I need a Spectrum - Please help!

Crowman

So, just as I have a couple of days free for some serious Spectrum time, my speccy decides to go up in smoke (literally!) Anybody know where I can get one from? Will need to be located in Dublin Area, unless anyone here wants to part with one?
Good money paid! It's an emergency after all...
I'm gonna try a Car boot sale Saturday morning but I don't hold much hope

Silverfish

Crowman wrote: »

So, just as I have a couple of days free for some serious Spectrum time, my speccy decides to go up in smoke (literally!) Anybody know where I can get one from? Will need to be located in Dublin Area, unless anyone here wants to part with one?
Good money paid! It's an emergency after all...
I'm gonna try a Car boot sale Saturday morning but I don't hold much hope

I've seen some on adverts.ie. They might still be available, hopefully.

Crowman

Silverfish wrote: »

I've seen some on adverts.ie. They might still be available, hopefully.

I got one of them last week of Adverts as a replacement for my Speccy that died a couple of months ago, thats the machine that just went up in smoke!

Atavan-Halen

Lots of speccy stuff here on adverts. Could always give ebay a check too.

Crowman

atavan-halen wrote: »

Lots of speccy stuff here on adverts. Could always give ebay a check too.

That's the guy who sold me the one that went up in smoke yesterday!

o1s1n

Was it not just the power supply that went? Did you try another one?

Or did the whole unit itself go up in smoke?

Crowman

The whole unit, trust me it's toast!

o1s1n

Jesus! Scary stuff. There's one reason to plug all your old consoles out at night!

mondeo

Crowman wrote: »

The whole unit, trust me it's toast!

I plugged the wrong power adapter into my spec +2 a few years ago and smoked the poor thing to kingdom come!

I've since got a nice +2a sitting here now to keep my happy

Crowman

mondeo wrote: »

I plugged the wrong power adapter into my spec +2 a few years ago and smoked the poor thing to kingdom come!

I've since got a nice +2a sitting here now to keep my happy

Rub it in why don't ya!
I've still not been able to get one for the weekend

mondeo

Crowman wrote: »

Rub it in why don't ya!
I've still not been able to get one for the weekend

You could chance your man again... Might get a better one this time round. Considering the age of these things their bound to kick it at some point.

Stoner

what model are you after Crowman? I picked up a rubber ZX 48K a while back unit only no PSU or leads. i never tested it, but it's here beside me, I only bought it to rescue it. If it suits you can have it.

Crowman

Cheers Stoner, very kind of you.
However I really needed it for the last weekend, as I had a weekend free (probably the first in 6 months!) for some Speccy gaming.
Thanks all the same.

paperwork

hey, nobody'd have the wires for a Sinclair 128K zx Spectrum + 2? I picked up two today and wouldnt mind giving them a bash sometime in the near future... would have preferred the rubber buttons tho!

Stoner

Crowman wrote: »

Cheers Stoner, very kind of you.
However I really needed it for the last weekend, as I had a weekend free (probably the first in 6 months!) for some Speccy gaming.
Thanks all the same.

no problem, you could have it FOC. I'll hang on to it anyway, put it there with all the other struff i never get the chance to play. Send me a PM if you ever need one.

Stoner

paperwork wrote: »

hey, nobody'd have the wires for a Sinclair 128K zx Spectrum + 2? I picked up two today and wouldnt mind giving them a bash sometime in the near future... would have preferred the rubber buttons tho!

I dont know why you'd want the rubber over the +2, although from memory the built in tape deck was not controlled by the computer or was it? as far as i remember you still had to stop it in the correct places and use the counter ,

do you want the leads to test the units or keep?

trout

Stoner wrote: »

I dont know why you'd want the rubber over the +2

Some games, like Way of the Exploding Fist, or the Daley Thompson stuff are much easier to play, especially if you were one of the golf-ball wielding high score loonies. If it's a 48K game, I'd always try to play it on the rubber mats ... but I fear for their longevity.

Stoner wrote: »

... although from memory the built in tape deck was not controlled by the computer or was it? as far as i remember you still had to stop it in the correct places and use the counter

Your memory is correct ... you had to drive the tape deck, the old fashioned way ... still do :pac:

Bruthal

I have one of them specktrum 48k units as well, i think there are ebay shops that sell all the parts, PSU`s etc. I hooked this one up using a 9v psu a year ago to test it. Have it since about 1985.

It might be worth noting that if you were to use a different power supply than the intended one, the polarity is the reverse of the normal centre polarity. The normal is + usually, but for the centre of PSU plug into the specktrum its centre -, and the outside is +.

The output of the original Power Supply Unit is 1.4 amps, 9v, centre negative. So any supply with 9 volt output and 12.6va or more will work.