Tag: vintage

Sinclair Cambridge Memory Calculator

What the listing stated:

This auction is for a used cased Sinclair Cambridge Memory pocket calculator and original case. The item is in very good cosmetic condition as is the case which still has its instruction sheet. The item is powered with 4 x AAA batteries (not supplied) and does work although 1 of the digits is faulty and does not display (see pictures) plus the number 5 digit is not working. Please refer to the pictures and description provided before bidding.

EBay

It’s faulty…obviously

So it does work, but it doesn’t? This calculator is a model one memory calculator, that dates from around July 1973, ( Actually May 1975 see photos below) and is one of the earliest available mass produced electronic calculators available in the UK at the time. And it was produced in collaboration with a guy called (Sir) Clive Sinclair, who in the following decade would become synonymous with tech development in the UK. It retailed at £29:95GBP, and given the rate of inflation, its cost today in 2025 would be a staggering £463GBP. Wow!

Courtesy of Vintagecalculators.com

I love collecting old calculators, I couldn’t afford one back in the day when they arrived on the scene as I was only a child and probably only on about 20 pence a week pocket money, and savings and investments were not even known to me at this period of my life. The thought of saving that precious 20p a week for the next 150 weeks wouldn’t have even remotely crossed my mind. What no sweeties?

But I can buy them now, so no big issue!

So this one has become available, and I’ve been tracking it for a week or so, there were nine other people watching but I secured it for a total including postage of £14:49GBP, and I’m happy with that, it’s a piece of retro history for a very good price. Even if it remains faulty, or should I say working but not working?

This unit obviously has its problems, the button number 5 doesn’t work and one of the led digits is also not functioning. Hopefully I can get these issues sorted and soon have the calculator back up and working as it should. That would be nice. I’m looking forward to this little project.

Assessment:

It’s arrived and it’s a lot smaller than I anticipated. It has a separate hard protective case, which is a nice touch and a small info sheet on its operation. Cosmetically it’s in a good condition with just minor signs that are age related. There are no gouges or scars so it has been treated well, though it’s not pristine.

Two buttons unresponsive and one LED

Batteries go in ok but, I believe old style AAA batteries were a little wider than those used today and would sit a bit more snuggly in the battery compartment. As you can see there is a little wriggle room here, and springs at both ends need adjusting to help prevent this. I may have to use some spacers so the batteries sit tighter in place.

Gaps between batteries – means movement

The switch is a bit temperamental and can be seen quite plainly from the battery compartment. It looks strangely out of place with no batteries in place.

Switch off
Switch on

It is such a basic design solely relying on tension of a small metal plate to short across the connection points. Should be a simple enough issue to sort.

There is a little battery contamination on one of the battery contacts, again this shouldn’t be too much of an issue and should clean up ok with some IPA.

Some battery contamination

It was originally reported that there was one unresponsive button this being the number “5”, there is also another unresponsive button, the multiplication “X” button. There is also one LED indicator, the 4th one in from the left hand side that is not operating. Add to this the issue with the On/Off switch and the contamination, and the original faults reported in the original sales pitch have now doubled. I just wish people would spend more time going over the issues and then give actual accurate feedback as to what the real faults are, it would make for a far more pleasant buying experience. Rant over.

There doesn’t seem to be a single screw holding the body together, I just hope it isn’t all heat welded.

Let’s try to get inside.

Repair:

Well it cracked open quite nicely with no issues with just a plastic flat prise tool. The main board just sat comfortably in the unit, secure, and not a screw in sight. Strange as time moves on some of the games units I come across have best part of fifty of the little blighters to remove before you get anywhere. sometimes the old way is good.

Bare board
Opposite side of board
Date is May 1975

The dismantling of the keyboard is a little complex and you have to take time and make sure you know how it’s going to go back together, it’s just a bit fiddly. The board is quite straightforward and as soon as I see some of the IC’s it dates the unit perfectly. The chips are dated May 1975, and that is about 18 months younger than what I originally thought, it’s quite informative to get inside and learn occasionally and this is just as good as having a birth certificate presented to you. All good stuff.

I’ve proved that there isn’t a problem with the missing digit on the display as using my multimeter in diode mode I am able to prove that this LED is working fine.

LED working

The picture shows just one part of the display range on this particular digit, I can assure you all other sections of the display are also working.

