Timex Sinclair 1000 upgrade

[gary2000]

Finally got around to repairing TS1000. "Bad ULA" turned out to be a bad capacitor. Upgrades include 16K and composite mod. Now to put it back together before the fragile ribbon connector breaks.

 

[SiriusHardware]

I've done the internal RAM upgrade on mine as well. Apart from the fact that it makes the machine usable, it preserves the classic, good looking lines of the basic computer which were always ruined by whatever RAM pack you had to plug in, plus it's a lot more stable - no more losing an hour's worth of program entry if the machine gets bumped or flexed. The SRAMs used in these upgrades also consume far less power than the original RAM packs did, so the whole thing can run cooler.

I left mine working through the modulator as I still have a contemporary small monochrome portable TV which works well with it.

I also installed the RAM in a completely reversible way (no track cuts) so the machine can be restored to original configuration at any time. You're right about those keyboard ribbons though. A company in the UK sells newly manufactured key membranes for the ZX81, although I guess your Timex version would ideally need one with a USA layout key legend.

 

[gary2000]

Yes, the 16K is well worth doing. The only thing preventing me from enjoying this fully- is the lack of a joystick. Now, I will research my options... I am surprised that an inexpensive adapter is not available.

 

[SiriusHardware]

It used to be quite trivial to make an interface for a joystick which emulates / replicates the action of the left / right / up / down and '0' keys which a lot of ZX81 games used for input by default - so then it works with games which aren't even designed to work with a joystick. Of course we're talking about a switched (Atari / Sinclair / Amstrad etc) stick here, not an analogue stick. I'll try to dig up the details if I can.

The ZX81 keyboard is a bit too unresponsive for game playing, when playing the classic '3D Monster Maze' I would be killed by the keyboard just as often as I would by my own ineptitude, thanks to the keyboard not registering my urgent demand for a left or right turn and my ending up running flat out straight ahead into a dead end with T Rex hard on my heels.