New UK member restoring a Compukit UK01.
Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 12:00 pm
Hello Dave and everyone,
New to forums, so please excuse any faux pas I may make.
In late 1979, I purchased a Compukit UK101 in (incomplete) kit form from a UK retailer Comp Shop in New Barnet. The computer kit arrived very well packed in a cardboard box, and I spent many happy hours assembling it.
Then there was the long 6 week wait whilst Comp Shop sent the 4 Basic, and Monitor ROMS, they were not available when the kit was ordered. I think they were still modifying the OSI roms to work with this clone.
Once these were installed, the unit powered up and worked immediately. It was used almost every day to learn BASIC programming and 6502 interfacing for the next few years
until I purchased a Commodore 64, and later my first PC. I designed and built my first eprom reader/programmer to work with the UK101 on a euro card with point to point wiring
(more on this in future posts).
My Compukit was then put into storage, along with my KIM-1 for the next 30 or so years. During my long career as a TV / audio & computer engineer, I have had the opportunity to work on several of the 1980's 6502 based home computers, along with the Tandy (Radio Shack) range of home computers, but I have to say that the UK101 was the easiest one to interface to.
After the death of my parents a few years ago, I came across my old computers again as the house was being cleared out.
Since I retired it has become my intention over the coming months to refurbish both the UK101 and the KIM-1 to working condition if possible. The UK101 has been powered up and found to be faulty.
After communicating privately about this with Steve Gray another of your board members, he suggested that I sign up with this forum. I will raise a new thread outlining my fault finding progress if you feel that it would be suitable content.
Regards,
Mike
New to forums, so please excuse any faux pas I may make.
In late 1979, I purchased a Compukit UK101 in (incomplete) kit form from a UK retailer Comp Shop in New Barnet. The computer kit arrived very well packed in a cardboard box, and I spent many happy hours assembling it.
Then there was the long 6 week wait whilst Comp Shop sent the 4 Basic, and Monitor ROMS, they were not available when the kit was ordered. I think they were still modifying the OSI roms to work with this clone.
Once these were installed, the unit powered up and worked immediately. It was used almost every day to learn BASIC programming and 6502 interfacing for the next few years
until I purchased a Commodore 64, and later my first PC. I designed and built my first eprom reader/programmer to work with the UK101 on a euro card with point to point wiring
(more on this in future posts).
My Compukit was then put into storage, along with my KIM-1 for the next 30 or so years. During my long career as a TV / audio & computer engineer, I have had the opportunity to work on several of the 1980's 6502 based home computers, along with the Tandy (Radio Shack) range of home computers, but I have to say that the UK101 was the easiest one to interface to.
After the death of my parents a few years ago, I came across my old computers again as the house was being cleared out.
Since I retired it has become my intention over the coming months to refurbish both the UK101 and the KIM-1 to working condition if possible. The UK101 has been powered up and found to be faulty.
After communicating privately about this with Steve Gray another of your board members, he suggested that I sign up with this forum. I will raise a new thread outlining my fault finding progress if you feel that it would be suitable content.
Regards,
Mike