#InTheLabDoingStuff
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Another #Commodore64 board appeared on the workbench. Quite a few obvious faults (apart from the missing chips). I’ll see what I can do. 😅 #InTheLabDoingStuff
Commodore 64 Board on my workbench. It has some of the main ICs missing and several things look like previous repair attempts have been made.
May 4, 2025 at 2:48 PM
janbeta.net
Fixed the pump in my desolder station. Thankfully nothing major. Video coming soon! #InTheLabDoingStuff
My ZD-915 desoldering station with the lid open and my multimeter connected to the pump motor contacts on my workbench. A C64 PCB is visible in the background and several tools are scattered around (as usual).
March 28, 2025 at 3:47 PM
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I soldered some really smol things for the first time in my life! #InTheLabDoingStuff #RGBtoHDMI #Amiga #SMD
A purple RGBtoHDMI PCB in my hand with super small surface mount components that I soldered myself. My regular soldering iron (that I used) is visible in the background in its stand.
January 17, 2025 at 5:06 PM
janbeta.net
#InTheLabDoingStuff #Commodore64 #Repair #RetroComputing #VintageComputing
My workbench with a C64 short board on it. My multimeter and various other tools are scattered around the PCB. More tools and my oscilloscope are visible in the background.
February 18, 2025 at 2:03 PM
janbeta.net
#InTheLabDoingStuff #Commodore16 #SoManyBrokenChips #RetroComputing #VintageComputing #Repair
4 ICs on my workbench photographed at an angle. The chips are (from top to bottom) a C16 PLA, a C16 KERNAL ROM, an 8501R1 processor and an 8360R2 TED chip from a Commodore 16.
March 12, 2025 at 2:03 PM
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Spontaneously decided to rip apart my shoddy EPROM eraser today and modify it a bit (the timer stopped working ages ago so I removed it completely for now). #InTheLabDoingStuff
My cheap EPROM eraser on my workbench with the lid removed. A new power switch was added and the mechanical timer was removed. A cordless drill with a step drill bit is sitting next to it on the desk.
April 2, 2025 at 2:20 PM
janbeta.net
Didn’t get much else done today, but I successfully modded and updated my (outdated) #OSSC. #InTheLabDoingStuff
My ageing OSSC (Version 1.6) on my workbench with the top case removed before modding it. Closeup of my OSSC‘s circuit board with a tiny wire connected to one of the surface mounted chips. The other end of the wire connected to where resistor R35 used to be (I removed it beforehand). My OSSC‘s screen is happily reporting the latest firmware version 1.12 after all the modding and flashing.
August 10, 2025 at 7:23 PM
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Current status: having my butt kicked by this green screen #Amiga500 board. #InTheLabDoingStuff #Amiga #Commodore #RetroComputing #VintageComputing #Repair
Amiga 500 Revision 5 Board on my workbench. There are labels on some of the custom ICs with the pinout printed on them. An entire row of RAM is socketed and some of the logic ICs in the data path also got socketed and replaced.
May 19, 2025 at 7:43 AM
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My main repair project for today was my bicycle (the rear tire recently disintegrated completely, replaced it with a new one now). Next electronics project is this HH Electronic (now HH Audio) power amplifier from the mid 1990s. It’s likely still okay, just an inspection & clean. #InTheLabDoingStuff
The innards of a beefy PA power amp (HH Electronic MX 900) on my workbench with a huge toroidal transformer, some other circuitry and 16 TO-3 transistors in the power amp section visible.
May 23, 2025 at 4:21 PM
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Recording session in the Beta lab today. #InTheLabDoingStuff
An ALDI Commodore 64 on my workbench with an AKG C1000S microphone on a stand pointing at it. My tools are visible in the background.
March 29, 2025 at 11:56 AM
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#InTheLabDoingStuff
A perfboard populated with some components and an 8-pin DIP socket on a page from a seventies electronics hobbyist magazine with some schematics titled "Ideas for Experimenters".
December 29, 2024 at 5:37 PM
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I built a C264 Magic Cart (which is a Magic Desk style cartridge for the C16/116/Plus4 which can access up to 2MB of software from EPROMs). It’s very cool indeed!

Link here: github.com/msolajic/c26...

#Commodore #C16 #C116 #Plus4 #InTheLabDoingStuff
My Commodore 16 on my desk with a wavy menu showing on the connected screen that lists some software accessible from the C264 Magic Cart that is plugged into the cartridge port.
