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

New website: https://morefunretro.co.uk/

Main channel link https://www.youtube.com/@MoreFunRetro

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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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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/vve3Hr6yar

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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.

Stepping outside my usual 8-bit and 16-bit microcomputers to diagnose a broken NEC PC Engine.

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

I start by checking the power and voltage regulators before moving on to reflow the ribbon cable connections. After testing a few capacitors out of circuit, I use an oscilloscope to probe the RAM and data bus, working through the schematics to isolate the fault. The process ultimately points to a bad CPU, which unfortunately halts this specific repair.

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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 Making It, where I build things from scratch instead of trying to coax life back into them. Same shed, different end of the workbench.

▸ More Fun Making It: https://www.youtube.com/@MoreFunMakingIt

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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

───────────────────────────── #PCEngine #RetroRepair #ConsoleRepair

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

Today I have a rubber key 48K ZX Spectrum issue 3B on the bench. This particular motherboard is an unusual dark green color, manufactured in Korea, and it arrived with a completely dead data bus.

Using a diagnostic card and an oscilloscope, I trace the power, clock, and reset signals to figure out why the system refuses to boot. After ruling out the ULA, the focus shifts to the Z80 CPU. I remove the original processor, test a replacement, and install it to see if that resolves the erratic data lines.

Once the repair is done and the display is stabilized with a composite mod, I test the system with a quick run of Manic Miner.

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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 Making It, where I build things from scratch instead of trying to coax life back into them. Same shed, different end of the workbench.

▸ More Fun Making It: https://www.youtube.com/@MoreFunMakingIt

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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

───────────────────────────── #ZXSpectrum #RetroComputing #Z80

Opening some mail and going through a few items sent in by viewers. The first package contains a ZX Spectrum S-Video mod and some ULA heatsinks. The second is a PC Engine haul, including a Core Grafx console, a CD-ROM2 system, a multitap, and HuCards like Bomberman and Space Invaders. I test the hardware here to figure out what works and what will need to go on the repair bench for a future project.

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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

─────────────────────────────

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

▸ More Fun Making It: https://www.youtube.com/@morefunmakingit

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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

───────────────────────────── #PCEngine #RetroGaming #ConsoleRepair

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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In this video, I dive into a Sinclair ZX Spectrum Issue 6A repair that's suffering from strange screen colors. Watch along as I perform standard multimeter and circuit diagnostics, hunt down failing 4116 DRAM chips using a thermal camera, track down a bad 100uF capacitor, replace a faulty speaker, and attempt to revive a stubborn keyboard membrane.

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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

─────────────────────────────

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

▸ More Fun Making It: https://www.youtube.com/@MoreFunMakingIt

─────────────────────────────

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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#ZXSpectrum #RetroRepair #ElectronicsRestoration

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

Today on More Fun Fixing It, I tackle a Commodore 64 with the classic "black screen" fault. Armed with various diagnostic test cartridges, and the Classic Repair Toolbox software, I chase down a shorted 74LS257 multiplexer and various other faults. What should have been a quick logic chip replacement turns into a much longer journey thanks to a frustrating mistake on the bench. Watch to the end to see the C64 finally pass its diagnostics and to hear about the upcoming Retro Fest 2026 in Swindon.

Live stream where the first part of this repair started: https://youtu.be/vlOT9k2IUi8?t=2415

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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

─────────────────────────────

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

▸ More Fun Making It: https://www.youtube.com/@MoreFunMakingIt

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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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Welcome to the live draw for the FrankenPete 64GS + MORE!

ENTER THE RAFFLE / PRIZE DRAW HERE: https://gvwhl.com/XFKUX

LEGAL & YOUTUBE DISCLAIMERS • This prize draw is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with YouTube. • By entering or participating, you release YouTube from any and all liability related to this draw. • All entries must comply with YouTube's Community Guidelines: https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/policies/community-guidelines/ • For full Official Rules, Free Entry Routes, and Privacy Policy, please see the GiveWheel link above.

MY STUFF Patreon: https://patreon.com/c/morefunmakingit More Fun Website: https://www.morefunmakingit.co.uk/ Retro Hardware Discord: https://discord.gg/5fmPMzU

MY CHANNELS More Fun Making It: https://www.youtube.com/@MoreFunMakingIt More Fun Fixing It: [Insert Link Here]

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

Today I tackle a dead ZX Spectrum from a huge box of retro repairs. Watch as I diagnose the faults, replace a blown transistor, and perform a composite mod to bring it back to life—along with a slight detour after accidentally frying a few 74LS157 logic chips with reverse polarity! Proof that we all still learn from our mistakes on the bench.

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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

─────────────────────────────

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

▸ More Fun Making It: https://www.youtube.com/@morefunmakingit

─────────────────────────────

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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#ZXSpectrum #RetroComputing #ElectronicsRepair

In this video, I take a look at a faulty Acorn Electron sent in by Yawning Angel Keith. Despite the classic "black and white stripes" screen often pointing to RAM or ULA failure, troubleshooting with an oscilloscope reveals a surprising culprit. Follow along as I diagnose the signals, reflow the ULA, and swap parts to bring this childhood machine back to life just in time for Retro Fest.

Support the channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/morefunmakingit

Join our Retro Hardware Discord: https://discord.gg/ChH726tbbF