leaded solder
@leadedsolder.com
I never met a broken TV I didn't like. Come read the blog at https://www.leadedsolder.com and see what old junk computers I'm fixing this week.
Fixing Commodore 64s is some kind of fun, but not a normal kind of fun like fixing broken Japanese computers. #commodore64 #retrocomputing
November 30, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Fixing Commodore 64s is some kind of fun, but not a normal kind of fun like fixing broken Japanese computers. #commodore64 #retrocomputing
This has to be the first one of these remotes I've seen where all the streaming services are actually available in Canada. Too bad I found it in a park in pieces. #elitter
September 30, 2025 at 5:17 PM
This has to be the first one of these remotes I've seen where all the streaming services are actually available in Canada. Too bad I found it in a park in pieces. #elitter
September 18, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Who can make it officially Sharptember?
September 1, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Who can make it officially Sharptember?
The infinite redness of outer space looks weird on this SMC-777. #retrocomputing #smc777
June 7, 2025 at 2:31 PM
The infinite redness of outer space looks weird on this SMC-777. #retrocomputing #smc777
...what was I thinking? #kicad #retrocomputing
June 5, 2025 at 10:25 PM
...what was I thinking? #kicad #retrocomputing
Some bodging and poking later, and I have finally gotten the Gotek to boot a disk image on the Sony SMC-777. Now to figure out how to bodge up the other disk images floating around, and to devise a mounting kit and faceplate. #retrocomputing #smc777 #cpm
May 4, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Some bodging and poking later, and I have finally gotten the Gotek to boot a disk image on the Sony SMC-777. Now to figure out how to bodge up the other disk images floating around, and to devise a mounting kit and faceplate. #retrocomputing #smc777 #cpm
I guess I did an okay job for my first time airbrushing a plastic model body. There's a bit of orange peel and a bit of runs and a bit of too little paint, but it should set up a decent base coat for the colour coat to come. Now just to decide on colour. #ミニ四駆 #mini4wd #tamiya
May 3, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Trying to install Debian on my CHRP-based Genesi ODW #PowerPC workstation. I've had... varying success. Only one dead hardware component so far... #retrocomputing #linux #modulefun #chrp
April 27, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Trying to install Debian on my CHRP-based Genesi ODW #PowerPC workstation. I've had... varying success. Only one dead hardware component so far... #retrocomputing #linux #modulefun #chrp
New blog post on the side blog! I finally got my Tandy Turbo Beetle RC car to spin its wheels for the first time since probably the early 90s. It's got a modern speed controller now and is just a steering servo away from ruining my backyard. plasmadash.com/2025/04/16/t... #rccar #tandy #retrotoys
April 16, 2025 at 3:12 PM
New blog post on the side blog! I finally got my Tandy Turbo Beetle RC car to spin its wheels for the first time since probably the early 90s. It's got a modern speed controller now and is just a steering servo away from ruining my backyard. plasmadash.com/2025/04/16/t... #rccar #tandy #retrotoys
The "external" variant of my FM-7 floppy card prototype has been lashed together (in a hurry.)
This will be a lot easier to put on the scope than the internal card, especially since I don't have the right connector for it. #fm7 #retrocomputing #fm8 #fujitsu #kicad
This will be a lot easier to put on the scope than the internal card, especially since I don't have the right connector for it. #fm7 #retrocomputing #fm8 #fujitsu #kicad
April 12, 2025 at 8:23 PM
The "external" variant of my FM-7 floppy card prototype has been lashed together (in a hurry.)
This will be a lot easier to put on the scope than the internal card, especially since I don't have the right connector for it. #fm7 #retrocomputing #fm8 #fujitsu #kicad
This will be a lot easier to put on the scope than the internal card, especially since I don't have the right connector for it. #fm7 #retrocomputing #fm8 #fujitsu #kicad
I'm finally finishing up my article on the VTech Socrates, which means running through the shot list and taking a picture of all the things I forgot. Here's the charmingly floppy-disk shaped cartridge that games come on. #retrogaming #vtech
March 29, 2025 at 3:53 PM
I'm finally finishing up my article on the VTech Socrates, which means running through the shot list and taking a picture of all the things I forgot. Here's the charmingly floppy-disk shaped cartridge that games come on. #retrogaming #vtech
The new supergun board is working just fine now. Embarrassingly, it was bad soldering on my part. Now I can enjoy Magical Drop 2 on my desk... if there was still room on my desk for a joystick with an entire Neo-Geo board sitting on it. #kicad #retrogaming #neogeo
March 23, 2025 at 11:50 PM
The new supergun board is working just fine now. Embarrassingly, it was bad soldering on my part. Now I can enjoy Magical Drop 2 on my desk... if there was still room on my desk for a joystick with an entire Neo-Geo board sitting on it. #kicad #retrogaming #neogeo
The new supergun board is working, but not terribly well. I've made at least one bonehead error so far, so hopefully I find another and magically fix this.
