Yes I know I have been a bit absent from here recently, but believe me there is a lot still going on behind the scenes. Just remember that old analogy that people tell you of, when a Swan is gliding serenely around a lake, not making a ripple on the surface when underneath him his little feet are going like the clappers. That’s me at the moment that is.
Old disused railway that we still have to monitor
Continuing on from this post: Busy, Busy, sell! The estate agents have now pulled us well and truly into their orbit. Numerous requests for forms, ID and information, and not to forget their commission payments have been received and returned as requested. The pictures will be taken next Tuesday and we expect the old home to be on the market by next weekend. And this is where my absence from this site has been utilised in the last week or so.
The little jobs, yes those ones you have been putting off for a while but can’t be left any longer as before long you may well have strangers in your home that will pick up on the most minuscule piece of detail.
The swines!
Quite enjoyed it to be honest, window surrounds painted and tarted up, cupboards and closets tidied and painted, steps and floors varnished, I must admit the old home is looking lovely, and to top it all the wife has invited friends and family around this weekend for a little party in the garden, and guess what? This is when we are forecast the first rains for a month or so, typically just as the barbecue was coming out of hibernation. So now I have to put up the big gazebo just in case 🤦♂️
Moira SouthSome nice walks in Sth Derbyshire Gazebo now in place. Before the rain 🤦♂️
In between this all I have also been doing my daily work duties, nothing too out of the ordinary, just every day railway stuff, and I do have a few little projects about to come on line both photographic and hobby related that I have just been awaiting parts for to complete. I’ve squeezed in some nice little walks, but beyond that I’ve not really had much time for anything else.
Maybe a little sleep?
Nah, they’ll be plenty of time for sleep when I’m in my box, however a little rest would be nice, I’m hoping the wife’s soirée this weekend will allow some nice R&R.
Have a lovely weekend people, take care and stay safe.
Embark on a journey down memory lane with the vintage Master Challenge Computer Electronic Quiz Game by Peter Pan. This handheld electronic game offers a test of knowledge and skill, making it a splendid addition to any game’s collection. Ideal for enthusiasts of retro gaming, it provides hours of entertainment as you tackle a variety of questions and challenges.
As a sought-after piece amongst collectors, this game is a testament to the era of classic toys and games. Whether you’re looking to complete your set of electronic games or seeking a unique gift for a vintage game aficionado, the Master Challenge game promises to be a talking point at any gathering.
This item is sold as spares and repairs as not working. Please send offers or ask any questions.
EBay
The seller here has obviously used the wonderful AI assistant to write this post as it is so false. The unit is incomplete, it is probably not sought after, as it was not that well received back in the day, and in its current state is probably only fit to be disposed of, also an important part of it is missing. However I’m not for disposing of items such as this and will endeavour to get it back into a working state, it’s just going to take a little time and patience.
I’m missing a fair bit, and it doesn’t work
What my unit looks like
What the unit should look like
Some history:
Peter Pan Playthings Ltd was a British toy company founded in 1963. It bought Salter Science and other assets from the receivers of Thomas Salter Ltd. In 1972 the company reported a £80,000 profit. The following year it was acquired by Berwick Timpo.
The company was sold on to Bluebird Toys in 1987, which continued to use the Peter Pan Playthings brand for several years.
Produced around 1980, the Master Challenge system was licensed from Coleco (Coleco’s Quiz Wiz system), this was released in the U.K. by Peter Pan Playthings. There were 30 different cartridges for Coleco’s version. The unit comes with a question book and the system is used to answer those questions. It is currently unknown how many cartridges were made for the UK version.
T’internet
So for some unknown reason I have purchased this 45yr old piece of retro nonsense because I just can’t keep my bidding finger still. That’ll teach me a lesson. I’ve paid the grand total including postage of £5:69GBP, and I think it is missing the most important part, the book of questions that go with the cartridge, usually attached to the binder that encompasses the unit. It’s also broken, so it needs fixing anyway, and I believe extra cartridges can be purchased, so if I can get it working, and I can obtain further cartridges then no problem. If I can’t, then there is a problem. The battery cover is also missing. I’m a fool, honestly I am.
Whereas the Coleco Wiz system had 30 different cartridges available I believe the Uk version only had the 6 as listed below:
1 – General knowledge
2 – World of sport
3 – Music
4 – The bible
5 – BBC quizzes
6 – BBCs Top of the form
And back in the 1980 these additional cartridges and quiz books could be purchased for £6:99 GBP and 50 pence postage! Quite pricey for the time.
On this particular cartridge or what remains of it are the pre programmed answers to 1001 questions that I’m not in possession of. How novel. I have managed to find a photo on line that has some questions showing on it, these would have been in the original book that would normally be attached to the binder of this unit, so this should be sufficient to at least test the game in its current form.
Some questions to test the unit.
The game works in such a way that you choose a question from the book, you then use the unit to give your answers. If the answer is wrong you hear a corresponding low pitched sound and get a red light. If you are right you hear a high pitch sound and see a green light.
Score sheets in the back of the booklet
So basic in its operation, many thought it was totally pointless back in the day. However this was computerised technology in its earliest and most basic form and was at the dawn of a new era of personal entertainment. It deserves to be preserved.
To cover my apparent foolishness I have found another cartridge that I’m going to purchase to make this unit complete.
These plug in units come in a binder format with the brains of the game situated in an enclosed plastic block on the base of the binder, i suspect it is something along the lines of an integrated circuit. I can’t open this one as it is sealed, however when the old one arrives i will open it up as that one doesn’t have a quiz book with it. It will be good to see just what is inside. This little unit contains all the answers to the 1001 questions that are provided in the attached quiz book that slots into the top of the binder. The number inside the block indicates the quiz book reference.
Challenge quiz book and questions
The “Brains” and the quiz book reference number
The faulty computer unit I am awaiting, then slots into the binder and block by the pins you see in the photo above. The computer then simply has to decide whether your answer choices are right or wrong. And that’s the crux of the game in a nutshell.
