating when you are repairing an interface...

I encountered these interesting things:
- two had a rom v2.2 (one even had a paper with rom changes, but I didn't scan it, sorry!); the lowest rom version I found was 2.1, probably the default factory-rom
- I had one large filled floppybox with about 40 floppies filled with data; very rare to have owned as all others had only one or two or no floppies at all
- there are some different ways of how the voltage regulators are mounted
- there are some different board versions, haven't checked for numbers

This seems a lot of trouble, but believe me: ZX Spectrums fail a lot more and at a lot of more parts.

All together the Opus Discovery is a very solid system, which still works after so many years!]]> http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry111201-123839 Ben Versteeg Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:38:39 GMT http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/comments.php?y=11&m=12&entry=entry111201-123839
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Playing the ZX Spectrum laserharp at a retrocomputer fair http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry111105-104317
I brought my laserharp, here's a video (click on pic):


]]> http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry111105-104317 Ben Versteeg Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:43:17 GMT http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/comments.php?y=11&m=11&entry=entry111105-104317
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Stereo sound enhancement for any 128K ZX Spectrum model available http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry110922-201637 new topic on World of Spectrum (click here) with info about ordering the new stereo sound enhancement.

It's a complete kit including stereo audio output socket and switch to choose between ABC and ACB sound.
All is explained in this manual (click here).

]]> http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry110922-201637 Ben Versteeg Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:16:37 GMT http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/comments.php?y=11&m=09&entry=entry110922-201637
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Yamaha DB60XG wavetable card on my ZX Spectrum http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry110821-130307 Spectrum.
So that is also the function: to create sound for my
laserharp (look at my Youtube videos).

It took some hours to get this working as the DB60XG somehow needs a reset after it's powered on.
Then the second thing it needs is a GM initialisation.

I'm trying out different sounds in this video. The setup was for prototyping only. I will build the electronics into a case together with the DB60XG.

Here's a video of the setup working:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zGFNfNAVXw

Some pics:







]]> http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry110821-130307 Ben Versteeg Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:03:07 GMT http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/comments.php?y=11&m=08&entry=entry110821-130307
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More Dutch retro computer fairs in 2011 http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry110508-171711
2 October 2011, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands:


18 September 2011, Steenwijk, The Netherlands:


Visit the Bonami site for more info!

Or click here for the English translation.
]]> http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry110508-171711 Ben Versteeg Sun, 08 May 2011 15:17:11 GMT http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/comments.php?y=11&m=05&entry=entry110508-171711
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News http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry110205-110310

Next batch of DivIDE


I'm still waiting for some parts for the next batch of 50 DivIDE interfaces, and sold the remaining 5 from the last batch this week.
Wow, there is still so much interest in the DivIDE!

Shipment costs


Our national post-company Tnt has raised rates for international packages with about 85%! It's absurd.
To still be able to send for fair prices I looked for a solution.
I now am able to ship in a new box that fits through your mailbox, so I can use letter-rates for the shipment, but I always used signed and insured shipment.
This way the package is only about 3 euro more expensive than before, instead of about 10 euro.

I repaired a floppydrive! Lol!


My Sam Coupe needed a repair or other floppydrive.
Read the story on WorldofSpectrum (click)!
]]> http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry110205-110310 Ben Versteeg Sat, 05 Feb 2011 10:03:10 GMT http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/comments.php?y=11&m=02&entry=entry110205-110310
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Bonami Retrocomputer fair march 2011 http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry110108-142413
Click for more info
]]> http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry110108-142413 Ben Versteeg Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:24:13 GMT http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/comments.php?y=11&m=01&entry=entry110108-142413
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Stereo Small Stone phaser (using Tonepad pcb's) http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry101205-185326 Tonepad to make two Small Stone effect pedals myself.

The original Small Stone phasers are mono effects, as they were originally made as guitar effects.

I already have an original Small Stone effect pedal, connected to my Yamaha CS1x synthesizer.
But as you can guess this synthesizer is stereo, so I was curious if it is possible to create a stereo Small Stone.
And it seems it's not that hard!

I'm assembling the two Small Stone pcb's from Tonepad at this moment, but need to wait for a couple of more parts to arrive.
After that I need to share the LFO from one of the two pcb's to feed both pcb's.
I think it's easy, so I'm anxious to finish them!!

There is only one video to find which shows two original Small Stone pedals modded to one stereo effect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6fURkOPl5Q.

I'll keep you readers informed!


The original Small Stone effect pedal:

]]> http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/index.php?entry=entry101205-185326 Ben Versteeg Sun, 05 Dec 2010 17:53:26 GMT http://www.benophetinternet.nl/hobby/hobby/comments.php?y=10&m=12&entry=entry101205-185326