Month: June 2024

Tiger “Sonic the Hedgehog” handheld console

What the listing said:

Console is sold as nonworking, shows no sign of life. Item is in good physical condition but there is a lot of corrosion in the battery compartment

Ebay

I’ve decide to look into what seems to be the “New Antique” sector of retro gaming. The prices being commanded for 1980s/90s old school gaming is crazy with many small handheld items that would have cost a couple of pounds being sold into the hundreds. Absolutely nuts!

Sonic – Tiger console

My decision making process on this was simple. I love hedgehogs, we have plenty of hedgehog visitors to our garden, so what better game than “Sonic the Hedgehog?”

Anyway, at the cheaper end I managed to bag this for £9 GBP. If I get it working, those units are selling between £20 – £45 so I should at least get my original outlay back, pending on what work needs doing.

So here we go….

Well, it’s arrived and cosmetically it looks fine.

Looks good cosmetically

Now I opened the battery compartment and could see no corrosion, on opening further I noticed some of the screws had been threaded so I guess someone has been in here before me. And I was right. The corrosion can be quite clearly seen on opening the unit.

Bad corrosion and detached wire
Cleaned, broken but going to repair

Where the corrosion is on the negative terminal, a wire is also disconnected, hooray I thought, an easy fix. Hold on tiger, it’s not that simple. it appears the corrosion has leaked down the wire to where the negative wire joins the circuit board, in fact all four wires at this point are holding on by threads of wire. These will need re soldering.

This game appears to be from 1992 according to the stamp on the main board.

Loose wires circled
Corrosion

The negative terminal connector is broken, i have some replacements on order but I’m going to repair this one.

I’ve taken the corroded rivet out that held the spring. I’ve found a small screw and have used this to connect to the plate. I’ve cleaned the whole lot with wire wool and have cut off the excess screw and filed it all down. It now looks as good as new and no cost involved. I will finish it off with a dab of solder on the back to ensure good contact is maintained.

Rivet removed
First a screw
Now to cut off the excess
Filed down
All polished and good to go

Peering underneath at the board it all looks ok, needing just a good clean with IPA. However, I’m not really going to be able to confirm this until I’ve re soldered and checked continuity from the batteries.

Signs of light corrosion under board

There could be some damaged tracks, again I’ll know that when all the basic setup and tests have been done. There is also a possibility the speaker could be damaged as the corrosion has reached there. I’ll test with the multimeter in the meantime. That all checked out ok and the speaker is fine.

I’ve given a good overall clean with some IPA and the entire unit inside and out looks as good as new.

Cleaned shell
Cleaned board

I’ve replaced both the power cables from the battery unit as one had fallen off and the negative one had looked as if it had been crushed. I was changing so it made no odds to change the other.

New power cables

I ran some checks with the multimeter and everything is fine, all tracks are good and it looks as if the corrosion was localised, this unit has dodged a bullet.

Batteries in and it’s now working well, see this video short:

When you don’t know what you’re doing

However, as I’m not a gamer I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, it makes a lot of noise and appears to work but god knows what I do. It certainly does a lot more than it did when I received it.

Another one saved from landfill.

The Gall of it

Have you ever had surgery? What for?

Fortunately I have only had two operations in my life. The first was for a knee damaged whilst running. Not in one particular run, but over a period of time as I did most of my running on hard surfaces. This aggravated my right knee and I had to have debridement of the knee cap as it had developed spurs that were aggravating the tendons and such. The op went ok but it has never been the same since. That op was around 2005, I’ve never run since. Hey ho.

London Marathon 2002

The other operation was my Gall bladder. I’d developed what they call a porcelain Gall bladder, this means the actual organ had started to calcify, and the pain I experienced in the months prior to this operation I would not wish on my worst enemy, it was awful.

That operation was a total success and everything has been fine since. I even to this day have a fairly substantial collection of stones in a medical sample pot that were handed over to me after the operation as evidence of what I’d been carrying.

Gall stones

Now if I have guests who have overstayed their welcome, a quick shake of the sample pot and starting to talk about my operation is normally sufficient enough to get them putting their coats on and saying their goodbyes.

Have a safe and happy day.

A couple of cups of splosh

What are your daily habits?

The day always starts with a couple of cups of tea to oil the grey cells prior to doing anything that involves thought or movement.

I’ve done this for years and the two cups before the start of the day has become ritual now. If I’m on early shift at work it has to be a couple of cups of splosh before I even go out and do anything.

It’s the oil for my engine. And every engine needs that to perform well.

Have a good day.

Keep Britain tidy

Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

When I was a tot at school, we were all enrolled in the Tufty club. Tufty was a squirrel used to promote road safety and clean living whilst teaching us mere mortals not to litter.

Keep Britain Tidy
The Tufty club

50 years later I’m still sold hook line and sinker to this mantra. One thing you will never see me do is litter. Not so much as a cough sweet wrapper. If I have any litter at all it goes in my pocket until it can be disposed of properly. That Little Squirrel had a massive effect on me.

It’s a pity that others didn’t join the Tufty club as my country is sinking under a population that just doesn’t seem to care about their environment.

In later life I do take it further now, I will always look to recycle and reuse, that is a big part of my blog site, it’s what I do and I will not dispose of anything unnecessarily.

It’s the only constant I really have in my daily life apart from waking and sleeping.

And that’s not a bad thing is it?

Peace.

I love Greek food

What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?

Probably the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten was my first portion of Beef Stifado when we first holidayed in Cyprus.

