The C64, returns.

[dawlane]

The SID Chip is functional.   

I thought that as well with the first one I bought from eBay. Until I noticed some of the filters were not working when playing a number of games.
One thing you should do is open the case. If I remember the RF shield on the C64c was metal and had tabs with a bit of thermal paste that made contact with the chips.
Some people removed the shield, but didn't put heat sinks on the chips. In the old bread box, the RF was foil covered cardboard. That definitely should be removed and heat sinks used.
If the metal shield is there, the paste more than likely will need refreshing. It would also be a good idea to get it recapped and a safer PSU sorted out. There should be plenty of Youtube videos on servicing Commodore machines.

[Steve Elliott]

In the old bread box, the RF was foil covered cardboard.

It's not the bread box design.

Accidentally, eh? Heard that one before.

I'm thinking back to all those times I've been on Ebay while drunk and had packages arriving all week that I never remembered bidding on

LMAO, the best and worst of the internet.   

Just the C64 max at present but I do want a real one. Not a breadbin though, as i've always liked the look of the 64C later models and never had one.

I recently bought a new(ish) game (2017) and there are others who are still today producing software on disc and cartridge for the C64.  And while I wanted a C64 Max I was let down and the company couldn't fullfil my order.  But really it was just a replica (all-be-it with a full sized C64 Keyboard and easy connection to modern monitors).  I already have that with a Raspberry pi, although that unique keyboard I didn't have, so that's why I was tempted...But really, I just wanted the real thing, with connection ports to disc drives, monitor and cartridge. 

[Xerra]

I assume all you C64 fans are aware of this fanzine that comes out every couple of months. Vinny does a cracking job of creating this magazine. I've been a subscriber since day one and I think it's around 30 issues in now.

https://freeze64.com/

[Steve Elliott]

Thanks for that info, I'm a recent convert to the C64.  But if you're gonna revisit the early home computers, then the C64 is probably the best system to choose.

[3DzForMe]

Hmmm, 3 decades ago (it's not quite 4 yet!) , I may have disagreed (I cut my coding teeth on the speccy a while ago), the C64s graphics were superior, but..... The loading times!

[Steve Elliott]

I loved my Speccy back in the day (some fantastic games) but the lack of a good keyboard and built-in joystick ports, terrible sound, colour clash, no hardware sprites or scrolling.  Yep Commodore made a mess of loading - even on disk drive.

[Xerra]

Commodore just used the same tape loading system - complete with bugged code - that was in the Vic 20. As that was a machine that only had to load around 5k of data, a fast loader hadn't really been required. Once it was on the C64, the tape loading was so bad that some games could take up to 20 minutes to completely load.

Turbo load systems soon became the norm after that because clever coders fixed the error checking bug that slowed it down so much and started doing more and more stuff with interupts to play music and show colours to make the time a bit less painless.

Most people think the turbo load originated with the C64 but I can remember a listing in, I think, Your Computer magazine in the very early 80's for the Vic 20 +8k expansion which you could type in and use a fast loader for your own software or games that weren't protected. I tested it on a few mastertronic ones and anything else that I could break the load systems at the time.

Interesting bit of trivia: That program was credited to John Twiddy - who is still in the business today doing PS4 and other console games, such as Constructor, for System 3 software. His name may be memorable to people who owned C64's back in the day as he did some of the fondly remembered games such as Ikari Warriors and Tau Ceti as well as The Last Ninja series.

[3DzForMe]

Interesting to know Mr Twiddy is still cutting the old mustard 

[TomToad]

The 8bit guy recently did a video about the Commodore disk drives and why they were slow.

[Steve Elliott]

Yes I saw that.  8-bit Guy knows the machine inside and out.

[Steve Elliott]

It looks like DHL left my C64 in a van over the weekend and it walked.  It never arrived.   

[iWasAdam]

BUGGER - will you get it back from them?? 

[Steve Elliott]

Tracking said it was scanned and on the van Friday (in Scotland). No movement listed over the weekend.  Next it was in my hometown on Monday (in Wales) but now listed as not received.

I've told the seller via Ebay I've not received and has he heard anything from DHL? If DHL manage to have lost it then I'm looking at a refund through Ebay I guess.  Anybody else have an Ebay parcel not turn up?

[Derron]

In Germany (and most probably in Scotland/Ireland/...UK too) you could blame on eBay that you did not receive the delivery. It is not your fault. You do not even have to talk to DHL or so. The sender is the only one who can create requests for "in depth search" (they then check more exactly what happened there...). These packages are insured - so as long as they do not dispute about the content ("na, you only sent a brick!") the seller will get the value of the sent device refunded - this might be less or more than what you paid to him on ebay.

You do not have to pay shipping costs (seller risk) so you will have to get fully refunded (whole buying price - as if you never bought the item). Of course the seller can ship you another one. And if you receive the item after being refundet it is up to you to: not accept the package (return to sender - with additional cost - but on his "risk"). Or to accept the package and send it back on your costs (with hope that the seller pays this then too).

If seller says "no, I won't refund anything and you need to wait until it is shipped" you will contact ebay - and they will take care. If they then somehow decide to not help you (which won't happen) then you could still refund the money via paypal (by describing the situation there too). In such situations I often had telephone calls with ebay rather than mailing.
The C64 will also have been a bit more expensive than just 10-15 bucks. This is an amount ebay pays without requesting it from the seller. So they pay it from their "pocket" to keep you as satisfied customer. Had this a multiple times for some cheap stuff which was not delivered or broke within the first months of use and the seller not accepting my refund requests ("playing dead" - happens for Chinese eBay users and also normal German "companies").



bye
Ron

[Steve Elliott]

Yes I've asked the seller if he has any more information - in other words hassle DHL to see what they have done with the parcel.  As you say Derron it's his responsibility.

Shipping another one is impossible because it's a unique item, so I'm pretty sure this is a case of a refund and I won't receive any hardware.  Really annoying because I was already let down by a company that told me they had stock of the very popular C64 replicas, and now problems with a real C64!

Ebay have said they will step-in if the matter is not resolved by 13/2/2020.  In the mean time I've lost some money and no hardware received.  Very frustrating, even if I get my money back.

As for Ebay, I once sold an expensive camera lens without any problems, sold an even more expensive Music Organ for a relative without any problems and bought a bunch of cheap products too from them.  Personally I blame DHL.  All the facts are not in, but it does seem like they left the parcel in a delivery van over the weekend and that is where it went missing.