March 21, 2025 at 4:41 PM
The new supergun board is working, but not terribly well. I've made at least one bonehead error so far, so hopefully I find another and magically fix this.
Bunch of leaky 68K Mac motherboards getting ready for the dip. I've removed the leaky caps, cleaned the pads, and now it's time for a deep clean in the ultrasonic. I do these in batches because filling and draining the ultrasonic is such a pain. #retrocomputing #marchintosh #68kmac
March 15, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Bunch of leaky 68K Mac motherboards getting ready for the dip. I've removed the leaky caps, cleaned the pads, and now it's time for a deep clean in the ultrasonic. I do these in batches because filling and draining the ultrasonic is such a pain. #retrocomputing #marchintosh #68kmac
For a compact power supply made in 1984, I'm surprised that all these caps had great ESR. Very good work, Fujitsu and Shindengen. #retrocomputing #fm7
February 22, 2025 at 8:48 PM
For a compact power supply made in 1984, I'm surprised that all these caps had great ESR. Very good work, Fujitsu and Shindengen. #retrocomputing #fm7
I hate whatever this brown potting compound is. It takes a ton of physical labour to get off, and it corrodes components around it. #retrocomputing #smc777
February 15, 2025 at 9:20 PM
I hate whatever this brown potting compound is. It takes a ton of physical labour to get off, and it corrodes components around it. #retrocomputing #smc777
This UV flashlight did not work as well as I wanted to find cap leakage. It does, however, find flux from the original factory assembly. #retrocomputing
February 11, 2025 at 7:41 PM
This UV flashlight did not work as well as I wanted to find cap leakage. It does, however, find flux from the original factory assembly. #retrocomputing
This is good info for me, I just ended up with two of another Votrax unit by accident. I think it's a 200?
January 27, 2025 at 8:57 PM
This is good info for me, I just ended up with two of another Votrax unit by accident. I think it's a 200?
I sort of accidentally fixed this NEC PC-8201A slab top computer. Check out these cool little chip-lets. #retrocomputing
January 24, 2025 at 4:05 PM
I sort of accidentally fixed this NEC PC-8201A slab top computer. Check out these cool little chip-lets. #retrocomputing
I love flash EEPROMs off of AliExpress. Unlike UV EPROMs, which are easy to wipe en masse, the flash ones often arrive with their previous flash still on 'em. Always dump them, just in case it's lostware, but usually something like this font ROM.
Thanks @bsittler.bsky.social for looking into it.
Thanks @bsittler.bsky.social for looking into it.
January 15, 2025 at 9:13 PM
I love flash EEPROMs off of AliExpress. Unlike UV EPROMs, which are easy to wipe en masse, the flash ones often arrive with their previous flash still on 'em. Always dump them, just in case it's lostware, but usually something like this font ROM.
Thanks @bsittler.bsky.social for looking into it.
Thanks @bsittler.bsky.social for looking into it.
I'm always learning things. For instance, here's a whole new kind of clock battery in this Magic Link. #magiccap #retrocomputing
January 5, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I'm always learning things. For instance, here's a whole new kind of clock battery in this Magic Link. #magiccap #retrocomputing
I haven't been posting much lately, but I've been working on this grody Atari 2600 Jr. I've done plastic repair, cleaning, and solder joint reflow. Now I can play Combat! #retrogaming #atari
January 1, 2025 at 4:46 PM
I haven't been posting much lately, but I've been working on this grody Atari 2600 Jr. I've done plastic repair, cleaning, and solder joint reflow. Now I can play Combat! #retrogaming #atari
The less sexy part of hardware design is: making sure things fit at all. Paper is cheaper than PCBs!
December 22, 2024 at 6:49 PM
The less sexy part of hardware design is: making sure things fit at all. Paper is cheaper than PCBs!