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intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Mon Oct 29, 2018 6:11 pm

I'll be posting more on this later, but my "final" hardware acquisition for the foreseeable future has just happened: a Commodore 128D (NA version - metal case).

I'm probably going to be getting the machine in the morning. But tonight I received the NOS keyboard. I saw a gentleman on Ebay selling one that was still in the original plastic baggie, so I reached out to him. Turned out he had another he was willing to sell me for much less (that original C= bag is worth more than its weight in gold).

Anyway, the keyboard arrived tonight via USPS. I have to say, it looks amazing. (Note: my kitchen lights use yellow bulbs).
IMG_8259.png
IMG_8257.png

User avatar
McTrinsic

Posted Mon Oct 29, 2018 10:21 pm

Back in the day I also owned of these, although I had one with a plastic case.

Love(d) it!

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dalek
Australia

Posted Tue Oct 30, 2018 12:38 am

intric8 wrote:I'll be posting more on this later, but my "final" hardware acquisition for the foreseeable future has just happened: ...
I have lots of those final acquisition moments all the time :D

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BloodyCactus
Lexington VA

Posted Thu Nov 01, 2018 5:38 am

niiiice I have a 128DCR. looove it. I also have the original Megabit rom in the extra rom socket from Dan Newbury. Jiffy dos is must :) and I also did a mod on mine to add a switch to disable the internal drive so my Ultimate II can run on drive 8. Oh also have Richard Goedeken's original VGA dac board he made for the c128 which I think is now sold by John Carlsen as the BIT-C-128

My megabit is the 16k/4mb version which has inbuilt;
  • Merlin 128 v1.0
  • Promos 2.0
  • My Disk Editor
  • Function keys
  • Viza Write 128
  • Viza Star 128
  • Seq Reader 128
  • Begin & End Adrs
  • Fastrac File copy
  • Directory Editor
  • Color 80 column
  • Basic Data Maker
  • Monitor 64
  • Basic Merge
  • Basic Merge +
  • Maverick File Copy
  • Maverick Track Editor
  • Single 41 Data copy
  • Dual 41 Data Copy
  • Single Nybbler
  • Dual Nybbler
  • Single 81 Data copy
  • Maverick File Tracer
  • Maverick Track & Sector Editor
  • 64K VDC RAM Test
  • REU Test

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:16 am

I also did a mod on mine to add a switch to disable the internal drive so my Ultimate II can run on drive 8.
Oh dang this never occurred to me. I've been slammed at work and haven't had a chance to play with the D now that I've gotten it all set up. It beckons. But I was planning on using the Ultimate with it at some stage, but setting it to drive 9?

Now this takes me way, way back. But I recall trying to load some games back in the day with a primary set to 9 and some games just wouldn't behave. You could seek the drive, load the files, etc. But when you performed "Run" the game might load but later hang when it tried to automatically seek the disk to load more data (especially problematic with long RPG games).

Hm...

Do you have the instructions handy for that switch mod? I'd be curious (especially if it's possible to do and not hurt the case).

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BloodyCactus
Lexington VA

Posted Thu Nov 01, 2018 11:17 am

Yeah sooo much stuff is just hard coded for drive #8 and anything else wont work.. I ran into it far to much on the 128dcr with its internal drive trying to use my Ultimate II cart.


I just cut a trace and soldered two thin wires. Its easy to snake a switch out of the 128DCR case without damaging it if you didnt want to install a toggle switch or somewhere out the back if want them flapping in the breeze.

the 128d/dcr has pad on the mobo that you cut open that you can add a switch to toggle from 8 to 9.

searching around, ray carlsen has the info!

Code: Select all

         CHANGING A DRIVE FROM DEVICE 8 TO DEVICE 9, 10, or 11

             Latest additions & corrections: 9-11-2013

     The internal 1571 in the metal case USA version C128DCR has no
external switches for drive select. It is factory set for device #8.
There are drive select "jumpers" inside the computer however, on the
motherboard near the drive. They are the two tiny silver half-circles
with a bar between them. Cutting the bar opens the jumper. If you look at
the PC board just under the left side of the drive, you will see them. It
is not necessary to remove the drive unless you plan to solder in there.
The jumpers are located near ICs U106 (a 6522), U114 and U112. DS (drive
select) jumper #1 is nearest to U112, towards the front of the computer.
     Electrically, the jumpers connect two pins of IC U106 VIA chip
(65C22 or 6522 in some models) to chassis ground. Jumper 1 grounds pin 15
and jumper 2 grounds pin 16. That information is helpful just in case the
foil pad(s) jumpers on the PC board are accidently damaged when you are
installing a drive select switch. If the pads lift off the board, you can
still make connections directly to the IC pins for your switch.
     The 1570 drive is not as common but is similar to the 1571 in that it 
uses the same board, will do burst-mode data transfers with the C128, and 
will do MFM as well as GCR disk encoding like the 1571. Since it has only 
one head, it uses SSDD disks like a 1541. It has no drive select switches
but instead has internal jumpers. They are connected to VIA U9 pins 15 and
16. I have never seen a 1570, so my information about it is minimal. 

User avatar
joethezombie
Twin Falls, ID

Posted Fri Nov 02, 2018 10:47 pm

Ha ha! Very nice. I still have my original 128D from when I was a kid. I haven't done anything to it other than add JiffyDOS a long while ago. I'll have to look into these addons, thanks BloodyCactus!

And congrats Eric! It's an awesome machine!

User avatar
Dynamic_Computing

Posted Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:08 pm

Please send me $5 for every time you have said to yourself or someone else that something would be your "final retro aquisition for a while". I will await my very substantial check.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:52 pm

I meant for that day. :P





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