Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Got my first Atari VCS console in '78 and this was my first handheld games console the following year. The Palitoy Merlin. I always felt superior to those that had the 'Simon' game of the same era. 141
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Sold an ASR 33 Teletype today. Was delighted to see an enthusiastic and knowledgeable young man in his 20's collect it. Great to see enthusiasm for vintage compute/telecom gear in the next gen. Now I sound like an old fart. 010
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Mammoth soldering session complete and the first of my EconoPET replacement boards is up and running. Quite pleased with this (not the soldering). Other than some video timing shenanigans, all went well. 111
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Tantalum tantrums at VCF West. No diving for cover, no screams - clearly a familiar scenario for everyone involved. 091
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 07/09/2026An orange felt tip pen top lurking in the AC mains PSU for a Commodore PET. It seems someone decided it would make a great insulator for the twisted together mains neutral feed to the mains power transformer. Shocking. 110
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Bought a couple of these EconoPET boards to build. All the SMD stuff is already done. Just waiting for the Mouser order to arrive. 000
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Latest Mouser order took just 24 hours to travel from Texas to Stansted in the UK and has now been stuck there for more than a week. No updates from FedEx. 000
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 16/08/2026Released another Superbrain into the wild today. Has found a new home near the sea on the south coast. Down to my last two but welcome the storage space freed up. 010
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 16/08/2026Ayone using these ? They look quite good dlehenbauer.github.io/econopet/40-...dlehenbauer.github.ioEconoPET 40/8096 Rev. A - Commodore CBM/PET Mainboard ReplacementEconoPET 40/8096 Rev. A mainboard replacement for Commodore CBM/PET series computers 000
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 26/07/2026My goodness. This TNT Sport Commonwealth games coverage is abysmal. 010
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 25/07/2026Endured 3 hours (to cover just 30 miles) on the M25 to collect this Altair 8800b from sunny Essex today. I think she's worth it. 010
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 06/07/2026Mmmm crusty...... www.ebay.co.uk/itm/26771865...ebay.co.ukPET 2001 Computer Untested | eBay UKSold for restoration. This was my late father’s PET. I’m not sure when he last used it. It has a 2 pin (USA) plug on it and requires 115v so I can’t easily test it. 100
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 21/06/2026Happy Father's day to the dads out there, including my own dear departed. My (grown up) kids know what I like - I'm a simple sort. 020
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 02/06/2026Had the PDP-8/f for a week and all I have done with it is buy a new key. Key-king in Australia got it to me within a week ! Switch needed some cleaner/lube before it would turn. 170
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 02/05/2026Cray supercomputer anyone ? www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auctio...the-saleroom.comThe Cray SupercomputersRWB Auctions Limited 000
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 15/04/2026Note to self: do more research befor you buy stuff. Why did I think this Apricot 'portable' was the size of an Atari portfolio or an HP Palmtop ? This thing is MASSIVE - It is heavier than my Osborne 1. 020
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 15/04/2026Pleased with the RetroBrite finish on this early CoCo 1 keyboard I recently acquired. Before and after shot for your viewing pleasure. Quite a nice machine that came in a bundle with two floppy drives, the interface cart and loads of books. Oh, and a USB HUB and crappy USB webcam for some reason. 010
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 10/04/2026Happy with the Osborne 1 I picked up last week. Needed the PSU filter caps and a few significantly out of spec capacitors replaced before it would fire up. A good clean, drive lube and a spot of Retrobrite. 1415417
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 06/04/2026Will continue the Retrobrite endeavours on this tomorrow. Wonder if this Osborne 1 will 'just work' after 40 years in the previous owners loft. 010
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 02/04/2026Just a few days ago this Televideo 910 terminal was more yellow than a Benson & Hedges QA staffers fingers. Easter sunshine and some hair dye (Peroxide) has worked wonders. Hope the sun lasts. 030
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 02/04/2026Keyboard is letting the side down when sat inside the refurbished Superbrain case. Need the Easter Sun to retrobrite those. 2192
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 02/04/2026Quite pleased with the way the Superbrain case is coming along. Very difficult to get a clean line between the grew/brown front panel and the white case. Take a look at the (untouched inside) its a horrible mess of misshaped dirty resin case hand shaped with epoxy/melting to make things fit 110
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 28/03/2026While I wait for repair parts for the scruffy and damaged Superbrain, I have used the good weather this morning to prep the case. Filler for the deep gouges, sanding, high build primer and yet more sanding to come. Trying to maintain the slightly dimpled texture using some splutter on the spray gun. 020
