Been working with the PicoMite VGA I built myself for the past couple days. Very cool little project, easy, cheap, and fun to play with! 😀

It's a pretty versatile little "retro computer" anyone can build if you're into such things like I am, all open-source. I'm teaching myself MMBasic, really brings back memories!

https://geoffg.net/picomitevga.html

download/file.php?mode=view&id=182519

Working on an Olivetti M24. I don't have a compatible monitor but an IBM MDA works fine without disabling the onboard GO318 graphics.

I removed the Varta which did its job on the mainboard. Corrosion is minimal, but the speaker is gone. The powerled is missing but that will be replaced too.

So far it boots fine. The floppy drive needs some work. Unfortunately the original MFM hard drive is gone. That will be replaced with XT-IDE.

StriderTR wrote on 2024-01-10, 07:55:

Been working with the PicoMite VGA I built myself for the past couple days. Very cool little project, easy, cheap, and fun to pl […]
Show full quote

Been working with the PicoMite VGA I built myself for the past couple days. Very cool little project, easy, cheap, and fun to play with! 😀

It's a pretty versatile little "retro computer" anyone can build if you're into such things like I am, all open-source. I'm teaching myself MMBasic, really brings back memories!

https://geoffg.net/picomitevga.html

download/file.php?mode=view&id=182519

that's a really interesting project! i read the link and its a nice way to 'create' a classic 80's style home computer

PC104 things...

DerBaum wrote on 2024-01-10, 12:51:

PC104 things...
2024-01-10 13.46.59.jpg

Why not use a slot?

dominusprog wrote on 2024-01-10, 13:03:

DerBaum wrote on 2024-01-10, 12:51:

PC104 things...
2024-01-10 13.46.59.jpg

Why not use a slot?

i am testing the inner workings of pc104 to make my own cards.
How PNP works... if i can re assign irqs in hardware, if it works in 8-bit mode... and so on.
Its much simpler to measure and reconfigure pins this way.

The card i used is just a soundcard that will be turned into parts for this project. so it doesnt really matter if the isa connectors are full of solder.

DerBaum wrote on 2024-01-10, 13:06:

i am testing the inner workings of pc104 to make my own cards. How PNP works... if i can re assign irqs in hardware, if it works […]
Show full quote

dominusprog wrote on 2024-01-10, 13:03:

DerBaum wrote on 2024-01-10, 12:51:

PC104 things...
2024-01-10 13.46.59.jpg

Why not use a slot?

i am testing the inner workings of pc104 to make my own cards.
How PNP works... if i can re assign irqs in hardware, if it works in 8-bit mode... and so on.
Its much simpler to measure and reconfigure pins this way.

The card i used is just a soundcard that will be turned into parts for this project. so it doesnt really matter if the isa connectors are full of solder.

Good luck with your experiments 😀

First, I took out another great board that was already recapped, from the storage, to prep up for sale likely.

It's a Zida 6DLX, w/ a 266MHz SL2HC that I suspect is a unlocked chip - it POSTs just fine at 333, but I haven't tried any higher than that.

Also took some time to revamp a old and derelict Radeon 9550 256MB.
I'd gladly flash this card to a 9600 if I had the right BIOS for it.

The barren card next to it is also a 9550, except 128MB, and which was unfortunately artefacting.
It's a bit funny, since that one uses classic DDR while this 256MB card uses DDR2.

I don't think they started locking PII until the 300+ was out and there were remarkers active, selling 233 or 266 as 300. The Klamath core doesn't generally like much more than 300 stable, there's a handful that do 333 stable when loaded/stressed. Most were cherrypicked by intel for the higher speed releases, but because they weren't scaling much Deschutes became necessary.

Interesting I did not know this; I only thought VERY early PII 233/266s were unlocked and therefore not available in significant volume..

Might have seemed very early to anyone outside US because of unobtanium pie in the sky prices, so when they hit actual home town computer retailers they were either locked very shortly after or arrived locked.

Today I spent about an hour getting an IBM PS/2 Model 80 ready to be sold at my local recycler. It took so long because I had to make a floppy to reset the CMOS after spending $15 on a battery. It managed to only lose 32KB after formatting the huge 42MB drive it came with, and was otherwise in pretty great condition.

Bruninho wrote on 2024-01-09, 17:25:

chrismeyer6 wrote on 2024-01-09, 13:24:

My dad bought a copy of 2000 on launch day and he promptly installed it on the family computer in a dual boot setup with 98 SE. That system never felt faster and was nearly perfectly stable. Any of mine or my siblings games worked just fine we rarely need to use 98. We used 2000 untill we got a copy of XP Pro in 2004.

I share a similar history.

The only game that failed on Win 2000 was FIFA 2000, I believe mainly because of SecuROM issues. To this date, even in Win 2K VMs the game fails to start. But runs fine on XP and 98. *Shudder*

FIFA 2000 works great on Windows 2000 if you use a no CD crack. Piracy to the rescue. 🤣

Removed all 29 orange tictacs and put some Panasonic electrolytics on. Test drive went well, next up is to mod or replace the ST TimeKeeper™RAM.

Work is kind of finished.

Preparing my Zida 6DLX for a local sale.
Equipped it with a Celery @ 433MHz, 128MB SDR, a 10GB drive out of a OGXBox, GF4 MX4000 64MB, CT4810 soundcard.

Running 3DMark99 at this moment, it's pretty smooth. Lemme know if y'all interested to see the score it puts out.

PD2JK wrote on 2024-01-11, 15:36:

Removed all 29 orange tictacs and put some Panasonic electrolytics on. Test drive went well, next up is to mod or replace the ST TimeKeeper™RAM.

DSC_7817.JPG

Did you record such fun and put it out on YT? 🤣
Must have been tedious, I say. 😀

Nexxen wrote on 2024-01-11, 16:45:

PD2JK wrote on 2024-01-11, 15:36:

Removed all 29 orange tictacs and put some Panasonic electrolytics on. Test drive went well, next up is to mod or replace the ST TimeKeeper™RAM.

DSC_7817.JPG

Did you record such fun and put it out on YT? 🤣
Must have been tedious, I say. 😀

Haha. No. 😜
I like to make a fool out of myself, but to put it on YouTube is a bridge too far.

PD2JK wrote on 2024-01-11, 17:04:

Removed all 29 orange tictacs and put some Panasonic electrolytics on. Test drive went well, next up is to mod or replace the ST TimeKeeper™RAM.

DSC_7817.JPG

is there a reason you chose electrolytic? I typically just put film caps on there so I don't have to think about leaking.

PD2JK wrote on 2024-01-11, 17:04:

Nexxen wrote on 2024-01-11, 16:45:

PD2JK wrote on 2024-01-11, 15:36:

Removed all 29 orange tictacs and put some Panasonic electrolytics on. Test drive went well, next up is to mod or replace the ST TimeKeeper™RAM.

DSC_7817.JPG

Did you record such fun and put it out on YT? 🤣
Must have been tedious, I say. 😀

Haha. No. 😜
I like to make a fool out of myself, but to put it on YouTube is a bridge too far.

Just for the time it took and the dexterity displayed I'd go with an applause and a very nice pat on the back.
I like how it came out and it even looks a little more modern.

Personally I dread it as it is time consuming and so much "the same" making me prefer house chores. 🤣