New C64C owner (",)

[danny_galaga]

I found a C64C on the side of the road last week. Last night I was able to check it at a friend who had a power supply. It works (",)

 

AS you can see from the pic 1) Computer looks nice

2) All I remember of BASIC from my school days is PRINT and GOTO!

 

What is so cool about this is that I've been toying with playing around with programming on an 8 bit computer for a little while now. The choices in my mind were Apple IIe (what we had in high school), ZX Spectrum (I played around with one at my uncles place in Holland) and a C64 (never used, but there seems to be a buttload of resources for it). So the fates made my mind up for me!

 

 

I've ordered a composite/chroma/luma cable, and have a nice little 38cm tellie with a stack of different inputs on it.

 

I'm researching what to do about a power supply. What are peoples thoughts on this?

 

I think I've lined up a free one, just have to pay postage. That opportunity came along after I researched how to build my own. Obviously free is good, but I hear the original supplies have the chance of destroying your C64 because of the regulator on the 5V line failing.

[krslam]

Yep, the original supplies should always be load-checked *before* plugging into a computer. If the 5V line reads more than about 5.2V, toss it (but save the connector so you can build a replacement). Replacements can be made from a couple of wall-warts, or you can buy new supplies from various sources. I've heard good things about those made by Ray Carlsen, not-so-good about those by BasicWayne but have no first hand experience with either.

[Muzz73]

There's a Commodore 8-bit guru named Ray Carlsen who sells a little gadget that he builds called The Computer Saver. It's a little device that plugs in-between your 64 and the PSU. If any dirty power comes off of that PSU, it'll cut the power to the 64, so you don't slag your SID chip or one of the 6526's (or anything else for that matter).

 

Unfortunately, C=64 PSU's have a penchant for being flakey and unpredictable. Some are still going strong after 30+ years without a hitch, while others will take down a machine at the drop of a hat.

 

Anyhow, Ray's web site has a lot of helpful stuff on it and can be found here:

 

http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/

 

Happy computing!

[danny_galaga]

There's a Commodore 8-bit guru named Ray Carlsen who sells a little gadget that he builds called The Computer Saver. It's a little device that plugs in-between your 64 and the PSU. If any dirty power comes off of that PSU, it'll cut the power to the 64, so you don't slag your SID chip or one of the 6526's (or anything else for that matter).

 

Unfortunately, C=64 PSU's have a penchant for being flakey and unpredictable. Some are still going strong after 30+ years without a hitch, while others will take down a machine at the drop of a hat.

 

Anyhow, Ray's web site has a lot of helpful stuff on it and can be found here:

 

http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/

 

Happy computing!

I think his stuff is neat, but it will probably be cheaper and easier for me to just build a bespoke power supply- one that isn't made by Commodore

[RobertB]

danny_galaga wrote:

 

> ...it will probably be cheaper and easier for me to just build a bespoke power supply...

 

Well, if you get Ray's Computer Saver that goes *inside* the C64, it is not expensive.

 

Happy with Ray's power supply,

Robert Bernardo

Fresno Commodore User Group

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

[RobertB]

krslam wrote:

 

> I've heard good things about those made by Ray Carlsen, not-so-good about those by BasicWayne but have no first hand experience with either.

 

Yeah, my original Ray Carlsen review of his prototype power supply #2 is at

 

http://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12328&p=16755&hilit=carlsen#p16755

 

and now that I traded in that prototype for his commercial power supply, it's even better (in that he cured any RF interference with PAL displays).

 

Happy with Ray's power supply,

Robert Bernardo

Fresno Commodore User Group

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

Edited August 16, 2014 by RobertB

[ApolloBoy]

The C128 power supply isn't too bad either, it's fairly easy to either make an adapter cable or swap the square DIN jack with a 7-pin DIN that the C64 uses.

[danny_galaga]

Right now, I think I'll get a couple of plugs, and use my PAL SNES supply (they are 9VAC 1.3amp) and a USB 2amp jobbie. That will be the cost of 3 plugs and a bit of wire (",)

 

Someone is sending me an original C64 supply. When I eventually have that, can I test the voltage unloaded? or what's the best way? I'll be kinda scared to use it though what with all the things everyone says about them!

[RobertB]

danny_galaga wrote:

 

> Someone is sending me an original C64 supply. When I eventually have that, can I test the voltage unloaded?

 

It's best to test it with a load.

 

> I'll be kinda scared to use it...

 

You should be scared... That unknown C64 supply could fry the chips in your computer. I use Ray Carlsen's outboard Computer Saver to do a test of original C64 p.s.'s. If the Computer Saver shows that it's a bad supply, that p.s. goes in the trash.

 

Truly,

Robert Bernardo

Fresno Commodore User Group

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