Posted By
Gamefreakblog
on 2013-10-15
14:04:36
|  Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Hi there. Glad I found this page. I think I know the answer, but anyway, here goes.
I've recently purchased a cracking machine from Ebay. Boxed, games etc. Just come to set it up now for a game and it doesn't work. The power light on the machine doesn't turn on, only a whirring from the datasette (which seems to work fine).
I take it that the machine is dead?
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Posted By
Luca
on 2013-10-15
14:35:37
 | Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Hello and welcome.
Just to write a quick answer firstly: get start from here.
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Posted By
Gamefreakblog
on 2013-10-15
15:50:21
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Thanks for the reply. I fiddled with it some more. I tool out the power supply from the back of the computer and put it back in. I felt it kind of move the whole motherboard, and when I turned th epower switch at the side the light came on. I exitedly tuned the TV in and got a picture, but all it said below the text was "break" and some other stuff. I reset the machine, started ok, and then loads of numbers and the word "break scrolled down the screen. It kept happening, so I took out the power lead again. Now, the light comes on, but no picture.
It definately doesn't look healthy. I'm no expert at all with repairs. I just hoped it may be a quick fix. It's a shame...the Plus 4 was my first ever computer as a lad. I was really excited about having one again (just to play fire ant and treasure hunt).
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Posted By
Luca
on 2013-10-16
02:33:12
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Mmmm... I would bet it's the PLA C251641-02. Anyway, open the Plus/4 case, turn it on and carefully feel the heat of the ICs: one of them will be hotter than the others. Point straight to PLA or CPU MOS 7501/8501 or TED MOS 7360/8360.
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Posted By
MIK
on 2013-10-16
17:55:28
 | Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Yes that was the TED failing when you see bad stuff like break and random chars all over the screen, hopefully it has not knocked out the CPU now the screen is black. I would change the TED first tho.
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Posted By
Gamefreakblog
on 2013-10-16
14:01:20
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
What's the TED if you don't mind me asking? If this means chip replacement or anything then I think i'm stuck.
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Posted By
MIK
on 2013-10-16
18:12:31
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Either your need a new machine, or can take a TED out of another faulty C16 or Plus4 and hopefully that will do the job, or if anyone knows where you can get hold of a spare TED then cool.
Otherwise you are welcome to send your seller here if you need backup of why your machine is faulty for a refund, just bad luck all round.
Very common for the TED or CPU chips to die on these computers, more so in a Plus/4 because of heat issues but are easy to replace... if you can get hold of the parts. Even with a basic small screw driver if your very careful not to break any legs off the rom they can be replaced, more so putting one back in...
If your from the UK I think there is a guy that can fix 8bit commodores for about £35, I think...
Sorry you have had issues from the start. On the whole the C16's a good little machine, hope you can get it sorted or sorted out with another.
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Posted By
Gamefreakblog
on 2013-10-16
18:17:20
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
I found someone online who seems to do repairs. I've emailed him, but not heard anything as of yet. I hope he will have some news for me. The machine is in such good condition I just don't want to let it go, and my whole reason for picking it up was it was my first ever computer and I wanted that trip down memory lane. I used to spend hours with my gran playing Fire Ant, treasure island and her personal favourite, Blitz. And plus, I never knew there was such a community for the Plus 4. I thought it was just me...hehe.
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Posted By
MIK
on 2013-10-17
09:02:13
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
If your on a PC you can for now download an emulator such as YAPE.
Link: http://yape.homeserver.hu/download.htm
You can then download any of the games you enjoyed from here such as Fire Ant and play the real game on your computer just like it was back in the day. You can even download original cassette files from here and load the games just like you would on the real thing.
Something like fireant.prg as in .prg files just require you to type RUN once loaded in the emulator, and .tap files are the tapes where you would need to type LOAD as you would on the real thing and then use the tape menus in the emulator.
Might keep you going in the mean time. 
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2013-10-17
14:15:28
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Well, I'm glad you find us, and as you can see you're definitely not the only one Many of the regulars still have a working Plus/4 setup (respect!), though some of us only use emulators nowadays, like MIK suggested.
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Posted By
scarrabri
on 2013-11-03
04:27:11
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Hi that's a real shame when you so look forward to reliving a dream ,but there is a brilliant guy on ebay uk who does a brilliant job of repairing them ,I know there are folk who like to use emulators but I don't think you can beat the excitement of a real commodore plus 4 throbbing its way through a few wicked games ,good luck my friend Brian
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Posted By
MIK
on 2013-11-03
06:21:28
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Your enthusiasm is great about having the real hardware but... and so you know.
Many people would love the real thing but many unique and different things stop that.
Sadly there are two versions of the Plus/4. One is PAL & one is NTSC and it's those that originally came from the land of PAL and have moved to the world of NTSC that end up using emulators as not everything runs on an NTSC machine. This can happen around the other way too.
You can't take your Plus/4 and collection with you on holiday so emulation has made it possible to mess about with them anywhere in the world, even in space, if we ever get there personally.
Other times it much faster to use an emulator do stuff such as coding and working with files so they can be here on the site. Another thing is that you can not always get everything on eBay and sometimes prices are silly money, so some people will opt for emulation. Space is another issue, having over 300 games stashed away and a number of machines for spares & repairs take up loads of room vs. having everything the Plus/4 offers on a single notebook and it works without fail. 
Last of all, this site would not be here if it was not for emulation and this is a fact. Both the real thing and emulation work alongside each other in perfect harmony. 
Don't worry, you have not said anything wrong. Just wanted to say that emulation is cool too, and you might be making some people envious when it can't be helped. 
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Posted By
scarrabri
on 2013-11-03
13:35:32
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Hi! Hey, I do apologise if I have upset anyone, it was just my opinion of how I felt and there's me preaching and I have just bought a card reader, lol... To save me humping all those tapes around with me, but I do have to say all them brilliant games on one card. Anyway, best wishes, Brian.
ps. I hope no one is envious as I have been struggling all day to get the keyboard working ok, lol...
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Posted By
MIK
on 2013-11-04
05:27:42
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
No, you're fine. The guys that make the emulators and people that use them full time are cool.
Very useful tho as a tool even for your self.
You could download what you wanted, use something like YAPE to test it all to see if that was what you were after before running on the real machine. Very handy for that. Build the perfect library without ever using the real thing and when your done copy and enjoy on the real thing.
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Posted By
scarrabri
on 2013-11-04
15:34:31
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Hi MIK! Thanks, I am glad the folk that use the emulators are cool, as I may need them one day lol... But I get such a buzz out of using the Plus/4 and its kept me up a few nights on the trot playing games until the early hours of the morning, and I can't wait for my new joystick adapter to arrive so as to use my joystick. The guy I bought my card reader off had hundreds of games to go on my memory card, and I am hoping to play more at the weekend. Best wishes, Brian.
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Posted By
scarrabri
on 2013-11-04
15:41:15
| Re: Commodore C16 +4 not working.
Hi Gamefreakblog! I am sorry if I seem to have hijacked your post. I did not mean to, but I was just making a point that I liked using the real thing and hoped that you would too, have you had any luck my friend? I know by experience what a downer it is when things don't work out , but keep your chin up, there's always light at the end of the tunnel. Best wishes, Brian
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