C64 Power Supply Replacement Options

It is ture that I have said that, and what I said was true. It still is. You ahve misesed out the 'when I find I want to do something...'There are plenty of otehr things I cannot do. I cannot play any musical instruments. I cna't run a marathon. I can't read Russian (or Japanese, or...).. SOme of those things will, Isuspect always be impossible for me. I might decide I wish to learn another human language at some point. But at the moment I don't feel the need. I think there are several parts to this answer... The first can be illustrated by a trivial example. I have a Creed 444 teleprinter (aak 'Telepritner 15') which is currently set up for 75 baud working. I would prefer 50 baud. Now the buad rate is set by the reduction gear ration betwee nthe (synchronous) motor speindle and the layshaft. At one time you could buy a pair of gears to get 50 baud, but alls ITT-Creed are no longer around. Now, these are what are known as 'skew helical gears; The 2 shafts are offset and at right angles ot each other. At this stage I do not know the gear ration I would need (and hence the numebr of teeth), I do not know what angles to gut the teeh at, and I have never cut a skew helical gear in my life. But my intention, when I haev enough time to work on it (it's a private project, I can do it when I like), is to find out how to design skew helical gears, work out the ration I need, and have a go at cutting them. The first attempt will be a mess. So I will try again. And a gain. That's how I will learn. OK, that explains my attitude to things I want to do. Now, as to trasnprotation. I can't see any time when being able ot ride a bicycle would be useful to me. I live in London. There is reasoanble public transport. The only times I would need my own transport would be either if public transport did not go where I wanted to go (and cixce bicycles are not carried on London buses or undergroudn trains, it is hard to see how having a bicycle would help here, presumbly the place I want to get to is a lon way for here) or becuase I ahve something large and heavy to move, again a bicycel is not going to be much of a help. Now for the car. The problem is cost. Motoring is not cheap. My fatehr had a small-ish car. He had not been responsible for any accidents for many years. And yet he paid around \pounds 100 per month for insurance. For me, if I learnt to drive and was a new driver, it would be considerably more. Add on the cost of fuel, spare parts, oil, etc (OK, there would be no servicing labour charge, as I'd do it myself), amd the cost would be ridiculously high. As it is, I pai under \pounds 100 per month for a London bus pass. That suits my needs at the momnet. _If_ my circumstances change i na way taht a car would be useful, then I would seriously consdier learning to drive. Nor for classic computers and repairs. COntrary to popualr beleive, I do not feel that everybody needs ot be able to solder [1]. I don't ever feel that everybody here needs ot eb able to solder. If your interest in in classic computer software and you tun in under one of the excellent emultors that are avaiable, then that's fine. You don't need to solder. BUT if you want to run the original hardwere then you have to accept that it will fail sometimes. Yes, I find classisc computers to be relaible in general. But the do still need repairs from time to time. Everything does. And I don;t know of any company that wil ltake on such repairs. Owing to the laws i nthe UK, it would be difficult to set up such a company and make a profit (the cost of complying wit hthe regualtions would exceed any money you might make). So there are some things you wil lahve to do yourself. You mioght get lucky and find an enthusiast who will do the job for you, but such people tend to do it from the goodness of their heart and do such one only if they want to and only when they want to. There are of course plenty of people here (and elsewhere) who will hlep you track down the fault. But nobofy can replace an IC over an e-mail connection. I migth be able to suggest the right place to stick the 'scope probe, and hlep you interpret the wabveforms, but in the end, when I've said that 'THe 7474 flip-flop at location U17 is defective), YOU have to desolder that 14 pin IC and solder in a replacement. Now, I beleive you can ride a bicycle. I do not know if oyu can drive. But I am conviced that anybody who can do either has enough use and conordination of their hands and good enough eyesight to eb able to solder. It is just a mater of practice. [1] Although at one time it was expected taht people could solder. I have user manuals for consumer audio equipment up to the 1970s whcih give instructions for soldering wires ot the input cable, changing resistors inside to set input sensitivities, etc. Just out of curiousity, since I have never been anable to get to a place I wish to get to (at least not a place wheee having a car or bicycle would help), how would I find these skills useful 'almost every day'? -tony