Whilst awaiting this broken units arrival, I’ve purchased the additional set of plug in questions seen in the pictures above. This is an additional 1001 questions set, based on all the old BBC quizzes. It’s complete with answer book and the complete surrounding binder. It has arrived ahead of the faulty unit and is in an exceptionally good condition considering its age. None of the mustiness you’d expect from an item that is 45 years old. It must have been stored with great consideration. It’s cost me more than the broken unit, this cost a total of £8:15GBP, so that makes a running total of £13:84. I do have another game cartridge on order that I picked up for another £7:83GBP but I’m quite happy with this. It will be a nice addition to the games box that comes out when the family or guests come around, and everyone loves an old retro style game. It will certainly be a talking point, that’s for sure.
My additional plug in cartridge
Assessment:
I’ve not even received the unit yet and I’m getting a bit ahead of myself wondering just what could be wrong with it. Its operation is so basic, think it could only be one of five things possibly be at fault.
Pins that read the cartridge are dirty/damaged
Contamination in the battery area
Loose wires
Faulty switch
Cold solder joints
I guess we will just have to await its arrival when we can make an accurate assessment.
The unit has arrived and it’s a tatty looking piece. Dirty, and only the remains of the binder that used to accompany it.
What has arrived
I’ve put in some batteries and there is very dead. There is the occasional buzz when the switch is slowly moved but nothing else. It could be a faulty switch, it could be the contacts. I’m going to have to open it up and get down to board level.
Inside – all posts welded
The problem here is that inside there are no screws attached to the inside support posts. The whole unit has been welded, all plastic posts have had heat applied to moulding the post tops. I’m going to have to break these off and try to re-weld them when we’ve got it all working again….if we can.
In the meantime I’m going to open up the the plug in module that’s attached to what is left of the old binder, i might as well sacrifice that piece as it’s of no use to me and it’s in the name of research.
How the unopened board looksBoard removed front viewBoard removed rear view
Now I thought they’d be some kind of integrated circuit in here but there is not. It appears to be just a board with two sets of comb like traces that would appear to just short together in the unit. Makes you wonder if the questions in the book follow some simple kind of algorithm that the unit just adheres to. Maybe every so many questions, they all have the same answer, there must be some simple and basic way that the unit knows the preprogrammed answers. Maybe I’ll find out more when I look inside the actual “Computer” unit.
Repair:
Inside the unit there is not a great deal of components apart from a single IC a capacitor and a number of diodes and resistors.
I’ve used a very fine emery board I borrowed off of my wife (don’t tell her) to try to get in and clean these contacts, as I believe this is what is causing the issue.
All buttons under a sheet of tape
All buttons are under a sheet of tape. I have removed this tape, cleaned all the contacts with IPA and repositioned them and re taped them using Kapton tape. They are a lot cleaner and are clicking nicely.
Button removalAll buttons removedAll cleaned and sealed down with Kapton tape
The contacts where the game cartridge is inserted are quite contaminated so these also have to be cleaned.
Contacts are contaminated
I’ve used an emery board to clean the contacts up on the unit, and when the cartridge is inserted we have a result. The first ten questions I have input have had correct answers only and no duplicates, so it really does really look as if the contacts were contaminated causing some kind of issue with the two parts of the game communicating.
Result:
It’s had a good clean both inside and out and a few of the old items inside replaced and given a new lease of life. The unit is now fully working and can be seen doing so in the little video below.
A little test example
I’ve since purchased a new binder for question set 1, so I now have that along with question set number 5. I’ll keep an eye on the auction sites to see if any of the other sets become available, and who knows I may try to get a full set. Now that would be quite rare I’d imagine.
A nice clean and working unit
I love digging around in these 80s units and just wonder at how basic the technology was back then, it’s just amazingly simple and so well put together. Anyway, this one is now working and good to go for a few more years yet. Saved from landfill we have another successful repair under the belt.
Thanks as usual for popping by. It’s most appreciated.
I purchased this item from EBay in April 2024 and have only just got around to finishing what had been a draft post put together all that time ago. I had written about it briefly in this earlier post Fuji Finepix S1500
A little bit about this digital “Bridge” camera
Successor to the S1000FD (at the time the world’s smallest 12x zoom camera), the FinePix S1500 is the latest in a long line of very compact SLR-styled big zoom cameras designed to appeal to those wanting a lot of lens on a tight budget. The big change is the inclusion of optical (CCD shift) image stabilization, making the long zoom a lot more usable in less than perfect light, and for the money you’re getting a lot of features – including full photographic controls and a 7.5fps burst mode (at reduced resolution) – in a lightweight package. Price on the market back in 2009 was £219:00GBP
DP Review
Assessment:
This camera was launched in 2009. The unit has arrived and is cosmetically tidy, however when you open the battery door the issue is obvious, two of the contacts are badly corroded and despite some initial cleaning there is no continuity and no power present. The unit is very much dead and not working.
A tatty and unloved camera
The issue with these units is that the power chambers are hard to access and to get to the point where the battery connectors are, you have to remove the powerboard assembly and this involves de soldering a number of points. There does not however appear to be any major signs of corrosion on the visible side of the board, when it’s removed it may reveal a darker issue hidden below.
Power board assembly
It’s going to be no easy task but I may look at running six volts from the bench power supply to a point on the power board assembly to see if I can breathe life into this camera. I don’t want to waste time in the battery terminal area if there are issues elsewhere on the unit.
The corrosion on this camera is horrendous
Repair:
Looking at the boards again I am not going to pay them any further attention. The contamination has not reached under them and is isolated to the battery chamber so that’s where I will concentrate on.
I’ve started with the contacts on the battery door, as you can see above, they are particularly bad and have no continuity through them.
Corroded door Contaminated contactsBadly corroded All clean
When reassembled the door section looks good, it will just need a good clean at the end.
Before and after
Rather than dismantle the whole camera, and because I know there is no contamination on the main board I was able to get down into the battery chambers with a steel braid pen that I have, that allows me to gradually scrape off the contamination. Followed off with a good chamber clean of Isopropyl alcohol, I was able to get the remaining acid contamination out of the camera.
