0002 This is one strange Apple II clone

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  • Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
  • #septandy
    Super Mini Mail Call 0002
    Sometimes a computer looks like something but it's actually something else. That's what's going on here. This item was donated by viewer Daniel and is one neat computer.
    This Super Mini Mail Call video is in my new Mail call format which will be on the second channel, eventually replacing all future mail calls. (Once I clear out the backlog.)
    -- Info
    JEC 821A
    J.E. Computer Co., LTD. / JEC Co., LTD
    Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    AMI III
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  • Наука та технологія

КОМЕНТАРІ • 352

  • @danielm.300
    @danielm.300 3 роки тому +237

    I am the person who donated this computer. A few things I'd like to clear up:
    I'm fairly confident that my C64 doesn't have the original keyboard on it, the yellowing on the bottom doesn't match with the top, and the serial number on the bottom dates it from around 1982. It also has the 250407 board in it.
    The device plugged in to the cartridge port is a Pi1541 and Epyx Fastload combo, I bought it from eBay when I bought the C64.
    I got the JC Penny bag from my local JC Penny a few days before I sent it, when I bought some clothing there.
    I wasn't the one to jumper the fuse holder on the power supply, that was there when I got it.
    I gave it a clean before I sent it out, it was gross to touch it before I cleaned it.
    If anyone has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.

    • @OscarSommerbo
      @OscarSommerbo 3 роки тому +31

      Thanks for making this video possible!

    • @emblemi6345
      @emblemi6345 3 роки тому +12

      Thank you Daniel

    • @DrTofu83
      @DrTofu83 3 роки тому +11

      Thank you, and thank Adrian :)
      You are right on most things you said, perfectly spot on. First the one on your C64 isn't the actual keyboard. Is actually Adrian said, it's an early C64C. However it was a common fix/mod using C64C keyboards to fix Breadbins, as they'd end up looking as snazzier C64G or a C64 Aldi, the two models (the latter an exclusive from ALDI Discount, the first a different colored unit sold in regular stores) with regular cases and C64C innards and keyboards.
      The Pi1541 is a really nice device, with the chip shortage making impossible to get new Ultimate II+ in the near future it's literally the best and most compatible 1541 replacement on the market you can get right now.
      Also, for the jumpered fuse is a common "fix/not fix" done by troubleshooters, the ones working on a "just this once" mindset. It becomes bad form if they just leave it there to rot
      Congrats ^_^

    • @tstahlfsu
      @tstahlfsu 3 роки тому +6

      Thanks for donating! This was so cool to see!

    • @CommodoreGreg
      @CommodoreGreg 3 роки тому +4

      Amazing save Daniel!!

  • @jondough76
    @jondough76 3 роки тому +32

    JCPenney is still clinging to life actually. The one at my local mall is still open.

    • @applesushi
      @applesushi 3 роки тому +2

      There are still three of them within 15 miles of my home.

    • @CommodoreGreg
      @CommodoreGreg 3 роки тому +1

      One here too. Somehow faring better than the mall itself.

    • @martin1b
      @martin1b 3 роки тому

      Same here

    • @frazzleface753
      @frazzleface753 2 роки тому +1

      They still have a fairly large online presence. My wife orders from there frequently 😄😎

  • @ovalteen4404
    @ovalteen4404 3 роки тому +36

    75 ohms must be in SERIES at the source. There is 75 ohms to ground at the monitor, to form the voltage divider.

    • @adriansdigitalbasement2
      @adriansdigitalbasement2  3 роки тому +24

      Thank you, you're right! I'll need to look more closely at the circuit in a follow-up to try to clean it up

    • @Ramdileo_sys
      @Ramdileo_sys 3 роки тому +3

      @@adriansdigitalbasement2 .. At 16:08 .. "Oficial" Rigol support here 🤥 🤭 .... are you try some contact cleaner on the probes.. 🤔??

  • @admirerofclassicalelectron2858
    @admirerofclassicalelectron2858 3 роки тому +22

    I like the half hour video format dedicated to one item very much. And this computer deserves further investigations.

  • @MagesGuild
    @MagesGuild 3 роки тому +35

    Adrian it likely outputs a hybrid PAL signal. Only monochrome CRTs can typically interpret the typical signal off these Taiwanese clones; so if you run into any in the future, always start there.

    • @WolfgangMahringer
      @WolfgangMahringer 3 роки тому +2

      @MagesGuild what do you mean by "hybrid PAL signal"? That Apple clone is outputting a 60Hz (16.6 ms) refresh, so it can only be NTSC.
      I know that old computer often do not output proper field interlacing, which some modern monitors refuse to accept.

