Did you own a rubber key model, if yes, did you upgrade it and if so how?

[1024MAK]

Our first ZX Spectrum was a 48k rubber key model. I upgraded by buying a dk’tronics keyboard.

In this topic , a number of members mention that they upgraded their machines. In most cases, they mean that a new computer was obtained (either brand new or ore-owned).

But my questions are, did anyone here upgrade their 16k model to having 48k bytes of RAM?

Did anyone here upgrade their rubber key model to a new plus keyboard kit from Sinclair (I mean by transplanting the existing ZX Spectrum circuit board)?

Did anyone here upgrade their rubber key model like I did by buying a third party keyboard and transplant their existing ZX Spectrum circuit board into it?

Did anyone here perform any other type of upgrade to their existing ZX Spectrum?

Mark

[rastersoft]

I did several manual upgrades. When the original keyboard died, I built myself a new keyboard, using an old terminal keyboard, and put the spectrum board and the transformer inside the terminal case. Unfortunately, that keyboard didn't last very much (it was a capacitive keyboard, so in order to make it work with the spectrum I had to add aluminum paper under each key to make electrical contact, and it started to fail after some months of use), so finally I removed the caps, glued them over microswitches, and built directly a new keyboard which worked much better. That also meant to build my own case. I also added a Z80 PIO, a serial port (also built by myself) and a monochrome video output (the schematics where taken from the Microhobby magazine).

[MatGubbins]

Not my rubber, but my poor grey+2! It had the keyboard taken out, the connectors on the motherboard removed, some printer ribbon cable soldered in, the keyboard connectors soldered to the ends, the keyboard was then placed into a dead spectrum+ base (from a boot fair) with some cardboard standoffs, blu-tac and sellotape to hold things in place, a black cardboard surround was added to make things neat and tidy. A groove was cut at the front of the +2 case to allow the ribbon cable to escape. A sheet of clear flimsy plastic (probably been an LP slip sleeve cut to size) sellotaped to cover the hole where the keyboard was. Yup, I gave my +2 extended keyboard so could use it on my lap. It had a range of about 2-3 feet, sometimes the C key wouldn't work but that was down to my soldering.



I was going to put a 25way parallel port connector at the front of the +2 case so that the cable wasn't tugging on motherboard but I couldn't get it to read any of the keys when it was soldered up - probably lack of power from the motherboard to the keyboard, so it remained as it was for quite a few years.

This mod was done around late 1990, after I bought my Amiga in April 1990.
This is a photo of the set up from after July 1991.



My +2 with interface 1, microdrive (with a self made extension cable so it would fit in the drawer), multiface 128, joystick box under desk.
Amiga 500 with a sound sampler, a mess of discs, cola cans, Thanatos and Head Over Heals posters, Fleetwood Mac 1988 tour poster in the top left corner, PWEI stencil on wall, Furry Freak Brothers artwork, Shamen 'Move any Mountain' CD single on top of Alba TV, Smurf ruler, French/English dictionary, Amiga Format/Computing magazines, calculator (in flip wallet next to the TV), torch, pens, scissors and other random junk.

It has all been put back together since, things are back to normal, apart from the junk, it's still lurking but in a different form.....

[Cosmium]

Yeah, I mail ordered the original rubber keyed 16K Spectrum and it arrived summer 82 - great stuff!

I got the internal RAM upgrade to 48K for Christmas 82. I think it was sold by 'East London Robotics'.

When the Spectrum+ was released I ordered the 'upgrade kit', but as I've noted here before, I was a bit disappointed with its keys compared to the rubber ones, which ironically seemed more accurate and precise for typing/game playing somehow

[AndyC]

Yes, we had a 16K model in 1982 which my dad soon upgraded to 48K to take advantage of all the extra software. We had an external RAM expansion made by Cheetah, which always made my best mate at the time suspicious that I was better at games than him because I had a "cheating" device plugged in.

An unfortunate incident with RAM pack wobble eventually did that machine in and it was replaced by a 48K+. Which in turn died a death from the annoying child of one of my mum's friends yanking a joystick interface out whilst it was running. Many wilderness years later we got a +2A and I was reunited with my adorable Speccy collection again.

[p13z]

Got the 16k Speccy in 1982. Was upgraded to 48k in 1983 by Evesham Micro.