Regarding the case with the buttons not working. I have checked this out for continuity and both digits go through the same portion of the main IC and there doesn’t appear to be any broken traces. It’s a strange one but I have also found some really poor solder joints that are either cold joints or just poorly soldered from the start, there are a couple of resistors that need re soldering. It may be nothing at all, but it needs attention, a full reflow wouldn’t go amiss or take too much time.

Faulty resistor joint

I’ve reflowed the entire board due to there being a few cold solder joints.

Full reflow completed

On top of this I have taken off two old capacitors and tested them out of circuit, and both were out of their operable range of +/- 10%. As a result of this I have replaced the offending components with comparable new ones.

Old capacitors
New capacitors

Even with all these extra tasks being undertaken there is absolutely no change in the way it operates. Nothing has gotten worse, the faults that were originally there still remain. I have done some research on line and carried out some further tests and checked expected voltages, most are within range except one that appears to be less than its expected value. After testing everything on this board, every component I can only surmise that one of the three chips has failed, I suspect very much that this, the main chip, a CZL550 integrated circuit. Otherwise known as “Calculator on a chip” is the one that is at fault.

A CZL550 chip

To be quite honest these chips are fairly rare and command a price far in excess of what I paid for the original unit, and I don’t really want to do that. I think I’ll wait around to see if I can secure another faulty unit to complete this repair, so in the meantime, and until I can secure such a unit I will put this repair on hold.

Result:

Well, it’s not what I wanted but sometimes you just can’t win with some of these old projects. In no way am I walking away from it, it’s just that the parts are so difficult to get hold of that you really do have to just wait until a sufficiently faulty one comes up for sale. And that could be days, it could be weeks or months. So for now i admit defeat, but it will not be going to trash. It will remain in my ever expanding “To do” box, for me to pick up on at a later date. And when I am in a position to move this project on, I’ll pick it up in a continuation of this post.

Many thanks for passing by. It’s always appreciated.

Polaroid Snap camera

What the listing stated:

Untested

EBay

Hmm….EBay untested, the number one way to try and flog knackered crap without accepting any responsibility. Caveat emptor as they say “Buyer beware”. Hey, I’m a rebel it might even work…who knows?

The camera I have purchased

About this camera:

The new Polaroid Snap camera attempts to recapture the fun of instant photography, but with a modern, digital twist. 

The Polaroid Snap prints out 2×3 inch photos straightaway using ZINK (Zero Ink) technology, and can even store a back up of the photo you’ve just printed on a memory card. The ZINK paper also has an adhesive backing so you can also use each print as a sticker if you wish. 

You don’t however get a rear screen, or an electronic viewfinder. There’s also relatively few changes you can make to settings. The Polaroid Snap is available in four different colours, with one of its unique selling points being a relatively low price (£89 in the UK). 

This cost doesn’t take into account the price of supplying it with the paper which you need to print your, er, prints though. 

The Polaroid Snap has a 10 million pixel sensor, and a fixed length lens. It was designed by the Ammunition firm, which has made its name working with the likes of Beats by Dre, Square, Lyft and other big brands.

Amy Davies – photography blog

The fact this camera has gone at such a low price speaks volumes to me. I suspect it has numerous issues. I have recently been working on a number of these “Instant” cameras namely the Fujifilm Instax range that are quite good to be honest on a similar photo output size of 3×2 inches. I’ve decided to have a look at the original Polaroid-range and this Snap camera became available. I believe these cameras came out circa 2016. The difference between this and original Polaroid cameras is that this one uses a 10mp camera and uses an additional SD card. With this camera you can also frame your shot using a number of different add ins and print using Polaroids Zink paper. The paper is a thermal type, and the picture quality is not all that brilliant if what I have read is to be believed. This camera is a bit more “advanced” than the basic Polaroid of the 70s, hence there is a bit more that can go wrong with it.

It originally retailed at £89GBP and is now discontinued. Current prices are between £20-£40GBP and I’ve purchased this one with postage for a total outlay of £10:94GBP. Film prices are similar to that of the Instax range.

Now we can do an assessment of what has arrived.

Assessment:

This camera is dated inside as November 2016, so it is currently a youngster at only 8.5 years of age.

It’s arrived and it’s a nice little unit. A little unclean but this will buff up ok. The battery is dead, but once I plug in a micro USB it’s charging ok.