    • @Knaeckebrotsaege
      @Knaeckebrotsaege 3 роки тому +5

      @@WolfgangMahringer Hybrid PAL usually refers to a PAL signal but at 60Hz. most modern/LCD monitors just go into maximum confusion mode when confronted with this... or don't display anything at all

    • @Microang
      @Microang 3 роки тому +3

      @@WolfgangMahringer there is 60hz pal as well. Over in Europe many consoles like the Dreamcast, GameCube and Xbox gave you a 60hz option and pal TVs at the time supported this. But absolutely do not accept NTSC signals... 🤔

    • @MagesGuild
      @MagesGuild 3 роки тому +1

      @@WolfgangMahringer I mean it is probably a 14.25045 MHz master Xtal rather than a 14.3181 Xtal. The 'PAL' signal on the Europlus is a complete cheat using the normal Apple II NTSC circuitry with a slight modification (on a jumper pad) and the slower Xtal.
      This tends to sync on a wide variety of CRTs, with monochrome CRTs working best.
      Many of the II clones were designed to export to European and South American countries.

    • @BlackEpyon
      @BlackEpyon 3 роки тому +1

      I've also noticed that LCDs tend to be very narrow in what input ranges they'll accept.

  • @SimonZerafa
    @SimonZerafa 3 роки тому +10

    OK, at 7.5 minutes in it appears to be some species of Apple with that funky keyboard connector 😀🤷🏽‍♂️

    • @amurtigress_mobile365
      @amurtigress_mobile365 3 роки тому

      This looks like a DIL IC-socket plug with a flat cable. Not meant for keyboards, but I have used such a contraption to build my own breakout-board for a COmmodore CDTV that provides regular Amiga mouse and joystick ports. I didn't have a special mouse for that machine so I had to come up with something back then, and I cascaded two stages of 74LS157s ...

    • @adriansdigitalbasement2
      @adriansdigitalbasement2  3 роки тому

      The original Apple II actually did it this way too. The joystick ports on the Apple ][/][+/IIe/IIgs was like this even. It's rather "janky" LOL!

    • @raft5205
      @raft5205 2 роки тому

      Skull and crossbones ☠️☠️😝😛

  • @MrJohndoakes
    @MrJohndoakes 3 роки тому +4

    Adrian, the weird cases on knockoff computers were common from 1982 to 1994.....there are a metric ton of Sinclair Spectrum clones in Eastern Europe. Wikipedia has a "List of ZX Spectrum clones" article. For example the "JET" computer (Romania, 1989-1992) used a case that was originally meant for a business desk telephone. The Soviet "Hobbit" (1990-93) was very powerful and had a number of interesting functions built in. What you have is a AMI III, built by J.E. Computer Co., Ltd. (JEC) of Taiwan, sometime in the 1980s (I would guess 1983 or 1984). I found that on the "epocalc" website.

  • @galier2
    @galier2 3 роки тому +10

    When you dump the character generator ROM check if there's a second character set. Some Apple II+ clones had the possibility to replace the lower case characters with graphical symbols. There was a soft switch to toggle the charset. I know that because my Apple II+ clone did that. Unfortunately I do not remember the exact address of the softswitch. I will have to reactivate it to test until I find it (it's in the C000-C07F range if I remember correctly).

  • @draggonhedd
    @draggonhedd 3 роки тому +14

    Adrian, It looks like those "captive" keyboard screws are actually just accessible from the top, the black bezel looks like it just pops out from the top.

  • @desiv1170
    @desiv1170 3 роки тому +5

    Yep... 6502 with that keyboard to a chip socket plug... Figured what I thought it was, and then heard that beep when powered on and was sure... ;-) Great vid!!! Really interesting machine!!!

  • @granpawa
    @granpawa 3 роки тому +33

    Now this is a VERY unusual Apple II clone. I wonder how the expansion port works ? I also wonder if the ROM includes the C600-C6FF area for the disk controller.
    Anyway, this video was a ton of fun ! Thank you for your dedication. Keep up the good work !

    • @MagesGuild
      @MagesGuild 3 роки тому +4

      Loos like a basic sidecar type where you'd attach a sidecar that extended out only a few ports rather than 0 to 7. The two huge ground plane fingers would make it a bit harder to find a suitable connector but a Franklin style sidecar might be made to work.

    • @Curt_Sampson
      @Curt_Sampson 3 роки тому

      The on-board ROM should never be responding to page $C600 (or any address in $C000-$CFFF) since those are addresses that are reserved for peripherals. And yes, the disk controller supplied ROM, though the computer might access it at $C600, $C500, or other locations depending on which slot the controller was plugged in to. There was also address space for 2K of card-supplied ROM at $C800-$CFFF which was shared amongst all cards, and which required some tricks from the cards to avoid conflicts. (See p. 84 of the _Apple II Reference Manual._ [1])
      The bus connector at the side may have the full circuitry for all expansion slots (including the separate I/O and device select lines for each individual slot), or it may be designed for a box that adds that circuitry as well as the slots themselves.
      [1]: archive.org/stream/Apple_II_Reference_Manual_1979_Apple#page/n94/mode/1up

    • @MagesGuild
      @MagesGuild 3 роки тому

      @@Curt_Sampson I suspect it wold be very similar to the LASER 128 sidecar, but I would need to probe the EXP connector to see what the did here.