Attacking the contamination in the battery chamber
Result:
Once I did all of this I paid some more attention to the exterior using some car cockpit polish, this removed those horrid white sweat marks you see on the faux leather coverings of these older cameras, and it came up quite well and had a lovely vanilla smell to it .
Looking mighty good….and clean
Polished
I have turned it on and hey presto we have life. Everything is working as it should. It’s a 10 Megapixel camera and I have a 1Gb Sd card installed and it is taking pictures as expected.
And it works
Nothing more really to say about it, it cost me about £6:00GBP spares and repairs as it was totally dead, thankfully we’ve managed to get it working instead of breaking it up for spares that would more than likely never be used anyway.
Finished item
This unit is of no real use to me, so I will get it up to our local Hospice shop for them to sell on.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera Teal Blue Spares & Repairs
Please see photos for condition this will be the item you will be receiving.
The camera will not turn on.
Thank you for looking!
EBay
It’s about time I started to get back to repairing some cameras, I have a mountain of them to get through but they can wait a little longer. These little Fuji units are really popular with the younger generation, and in my view anything that gets youngsters interested in, and involved with photography is a good move. We have some youngsters in our clan, and I have this earmarked for one of them if I can get it working. We had some conversations during our family gathering over Easter, and the subject of photography, and this particular member of our family came out. Seeing this auction today, I acted and purchased as this is a perfect little starter unit for her. My total outlay for this unit was £11:45GBP and considering the current costs are around £30-£40GBP for a working example, this is not too bad an initial outlay.
The Instax Mini 8
Here’s some history on these cameras:
Instax is a brand of instant still cameras and instant films marketed by Fujifilm.
The first camera and accompanying film, the Instax Mini 10 and Instax Mini film, were released on November 10, 1998. The “Wide” film and first accompanying camera were released the following year. The Instax Square film and accompanying camera were released in 2017.
The formats of Instax film give an image size of 46 mm × 62 mm (1.8 in × 2.4 in) for the Mini, 99 mm× 62 mm (3.9 in × 2.4 in) for the Wide and 62 mm× 62 mm (2.4 in × 2.4 in) for the Square. The Instax colour film is available in Mini, Wide, and Square formats and the black and white Instax Monochrome is available in Mini and Wide formats.
Wikipedia
For anyone that was around in the 70s, these cameras are an extension of and an advancement of the then Polaroid instant photography system. Nearly every household back then had access to Polaroid cameras. If you look back at any photo album or collection from that time, you will invariably find some Polaroid photos stored within that collection.
Here is a typically over enthusiastic review produced by a very pleasant chap when it came out about 8 years ago. Sums up in a few minutes just what it can do, and just how easy it is to use.
A very enthusiastic review
This unit looks to be in quite a nice condition but as always we will never truly know until it has arrived and can be assessed, never forget, this is EBay that we are purchasing from 😂
Battery compartment…suspicious!
Something looks suspicious in the battery compartment. There seems to be contacts missing, they might be fine I just don’t know. They just don’t look right to me. There may well be some minor signs of corrosion as well. Who knows, I’ll just have to wait until the unit arrives. So let’s just be patient until then.
Come on Mr.Postman!
Assessment:
I’ve downloaded the instructions and they consist of just half of one sheet of A4. To be honest they are about as basic as are needed I guess, but in technical quality they are about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike! And those contacts I mentioned above, look just as they were from the factory. What a strange design.
On arrival the camera appears to be in a really good cosmetic condition, there is even an old film cartridge still inside that I suspect is well fogged by now. However this will be of use if I can get it working, as it will prove if the film transport works.
The battery connectors are exactly as they were when the unit was assembled, so my earlier suspicions have come to nothing. However there are small indications of battery leakage on the outside that are always concerning, because they can always hide a greater issue occurring inside the camera. When batteries are put in place the unit is totally dead, just as advertised.
Cosmetically tidyBatteries – no powerContacts show evidence of light contaminationlight contamination in evidence
So no more to it, I have to open the unit up and see what I can find inside. Before doing that though I have connected a bench power supply to the contacts and there was still no draw on the power at all. It is definitely dead.
Repair:
On opening. Oh my word. What the heck is that? I have never seen contamination around a battery terminal like that before, the battery contacts have been totally consumed.
Under that crystallised mess is what is left of a battery terminal, and that thing that looks like a biscuit on the left is the main motor. Totally crusted up
I could hear some rattling around inside the case and thought something had worked itself loose. No. It was what looked like broken glass, but it wasn’t, it was crystals of contamination, this camera has more stalagmites than Wookey Hole! The motor was badly contaminated and every part of the working mechanism had signs of this contamination, it was everywhere.
Contamination crystalsMotor contamination
First things first, the issue with the power supply is purely at the point of that big mass of battery contamination on the battery terminal, there is no continuity here and this needs removing and attending to.
What was under that crust of contamination All cleaned and ground down ready for re soldering
Using a combination of alcohol to break down the contamination, and a grinding pen, the offending crust was eventually removed. It had eaten through the wire at the battery terminal and was being held in place by the mass of crust that has built up around it. I was able to cut back the wire and re solder the terminal to make it good. There was contamination everywhere and this all had to be removed, if left in place it would cause more problems in the future. It had to be eliminated completely.
Contamination everywhere, what a mess
I removed the motor, and used a contact cleaner to free up its motion, I constantly turned it back and forth for about 15 minutes and I could gradually feel it freeing up. A wire had broken off from the led light on the viewfinder, this was soldered back into place and we were now ready to test. I put the batteries in and flipped the switch. I could hear the flash capacitor charging and all lights came on, I switched the unit off and began preparing to re assemble the unit, not before accidentally touching the flash circuit and taking a quick 300v shock in the hand. It’s a big capacitor as all flash units usually are. I’m an idiot, it was a school boy error. And I had a capacitor discharge unit sitting right beside me. Fool!
