ZX Spectrum +2 128k STILL WORKS!

I had a ZX Spectrum buried away I my parents loft for too many years, forgotten and un-missed. Now during a tidy up, it has been re-round and returned to me.

Surprisingly it still works perfectly. In a box of 150ish games, sadly only a handful work. Including Elite (Gold Edition no less). Although Colin the Cleaner is one of the ones that fails (both copies :rant:).

OH thinks it should be sold, although I am tempted to test every game and then buy Colin the Cleaner off ebay (childhood favourite ...:O_o1:)

I would keep it, had one of those when I was kid , absolutely beloved it

It doesn't take up much space, so if you don't need the cash, and you are going to use it, then hang on to it! (what are they worth)

Glad you agree. I've already ordered another copy of Colin the Cleaner off fleabay from a seller guaranteeing it has been tested and is working. Happy days.

As a bonus, I can show it to my son when he is older and let him have a chuckle about it. That is assuming you can still get analogue TV's then.

I showed my wifes younger brother (9 years old) one of the cassettes and asked him if he knew what it was.... I guess you know the answer :rolleyes:

OHs should be ignored when it comes to their comments on technology especially classics like the +2! Have you hooked up to a big screen TV yet? That would be awesome!

im getting mine out now )

my original ZX spectrum 128 with the grill on the side that is !!!

I have my old ZX Spectrum in my mums loft complete with about 60+ games, joysticks and manuals. Sadly the board won't power on. Hoping for just a dry solder joint I can possibly do something with. I mananaged to get hold of a compatible cassette player last year so there's hope in it yet. Really want to get the old console going again! Retro gaming for the win!

Ah, a thread right up my street!!!

I have the +2A (black one) and it was in a sorry state when I bought it April 2013, managed to fully restore it and works and looks great now.

http://colexions.com/?p=blogshow&b=9214


You may just need to clean the heads and the pinch roller to get things loading up on it. Use a cotton bud and get some of the oxy action kitchen cleaner or the Dettol stuff that is clear and in the spray bottle (nothing that has febreze in it). Put a few drips onto said cotton bud, press play to raise the heads with the door open and give it a clean. Central silver colored head is what reads the tape, left side one blanks the tape and you have the pinch roller on the right. Even though you won't really be using the blanking head still clean it as any filament / brown stuff on it can transfer to tapes that work fine.

Clean both heads and when doing the pinch roller keep an eye on it, you just want to be removing the brown gunge that is on there, you won't get it 100% black again, you are literally just going for removing the thick layer of muck. After cleaning both heads and pinch roller use another cotton bud to polish the heads and remove any remaining cleaning solution.

Don't use an accetone based cleaner on heads as it will damage them! I use what I stated above and it does the job nicely.

Loading stuff in, if a game doesn't state 48/128/+2 there is a chance that it won't load in using the loader. Mastertronic games as an example just say 48k Spectrum on the earlier ones, things like Specventure.

By all means first off try the loader, if it resets there are other things to try first.

48k Basic at the bottom of the menu, this can get those older stubborn titles loading up. Select this and then :

J"" then press Enter

J Brings up load instruction, then press play and see if it works.


If not then select +3 Basic from menu and do the following :

SPECTRUM then press enter (do it in upper case)

LOAD"" then press enter and try loading again


With extra 2 things for loading I think you will find that after cleaning most games will actually load in. You may also need to do a slight head alignment, press play and then that small hole, use a jewelers posidrive screwdriver to tweak the alignment screw, usually you need to tighten it ever so slightly (as little as 1 mm clockwise). Good way to do alignment is watching the loading bars, the yellow / blue or purple / violet ones, the clearer and stronger they look is best alignment. Not forgetting also that you can hear the tones, so once again just listen for the clearest sounding tone to get good alignment, Spectrum is so easy to align, wish my C64 & Amstrad CPC464 was as easy!!

Do the cleaning first though!

Your drive belts may also need replacing, all of a 10 minute job, you can buy new drive belts for a few quid from Dataserve Retro, it was the first thing I done when I got mine.

http://www.dataserve-retro.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d8.html

Make sure to get the correct belt for your machine, the grey and black models have different mechanisms, the grey machine actually has 2 drive belts.

Hooking up to a TV you can get D type scart leads if your TV no longer accepts an analogue RF signal :

http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/

Once again get the right one for the machine you have. Grey model is just a +2, if it is a black model then it will be a +2A or +2B (these 2 machines A&B are identical).

@unospace, try changing the glass fuse in your PSU, they have a habit of blowing if not used in a while.

I did actually order a different PSU from eBay to try it but had no joy. I'll crack the PSU open and have a look when I next grab the box from my mums loft!

Cheers :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ferral

Ah, a thread right up my street!!!

I have the +2A (black one) and it was in a sorry state when I bought it April 2013, managed to fully restore it and works and looks great now.

http://colexions.com/?p=blogshow&b=9214


You may just need to clean the heads and the pinch roller to get things loading up on it. Use a cotton bud and get some of the oxy action kitchen cleaner or the Dettol stuff that is clear and in the spray bottle (nothing that has febreze in it). Put a few drips onto said cotton bud, press play to raise the heads with the door open and give it a clean. Central silver colored head is what reads the tape, left side one blanks the tape and you have the pinch roller on the right. Even though you won't really be using the blanking head still clean it as any filament / brown stuff on it can transfer to tapes that work fine.

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IsoPropyl Alcohol (IPA) is also a good cleaning solution, and possibly less aggressive. You can get it from Marlins. It is also a good general purpose de-greaser.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chadders87

That is assuming you can still get analogue TV's then.

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Analog tuner for your PC, sorted! I don't see USB disappearing any time soon. http://www.scan.co.uk/products/3332a...brid-usb-stick Should do the trick, with the benefit of being able to record your gameplay etc if needed.

I have been looking for some isopropyl for a while or surgical spirits is just as good.

Using a kitchen cleaner is ok for a clean if it hasn't been done in a while as it strips muck and dirt that is 30 years old!

I need to give my wife a shoutr again at the shop thinking on it as she has bottles of surgical spirits there, it is commonly used in the horse community and they have litre bottles in stock, need her to bring one home.

Surgical spirit can be ethanol or IPA, usually a mix! You can use methanol (methylated spirits) although that can leave residues from the stuff put in it to colour it and make it taste foul - meths is quite toxic.

You can get huge bottles of IPA for next to nothing off Ebay!

I am just trying to help out, certain household items can be used to clean heads etc if there is no IPA available at that moment in time, I have even used aftershave in the past with that having a high alcohol content to clean heads at a pinch.

Its not like you can now just nip to Boots or Lloyds and buy IPA or Surgical Spirits anymore, I have tried and they haven't stocked it for years.

Being into retro stuff sometimes does require alternative solutions at a pinch, hell I even have my own take on retrobrite for removing the bromine staining you get on the white / cream colored machines (UV brings the yellowing to the surface) that was injected into the moulds for fire retardency back in the day

You have the same version as me Ferral. I'll give the heads a clean using some of my modelling acrylic paint thinner (Tamiya X-20) as it is alcohol based, then re-try loading some of them failed games.

Mines hooked up to a 28" "bedroom" tv, since we lost the remote for our main one and can't tune the channels until it's replaced. It just needs a joystick to be added on now :)

Yours has come up really well! Do you record your own tapes or rely on sourcing originals?