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Good morning and welcome back to the ValorosoIT channel!
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Here on the desk you see the preview of an upcoming video: the Commodore SX64 is back, of which in a future video we will see the unboxing and we will also see if it works, because it is not the subject of this video. Today, in fact, we see the unboxing of this package.
I found the advert for this computer on eBay: it's a Philips VG8010, which I was missing from my collection. All things considered, it had a fairly interesting price, because other offers I had found on the same computer were actually more expensive.
So, this seemed pretty interesting to me. The computer should be functional, but does not have the original power supply. So, to test it, we will have to test it with a power supply that is not its own.
I empty my desk in an instant, make room for this beautiful package and let's see if this computer really arrived and in what condition it is.
Fortunately, the package presents itself well. You can't hear anything dancing inside. So it means that they also used good packaging material.
Come on, let's open it and see what's inside!
I had some coupons on eBay, but despite that, I didn't pay €7.99 for it. I paid a little more for it. You saw it first in the video!
Ok… good packaging, above, below, on all sides…
Here it is!
When I buy on eBay, I always ask the sellers to leave plenty of space on the edges of the computer, i.e. top, bottom and all four sides, which must be filled with packaging material, so that if the outer box takes a knock, it doesn't reach the inside where the computer is.
Here, in this case, the seller did a good thing, that is: he packed the computer with a box, then, with other packaging material, he put this box inside another box. So I feel particularly calm. Let's hope so, at least!
A folder?!?
I'm starting to have doubts that this is not the package I ordered! Maybe I'm unboxing another kid's Christmas present! And I thought it was the computer… let's see!
Here too is the other packing material.
At this point I would say that if it broke, it must be bad luck! All we need is that, at the end of all this packaging, all these envelopes, we find a brick! Now that would be fun... for you who watch, certainly, for me who lives it, a little less!
Ah, no no... there's the computer. Look here: you can see the writing here, the writing here.
And here it is! Philips VG-8010, which is an MSX computer. If you remember, the other day I made an unboxing video of a recovery I made. A paid recovery. Because so many ask me: 'but what is it, a free recovery?' 'No, for a fee!'. I went and bought with Philips VG8020. This one, however, is the VG8010, therefore a slightly smaller model, because it has 48 KB of RAM and 32 of ROM. The expansion door is intact.
Ah, the computer is in good condition.
Let's look at the other sides too.
So, here's the power connector. Since I don't have a power supply, I'll have to invent something to power it. Handsome! Aesthetically it is very well kept!
Now it's just a matter of understanding if it works.
By some dumb luck, in the connector drawer there was this 5-pole DIN round connector, perfectly compatible with the power connector of the MSX Philips VG8010.
So, I think Santa Claus arrived early this year! Please, Santa Claus, please stay in the area, because I also have other things to ask you!
Generally, when I have to retrieve information, I always do it from the Service Manuals, therefore from the technical manuals of these computers.
In this case, I downloaded the technical manual of the Philips VG 8010 and here is the pinout of the power connector which, however, we see has two positions, because it has two keys: one on the top and one on the side.
Maybe you can see it better here. In short, you can't see it very well from the video, but the connector could be inserted in this direction or in this other direction: rotated 90 degrees to the left. Obviously we don't want this to happen, so, first of all, I'll keep this one up here as a reference mark, like all the other connectors that have the reference key at the top. Then, I'll measure with the tester which of these contacts is actually the ground, so I'm sure I don't cause short circuits!
The technical manuals of the various computers can be found online and you can also find them on my website www.valoroso.it, where I have included them among the products I have in my collection. So, for example, I have the Commodore 64 in my collection, so I also included the user manual and the technical manual of the Commodore 64. They are all information, in some way, verified.
We open the connector.
We take out the internal part of the connector, the one with the contacts.
Let's see which reference point of the connector, which is this line (this key that is inserted at the top of the computer connector) on the contact part is indicated with this notch.
So we are going to insert the connector in this position, with the notch facing upwards. At this point, I'm going to find out what the ground contact is, which must therefore correspond to pin 4, as can be seen from the Service Manual of the Philips VG-8010 MSX.
So, let's look for it. In theory it could be this one up here.
13 Ohm… this isn't, this isn't, this isn't, and this isn't… so yes!
There is a bit of high resistance, though.
Oh, okay. It could easily be a high resistor, which is only found in the video connector. Instead, touching other metal parts, we see that we are at zero Ohm.
So, it is precisely this contact here at the top right and corresponds exactly to this that is the mass.
At this point, we know that this pin here is +12 volts, this other one here, which is 2, is +5 volts, the central one is nothing, it doesn't matter. Instead, this one down here on the right is -12 volts.
In fact, there are many power supply voltages, which we, however, can recover from a power supply, for example that of Amiga computers.
Because the Amiga computer has +5V, +12V and -12V and in fact, this power supply for Commodore Amiga has the three power supply voltages. Yes, it will be a bit of a pain in the ass, maybe we have to go and get the voltages from the connectors with the crocodiles, because I don't think I have a power supply that has these three voltages, other than this one on the Amiga.
