telling the difference between speccys

edited January 2013 in Chit chat
Sorry for sounding like a dunce. ive seen a rubber keyed speccy in a local retro shop. How can i tell if its a 48k or 16k model without switching it on the peeps in the shop have no idea.
Post edited by Countvarg on

Comments

  • edited January 2013
    How to tell if its working without switching it on.
  • edited January 2013
    Pop it open and look at the number of memory chips?! >_<
  • edited January 2013
    hold it up to a light, there is a small hologram sticker hidden just inside the back of the motherboard slot that you will see twinkling with 48k or 16k on it. ;)
  • edited January 2013
    buy it, as most are 48k, BUT if it turns out to be a 16k one, bargin, cos in my eyes theyre older and harder to come by :P
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • edited January 2013
    and rubbisher
  • edited January 2013
    thx1138 wrote: »
    and rubbisher
    i know but rarer :P

    is rubbisher a word? Oo
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • edited January 2013
    rubbishyer then
  • edited January 2013
    anyway itll play the first 4 ultimate games, what more do you need tut
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • edited January 2013
    Actually there are loadsa great 16k games.

    Dictator is perhaps my favourite.
  • Why don't they want to turn it on?
  • edited January 2013
    If its anything like the BBC we had the museum, which was hilarious but tragic at the same time. Consider it a cautionary tale.

    Some guy brought us a BBC he had recovered from his loft, he was quite proud he had found it and told us many stories of his time with it. So we took it from him in faith it had been looked after. It hadn't the inside was full of dust, due to being in the loft. It powered up ok but within three minutes burst into flames.

    Obviously we quickly extinguished it (trying not to laugh)but sadly his precious BBC was no more.

    So clean it or at least try to clear out dust with air sprayer before power up. Unless you want that to potentially happen.
  • edited January 2013
    my loft spells death to televisions, I don't recall ever having recovered a telly from the loft which has worked for very long once I've decided to use it again (usually for a gaming session)

    got one up there now
  • edited January 2013
    zerohour wrote: »
    So clean it or at least try to clear out dust with air sprayer before power up. Unless you want that to potentially happen.

    Pretty much any beeb will smoke heavily when you first turn it on after years in storage as it toasts the filter capacitor. The first job should be to remove the paper mains cap and replace it with a polythene one.

    I've never heard of one actually combusting before but I guess if there was enough fluff in the PSU next to an ignition source... whoops.
  • edited January 2013
    Missing chips can be detected by weighing. But that probably is not allowed too.
    More serious now:
    A spectrum that is offered as 'not tested' should be regarded as a defect 16K machine from which the ULA chip already is removed. Or replaced by a 8255...
    There often are very good reasons for not testing, one wonders how these were ever detected.
  • fogfog
    edited January 2013
    the BBC caps thing is a common thing , and it's known as "the smell of evil" as it's a foul smell if it does pop.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU55-7dWMi0

    it's revenge for leaving it in the loft for 20+ years ;) . I think once folk do it once, they won't again .. and it costs all of what ?2-4 to fix *BEFORE* you switch on the machine :)
  • edited January 2013
    fog wrote: »
    the BBC caps thing is a common thing , and it's known as "the smell of evil" as it's a foul smell if it does pop.

    Are you trying to wind me up? :lol:
  • edited January 2013
    Shop peeps excuse for not turning it on was their tv isnt compatible with it. Blimey the shop sells snes's and megadrives :S
  • edited January 2013
    Tell him b****cks, grab it and tune it in yourself!
  • edited January 2013
    To make sure when you get it type in
    PRINT PEEK 23732 + PEEK 23733 * 256
    48k - 65535
    16k - 32767
  • edited January 2013
    thx1138 wrote: »
    Actually there are loadsa great 16k games.

    Dictator is perhaps my favourite.

    Dictator needs 48K. You might be thinking of the ZX-81 version though, as that only needs 16K.
  • edited January 2013
    oh does it?

    All right then,

    3D Tanx?
  • edited January 2013
    thx1138 wrote: »
    oh does it?

    All right then,

    3D Tanx?

    Yep. Excellent choice.
  • edited January 2013
    Aquaplane?
    Stockmarket?
  • edited January 2013
    Hedegaard wrote: »
    Stockmarket?

    Is Stockmarket the one that shipped free with early Speccys?

    I made a million on that, and the game didn't end, or say I'd won.

    and I'm still moaning about it 30 years later.
  • edited January 2013
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • edited January 2013
    16k Spectrums sink when immersed in water, 48k ones float to the top.
  • edited January 2013
    only south of the river

    if the first two digits of your postcode added together are divisible by 3 you are related to Matthew Hopkins. Fact.
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