Switching a ZX Spectrum’s RF output for Composite Video. Is it worth it?

Рет қаралды 14,008

Күн бұрын

This video is sponsored by www.PCBWay.com - In this video we are going to be building an internal composite mod board for the ZX Spectrum. It's a neat solution to use instead of wires, but it does mean that the existing internals need to be removed and possibly scrapped.
🤞 PLEASE HELP MARK FIXES STUFF SURVIVE 🏆: Due to "The Event" my livelihood vanished in a puff of smoke. If you can spare some change to help support the channel it is really appreciated and even the smallest pledge goes a long way in helping make more content and feed my cats (and children). Visit / markfixesstuff for more info about Patreon Benefits!
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00:00 - Intro & Why it's hard to get a Sinclair ZX Spectrum to tune into a Modern TV.
00:52 - PCBWay Sponsor Slot.
01:07 - Explanation of the ZX Spectrum Composite Modification PCB and the three options.
01:38 - Components required for three compositie mod options.
02:29 - Building the board - Option 2.
05:32 - Installing the Composite Modification board into the ZX Spectrum Internal Modulator.
06:23 - Desoldering the ZX Spectrum Modulator.
07:48 - Opening the UHF Modulator and removing the original PCB.
10:14 - Installing the ZX Spectrum Composite Mod Board in the original modulator.
14:48 - Testing the Spectrum Composite Mod on a modern LCD TV.
15:17 - Testing with the Dandanator Mini 2.1 we built in a previous video.
15:56 - Thanks to my Patreon Supporters!
16:13 - Further Mark Fixes Stuff viewing!
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#ZXSpectrum #Composite #Video

Пікірлер: 100

@stuartgrier5605 7 ай бұрын

Jetpac was my fav Speccy game. I remember going through all the ships without losing a life. Classic!!!!

@blackterminal 2 ай бұрын

That and Quazatron for me.

@TheMalMeninga 3 жыл бұрын

Great work as always, Marko!

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Cheers!

@retrojb101 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome! I literally got a boxed 48k yesterday so will look at doing this soon. Keep it up Mark!

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Have fun!

@NotFalco 3 жыл бұрын

Having a massive tip sure makes life easy

@BodaScambaits 3 жыл бұрын

I love the tips you give. I need to brush up on my soldering.

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Cheers mate!!! I love listening to you rip scammers! MegaLOLs!

@markb4071 3 жыл бұрын

great stuff, cheers - what're the pros and cons of the 3 options? especially over the more 'typical' composite mod?

@Colin_Ames 3 жыл бұрын

Always good to see another video from you. Nice simple mod, all I need is a Spectrum to put it in!

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

That's the hardest part now!

@Colin_Ames 3 жыл бұрын

@@MarkFixesStuffI know. I have never seen one here in the US. I should have bought one when I still lived in Coventry, but then that’s the story of my life. Could’ve Should’ve Would’ve 😀😀

@carlosamerico4327 2 жыл бұрын

A imagem ficou bem melhor...Bom trabalho Mark...Abraços aqui do Brasil.

@jantonkens9820 7 ай бұрын

Many good memories of my "huge" memory (who'd ever need more than 48K?)... But indeed, with all Spekkies flaws many really good memories 😊

@sirtinley-knot2944 2 жыл бұрын

I was about to ask about those components shorting on the bottom of the RF box but I'm assuming you added that insulation sheet after and just didn't show it? This is a lovely tidy job. I've bought an "eBay special" speccy to do a test refurb on before I go ahead and do it for real on my actual childhood speccy 😍 I think the eBay special will get the simple composite mod but my childhood speccy will get this version ❤️

@kevinh96 3 жыл бұрын

Mark really is the Nigella Lawson of KZfaq Tech channels with his double entendres.

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Creamy buns.

@theforthdoctor7872 3 жыл бұрын

Seeing you wield that huge tip gives me the fear...What next? Mark does board level repairs on a c64 with a hot masonry nail and some home made solder. 😊

@ncot_tech 3 жыл бұрын

blowtorch and plumbing solder.

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Hammer and buzzsaw.

@paulb4uk 3 жыл бұрын

Nice neat simple mod i need to do all of mine there all still using rf though i have crt,s that are rf only though i also have a scart to rf converter i shoul think composite would work through that .

@peterwhitey4992 Жыл бұрын

The expansion port (lower pin 15) also has the composite signal, the same one that goes to the rf modulator, so you can get composite signal without modding and removing original hardware.

@cygil1 9 ай бұрын

Got a schematic? Or can I just connect the pin directly? I don't want to mod my spectrum away from the original design but that sounds ideal.

@sc0ttschannel 3 жыл бұрын

For more of Marks 'massive' tip subscribe to his Patreon for too hot for youtube content!

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

I read that in his voice.

@kensmith5694 8 ай бұрын

If I was doing this, I don't think I would put the video out in the can. Just a PCB with a RCA connector on it would serve and would be easier to install. Thick wires can hold it above the main PCB

@nickblackburn1903 3 жыл бұрын

Fairly massive tip on my iron lol. Manual sucking work? Carry on Charmain Sinclair spectrum?