Ok. I’ve stopped cursing myself and the reassembly continues, and I manage to complete this with no further issues.
It seems to be working.
I’ve loaded in that old cartridge it came with and can confirm that it was all fogged film. However it has proved that the film transport system and flash are working as you can see in the video above. I’m now going to have to source some fresh film for a true test. Before that I’m going to open up the unit again and give it a good blast with compressed air and a final check to make sure I’ve got all of that contamination. It’s just the OCD coming out in me.
That said, the flash has now ceased working even though I can hear the capacitor charging up. I suspect the flash bulb has failed, so I need to get back inside anyway. Oh well, here we go again!
Like the idiot I am, I realise I have not been using sufficiently powerful batteries and the flash capacitor and flash unit are both in fine working order. I’m just going to make a small adjustment on the shutter opening switch though, and also the power contacts connected to the lens internal focus ring.
I’ve removed an unnecessary small spring from the aperture ring on the left, and I found some more of the crystal type of contamination on the circuit board near to the flash capacitor.
I’ve removed an unnecessary spring that was on the aperture ring, it was causing the aperture ring to sit in an opposing position to the light indicator on the side. The two of them have to match to ensure the correct exposure. The spring was pulling down on the ring, and moving it to a lower position on the indicator. Thus causing an exposure issue. I’ve removed it, it is not needed and is now working better. I have also cleaned the circuit board as I found another small patch of crystallised contamination. It’s now cleaner than when it departed the factory.
The lens aperture ring, and indicator
And here we have a picture where I’ve captured the flash unit working.
Flash captured working
Now all back fully assembled I’m confident that the camera unit is in as good a condition as it could be. Fully serviced, clean and operational just as it should be. The next real test will be when I get some film inside of it to carry out some realtime tests. I’m hoping I’ll have the film within the next day or two.
Result:
I dont know why but I really love this little camera. I’ve enjoyed the challenge, the issues thrown up by it, and have gained immense satisfaction in getting it back into a working order. I don’t know if it’s the size or just the pure simplicity of having a picture to hand that is fully developed in about 15mins. The excitement of watching a picture form in front of your very eyes and even the fun factor is incredible. It’s what is needed in photography today, a step back to the 70s world of Polaroid, it’s true that back then they really knew they were on to something big, but I bet they didn’t think that it would now be having such a resurgence with the younger generation 50 years later. Instant memories preserved right in front of your eyes. The Japanese photographic industry, are so up there with modern photographic trends and demands. If only some of the now defunct big players such as Kodak who I used to work for, had gleaned such future insight, things may have been very different.
This unit as was stated earlier, is promised to a younger member of the family and that is where it will be going. I think I’m probably going to buy another damaged one to fix for myself, because I just love these little packages of fun and instant memories.
My film arrives within the next 24hrs and I’m really looking forward to getting some pictures taken.
Now all polished and cleaned and looking splendid.
Sparkling, clean and pristine (Inside and Out)
The film is here and I’ve put in new batteries and tested the unit prior to putting the film in. Anyway, film installed let’s take the first picture that will remove the cover off the film cartridge within.
Cartridge inFilm cover out
Now to find some subjects without wasting too much film. Picture one was of another Instax camera i am working on, bit close to be honest but there is at least an image, the camera is working. Second one is in the corner of the kitchen this comes out well. Third one is of the feral cat “Tabs” who owns our garden. She wasn’t too happy that I’d disturbed her sleep but that said it was a good photo.
First three trial photos
Overall I’m exceptionally pleased with the results. Closer examinations shows some repeating white spots up the right side of the photos, no big deal but this probably points to some contamination on the film roller. I can’t clean this now without fogging the remaining film, so I’m happy to leave this until this cartridge has been used. I’m happy that this is the only minor issue after all the other problems this camera had.
Working perfectly and looking great
Been a great little project that I have thoroughly enjoyed working on. These little units are great fun and the little lady that is going to get this camera is going to have a great time with it.
Another one of mass manufacturings victims, revived, and repaired and now facing a much longer and rosier future. Another one successfully kept from landfill. A winner in every sense of the word.
Many thanks for passing by, as always it is very much appreciated.
To build a usable, basic issue, medium format camera (Bronica SQ-A) from damaged items and spare parts, for as little outlay as possible and shoot one black and white, and one colour roll of film as proof of its successful completion.
Getting started:
Building a camera from damaged parts is no easy task when the name happens to be a high end brand and any parts that are available, are being snapped up by others to service their own stock or to break up for sellable parts. I’m going to keep a running total to try and build this as cheaply as possible, and to keep track of this total I’m going to use my trusty Psion Organiser II LZ from 1989 to keep a tally.
How the project currently looks.
Fourth purchases:
Now we have the bulk of the camera, we just need those annoying little bits to finish off. I’m calling them annoying, because if I was just to pay out for the 5 or 6 little finishing touches I need they would cost more than the total amount I have paid so far for the camera itself. I would be paying a premium for items that will in the end have no effect on the result I require to complete this project, that being two properly exposed rolls of film.
So here we go.
Battery:
Probably the cheapest item you will buy for this camera. The camera requires a single 6v alkaline battery and is quite important. Without it the mechanical shutter still works but at only 1/500 second. To obtain all the other available shutter speeds you need the battery to work the system electronically. This has cost me only £3:50GBP. After testing I can confirm that the battery works fine and all shutter speeds are as expected. Perfect.
Winding handle/Crank:
For some reason sellers always remove the crank prior to selling. That’s because the original Bronica crank is currently being sold at between £70-£80GBP and it really isn’t worth it. Everyone is after a quick buck and some people are willing to pay it. I’m not however, and my handle here is a special strength 3D printed version that I have paid the grand total of £11:20GBP for. It will need a couple of small “O” rings just to pad the handle on the spindle as it’s a tiny bit narrower than the original over priced one. It’s more than capable for the job in hand though, looks absolutely fine and has saved me around £65:00GBP of money.
