[Coco] Help reviving an old CoCo 2

[John Goerzen]

Arthur Flexser <flexser at ...> writes:

> 
> You might try removing and resocketing any socketed chips in the disk
> controller to get rid of oxidation there.
> 
> Art

Thanks, Art, I'll give that a try.

Meanwhile, I believe I've tracked down my video quality problem that that
little TV/computer switch thing that it comes with.  A slight bump on the
switch means that the picture goes all wonky, and having an even passable
picture requires it in a very specific position.

The box is riveted shut, though, so I can't just open it up to clean it very
easily.  I suspect some dirty contacts maybe?  Does anybody have ideas on
dealing with that switch box?  Is a box like that made for any other purpose
still?

Thanks,

John

> 
> On Sat, Nov 22, 2014 at 2:40 PM, John Goerzen <jgoerzen <at> complete.org>
wrote:
> 
> > Hi folks,
> >
> > Back when I was a kid, my parents got me a 64K CoCo 2.  They got wind of
> > my project to load the data off it, and gave the whole thing to me.  So
> > now I am wanting to make it work for my children!
> >
> > I have two main problems.
> >
> > #1 - the disk controller cartridge isn't working.  When I put the disk
> > controller cartridge into the machine, when I turn it on, it just has a
> > display with a bunch of artifacts.  The computer works fine when I start
> > it without any program cartridge in it.  I also have a baseball and a
> > music synthesizer add-on cartridge, and they are working fine.  So the
> > problem doesn't seem to be with the CoCo, but with the controller
> > cartridge.
> >
> > The silver contacts on it seemed to be rather dirty/degraded, so I took
> > the cartridge apart and tried to scrub them.  No dice.  Any ideas how I
> > might fix this?  Or where might I get a replacement cartridge?
> >
> > #2 - the video quality is low.  I would call it noisy.  I remember it
> > being this way when I was a kid, but I always assumed it was due to the
> > marginal state of the TV it was hooked up to.  Obviously that's not the
> > case now.  I have it set to channel 4, and I have a screw-down to
> > coaxial adapter to hook it up to a fairly decent TV.  (It's a 13"
> > Trinitron.  Not a modern LCD, but I already had it, and I know it has a
> > much cleaner picture than what it's showing.)  Any ideas what I might do
> > to fix this?
> >
> > Occasionally, the TV seems to somehow lose sync, and the display goes to
> > a very staticky black-and-white.  Turning the TV off and on fixes it.
> > It doesn't do this with other video sources.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > John
> >
> >
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>