Task: Erase a 40-Pin AM27C400 Programmable EPROM With Ultraviolet Light Needed: AM27C400 EPROM, UV light source, TL866 universal programmer Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction I have previously posted about burning 40-pin AM27C400 EPROM chips for upgrading the ROM of an Amiga 1200. Unfortunately, several of my EPROMs were not fully blank
Read postAdd an Emulated AdLib Sound Card to Your Retro PC via a PicoMEM 2 Card in the 8-Bit ISA Slot (15-30 mins)
Task: Add an Emulated AdLib Sound Card to Your Retro PC Needed: PC with an 8-Bit ISA Slot (e.g. IBM XT/AT/PS2) and a PicoMEM 2 Card Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction The AdLib Music Synthesizer Card was one of the first sound cards to make IBM PC-compatible games feel truly musical.
Read postAdd Modern Storage, Networking, Audio, and Peripheral Support to Your Vintage PC With the Raspberry Pi Pico-Based 8-Bit ISA PicoMEM 2 Card (30-60 mins)
Task: Add Modern Storage, Networking, Audio, and Peripheral Support to Your Vintage PC With the PicoMEM 2 Card Needed: PicoMEM 2 card, micro-SD card, Vintage PC with an 8-Bit ISA Slot Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction There have been a variety of modern solutions for upgrading the RAM of your vintage PC,
Read postDisplay Video from an IBM PS/2 Model 30 in HDMI by Installing an ISA VGA Card and Upscaling with an OSSC (30-60 mins)
Task: Display Video from an IBM PS/2 Model 30 in HDMI Needed: ISA VGA Card and OSSC or Similar Upscaler Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction I recently purchased a nice IBM PS/2 Model 30 that was released in 1987 as the first in this line of computers. The original PS/2 came
Read postPurchase and Install a 1MB Chip RAM Expansion Board for Your Amiga 600 (15-30 mins)
Task: Purchase and Install a 1MB Chip Ram Expansion Board for Your Amiga 600 Needed: Amiga 600, 1MB Chip Ram Board Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction I recently purchased an Amiga 600 and upgraded with a PiStorm CPU accelerator. While the PiStorm adds a ton of fast RAM, it does not
Read postPurchase and Install a PiStorm to Provide CPU Emulation, Extra Fast RAM, and a Virtual Hard Drive for Your Amiga 600 (30-60 mins)
Task: Purchase and Install a PiStorm for Your Amiga 600 Needed: Amiga 600, Amiga 600 PiStorm, Compatible Raspberry Pi, MicroSD Card, Philips and Hex Screwdrivers Time: 30-60 minutes or longer Introduction I recently purchased an Amiga 600 computer and immediately ordered a PiStorm device to expand its capabilities. I have
Read postUpgrade a Macintosh LCIII Computer to 36MB of RAM (15-30 mins)
Task: Upgrade a Macintosh LCIII Computer to 36MB of RAM Needed: Mac LCIII or Equivalent Performa Model, 72-Pin 32MB SIMM Card Time: 15-30 Minutes Introduction I acquired a Macintosh LCIII several years ago from a local contact. The first thing I did was replace the leaking capacitors that are common to
Read postModify the Video Circuitry of Your Atari 1040STF to Make it Compatible with RGB to SCART to HDMI Conversion to Connect to an LED Screen (1-2 Hours)
Task: Modify the Video Circuitry of Your Atari 1040STF to Make it Compatible with RGB to SCART to HDMI Conversion to Connect to an LED Screen Needed: Soldering Iron, Desoldering Iron, Solder, Several Electrical Components Time: 1-2 Hours Introduction I have previously posted about purchasing an Atari 1040ST as one
Read postUpgrade a Macintosh LC Computer to 10MB of RAM (15-30 mins)
Task: Upgrade a Macintosh LC Computer to 10MB of RAM Needed: Two 4MB RAM SIMMs Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction I acquired a Macintosh LC several years ago from a local contact. The first thing I did was replace the leaking capacitors that are common to all Macs of the 1990s. I
Read postUpgrade a Macintosh Classic II Computer to 10MB of RAM (15-30 mins)
Task: Upgrade a Macintosh Classic II Computer to 10MB of RAM Needed: Two 4MB RAM Boards, Mac Classic II, Long T15 Torx Screwdriver Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction I acquired a lovely Macintosh Classic II several years ago from a local contact. The first thing I did was replace the leaking
Read postPurchase AmigaOS 3.2 to Add Modern Kickstart and Workbench Support for Your 680X0-Based Amiga Computers (15-30 mins)
Task: Purchase AmigaOS 3.2 to Add Modern Kickstart and Workbench Support for Your 680X0-Based Amiga Computers Needed: 68K Amiga Computer or Emulator, Web Browser for Purchase and Download Time: 15-30 minutes for purchase and download Introduction According to Wikipedia, the last release of Workbench by Commodore was version 3.1 in
Read postUpgrade the Kickstart ROM on an Amiga 500 Revision 5 Motherboard Using an EPROM and Socket Adapter (30-60 mins)
Task: Upgrade the Kickstart ROM on an Amiga 500 Revision 5 Motherboard Using an EPROM and Socket Adapter Needed: Amiga 500 With Revision 5 Motherboard, EPROM, EPROM Programmer, EPROM Programmer Adapter, Kickstart ROM Socket Adapter Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction I purchased a stock Amiga 500 computer online within the last