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 27/03/2026Oh dear. The 'bargain' Superbrain may not be such a bargain. Looks like it has been thrown down a flight of stairs. Scruffy on the outside but smashed to bits inside. LOPT broken, CRT board coils snapped, random capacitors found inside...... 340
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Yay !. On a bit of a roll with CRT repairs this week (and I hate probing around on live CRT boards), This Televideo 910 terminal now running after a CRTC replacement on the main board and then a bulging C306 (Bipolar cap in the horizontal drive circuit) replacement on the CRT board. 160
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 18/03/2026Hooray ! Another 9" PET CRT rescued. Lots of problems with this one (12v reg, crumbled diodes and a TIP30 transistor in the veretical drive). Surprisingly all the caps tested well. TFW8BIT miniPET is a great test source - rules out all usual shenanigans with the PET mainboards video signals. 1353
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 03/03/2026Too far north for me but a reasonable priced project ebay.us/m/Gt5aYy 200
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 03/03/2026It has taken a strategically placed pound coin on some blutack to get this Macintosh SE to boot from floppy. A temporary solution I can assure. 120
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 02/03/2026Hooray ! the TRS-80 Model 4 I collected at the weekend (an early one fitted with a model III CRT driver board) is alive again. Was sufferinig from the awful screen 'smear' on the image. Simple replacement of an open circuit inductor L301 on the CRT board and she's happy again. 110
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 22/02/2026Always amazes me that Sony decided to make the forth gear on these Macintosh floppy drives out of Caramac. 120
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 20/02/2026Transformers - robots in disguise! Had to have the case - a complete impulse purchase. Matches the real thing perfectly. 031
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 21/01/2026Got anotherTeletype ASR 33 for restoration. It was in a CNC workshop for years and was covered in grime. Its mostly up and running now after removing the grime and loads of metal swarf. Just waiting for a few replacement parts before finishing it. 130
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 11/12/2025Rather too much plastic packaging for my liking. Think of the haddock ! 000
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 02/12/2025A couple of hastily 3D printed keycaps later and the Superbrain looks more complete. All up and running now. This model is a Superbrain I Jr model with single sided drives 5815
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 29/11/2025Another Superbrain pickup in Essex today. So far, so good. Previous owner was apparently Mr Test. 140
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 13/11/2025Finally picked up my latest Commodore Pet from lovely Bath today. Paid well over the odds but I had to have it just because of the BT (my current employer) customised ROM from the early 80's. Machine was used for Engineering education at Horwood House in Buckinghamshire. 110
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 02/07/20253 Model 33 Teletype machines ringside in the 1976 Rocky movie. 110
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 02/05/2025Convinced that's an Altair and matching disk drive on this evening's Six Million Dollar Man. 100
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 26/04/2025Superbrain QD up and running after a little cleaning, lubrication and some remote tech support - thanks @binarydinosaurs.co.uk 161
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 21/04/2025And here is the baby brother of the ASR33 - The KSR33. Same thing minus the paper tape reader and punch and a few kilos of weight. Its funny how you wait ages to get something then you end up with two in a short space of time. photos.app.goo.gl/CYyFEP21JgyY...photos.app.goo.glNew photo · Monday, Apr 21 📸Tap to view! 010
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 21/04/2025At last ! The ASR 33 now up and running. Connected via a 20mA current loop to WiFi converter based on ESP32S3. @heredragons.be photos.app.goo.gl/AtT3tv9pWAdf...photos.app.goo.glNew video by Ian Parr 151
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 23/02/2025So, the ASR 33 Teletype is almost all working. Line feed not working since I replaced the platten roller and its not quite printing characters on the paper- although doing all the right movement. Punch works, not tested the reader yet. @heredragons.be photos.app.goo.gl/sMCE3jw4bD9N...photos.app.goo.glNew video by Ian Parr 010
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 09/02/2025Teletype ASR 33 stripped down to its subsystem parts, cleaned and lubricated. Waiting for a few parts from the USA before firing it up for the first time in many years. @heredragons.be 110
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 06/02/2025Nice to meet you today @tjewell.bsky.social . Its a small world. Teletype ASR33 now safely home, rodent evidence free and its had a decent initial clean and mechanical survey. Updates to follow. 030
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 17/01/2025Hooray! My 1977 JVC HR-3300 finally working again after a new set of belts, some optical sensor fixes and a good old clean and lube. 120
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 23/01/2024This is an odd one - expensive too. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/36469299... 000
Ian Parr @ianparr.bsky.social · 20/01/2024I bought a thing. Having to sell a bunch of other things to pay for it. 2281
