Andrew's Tech Break
@andrewstechbrk.bsky.social
Spending free time taking a look at, fixing, and conserving Retro and New Tech.
January 1, 2026 at 1:47 AM
Inspection continues on the 4000. The caps on the board look good but on the CPU card – Oh Boy! And something fishy happened on one corner of the CPU.
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000 #commodore
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000 #commodore
December 25, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Inspection continues on the 4000. The caps on the board look good but on the CPU card – Oh Boy! And something fishy happened on one corner of the CPU.
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000 #commodore
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000 #commodore
Oh Boy! Looks like this was a just in time rescue. The battery corrosion is creeping but not too bad. A little vinegar and it’s looking like it’ll clean up. Fingers crossed.
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
December 23, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Oh Boy! Looks like this was a just in time rescue. The battery corrosion is creeping but not too bad. A little vinegar and it’s looking like it’ll clean up. Fingers crossed.
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
Good news the Amiga 4000 is not an empty box. But it is dirty – YUCK! Smoker.
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
December 22, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Good news the Amiga 4000 is not an empty box. But it is dirty – YUCK! Smoker.
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
WOW! Early Christmas for me. A pickup from the dream list - an Amiga 4000! I never thought I’d have one of these in the collection or at a price within my budget. I’m floored this is now mine. Hopefully no nasty surprises inside.
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
December 21, 2025 at 3:59 PM
WOW! Early Christmas for me. A pickup from the dream list - an Amiga 4000! I never thought I’d have one of these in the collection or at a price within my budget. I’m floored this is now mine. Hopefully no nasty surprises inside.
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
#retrocomputing #amiga #amiga4000
Well this Mackintosh U-2200 is all fixed up and restored. This rare piece of Canadian history is ready for VCF Montreal.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron #vcfmontreal
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron #vcfmontreal
December 19, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Well this Mackintosh U-2200 is all fixed up and restored. This rare piece of Canadian history is ready for VCF Montreal.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron #vcfmontreal
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron #vcfmontreal
Unfortunately missing from this U-2200 is the original 80 col card (U-2063-2). But the ROMs are online and I was able to burn them and use them on this clone card. The system has an auto-switch function.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
November 30, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Unfortunately missing from this U-2200 is the original 80 col card (U-2063-2). But the ROMs are online and I was able to burn them and use them on this clone card. The system has an auto-switch function.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
November 29, 2025 at 12:07 AM
November 26, 2025 at 5:31 PM
You’d think this is an XT keyboard – but it’s not. The speaker, extra direction and Reset keys are a giveaway. This is the optional KB-2200 (U-2235) for the U-2200 computer. If you’re going to use the computer mainly for CPM I guess this layout makes more sense.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh
#retrocomputing #mackintosh
November 25, 2025 at 12:18 AM
You’d think this is an XT keyboard – but it’s not. The speaker, extra direction and Reset keys are a giveaway. This is the optional KB-2200 (U-2235) for the U-2200 computer. If you’re going to use the computer mainly for CPM I guess this layout makes more sense.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh
#retrocomputing #mackintosh
Next is the mess with the epoxied in keyboard port repair. Ouf! This is rough. But oddly the person decided to put electrical tape under the epoxy. Maybe they were planning to eventually pull it off. It came out pretty clean.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
November 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Next is the mess with the epoxied in keyboard port repair. Ouf! This is rough. But oddly the person decided to put electrical tape under the epoxy. Maybe they were planning to eventually pull it off. It came out pretty clean.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
Time to tackle that mess of a keyboard repair on the U-2200. Thankfully the damage is not too severe. A couple of burnt pads but all looks good both side. I’m also happy I managed to track down a port which matches the original almost exactly.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
November 21, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Time to tackle that mess of a keyboard repair on the U-2200. Thankfully the damage is not too severe. A couple of burnt pads but all looks good both side. I’m also happy I managed to track down a port which matches the original almost exactly.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
There’s the little daughterboard that turns this from an innocent Z80 CPN machine, which just happens to have Apple II compatible drive controller, slots, and video, to an illegal Apple II clone. Sealed the faith of Mackintosh Computers.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
November 19, 2025 at 10:33 PM
There’s the little daughterboard that turns this from an innocent Z80 CPN machine, which just happens to have Apple II compatible drive controller, slots, and video, to an illegal Apple II clone. Sealed the faith of Mackintosh Computers.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
Looks like we have a Unitron U2200-4 board with both the 6502 and Z80 processors. Weird did they have another board in mind or another case? The slots don’t line up with the back slots.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
November 19, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Looks like we have a Unitron U2200-4 board with both the 6502 and Z80 processors. Weird did they have another board in mind or another case? The slots don’t line up with the back slots.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
Ouf! What is this repair. Seems the keyboard port was repaired and epoxied to the front of the case – YUCK! And we have some sort of joystick port wired to a RJ45 port on the front. That’s a new one.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
November 19, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Ouf! What is this repair. Seems the keyboard port was repaired and epoxied to the front of the case – YUCK! And we have some sort of joystick port wired to a RJ45 port on the front. That’s a new one.
