Pinned
The amp isn't agile enough to do a snappy rising and falling edge at low volume so I'm playing with dual wound coils.
I have a 100/600 turn setup at the moment and a switch at the side to choose but it's rubbish so I'll try two separates. 🙂
I have a 100/600 turn setup at the moment and a switch at the side to choose but it's rubbish so I'll try two separates. 🙂
November 9, 2025 at 9:03 AM
The amp isn't agile enough to do a snappy rising and falling edge at low volume so I'm playing with dual wound coils.
I have a 100/600 turn setup at the moment and a switch at the side to choose but it's rubbish so I'll try two separates. 🙂
I have a 100/600 turn setup at the moment and a switch at the side to choose but it's rubbish so I'll try two separates. 🙂
I've been using a .tzx of StrangeLoop to test loading games from a Bluetooth cassette but it has always been weird.
I have an original copy and the game loading speed is about 8-10 seconds faster than the .tzx. it's not the deck speed, that's been checked.
I might try and rip my copy. 🤔
I have an original copy and the game loading speed is about 8-10 seconds faster than the .tzx. it's not the deck speed, that's been checked.
I might try and rip my copy. 🤔
November 8, 2025 at 12:57 PM
I've been using a .tzx of StrangeLoop to test loading games from a Bluetooth cassette but it has always been weird.
I have an original copy and the game loading speed is about 8-10 seconds faster than the .tzx. it's not the deck speed, that's been checked.
I might try and rip my copy. 🤔
I have an original copy and the game loading speed is about 8-10 seconds faster than the .tzx. it's not the deck speed, that's been checked.
I might try and rip my copy. 🤔
Got a cheapie Bluetooth Cassette Adapter to play with.
I have an idea that ought to be interesting and I'll pop it open tonight and take a look. ☺️
I have an idea that ought to be interesting and I'll pop it open tonight and take a look. ☺️
November 6, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Got a cheapie Bluetooth Cassette Adapter to play with.
I have an idea that ought to be interesting and I'll pop it open tonight and take a look. ☺️
I have an idea that ought to be interesting and I'll pop it open tonight and take a look. ☺️
Oh yeah, about that pause detection.
The full Arduino is overkill but the attiny doesn't have hardware serial which is needed for snappy pause response from the Bluetooth module.
Luckily there's a gpio pin on the module that pauses if you short it to ground.
I'll need a PCB for this. 🤔
The full Arduino is overkill but the attiny doesn't have hardware serial which is needed for snappy pause response from the Bluetooth module.
Luckily there's a gpio pin on the module that pauses if you short it to ground.
I'll need a PCB for this. 🤔
November 2, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Oh yeah, about that pause detection.
The full Arduino is overkill but the attiny doesn't have hardware serial which is needed for snappy pause response from the Bluetooth module.
Luckily there's a gpio pin on the module that pauses if you short it to ground.
I'll need a PCB for this. 🤔
The full Arduino is overkill but the attiny doesn't have hardware serial which is needed for snappy pause response from the Bluetooth module.
Luckily there's a gpio pin on the module that pauses if you short it to ground.
I'll need a PCB for this. 🤔
Hello!! I'm working on a tape loader device type thing and I want to give it something tricky to chew on.
What are the trickiest loaders fo the C64 and Speccy? I'm currently loading StrangeLoop and Sanxion without issue and I'm after a challenge.
Suggestions gratefully received! 🙂
What are the trickiest loaders fo the C64 and Speccy? I'm currently loading StrangeLoop and Sanxion without issue and I'm after a challenge.
Suggestions gratefully received! 🙂
October 27, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Hello!! I'm working on a tape loader device type thing and I want to give it something tricky to chew on.
What are the trickiest loaders fo the C64 and Speccy? I'm currently loading StrangeLoop and Sanxion without issue and I'm after a challenge.
Suggestions gratefully received! 🙂
What are the trickiest loaders fo the C64 and Speccy? I'm currently loading StrangeLoop and Sanxion without issue and I'm after a challenge.
Suggestions gratefully received! 🙂
I have a plan to put this loading business to bed once and for all.
If I'm right, it should 'just' be a case of matching the coil to the Bluetooth amp to get a wide enough frequency range with no distortion.
There is also HF noise on the output that triggers a double edge detection.
If I'm right, it should 'just' be a case of matching the coil to the Bluetooth amp to get a wide enough frequency range with no distortion.