  • @thecorruptedbit5585
    @thecorruptedbit5585 3 роки тому +8

    "Super" mini mail call - but it's 30 mins long! But that's 30 minutes of Adrian, so this is awesome

  • @Dave5281968
    @Dave5281968 3 роки тому +15

    A main channel video on this machine would be nice to see. I seem to remember seeing ads for the AMI III computer around 1982. It was a VERY cheap Apple II clone so there may not be many of that computer surviving in the wild.

    • @herrbonk3635
      @herrbonk3635 3 роки тому +2

      Why would not many be left? If it was cheap, I guess it would sell well? Do you mean that the power supply killed them or something?

    • @Dave5281968
      @Dave5281968 2 роки тому

      @@herrbonk3635 Cheap computers aren't made from necessarily bad designs. More often they are made from whatever is the cheapest part available at the time of manufacture. This yields unreliable power supplies with short lifespans, poor noise control on the motherboard since often times necessary decoupling capacitors will be omitted as a new system will last long enough to get past the warranty period. Power protection becomes substandard, if not eliminated all together. PCB's are made more cheaply with less than ideal quality control for solder joints. Pre-release testing of the hardware/firmware gets to be less thorough. The list goes on. And, ultimately, when something that was inexpensive breaks we more often than not send it to the trash man. And the pace of development with computers was so fast back then that a year later you could likely just replace the broken el-cheapo computer with a better computer for less money than the repair cost of the old one. (Everyone got gouged pretty bad back then for repair services!)
      I have a computer called the STM Pied Piper. It's a 64KByte Z80 computer from 1984. The company sold VERY few of them, but it was a better quality machine with a price tag in the $800 range, and mine works perfectly. I also have a couple of Timex-Sinclair 1000's, which, as everyone knows, were the cheapest thing going in an 8-bit computer. Both have problems with video output because Sinclair had to go cheap on EVERTHING including the connectors.
      Anyway, maybe I should have said surviving in working condition.

  • @OzzFan1000
    @OzzFan1000 3 роки тому +6

    Would you be interested in some of my dad's old electronic equipment (oscilloscope, etc.)? He passed away 6 years ago and I'm trying to clean out all his old junk but I don't want it going to a landfill. If not, do you know anyone nearby you that might be interested?

    • @krandall5285
      @krandall5285 3 роки тому

      Hey Charlie, sorry about your dad. I know how hard cleaning up after a loved one can be. I am in the area and have donated stuff to Adrian's channel in the past. Please add an email to your profile and I will contact you if it means saving stuff from the landfill.

  • @cjripka6752
    @cjripka6752 3 роки тому +9

    It sounded like an Apple ][+ beep at power up. The 6502 and 48kb pointed that way as well. The lack of slots kept me from being 100% sure. It’s like Apple ][+ with the style of the //c using ports (although not the same ports).
    You should consider all third channel just dedicated to MMC.

    • @AntiXGeeK
      @AntiXGeeK 3 роки тому +1

      it was neat lol, as soon as I saw the cable plug, it reminded me of an Apple, and of course the timing of when it beeped after power on... but I still wasn't sure until we saw the prompt.

  • @QunMang
    @QunMang 3 роки тому +7

    I bet this clone is better than the Laser 3000 (note: NOT 128) clone I had that for some odd reason didn't support LORES mode.

  • @robbiesz
    @robbiesz 3 роки тому +2

    a hex dump, not a disassembly

  • @DDT2005
    @DDT2005 3 роки тому +1

    7:35 I will continue watching the video, but if this is a clone of a TRS-80 Model I, that would be a Z-80 processor not a 6502. (Oh, an Apple ][+ clone. Now I understand).

  • @PaleozoicPCs
    @PaleozoicPCs 3 роки тому +9

    Yay, I get a gold star for guessing what it was before you even opened it. ;)
    I'm really curious if the company that churned this out *also* made a TRS-80 clone to fit those skins; my guess would be yes(?), but there isn't a lot of information out there about TRS-80 clones. The factories that churned these pirate-rom machines out back in the day were pretty free about mix-and-matching their ripoff pieces, stuffing Apple II clone boards into PC-style cases, etc, so I'm not surprised a thing like this would exist, but this one's slotless board with a side-mount expansion connector is more unique than most. Given those long jumper cables routing ports to the back my suspicion is that this board may have come in other odd form-factor cases, it might be worth going through the lists of Apple clones out there and seeing if you can find one that used a similar external expansion scheme.
    (* Actually, now I'm wondering if the case might have originally been for a wacky TRS-80 Color Computer knockoff that combined design cues from the Model I into it. How do the dimensions of that hole for the expansion connector compare to the CoCo's cartridge slot?)

