Model 4 updated

[Iainjh]

Hi

I finally fitted a few bits to my TRS-80 Model 4, and in recognition of the cool contributions made by trs-ian and thecorfiot i thought i'd share a some notes of 'the build'. I'll post a skeleton of it now and will try to add some more detail over the next days.

The Model 4

-When I got it it had a increasingly dodgy startup, would mostly hang with garbage on the screen - thecorfiot fixed it the same day
-Was 64k, now has 128k (thanks to Ian)
-5v psu hooked up to the switched side of the power switch
-2 x 3.5" drives with a 3-way switch to select between drives 1,3 and drives 1,2 5v powered
-Cleaned 5.25" drive in lower position
-Internal powered speaker hooked up to the cassette port, was 2 speakers, usb powered, now from 5v
-FreHD, internal & the roms (thx to Ian for identifying my matra built computer and which roms I needed)
-SD card extender cable so SD card is accessible with the lid closed
-3rd party RS232 board (thx to Ian AND thecorfiot!)

and it had a damn good scrub 18 months ago..

pics in progress and after:

Open the Kimono:


Lining up: a pile of parts, the serial card, an Ebay'ed $5 pair of speakers / usb powered with built in a volume control:


2 x 3.5" Drive pack. Really nicely lined up and constructed with a 3 way switch to front:


With an awesomely neat set of data cables to rear:


Drive bays populated, with the FreHD suspended between the drives:

 

[Iainjh]

more pics:

I found this sd-card extender for a few $, called a gps -sd card extender!


Measuring up: the front 9mm got sliced off to fit the drive -


I dremel'ed then filed a slot for the SD card in the top bezel, and the above card holder fixed behind so I can swap the card. LED's extended also. TBH not my neatest cut, ignore the scratches and not quite straight.. maybe I'll tidy it up. the cable goes round the back and down to the FreHD.


Coming together. I found a 5v 4a psu on Ebay, with a short power cable plugged in and to the switched 240v side of the power switch. Its nylon-tied and double-sided taped down just behind the keyboard. I was a bit worried if there'd be a magnetic field affecting the display but so far undetectable. The end of the 5v is a 5.5mm male which goes into a female I added to a PC molex>2 x 3.5" cable from Maplin, plus 1 5v/gnd to the speaker (in shot) and other to the Frehd.



It Lives!

 

[Iainjh]

Last pics:

round the back, I'd added the serial card.


no wait states, bent out leg:


closer trying to get the pins to stay in the serial card slot:


A FreHD

 

[Iainjh]

after a good few hours fun loading up the FreHD, and inevitably playing meteormission2, and others

a) Here's a retro pron pic with it pride of place



b) fooling around with a Kraftwerk pic printed to A4 and stuck on with Blu-tak! Ok its not using it but I've realised not only do I love the model 4 for what it does, but part of that comes from the Terminal aesthetic, the LOOK. Kraftwerk have never been bettered, and look here for their genuine album cover and a bit of sillyness:


I will need do this for real.

http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?71179-Post-ironic-post-modern-Kraftwerk-trs-80

 

[TheCorfiot]

Fantastic Job well done, I have some nice Bezels for the LED's for you

:D