There is also HF noise on the output that triggers a double edge detection.
October 12, 2025 at 10:57 AM
I have a plan to put this loading business to bed once and for all.
If I'm right, it should 'just' be a case of matching the coil to the Bluetooth amp to get a wide enough frequency range with no distortion.
There is also HF noise on the output that triggers a double edge detection.
If I'm right, it should 'just' be a case of matching the coil to the Bluetooth amp to get a wide enough frequency range with no distortion.
There is also HF noise on the output that triggers a double edge detection.
Popped round my local shop and found this highly amusing.
'Superman - The strongest Avenger.' 😂
'Superman - The strongest Avenger.' 😂
October 8, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Popped round my local shop and found this highly amusing.
'Superman - The strongest Avenger.' 😂
'Superman - The strongest Avenger.' 😂
A new Pi 500 was released today, the Pi500+. The keyboard is pretty nice and goes rather well with FatScreen #3. ☺️
September 25, 2025 at 3:53 PM
A new Pi 500 was released today, the Pi500+. The keyboard is pretty nice and goes rather well with FatScreen #3. ☺️
Found an old video of the time I was testing out resonance speakers. I'll use them for something one day but not this. 😂
September 19, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Found an old video of the time I was testing out resonance speakers. I'll use them for something one day but not this. 😂
I've been playing with an XY-SP5W this morning and it has instantly become my favourite amp module.
It has all sorts of protections and built in filtering, it's switchable between class A/B and D and has enough power to drive a coil hard enough for a near square wave.
It's tiny wee and 80p! 😍
It has all sorts of protections and built in filtering, it's switchable between class A/B and D and has enough power to drive a coil hard enough for a near square wave.
It's tiny wee and 80p! 😍
September 19, 2025 at 7:43 AM
I've been playing with an XY-SP5W this morning and it has instantly become my favourite amp module.
It has all sorts of protections and built in filtering, it's switchable between class A/B and D and has enough power to drive a coil hard enough for a near square wave.
It's tiny wee and 80p! 😍
It has all sorts of protections and built in filtering, it's switchable between class A/B and D and has enough power to drive a coil hard enough for a near square wave.
It's tiny wee and 80p! 😍
Help!!
My cassette advanture has hit a sticking point. No matter how clean the sighal is, the C64 deck will pick up pretty much any noise on the upswing of the wave.
I'm looking for a simple circuit/method that'll turn a narrrow band sine into a wide band sine to add some noise.
Does this exist?
My cassette advanture has hit a sticking point. No matter how clean the sighal is, the C64 deck will pick up pretty much any noise on the upswing of the wave.
I'm looking for a simple circuit/method that'll turn a narrrow band sine into a wide band sine to add some noise.
Does this exist?
September 9, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Help!!
My cassette advanture has hit a sticking point. No matter how clean the sighal is, the C64 deck will pick up pretty much any noise on the upswing of the wave.
I'm looking for a simple circuit/method that'll turn a narrrow band sine into a wide band sine to add some noise.
Does this exist?
My cassette advanture has hit a sticking point. No matter how clean the sighal is, the C64 deck will pick up pretty much any noise on the upswing of the wave.
I'm looking for a simple circuit/method that'll turn a narrrow band sine into a wide band sine to add some noise.
Does this exist?
I thought I'd give chatgpt a go to help with some formulas and stuff with the cassette build and it didn't go well.
The last thing I saw was 'thinking for 58 seconds' and it seemed to have pooped its pants and gave up. 😂
The last thing I saw was 'thinking for 58 seconds' and it seemed to have pooped its pants and gave up. 😂
September 8, 2025 at 1:30 PM
I thought I'd give chatgpt a go to help with some formulas and stuff with the cassette build and it didn't go well.
The last thing I saw was 'thinking for 58 seconds' and it seemed to have pooped its pants and gave up. 😂
The last thing I saw was 'thinking for 58 seconds' and it seemed to have pooped its pants and gave up. 😂
I've been referencing the original cassette specs for a project and I'm really drawn to the blueprints.
So much so that I've got a printed t-shirt on the way. ☺️
So much so that I've got a printed t-shirt on the way. ☺️
September 5, 2025 at 11:57 AM
I've been referencing the original cassette specs for a project and I'm really drawn to the blueprints.
