Rob Schmitt
@schmitthot.bsky.social
Professional code monkey. (Very) amateur electronics hobbyist. Owns too many vintage computers — mostly DOS, Commodore and Apple ][.
Looking for interesting retro computing folk to follow? Check out my starter pack: https://go.bsky.app/DQLbgsE
Looking for interesting retro computing folk to follow? Check out my starter pack: https://go.bsky.app/DQLbgsE
Anyway, at least I get to hear it play the Leisure Suit Larry theme tune.
October 24, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Anyway, at least I get to hear it play the Leisure Suit Larry theme tune.
I shouldn’t disappointed, but I bought a cheap and faulty Roland MT-32 recently and turns out it works perfectly! My repair plans have been foiled.
October 24, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I shouldn’t disappointed, but I bought a cheap and faulty Roland MT-32 recently and turns out it works perfectly! My repair plans have been foiled.
Doesn’t look too bad behind me either!
August 28, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Doesn’t look too bad behind me either!
Slowly but surely filling out my retro corner.
August 28, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Slowly but surely filling out my retro corner.
"Thing fails at thing it wasn't designed for"
June 11, 2025 at 11:16 AM
"Thing fails at thing it wasn't designed for"
Bonus post.
Words cannot describe how good an OLED screen looks. A huge upgrade from my previous edge-lit 50" Samsung.
Words cannot describe how good an OLED screen looks. A huge upgrade from my previous edge-lit 50" Samsung.
May 15, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Bonus post.
Words cannot describe how good an OLED screen looks. A huge upgrade from my previous edge-lit 50" Samsung.
Words cannot describe how good an OLED screen looks. A huge upgrade from my previous edge-lit 50" Samsung.
And here she is in the living room. Cable management done and hooked up to the sound bar.
7/
7/
May 15, 2025 at 3:24 PM
And here she is in the living room. Cable management done and hooked up to the sound bar.
7/
7/
BOOM!
We have a fully working 55" LG OLED TV.
So, I'm £170 all in for this ~£800 TV, and I have additional working power and main boards to flog on eBay, so that's maybe around £80 to £100 I can still recoup. What a result.
6/
We have a fully working 55" LG OLED TV.
So, I'm £170 all in for this ~£800 TV, and I have additional working power and main boards to flog on eBay, so that's maybe around £80 to £100 I can still recoup. What a result.
6/
May 15, 2025 at 3:22 PM
BOOM!
We have a fully working 55" LG OLED TV.
So, I'm £170 all in for this ~£800 TV, and I have additional working power and main boards to flog on eBay, so that's maybe around £80 to £100 I can still recoup. What a result.
6/
We have a fully working 55" LG OLED TV.
So, I'm £170 all in for this ~£800 TV, and I have additional working power and main boards to flog on eBay, so that's maybe around £80 to £100 I can still recoup. What a result.
6/
Replacing the mainboard had absolutely no effect.
At this point, fooled by proclamations on the internet that "99% of the time the T-Con is fine", I'm trying various combinations of the power board and main board, but I'm making zero progress.
So, it's finally time to try the T-Con...
5/
At this point, fooled by proclamations on the internet that "99% of the time the T-Con is fine", I'm trying various combinations of the power board and main board, but I'm making zero progress.
So, it's finally time to try the T-Con...
5/
May 15, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Replacing the mainboard had absolutely no effect.
At this point, fooled by proclamations on the internet that "99% of the time the T-Con is fine", I'm trying various combinations of the power board and main board, but I'm making zero progress.
So, it's finally time to try the T-Con...
5/
At this point, fooled by proclamations on the internet that "99% of the time the T-Con is fine", I'm trying various combinations of the power board and main board, but I'm making zero progress.
So, it's finally time to try the T-Con...
5/
The service manual says to replace the mainboard at this point, but other evidence (ahem, YouTube videos) points to the T-Con.
I take the plunge and buy the same TV again. Listed for £250 on eBay, the seller accepts £100. The screen is smashed, but all the boards apparently in working order.
4/
I take the plunge and buy the same TV again. Listed for £250 on eBay, the seller accepts £100. The screen is smashed, but all the boards apparently in working order.
4/
May 15, 2025 at 3:06 PM
The service manual says to replace the mainboard at this point, but other evidence (ahem, YouTube videos) points to the T-Con.
I take the plunge and buy the same TV again. Listed for £250 on eBay, the seller accepts £100. The screen is smashed, but all the boards apparently in working order.
4/
I take the plunge and buy the same TV again. Listed for £250 on eBay, the seller accepts £100. The screen is smashed, but all the boards apparently in working order.
4/
Now I'm watching a lot of OLED repair videos on YouTube, and my confidence actually drops as there's evidence of TVs not working even after all the boards are replaced.
I find a service manual for a similar LG OLED, which lists all the voltages. My power board seems to be fully functional.
3/
I find a service manual for a similar LG OLED, which lists all the voltages. My power board seems to be fully functional.
3/
May 15, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Now I'm watching a lot of OLED repair videos on YouTube, and my confidence actually drops as there's evidence of TVs not working even after all the boards are replaced.