@nickblackburn1903 3 жыл бұрын

Joking aside, this was very useful and I'll be trying this out on one of my many spectrums with buggered rf modulators. Thanks Mark.

@stuartwright7496 Жыл бұрын

Hi Mark, looking to do this and have ordered the board, I just wondered what AWG gauge the wire you used is. Thank you

@MarkFixesStuff Жыл бұрын

It's been a long time, but probably 26AWG. There's hardly any current so you can use pretty much anything you have to hand.

@homelate1306 3 жыл бұрын

Great video Mark. That's an interesting wire stripper, where did you get it from?

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

It was an Aldi special buy. They have them from time to time. About £4 iirc! Similar things are called a "Wire Demolisher" my discord people tell me!

@homelate1306 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mark!

@pauljones8135 2 жыл бұрын

alot of hard work for a av mod.i seen this done without any soldering done just with a cut

@MarkFixesStuff 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah... that was my video as well. This is just if you want to be extra tidy etc.

@GORF_EMPIRE 3 жыл бұрын

A lovely job! Could you try to capture the video directly from the new composite jack? Would love to see the direct signal.

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Great suggestion! I'll do that when I do my Spectrum Rebuild Project.

@GORF_EMPIRE 3 жыл бұрын

@@MarkFixesStuff Looking forward to it!

@simonbarnes8303 3 жыл бұрын

Why did you choose option 2? Are any better or worse pictures?

@DadLadsGaming 3 жыл бұрын

That was really interesting Mark 👍 Have you got a link for the board holding thingy and the box of cable?

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you found it interesting mate! PCB Holder - amzn.to/3g0MVDu 24 AWG wire (thicker)- amzn.to/3cdLeBS 30 AWG wire - (thinner) - amzn.to/3idjYXJ

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

24 AWG is best for all purpose. 30AWG can be a bit thin for somethings. With AWG a bigger number is a smaller wire.

@DadLadsGaming 3 жыл бұрын

@@MarkFixesStuff thanks Mark.

@DadLadsGaming 3 жыл бұрын

@@MarkFixesStuff 👍🏻👍🏻

@stephencresswell4760 Жыл бұрын

Hi there. I have an old Pong Grandstand game (slider controls etc). I can’t get it to work on any modern TV. Could I do this mod and plug it into the AV in on a modern LCD TV?

@MarkFixesStuff Жыл бұрын

I’ll be honest, I don’t really know but it’s worth a try!

@chrisshaw451 3 жыл бұрын

Very nice mod, just ordered mine, can I ask where you got that box of wire, very handy ?

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

24 AWG wire (thicker)- amzn.to/3cdLeBS 30 AWG wire - (thinner) - amzn.to/3idjYXJ

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

the 24 AWG is better for this stuff to be honest.

@davidretrogamesplayedbadly3533 3 жыл бұрын

Great little mod mate, fairly sure your using camera trickery to make your tip look bigger though, I hear it's teenie tiny 😆

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

It's mini.

@frankowalker4662 3 жыл бұрын

I just cut the resistor from the RF out and wire the comp signal straight onto it. I get perfect results. For some reason, my notifications were turned off for the past month. I thought you'd stopped posting. LOL.

@MarkFixesStuff 2 жыл бұрын

I had a lot of work going on at the house, so I didn't record for ages.

@blackterminal 3 ай бұрын

I think your idea is better than throwing away antique parts.

@frankowalker4662 3 ай бұрын

@@blackterminal It's easy to revert to original RF too. Not that anyboby would want to. LOL.

@blackterminal 3 ай бұрын

@frankowalker4662 I like the original rf on a original crt as that's what I had as a child. Can't put a price on nostalgia.

@frankowalker4662 3 ай бұрын

@@blackterminal Definately. But is getting harder to find a good working CRT these days.

@Hardwarenerd 3 жыл бұрын

What a nice way to do a comp mod on the Zx spectrum... I'm wondering if I can find anywhere the modulator case? I need only the complete case, not the board inside because i will do the exact same mod

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Well, if not then ProjectSpeccy have a version that mounts to the board without a case. You can get the kit here... www.tindie.com/products/projectspeccy/zx-spectrum-flat-composite-kit/

@LOTPOR0402 2 жыл бұрын

Did composite mod on a spectrum years ago .At the time if i rememberer correctly you just bypassed to Modulator with no extra components .What's the difference using this ?

@joefish6091 Жыл бұрын

@@LOTPOR0402 Early Spectrum ULAs had weak video drive.

@nigeltrigger4499 Жыл бұрын

I modded my 48K spectrum back in the late 80's for composite output by simply adding an RCA female socket connected to the input pin of the modulator and ground (no additional circuit board required) You do not need to disconnect the modulator, so you can still use it with a TV of that era or compatible.

