Re: Survey: Vintage Computer Collecting

[Andy <andrew.whitelaw@gecm.com>]

Andrew Barker wrote:

>  Here are the questions:
>
>  1: Why do you collect vintage computers?
>
>  For instance: nostalgia, programming, historical interest, gaming

Two reasons1) because I used to have one
2) because I never owned that one

There were a lot of computers that I would have liked to have owned but could
not afford the ridiculous price tag. Now I have the cash and the price is
ridiculously low. 8-)

>  2: Where do you collect vintage computers?
>
>  For instance: thrift shops, garage sales, eBay, other auction sites

Car boots, jumble sales, junk shops or in one case sitting on top of a TV
waiting for the bin men.

>  3: What advice would you give someone just starting out collecting?
>
>  For instance: what to avoid, how to restore dirty/broken systems

If you cannot see it working do not take the seller's word for it.Get a
soldering iron and cheap multimeter and get ready to get your hands dirty.
If you are going to salvage old computers you will come across dirty contacts
all the time. Most computers which lie about for a while develop oxidation on
the terminals and it interferes with plug in bits (I have had this on sega
master, speccy, zx81, nes). Clean them off and they will be like new.
A completely dead (ie no signs of any life at all) computer is normally a
power supply fault. Check the transformer O/P first as the leads get internal
breaks near the connectors (most external PSU computers I have used develop
this especially the ones which have to be set up and put away after use). Next
check for internal fuses (CBM +4) and broken power connectors (speccy and
Atom) and even damaged PSU connectors lifting off the tracks (zx81).
That should solve most of the simple systems faults. Anything else will
probably require more serious knowledge.
I have rescued a couple of 'completely dead' machines from the dump box
beneath the car boot tables which only required a replaced fuse or a replaced
power plug :-)

Andy