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JamHamster

@jamhamster.bsky.social
1K followers 38 following 1.8K posts

Nerd, tinkerer, lunatic.

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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Tree removal day! It's dead and won't fall for a while but it's the right thing to do. It's the first time I've needed to pay someone to do something since I moved in as I've taught myself how to do everything else. ...and my tree climbing days are a few decades behind me. 😂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I've been down a rabbit hole of C64 TAP images of late. It's very hard to tell what's what. I've got a PS script that will pick through TAP files and pop out a visual representation in PNG format. It's dead easy to spot a wrongun at the merest glance now...
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I need a workshop chair. I have all the bits except for a seat so I'll see what I can do with a scaffold board. I'll also need to learn upholstery which I'm rather looking forward to. 😁
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The sky is always interesting in Hove. A straight banger of a sunset last night, harvest moon this morning and a partial rainbow over the tree at the bottom of the garden. It's quite fitting as it's being cut down on Monday ('cos it's as dead as A-Line flares with pockets in the knees.) ☺️
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Oh dear, my print bed is a smidge wonky... That'll keep me entertained this evening. 🤔
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Mmmmm... Purdy... 🤤
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I got up at bonkers o'clock this morning and did a deep dive into the state of C64 .tap files. I also documented the process and results. Long story short, get your taps from uta.pokefinder.org ☺️ jamhamster.wordpress.com/2026/09/19/c...
jamhamster.wordpress.com
Commodore Tap File Quality. (Or why the flustering heck doesn’t this C64 game load!)
Hi, I’ve been working on a games loader device since lockdown and I’m getting really close to getting this working properly. C64 loading has often been problematic. One .tap file wouldn…
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I've been busy adulting but should have a chunk of time at the weekend to get this version working nicely. The switch action is horrible, and the reels need to be quieter. I'm also sure I can squeeze a smidge more performance and slider headroom out of it. 🤔 Oh, also labels for the buttons. 😂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Nice to know I'm not the only one doing this sort of thing - The rotary encoder is a good choice. 😊
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
This is 'Karl' who swings by a couple of times a day, tumbles round on the decking adorably, then knacks off. It turns out that if you try and stroke her, she will do her absolute best to try to kill/maim/disfigure you. 😂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
PCBs built, programmed and tested. The reel lights are surprisingly useful for diagnostics and do different things depending on the error, this was pure luck. 😲 It made for a pleasant build session, and fault finding was a breeze! 🎉 Still need some parts but it's a good start.
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
My partner picked up a poster and is struggling to see why I'm finding it funny.
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Have ordered some boards for v0.2. they're functionally the same as the other ones and have the fix list integrated. I also found room to add a programming port and have most of the components added at the factory so they should be easier to build. ☺️
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Mwahahaha! Marvellous! 😂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I always do something nice for my Stunt Speccy when it has been battered by test runs. 🙂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Well, these are some very exciting times! @balford.bsky.social is turning up the juice to see what shakes loose. 😊
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
@breakintoprogram.co.uk has been really helpful in testing a Fluxcaster. He is also a thoroughly nice chap and well worth a follow! It really is great to see one working as intended out in the wild! 🥳
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
I've printed out some shells to test various colour combinations. I'm calling the square ones 'Classic' and the rounded ones 'Funk'. The PCB is cross compatible and shell swaps are pretty easy. Also, the blue and green ones glow in the dark. ☺️
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Side quest - Sensor reels. The last batch I made were noisy as the geometry was off in the way the reels were engaged by the deck. They need house 6 0.5mm 2mm magnets each and are quite fiddly so I need to make them on my laser cutter. I'll start with acid green I think. 🙂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
The extrusion and cfs loading on my K2 plus has been iffy and it's a pain to clear blockages so I upgraded to a DXC2. It was nothing but trouble. I eventually traced it to a filament cutter that's the wrong shape, and blunt so swapped it out with the stock cutter and it's as good as gold now. 🙂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
I needed to have a count up of my cassette builds as I lost track. Now up to 24... 😂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
FluxCaster build thread! It's a self contained Bluetooth cassette adapter specifically for loading games on to older systems. It's got a Schmitt trigger onboard to tidy up incoming data, will pause automatically for the C64 and has some other bells and whistles. 🤓
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Happy Friday!! I have a cheeky afternoon off. I've mowed the lawn (now there is one!) and I have a cassette to assemble, test and tweak. Thread incoming...
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Started building one and found the inevitable (and practically mandatory) eff up. Didn't connect the charger ground but patched it and there are no solder pads in the underside. Oh, and the traces to the pots don't reach far enough. Other than that it seems good so far. ☺️
