Posted By
LeeT
on 2003-10-01
|  Non-working Plus4
Hi,
I just bought a non-boxed Plus4, from a flea market. Got it home, connected everything, powered up and...just a black screen!
I have used a different RF lead and still the same, and tuned it into two different television's. Does anyone have any idea of what is not working, and does anyone still do Plus4 repairs in the uk?
Thanks
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Posted By
JamesC
on 2003-10-01
| Re: Non-working Plus4
Does the power light (below the C= key) light up red?
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Posted By
Lavina
on 2003-10-01
 | Re: Non-working Plus4
Let's assume it was powered up and connected correctly... 
You also tried to search (tune) the signal of the +4 on your tv, I suppose.
I am afraid it will have more serious problem, namely TED or other chip damage... Hard to find spare parts, but if you can obtain, you can start simply changing the chips on the main board and hope that you can replace the damaged one... Good luck... In the meantime, use YAPE
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Posted By
Ulysses777
on 2003-10-01
| Re: Non-working Plus4
Basically, if the TED (combined video, sound and I/O chip) is dead, which is quite likely, your only source of replacement parts is another Plus4 or Commodore 16.
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Posted By
LeeT
on 2003-10-01
| Re: Non-working Plus4
Thanks for the help guys....Oh well - I knew it was too good to be true, getting a Plus 4! I have been trying to get one on eBay but the bids go too high! Looks like I will have to keep the knackered Plus4 as an ornament on my retro-shelves! (By the way, the power light DOES light up).
I have used YAPE and the last time I played some Plus 4 games was on VICE.
Nice site by the way - Reminds me very much of Lemon, with the same commitment to excellence and a friendly community...
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Posted By
russnet
on 2003-10-01
| Re: Non-working Plus4
There's one going here for £2.50!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3049349102&category=3543
Although, the guy might be confused with the difference between a computer and a console!
I might put my Plus/4 up for auction soon. It's fully working, lots of games and looks good as new.
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Posted By
The +4 King
on 2003-10-03
 | Re: Non-working Plus4
Sounds like the 8501 Chip, If you have a C16 use the Chip From That and see how you get on. As to getting it repaired ( too old for the U.K.) No one will touch them Any More sorry.
Anyway Good Luck
+4 King
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Posted By
billdeg
on 2003-10-13
| Re: Non-working Plus4
I know your pain. I have bought 4 plus/4's on Ebay, all 4 were bad one way or the other. The funny thing is that I have had good luck with every other kind of vintage computer I have purchased from Ebay.
What is frustrating is that people sell items on Ebay who don't know what they are selling.
You see the phrase "works last time I used it" on Ebay.
works last time I used it (because now that it doesn't work I no longer use it)
worked last time I used it (and then I proceeded to store it in my wet basement for 10 years)
worked last time I used it (to hold open my window)
Still I am on a mission to make a working machine out of these %#@$! broken computers.
That's the fun to me of the vintage computer thing I guess. Carry on!
caveat emptor idioti ebais.
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Posted By
JamesC
on 2003-10-13
| Re: Non-working Plus4
>caveat emptor idioti ebais
Buyer beware the Ebay idiots. Very good thought!
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Posted By
MIK
on 2003-10-14
 | Re: Non-working Plus4
What comes around goes around....
"worked the last time I used it", are only words......
Some times you even see the full monty, but has no power supply... Keep clear of these!
The chances of finding a working C16 are greater than finding a Plus/4 I believe. A 64k C16 would do well in any ones collection. Wish I had one, but you do find people that have 64k C16's know what they are talking about and the price tag also says that. 
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Posted By
billdeg
on 2003-10-14
| Re: Non-working Plus4
Today I went home early from work and proceeded to take apart my 4 plus/4's and one C16 (that works). I swapped chips from the working c16 to get a plus/4 to work. The end result...All 4 plus/4's I own have bad 8501R1 chips (at least). I am working to locate a source to buy replacements. I will let you know what happens. If I do get them, that means I will have 4 working plus/4's (assuming nothing else is wrong). I found a site that claims to sell the chips, but I have to wait until tomorrow for a response. I know that these chips are hard to find so I am skeptical that usbid.com will actually come up with them, but you never know. There may be enough demand to justify a few recent production runs. Maybe someone on this board has a source or burns eproms for fun and profit.
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Posted By
Ulysses777
on 2003-10-14
| Re: Non-working Plus4
The 8501 is the CPU. Only Commodore made these, and new ones haven't been produced for decades.
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Posted By
Ulysses777
on 2003-10-14
| Re: Non-working Plus4
I've had a look at that site, the 8501 chips that you should be looking at are the ones manufactured by MOS, MOSTEK or CSG (the various names of Commodore's semiconductor division).
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Posted By
JamesC
on 2003-10-14
| Re: Non-working Plus4
MOSTEK is NOT the Commodore Semiconductor Group, nor a successor of.
All 8501's that I have seen were marked MOS. CSG markings didn't appear on the chips themselves til '87 or so.
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Posted By
Ulysses777
on 2003-10-14
| Re: Non-working Plus4
Oops, that's correct about MOSTEK, my mistake.
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Posted By
billdeg
on 2003-10-14
| Re: Non-working Plus4
thanks... MOS or CSG is what I'll look out for. If you know of other sites, or if I come across any myself I will post. I figured that they'd be hard to come by, based on what I've read.
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