Mayhem wrote:
@Mika - how did you open your cart? I had a go and couldn't seem to prise the two halves apart. Mine is suffering the same problem - a broken peg inside so the circuit board is loose. But apart from that, everything was in good condition, even the overlay.
With force (hands). There is 4 plastic 'pipes' that hold it together. Those do broke, but after that I did super glue cart back together. Inside is two small plastic parts that hold circuitboard on its place, right one was broken/lose. I did but some stuff glued back or cartridge to circuitboard wont go inside when I insert cart to Vic20. now I start think that it wont really help when I pull cart out of Vic. But it did work fine yesterday. Small plastic part that holds circuitboard is so small that even I had have missing one left I dont think that glue would have hold it.
Anyway cart did work nice after fix and I could try it.. Seems that Dancing Bear is quite big software.. You can even compose your own music.. Koalapad didnt always take every command of pen.. Wonder how that thing works, if I can open it and do some cleaning. I would also like to try other programs with koalapad.. I guess every program must have had its own overlay. And Dancing Bear was packed with (every) Koala Pad Vic20 package.
Maybe I should try other games with that.. It should work like joystic or paddles..
I was beginning to worry I would have to do that. I've already done it with one other cart in my collection (Trashman), didn't really want to do it with something quite rare as this, but needs may be as must here.
Pity mine was missing the stylus... still, one of the spares I have from the Chalkboard Powerpad games I own makes a fine substitute
It was not easy open.. And I always think that what if there is screws onder label or something. But there was only 4 plastic 'sticks' that keep cartridge together.
One cart that was almost impossible open was.. Fourth Encounter. It was really difficult open. Only cart I have open before. Anyway.. I got it open today and game on board works fine. Cart itself does not look so nice anymore.
When it comes to old cars and musical instruments, an expert restoration often seems to increase the value than keeping the item untouched but not fully working.
How does the computer collecting community generally regard (carefully done) restorations like when Mika glues the plastic to place or worse, when someone has to reinforce the connector leads or replace a resistor or jumper on the board to make it work?
I dont know about expert restoration, but its sad that many cartridges are almost impossible to open. It would be lot easyer if there was only one screw on cartridge. Also those plastic parts that hole circuitboard on its place are usually little and get weak when they are old.. I used to think that carts last forever.. Just clean connectors and it works.. But..
Cartridge post and cartridge are quite tight fit on Vic20.. and plastic can crash when it gets old. I noticed how tight it was get cartridge circuitboard out of cartridge port when there was no plastic parts of cartridge around.. No wonder that old carts broke.. and circuitboard can crash inside cartridge.
I hope someone would make multicart for Vic20.. Marko Makela and some other finnish guys had this kind of project, but.. All Vic20 cartridges on one cartridge would be great.. I have Sean Kellys Multicart for Vectrex and those are really nice..
I love Sean's multi cart. I actually live near him, so I go to his annual game party. I think he has been doing this for the last 8 years, and I've been to every one. Everyone knows me as the VIC 20 guy because no one else there has any interests in the system. THis is ok for me because they just give me whatever VIC stuff they find during th year.
I think the multicart was supposed to be a double-ender so it could be used with the C64 too, and maybe in co-operation with Individual Computers adding some Ethernet like RR-Net module to it, so you would both have a memory expansion, ROM storage and network adapter in one.
He made multi carts for 2600, colecovision, 5200, vectrex and some others.... but someone reported him after a small dispute and he has been legally ordered to stop.
Jeff-20 wrote:He made multi carts for 2600, colecovision, 5200, vectrex and some others.... but someone reported him after a small dispute and he has been legally ordered to stop.
Thats almost what happend to Funets Vic20 software..
He didnt sell Colecovision multicart.. I would really love to get one..
Been no holiday... finally got around to testing the Dancing Bear cart properly. Had to bust the case open but should be fine, least it works. Not sure about the Koalapad though, might be glitching a bit. Keeps flicking between the demo display and asking me to press the yellow dot in the middle... Mika, any thoughts?
I have seen the koala pad software advertised on vintage computer website http://www.vintagecomputer.com/specialt.htm I dont know if they carry the v-20 version or not but it would be worth checking into if you want any particular kpad sware as they mention lots of it. I have a few kpads and they are a pretty neat device. There is drivers for them in geos to use them as the input device as well.
I also have a colortone keyboard and it is a cool piano keyboard device. If anyone knows of software out there that utilizes it, i would be glad to know.Thanks