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Not the type of soldering I was expecting to do this weekend but it has been quite fun just taking my time and adding a cursory layer of fussiness. 🙂 (Small leak from the mains, may have been nudged when the meter was changed)
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Saw this stunning little creature in the garden. 😍
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
I get accurate footprints by scanning the item, importing it into Lightburn, zooming right in, tracing it out and importing the resulting .svg into Kicad after a tidy up. I've not seen anyone else do this so thought I'd share, it's a really quick process and pretty darned accurate to boot! 🙂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Designed the board for my loader cassette and added a bell and whistle or two while I was at it. It might even work! I'll find out in a few days as I have some on the way. I've never done a 'proper' PCB before, it was hard!! 😅
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Spent ages over the last few weeks digging over 80 years of compacted clay, adding loam and levelling. Seeded the heck out of it last Saturday, and 5 days later we have grasslings! I did a classic double take and eye rub, I really wasn't expecting results this soon! 🥳
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Workshop temperature holding steady with no ventilation. Nice to see all the insulation doing its job. ☺️
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I was raised on these streets.
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Can handle the heat but the bites aren't fun - Insects clearly think I'm 'Tasty, tasty, very very tasty' Also, enjoy your earworm for today. 😂 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaPx...
youtube.com
Classic Ads: Bran Flakes (They're very tasty) with Ray Winstone
YouTube video by ukclassictelly
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Had trouble with Creality Print bombing out every other slice. I have an Nvidia card, and it doesn't like it at all. If you set a profile for Creality Print and turn threaded optimisation off, it works like a charm and makes slicing massively quicker too. 😊
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Finished digging over the back garden ready for seeding and had a rather lovely day raking out stones and things. Levelling it out is very therapeutic and I put in a full days graft without the walking stick which is really encouraging. 🙂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Had a merry old time at the weekend digging up the lawn. It was mostly compressed clay which was fun to use the tiller on (t'was very bouncy) I made an ad-hoc level and sieving truck and a robin kept me company all day. Also saw another bird get noisily scoffed by a hawk! 😲
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Just had the plumbers round to remove the internal water meter from the loo to outside - I redid it all when the cistern decided to try and escape off of the wall with connectors, isolators, the lot. Apparently it's the easiest job they've had all year. 🙂
static.klipy.com
Captain Holt Yells VINDICATION in B99
ALT: Captain Holt Yells VINDICATION in B99
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
After about 7 years I have finally got a tape loader cassette working in a way I'm happy with. The design is done barring some timing tweaks for the pause detection. I would like to get a PCB made (for a kit) but need help translating my squirrelly madness into a Gerber file. Any volunteers? 🙂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Having an impromptu day out in Brighton which sounds nice but I'm in hospital waiting for an MRI thanks to some surprise paralysis. 🤔
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
As we have good weather, We're digging out and clearing the ground around the garage. It wicks moisture into the wall and I've been meaning to get to it since I moved in. I'm also keen to see how well the insulation holds up. The last one was boiling in summer and freezing (and wet!) in winter. 🤞
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
I made this for the workshop as a reminder not to get too comfortable with dangerous things. As warnings go, it's as sober as it gets. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_c...
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Gave the big vice a once over. 🙂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Question for clever people that know way more than I - Could a flat panel display with an LVDS interface be used with a hacked custom driver board to be 'dumb' and run line by line, left to right instead of a frame at a time? Theoretically, it could be used for a lag free retro display driver. 🤔
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
I'll either fix this drill or summon Pinhead. 😂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Mystery hole! 😲 We finally got round to properly digging out the 2ft of soil at the back of the garage and found a hole with a grating on it. It's probably just connected to the soakaway (if it weren't stuffed with dirt) but I'm going to have a poke at it. 🤔
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Something fun for the weekend has arrived. The plan is to learn welding as I've never done it before. 🙂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
I've had my fill of the 'new functions' in Notepad and if you're the same, this should restore the correct behaviour.
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
My vent manifold is not exciting me but I have a plan... 🙂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
A cheeky little side quest while waiting for bearings. ☺️
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
I'm going to give my belt sander a look over. I've ridden it hard for over a decade and it's responsible for pretty much every curved/polished thing I've made. 🙂
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JamHamster @jamhamster.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Gave the Concussion Bike a once over, it was an absolute breeze thanks to the Nifty Lifty bars. ☺️
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