April 11, 2025 at 11:25 AM
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New toy… ahem, I mean tool! Finally a proper digital microscope to do some more intricate SMD work and such. (I could not afford a microscope like that so I used my "influencer" powers and had the company send me one. I try to keep sponsorships at a minimum but this seemed ok.) #InTheLabDoingStuff
Digital microscope with a little flat screen on my bench. A small PCB sits under it and a surface mount chip is visible on the screen (magnified by a lot). Closeup of the chip on the microscope‘s screen. It’s a Parrot branded IC from a hands-free bluetooth car phone adapter.
January 11, 2025 at 3:53 PM
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This is to trigger the air pump. In the original setup, the pump is powered through the micro switch in the gun part (long thin wiring), now the gun's micro switch just triggers the relay and the power is coming directly from the DC-DC converter. #InTheLabDoingStuff
February 11, 2025 at 10:19 AM
janbeta.net
Recapped and readjusted the #NAD7020e today. Meditation Beta style. #InTheLabDoingStuff
A NAD 7020e receiver with the case removed on my workbench. Several tools and a pile of old capacitors are scattered across the desk. My multimeter is connected to some test points on the circuit board and showing the idling current.
September 4, 2025 at 7:10 PM
janbeta.net
Often when I’m feeling kind of low, I (try to) fix a C64. Bringing one of these lovely machines back to life still makes me smile every single time and never fails to cheer me up. Another success today! #InTheLabDoingStuff #C64 #Commodore64 #Repair #RetroComputing #VintageComputing #BlueScreenOfLife
Commodore 64 board on my workbench with tools and Diagnostic cartridges scattered around. The monitor shows the blue BASIC startup screen after the successful repair.
December 9, 2024 at 1:59 PM
janbeta.net
Turned out to be one of the (kind of rare) cases where it actually sounds significantly clearer and more powerful after replacing the caps and adjusting it correctly! Nice. #NAD7020e #InTheLabDoingStuff
September 4, 2025 at 7:13 PM
janbeta.net
I hacked an automotive relay into my ZD-915 desoldering station. (Don’t worry, it’s going to be properly insulated with heat shrink tubing after the testing stage!) #InTheLabDoingStuff
A cube-shaped automotive relay screwed to the insides of the ZD-915‘s front panel assembly at an angle. Connections are made with crimped spade connectors.
February 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
janbeta.net
#InTheLabDoingStuff
Closeup of an MOS 6510 processor on my workbench. The chip is sitting in a precision IC socket and was (crudely) soldered to the pins on the socket.
December 4, 2024 at 4:45 PM
janbeta.net
Working on a replacement timer for my EPROM ERASER. Uses a TM1637 LED display, a little piezo buzzer for audible feedback, a 5V relay to switch the ERASER and a rotary encoder to set the countdown. The code needs a lot of optimizations but I'm happy so far. #InTheLabDoingStuff youtu.be/YX8TaoQqPpc
EPROM ERASER Arduino Timer (work in progress)
YouTube video by Jan Beta's Playground
youtu.be
April 14, 2025 at 6:53 AM
janbeta.net
VIC-20 repair going on in the lab tonight. #InTheLabDoingStuff
A VIC-20CR board on my workbench with the Dead Test from the Penultimate cartridge running on the screen that is connected. My multimeter and several tools and bits are scattered across the desk. Dead Test passed all the tests, it seems!
July 16, 2025 at 6:12 PM
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Did some Amiga 600 updates and upgrades today and made it run more stable again (I hope). #InTheLabDoingStuff
My Amiga 600 on the workbench with an external Gotek connected. Amiga workbench screen running the Amiga OS 3.2 installer in the process of installing the German locale disk.
August 21, 2025 at 8:21 PM
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Current status: I’m having waaaay too much fun building the new (static) Jan Beta website. Coming soon to a screen near you! #InTheLabDoingStuff
February 3, 2025 at 4:47 PM
janbeta.net
Modding my trusty ZD-915 desoldering station some more. The fan in it got horribly loud recently (after 8 years of use, so no complaints there!) and I thought I might as well upgrade it with a proper switching DC-DC converter. This is gonna suck. ;) #InTheLabDoingStuff
My desoldering station on the workbench with the case removed and some wires attached to a buck converter circuit sitting next to it. The gun part and some tools are scattered around.
January 4, 2025 at 4:12 PM
janbeta.net
Another "blue screen of life"! #InTheLabDoingStuff #Commodore64 #Repair #RetroComputing #VintageComputing
A Commodore 64 short board on my workbench with the blue BASIC startup screen displayed on the monitor. Several tools and my multimeter are scattered on the desk. A TAC-2 joystick is connected to the C64 PCB.
November 25, 2024 at 7:04 PM