Fixing and making stuff for old electronic equipment

Acorn BBC microcomputer

I can do the following if you are not good at soldering, or need EPROMs programmed:

• I can make SCART cables but you can do it yourself which is much cheaper. See my BBC micro website with SCART wiring instructions. I don't like to make these cables, it's a lot of work and it's no fun, but if you can't do it, I need to order in particular a SCART connector, DIN connector, cable, and wire it up with resistors. Total cost for this including the work, is EUR 30,- + postage to you. (EUR 3,- postage within EU). You can find ready made SCART cables a lot cheaper on ebay, but it's too much work and component cost (e.g. I prefer metal 6 pin DIN plugs) for me to make cables for such prices.
  
  
• Replace the 3 problematic capacitors in the power supply of BBC micro and BBC master which can cause startup problems and even explode. See my BBC micro website with repair information if you want to do it yourself. The exploding cap C2 is the most common problem, it won't hurt you but it means less electrical noise is suppressed, which is not good. Take out the power supply from the micro, and post it to me. Price for the repair is EUR 25,- + postage back to you (about EUR 15,- within EU) and it should work for decades again.
  
  
• Programming EPROMs for the BBC micro or Acorn Atom or other devices: You can buy an EPROM programmer + eraser to do it yourself, but if you're only interested in getting a few EPROMs then I can do it for you. EPROM (2716/2732/2764/27128/27256/27512 and/or the CMOS versions, and 27C010/27C2001/27C4002) + programming costs EUR 8,- for 1 EPROM incl. postage within EU, each additional EPROM + EUR 4,- incl. postage.
  
  

HP-41 calculator

• I can repair the rechargeable battery pack HP-82120A for the HP-41C/41CV/41CX:
  
  I will then replace the old NiCad cells with new NiMH batteries and if the original battery contacts are corroded, replace them with newly made stainless steel ones. Also to fit it I make internal battery contacts from brass and a spacer to make everything fit. I cut open such battery packs, no sawing as that loses material, then glue it back together with the right type of glue. This is a lot of work, and time consuming and means manufacturing a spacer, and battery contacts if needed. You could do it yourself, but if you are not into soldering and DIY, then send me a mail. Price for new version with a bigger capacity battery pack than the one shown in the pictures, is EUR 60,- + postage back to you (EUR 8,- within EU).
  Example of a fix with new stainless steel battery contacts because the old ones have slight corrosion, so are not completely smooth, which would slightly wear down the internal HP-41C contacts each time you install/remove the battery pack:
  
  First 2 pictures are a repaired pack, the 3rd picture is of this repaired pack with the leftovers, and a 2nd pack that has been disassembled but not yet fixed. The black cells are the old Nicads. Not shown in the parts on the right: loose stainless steel battery contacts (not needed in this case as the contacts are as new), internal battery contacts, small block which is used as a spacer and to hold the battery contact on one side (you can see all that installed in the pictures of the repaired battery pack).
  
  
• I can repair the HP-82104A magnetic card reader, at least take care of the following 3 problem areas:
  1. Replace the decaying wheel that pulls the cards through (which usually has long decayed into something sticky...)
  2. check and fix the clutch.
  3. clean the contacts (which signal that a card is going through), by removing any clearly visible corrosion and then treating them with contact cleaner spray for perfect conductance.
  There could be other reasons why the card reader doesn't work, but these 3 issues are the only ones that I came across in all the card readers that I fixed so far. You can do this yourself, there are plenty of instructions on the web, but it's time consuming and fiddly work for which you need the right equipment: (1) exactly the right size screwdriver as the small screws on the casing and those that fix the motor are hard to get off unless you have the right screwdriver, (2) superglue, (3) contact cleaner spray, and (4) silicone tubing of exactly the right type (some model fuel tubing is not ok as the hole is not quite in the centre which requires fixing...), so if that's not something you're good at, send me a mail. Price: EUR 75,- + postage back to you (EUR 15,- within EU).

Send me an email HERE

Last modified: 2017-2-26