Charging indicator

The port looks fine so there is no issue here. I open the back and whoops! There is some film inside but I hope this doesn’t fog! This is a film that uses a thermal printing process, but does still have its sensitivities. And in the SD card slot is an 8GB card, so for the price I’ve paid for this unit the card is a superb bonus.

All lights up
Smart look
8Gb Sd card – Bonus
8.5 yrs old

And as I’m impatient, I switch the camera on after a short charge and I take a photo, after adjusting a few settings the printer kicks into life and a picture starts to appear.

We have a picture

There were only two film pieces inside and I suspect they have been in there a few years as they are yellowed through age and this is noticeable on the rear where they are very yellow. I’ll have to get some new film to test for real.

So, at the moment it’s all looking very promising, the picture isn’t brilliant quality but that has always been an issue with these units, however I believe a copy is saved to the SD card so you’d always have a reference. The printer is a bonus I guess, for printing out those special moments that you want to see instantly just like good old Polaroids. As for repairs I suggest at this point there is very little wrong with this unit. I do though have to explore its functionality and settings and do some reading up on the basics. When I’ve done that I’ll have a better idea.

I’ve checked the SD card and can confirm it is taking pictures without the need for paper and saving to the SD card as it should. It did also contain 110 pictures of what looked like holiday photos from the original owner. I have contacted the previous owner and they have stated the photos aren’t required so i have reformatted the card. There lies the security issues with selling such items and not checking prior to sending off to strangers, it really is basic security folks, delete and format before selling anything to anyone.

The only items that seem to be missing from this unit are the charging/transfer cable of which I have quite a few, and a magnetic lens cover that really isn’t necessary. Other than that it’s a complete unit.

Repair:

The battery has been left to charge, and this has been achieved with no issues at all. All indications are as expected.

All charged – no issues there

The unit has been cleaned and this has come up lovely, I know the actual camera works as viewing the results on the SD card confirms this, and for a 10mp camera the results aren’t all that bad.

I now just need to get some film to check out all the features that are available, only then can I really say the camera is working.

There are only really six options available here on the camera, via the dial on the top you have the choice of black and white, sepia effect or full colour, and on the next button you have a choice of with or without the Polaroid type frame, hence that is your six possible options. I’ll show some examples of each below.

Colour – frameless and Polaroid frame
Black & White – frameless and Polaroid frame
Sepia – frameless and Polaroid frame

Result:

What a cracking little unit.

And it’s working
Looking pristine and clean

As basic as basic can be but a great fun item all the same. Nothing technically wrong with it and sold as untested just because the owner couldn’t be bothered to charge it and check it over. Their loss is my gain to be honest, and I inherited an 8GB Sd card as well, one of those rare occasions that you buy such an item and it falls in your favour. I deserve one of those moments to be honest, most of my purchases are faulty junk. This makes a pleasant change.

Im keeping this, for the while. There may be another youngster in the family interested in this one. I’m looking at obtaining the next one up in this range to see the differences, and the advancements that they have incorporated. (It must be broken of course 🙂)

Thanks for passing by, as always much appreciated.

Sangamo Weston Master V light meter

What the listing stated:

Sangamo Weston Master V  Exposure Light Meter includes Invercone & Cases The exposure meter is not working The invercone will also fit the Weston IV

EBay

Weston V light meter and Invercone

I have brought a little item from my past history here, going way back to the days when you had to work out the light levels in photography for yourself. The exact date of this unit is unknown, however it was manufactured between 1963 and 1972. That’s two years prior to my birth and up to the age of when i was 7 years old. And I was using them when I went into photographic work approximately ten years later. These units were made to last and did their job well, hence their longevity. I’ve paid the total cost of £8:40GBP and that includes postage. I’m surprised to be honest as not only is it the light meter, but also an Invercone (I’ll explain later) and two cases. An absolute bargain in my eyes as the Invercone itself, in a case can sell for more than I’ve paid for the entire package today. Oh, and it doesn’t work and to be totally honest I don’t think I will be able to get it working ever again, as the suspected component fault is one of those little things that are only dealt with by specialist craftsmen. Add to that the problem of locating a replacement piece, as they are nigh on impossible to obtain, or in layman’s terms, as rare as hens teeth.

But I have read about people reviving these parts and I’m going to give that a try. If I’m unsuccessful it will be a nice piece to get mounted into one of those box frames as a historic photographic memento.

What is this part you’re referring to?

A light meters main purpose is to react to available light and direct the photographer toward making a decision regarding the settings for his camera. Things like ASA, shutter speed and f stop settings.