    • @adriansdigitalbasement2
      @adriansdigitalbasement2  3 роки тому +5

      It just really seems like it had to be some kind of Model 1 clone at first -- then repurposed.... But I found NO mention of anything from this company when it came to TRS-80 clones. So really not sure!

    • @PaleozoicPCs
      @PaleozoicPCs 3 роки тому +4

      @@adriansdigitalbasement2 Yeah, it's a really weird specimen and it'd be great to know more about the company that made it and what else they churned out, but it might be mission impossible. I have a fly-by-night (but much more conventionally shaped) Apple clone myself and it's almost impossible to dig up any solid information about these things. You'd almost swear that there was some kind of computer clone Mafia running Taiwan in the early 1980's; anyone who got too nosy about documenting this stuff ended up sleeping with the fishes.

    • @andrewdunbar828
      @andrewdunbar828 3 роки тому +1

      @@PaleozoicPCs Taiwan was the wild west of clones and knock-offs of all kinds of things until 1988 when the US and Taiwan governments came to an agreement. I know this from my research into the origins of "KTV" which is a Chinese "karaoke TV" concept where you do karaoke in a private room with just your friends. Before 1988 those places were called "MTV" where you would take a date or a group of friends to watch a movie on a pirated VHS tape. Apparently there weren't many places to get some privacy and few people could afford their own VCR at that time. The US agreement stopped the movie piracy and someone smart had an idea to repurpose their MTV and these days KTV are all over China and Chinese people are surprised westerners don't know what the "English" word "KTV" means.
      taiwantoday.tw/news.php?post=22353&unit=12,29,33,45

    • @samuelcolvin4994
      @samuelcolvin4994 2 роки тому

      Well considering they WERE doing illegal stuff it makes sense they were tight lipped about it, they probably didn't have a lot of advertising or documentation either, which comes back to bite us all these years later when we wanna fix something 😬

  • @Blitterbug
    @Blitterbug 2 роки тому +2

    My voice is hoarse from screaming 'Try a CRT!' for so long....

    • @HippoXXL
      @HippoXXL Рік тому

      Same here! 😄👍

  • @LeoA2600
    @LeoA2600 3 роки тому +1

    JC Penney is still alive. Only major store still going in my local mall (And I assume when the lease is up, they'll likely close the location rather than renew and that will be all she wrote for yet another mall).

  • @jj74qformerlyjailbreak3
    @jj74qformerlyjailbreak3 3 роки тому +1

    I had a clone that looked similar. Mine was dead in the water. Probably because who knows how long it was in the woods before I found it. I also found a caught a clone magnet fishing. It almost got away.

  • @MonochromeWench
    @MonochromeWench 3 роки тому +1

    When you said it was a clone i was thinking apple ][ then when you said it had a 6502 i was certain it couldn't be anything else.

  • @xtroupax
    @xtroupax 3 роки тому +1

    I WANT TOWELS LIKE THAT!!! Much 70's. Such retro. wow

  • @rangercv4263
    @rangercv4263 3 роки тому +5

    Theme of this video is “Its just so sketchy!”

  • @migaisnotacat
    @migaisnotacat 3 роки тому +3

    The JCPenney is actually the last thing standing at what used to be the mall just down the street from me, oddly enough. No idea how they're still alive!

  • @GalileoAV
    @GalileoAV 3 роки тому +6

    Thank you for moving the mail calls over to this channel! I think that makes a lot of sense

  • @JGreen-le8xx
    @JGreen-le8xx 3 роки тому +8

    I'm guessing it's an MSI motherboard with a 6502 processor and Cyrix co-processor running at 333MHz with L2 cache of 12MB and 3.5k of on board ram.

  • @IanSlothieRolfe
    @IanSlothieRolfe 3 роки тому +1

    A look on the "epocalc" database lists this as an Apple ][ clone by "J.E. Computer Co., Ltd. (JEC)" but dispite a little searching I cant find much else, not helped because the 2 billion matches on "AMI" due to American Microtrends.... I'm not sure, but could the "Ltd" in the company name indicate a British company? Although I'm sure I've seen some US companies refer to themselves and Ltd rather than LLC.
    Edit: Closer inspection of the epocalc entry seems to imply its a Taiwan company....