Otherwise, it would have been convenient to build a permanent one for this computer. But, oh well, come on, to test it we are content to pull out four wires from this connector. So: Ground, +5V, +12V and -12V, which I will then take from the power supply of the vintage Amiga computer using crocodiles.
We always keep it oriented in the same position, so as to have a clear view of the positions of the various contacts. I found these four conductors, to build a temporary power cable. I intend to use blue as negative, red as +5V, yellow as +12V, and green as -12V.
In reality, these cables are a bit thin. So, I wouldn't use them to make a permanent power cable for this computer. But, to test it, we can also try! After all, let's delve deeper!
So, on the ValorosoIT channel we also do in-depth analysis of electrical engineering!
Do you remember Ohm's second law? What does Ohm's second law say?
It says that the resistance of a cable is directly proportional to its length and inversely proportional to its section. So, what happens? If I have a very thin cable, the resistance of this cable tends to increase, so the voltage drop on this cable (and this is given by Ohm's first law) also tends to increase, and this is not a good thing. Because, for example, 5 volts come from the power supply and 4.5 volts arrive... But, what do I try to do: by using a shorter length of this cable, due to Ohm's second law, I tend to reduce this resistance, so the voltage drop will tend to be reduced, due to Ohm's first law.
So, for example, 5V starts and 4.9 arrives. In short, we try to compensate for the smaller section with a shorter cable length.
If you like these electrical engineering insights, leave me a like!!!
Now I put a little flux on the contacts, just to remove any oxide, which you can't even see... so, in theory, it's not even there.
I have already delicately stripped the four conductors and then, at this point, solder. Here, remember that, if you have the final cable, you have to insert it first into this shell, and then solder it. Because, otherwise, if you find a cable with the power supply already soldered onto the connector and on the other side you haven't inserted the shell yet, you have to do the job all over again.
In this case, I don't care, because it's a temporary cable anyway, so I won't even put the shell on.
Connector: top right is the negative, then the blue.
Let's see a little…
Then there are few contacts, so we can also solder the wires laterally, because otherwise it would be nice to insert them inside the contact.
Then, what other thread do we use?
Here, at the top left, we have +12 volts, therefore, we said yellow.
Well, working with the camera is always very, very easy!!! Now, it's a mess.
You have to be careful that the microphone is not touching a wire, if it is not making noise, that the camera is pointing at the right spot and is in focus. Then I also want to show the arrangement of the contacts... In short, it's always a mess!
Then, we have this one at the bottom right, which is - 12 volts: we said it's green.
All we need is that, after all this effort, the computer doesn't work!
And then, lastly, we have the +5 volt, which in reality would also be the main one, because it is the logic voltage, so, in short, we soldered it last, but, in reality, it is even the most important!
Below, bottom left.
Let's see: if I can, I'll do an operation. So, I put the soldering iron on my left hand and the cable on my right hand, because otherwise I can't show it to you.
Here it is, I also soldered the 5V with hands reversed. These are some vicissitudes! Acrobatics, on the valoroso.it channel! So, let's do the final check with the diagram we found in the Service Manual.
The light even went out!
Here it is back on.
Top right: Ground, Massa.
Top left: +12 volts, yellow.
Bottom left: +5 times, red.
Bottom right, -12 volts, green.
I insert the connector inside the computer, obviously respecting this polarity that we have decided. At this point, let's at least check whether the mass has remained in the right position.
Ah, this one didn't peel on the first try! I wanted to act cool, to show that I knew how to strip cables, so, on the first try, instead we got to blue and I stripped it halfway!
So, in theory, if we have kept the correct orientation, we find ourselves with blue which is the mass. We saw that we get it from a random piece of metal inside the computer and we also saw before that this ground, on the RF connector, is actually not exactly zero ohms, but it's at 13 Ohms.
So, probably, there will be some particular circuit inside, which does not leave the metal piece properly grounded.
At this point, I take the Amiga's power supply and let's connect these four wires, with crocodiles, to the Amiga's power connector.
Here at the first breath of wind, everything comes down. You have to be careful, because otherwise everything explodes!
Crocodiles... let's get the voltage on the Amiga connector. We isolate it well because I don't want it to touch the edge.
Top right pin of the Amiga connector: ground. Ok, so the black which, on the other side, must be connected to the blue.
Then, red crocodile, at the bottom right, we have +5V.
Ah, it's a mess! It was much better to have a power supply. Then everything explodes!
Red goes with red.
Nothing but bomb, here if we get a color wrong...
-12 Volt: the central one.
Here too we isolate it well, because we don't want it to touch.
Who gets there? Damn… I mean, how do we do it?
Go green cabbage.
A the +12 volts at the top right, but what do we get here?
No, but how do I do it? The +12V must always be isolated well, here at the top right.
How do I put it on?
I'm not convinced about this...
Having a serious and stabilized power supply would have been much, much better!
Let's isolate it a little better because here... nothing but a bomb.