Therefore it needs something to sense the light. It’s not a solar panel, these were not invented back then, but it was a similar system and it was called a selenium light sensitive cell. When exposed to light, the cell generates a small electric current that deflects the needle of an ammeter coil within a strong magnetic field. The whole system is basically a Selenium cell, a resistor and the ammeter coil. The lightmeter is entirely dependent on the light sensitivity of the selenium cell for accuracy. Over many years the selenium cell ages and degrades to the point that it just stops working. It dies. Its main cause for demise is usually moisture getting into the workings and causing degradation at the contact points on the Selenium cell.

There are a number of posts/sites I have visited that claim you can revitalise these items, however I am sceptical at this. There seems to be only one person in the uk that seems to totally replace these items and that is a guy called Ian Partridge, who I believe charges around £90GBP for a repair and his site can be found Here. A fully working serviced unit can sell for up to £189:00GBP.

I’m not doing that. No way. I’m going to see if I can even get it slightly working, I’m never going to use it seriously again but I’d at least like to see the needle moving without causing any damage to its original design.

Is that the only potential issue?

No of course not. There is one other potential reason why it is not working and that is related to the ammeter coil, the axis on which the needle moves, sometimes it can become stuck, if this is the issue then happy days, the fix would be a lot easier. However this is me, and things are never that easy for me 😂

There is also a fine tuning screw on the rear that someone may have been a little bit too enthusiastic with, in the past.

And of course. The pointer lock on the side of the unit could have been simply left on. Now wouldn’t that be nice and easy?

So what’s this Invercone thing you’re going on about at the beginning?

It’s that weird shaped piece of plastic with a bit of metal on it, in the pictures above.. it assists greatly in incidental lighting conditions where there is a back lit scenario.

The inverted cone shape is designed so that as the meter is angled to the light source, the readings remain accurate which they would not do if it were a dome. And because backlight effects the exposure, a small part of the invercone sticks-out beyond the top of the meter case to pick any such light up.

westonmeter.org.uk

A little history lesson…

Sangamo Weston was a company that made light meters, among much other electrical equipment. It is particularly known for the Weston Master series of selenium meters.

The Weston Master V was produced in the UK from 1963 to 1972. It was Model S461 in the UK and Model 748 in the US

Weston was founded by chemist Edward Weston—no relation to the famous photographer—who held many patents for electrical inventions, from permanent magnets through cellulose manufacturing, dynamos, arc and filament lights and the magnetic-drag speedometer to electrical measurement instruments (and even US 895218 – a fruit box!). Weston’s son, Edward Faraday Weston, applied for a U.S. patent on the first Weston exposure meter, granted as No.2016469 in October 1935. This was a cylindrical case with an electrical meter at one end, and an iris at the other; an adjustable scale around the meter opened and closed the iris, and showed the exposure. 

Sangamo was originally “Sangamo Electric Co.”, in Springfield, Illinois. It set up a British subsidiary in 1921. Sangamo acquired the Weston Electrical Instrument Co. in 1936.

Since Weston was one of the first makers of light meters, before film speeds were standardised, Weston had its own film speed scales.

At some point, Weston products were distributed by Ilford in the UK. The company was bought out by Schlumberger in 1976, but still exists, making electrical timers.

The EuroMaster light meter, very close to a Weston design, was later made by a company called Megatron.

Camera-wiki.org

Assessment:

For those who have made it this far, well done and thank you. Let’s have a look at what has arrived and assess the overall condition. It’s taken some time to arrive what with there being two recent bank holidays closely placed in proximity to each other in the calendar. Translated that means the UK comes to a halt during this period, whilst everyone gorges on poorly cooked barbecued food in bad weather whilst drinking too much alcohol.

And some of us are just working. Most annoying.

Anyway enough of the whining, here’s the assessment:

The meter has arrived and is in an excellent cosmetic condition, it came in a small leather case with a lengthy string neck strap. It’s all original and is still marked up with the original owners details on a small label. The Invercone is just what it is, a piece of shaped nylon/plastic and not much to rave on about. It is as it is, in good condition and also in a small leather case.

Original case
Excellent cosmetic condition

The calculator panel on the front is undamaged and in full working order, the light baffle on the rear is also operating as it should and the info panel under the viewing glass changes as the baffle is operated. The pointer lock is operating as is the fine tuning screw on the rear.

