Old VIC owner returning to the fold :)

grimm · Post by **grimm** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:53 pm

Hi,

I have been shamelessly using this site for all sorts of good info and thought it might be a good idea to register and join the community.

Recently I have been thinking of all the old computers I used to have and not being able to remember them as well as I used to. So whether it's a mid-life thing or something else, I decided to re-purchase all of the old equipment I had as a kid. My first computer was a Timex-Sinclair 1000 (I know boo hiss

), my second was a Commodore VIC-20 (yay). I actually found a TS1000 still in it's box with everything, so I have that covered.

Now I have purchased three VICs, two in original boxes and one for parts. Well as luck would have it, two of them work (one has a non-working run/stop key but works fine otherwise). I also purchased a datasette and a 1541 disk drive and some old tape software, and of course a bunch of carts. The old tapes still work with absolutely no problems, not too bad for 80's tech. I don't have any disks yet to test the 1541.

Whew, now my question is about a HesWare HesCard20 expander I just bought. Does anyone know where I might get a copy of the manual, or at the very least tell me how to use it? I don't have it in hand yet, but I wanted to start getting prepared first. Thanks again for such a great site.

Kweepa · Post by **Kweepa** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 4:27 pm

Welcome!
Nothing shameful about using the info on the site - that's what it's there for!
And way to get back into the VIC - three and a 1541?

grimm · Post by **grimm** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 5:36 pm

Thanks for the welcome.

Kweepa wrote: three and a 1541?

Well it's kind of a long story. I bought the first one and a composite cable, but it didn't appear to work. So I bought another one and it didn't work either. So I bought a broken one thinking that I might be able to use the parts of all three to at least have one that worked. When the third one didn't work I got suspicious. The odds of all three not working are probably pretty slim so I looked for another reason. Turns out that the composite cable I bought was not built for VIC-20s or C64s, although it has all the right connectors. I don't know what it was built for because when I checked the pins with my multi-meter they were not connected up correctly. So I scrounged around my old collection of TV converters, etc and found a RCA to coax converter. So currently I have one of the VICs hooked up via the RF box, not the best picture but at least it works. Just today I received an original Commodore composite cable so I will see how well that one works.

On the 1541, I have ulterior motives.

I have purchased a C64 too (that was my third computer) and the 1541 was the drive I had as a kid. I think I remember it having a lot of problems though. Because the 1541 works with the VIC too, it's a bonus I think.

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:46 am

Welcome !

I think you are the first user from Alaska !

I hope you will enjoy our forum.

grimm · Post by **grimm** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:54 pm

Thanks for the welcome, I'm sure I will enjoy the forum.

Post by **Jeff-20** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 4:39 pm

Welcome, welcome! I am so happy to know the VIC is alive in Alaska!

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 6:34 pm

Someone joining from Alaska is rather good timing for something I've been investigating...

Have you heard of a mail order company Grimm called Polar Computer Specialties? They were based out of Anchorage, and someone I know has recently loaned me a few tapes they published, including two issues of "Vic Video Magazine", a tape publication with news, reviews and games included.

So figured I'd ask about them in case you might have encountered them almost 30 years back...

grimm · Post by **grimm** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 11:33 pm

Thanks for the welcome Jeff.

Mayhem - No sorry, I didn't move to Alaska until 2000. That and I'm currently living in Fairbanks, Anchorage is about 300 miles away so I don't get there too often. I will definitely keep my eye pealed for any thing made by them for you in my wanderings.

Well I hooked up my Timex Sinclair 1000 just to see if it works or not. It does.

... and it has all of the old problems I remember especially with the 16k ram expansion. Going back to the VIC was like a breath of fresh air.

I have been playing the games I was not able to afford when I was a kid. Even some I did have, like The Count. I had actually beaten the game back then, but now it's like a completely new game. I have forgotten all of it, so much fun.

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Sun Nov 07, 2010 9:53 am

grimm wrote:Mayhem - No sorry, I didn't move to Alaska until 2000. That and I'm currently living in Fairbanks, Anchorage is about 300 miles away so I don't get there too often. I will definitely keep my eye pealed for any thing made by them for you in my wanderings.

Ah... no probs there. I did say "mail order" here... because the guy who loaned me the tapes found them all the way down in Texas!

But yes, keeping an eye out would be handy. I recommend a course of downloading Gamebase20 and exploring all the games found so far

rwv01 · Post by **rwv01** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 1:16 am

Hi grimm!
Welcome!

grimm wrote: ...now my question is about a HesWare HesCard20 expander I just bought. Does anyone know where I might get a copy of the manual, or at the very least tell me how to use it?

I have one as well. It's usage is fairly streight forward.
The five numbered black buttons correspond to the five slots.
A slot is "selected" when it's corresponding button is pressed down. Press it again and the slot is de-selected (button up). You can use two or more slots together, for example, if you have a program cart that lets you add ram.

While you *can* use multiple ram carts together, it only works if they'er each configured to use different memory blocks, which usually means switching off blocks on a larger cart which are used by a smaller cart. Not much point.

The red button is reset. If you select a new slot, hit reset to run the cart.
Be sure to check on/off state of the buttons before use.

grimm · Post by **grimm** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 2:28 am

Excellent! Awesome, thanks rwv01!! This sounds like a very cool device and I can't wait to have it in hand. It hasn't gotten here yet, but I'm expecting it any day now. Shipping to Alaska can take a bit longer then down in the lower 48 sometimes.

rwv01 · Post by **rwv01** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:48 am

Sure.
Alaska! Hey, my grand parents used to live there!
I'd love to see it some time.

P.S.
Aligning the HesCard 20 with the computer's slot can be tricky.
But it's left edge (as seen from the top frount) sould ≈ match up with
the left side of the small round notch in the slot's top edge. (not all VICs have this notch)

grimm · Post by **grimm** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 4:52 pm

Your more then welcome to come on up.

It's getting a bit chilly up here now, although not as chilly as it has been in years past.

I was able to get the HesCard 20 to work just fine. I don't know how I was able to live without one all those years ago.

I was also finally able to test my 1541 and it works great, no problems at all. I did find an on-line copy of the 1541 maintenance manual so I took the drive apart and cleaned it out. It wasn't as bad as I had worried about, just a little dust. The head was very clean, I didn't even get any residue off of it. Maybe it hadn't been used very much? All of the disks I have tried have worked, well except the Apple II formatted ones.

I did take one of the Apple disks and was able to reformat and use it no problem. Again, amazing for 25+ year tech.