2xNMS 8250

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By pauljh

Supporter (9)

pauljh's picture

31-01-2016, 18:39

Hi All,
After a long hiatus from using my MSX2 (NMS 8250) I've got it out of storage and found I have two, but some issues, which I'd appreciate advice on before plugging them in and starting a house fire.

1. Both are missing their keyboards, does anyone sell replacements?
2. The bottom of one is very rusted/covered in white (where as the other is fine), any instructions to opening one up so I can clean off the rust?
3. One has both floppies replaced with what "look" like normal PC floppies
4. The other only has one floppy replaced with what appears to be a normal floppy, why would I have done this (I appreciate this is an odd question!)
5. What should i use to clean the rust?
6. One also came with a SCC Mega Flash Rom (the label is now faded and has water spots), but I have no recollection of how to use it, advice please?

Any general other advice about restoration (battery leakage, etc?)

Regards!

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By AxelF

Champion (395)

AxelF's picture

31-01-2016, 21:24

Hi, welcome to the forum.

Maybe you could take some pictures, so we can see how bad the damage realy is.

By zPasi

Champion (499)

zPasi's picture

31-01-2016, 21:39

pauljh wrote:

1. Both are missing their keyboards, does anyone sell replacements?

Someone in Netherlands (I don't remember the name) that sells NMS, might also sell keyboards.

pauljh wrote:

3. One has both floppies replaced with what "look" like normal PC floppies
4. The other only has one floppy replaced with what appears to be a normal floppy, why would I have done this (I appreciate this is an odd question!)

Maybe just failed floppies have been replaced?

By pauljh

Supporter (9)

pauljh's picture

31-01-2016, 23:53

Thanks for the help People.

So any instructions on using the SCC Mega Flash ROm (512Kb).
I've opened up the "rusty" NMS and it looks good to be honest (so is probably just the bottom plate)

Photos of both are below

http://imgur.com/dizIldz
http://imgur.com/qZ3wyq3
http://imgur.com/FDG4Eg4

By anonymous

incognito ergo sum (116)

anonymous's picture

01-02-2016, 00:24

That rust looks like it has been moisty. Not caused by battery leakage.
The battery is an AA size unit soldered on the mainboard on the top right of the first image...
It's safe to cut it out...

- Unscrew the screws on the bottom and on the back and shove the cover backwards.
- Uncouple the diskdrives data and power cables
- Unscrew the front panel on both sides. It's screwed to the rest of the case diagonally. Two screws on each side.
- Unscrew the drive bay there where you just uncoupled the diskdrives.
- Tilt the frontpanel forward so the diskdrives are towering in the air.
- You'll see the yellow battery.

Be gentle with the unscrewing and the tilting of the front panel. Age has made it fragile.

A lot of hardware guys I trust say that an MSX is better off without a battery than with it. Unless you have a Novaxis SCSI interface I don't see a reason to keep your RTC powered.

You can use OPF.COM on the DOS prompt to flash ROM files to your MegaflashROM SCC 512.

By meits

Scribe (6530)

meits's picture

01-02-2016, 00:29

As for a keyboard you could check if Repair-Bas still has some left. Otherwise it could be an option to get yourself a keyboard interface from Leonardo Padial to connect an ordinary PC keyboard to yor MSX. A lot will work, some won't.

By pauljh

Supporter (9)

pauljh's picture

01-02-2016, 00:44

Firstly, thanks for the superb directions on order and screw locations!, dismantled with ease, battery no leakage but cut and removed anyhow (I'll never be using a SCSI Interface). So my main problem is the Keyboard, is there any such interfaces to allow normal PS/2 (or even better USB) keyboard to be used?

Not quite sure how I'll get OPF.COM onto a floppy considering I don't have a PC with a floppy anymore, but I'll work on that.

So no point me turned them on until I have a keyboard really?

Regards!

By pauljh

Supporter (9)

pauljh's picture

01-02-2016, 00:48

Look at that, someone replies while I'm typing my last replies and it appears Keyboard interfaces do exists. I'm contacting Repair-Bas and Padial now. Thanks guys.!

By pauljh

Supporter (9)

pauljh's picture

04-02-2016, 23:15

So MSX'ers,
I dug around and found both keyboards, ordered a Cartridge CF Kit set her all up and she works!. One thing how I can confirm the SCC is working in the SCC Mega Flash ROM?.
Also one keyboard is well yellowed (on 3 out of 4 rows of keys which is odd), have people had much luck with Retrobrite'ing MSX keyboards?

So where is the top 100 MSX games thread?, as my memories are basically, Nemesis, Nemesis 2, Salamander and umm some formula one top down game.

By meits

Scribe (6530)

meits's picture

04-02-2016, 23:57

Be aware that Philips computers 8250, 55 and 80 have problems with outputting SCC and FM-PAC. There's a seemingly easy fix on that, but as mine was fixed before I bought it, I can't tell you how to, but there are enough people around here who know a thing or two about this issue.
If you're talking about the fairly new MegaFlashROMSCC+ with (or without) SD card slots, there's a way to fix this. The developer can do this for you. If it's a MegaFlashROM in areal (ex) Konami case, there's no fixing the cartridge. In that case it's your MSX.

I never tried retrobright on my keyboards, but I took this lemon fresh smelling cleaning foam with me from my job and with some rubbing in I got quite some original color back...
The upper row of the keyboard (the qwerty row and the numeric keys to the right) tends to stay in shape way longer than all the other keys. Google for it and search for images. You'll see you're not alone on that one ;)

If you're in need of games, I guess tosec would be the best search string you could enter in either google or some torrent site of your choice...

By pauljh

Supporter (9)

pauljh's picture

05-02-2016, 00:14

Humm 8250 have problems with SCC, if someone could help I'd be much appreciative.

As for in need of games, I wasn't looking for images, I was looking for recommendations, especially of obscure games I might not have heard about...

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