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Advice for Commodore C64 and Commodore +4


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I understand that you're based in the UK (could be worthwhile to add to your profile), so power supplies need to support up to 240V AC and ideally also have your three prong power connector. I'm not entirely updated on what options there are, but I've read positive comments from people buying aftermarket supplies on eBay. There's also Ray Carlsen, who is located in the US so even if his supplies would match your voltage there would be overseas shipping involved. Also remember that the Plus/4 often has a square, 4 pin plug while the C64 has a round, 9 pin plug. It is possible to replace the square plug with the round plug as a number of Plus/4 owners already have done, though it requires soldering. By doing that, you could use the same PSU for both computers, one at a time.

 

You might also be interested in a "saver" device, a circuit you connect between the PSU and the computer if you've got one of the older PSUs which eventually risks breaking. So far I've been fortunate not to have suffered the failing PSU that causes up to 12V on the 5V line, but I'm well aware I should use protection. Of course if you got a modern replacement PSU that isn't likely to fail in the same way, you should not need the saver.

 

As for storage devices, up to recently there have been two major lines: the cheaper SD2IEC type devices that handles single filed programs and the more expensive 1541 Ultimate type devices that handles everything and has additional functionality beyond storage. However the latest craze is the Pi1541, firmware you can install on a Raspberry Pi and a suitable "hat" to connect it to a Commodore computer. Supposedly it is as cheap as the SD2IEC and as compatible as the 1541 Ultimate, of course a little depending if you've got a spare Pi to use or need to buy it all. It is a little more of a DIY solution than the others though.

 

The Plus/4 can connect a 1551 parallel floppy drive through the cartridge port, but I believe connecting a 1541 type drive through the serial port (IEC) is just as good, perhaps slower.

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Good advice.

 

Is your C64 the older breadbin model or a newer C64C model? If the older model, you might have a ticking PLA bomb inside it too. Whether its burst can be delayed with a heat sink is unknown to me, but in case it would just yield a black screen one day, there are a bunch of PLA replacement chips, similar to how you use modern PSUs, savers etc. The C64C may have either the older (longer) board with problematic PLA or the newer (shorter) board with a nearly problem free PLA.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Any ideas on a good AV upscaler to HMDI mid range price XRGB-mini is too deep for my pockets

Ray Carlsen and I use an item similar to this --

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/S-Video-3-RCA-Composite-R-L-Stereo-Audio-CVBS-to-HDMI-Converter-Adapter-1080P/400975798707?epid=2255926857&hash=item5d5c0521b3:g:aA8AAOSw9N1VyiNJ

 

A very clear picture. The only problem is that with a HDMI monitor the picture is always stretched to fill in the screen. Perhaps with a HDMI t.v., you can force the t.v. to display a 4 x 3 picture.

 

Truly,

Robert Bernardo

Fresno Commodore User Group

http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

August 11-12 Commodore Vegas Expo v14 -

http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex

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Ray Carlsen and I use an item similar to this --

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/S-Video-3-RCA-Composite-R-L-Stereo-Audio-CVBS-to-HDMI-Converter-Adapter-1080P/400975798707?epid=2255926857&hash=item5d5c0521b3:g:aA8AAOSw9N1VyiNJ

 

A very clear picture. The only problem is that with a HDMI monitor the picture is always stretched to fill in the screen. Perhaps with a HDMI t.v., you can force the t.v. to display a 4 x 3 picture.

 

Good to know this will work with our odd video signal. Thanks, once again, Robert!

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