Spectrum+ 128K Toastrack composite out

Lardo Boffin
Posts: 2160
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:42 am

Re: Spectrum+ 128K Toastrack composite out

Post by Lardo Boffin »

Best laid plans...

I think I shall call this one Sinclair’s revenge.

55E2F225-2D00-418F-B079-9677EACB44B0.jpeg

Not my doing! I desoldered the resistor and it fell out. Clearly this one had the aerial lead unplugged quite a few times!

Sadly my soldering iron is not up to the job of removing the modulator to fit another.
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
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1024MAK
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Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:56 am
Location: Looking forward to summer in Somerset, UK...

Re: Spectrum+ 128K Toastrack composite out

Post by 1024MAK »

Fit a new panel mounted phono socket in place of the old one. The downside is that you almost certainly will have to modify the plastic case :(

Mark
ZX81 Variations
ZX81 Chip Pin-outs
ZX81 Video Transistor Buffer Amp

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Lardo Boffin
Posts: 2160
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:42 am

Re: Spectrum+ 128K Toastrack composite out

Post by Lardo Boffin »

After a bit of pursuasion with two soldering irons I managed to swap modulators. And have a nice composite picture, thanks Mark!

7FC184D6-1F8F-4CEF-94FC-DD25FD126EF0.jpeg

However the colour ghosting a little off putting.

In the spirit of this franken speccy I notice there is a mod that can be done to reduce this -

https://spectrumforeveryone.com/technic ... eo-output/

Is this a reasonable mod?
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
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1024MAK
Posts: 5103
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:56 am
Location: Looking forward to summer in Somerset, UK...

Re: Spectrum+ 128K Toastrack composite out

Post by 1024MAK »

I’ve never tried that mod. But the article appears reasonable. So go ahead and try it.

Mark
ZX81 Variations
ZX81 Chip Pin-outs
ZX81 Video Transistor Buffer Amp

:!: Standby alert :!:
There are four lights!
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb :!:
Looking forward to summer later in the year.
Lardo Boffin
Posts: 2160
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:42 am

Re: Spectrum+ 128K Toastrack composite out

Post by Lardo Boffin »

Well, gave it a go and it has improved the main menu significantly but Manic Miner still looks like a 3 year old added the colour to the screen with a medium sized paint brush! Although that is an improvement on how it was (2 year old with large paint brush) it is still pretty poor.
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
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