The focussing glass:
This is another item that the sellers withold for individual sale. I wonder why? Yes a standard focussing glass is going to set you back anything up to £150:00GBP and again it’s not worth it. However my one is a “damaged” one in that it has handling and pen marks on it. It looks as if some has sadistically drawn their own frame on the glass, the fool! I’m hoping this will clean up a bit but as long as I can see the focussed image I’m not all that fussed. I only paid £11:75GBP for this so yet again a further saving of around £140:00. See, savings can be made, if you are happy to make the trade for a lower quality item.
Camera aperture covers:
Not really essential at this point, but to be honest you need to protect the fragile equipment you now have so it is really worth investing. I’m not purchasing these just yet, that’s a later purchase, I have a lens cover and hood cover now, so that is all I really need to start the real testing.
Waist level viewfinder:
Now this is a real bone of contention for me. Individually it is probably the most overpriced single item you could buy. It’s basically just a flip up hood that acts as a cover for the focussing glass, that affords a bit of light protection, as has been common on old twin lens cameras over the last century. But because the sellers again sell these as “additional items” they control the price and at an average of £150:00GBP (Recent eBay sales data) again the consumer is being ripped off. I’m currently monitoring some damaged ones for repair on the sale sites.
And as of the 4th May 2025 I am now the proud owner of one of these items. I’ve paid a total including postage of £39:75GBP and that’s a very fair price. I’ve been searching the sale sites for quite a time before coming across this one. There is one caveat though, it has some slight damage, but that’s what this site is all about and it ties in nicely with the Frankenstein aspect of this post.
Assessment:
I’m going to be very brief with the assessment, as you will see this project is made from a selection of parts that at time of purchase all had their own faults. Each part that has required repair has been highlighted in the relevant posts associated with this series. Links to those posts can be found in the link supplied in the first paragraph of this post. There are five parts in total. I’m generally pleased that the parts I have obtained have combined to make a very nice “Frankenstein” camera from a brand of camera that is becoming increasingly expensive as an “Antiquity”. Not that it was ever a cheap option for a camera in the first instance. Let’s move on to cover some repairs that have occurred for some of the pieces covered in this particular post.
Repairs:
The focussing glass as you will see above was in quite a poor state on its arrival. This one had some scars and it looks as if someone has used pen to draw their own frame in the glass, to be quite fair it was in quite a state, but it was purchased for a really low price and i believe it can be made to look a lot better. Listen to anyone who is,”in the know” and you will always be told to not handle these screens. A load of tosh, I’ve been handling these ground plane glass screens for years and sometimes you just need to get hands on and this is one of those cases. Yes, if it’s in a pristine condition then cotton gloves would be the order of the day, but this example bypassed pristine conditions many years ago.
Before: How the glass was received with scratches and ingrained ink
I started off with a good clean using IPA and cotton buds, I used about six cotton buds in this process using a new one every time the cotton was overrun with dirt.
Dirt from the IPA clean
Once the IPA clean had been done I then soaked the glass in a detergent solution and then again used cotton buds to get the solution into the scratched areas of the glass.
Detergent bath
I’ve finished the clean with a rinse of hot water to remove all the solutions, and left the glass to dry on some paper roll. A light polish with a lint free cloth finishes the job.
After: all ink and dirt removed, only deep scratch remains but does not cause any issue with use
And this is how it all looks in the camera.
All looking fine in position in the camera
I’m extremely happy with the outcome with the glass, it does its job and works really well. With no distractions on the screen apart from a couple of scratches this item has been transformed. Just a little TLC and patience was all that was required.
The Winding handle crank doesn’t really have any issues, it just needs some aesthetic teasing. This crank was 3D printed for the ETRS version of the camera and as such the actual base of the crank shaft is slightly slimmer than that of the SQ model here. It works fine. I’m just being a bit of an OCD freak and want it to look better.
Before and after. “O” rings in place in the winder
Not a problem though as I only have to pack out about 4mm of space and I have just the thing to use. Two perfectly fitting minuscule “O”rings. Job done, let’s move on.
The Waist level viewfinder has one particular issue in that the folding action is slightly affected by an issue with the spring. Again it is fully usable and does not cause any issues operating wise, it is purely an aesthetic issue that I will get around to sorting once the camera has been tested.
Age related wear and tearThe spring “issue”My waist level finder just showing signs of age
This is one of those parts that has signs of age with small signs of wear and tear, however that adds to it’s character and shows it was once a very much loved item that saw some good usage.
I think, we are now ready to get the entire unit assembled and ready for the testing phase of this build.
Total Outlay:
So just how much has this little project actually cost? Over to my trusty Psion Organiser 2 LZ for a final update.
Running total of £236.16 GBP
So the total cost of this project is £236.16GBP and I’m very pleased with that considering that sales for fully working similar cameras command prices similar to those seen in the picture below.
Recent sale prices
So taking this evidence into consideration, the route I have taken of building from damaged stock has saved me between £100-£350GBP. And as it is now a fully operational camera, I could probably command a price that would make a quite nice profit. But I’m not selling. This stays in my collection.
Outcome:
I want to take some pictures with both colour and Black and white film, to prove this camera is capable of this function considering it was constructed with broken or discarded parts.
Now complete, I have restored a beautiful piece of camera history
I will post some sample photos of the tests, and will also produce a couple of galleries to link to within this site. First I will try my luck with the Black and white film, as I have one here currently, though out of date it should suffice as it has been kept refrigerated during my ownership. I also have the chemicals and ability to develop film at home, so this should not be an altogether time consuming process.
This has been a satisfying build making a working piece of camera history entirely with damaged and alternative parts logged throughout all of these posts.
Look out for part 5 of this project that will cover the final testing and the results gained from these tests. Hopefully we will have some good photos and will then be able to wrap this project up.
One yellow with pound coin on hand and one orange with a dollar on his hand.
I don’t think either are working and the yellow one is missing the battery cover so selling as spares or repairs.
EBay
Two more heading home
Dirty boys – Missing battery cover
Those of you who follow this site will realise I purchased one of these a while back and did the repair here: Tomy – Mr.Money bank
I paid a total of £10:20GBP for the one in that repair post, and he is currently earning his keep at work collecting money for our local hospice charity – LOROS.
