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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 3h

Not sure, probably The Omen or The Amityville Horror. I went on to enjoy a lot of horror films as a young teen in the early 1990s it was rich pickings!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Many happy memories playing Quake, GLQuake and QuakeWorld!! I liked it so much i built a Dual 3Dfx Voodoo2 machine to play it all again!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

After some googling, the QS29FCT were made by Quality Semiconductor Inc, later to become IDT/Renesas. The custom mask ICs Quantel made were used a lot. Every v-series machine would have used at least 18 of them so worth the cost over programmable devices.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

You can see the Quantel 'custom' ICs on the Disk and Mainstore cards. From what i understand they are fairly simple custom gate arrays. They i don't think the design changed in the 20+ years they used them.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Although Quantel did have some custom ICs made, none are used on this board. It's all off the shelf combinational logic ICs or programmed CPLDs or FPGAs.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

The ST Micro 'Snaphat' NVRAMs were a replacement for the old type that had the battery embedded in the IC. These allow you to snap off and replace the batteries without any soldering!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

#Quantel repair time! Salvaged two NVRAMs from a dead CPU43 board so they can be used as replacements on CPU board that needs new ones. Quite a job to remove them as the 'Snaphat' ICs are SMD so Quantel made these adaptor boards with very fiddly turned pins. All good to go!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

My engineering head asks; Why does it need to be two legged? What benefit does it have? There's probably some crackpot start-up company behind it with 1/2 their software written with Claude 🙄

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I have been cycling most of the year, i have considered something like this but i want the full exercise TBH. Done 2,172km so far this year on my bike! Though i think i'll be getting a manual folding bike as well so i can take it on busses when the weather gets bad.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

In 1988, it could possibly be done on a Quantel Graphic Paintbox (same as used on Queen's Miracle album cover).

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

You can see the 6 GLogic SCSI controllers next to the backplane connector on the right. I am guessing one FPGA will run a frame buffer, the other will be running it's SCSI controller, then duplicated to 3 to make one 'Dylan' then duplicated again to make the second Dylan.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Not quite, it's running 6 LVDS SCSI disks. It's effectively two independent Quantel Dylan disk arrays (i think you have seen my older 20 disk one?), but instead of 20 disks it's 3 on each channel. Why two independent arrays? So it can read and write video at the same time in real time.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Yes, very inspiring how the seemingly impossible can be done with the right people and effort. It has given me hope we might be able to fix one of these 14 layer monster disk controller cards from a #Quantel Henry. All the examples we know of has failed and we don't really know why. 😭

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Yea, and the great thing is; i don't work Fridays 🤘

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Reposted by DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy

OP Workshop @opworkshop.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

OP Workshop is the official sponsor of this year's VCFMW Talks! I'll have a table (A101) with an exhibit, "The Art of Computing" featuring hardware such as the Quantel Paintbox, Fairlight CVI, HD footage on a period HDVS monitor, & more! See you this Sep. 12-13 at the Schaumburg Convention Center!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I have seen a few flashes here in Manchester, i think there will be more tomorrow!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

i do kinda remember, i was only 8 at the time, but i do have a vague recollection of this happening at school and maybe Blue Peter running a thing about it?

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

A clone of Space Invaders on the Sharp MZ-80K loaded from cassette. I don't play it today!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Finally got the HPI Baja running! There are still some bits to fix though!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Had the Blackfoot in the day. Then Vanquish as i couldn't afford the Avante. Later though i blended an Avante chassis with the Vanquish to make an Vantequish

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Local to South Manchester? Could meet if you fancy it?

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Yea, Tamiya box spanner, pretty much the only tool you need for your RC!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

I bet there's quite a few 70s, 80s and 90s kids out there that know this tool!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Always loved the Maplin catalogue covers, a similar vibe.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

i was doing the same earlier today... looked out the window here in Manchester and i said out loud; "there appears to be something falling from the sky!"

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Interesting, i might try this. Any support for GL / 3dfx? I have a nice retro setup for voodoo2 SLI that works great for Quake.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

So it's been a few days... this is the device in question a BPMC Premium Cable video glitch device. archive.glitchart.com/shop/premium...

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Reposted by DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy

Wayne Young @slartyb.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Please sign this petition to help save Jodrell Bank. Thanks. c.org/hJPY2VFrkW

c.org

Sign the Petition

Save science at Jodrell Bank and the iconic Lovell Telescope

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

...or maybe a few nice philanthropic millionaires or billionaires could setup some private funding? 🤷

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Really great evening at the Chiverton Tap tonight, such great company 😍

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I have a thing about ceramics, so these are not all CPUs but there's only one boss, it's the Pentium Pro. But i have had more personal experiences with the 68000 family than any other so they have a special place too.

An anti-static box containing two layers of ceramic ICs. A mixture of CPUs, DSPs, FPGAs, EPROMs, etc. I am pointing to a Pentium Pro.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

lol, i remember doing that a few times back in 1996! (OMG it was 30 years ago 😵‍💫)

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

When do we get evening Quantel Paintbox time Jeff? We can make this happen if you want it...

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I literally had this, i used the bag for school!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Amazing #pokemongo raid day in #stockport today. Picked up a hundo mega mewtwo 😲

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

what i can't quite get my head around is that is in my lifetime, when you look at the change from then to now it's 🤯

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

I did like the Falcon, i bought one of the first, it was the video just didn't cut it for me. So i decided to lose the Falcon and it's DSP for the TT030 and added in a CrazyDots II Tseng Labs ET4000 video card along with 128Mb 32 bit RAM and the difference was massive.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

yea had a couple over the years... 2600, 5200, 7800, JaguarCD, Lynx, 800XL, STFM, STE, TT030, Falcon030, Portfolio 😉 I still have the Jaguar and the Lynx, the rest are long gone unfortunately.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

I can't say i drove past it in the 1980s, only that i was driven past it i was too young to drive, but i do remember it!!! I have a recollection the Maplin store was close by?? 🤷

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

It's probably peeling off because of all the H²O² they have been putting in the water 🤣

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Lol, yea we have all done it! It's part of the SPD experience! 😆

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

ever considered switching to SPDs / clip in? I have used them for years and the benefits outweigh the downsides for me. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimano...

en.wikipedia.org

Shimano Pedaling Dynamics - Wikipedia

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Reposted by DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy

TVARK @tvark.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

We remember... John Logie Baird - inventor 13 August 1888 – 14 June 1946 Age 57 John demonstrated the world's first mechanical TV system in 1926. He went on to invent the first publicly demonstrated colour television system and the first viable purely electronic colour television picture tube.

We remember...

John Logie Baird - inventor
13 August 1888 – 14 June 1946
Age 57

John demonstrated the world's first mechanical television system in 1926. He went on to invent the first publicly demonstrated colour television system and the first viable purely electronic colour television picture tube.

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

I think mine is about as crunchy and decrepit as the one in the film TBH!

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DextersTechLab - The Quantel Guy @dexterstechlab.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Sorry to hear the news of David Hockney's passing. Here he is trying out a #Quantel DPB-7001 Digital Paint Box in the BBC Painting With Light program. Without this the Paintbox would be even less known than it is now, so thank you David 👍 🫡 youtu.be/ZI8RbdPe4ro

youtu.be

BBC Painting With Light (Laserdisc Remaster - David Hockney - Larry Rivers - Jennifer Bartlett)

YouTube video by DextersTechLab

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