I love traditional hearty fare either at home whilst eating stews, or abroad when I stumbled upon this.

I love Greek/Cypriot cuisine, it’s one of the things I look forward to the most when revisiting the island (As well as the sun).

We head on back to our favourite restaurants, and they don’t tamper with the tastes. They are traditional recipes cooked the same for years. Untouched perfection in my eyes.

And Mediterranean vegetables cannot be bettered, the taste and colour compared to our washed out waterborne ones we have in the UK is incomparable. The freshness and taste is amazing and a pleasure to the pallet.

Have a good day all.

Hedgehogs. I love them…

You may have heard me going on about the Hedgehog visitors to my garden. I’ve kind of built the garden around them with wilder areas and Hedgehog highways and ramps all over the place.

Tonight I was upstairs in the bathroom and I could hear a hell of a racket out the window, a really loud crunching sound. I sneaked on the security lights and grabbed a quick photo out of the bathroom.

Not one but two. How beautiful

There wasn’t one but two. I suspect they are from the same family as they are not known to comfortably share their dinner with another. I loved this it’s really made my day, as it shows just by making a few changes to your garden, leaving out a suitable food and fresh water, you can keep these rare animals safe and give them a foot up.

The fact we are bordering a large city with busy roads all around is another problem.

I’m just so glad I’m doing my little bit to try and preserve them. They are gorgeous 🦔

It’s gotta be my PJ’s

If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?

Pyjamas. No competition.

I know some people already seem to wear them whilst out shopping or taking the car to the garage, but I’m not agreeing with that. For me Pyjamas are for around the house and in my mind it’s pure laziness and slovenly to physically “go out” in them.

As some would say, “Chavtastic “

However, given the choice I’d happily slob around the house all day in them. For some that would be unacceptable, so I apologise, sort of.

Probably the most comfortable and light clothes I have.

Roll on retirement and maybe i can fulfil that dream of lulling about in night wear.

Have a good day all

Back to nature…

How important is spirituality in your life?

It’s a very personal thing for me, it’s not enforced or preached to anyone it’s just me. I spent the first 16 years of my life going to Sunday school, and then my parents left me to choose to continue or drop it. I dropped it but maintained a faith of sorts.

Spirituality is a comfort blanket for me. In times of stress and doubt I resort to my spirituality to find comfort.

I also use nature as a spiritual comfort. If I disappear out into the wilds for a good long walk it’s usually to clear my mind. And it works for me.

As I say it’s a highly personal thing.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Why bother? I care that’s why..

How do you waste the most time every day?

I probably waste too much of my day worrying about others and how they are fairing. I don’t know why I do it as to be honest most of the people I’m thinking of wouldn’t give me a second thought. There’s only so many times you can be asked for advice, and when you see those people do the complete polar opposite to what you advised you often wonder why do I bother?

I care that’s why, I don’t like to see anyone struggling, and that’s where I waste the most time every day.

One day someone may thank me, I don’t know. I seem to overlook my own well being for others. Maybe, just maybe, there is someone out there wasting time thinking about me, that would be nice.

I doubt it though. But I’ll never change.

That’s just me.

A few days at Mr.Gilberts

My wife’s best friend is getting married this weekend, so we have ventured away from our place in the East Midlands, down to the smoke on the outskirts of north London.

For 54 years of my life I lived in this area so I know it very well both man and child. Most of my formative years were spent in and around here just doing what kids growing up used to do. But today I’m back here as an adult and things today look so different from when I was younger. However one place looks as serene and beautiful as ever.

And that is Mr. Gilbert’s place.

When I was at my junior school we put on a show called, “The pirates of Penzance”. I remember dressing up and singing many jaunty songs but at the time I never made the connection.

Then one day, playing with my friends we ventured up to Old Redding on the borders of Harrow, Stanmore and Oxhey, where there were woods and cycle tracks and people walking dogs, in avenues of what I now know are rhododendron bushes. There was a small lake, and then when you wandered through the beautiful display of flowers you came upon this beautiful sight.

Grims dyke manor

Speaking with my parents it now became clear that we had stumbled across the former home of the dramatist W.S Gilbert, him of Gilbert and Sullivan fame who’d written that show I was in at school, it all now fell into place.

The manor is now a hotel and that is why my wife and I are here this weekend. The Manor House is steeped in history and is still the HQ of the W.S Gilbert society who regularly stage his shows in the environment in which they were written.

The main lawn and Manor House
Gorgeous views

Now Mr.Gilbert unfortunately saw his demise here at the lake in the grounds. In 1911 he was giving a swimming lesson to two ladies when one of them got into trouble whilst attempting to swim, he dived in to save her but unfortunately had a heart attack and his life ended there.

The lake area
Another garden
One of the gardens

The manor went through changes of ownership throughout the years before being taken over by Best Western a few years ago.

The grounds are some of the best maintained that you will ever see in a hotel environment, there is wildlife freely roaming and as we were having a drink just last evening we had the company of some small deer not far from us.

A nice fruit cider in the sun
The view from our room
Bees busy at work

It’s hard to believe we are just a few hundred yards from busy main roads, it’s just so quiet. You are guaranteed a peaceful stay here at Mr.Gilberts, it our go to place whenever we are in this part of the world.

If you’re ever in this part of the world just walk through or stay for a while. There are excellent travel links to central London and not many better places than this to have a base. It’s a touch of total tranquility on the outskirts of one of the world’s most manic city environments.