These two I have managed to get for a total of £19:26, so in theory these two are in the similarly price range as the other two. These were produced in 1987 to encourage children to save, with the element on a little bit of fun. These money boxes, when in a good, working condition do command a fair price. Just look at the screen grab of the latest prices being charged on the sale sites.
Latest prices
Both apparently, are not working and they do look quite disgustingly dirty, I’ve no idea what the actual faults are but I’d bet they centre around the switch area as that is a common issue. Add to that one of the battery covers is missing, and the price will rise by about another £5:86GBP as I get a new cover 3D printed, that will mean a total outlay of £25:14GBP or to be specific £12:57GBP per unit.
I more than likely will keep one of them and move the other one on. Let’s wait and see what arrives for us to begin the assessment.
Assessment:
Well, have a look at these two scruffy urchins that turned up today. Both in an absolutely filthy state, need a really good clean. It really surprises me that anyone can send such a filthy item through the post. Does it really take too long to just dust an item down with some furniture polish? Thankfully the wife wasn’t here when they arrived or else she wouldn’t have let them through the door 😂
That said they are as described. Everything is in place apart from the battery cover that I have already ordered as a new 3D print.
Two scruffy urchins
First thing to do is to clean them. They are filthyOne missing battery cover, a 3D replacement has been ordered
Setting a good example. My perfectly clean, and working example at the front
Apart from the above all seems fine. I have put a battery in each and turned them on, nothing happens. On the yellow example there is a little contamination on the battery contacts and when I move the battery I do get some motion but it sounds as if there is a sticking or broken gear inside. The orange example is totally dead but the contacts are clean. This could be the classic switch issue. So the order of the day is to get these both cleaned before dismantling just to keep any mess to a minimum, open them up, clean inside and check the gearings and then lubricate with some silicone grease. I’m hoping these will not be too labour intensive as I have been inside one of these before, and I’m more than aware of the issues of small parts falling out.
Repair:
First a clean with some polish.
A quick clean and they come up lovely
Cleaning done, they’ve come up lovely, I’ll give them a final clean at the end after we’ve attended to the internal issues. So let’s get on.
I’ve chosen the orange chap first, however my suspicions about the faulty switch are wrong. The switch tests fine and I then go a bit deeper into its soul 😂
Off with his head and down into the cogs and sprockets
I get down to the motor and the cogs and sprockets and realise the motion has ceased. A little silicon grease over all the moving parts and a little bit of teasing and the unit springs into life. I let it run for a few minutes and then reassemble, cleaning everything along the way. This unit is now working.
The second unit, the yellow one, was working sort of. So as I have done above, this one was also stripped down, cleaned along the way and also had all cogs and sprockets greased accordingly. It also is now working fine.
I have already purchased a 3D printed battery cover to replace the missing one, and this is now installed, so we now have two complete units. For what I’ve paid for 3D printed pieces over the last year, it would probably be worth investing in my very own 3D printer.
The new replacement, 3D printed battery cover
Result:
Well I now have three absolutely perfect working examples of this fun piece of 1980s technology. One is in use earning money for the local hospice.
The Orange one is going to be used by a work colleague to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.
Earning his keep
He is selling candles and I’m going to brand this one with a BHF logo to add some fun to his fundraising.
The three amigos
I have put together this little video regarding feeding time for these three . Enjoy!
Feeding time
The third unit will probably be sold on unless I can find someone else who can put it to good use.
Thanks for visiting, as you know it is always very much, appreciated.
A title that sounds like an intro into the latest episode of Sesame Street, refers in reality to a question my wife has put to me over the last few days.
How many projects do you have on the go at present?
Now, she wasn’t asking how many types of different projects i get involved in, she was specifically asking due to the amount of deliveries that i am currently getting from online sale rooms and auction sites. I didn’t honestly think about it at the time, I wasn’t aware of the actual number, however i am now very aware.
A selection of outstanding repairs that I have in draft mode
And that number is 21. I have that amount of draft repair posts on this platform awaiting completion. Some are quite complex and demand time that i just don’t have at the moment, others are awaiting components that are needed to complete them. My wife, bless her has pointed out to me that rather than obtaining yet more items for repair, wouldn’t it be better if i just cleared the back log first? She is of course right, and a small selection of those draft posts awaiting attention can be seen in the photo above.
Not only do i have a back log, i also have a number of boxes that are full of now, fully operational items varying from microphones and cameras all the way through to a working music system. I think i need to break away from sentimentality and start to move some of these items on. To be honest this would be the best thing to do as it would release some funding for a few other projects that i wish to look into in the near future, and it would also create some extra space at home.
I love being busy that’s just me, knowing i have a batch of drafts awaiting allows me to spread my focus over a wider area of interest. I do pop into them all occasionally and just add a few lines here and there, or an item of interest that I’ve just remembered, so they are all in fact works in progress. I do need to concentrate on that backlog though, and maybe reduce that backlog to probably 5 or 6 repairs in total.
This whole website/ blog thing has been something that I have really put my heart into, I’m by no means an ace practitioner of blogging practices and I have never set out to be such a person, and will definitely never be one. I started this site purely for my own benefit, an extension to a journal i used to keep at home, that i may have discussed within these pages a few times previously. I’m not trying to teach anything, it’s a personal record of my failures, my learnings and achievements, and it just works just fine for me.
I really don’t understand how it has now gained a good few followers, I never expected that but I am eternally grateful to everyone who reads a post or comments upon them. That said i would still do the same if there was no one paying an interest in what is posted. Again, as stated earlier in this post, it was always set up as a personal journal. And it has worked for me. It has been a good well being tool.
So. I have temporarily agreed to cease any further purchases until I’ve got the backlog under control, and I’ve also agreed to employ a one in, one out policy in regards to all repairs and incoming projects, and believe me there are some quite complex ones to be published shortly.
