WTB: Cheapest NTSC VIC-20 (motherboard?). Any condition!

[Spirantho]

Hi everybody,

I just bought a stack of 6561-101 ICs and also 9 of the 6560-101 ICs... the 6561s are fine but I can't test the 6560s because I don't have an NTSC VIC-20 to run them in. I'd rather not modify my PAL ones, so does anybody have a VIC-20 or even just the motherboard I can buy? Then I can test the 6560s I have. I'll probably just eBay them (or sell them on here or on my shop, of course) but they need to be tested before I can think about selling any.

Thanks!

[RobertBe]

Whereabouts are you located in the U.K.?

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug

[Spirantho]

Hi Robert,
I'm about as close to the USA as you can get in Britain. I'm on the west coast of Wales, in a town called Aberystwyth.

I think I've found an NTSC VIC-20 now, and luckily it's in the UK!

[orion70]

[OT] It's wonderful! You lucky guy!

[Spirantho]

Luck has nothing to do with it
There are few jobs here, so when I got made redundant 5 years ago I was stuck...
that's when I created my own company (www.mutant-caterpillar.co.uk/shop/) so that I could stay here and not move into "The Real World"

(Actually, I consider myself very lucky )

[orion70]

Aaaarrgh! It's mostly about Kryptonite.. ehm, Spectrum!!!
(just joking, congrats and good luck - your job is everyone's dream here at Denial)

[Spirantho]

If only it were all I had to do.
In fact the retro side is more a labour of love than for the money. I do embedded work as well for the real cash, but on a 4-day contract so I can keep repairing other stuff.

The reason it's mostly Spectrum is because over here it's so plentiful compared to VIC stuff... but I do have two VIC-20s here, as well as my own VC-20 at home, and a reasonable private collection of VIC-20 cartridges. I'm strange.. I like Sinclairs AND Commodores.

The VIC-20 is kind of special to me, though, as I remember a friend having one "back in the day", and it's kind of close to my own CBM 4016 at my parents' house. That's why I currently have about 60 6561-101 brand new ICs in stock - I bought lots to make sure I can keep them running for a long time. I'm going to put them on the shop along with the necessary RAM chips (I bought lots of them too) to help keep other people's VICs running as well as my own!