    • @bobblum5973
      @bobblum5973 3 роки тому

      I just posted the same info from the same site (as usual didn't see yours until afterwards). On that page on "epocalc" it shows small flags, apparently country of origin. Hovering the mouse point over the flag showed "TWN", so I'm assuming that's for Taiwan.
      Edit: Good grief, I just posted the "Taiwan" update, and THEN see you'd done the same in an edit! What's going on with UA-cam comments?

  • @ToTheGAMES
    @ToTheGAMES 3 роки тому +3

    Well done on the text blur tracking! Editing skills have leveled up.

  • @andrewdunbar828
    @andrewdunbar828 3 роки тому +1

    The world needs a retrocomputer archaeology UA-cam channel in Taiwan. I've travelled around there a fair bit but, unlike in Japan, I have no idea where to start looking for old tech. I've never seen anything like "Hard Off" over there. Someone must know where to go though...

    • @Squeetube
      @Squeetube 3 роки тому +1

      Having visited it’s not unusual to find random surplus stuff in random junk / variety / dollar store type shops. In Taipei I found of all things a carton of 12 new old stock Atari Lynx cases which I bought for less then $10 in a store located within a night market.

  • @mattpierce5009
    @mattpierce5009 3 роки тому +3

    "words blurred for extra mystery" this is a great idea Adrian

  • @Pedro8k
    @Pedro8k 3 роки тому +1

    Probably very rare now also sketchy = dodgy

  • @PapasDino
    @PapasDino 3 роки тому +3

    Knew it was an Apple the first time you powered it on from the beep! ;-)

    • @danielm.300
      @danielm.300 3 роки тому +1

      That's how I figured it out too, glad to know I'm not the only one!

  • @JVHShack
    @JVHShack 3 роки тому +4

    If the power supply gets even more sketchy, a Mean Well PSU would definitely fit in that case.

    • @adriansdigitalbasement2
      @adriansdigitalbasement2  3 роки тому +3

      I was wondering are there any modern PSUs that give +5/+12/-12/-5 though? That's what this would need.

    • @lee4hmz
      @lee4hmz 3 роки тому +3

      @@adriansdigitalbasement2 Digikey has several in stock; the RQ-50B or the RQ-65B (depending on how many watts this needs) will work.

  • @letthetunesflow
    @letthetunesflow 3 роки тому +2

    I love weird computers like this! Also your joy while working on it is infectious! What a great episode!!!!
    Thanks Adrian! Loved this episode sooo much, and it would be great to see you clean this one up a bit and see what you learn about this weird and wonderful clone!
    This is the kind of weird content l just love! Plus who doesn’t love seeing you so absolutely joyful about a computer! This is why I can’t get enough of your channel and just love it when we get weird things like this shown!
    I know seeing you work on standard commodore 64’s is fun, but this is more the kind of thing that just puts a smile on my face, just like it seems to do for you! Thanks to the wonderful person who sent this in! You rock!
    👍 🔥 🔥 🔥 ♥️♥️♥️ 🔥 🔥 🔥 👍

  • @TechTimeTraveller
    @TechTimeTraveller 3 роки тому +1

    Very cool. Always neat to see the different A2 clone makers' takes on the design. I have a feeling this board was designed to use a preexisting case.. the case was the thing that was the most expensive to set up for and make. The side expansion looks very similar to what Multitech (Acer) used for their MPF2. I have one of those I'm working on and am amazed at how compact they made it to fit that tiny MPF case.

  • @patrickfindeis6754
    @patrickfindeis6754 3 роки тому +6

    Adrian, I do like your idea moving the mail call to your second channel. And of course, great video as always!

  • @MxArgent
    @MxArgent 3 роки тому +1

    Not gonna be running Dancing Demon on this one, eh?

  • @stereotimo
    @stereotimo 3 роки тому +2

    This one was really entertaining! I laughed out loud many times. :D

  • @voneschenbachmusic
    @voneschenbachmusic 3 роки тому +2

    The hardare from this early era was very interesting! Thanks for sharing!

  • @Wok_Agenda
    @Wok_Agenda 3 роки тому +3

    ΑΜΙ ΙΙΙ?
    *Citroen joined the chatroom*

  • @Petertronic
    @Petertronic 3 роки тому +1

    I did electronics repair for 10 years and scope probe ground wires breaking like that was a very common occurrence! Love this computer!

  • @michaelstevens8624
    @michaelstevens8624 3 роки тому +3

    Every time I heard that 'beep' I kept expecting to hear a disk drive start making a racket.

    • @adriansdigitalbasement2
      @adriansdigitalbasement2  3 роки тому +1

      Haha yeah it does sound kind of wrong it doesn't make the appropriate sound, right?