The item has previously been owned before and unfortunately the batteries were left inside to corrode. When tested the computer part does not work.The pieces are a complete set for playing without the computer. Please see photos.
EBay
Systema Horizon Computerised Battery corrosion
The unit looks clean cosmetically, and all the pieces are present. The computer side is not working probably as a result of the corrosion that is present in the battery compartment.
So I’ve paid a grand total of £11:49GBP for this unit which is probably slightly above its value. However it was from the St.Helena Hospice in Colchester, so I do not have an issue with this. In fact if I can get it working it will be donated straight back to a hospice I support here in Leicester – LOROS hospice. So all around, everyone benefits. I don’t play chess so it will not be used by me, I believe this unit was originally released circa 1996, so it is roughly 29 years old.
A really simple video, regarding how this unit works
Not much in the form of instructions online, however I have managed to get hold of some pictures of a quick start guide that should suffice for the moment. I’ll try and get full instructions from somewhere. In the meantime, the video above shows how easy it is to setup and use.
Let’s wait for its arrival to make an assessment.
Assessment:
The item has arrived and cosmetically it’s not too bad. There is some writing ink on the lid, and some staining on the base. but nothing that a good clean wouldn’t see to.
Outside goodInside bad
Open the battery compartment and all contacts are in serious need of a good clean or replacement. Battery corrosion is bad. All playing pieces are included and that’s always a bonus. I do believe that the issue here is purely to do with the acid corrosion, as when tested with a multimeter there is no continuity through the contacts. If the corrosion hasn’t gone too deep this should not be too much of a problematic repair.
Repair:
Now inside of the unit we can see the extent of the corrosion and thankfully it hasn’t reached the circuit board as the battery compartment sits just to the side of it.
Circuit board has no visible issuesYou can see the contamination on the rear of the battery compartment
I’ve disconnected the wires from the battery compartment so i can it take it away and concentrate on removing the contacts and cleaning them, or completely replacing them.
Removal of the contaminated battery contacts
The contacts are in such a poor state and so far beyond recovery that I have decided to replace them all. I need two single and three double AAA size contacts. Luckily I do have plenty of these in my current stock.
Prior to fitting the new contacts I will give the entire battery compartment a good clean with some IPA to remove the residual contamination. I will then dry the unit and just use some furniture polish to buff it all up and make sure it’s as clean as the day it left the factory. Once this is done the new battery contacts can be put in place. I can then re-solder the two internal battery wires back into place.
New contacts installed Batteries fit ok
Contacts checked to see power is a available
New AAA battery contacts in place I just put in the batteries, to confirm continuity with the multimeter. A good 6.4v indicates this part of the repair is good and that the contacts are all working.
Next I’ve decided to replace the two wires from the battery compartment to the circuit board, as the wires, especially the negative one appears very brittle, probably a combination of age and the battery acid contamination.
Two new power wires
I’ve tidied the wire run up by using some Kapton tape to secure it to the shell so there is no chance of a wire pinch.
Before closing the shell up, I use some hot glue to put the speaker back into place.
A bit of hot glue to secure
Now we can get the last four screws in place to secure everything together.
Then switch on…does it work? You betcha, it does everything that it’s meant to, and even though I don’t really know how to play, I do manage to challenge the computer for a good ten minutes. It’s been a great test run and even though I’m not that clued up it is working how it should and is now back in a perfect working order. I’ve created this little video below.
It’s working
Now just a little spit and polish and we can bring this repair to a close.
Result:
It’s polished up well apart from a bit of age staining on the rear, this makes no difference as it’s only the hidden part of the case and every game related part of the unit looks fantastic and it works just fine.
Good working unit, looking superb
Really pleased with this especially as it’s going straight to our local hospice for them to sell on. It was brought from a hospice, and is going back to another, what better way to generate funds for them. I can’t play chess so this unit is wasted on me. Might as well pass it on to someone who’d appreciate it whilst giving some much needed financial support to a most worthy cause.
Another one saved from landfill. Win win all around.
Thanks for passing by and reading this post. It’s always very much appreciated.
Wedgwood Clio style Ceramic Clock Casing – Clock not working. Attractive casing showing fruit and berries. About 20 years old. Unfortunately, the clock is not working and has battery corrosion making it uneconomic to repair.
One of the photos shows the casing with the clock inserted and I will include this clock for information purposes. The casing is 90mm high and 90mm wide with a depth of 50mm.
EBay
With and without clock The faulty time piece
This had just been listed and had a really low buy now price so I took it. With postage and all costs it’s cost a total of £8:32GBP, and I think that’s a good price for late issue mass produced Wedgwood piece. I’ve always fancied having a go at fixing a timepiece so I’m happy to trawl around at the low price end to give it a go. This will my second piece I have attempted, the first one being even cheaper and very tacky that i passed on to my older sister, and she just loves it : Rock & Roll clock
The Wedgwood Clio style was introduced in 1992 and ceased production in 2005. The fact that the seller dates this clock as around twenty years old would tie in nicely with this piece being part of the last production run of this range.
You can buy replacement Clio design clock inserts from Wedgwood direct at about £27GBP per item, but that’s not the purpose of this site, so I will attempt to make the repair. If all else fails and it is actually beyond repair, then I will source something similar to replace it with. This is a 36mm fitting clock insert.
Anyway, let’s await its arrival so we can fully assess things.
Assessment:
A lovely piece of my favourite pottery in just as good condition as described in the listing.
Here I’ve removed the timepiece My old favourite, battery corrosion
If you remove the timepiece and crack the back open there is definitely signs of battery corrosion around the battery connectors. Measuring the battery voltage it is registering 1.4v, I may well replace this as I don’t know if this is the one that caused the issue or whether it is depleting under load, and I wouldn’t expect that load to be too excessive. But you never know so I will source a fresh battery.
Battery registering 1.4 volts
Repair:
The internals are contaminated with green/blue corrosion from an old battery, using my magnifier and a small grinding pen I am able to remove all the visible corrosion.
