In today's video, I am repairing some rare Issue 1 ZX Spectrums and bringing them back to life! Huge thanks to PCBWay for sponsoring this video. Check them out here: https://www.pcbway.com/

Working on a batch of original Sinclair ZX Spectrum Issue 1 computers requires a careful approach to preserve their history. I tackle several repairs across multiple boards, diagnosing a missing power rail caused by a faulty TR4 transistor and replacing a blown 7805 voltage regulator with a 7805.

I also step through the process of locating and replacing failed upper RAM chips on a delicate 32K daughterboard by tracking the CPU data lines. Finally, I perform a fully reversible composite video modification to bypass the RF modulator and improve the display output. These early serial number machines are incredibly rare, so my focus is strictly on getting them functional again while leaving the original aesthetics and components as intact as possible.

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If you'd like to help keep the lights on (and the tools plugged in), my Patreon is the best way to do it. Patrons get ad-free early access to videos, behind-the-scenes updates, and entry to a super secret Discord channel — plus my sincere gratitude, which is worth roughly what you'd expect.

▸ Patreon: https://patreon.morefunretro.co.uk/

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There's also the Retro Hardware Discord, where people who enjoy this sort of thing gather to talk about it. It's better than it has any right to be.

▸ Retro Hardware Discord: https://discord.gg/tsAbuAfqf9

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Second Channel: @morefunretro2

Here is the link to the new RHD 2.0 Discord server. https://discord.gg/szcYaTD2JQ

There are no links to my Patreon or other ways to contribute financially as I dont want this to be a begging video. I am fine. But thank you if this was your intention.

Hell Im not even turning ads on.

Special thanks to PCBWay for sponsoring this video. https://www.pcbway.com/

Join me for the highlight of the year, Retro Fest! It's an incredible weekend packed with vintage computing, rare hardware, and the amazing retro community.

Before diving into the main event, we take a quick look back at my recent trips to Zapp! Live, a fantastic Commodore-focused event where I spotted a brilliant "Amiga in an Amiga" mini build, and then off to the Retro Collective Museum.

Once we hit the show floor at Retro Fest, the sheer variety of retro tech is staggering. We get up close with some truly fascinating machines and modifications, including: • A 4G-connected OPL browsing Ceefax • A vintage PERQ 2 graphical workstation from 1984 • A Victor 9000 business computer • A Sun SPARC industrial ATX board running inside a mid-2000s gaming PC case • An incredible custom ZX Spectrum video chip upgrade capable of 848x480 resolution • A beautifully engineered Z80 CP/M pocket calculator • A 1958 Siemens T100 Telex machine operating on the modern i-Telex network

A massive thank you to Tony and Pete from Short Circuit for organizing such a stellar event, and to everyone who stopped to chat. I walked away with some amazing new project pieces to tackle in future videos, including a Jupiter Ace recreation, an Acorn Electron reproduction board from Mark71, and a stack of RM 380Z boards from the RM User Group. I also managed to get a special signature from Lemmings creator Mike Dailly!

Be sure to check out Seb's Place TV for more on the Roaming Spectrum featured in this video. https://youtu.be/uOpcmWpkS4o

Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next one!

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If you'd like to help keep the lights on (and the tools plugged in), my Patreon is the best way to do it. Patrons get ad-free early access to videos, behind-the-scenes updates, and entry to a super secret Discord channel — plus my sincere gratitude, which is worth roughly what you'd expect.

▸ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/morefunmakingit

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I also have another channel called More Fun Fixing It, where I try to coax life back into things instead of building them from scratch. Same shed, different end of the workbench.

▸ More Fun Fixing It: https://www.youtube.com/@morefunfixingit

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There's also the Retro Hardware Discord, where people who enjoy this sort of thing gather to talk about it. It's better than it has any right to be.

▸ Retro Hardware Discord: https://discord.gg/ChH726tbbF

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