Read postInstall an Internal BlueSCSI Hard Drive Emulator in a Macintosh LC or Performa Series Retro Computer (10-15 mins)
Task: Install an Internal BlueSCSI Hard Drive Emulator in a Macintosh LC Series Retro Computer Needed: Internal BlueSCSI V2, Mounting Bracket and M6*8 Screws, SCSI Ribbon Cable Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction I have previously posted about the amazing BlueSCSI version 2 device that uses a RaspberryPi Pico to emulate a
Read post3D Print a New Bottom Trapdoor to Ventilate the PiStorm32 Lite on Your Amiga 1200 (30-60 mins)
Task: 3D Print a New Bottom Trapdoor to Ventilate the PiStorm32 Lite on Your Amiga 1200 Needed: STL file, 3D printer Time: 30-60 mins Disclosure: Note that as an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases Introduction I previously posted about installing a PiStorm32 Lite on an
Read postMake an Amiga 1200 Computer Back Trapdoor Using a 3D Printer (15-30 mins)
Task: Make Amiga Computer Case Parts Using a 3D Printer Needed: 3D Printer, Filament, STL File or Design Time: 15-60 minutes Disclosure: Note that as an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases Introduction I recently posted about my Amiga a1200 NG build that featured a newly
Read postPurchase a 3D Printer for Designing and Printing Parts for Retro Computers (30-60 mins)
Task: Purchase a 3D Printer for Designing and Printing Parts for Retro Computers Needed: 3D Printer Time: 30-60 minutes Disclosure: Note that as an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Introduction Over the last several years I have found myself purchasing more and more 3D-printed parts
Read postReplace a Faulty SID Sound Chip in a Commodore 64 or 128 With a Newly Made Nano SwinSID (15-30 mins)
Task: Replace a Faulty SID Sound Chip in a Commodore 64 or 128 With a Newly Made Nano SwinSID Needed: Nano SwinSID Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction I have previously posted about the Raspberry Pi Pico-based SIDKick replacement for the SID sound chip found in Commodore 64s and 128s. I recently
Read postCase Studies in Retro Computer Repair (#7): Diagnosing and Fixing a Commodore 64 with Wavy Video Output
Disclosure: Note that as an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Introduction I purchased this working Commodore 64 326298 Revision A board (1982) with a 5-pin video connector for $100 from a friend. It did indeed work fine when I got it home. However, after it
Read postCase Studies in Retro Computer Repair (#6): Diagnosing and Fixing a Commodore 64 with a Nonworking Socket
Disclosure: Note that as an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Introduction This Commodore 64 (250407 Revision A board with 8-pin video din connector) came to me in an eBay lot of six labeled not working. However, it was able to boot and passed all the
Read postCase Studies in Retro Computer Repair (#5): Diagnosing and Fixing a Commodore 64 with Broken Traces
Disclosure: Note that as an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Introduction I purchased this nice 250407 Revision C motherboard as part of a lot of boards. It was missing the PLA (U17) and the VIC-II video chip (U19) as shown below. A new GAL-PLA (e.g.
Read postWatch My YouTube Video on the Diagnosis, Repair, and Modification of Vintage Computers (45 mins)
Task: Watch My YouTube Video on the Diagnosis, Repair, and Modification of Vintage Computers Needed: Web browser Time: 45 minutes Introduction I prepared a presentation on the diagnosis, repair, and modification of vintage computers for the Vintage Computer Festival SoCal in 2025 and decided to record it and put it
Read postPurchase and Install an RF Replacement for Your Commodore 64 to Provide S-Video Output (30-60 mins)
Task: Purchase and Install an RF Replacement for Your Commodore 64 to Provide S-Video Output Needed: RF replacement board, desoldering iron, soldering iron, S-video cable Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction The RF module on the Commodore 64 was poorly designed and produces sub-optimal video signals. The Retro Channel has produced and
Read postPurchase and Install a Kawari Replacement for the Commodore 64 VIC-II Video Chip (15-30 mins)
Task: Purchase and Install a Kawari Replacement for the Commodore 64 VIC-II Video Chip Needed: A Kawari VIC-II replacement and a working Commodore 64 Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction The Commodore 64 used a video chip called the VIC-II that was the successor to the VIC chip used in the VIC-20.
Read postUse Heatsinks to Protect Integrated Circuits Prone to Overheating (10-15 mins)
Task: Use Heatsinks to Protect Integrated Circuits Prone to Overheating Needed: Web Browser, Heatsinks Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction One of the reasons integrated circuits (ICs) fail on retro computers is because they overheat. This is compounded by radio frequency (RF) shielding that can limit ventilation. An easy approach to protecting
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