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
This time around the second Apple II clone Mackintosh sold. The re-badged Unitron U-2200. Advertised as a Z80 CPM machine that just so happened to also have a 6502, Apple Drive controller, Slots, & video. Pretty basic case. No screws
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
November 14, 2025 at 8:18 PM
This time around the second Apple II clone Mackintosh sold. The re-badged Unitron U-2200. Advertised as a Z80 CPM machine that just so happened to also have a 6502, Apple Drive controller, Slots, & video. Pretty basic case. No screws
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
#retrocomputing #mackintosh #appleii #unitron
October 31, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Next clone looked like XT/286 system – but looks like someone crammed in a K6-2. What is this? Someone’s sleeper PC from back in the day. All this and not a new case?
#retrocomputing #pcclone
#retrocomputing #pcclone
October 26, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Next clone looked like XT/286 system – but looks like someone crammed in a K6-2. What is this? Someone’s sleeper PC from back in the day. All this and not a new case?
#retrocomputing #pcclone
#retrocomputing #pcclone
This Pentium 166 clone is all fixed up. Nothing too special found in this pickup. Not sure I need another Pentium clone so the case might go towards another project.
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
October 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM
This Pentium 166 clone is all fixed up. Nothing too special found in this pickup. Not sure I need another Pentium clone so the case might go towards another project.
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
A little surgery on the Dallas chip and the message is gone and BIOS settings can now be saved again.
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
October 12, 2025 at 10:13 PM
A little surgery on the Dallas chip and the message is gone and BIOS settings can now be saved again.
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
Re-assembled and first power on this old Pentium clone and it’s alive. Oddly set to 100Mhz but couple of dips later and we’re at 166. No surprise the Dallas is dead. It still has a funky Windows 98 install.
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
October 11, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Re-assembled and first power on this old Pentium clone and it’s alive. Oddly set to 100Mhz but couple of dips later and we’re at 166. No surprise the Dallas is dead. It still has a funky Windows 98 install.
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
First look at this PC clone I picked up. Was hoping for a 386/486 judging by the case but looks like we have a Socket 7. And the CD and USB card are kind of a tell.
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
October 11, 2025 at 2:55 PM
First look at this PC clone I picked up. Was hoping for a 386/486 judging by the case but looks like we have a Socket 7. And the CD and USB card are kind of a tell.
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
#retrocomputing #pcclones #pentium
Picked up these two non-descript PC clones. One looks from the XT/286 generation and the other 386/486 generation. But the CD drives make me doubt that’s what I’ll find inside.
#retrocomputing #pcclones
#retrocomputing #pcclones
October 7, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Picked up these two non-descript PC clones. One looks from the XT/286 generation and the other 386/486 generation. But the CD drives make me doubt that’s what I’ll find inside.
#retrocomputing #pcclones
#retrocomputing #pcclones
The TRS-80 Model III is fixed, cleaned, assembled, and tested. Nice to have this piece of computing history in the collection. I have memories of using these in high school before the IBM clones took over.
#retrocomputing #tandy #trs80 #modeliii #septandy
#retrocomputing #tandy #trs80 #modeliii #septandy
October 5, 2025 at 11:16 PM
The TRS-80 Model III is fixed, cleaned, assembled, and tested. Nice to have this piece of computing history in the collection. I have memories of using these in high school before the IBM clones took over.
#retrocomputing #tandy #trs80 #modeliii #septandy
#retrocomputing #tandy #trs80 #modeliii #septandy
Quiet Friday evening pulling keys and cleaning the Model III keyboard.
#retrocomputing #tandy #trs80 #modeliii #septandy
#retrocomputing #tandy #trs80 #modeliii #septandy
October 3, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Quiet Friday evening pulling keys and cleaning the Model III keyboard.
#retrocomputing #tandy #trs80 #modeliii #septandy
#retrocomputing #tandy #trs80 #modeliii #septandy