C64 S-video mod

Here’s one simple mod I’ve had on the to-do list for ages: swap the C64 audio/video connector to something that can take a regular s-video cable and use the RF modulator RCA jack for audio out. Standardish connectors just save from that much hassle.. Plus it’s also very hard to think of a use for the RF output these days :)

C64 keyboard, wrapping up

Busy “Bee” me, project complete! Not much further work stage photos to present (thanks to yours truly forgetting to pack the camera along), so let’s roll with some photos of the completed keyboard.

Nice contrast between the case and the keyboard.

Ports gone!

C64 keyboard, chop it

Lemming / Orange was kind enough to donate me a Keyrah he no longer had use for. Figured it might be a good subject for a round 2 of ‘playing with epoxy‘.. This time around though, I decided to that I’ll skip the sorry attempts at heating/forming plastic :)

Lower half cut into two and a piece sliced out.

SID Buffer

Ok, so this here is a circuit that can be used to lower the background noise generated by a SID chip quite dramatically. It works for both SID models. The basic idea is to separate the SID from the data/address buses of the C64 when the chip is not accessed. As the digital and analog sides use the same ground, the more rapidly changing digital signal bleeds to the analog side through the common ground (hence the background noise).

(Click the image to download the pdf)

Playing with epoxy

Had a bit of quiet time at work last friday, so I decided to play around with a bit of epoxy. With possible future projects in mind (maybe a second QuadSID?), I’ve been wondering about testing how good epoxy is for joining larger bits of plastic and how solid structures can be achieved. Usually, if you apply a really thin layer of epoxy it stays slightly flexible despite completely dried up whereas larger layers result in a solid grindable/sandable surface. Larger gaps are also slightly more difficult to fill with epoxy; before drying up to shape it tends to slowly deform if no support is added.

And the actual plan? Take a C64 model C, cut pieces of similar size away from both halves of the casing and glue the remaining bits together with epoxy, resulting in a more compact C64. After all, I have plenty of C64 cases left over from the QuadSID project that I need to figure some use for, so this test was a good starter on that. I recall seeing one similar chopped C64 at some finnish demoparty years ago, so I guess it makes this one a piece made under the influence of that one :)

Prior to actually glueing the pieces of both halves together, I got a silly idea that maybe I could just melt the bits together by warming them up. Well.. Just to have this on piece of information “on the record” so that no-one has to try this themselves, I can state that it sure as hell doesn’t work ;) .. Glad to have that delusion out of the way. Anyway, the actual glueing was a success, the epoxy just needed to be applied in several layers as it tends to deform (thanks gravity!) whilst still wet. The pictures..:

The bits I tried to melt together should be rather apparent ;)