Baffle closed
Baffle open

There is a very slight movement when exposed to intense sunlight with the baffle open or closed however it is only very slight. It struggles to move past the zero indicator on the scale, hence as described it is safe to say that it is not operating as it should. We will have to look inside to see if there are any obvious issues, however I strongly suspect it is related to the Selenium cell. I would like to see if we can get this operating, I’m not overly worried about its accuracy as I’d just like to see it move through its entire range. It would be good to see if it is at all possible to revive a “dead” light meter. We can only learn from dismantling and investigating such items.

Repair:

I’ve left the unit in sunlight for a few days, as this has been known in some rare cases to just kick start it back into life. That doesn’t seem to have worked in this case so let’s have a look inside.

Remove securing thumb screw
Remove two nuts
Case lid lifts off
Carefully remove fascia plates
Remove sliding needle lift mechanism and expose selenium cell
Cell, armature ring and ammeter coil removed
Cell connecting ring cleaned
Cell contact ring, cleaned and renewed

The whole unit came apart quite easily to expose the selenium cell deep in its workings. Using a multimeter on the cell, indicated life in the item as values changed as the cell was moved from the dark into the light and vice versa so I am confident there is some life still present in this cell, but is it sufficient to power the meter? I have then used the lowest Ohms setting available and put the negative lead on the magnetic case (Ground) of the ammeter coil and the positive lead on the wire connected to it and there is no movement at all. This indicates to me that the ammeter coil is at fault and unresponsive to any voltage, I believe this is the problem and at this point the repair is not possible. I have cleaned the cell connecting ring to the point that it is now shining and free of any age related contamination. The contact ring on the cell itself I have revitalised with a metallic silver pen. I have checked continuity and that is also good and acceptable. One thing I did not see in this model was the use of a resistor that is used in most selenium cell light meters between the cell and the ammeter coil, maybe there was never one used within this range of meters, I’ll have to check that out. I have checked this out via numerous sources and it appears the Weston light meters never had a resistor placed in line at any point, so that has cleared that question up. This unit is dead due to a faulty ammeter coil.

Result:

The unit is cosmetically very good and I believe the actual selenium cell is functioning but at an exceptionally low level. The tests on the meter ammeter coil have come back negative indicating that there is no life in this part of the meter. I suspect the fine wires on the coil are possibly damaged. The only way I can get a working unit would probably be to obtain another faulty unit to transplant parts, I may well do that in a later post.

I hate not getting the fix done, however this unit is in excess of 50 years old and to be honest the odds were stacked against me from the start. I did state that I may actually mount this item in a frame as a photographic art piece, that may still happen but I’d love to prove the original cell is still functional if I can. Maybe I just might buy a donor unit to test my theory on.

I’ve learned a lot from this post on the repair and dismantling of these units so that is a big positive. Knowledge is always king as they say.

It will not go to landfill. It will be reused in some form, you may even yet see a follow up post regarding it.

Thanks for passing by, it is always very much appreciated.

Peter Pan Playthings Master Challenge

What the listing stated:

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 looks
Board removed front view
Board 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 removal
All buttons removed
All 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.

Fuji Finepix S1500

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 contacts
Badly 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.

LOROS our local Hospice

Even if they only get a few pounds for it, it will benefit someone who needs the help and assistance.

So another item saved from the scrap heap. Might be of use to someone.

Thanks for passing by.

Bronica SQ-A / The Frankenstein project Pt:4

To find out what I am trying to accomplish with this project please refer to my initial post: Bronica SQ-A Medium format camera

Task:

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 tear
The 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.

Wedgwood Clio ceramic clock

What the listing stated:

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.

Nintendo Light boy

What the listing stated:

Doesn’t light up when batteries inserted

EBay

Straight to the point. I think it doesn’t work. 🤷‍♂️

The original Light Boy

My original Light boy, for the Nintendo Game boy

Ive got a Game boy, I love it. However the biggest issue has always been as soon as it goes dark you’re stuffed. As the screen was never back lit you either had to tape a torch to your head or sit under a bright light. The Nintendo Light Boy went a little way to eliminating the need for the torch by incorporating a light and a magnifier within a unit that connected to the console.

This one doesn’t work though, which is good for this blog. I paid a good price of £14:95GBP considering original ones like this are selling between £40-£90GBP. There are cheaper alternatives, but hey, why?

