Video sponsor: PCBWay: $5 for 2 layer PCBs with 24hr turnaround at https://www.pcbway.com/ In this video we play amateur chemist and take a look at how to clean up PCBs that have been damaged by leaking alkaline batteries. We have all experienced the horror of opening up a piece of vintage gear that had the AA batteries left in it or which was made with a NiCad battery soldered to the PCB. Both types of batteries use an electrolyte that is alkaline, it is corrosive but opposite of acids on the Ph scale. I’m not a real chemist, nor do I play one on TV but let’s jump right in and find out how to clean up this sort of mess. In a future episode we’ll look at how to clean up the mess from leaking electrolytic capacitors whose electrolytes are actually acidic so require a different method to neutralize than the alkaline batteries we dealt with today. Timeline: 00:37 – Oh the Horror 03:04 – Motivation 05:35 – Vinegar vs. Citric Acid 09:48 – Liquid Citric Acid vs. gelled Citric Acid 14:33 – Practical application 15:28 – Bad to worse 17:03 – Conclusion Please consider clicking on the Subscribe button below and then click the bell icon. That way you will be notified when I post a new video. Thanks! Help support Hey Birt! https://www.subscribestar.com/hey-birt https://www.patreon.com/heybirt Hey Birt! On Social Media! Facebook: Soigeneris: https://www.facebook.com/Soigeneris-295527583797729/ Hey Birt!: https://www.facebook.com/HeyBirt/ Twitter: Hey Birt!: https://twitter.com/HeyBirt?lang=en Credits Chiptune Thing No. 3 "Victory" by Steven O’Brien https://soundcloud.com/stevenobrien Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators https://youtu.be/ujIMRIJ1JG8 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPvLnfbwWDU

Video sponsor: PCBWay: $5 for 2 layer PCBs with 24hr turnaround at https://www.pcbway.com/ This video started out with a simple mission. To investigate the Suncom 4-button controllers used for ‘The Party Quiz Game’. These odd controllers use the paddle inputs, so this set off a quest to learn how the paddle input worked and how to read them. Along the way we wind up characterizing the response curve of the SID’s POT inputs, comparing those to the Armsid, discovering a problem with the Armsid POT inputs on a few of the very first PCBs, fixing that with an experimental firmware update. It was a lot of work, and a lot of time spent collecting data, but it was also a lot of fun. Top finish things off we look at the surprising number of input devices that made use of the POT inputs. Who knew there were so many? Join us… Timeline: 02:00 – Overview of paddle inputs 03:13 – Design of experiments 08:28 – How the SID works 10:08 – How does the Armsid compare? 12:31 – Testing Suncom controllers 14:09 – Devices using pot inputs 17:23 – Wrap up Please consider clicking on the Subscribe button below and then click the bell icon. That way you will be notified when I post a new video. Thanks! Help support Hey Birt! https://heybirt.com/ - Hey Birt! T-Shirt https://www.paypal.me/HeyBirt https://www.patreon.com/heybirt https://www.subscribestar.com/hey-birt Hey Birt! On Social Media! Facebook: Soigeneris: https://www.facebook.com/Soigeneris-295527583797729/ Hey Birt!: https://www.facebook.com/HeyBirt/ Twitter: Hey Birt!: https://twitter.com/HeyBirt?lang=en Links Hey Birt! Tshirt: https://heybirt.com/ BASIC test code used: https://github.com/Jeff-Birt/C64_POT_Test_Code Decade box video: https://youtu.be/9csw8z_3r18 Credits Chiptune Thing No. 3 "Victory" by Steven O’Brien https://soundcloud.com/stevenobrien Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators https://youtu.be/ujIMRIJ1JG8 C64 paddle Image: https://www.breadbox64.com/ Atari CX-85: Evan-Amos, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Cardco Cardkey: https://commodore.software/downloads/category/677-cardco-devices Atari CX-80: https://atariwiki.org/wiki/Wiki.jsp?page=Atari%20CX80%20Trak-Ball%20controller Cheetah Annihlitor: https://www.c64-wiki.de/wiki/Cheetah_Annihilator 1351 Mouse: https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Mouse_1351 Atari driving controller: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Atari_2600_hardware RCFS 64: https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=77569 Mssiah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cjgSaRsw5s Party Quiz Game: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/205547170472613195/ Atari CX-21: https://youtu.be/TJlBSv8Z6Zc Atari CX-77: https:/ ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhcuIlm7tw4