  • @sa3270
    @sa3270 3 роки тому +1

    I thought it might be an Apple II clone from the thumbnail alone, because it has the same keys, especially the REPT key and P key with the @ on it, which were very unique to the Apple II.

  • @Adam-McG
    @Adam-McG 3 роки тому +1

    I told you that eyoyo thing was a crummy monitor for retro computer testing. I had the same exact issue when trying to test a real Apple II Plus. Old apples have very non-standard video that only sort of resembles NTSC composite. I always use a CRT for testing.

    • @PaleozoicPCs
      @PaleozoicPCs 3 роки тому +1

      I have the same monitor and, yeah, its composite support is weaksauce even as LCD monitors go. (Apple IIs are a challenge even for good ones, but usually you'll at least get something.) I've actually gotten superior results by using an $11 composite-to-HDMI adapter in the line; the random Amazon's Cheapest one I have at least handles non-interlaced "240P" video without bouncing.

  • @electronash
    @electronash 2 роки тому

    Those small LCD monitors aren't particularly great at displaying slightly non-standard signals.
    It's mainly a firmware issue. Most are based on a Realtek or Mstar scaler chipset.
    The firmware has tables for the common resolutions, and they can be a bit too strict on the different thresholds for each mode.
    You can't beat a CRT for diagnosing older stuff, as you know you will see at least some kind of image, even if there's no sync at all. ;)
    The Retrotink should be far more resiliant to weird or slightly wobbly video signals. But yeah, the LCDs themselves aren't always that great.
    You can find the source code for the common Realtek RTD2660 / RTD2662, and get it to compile, but it's quite hard to debug unless you can get the serial output working. I tried adding new modes to it before, so it can handle CGA/EGA without too much external stuff, but I only got a black screen from the LCD so far.
    (ie. it was detecting a signal, and allowing the new mode somewhat, but something else was stopping it displaying an image.)

  • @kaitlyn__L
    @kaitlyn__L 3 роки тому +1

    Quick low editing videos on this channel: keyframing the blur effect by hand for lots of waving about the letter! I used to make videos for fun and although I don’t regret doing that for fireballs and lightsaber glowing and stuff, I absolutely do not have the patience anymore. (Assuming the workflow in Adobe products is still similar, but that’s usually a safe bet.) Mad respect for that!!!

  • @bobweiram6321
    @bobweiram6321 3 роки тому +1

    What keyboard switches does it use? The models I-IV TRS-80's used Alps SKCC and a variamt.

  • @ultrametric9317
    @ultrametric9317 3 роки тому +4

    Packing tape trick - to get the goo off, take another piece of tape and double it over so that the sticky side is on both sides. Then daub at the goo repeatedly with this "tool". The goo will prefer to stick to the tape and will come right off.

  • @ToddHofer
    @ToddHofer 3 роки тому +1

    Helpful tip when you can't figure where Pin 1 is. Look at the solder pads. Usually when a cable doesn't have Pin 1 marked, they will have a square solder pad for Pin 1 where the rest are round or, a round one where the rest are square. Manufacturers will always leave some way to identify Pin 1. Sometimes though, they try to make it a secret like it's some kind of fiendish plot to get moose & Squirrel.

  • @frankowalker4662
    @frankowalker4662 3 роки тому +1

    I thought it might be a MSX clone. I like the look of the case, It's very stylish.

  • @peterkaldenberg2812
    @peterkaldenberg2812 27 днів тому

    Sorry, is't not a TRS80 model 1 clone because it does not have t a Z80, but a 6502., Pleas e do not call is a Trs80 Model 1 clone.

  • @Promptjock
    @Promptjock 3 роки тому

    I may be late, but the 6502 processor screams "Apple ][ 'clone'" - probably an early "Franklin PC" ("True" Apple ][ clone) attempt.

  • @knghtbrd
    @knghtbrd 3 роки тому

    Reads title, sees it's definitely not a TRS-80… Is this thing an Asian Apple II+ clone? "6502". Yup. *BEEP!* "Yuuuup! But I bet that video isn't gonna work on anything but a monochrome CRT without some filtering and output adjustment…" And then it doesn't.
    As crazy as this machine is (and it is crazy), what you're seeing is kinda not surprising for these Apple II clones. You should see some of the Soviet models. The Pravetz ones are the closest to normal. They get crazy from there.

  • @EEVblog2
    @EEVblog2 3 роки тому

    121GW spotted :-D

  • @SeeJayPlayGames
    @SeeJayPlayGames 2 роки тому

    on your multimeter... I noticed it says "OFL" instead of "OL"... does that mean "open f***ing lead?" LOL. BTW I guessed that this was an Apple II clone before I watched all of the video or read the comments... so yay, me.

