Last year I got my first Viglen-cased Acorn BBC Model B, which was very kindly given to me by a friend – these use most of the original parts from the converted Model B except for the top case, so require servicing before powering on due to ageing RIFA mains filter capacitors which like toContinue reading “1984 Viglen-Cased Acorn BBC Model B Repair & Restoration”
Tag Archives: Acorn
Farewell to 2025!
As 2025 draws to a close, I wanted to thank all of you – my wife, viewers, subscribers, supporters, those who have bought anything from me, had anything repaired/serviced by me, or donated/sold anything to me – for making 2025 a great year. I’m sending all of my best wishes to you and your lovedContinue reading “Farewell to 2025!”
1992 Acorn Archimedes 3010 Repair & Restoration
Earlier in 2024, I bought a large lot of very interesting vintage electronics – including test gear, computers, and audio equipment – which belonged to a local electronics engineer, who had sadly passed away quite recently, and whose family wanted it to go to a good home. Among this was a very nice Acorn ArchimedesContinue reading “1992 Acorn Archimedes 3010 Repair & Restoration”
1992 Acorn A4 Laptop Repair, Restoration, & Modifications
A friend of mine who I’ve done several repairs for in the past recently trusted me with a rather rare, and very poorly, Acorn A4 laptop. The A4 was an early laptop and the only one that Acorn ever made – it was effectively an Archimedes 5000 squashed into a portable case, including an 1800mAhContinue reading “1992 Acorn A4 Laptop Repair, Restoration, & Modifications”
My 1982 Acorn Atom
I recently obtained my first Acorn Atom, another 1980s 8-bit computer to add to my collection. The machine was in very good, tested condition and came with several tasteful (and reversible) modifications to improve reliability and usability. The Acorn Atom was produced by Acorn Computers Ltd from 1980 to 1982, when it was replaced by the BBC Micro. The AtomContinue reading “My 1982 Acorn Atom”
Acorn Archimedes 3000 Repair & Restoration
I recently acquired my first Acorn Archimedes 3000, yet another vintage computer to add to my collection. The machine was in very good condition and came with several accessories and its original box, as well as a matching Acorn AKF-17 CRT display, however it was bought sold-as-seen. The Acorn Archimedes 3000, or A3000, was released in May 1989Continue reading “Acorn Archimedes 3000 Repair & Restoration”
Acorn AKF-17 CRT Monitor Restoration
I recently acquired a 1980s Acorn Archimedes A3000 32-bit computer for my collection (which I successfully restored in another article), which came with a matching Acorn AKF-17 CRT monitor. Both were in good condition and came with several accessories, but were sold-as-seen with partial testing. The Acorn AKF-17 is a 14″ 15KHz CRT colour monitorContinue reading “Acorn AKF-17 CRT Monitor Restoration”
Acorn Electron Repair & Restoration
A little while back, I was given a 1984 Acorn Electron by a friend – it had just been pulled out of his parents’ loft, so as you could imagine, it was in pretty rough shape. I’ve owned a few Electrons now, and they’re fun to work on, so I decided to fix it up.Continue reading “Acorn Electron Repair & Restoration”
Upgrading an Acorn BBC Model B
I recently won a charity auction for a BBC Model B bundle on eBay (see my original blog post here, and CRT restoration here). The Model B was a common sight in British schools during the 1980s thanks to the BBC’s Computer Literacy Project. It’s common for certain components in vintage electronics to deteriorate withContinue reading “Upgrading an Acorn BBC Model B”
Microvitec CUB 1431-MS CRT Monitor Restoration
I recently won a charity auction for a BBC Model B bundle on eBay (see my original blog post here), which included a Microvitec CUB 1431-MS CRT colour monitor, a common sight in British schools during the 1980s thanks to the BBC’s Computer Literacy Project. The monitor was rather worse for wear: it was coveredContinue reading “Microvitec CUB 1431-MS CRT Monitor Restoration”