Shouldn’t be the hardest fix I’ve ever attempted, but it will be a great addition to my Game Boy collection.

Assessment:

The unit has arrived and is in a very good cosmetic condition with only a few slight scuffs and marks that should polish out. Two AA batteries have been put in and switched on and true to the description in the sale, it doesn’t illuminate. Glass lens is in good condition and the screen folds as it should.

Looks tidy, just light not working
Some small marks. Nothing too bad or permanent

Repair:

This is a really simple circuit to be honest. Two batteries, two lights and a switch. That’s about it. The screen pivots and on here there are two teeth that make a contact with two small plates on the main unit when the screen is at 90 degrees to the console. When the switch is on, the lights should illuminate at this angle, and when closed contact will be lost and the lights extinguish.

Teeth on the screen hinge
Teeth connection with plate turning on lights.

When I put batteries in there was a very dim intermittent flicker, aha I thought, dirty contacts and they sure were.

I cleaned the switch and the contacts using some IPA and removed a fair amount of old dirt from the contacts. The switch was operated 30 or 40 times to really get to anything that was deep in the switch, and this worked.

A good clean with IPA was all that was needed.

Batteries back in and unit at the correct angle, switch to the on position, and hey presto we have a constant uninterrupted supply of light.

We have light. It’s working.

The little marks and scuffs on the shell were all removed with a little cleaning solution. This item is now in a perfect state of repair and looking right handsome!

Result:

This is undoubtedly the easiest repair I have had yet but I’m not complaining. It always amazes me about the sellers on these platforms. I purchased this as spares and repairs damaged, when there was absolutely nothing wrong with it, well at least it only required a tiny bit of maintenance. They could have done this themselves and easily have charged a price at least three times what I paid for this unit. Fools 😂

All assembled
Working as intended
All assembled, cleaned and working

Anyway their loss is my gain as they say, I now have a perfectly good item in perfect working order and now looking as good as new. And all it needed was a clean and some TLC.

Sometimes it all goes so well. Today is one of those days.

Thanks for passing by. It is always most appreciated.

Tomy / Palitoy Missile strike

Here’s what the listing stated:

This is a nice example of a Tomy ‘Missile Strike’ electro/ mechanical handheld game. It was made circa 1979 and is battery operated. It appears clean for age and works, apart from the missile light not illuminating. Battery terminals very good. This is a nice genuine item that is shown as I found it. NOTE – NO BATTERIES ARE ENCLOSED.  Nice example for any collector. 

EBay

Missile strike

On first seeing the listing for this item, my thoughts are that it looks quite clean and tidy. The usual state of these units are quite tatty with scratched screens. This looks good, however pictures, especially from EBay can be greatly misleading so I’ll guess I will just have to be patient and wait.

This units only issue seems to be with the LED missile light, so hopefully it will be a quick fix. These units are currently selling between £52-£79GBP as per the picture below. I managed to secure my unit for a total including postage of £24GBP so I think I’ve done well in that aspect. I’m quite happy with this.

Current sale prices on EBay

A little history:

Tomy released Missile strike in 1979 in its international line of electro/mechanical handheld games. Known under different titles in other regions such as Terra-Hit (UK), Missile Strike (UK), and Space Attack (Japan).  One of TOMY’s electro-mechanical handheld games, Missile strike is a Space Invaders-like shooter game, the units small motor winds strips of aircraft across the screen, which the player attempts to hit in order to earn points. There is a mechanical wind up timer that controls the action, and the purpose is to score as many hits on aircraft as possible with in the time it takes the winder to stop. The game includes one small, flashing LED light as the exploding missile.

So it’s another game that has reached its 46th year, and for the only issue to be its one light source, I think that’s acceptable. Let’s wait to see what arrives.

Assessment:

On arrival the first thing that hits you is that this is yet another filthy item. I seem to attract these kind of sales, so it will require a deep clean. Cosmetically the game is in good shape with no deep scarring and only minimal fine scratches on the screen lens commensurate with its 46 year old age.

Tidy cosmetically but filthy

It was sold as the missile light not working, this is partially right as it is an intermittent fault, I suspect this is down to dirty contacts.

Filthy, and counter not working
Missile light is intermittent

This game has two bands of film that run across the top of the screen displaying aircraft, the top band is intermittent and needs attention. The score counter will also need attention as it is not turning smoothly, again I suspect this to be as a result of the build up of dirt.