[cha05e90]

Our first ZX Spectrum was a 48k rubber key model. I upgraded by buying a dk’tronics keyboard.

In this topic , a number of members mention that they upgraded their machines. In most cases, they mean that a new computer was obtained (either brand new or ore-owned).

But my questions are, did anyone here upgrade their 16k model to having 48k bytes of RAM?

Did anyone here upgrade their rubber key model to a new plus keyboard kit from Sinclair (I mean by transplanting the existing ZX Spectrum circuit board)?

Did anyone here upgrade their rubber key model like I did by buying a third party keyboard and transplant their existing ZX Spectrum circuit board into it?

Did anyone here perform any other type of upgrade to their existing ZX Spectrum?

Mark

Yes, all of them!

- Started with a rubber key issue 2 16k model.
- Upgraded this internally with the "official" RAM upgrade pack from Sinclair to 48k.
- Transplanted this into a dk'tronics keyboard (first edition without SPACE bar...).
- Transplanted this later into the much nicer but lower-typing-quality official "ZX Spectrum+"-upgrade incl. the reset switch soldering because...
- ...I bought the "ZX Spectrum Expansion Kit" where the ZX Interface 1 could not be attached to the dk'tronics 1st editon keyboard.

The only other thing in regards of manipulation the motherboard was a very hacky and amateurish attempt for a "composite mod" because I connected the ZX Spectrum to a very crisp and sharp 13" Zenith amber (!) monochrome monitor.

[stupidget]

Started with a 48k rubber beauty, upgraded to a Spectrum+ and finally upgraded that to a +2. So I didn't really upgrade as such with regards to changing components I took the easy route

[Matt_B]

I'm another who got a 16K machine at launch in 1982 and upgraded the following year with the Cheetah RAM pack.

[FatalPuppet]

I believe that the 48k+ I got is an upgraded model.
My belief is that a lot of screws seems to be in wrong position/are different, the reset switch had only one cable (still two solder points on the Cap), and on the case itself is written UPGRADED instead of the Serial Number.

[1024MAK]

and on the case itself is written UPGRADED instead of the Serial Number.

Yep, that’s what’s on the case of the ZX Spectrum+ keyboard/case kits.

Mark

[cj7hawk]

Quite a lot.

First thing I ever did was solder in a joystick... As in, ribbon cable and a DB9 hanging out the side.

Then I started making my own keyboards, which worked OK and were using decent keys, but were housed in foam cases since I didn't have a lot of boxes to choose from.

Then I started desolding the boards from faulty XT keyboards and wiring them up, but never figured out how to make an extended mode key at the time.

Then I started adding extra RAM and RAM in over the ROM and writing my own OS tweaks, and using software designed for a snapshot add on that a friend had, from a modified shadow of the unicorn board.

Then I began adding AY-3-8910 chips, but they sounded like crap at first because I used the Spectrum clock, so they only worked well when executing code above 8000. Later I added a separate oscillator.

Then I began making joystick interfaces, all hand wired things... On veroboard.

Then I started working on upgrading a 48K to a 128K... And fried the computer so badly I never repaired it.

Also made some parallel interfaces so I could run an old Olivetti printer... and wired up my own cables for an Epson thermal printer.

At some point I got hold of a +2A version, but never managed to get the Toastrack I wanted.

Now I'm trying to rebuild the Loki to what would have been the original specs I think would have been selected had Sinclair actually gone ahead with it... And maybe some of the stuff they were known to be working on in Secret, like using a z280 for the main processor instead of a z80H.

And a LCD direct drive interface for the video.

Most recently I restored a rubber key model to its original new appearance... With absolutely no mods at all, except that all of the RAM chips are socketed with strip machined sockets.

Regards
David.

[spider]

The only 'internal' mod I did to my first rubbery keyed model was to add a small reset switch to the rear of the case, you can just about with care fit one neatly near the modulator.

Something I did to a later machine or two as well.

No other mods really.

[Stefan]

Did anyone here upgrade their rubber key model like I did by buying a third party keyboard and transplant their existing ZX Spectrum circuit board into it?

First a Kemptston joystick interface, just because a mate at school got one.

Then I upgraded to a Saga 1 Emperor Keyboard - it was a lovely keyboard.

Then a DISCiPLE disk interface.

Then when that Speccy's ULA was fried in 1988 I got a second hand 128K toastrack.