The Sinclair QL Forum

Thanks for that very kind of you to offer.

However, i happily report success! i filed down the back of the plug, wired up, soldered the 9 way D plug and fired up the QL with the ICE ROM.

Plugged in one of my trusty joysticks and hoped. There was movement, in all directions. a bit of a result there!

Will be posting pics etc on my website soon of the cable and a how to - I'm a collector and document pretty much everything I do. At the moment also i have a Facebook page called Adventures In Retro so will also put info on there. Last few days i have been doing a feature called "Inside Retro's Giants" where i take hi res photos of the insides of classic machines - i did the QL yesterday.

Should you wish to take a look:

https://www.facebook.com/adventuresinretro
www.adventuresinretro.co.uk

Thanks again for everyone's help.
All the best
Darren

Another source of the BT630A

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/telephone ... s/0470257/

Looks like these will need a little filing down as well though!

For comparison



Left & Right connectors with a white BT telephone plug for comparison

More photos of both plugs found here https://picasaweb.google.com/1087615291 ... Connectors and here http://www.theql.co.uk/QL-Image-Repository/image

Ah so supplies of 630W/631W needed or a handy dremmel

I have spoken with BetterBox - who have the serial port (BT 631W ) connectors in at a good price (65p + VAT) and no minimum order quantity - http://www.betterbox.co.uk/products/bt- ... t6310.html

Unfortunately, they have checked with their local suppliers also for the BT 630W joystick port connectors and no-one has any stock (Better Box last had some in stock in 2008).

They could potentially get some made, but you would be looking at a minimum order quantity of around 500 or 600 - any takers?

If the joystick plugs were available at a fairly reasonable price of around £1 each, I would probably order 10.

I somehow doubt they would be anywhere near £1 each to purchase...

You have to bear in mind that someone needs to invest in tooling (possibly could use the 631W tooling in reverse) and then a production run - and take account that the actual market is probably only going to be about 100-200 units maximum - after all, so far as I know, only the QL uses these plugs!

They must have been used in other applications (most likely telecommunication equipment) otherwise they would have been too costly for Sinclair to have used them in the first place.

However, as the big British electrical firms have disappeared, and international companies are now the main supplier of telecommunications equipment, I think it unlikely that these connectors would be used for new equipment.

Mark

I found this site useful when looking for a definitive list of similar connectors: https://zxnet.co.uk/spectrum/btconnectors/

In 30 odd years I hadn't even realised SER and CTL were different!! I never had any joysticks back in the day, just a printer...

I suspect some of these various models could be filed down. The 630W connector is as elusive as ever in 2018. Now I see why retrocomputershack don't do a CTL cable!

There is a website that looks like it is selling the 630W, but it (the site) is broken! http://www.funisgroup.com/index.php?rou ... uct_id=892

Oh, something else useful I found, if like me, you are crap at soldering!

A 9 pin plug with solder-free connections inside: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263474273086