Repair:

First thing to do is dismantle the unit and to get some cleaning done. The small video below shows the issue with the top band aircraft not moving.

Film transport fault

I’ve taken the counter out after removing the case and all exposed buttons and switches.

Dismantling

Off to the kitchen sink. let’s get these items washed.

To be cleaned
Getting washed
Drying down

Whilst I’m waiting for the washed items to dry I clean the counter mechanism of old dirt and fluff.

Counter mechanism cleaned, fluff removed. Silicon grease applied

I’ve slightly greased the counter with silicon grease and it’s behaving well and doing what it should. This will go back in place when we do the final reassembly.

The issue with the film movement was a strange one. There was no way to tension the two capstans that the film roll over and there were no teeth missing off the capstans. One capstan pulls whilst the other pushes, all I’ve done is swap these around and the issue has disappeared. About as simple a fix as you can get.

Just swapped the capstans around

I’ve put a little before and after video here that shows the effect of swapping the capstans around.

How swapping capstans worked

The issue with the intermittent light was easy as expected. This is the only electrical piece on this game and it was down to contaminated battery contacts that just needed a bit of a clean with my grinding pen and a wipe over with IPA.

Final little touch was just to accentuate some of the old lettering by the timer. This was just with a white paint pen.

Before and after

Now we can reassemble and test again.

Result:

The game has been reassembled and tested and is now working fine. All intermittent issues have gone and it has now been polished and now looks superb.

AllPolished
Dirt gone
Vibrant colours
Finishing touch

I’ve attached this small video that shows the game working as it should, with no film slipping and lights and counter now working.

Working perfectly

It’s really pleased me this repair, as it’s another one of those mainly mechanical games. Dirt featured big time, and age issues have been overcome and the game given a new lease of life. Another one for my personal collection, it will go on now for many more years to come.

The best outcome that was possible, we have another superb seventies product that has been saved from the scrap heap.

And that is the biggest win of all.

Thanks for passing by, it’s always appreciated.

Bronica SQ-A / The Frankenstein project Pt:1

To find out what I am trying to accomplish with this project please refer to my initial post: Bronica SQ-A Medium format camera

Task:

To build a usable, basic issue, medium format camera (Bronica SQ/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.

First purchase:

The first purchase has been made and it is for a 6×6 120 roll film back unit with dark slide. I think I’ve paid quite a good price for this item. This is the back piece that fits on the rear of the camera. Here is what the listing stated:

ZENZA BRONICA SQ 6X6 120 ROLL FILM BACK WITH DARK SLIDE Signs of wear, untested.
Uk Buyers Only Please

EBay

First purchase, the film back.

And the total paid including all postage is £20:94GBP. Let’s now start the running total in the Psion II LZ.

Running total

All I can really check at the moment is cosmetic condition and this looks a little beat up, however I don’t really care how it looks externally, as long as it’s light tight, that is all that matters and I won’t even be able to check that until later on in the build. Cosmetically I will attend to it, if I feel so inclined at the end of the project, for now it’s ability to be light tight will be my major concern.

Assessment:

The unit has arrived and yes it has seen use, but not in a few years I suspect. The old smell hit me the second the package was opened, it’s kind of a reminiscent pong from the past, however I’ve got to see beyond this.

The light slide seems fine, however the surrounding frame has been bashed and a small bit of frame has gone missing. There is also a screw missing and I suspect the area that is missing the screw may well have been glued down. there are some slight rust spots on the exterior framework, however everything inside appears to be fine apart from some light seals that will probably need replacing. The rollers inside are grubby so a good overall clean is in order.

Annoyingly the ASA markings on the dial atop of the roll holder are missing. I will make something basic up to remedy this issue. Again it’s an exterior issue and I’m not too fussed at the moment.

Yes there is some work required, but there is no rush. And thankfully I don’t see anything that really scares me about it. I won’t really know how it stands mechanically until I find a suitable body to attach it to. I have that to look forward to in a future post.

Repairs:

The ASA dial. Simple solution here, until one becomes available sometime in the distant future, is to use some very small dymo labels I have printed. I will cut these down to size and put them in place where they should be on the dial. Quick and temporary solution a’la Frankenstein. No need to over manufacture things, this will do fine.

Size 9 dymo labels
How it should look
How mine currently looks
After I’ve added some ASA numbers- temporarily

The old asa wheel has been cleaned to remove the original glue, and temporary stickers have now been applied. This completes this fix for the ASA dial, for now.