Video sponsor: PCBWay: $5 for 2 layer PCBs with 24hr turnaround at https://www.pcbway.com/ One problem we often come across when repairing a vintage computer is a bad FFC, a Flat Flex Cable. These cables are made the same way as flexible PCBs but have the contact fingers exposed on the ends and typically some sort of plastic stiffener sheet glued on. With age the fingers sometimes come loose which leaves your repair stuck until you can locate a good used cable. Many of the cables and connectors they used are no longer available as new replacement parts. So, a damaged cable can leave an otherwise working system out of commission. Being faced this this problem recently I tried to come up with a way to repair these cables. Join us as we see how it worked out. Timeline: 00:00 – Welcome 01:24 – Effect and Cause 03:24 – Idea to implementation 09:16 – Initial results 12:39 – Testing 13:56 – Conclusion Please consider clicking on the Subscribe button below and then click the bell icon. That way you will be notified when I post a new video. Thanks! Help support Hey Birt! https://www.heybirt.com - merch https://www.paypal.me/HeyBirt https://www.patreon.com/heybirt https://www.subscribestar.com/hey-birt Hey Birt! On Social Media! Facebook: Soigeneris: https://www.facebook.com/Soigeneris-295527583797729/ Hey Birt!: https://www.facebook.com/HeyBirt/ Twitter: Hey Birt!: https://twitter.com/HeyBirt?lang=en Credits Chiptune Thing No. 3 "Victory" by Steven O’Brien https://soundcloud.com/stevenobrien Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators https://youtu.be/ujIMRIJ1JG8 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piALKtMs3Gk

Video sponsor: PCBWay: $5 for 2 layer PCBs with 24hr turnaround at https://www.pcbway.com/ In this video we take a look at a ‘patch’ for the ubiquitous Alps plotter mechanism. The most common issue with these lovely plotters is cracked stepper pinion gears, we fixed that previously by installing new, custom made, brass gears. The second most common problem is a cracked hub on the paper feed ‘anti-backlash’ gear. Join us as we find a way to patch this cracked hub up so we can plot again. Timeline: 00:00 – Welcome 01:15 – Problem description, patch demo 07:50 – Fixing a real printer 14:18 – Testing, and fixing the fix, retesting 18:15 – Wrap up, so you have broken plotter? Please consider clicking on the Subscribe button below and then click the bell icon. That way you will be notified when I post a new video. Thanks! Help support Hey Birt! https://www.heybirt.com - merch https://www.paypal.me/HeyBirt https://www.patreon.com/heybirt https://www.subscribestar.com/hey-birt Hey Birt! On Social Media! Facebook: Soigeneris: https://www.facebook.com/Soigeneris-295527583797729/ Hey Birt!: https://www.facebook.com/HeyBirt/ Twitter: Hey Birt!: https://twitter.com/HeyBirt?lang=en Links Video on TRS-80 CGP-115 and MCP-40: https://youtu.be/DD29dklcD9E New brass pinion gears: https://www.soigeneris.com/alps-printer-plotter-mechanism-pinion-gears Gear installation video: https://youtu.be/mZAMPPSQpqo Amazon Associated Links Tools: Fiberglass pen: https://amzn.to/3pWRzIk Fiberglass pen refills: https://amzn.to/3RgqGdQ OWDEN Hollow punch set: https://amzn.to/3PXzTXW Battery Spot Welder: https://amzn.to/3QMaG3T Hotplate: https://amzn.to/3rxOtLU Spudger set I use: https://amzn.to/3z19pM7 Heat mats: https://amzn.to/3boKDwl Amazon Associated Links Chemicals: 303 Aerospace Protectant: https://amzn.to/3BxRa5Y CiaKot: https://amzn.to/3CvVKiY Overcaot Pen: https://amzn.to/3s439Bt Novus Plastic Polish: https://amzn.to/2VwtFaV Electronics / PCB cleaner: https://amzn.to/3ORx62D Citric Acid: https://amzn.to/3krkgdt Amazon Associated Links Parts / Supplies: Foam sheet, 1mm: https://amzn.to/37CfTtt Uxcell shrink wrap: https://amzn.to/3boKJEd NiMh tabbed Sun-C: https://amzn.to/3nHCbxL NiMh tabbed AA: https://amzn.to/3OMjBkW uxCell strain reliefs: https://amzn.to/3nJ5AaP 3M Double sided tape: https://amzn.to/3rYCxBX Noctua 80mm NF-A8 FLX fan: https://amzn.to/3ASVhsJ Credits Chiptune Thing No. 3 "Victory" by Steven O’Brien https://soundcloud.com/stevenobrien Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music provided by Music for Creators https://youtu.be/ujIMRIJ1JG8 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g35Fgx3riDc