Coleco Chameleon .... hardware speculations?

[enoofu]

Always wondered if their is any issues mini MAME cabs run with a rasp?

[jaybird3rd]

I still have my 50-in-1 somewhere, it's easily over 30 years old and aside from burned out light bulbs, they worked last used. I couldn't get that drain pipe radio to work before. It turns out plastic drain pipe don't make good antenna but what the heck did I know back in the day?

 

I also have a 300-in-1 somewhere. That one might have made a more convicning fake Coleco proto

If only somebody had bought one of those for Mike Kennedy back in the day. This entire story might have unfolded very differently.

 

(Seriously, though, I had one of those project kits, too, and loved it. I still have a 250-in-1 kit, and I bought a 75-in-1 for my nephew last Christmas.)

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

[Andromeda Stardust]

[Retro Nick]

 

I still have my 50-in-1 somewhere, it's easily over 30 years old and aside from burned out light bulbs, they worked last used. I couldn't get that drain pipe radio to work before. It turns out plastic drain pipe don't make good antenna but what the heck did I know back in the day?

 

I also have a 300-in-1 somewhere. That one might have made a more convicning fake Coleco proto

Ok, serious question: I am an adult who wants to learn basic electronics, would I benefit from one of these kits?

 

EDIT: Derail question, I know, but there are serious experts here.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Retro Nick

[jaybird3rd]

Ok, serious question: I am an adult who wants to learn basic electronics, would I benefit from one of these kits?

 

EDIT: Derail question, I know, but there are serious experts here.

Well, I'm sure that somebody will chime in and say "Bah, you don't need those kits anymore! Just get an Arduino! It does everything for you ... just slap on a shield, link in some libraries, download some code, and you're done!" I disagree. Kits like these are still useful learning tools if you really want to understand electricity and electronics, as opposed to piecing together completed parts created by somebody else without having to learn how they work or why. They let you experiment with discrete components, without the bother of buying the components separately or soldering them together yourself, and they typically come with a decent collection of experiments that you can use as a starting point, complete with assembly instructions.

[Flojomojo]

 

There are some who kinda tip-toe around it, but Lon is not at all hesitant in labeling this whole fiasco as a "blatant fraud". Which is exactly what it is.

 

And I agree, his tech channel is awesome.

 

 

Well said. I don't know why others held back. Also, his channel has lots of reviews of cheap Windows and Unix devices which can run all manner of retro games, much more than the Chameleon ever could even in its wildest dreams.

[fultonbot]

Well, I'm sure that somebody will chime in and say "Bah, you don't need those kits anymore! Just get an Arduino! It does everything for you ... just slap on a shield, link in some libraries, download some code, and you're done!" I disagree. Kits like these are still useful learning tools if you really want to understand electricity and electronics, as opposed to piecing together completed parts created by somebody else without having to understand how they work or why. They let you experiment with discrete components, without the bother of buying the components separately or soldering them together yourself, and they typically come with a decent collection of experiments that you can use as a starting point, complete with assembly instructions.

 

I agree. I have multiple Arduinos and Raspberry Pis sitting right next to me at my desk, and many of them are attached to protoboards with basic electronic circuits. The 50-in-1 300-in-1 kits are good ways to learn all the stuff that those mass market MCUs don't do for you.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Brings me back.

I had the Radio Shack 200-in-1 and used to have my own pirate AM Radio station in my bedroom. My dad was in the other room of the house listening to 710AM KEEL, and me and my friend Kelly tuned in, flicked the switch, and I yelled into the piezoelectric ear piece, "Attention Earthlings, we are commandeering this radio station..." and my dad was like "Son! Y'all knock it off; I'm trying to hear the news..." and my friend and I were sitting there laughing as I flicked it off. I don't think it had a range much more than 50 feet, but I had the antenna lead wired to my antique bed springs because it was the biggest hunk of steel in my bedroom. Anyway, KEEL was a pretty strong station, and I was using a 9V battery when the circuit called for a 4.5V. We were little pirates!

[jaybird3rd]

Lon Seidman touches on the CC in his latest video. Skip ahead to the 10 minute mark. Its nothing new, just a recap but posted it for those interested. He's got a great tech channel IMO.

Excellent summary. I hadn't heard of his channel before, but it looks interesting. He's certainly not afraid to call the Coleco Chameleon the fraud that it is. I'm just glad for his sake that there were no visible bottles of beer, because we all know what Mike Kennedy would say ...

