[Coco] Using a NTSC Coco in the UK - my findings

[Gene Heskett]

On Thursday 22 February 2007, Torsten Dittel wrote:
>> A few years ago I was so lucky to snatch an Australian Coco 3 from
>> eBay that readily could be connected in Europe to both 240V power and
>> PAL televisions (though I still have the CM-8 from back then).
>
>Yeah, I prefer the Aussie version too. The PAL Composite Video signal
>ist not the (poor) NTSC signal generated by the GIME itself (this GIME
>pin is not connected in PAL machines) but it's mixed on an additional
>daughterboard directly from the RGB signal (software works even if only
>made for the RGB palette). The Aussie CoCo3 has a modified BASIC ROM
>which inits the GIME to 50Hz operation. Since most PAL monitors and TVs
>are able to display PAL with 60Hz (although this is outside the PAL
>specs) even software poking the GIME back to 60Hz works fine. Shipping
>from Australia to UK should be quite cheap anyway.
>
>> Recently however, when I fired it up again it now only get garbage on
>> the screen to my great dismay. I know not yet how to solve this
>> problem, but it is pretty tragic really... :-(
>
>I had the same probs with one shipped from Australia and after pressing
>gently(!) on the GIME it worked again. Looks like a contact problem of
>any of the socketed stuff (in your case it's more likely the 512K
>board).
>
>Regards,
>Torsten

I suspect this is going to happen more and more often, so I recommend 
getting a "plcc" puller from the shack, and reseating the gime.  We had 
the same problems with the amiga's as they aged, requiring both the agnus 
chip and the socket be separated and both cleaned up with a WET pencil 
eraser, WET to hold down the static, then blown dry to remove the eraser 
debris before reseating the chip in the socket.  Commie never heard of 
gold flashing anything, just like the shack.

Do NOT attempt to remove the gime with a small tool, all you'll likely do 
is cause a crack in the corner of the socket by prying on it.  Use only a 
regular plcc puller tool.  About a tenner the last time I bought one.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
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Copyright 2007 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.