@MarkFixesStuff Жыл бұрын

Yes indeed. You can just wire up a "rat tail" as well. Leaving the modulator running does introduce a bit of noise into the signal but it's passable as we both know. The only real reason for removing the modulator is if you are not likely to use it anymore. I have kept any modulator boards/cans in a filing system in order to be able to reinstate them for posterity. Thank you so much for watching the video and taking time to comment Nigel. It means a lot to me.

@peterwhitey4992 Жыл бұрын

You can also just connect it to lower pin 15 on the expansion port. That has the same composite signal that goes into the rf modulator.

@ClassicRetroByte 3 жыл бұрын

Nice little video not too long and boring with just a touch of light entertainment thrown in for good measure. I wonder how those gummy bears have lasted all these videos. 😁

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate. You could knock a nail in with Terry and Dave. They are definitely beyond their Best Before date...

@LOTPOR0402 2 жыл бұрын

Is there any advantages using this as opposed to just cutting the supply and re routing the output capacitor or not ?.Does it give better picture again ?

@MarkFixesStuff 2 жыл бұрын

Tidyness really. If you use the follower emitter option it can help with some edge case displays. It's a tidy thing really though!

@DavidAdkins Жыл бұрын

Does the ZX Spectrum audio pass through the composite to the TV audio? Doesn't seem like it would since there are separate audio inputs. Seems useless if audio is lost.

@MarkFixesStuff Жыл бұрын

ZX Spectrum audio plays from a speaker inside the spectrum. Nothing changes the audio.

@AlistairBrugsch 2 жыл бұрын

I'm really intimidated by Mark's massive tip

@MarkFixesStuff 2 жыл бұрын

You should be...

@preferredimage 3 жыл бұрын

Nice. Would have been cool to see how the images varies based on the three options.

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

I did think of that, but my LCD TV is a bit poor to be honest. I might do that with a capture card though??

@grantm902 2 жыл бұрын

what's the feasibility of getting flux moulded in gummy bear shapes?

@pcroom34 3 жыл бұрын

What guage wire is that you are using 18awg or 24awg?

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

It's actually 30 AWG wire - (thinner) - amzn.to/3idjYXJ - could have done with the thicker stuff

@JVHShack 3 жыл бұрын

I was going to ask about audio, then I remembered that there's a speaker inside the Speccy... Sorry for not being British. I'm sure that it'd be easy to pipe it to a monitor, though.

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Yes. They gave a little speaker for the beeper sound. I suppose it is quite British. Not something you’d want amplified too loud though! There were mod kits to put the sound into the TV back in the day iirc!

@arttu76 3 жыл бұрын

Did you forget the black thing that goes around the video connector? :)

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

You know what.... I bloody well did... but you didn't :)

@NDferro 3 жыл бұрын

Why heat your soldering iron to nearly twice the melting point of your Solder?

@NDferro 3 жыл бұрын

The flux is evaporating because your soldering at 600+ degrees lol

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Hi! It’s a good question that has a complicated answer. The melting point of a solder ( or when it becomes “plastic”) is usually much lower than working temperature on your iron. The iron, tip and joint are not a perfect scenario, and losses occur when heat is transferred from the tip, more losses occur due to surface to surface contact and then further thermal loss when the components “steal” some of the heat from the joint you are working on. The rated temperature for solder melting is when it goes from a solid state and begins to melt so it’s still not ready to flow. A combination of these will wind up giving most people a working iron temperature of 320 to 350 degrees Celsius. There’s a few good discussions on the web, this one is quite informative www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/silly-question-soldering-temperatures/

@therushden 3 жыл бұрын

Terry and Dave are the same colour as the text on the keyboard. Apologies to the gummy pair if this doesn't comply to confectionery based diversity.

@danielson9579 3 жыл бұрын

Your comments crack me up 😂😂😂

@fsddevelopment4513 3 жыл бұрын

Use quality solder rather than Biffins Solder otherwise you will just keep getting a bridge.

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

It's always dangerous on Biffin's Bridge. One slip and you're in the $h*t.

@spawnlink 3 жыл бұрын

A little flux would have probably handled that bridge more easily.

@MarkFixesStuff 3 жыл бұрын

Yes indeed!!

@andygozzo72 3 жыл бұрын

noo, dont 'gut' the modulators, no need !

@andygozzo72 Жыл бұрын

just link the modulators input to the centre contact of the phono via a 220uf 10v capacitor, and reduce the modulator driver transistor emitter resistor by 3 , so to improve negative going drive (helps squareness of sync pulse leading edges)

@blackterminal 3 ай бұрын

I wouldn't want to do this to my family original Spectrum. It also seems sad to remove original parts if not absolutely needed like some no longer made chips for a Commodore or Atari. The original modulator is going in the bin or in a box to never be used again. For something antique this is sad. Imo using a CRT with slight interference on the screen is part of the original experience. Perfect output is not how it was. I was very happy as it was back in the day. There is no need to force a Spectrum to be good on a tv it was never designed for. Each to their own.