My computing adventure began in 1981, when after finishing college I decided to revive my interest in electronics. This led to the Sinclair ZX81 kit version (for which I had to make my own power supply), and from there to the Elektor Junior Computer — built from magazine articles. The next step seemed inevitably to be the Sinclair QL, the availability of which I eagerly awaited. And waited. And ... waited.
Eventually I gave up waiting and bought an Amstrad CPC6128, which was a superb machine and fantastic value for money. I sometimes wondered what would have happened if I'd bought a QL instead, but those wonderings were eclipsed in the nineties and beyond when I migrated through a series of IBM PC compatibles, and eventually to Linux and Mac. In recent times, however, retirement has allowed me to renew my interest in retro computing.
And so yesterday I took delivery of a Sinclair QL purchased on eBay. It's in reasonable condition, though several keys have broken pillars, and the microdrives don't seem to read anything despite whirring and the LED's lighting up. I foresee some 3D printing of key pillars, and some in-depth maintenance of the microdrives (though if the microdrives are beyond help that shouldn't be a problem as a vDrive is on its way to me from New Zealand).
I'm happy to have found this forum, and the QL community, and look forward to participating.
Hello from Portsmouth UK
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NormanDunbar
- Forum Moderator
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Re: Hello from Portsmouth UK
Greetings. You are amongst friends here.
By the way, if you have any old microdrive cartridges, don't spin them up until you have refelted them. CHR$ on here can help with felt.
The old felt turns to dust and gets ingested into the cartridge and it may never work again.
Failing that, feel free to post questions.
Cheers,
Norm.
By the way, if you have any old microdrive cartridges, don't spin them up until you have refelted them. CHR$ on here can help with felt.
The old felt turns to dust and gets ingested into the cartridge and it may never work again.
Failing that, feel free to post questions.
Cheers,
Norm.
Why do they put lightning conductors on churches?
Author of Arduino Software Internals
Author of Arduino Interrupts
No longer on Twitter, find me on https://mastodon.scot/@NormanDunbar.
Author of Arduino Software Internals
Author of Arduino Interrupts
No longer on Twitter, find me on https://mastodon.scot/@NormanDunbar.
Re: Hello from Portsmouth UK
Thanks Norm. The QL came with the four Psion applications, and I got some 'refurbished and refelted' microdrive cartridges from another seller on eBay, but so far I've been unable to use them. Tried formatting, but after several seconds it returns with "format failed". I've yet to open up the QL to do some maintenance, so that's something I can get on with while I wait for the vDrive delivery.
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vanpeebles
- Commissario Pebbli
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- Location: North East UK