Well, if Santa Claus is in the area, remember that, for Christmas, he could give me a stabilized power supply, with +12V, -12V, +5V
Something tell you, do you have?
The problem is that if it shorts here, on the connector, we destroy the Amiga's power supply and I obviously don't like this.
If we have wires that come loose and hang around, etc., we destroy the computer…
So… high risk. High risk on the valoroso.it channel
Now let's isolate the wires from the other side too.
So, red…
Then, obviously, before turning on the computer we test, on the connector, that the voltages are correct, with the connector disconnected
Black, which is the mass.
Green which is -12 volts.
Yellow, which was not yet connected, is +12V, and let's isolate this too.
Okay. Do you like the crowd? It looks better this way.
At this point, to test that the voltages are correct, I disconnect the connector from the computer, because I don't want it to explode.
Oh well, it will also be a mess to rehearse. So, first I try to power up the Amiga's power supply.
Yes, it doesn't explode.
Then we see: mass, it's this one.
And we have to find… nothing!
We don't have to find anything!
No, there is not a wire connected! There's probably something off about this brothel!!!
Ohhh, ho 5V, 12V …
e -5V???
So this -12V is -5V, who knows why. Furthermore, this power supply works with Amigas, because, in theory, -12V is used exclusively for the negative voltage of the serial line.
Even here, on the diagrams of this Philips, I only see +5V, +12V around, which we have, on both the RGB and PAL modulators, 5V, 5V... where does the – 12V go?
In my opinion, the computer works even if it doesn't have -12V... at most the serial line won't work, assuming it has a serial line, because you can't see it here. All 5V… 5… 5…
I try it. It doesn't break anyway, because it's not like -12V is -40V...
And -5V, so, at most, there will be some functionality wrong.
If we see that the computer does not turn on it could be this.
Here too: +12V. I don't see -12V going anywhere.
Oh, you know what, I'll try to turn it on. I'm looking for an RF video cable and let's try to turn it on anyway!
This is the commander, ready for impact!
I didn't find the video cable!
Because lately, I've been bringing half the stuff to the office and having the other half here at home, and it's a mess. So, I know, it's a hell of a job. I realize it, but it's the only way we can try to turn it on! So, also on the video cable two wires like this.
Power connector went like this, which is obviously turned off now.
Let's turn and try! What a disgusting job, eh, don't tell anyone that I did something like that, because otherwise I'll lose my reputation! So, TV on. Shall we try turning on the computer?
Um...
But, you see, maybe the TV isn't tuned to the right channel. What channel does this damn computer have? However, you can see something. How do you get going with the channels? TV…
I mean, now I try to push the buttons. Can you go ahead, please? Is it too difficult for you to move on to another channel?
36
No, 35, otherwise we'll do the automatic search.
We're getting closer. 34. Then, with the antenna cable like this, I mean!
If not I have to go get another RF cable.
Ah look here, we're close...
32… oh you see!!!
But what a damn channel 32 is!
Okay, let's do the scene again: channel 32, fantastic!
Why channel 32? But what a channel is unfortunate!
I mean, the Commodore has channel 36, do you have to go to 32?
Ok, then, it looks bad because I have these cables all made with crocodiles.
There's no doubt about it, and it also has all the wrong feeds, because -12 is -5. But I couldn't wait to turn on this computer! It turned on: let's see the keys on the keyboard, if they work.
He's gone!
www.valoroso.it, which is my blog. Obviously he doesn't surf the internet. Syntax Error.
So, let's try out all the keys on the keyboard. Even the sound goes: you hear click, click, click…
Yes, this works too.
Wait while we turn it off and on again, so we redo the second row of keys.
The home screen!
Tab… let's try the various Shifts…
Caps/Lock works too.
I don't know what this is for, because I'm not at all familiar with MSXs.
The four arrows…
Works! Let's turn it back on.
Oh, you saw that, despite this mess of cables, disgusting, the RF taken with crocodiles, because I don't have the antenna cable here in the laboratory at home, we still managed to turn on this computer! Obviously not in the best way, you can't see very well, but with the antenna cable all these interferences would disappear,
Show! Oh, really, don't tell anyone, because this could destroy my reputation. What little reputation I have would completely destroy me.
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With 1000 efforts we managed to turn on… oh boy, this MSX Philips VG 8010.
You have to be careful with this monitor, because I think some crocodiles are starting to detach themselves!
Amiga power supply with even a crooked voltage, because -12V was actually -5V, no one knows why. However, it is a power supply that works perfectly on the various Amigas. I'll have to take it apart again, because it's not the first time I've fixed it, and check it.
No RF cable, because I didn't have it. I had evidently left the cables in the office, and I don't have them here in the laboratory. I had to use some crappy alligator clips, not even shielded, to do the RF output. So, miraculously, you can see badly, with the interference on the television.
But he left! The keyboard works, the audio can be heard because it clicks every time you press a key.
I mean, come on, I'm glad this computer started!
Please, subscribe to the channel, if you like following me on retro computers and vintage electronics, like the video and we'll see you next time. HI!