[Keatah]

Well, I'm sure that somebody will chime in and say "Bah, you don't need those kits anymore! Just get an Arduino! It does everything for you ... just slap on a shield, link in some libraries, download some code, and you're done!" I disagree. Kits like these are still useful learning tools if you really want to understand electricity and electronics, as opposed to piecing together completed parts created by somebody else without having to learn how they work or why. They let you experiment with discrete components, without the bother of buying the components separately or soldering them together yourself, and they typically come with a decent collection of experiments that you can use as a starting point, complete with assembly instructions.

 

Yes all that.

 

They teach you how the basic parts interact with each other and what what happens to the 'tricity as it moves through them. I also highly recommend you get the "Getting Started in Electronics" book by Forrest M. Mims III.

The skills you learn with this stuff will apply to future projects of all complexity levels.

[galax]

I noticed that the rate of posting in this thread really seemed to have taken off in the last month or so, so I pulled the html down and knocked together a quick Python script to take a look at the life of the two threads. The inverted y axis on the first image is intentional

 

 

As of yesterday, 375 different users have made 11,407 posts. That's an average of 30 each but some people have made considerably more.

 

Times are all in UTC which sometimes credits the next day with posts when we had a busy evening here in North America.

 

If you want to do some analysis let me know and I can share the source data to save you scraping it (I made the download spread out over a few hours so I hope that's OK).

 

I can update charts in the future when the thread has grown more- no spam posting to try to get yourself on the charts though! If I get time next week maybe I'll analyse 'liked' posts

[Keatah]

Well said. I don't know why others held back. Also, his channel has lots of reviews of cheap Windows and Unix devices which can run all manner of retro games, much more than the Chameleon ever could even in its wildest dreams.

 

They're afraid of pissing off the wrong person. Nothing more than that.

[dj_convoy]

So, when will the 7-day period end?

 

I'm really starting to think that both *Coleco* and Mike will let this thing die as silently as possible. I don't think we'll have news about the inspection at all. Both parties have a lot to lose with this scandal, the thing already is out of control.

 

I never saw a ship sinking so slowly

Agreed; some folks are placing a lot of stock in this 7 day deadline and seem to think we will get a detailed account. I doubt very much that we get get anything a) on day 8 or b) much of anything at all. They do say on the Facebook post that they would post "a report," but that could simply be "It wasn't what we were looking for at this time" or something similar.

 

I remain to be convinced that "COLECO" are good guys, here.

[Albert]

I noticed that the rate of posting in this thread really seemed to have taken off in the last month or so, so I pulled the html down and knocked together a quick Python script to take a look at the life of the two threads. The inverted y axis on the first image is intentional

Cool graphs, nice colors. I'd probably reverse the y axis on that first graph, though.. Why did you invert it?

 

..Al

[galax]

Cool graphs, nice colors. I'd probably reverse the y axis on that first graph, though.. Why did you invert it?

 

..Al

 

It's a metaphor for the cliff that the RVGS/CC fell off!

[Keatah]

I agree. I have multiple Arduinos and Raspberry Pis sitting right next to me at my desk, and many of them are attached to protoboards with basic electronic circuits. The 50-in-1 300-in-1 kits are good ways to learn all the stuff that those mass market MCUs don't do for you.

 

Yup. When I was 4 or 5 years old those kits taught me everything I know about 'tronics. I learned that resistors slow electricity down and take some of it away. I learned that capacitors are like buffers and filters and balloons. Diodes are valves. And transistors are the henchmen. You tell them what to do and they do it. They boss all the other electrons around.

 

I even spent hours trying to make a solar cell produce power from the light bulb it was hooked up to - thus making an over unity generator!

[Albert]

It's a metaphor for the cliff that the RVGS/CC fell off!

I...cannot argue with that.

[Flojomojo]

Holy shit, graphs!

 

Wow, thanks for that. I didn't realize I was in the top 10 of posters on this stupid topic.

Maybe when you plot the "likes" I will feel better about that.

Until then, this is me:

As of yesterday, 375 different users have made 11,407 posts. That's an average of 30 each but some people have made considerably more.

[TheRevWells]

With all these comments about those make this/make that electronics kits, does being able to make snow from a box count? Never was able to get one of those electronic kits as a youth, but I can now make snow courtesy of Dollar General.....that counts right?

[phoenixdownita]

I noticed that the rate of posting in this thread really seemed to have taken off in the last month or so, so I pulled the html down and knocked together a quick Python script to take a look at the life of the two threads. The inverted y axis on the first image is intentional

 

totalposts.pngpostsperday.pngallposters.pngtopposters.pngminutesbetweenposts.png

 

As of yesterday, 375 different users have made 11,407 posts. That's an average of 30 each but some people have made considerably more.