Grinding pen to remove corrosion A good clean after with some IPA
After I’d used the grinding pen, I cleaned the timepiece with some compressed air and then cleaned the workings with some Isopropyl Alcohol to remove any residual contamination.
With the unit now reassembled, i can confirm the unit is ticking along quite nicely.
It’s just gone 8pm and keeping good time
20’minutes later still going well. You’ll just have to take my word for it.
Result:
It amazes me that someone sells a unit as lovely as this stating that it’s “Beyond economical repair”. What nonsense, this has cost me the grand total of “Zero” to get fixed. At the very most it’s taken 15 minutes of my time. I love easy repairs such as this, the fact that I purchased such a charming little timepiece at pretty much no cost at all makes it all the more satisfying. An item such as this needs to be looked at as it’s too nice to just be stuffed in the back of a cupboard until it’s thrown out with the junk.
Still quietly ticking away after being repaired
Again, some things are just so easy to repair if you just commit some time and patience to it. This clock now has many years of good use ahead of it. On display, right where it belongs.
Another item saved from waste.
A positive outcome in my personal point of view.
Thanks for passing by. It’s always very much appreciated.
Evistr L53 voice recorder – not working, parts only
EBay
It’s not working
I just wish the listings would be more specific, it’s not working because, (Fill blank spaces) you get my drift eh?
The unit looks good physically and cosmetically, and seems to have been well looked after, we just don’t know exactly what’s wrong with it. I’ll do some digging around and see if there are any generic problems, and I’ll also dig out some instructions just in case. It’s another one of those purchases where the cost of the item £2:24GBP has been out weighed by the postage, £2:45GBP however a total outlay of £4:69GBP isn’t all that bad in reality.
Why would you pay more for a used one?
Current prices are in the £30-40GBP bracket. why you’d pay more for a used item confuses me, but then I’m usually easily confused.
I’ve downloaded some instructions, so we can hit the road running with some basic idea of how it works.
Let’s wait for it to arrive and then we can do an assessment.
Assessment:
Well, the box you see in the picture above, was just wrapped in some white A4 paper and put in the post. By the time it’s reached me the wrapping was split and the box hanging out. We are off to a flying start. It’s not the original box as that is for a 16GB version and this is an 8GB version, again no problem but probably used by the seller to beef up the offer.
The unit itself is quite smart looking, clean and generally free from any heavy marks with only light scuffs that you would expect after a few years of use.
It came with an audio connector, and some other bits that allow you to connect it to a phone system to record conversations.
The package as it arrivedOn charge
The unit is dead and didn’t come with a micro usb charging cable, however again not a problem as I have plenty of these laying around. I’ve checked the charging port and I’m pleased to say it is in a good state and has no damage. So the first thing to do is to get some charge into the unit as the battery has probably been sitting dormant for quite a while. It was totally dead on arrival.
After a while I have turned it on to see if the charge is being taken and was greeted by this message, not one that I was expecting or one that I really wanted to see to be honest.
Disk Error
Disk Error. My immediate thought is that this is no longer recoverable, however, looking at known faults on their own site I might be able to recover the disk by using a Windows computer to access the disk. I’ll look at that option in the repair section of this post.
Security seal intact
One thing I’m happy with is that the security tag on the back that covers the screw that allows access within, is still intact. I’m confident no one has yet accessed this unit internally. One less thing to worry about.
So realistically it’s a nice neat package in a very good cosmetic condition. It’s only problem that I can see at this very moment is the “Disk Error” issue.
Repair:
So let’s get this unit plugged in and see what we can do. It is really the only issue we have with this unit.
On my computer we have issues though. It’s a windows 11 machine and when plugged in, all the right sounds are made however nothing is recognised. Apparently the drivers for this unit are not supported on this windows system. It can’t see the drive. Damn that’s a problem.
My system Does all the right stuff but unrecognised
Ok. I’ve had my thinking head on and just had a brainstorm. My brother in law over the road is notorious for not updating stuff. I called him and asked if he’d brought his new computer yet that he keeps threatening to buy and he says, “No, I haven’t Dave“. “Excellent” i tell him, get it warmed up as I’m coming over to use it.
I arrive at his house and he is curious as to what I want to do, I’m always going on at him to update and make his old computer safer, I keep telling him to upgrade it, and here I am asking to use it!
It’s a Windows 10 machine, slow is an understatement but he only uses it for casual browsing to be honest. I plug the cable in and then the recorder, I get a battery charging symbol and that is it. Hmmm.
Another brainstorm, I realise I’m using a charger only USB to micro usb cable instead of a data capable one. Another quick run back to my property and I take back a selection of cables. One of them worked, the drive was recognised and I was able to format the drive but I did it as Fat32. It worked to wipe the drive but I could not get the drive to boot up again without still showing a Disk Error message.
Disappointed I came home, I wasn’t giving up though. I dug out some other data cables from one of my old radio boxes and put it to my computer again, the drive didn’t show on the windows 11 system but it did something to allow me to be able to access the settings via the menu on the unit. I was able to go into settings and format the unit just as it should be via the units firmware.
No Voice recordsHere we go, persistence pays off
After the format it indicated there were no voice records available, this was something I hadn’t seen before, we were finally getting somewhere.
It works, just have a look at the video below
All working
There are a lot of settings to play with in the unit. However the recording quality is superb if I say so myself, it’s so clear and balanced. The unit is now fully restored and working just perfectly. Add to that the fact that is cosmetically beautiful we now have a perfectly usable unit.
Result:
Working as well as the day it was purchased, this is probably the best £4:69GBP I have ever spent. A lovely unit, looks good, fits in the pocket nicely and has years of use ahead of it.
A cracking little device
I’ve really enjoyed this little project, it’s been a right challenge and I was determined not to give up on it. I was glad that I persisted and got it working again.
I wonder how many of these units, or those very similar to it have just been thrown to waste, when they were in fact very repairable. Well this one has been saved, and will be usable for many more years to come yet. (And I now know how to fix it, if it ever does break again😂)
Thanks for passing by. Always very much appreciated.
Foxes Den 
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