Quick Look: BBC Micro upgrades

The BBC Micro is a truly iconic computer and one I really enjoy when I get the rare opportunity to play with.
So here are a couple of quick and easy upgrades.

[MrLurchsThings]

I didn’t have time to do a full on deep dive into MMFS, however Tony said he would be covering it more in a future video.
In the meantime, make sure you check out his channel and give him a sub.

[ProtonD]

From Denmark,

Hi there, I'm an old BBC B user myself and, funnily enough, I've just bought another one from England that I got for
6 days ago.

I got my first BBC B in 1982/83, can't quite remember if it was 82/83.

It was one of the best things that happened to me, I totally fell for it.

I'm looking forward to getting started again and all the memories come flooding back.

it's like being 25 again like back then, ha ha.

[MichaelEhling]

6:36 "I am going to go with mmmm, *file system*" 😂

[sparthir]

The first ever computer I used was a BBC Micro in Tasmania. I still have such a soft spot for it.

[CrazyTobster]

The colour was due to fault on your computer rather than a general issue with the model. Unless it has something to do with the different PAL frequencies in Australia compared to the UK. :-)

Some BBC B Computers have speech simplifier and an inbuilt word processor - The machines were sold with the chips inside.

'chips' is an outdated word isn't it? Nowadays you would say ROM although it is exactly the same thing; the same technology.

Thanks for making a great video!

[trickysoft]

I believe that it is Martin Mather File System as a nod to the original designer of the hardware and original software.
I have written a similar games menu for the "MMC" solutions like smartspi and mmfs and a similar version that works on GOTEKs.
You can find it on stardot and it comes with my recent-ish ports and new versions of classic early 80s arcade games.

[VKFVAX]

Great video. Really enjoyed it :) Wish the Beeb's got more attention.

[Doug_in_NC]

I really need to get a Beeb! I had one as a kid, and it was a really great machine.

COOL! I using BBS in 80s, "gold" times and tons of downloads haha

[RetroMarkyRM]

I have a fair sized collection and tinker with all sorts but the Beeb (along with the c64) are always my faves. (last video I did was on a SID board add on board I did for the beeb!)

[RetroSteamTech]

Thanks for another great video. I spent hundreds of hours playing Elite on my BBC micro back in the 80s. At one point I even connected a VCR to record screen shots of trade prices at the various stations 😂 Never made it to Elite but did get to Deadly though. Cheers, Alan.

[FrancisFjordCupola]

The BBC B also has an analogue-TV out. We have a Samsung monitor/TV, so I just plug in the TV-cable and it's pixel perfect. And I mean pixel perfect as the Samsung has an 1280x1024 resolution which fits Acorns perfectly. Should get it upgraded with an MMFS though.

For some special versions of games, 16K sideways RAM would be a good extension.

[winstonsmith]

Fascinating. I envy you for the contents of your cave. I greatly regret not saving most of the computers I've purchased/built over the years.

[geofftottenperthcoys]

I am constantly gobsmacked around the stuff people are making for old system, now only if I could get my hands on a A600 (in Aus).... My early adulthood would be complete!

[bitoxic]

Neat video Mr Lurch... great tan you got going there too! 😁👍

[ctrlaltrees]

Well I never knew the RGBtoHDMI started life as a Beeb thing. I also never knew the Beeb was popular in Australia! Great (and educational) video as always. 😁👍

Mine has a similar SD card interface, very useful bit of kit indeed.

[melanierhianna]

The artifacting really only happens in Mode 7 due to the teletext graphics and weird clock.

[ScoopDogg]

first thing iI would advise anyone do is fit a heat sink to the gfx chip, its a while ago since i had one (82) but i remember that if the text or characters on screen start to wobble/jiggle due to running for a few hours and the chip getting hot just stick a heat sink on top of the chip and its fixed.

[OzRetrocomp]

Glad to see the TurboSPI in action! That 3D printed case is really neat too. If I recall correctly, MMFS may be short for MMC File System and the the TurboSPI is either a successor to or a fork of the TurboMMC. I should probably get onto Stardot and do some fact checking. :D

As for the colour composite mod, you lucked out there. The only revision of Beeb motherboards that had headers like that were Issue 7, and not all Issue 7 boards had that in place (but the provision for the LK39 header was there on Issue 4 and 7 boards even if the header pins were missing). It could be worse; early Beebs (Issue 1, 2 and 3) need a small ceramic capacitor added to make the colour composite mod. I forget the value required, but I do remember this mod being officially documented by Acorn. Not a big deal in the scheme of things, but still a little harder than just popping a jumper in there!

Thanks for the shoutout as well. :)

[ms-exem]

does any1 here know about the Acorn technical introduction to the Acorn Archimedes?? it had a small program in there which near the of the video which showed a dozen or so lines of basic, but i cant makeout the program clearly?? any 1 know ??