 

Times are all in UTC which sometimes credits the next day with posts when we had a busy evening here in North America.

 

If you want to do some analysis let me know and I can share the source data to save you scraping it (I made the download spread out over a few hours so I hope that's OK).

 

I can update charts in the future when the thread has grown more- no spam posting to try to get yourself on the charts though! If I get time next week maybe I'll analyse 'liked' posts

ooooohhh maaaaaannnn!!!

 

Before that I just had a doubt of being wasting too much time, now you made it certainty!!!

 

EDIT:

This thread has been opened for 3 months and 15 days give or take, ~100 days, from the graphs it looks like I stand at a towering ~400 posts -> 4 posts a day on avg.

 

In those graphs I look like the lead "inquisitor" ... hopefully I won't receive any hate mails from Mike.

[Raticon]

I know this is pretty far off, but James Rolfe (AVGN) recently uploaded a video thanking his viewers for 2 millipn subscribers. He said in the very end that his next episode will be "a kind of Retro".

 

It made me chuckle and think about this thread and the RVGS. I sure hope he takes a punch at it.

 

Yeah thats right. I can't hear the word Retro anymore without thinking about this wreck. Mikes dream of instant recognition fulfilled but perhaps not in a way he wants it.

 

Edit: wow. If i read the pie chart correctly im number 10 most poster here. That shows how much i consider this a reality show i cant just stop watching.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Raticon

[Keatah]

Brings me back.

I had the Radio Shack 200-in-1 and used to have my own pirate AM Radio station in my bedroom. My dad was in the other room of the house listening to 710AM KEEL, and me and my friend Kelly tuned in, flicked the switch, and I yelled into the piezoelectric ear piece, "Attention Earthlings, we are commandeering this radio station..." and my dad was like "Son! Y'all knock it off; I'm trying to hear the news..." and my friend and I were sitting there laughing as I flicked it off. I don't think it had a range much more than 50 feet, but I had the antenna lead wired to my antique bed springs because it was the biggest hunk of steel in my bedroom. Anyway, KEEL was a pretty strong station, and I was using a 9V battery when the circuit called for a 4.5V. We were little pirates!

 

 

Yep. These kits were the cornerstone of imagination for geek kids at the time. I had one of mine hooked up to a garbage can lid and I swear I was receiving some sort of coded message. The only logical thing to do was hook my Apple II to it, via my newly acquired Hayes MicroModem II. I discovered I was in contact with Voyager II.

 

Some time later, it would be for real in a roundabout way. I dialed into JPL and got the pictures directly from their server as they came in.

[The Notorious MW]

I noticed that the rate of posting in this thread really seemed to have taken off in the last month or so, so I pulled the html down and knocked together a quick Python script to take a look at the life of the two threads. The inverted y axis on the first image is intentional

 

totalposts.png postsperday.png allposters.png topposters.png minutesbetweenposts.png

 

As of yesterday, 375 different users have made 11,407 posts. That's an average of 30 each but some people have made considerably more.

 

Times are all in UTC which sometimes credits the next day with posts when we had a busy evening here in North America.

 

If you want to do some analysis let me know and I can share the source data to save you scraping it (I made the download spread out over a few hours so I hope that's OK).

 

I can update charts in the future when the thread has grown more- no spam posting to try to get yourself on the charts though! If I get time next week maybe I'll analyse 'liked' posts

https://youtu.be/8VWDekbIaJE

[godslabrat]

Agreed; some folks are placing a lot of stock in this 7 day deadline and seem to think we will get a detailed account. I doubt very much that we get get anything a) on day 8 or b) much of anything at all. They do say on the Facebook post that they would post "a report," but that could simply be "It wasn't what we were looking for at this time" or something similar.

 

I remain to be convinced that "COLECO" are good guys, here.

I don't see them as good nor bad, merely the ones capable of taking the Chameleon out back behind the barn and finishing it off. The rest of us are happy to pick apart every spot where Mike & Jag Inc. have failed, but Coleco's in a position to actually say "Time to stop." I don't expect them to give a detailed account, but if they happened to say "We have discontinued our interest in this project", the message would be received loud and clear.

 

Of course, Mike could still try to resurrect this project yet again, but by now he's spent his money, time, talent, and good will. Even if tomorrow he announces the Intellivision Iguana or the Vertex Velociraptor, it'll be impossible for him to get momentum now.