Two items to make one good unit

Edit: I’ve managed to obtain a damaged roll back for a grand total of £5:76GBP, absolute bargain and it also has a working ASA dial. So I’m hoping I’ll be able to use this donor to help in the repair of this item. I’ve used a combination of parts from this and the earlier roll back and I’m happy I have a good working unit. We now have a proper ASA dial off of the spare unit transplanted onto the old unit.

Front frame:

I’m taking this off to give the whole area underneath it a good clean. There are some film guides under this frame that are contaminated and that could cause a scratch on the film, I’m going to clean this whole area under the frame and will then reassemble. The cartridge slide is in a good condition and has just required a polish. Apparently this front frame is prone to breaking and the screw holes splitting, as it gets quite brittle. This has happened to this unit, and I’ve found a guy that 3D print’s replacement front frames and I have ordered one of these to ensure that the whole frame is secure and light tight, as currently one corner can be lifted and this could cause a fogging issue. At a cost include postage of £12:75GBP it’s a small price to pay seeing the only way to get one nowadays is by purchasing a donor unit at cost far exceeding what I have paid here.

The new frame, will be black
The old frame with broken corner and damaged screw holes
Damaged area of frame in situ on the roll back

There are a couple of screws missing of which I have plenty of spares so these will be simply replaced. I’m happy now that this portion of the camera is in a good condition and will soon be ready to be put to use.

Before
After
Dirty seals
Damaged framework
Removal of the frame presented years of debris and filth that needed cleaning as well as a requirement for some replacement parts

There was a lot of contamination under the plate when it was removed, I was quite amazed just how bad it was. This has since been cleaned prior to the new frame and seals being put back into place. When everything is re assembled there will be another clean, I will also be using compressed air to finally clear any remaining debris from the roll back. Edit: the 3D printed frame has arrived and to be totally truthful it’s not much good. The part where the slide goes in is not usable and I’m not confident this will be as light tight as first thought.

Good front frame from the donor spare unit

However the spare unit I purchased has a good front frame that just needed a tiny bit of adjustment to work, I’m now confident the roll unit will work as it should.

Light seals:

To be honest there are only two immediate areas of concern that I can see. All other light seals seem to be sufficient. I already have plenty of light seals material from where I fix other cameras so this should be simple enough to replace.

New and old light seals replaced

There were only two pieces that needed replacing, these were both on the roll film back. All other light seals were fine.

Rust spots:

These are purely external and there are no issues inside the cartridge. However I may just give them a very fine rub down and a quick spray with a black gloss to just make them look better. Then again I may not, and then I’ll attend to the cosmetics once I have completed the project. Edit: I’ve decided to leave this for the moment and will attend to this sometime in the future as it is not affecting anything at this stage.

Film cartridge:

Again this has just been cleaned and some contamination has been removed from all rollers and guides within. I have adjusted the back plate pressure pad for the film and also given this a good clean to remove any contaminants. I’m happy the internal cartridge is in a good condition and only requires a light clean. This cartridge is superior to the one I have obtained as a spare so this will be the one i work with. I have replaced all the exterior screws to replace the original ones as they were all a little crusty and contaminated.

New screws. I will touch the heads up with black dye

The whole roll section has been cleaned with tack cloths and compressed air to ensure all contaminants have been removed.

I’m going to store the whole roll film back, in a sealed plastic bag with some Silica gel packs to try and remedy the mustiness that I mentioned at the beginning of this post, though I must admit after all the cleaning and replacement of parts, the issue has reduced immensely. Some exposure to sunlight on a window seal usually helps immensely. That’s where it’s sitting for the moment. It’ll go in the bag with some silica gel, during the more inclement weather.

Outcome:

This part has been the most demanding part of this project so far. I’ve looked into the possibility of using 3D made parts, but I must admit defeat here. The items are about 80% ok, there are holes missing that should be there and as it’s a two piece fix you are then introducing glues, and potentially increasing the chances of light accessing the one area you want dark. Maybe in time they may perfect it. I was exceptionally lucky to obtain a spares unit for literally one pence. Yes one whole pence. It cost £5:75 to post making a total of £5:76GBP, but in many aspects some of its parts were far superior to what I already had. I am happy that this part of the build is now complete.

All good to go. Please keep an eye on the other blog posts that are coming regarding this project.