  • @MagesGuild
    @MagesGuild 3 роки тому +1

    I knew that it as a ][+ clone within one second of seeing the keyboard key layout. That specific KB is a common clone of the TKC design but has a bonus numpad. One of mine also has a function key that autoprints common commands such as CATALOG for you as a one touch modifier key like the similar feature on ZX series machines.

    • @MagesGuild
      @MagesGuild 3 роки тому

      @Stuart Seeley The key sequence of 0 : - RESET is a Datanetics innovation, and the Taiwanese layout with that numpad and the CONTROL key pos, exists only on these clone machines.The key sculpts on these are also both distinctive, and comfortable.

  • @fralt2326
    @fralt2326 3 роки тому

    The keyboard is very similar to that of the TRS-80. It seems to me, however, that there are two missing keys which are very used on Apple II : the "[" and "]" keys. How this keyboard provides them? A combinasion of existing keys, I guess.

  • @mickjabber7042
    @mickjabber7042 3 роки тому

    Uh, don't let anyone of the J.C. Penney enterprise watch this. They're still around, employ 90000 people and have a turnover of about 10 billion US$. Apart from that, interesting video, as usual :D

  • @Digitoxin1
    @Digitoxin1 3 роки тому

    The TRS-80 Model I was a black and white PC with a Z80 CPU. I think you mean TRS-80 Color Computer 1.

  • @15743_Hertz
    @15743_Hertz 3 роки тому

    It looks to be a Hong Kong knockoff. There were a lot of A2 clones floating around in the day (the early 80s). I had a Vectorio Apple clone myself.
    You could buy Apple clone motherboards, expansion cards, power supplies, and cases from Akihabara. There were entire shops stocked with pirated software as well.
    When IBM XT made its debut, the shops all started to clone it and the Apple clone business slowly ground to a halt.

  • @michaelblair5566
    @michaelblair5566 3 роки тому

    I haven't used an Apple II since 1991 when I graduated High School. St. Joseph used Apple IIe systems when I was there. I had a Commodore 128 at the time.

  • @HalianTheProtogen
    @HalianTheProtogen 3 роки тому

    JCPenney is still around; it was bought by two of the country's largest mall operators, Brookfields and Simon, last year as part of bankruptcy proceedings.

  • @SidneyCritic
    @SidneyCritic 3 роки тому

    I prefer the single bench unboxing - the unboxing on the main bench was repeated on the work bench -, but now there is production problems, ie, out of focus, obscured items, etc. I think you have to raise the camera so it's more over the shoulder.

  • @guyfellows2293
    @guyfellows2293 2 роки тому

    [spoilers]
    me: it's a 6502 but it doesn't have enough slots to be an apple 2 clone...
    (hears that beep) it's an apple 2?!?!?!?!?

  • @michaelburns8073
    @michaelburns8073 3 роки тому

    If this computer was in the Elk Grove Village, IL area, then it's probably a product of the local hardware computer builders back in the day around the Illinois Technology Corridor. My dad worked for Bell Labs in Naperville, IL, and there was a enthusiast Apple group there, they helped build my Apple ][ clone machine, which I still have. I think it has a similar keyboard as well. But my mainboard is more standard, it has the slots in it. My computer also has the Applesoft/Integer Basic mod switch on it. They case they got for me looks like it came from some old data terminal. I need to haul it out and see if it is still working, last time I checked it was.

  • @galier2
    @galier2 3 роки тому +1

    I suppose the extension connector connected to a box with the Apple II expansion slots. The board looks like a a normal Apple II+ clone but with the expansion slots replaced by this connector.

  • @LenKusov
    @LenKusov 3 роки тому

    Looks like the ground lead is getting wire fatigue, that "only works when you bend it" thing is the classic failure mode. I'd just cut the strain relief boots off the cable ends and replace the wire with some other wire, add some shrink tube, and you're good to go.

  • @DAVIDGREGORYKERR
    @DAVIDGREGORYKERR 2 роки тому

    The EPROM on the keyboard is to make the keyboard work, keyboard scanning routine.

  • @tubeDude48
    @tubeDude48 3 роки тому +1

    Wrong...I still go to JCP in Oregon. Glad to hear about mail call on Channel II, now I won't have to see it on the main channel!!! YAAA!!

  • @teslakovalaborator
    @teslakovalaborator 3 роки тому

    Well it was pretty stupid adjusting the SMPS potentiometer with the logic board plugged in. The pot can loose contact temporarily and send the supply voltage through the roof. This qoes with the quote "Which is a big ouchie if you are a TTL chip!

  • @blaizejosh
    @blaizejosh 3 роки тому

    An Apple II clone that looks like Adam's SmartBasic, that Colecovision copied off of Apple.