I find a service manual for a similar LG OLED, which lists all the voltages. My power board seems to be fully functional.
3/
I find a service manual for a similar LG OLED, which lists all the voltages. My power board seems to be fully functional.
3/
Popping off the back cover is surprisingly easy. Five screws and some really well designed non-breakable clips hold it all together.
Initial inspection of the power board, main board and T-Con reveals absolutely nothing. Everything looks as it should.
2/
Initial inspection of the power board, main board and T-Con reveals absolutely nothing. Everything looks as it should.
2/
May 15, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Popping off the back cover is surprisingly easy. Five screws and some really well designed non-breakable clips hold it all together.
Initial inspection of the power board, main board and T-Con reveals absolutely nothing. Everything looks as it should.
2/
Initial inspection of the power board, main board and T-Con reveals absolutely nothing. Everything looks as it should.
2/
Recently picked up a *faulty* LG C2 55" OLED TV off FB Marketplace.
Assured by the seller that the screen was perfect, I negotiated a price of £70, which I was pretty happy with. But still, there are no guarantees you can ever get this (economically) repaired.
So let me tell you how it went...
1/
Assured by the seller that the screen was perfect, I negotiated a price of £70, which I was pretty happy with. But still, there are no guarantees you can ever get this (economically) repaired.
So let me tell you how it went...
1/
May 15, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Recently picked up a *faulty* LG C2 55" OLED TV off FB Marketplace.
Assured by the seller that the screen was perfect, I negotiated a price of £70, which I was pretty happy with. But still, there are no guarantees you can ever get this (economically) repaired.
So let me tell you how it went...
1/
Assured by the seller that the screen was perfect, I negotiated a price of £70, which I was pretty happy with. But still, there are no guarantees you can ever get this (economically) repaired.
So let me tell you how it went...
1/
Oh man, that's a cracking deal on an Amiga 600... Which I'm going to have to leave for someone else. Combination of a lack of time and just too large a backlog of projects.
March 26, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Oh man, that's a cracking deal on an Amiga 600... Which I'm going to have to leave for someone else. Combination of a lack of time and just too large a backlog of projects.
Really interesting thread on HeroQuest, the board game and eventual PC game adaptation.
Its existence is also why Sierra ultimately were forced to change the name of Hero’s Quest to Quest For Glory.
Its existence is also why Sierra ultimately were forced to change the name of Hero’s Quest to Quest For Glory.
March 20, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Really interesting thread on HeroQuest, the board game and eventual PC game adaptation.
Its existence is also why Sierra ultimately were forced to change the name of Hero’s Quest to Quest For Glory.
Its existence is also why Sierra ultimately were forced to change the name of Hero’s Quest to Quest For Glory.
3 minute videos is a great change! I can finally upload my full recorded intro to LucasArts' The Dig.
March 10, 2025 at 9:21 PM
3 minute videos is a great change! I can finally upload my full recorded intro to LucasArts' The Dig.
Trying to buy router bits on Amazon UK. The imperial system can just get right in the bin.
March 8, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Trying to buy router bits on Amazon UK. The imperial system can just get right in the bin.
March 5, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Food scientists must be stopped
March 4, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Food scientists must be stopped
I really appreciate @gruber.foo sharing his comparative engagement numbers for his posts. A light fingertip on the pulse of current social media trends.
Via daringfireball.net/2025/02/fox_...
Via daringfireball.net/2025/02/fox_...
February 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
I really appreciate @gruber.foo sharing his comparative engagement numbers for his posts. A light fingertip on the pulse of current social media trends.
Via daringfireball.net/2025/02/fox_...
Via daringfireball.net/2025/02/fox_...
Goodbye to my sweet little Lucy, who crossed the rainbow bridge this morning. You only gave us eight years, but you were much loved. You always smelled of freshly baked biscuits.
January 28, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Goodbye to my sweet little Lucy, who crossed the rainbow bridge this morning. You only gave us eight years, but you were much loved. You always smelled of freshly baked biscuits.
After years of having it taunt me from the bookshelf, I have finally been reading Consider Phlebas by my countryman lain M. Banks.
Definitely not for the squeamish, but I'm really enjoying it. The man's imagination is beautifully warped.
Definitely not for the squeamish, but I'm really enjoying it. The man's imagination is beautifully warped.
January 25, 2025 at 3:10 PM
After years of having it taunt me from the bookshelf, I have finally been reading Consider Phlebas by my countryman lain M. Banks.
Definitely not for the squeamish, but I'm really enjoying it. The man's imagination is beautifully warped.
Definitely not for the squeamish, but I'm really enjoying it. The man's imagination is beautifully warped.
It doesn’t really fit my Roland colour scheme!
January 23, 2025 at 9:36 PM
It doesn’t really fit my Roland colour scheme!
I scored a perfect zero.
January 17, 2025 at 11:08 PM
I scored a perfect zero.
The Logitech M720 Triathlon is nearly identical and top rated on rtings.com
January 17, 2025 at 9:23 AM
The Logitech M720 Triathlon is nearly identical and top rated on rtings.com