So much so that I've got a printed t-shirt on the way. ☺️
So much so that I've got a printed t-shirt on the way. ☺️
I've received a whole swathe of Delrin sheets in various thicknesses.
As materials go, Delrin is in my top 3. ☺️
As materials go, Delrin is in my top 3. ☺️
September 3, 2025 at 3:13 PM
I've received a whole swathe of Delrin sheets in various thicknesses.
As materials go, Delrin is in my top 3. ☺️
As materials go, Delrin is in my top 3. ☺️
If you see this post a chef
September 2, 2025 at 1:47 PM
If you see this post a chef
Cassette testing has temporarily come to a halt thanks to a rather sickly C64.
I'll take a look tonight. 🤔
I'll take a look tonight. 🤔
September 2, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Cassette testing has temporarily come to a halt thanks to a rather sickly C64.
I'll take a look tonight. 🤔
I'll take a look tonight. 🤔
Now the platform is rock solid, I've noticed something odd about tape images and loading through a deck.
I've had some games that are really fussy but it turns out that the tape images will work fine on an emulator, but not in the 'real world'. A different capture of the same tap works fine. ☺️
I've had some games that are really fussy but it turns out that the tape images will work fine on an emulator, but not in the 'real world'. A different capture of the same tap works fine. ☺️
August 26, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Now the platform is rock solid, I've noticed something odd about tape images and loading through a deck.
I've had some games that are really fussy but it turns out that the tape images will work fine on an emulator, but not in the 'real world'. A different capture of the same tap works fine. ☺️
I've had some games that are really fussy but it turns out that the tape images will work fine on an emulator, but not in the 'real world'. A different capture of the same tap works fine. ☺️
Now I have some extra room and a reliable platform I'm going to add more gubbins.
I'll need to do some experimentation to see what I can detect and how I can use it but the idea is to get it to react to a motor pause command and do 'something'. 🤔
I'll need to do some experimentation to see what I can detect and how I can use it but the idea is to get it to react to a motor pause command and do 'something'. 🤔
August 17, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Now I have some extra room and a reliable platform I'm going to add more gubbins.
I'll need to do some experimentation to see what I can detect and how I can use it but the idea is to get it to react to a motor pause command and do 'something'. 🤔
I'll need to do some experimentation to see what I can detect and how I can use it but the idea is to get it to react to a motor pause command and do 'something'. 🤔
I've been shuffling bits about to free up some space (which I'll need for V2) but I think this'll do it.
I used an iron core for the coil, I was using steel which is apparently a terrible thing to do. I expect it to be too loud now but I can fix that. 🙂
I used an iron core for the coil, I was using steel which is apparently a terrible thing to do. I expect it to be too loud now but I can fix that. 🙂
August 16, 2025 at 12:55 PM
I've been shuffling bits about to free up some space (which I'll need for V2) but I think this'll do it.
I used an iron core for the coil, I was using steel which is apparently a terrible thing to do. I expect it to be too loud now but I can fix that. 🙂
I used an iron core for the coil, I was using steel which is apparently a terrible thing to do. I expect it to be too loud now but I can fix that. 🙂
Accidental Hitcher. 🙂
August 16, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Accidental Hitcher. 🙂
I will never get tired of watching the Laser-Goose work. ☺️
August 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I will never get tired of watching the Laser-Goose work. ☺️
2 Men, a Drum Machine and a Cornet.
Slightly diminish a band:
Nearly New Order
Nearly New Order
Slightly diminish a band:
Five Inch Nails
Five Inch Nails
August 13, 2025 at 3:42 PM
2 Men, a Drum Machine and a Cornet.
The lm386 modules are great but needed a bunch of tweaks to work with the coils and they take up a lot of space.
I'm going to try to roll up the fixes into a 'coil driver' PCB and will get a basic version up and running first, then tune the output stage. 🙂
I'm going to try to roll up the fixes into a 'coil driver' PCB and will get a basic version up and running first, then tune the output stage. 🙂
August 10, 2025 at 6:36 AM
The lm386 modules are great but needed a bunch of tweaks to work with the coils and they take up a lot of space.
I'm going to try to roll up the fixes into a 'coil driver' PCB and will get a basic version up and running first, then tune the output stage. 🙂
I'm going to try to roll up the fixes into a 'coil driver' PCB and will get a basic version up and running first, then tune the output stage. 🙂