  • @unmanaged
    @unmanaged 3 роки тому

    TWN J.E. Computer Co., Ltd. (JEC) AMI III Home Computer Apple 2 clone 1980s

  • @JohnHill-qo3hb
    @JohnHill-qo3hb 3 роки тому

    Scope probe ground wire... you can fix computers but can't repair a ground lead? Just fix it, think of the flexing this wire goes though in one repair session.

  • @mikedelyea8336
    @mikedelyea8336 3 роки тому +1

    I knew it wasn't a TRS-80 the moment you said the CPU was a 6502.

  • @markx9995
    @markx9995 3 роки тому

    Apple2/Laser128? The KBD into a DIP socket kind of a giveaway.

  • @elfenmagix8173
    @elfenmagix8173 3 роки тому

    Apple 1 clone.
    EDIT: Okay, so I'm wrong... can't win them all.

  • @BlueCollarBachelor
    @BlueCollarBachelor 3 роки тому

    Stop buying rigol leads. They make a nice hobby scope but the leads suck. I use fluke leads. Tektronix makes a decent lead too.

  • @m7hacke
    @m7hacke 3 роки тому

    JC Penny still exists, but is in some financial trouble. I live near Elk Grove Village, IL.

  • @infopackrat
    @infopackrat 2 роки тому

    I would change that power supply to an old but reliable ATX. That thing makes me nervous.

  • @brostenen
    @brostenen 3 роки тому

    Stopped at 12:20 and that beep reminds me of an Apple-II starting up. But it looks nothing like an Apple-II clone at all. Need to watch the rest.

  • @TheCrakkle
    @TheCrakkle 3 роки тому

    Regards the crappy ground probe lead.
    Cut the plastic back on the spring clip and re - solder it.
    Cheap nasty moulded connector, all mine are just a wire clip soldered and a bit of heat shrink.

  • @JasonPullara
    @JasonPullara 3 роки тому

    I personally don't enjoy the mailcall videos and I'm glad they're getting pushed to a secondary channel.

  • @emolatur
    @emolatur 3 роки тому

    JC Penney still exists. Barely, perhaps, but they exist.
    I can look out the window across the hall and see their sign on the side of the Maine Mall.

  • @UReasonIt
    @UReasonIt 3 роки тому

    If you have no marks on a ribbon cable, you can find GND on both sides and match that up. Many times there is more than one and that helps even more to find the correct mating.

  • @marco_foco
    @marco_foco 3 роки тому

    Given it was a 6502, and the sound of the beep sounded, my guess was indeed an Apple ][ clone :D

  • @stuartreid1064
    @stuartreid1064 3 роки тому

    No junk in the trunk, no natzis, no Isis etc etc can't say for sure why TRS lost its appeal really ? Vs crappy nespi case?

  • @MatroxMillennium
    @MatroxMillennium 3 роки тому +1

    I think the monitor is just 'blooming', I don't think that's necessarily a sync issue.

  • @bradenrichardson4269
    @bradenrichardson4269 3 роки тому

    JC Penney still has 689 locations in the U.S. just saying.....;)

  • @Megatomic
    @Megatomic 2 роки тому

    I'm looking forward to seeing the full restoration of this computer along with a good stretch of its legs. Is this in the queue, Adrian?

  • @nep-nep6575
    @nep-nep6575 2 роки тому

    Neat, an apple II clone that looks like the love child of a Commodore 128 and a TRS-80

  • @guessundheit6494
    @guessundheit6494 3 роки тому

    6:10 - The chip layout screamed Apple II, as did the keyboard connector location.

  • @DavidWonn
    @DavidWonn 3 роки тому

    An Apple ][+ with a numeric keypad? Cool. Even my ][e never had that.

  • @turgin9098
    @turgin9098 3 роки тому +1

    Just want to say I am a big fan of doing it this way. Don't get me wrong I miss the monster Wednesday main channel videos but I understand that not being sustainable due to time commitment. Also, JCP isn't completely gone yet as our local store is still open. Unfortunately, I'm sure it won't be long though.

  • @jdmcs
    @jdmcs 3 роки тому

    It looks like an Apple II series clone, maybe a clone of the II+? Or is this a clone of a clone, as the side edge connector looks like the Laser…

  • @50ShadesOfBeige
    @50ShadesOfBeige 3 роки тому

    My, how surprising... AMI space space space III - smells like a clone to me.

  • @Megalomon
    @Megalomon 3 роки тому

    "This computer is not what you think it is"
    Wait. There are no champignons in the box? D:

  • @jaymartinmobile
    @jaymartinmobile 3 роки тому

    My guess after watching for 8 minutes...Apple II

  • @procactus9109
    @procactus9109 2 роки тому

    Apple clone. Yuk even the original was crap compared to everything else.