Vintagevibe New Zealand - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Phil__G · 6th Apr 2025, 1:26 pm

Interesting site for us retrobates, any idea who 'Vintagevibe' is?
Nice MK14 collection amongst other gems
https://www.vintagevibe.co.nz/

Realtime · 6th Apr 2025, 7:33 pm

According to https://vintagecomputing.nz/ Vintage Vibe is run by Vernon Sawers. Nice to see the graphics version of Moon Lander running on one of his MK14s

Phil__G · 6th Apr 2025, 11:03 pm

...and I spy a hex-cs2 loader

Looks like a huge collection of retro comps of all types

SiriusHardware · 7th Apr 2025, 7:14 am

The machine in the last image on this page...

https://www.vintagevibe.co.nz/uncategorized/sinclair-mk14-replica/

...also looks like it has a hand-made Ortonview (Karen's PIC based MK14 VDU) attached. RAM (including video RAM) looks like it is being provided by one of Martin L's PROM / RAM substitute PCBs.

Phil__G · 7th Apr 2025, 12:31 pm

To build an Ortonview with all the updates I'd expect Vernon is here but I cant see any likely candidates in the forum member list...

Mark1960 · 7th Apr 2025, 2:13 pm

Also what might be. PIC14 to the far left of the first MK14 picture.

The ortonview looks to be attached to one of Slothie’s issue VIs in blue, but also one of them marked as issue VII.

Phil__G · 7th Apr 2025, 2:58 pm

I think Ian L called his a VII, essentially a slothie with cherry keys.
The PIC14 is one of Philoupat's boards (several years old now but will run the updated PIC14 software)

SiriusHardware · 7th Apr 2025, 4:48 pm

I'm sure a lot of interested people are happy just to lurk and take in anything of interest, maybe it says something for the quality of the information posted here that people can get stuff working just by reading what's here without having to ask any further questions.

One of the PCBs in the collection, the 'Issue 0' is a JMP replica which was about the second replica PCB to be made generally available - the excellent visually accurate Czech replicas by Martin L were the first as far as I know.

As Phil pointed out the 'Issue VII' is a USA-created 'spin' of Slothie's issue VI which is laid out for actual Cherry key switches and probably has a few other refinements besides. Ian L was kind enough to offer me an issue VI PCB via PM but I have such a strong attachment to my all-black issue VI that I didn't really want it to be surpassed by anything.

Then one of Chris Oddy's prototype MK14-Es became available and I couldn't resist the opportunity to own one of those...

Realtime · 10th Apr 2025, 8:33 am

Mr Sawers has an X page. I don't do Twitter but perhaps others can contact him through the page. Would be interesting to know what he's working on currently. Seems to have had a lot of dealings with S100 systems and boards.

Vernon Sawers (@musovern) / X
https://twitter.com/musovern/with_replies

musovern · 18th Apr 2025, 9:44 am

Hi Guys,
It's Vernon here. Correct! I was just lurking around when I saw the posts about my webpage VintageVibe.
I have not done too much work on my website for a little while. I've been a bit slack on that as I spend more time in the shed with a soldering iron in my hand.

I do spend a lot of time reading on this great forum you have here though. There is heap of great information. In fact I don't think I would have got as far as I have on my various projects without the information I have found here. Usually enough to give me the missing clue to solve my problem!

I had just been searching on this website for anyone that might have got the M5StickC Plus2 working with the
M5StickC Plus Web Server when I came across these posts. As I bought the wrong model, the Plus2 version, I need to convert the code over.

https://www.theoddys.com/acorn/acorn_system_computers/mk14/m...oader/m5stickc_plus_web_server.html

So, that's what I've been doing this week. As a quick overview of what I've been doing over the years - As a musician and electronics guy I have been into repairing and building old valve Amps from scratch and tube radio gear for many years. I'm also into restoring vintage computers and trainers, calculators and the like. Designing and modifying circuit boards. Then there's the single board computer collection. I also did old music recording gear for a while (remakes of the Urei LA4,LA2,1176 plus the odd mic pre) but I'm not so much doing that these days. I'm always doing something and so many projects have been across my bench.

Realtime · 23rd Apr 2025, 1:57 pm

Hi Vernon, great to see you on the forums. It's always interesting to see and hear what others are doing with old-tech.
I use Ian Murray's (coolsnaz2's) web server and fast loader all the time (but with an ATOM Lite ESP32 module). When developing MK14 SW it makes the whole code-test-modify cycle very fast, not to mention having a library of favorite programs to hand.

Do you have any Nat Semi Low Cost Development System (LCDS) modules or SW in your collection? I'm always looking out for new information and evidence of where and how it was used.

6th Apr 2025, 1:26 pm	#1
Phil__G Octode Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: North Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,498	Vintagevibe New Zealand Interesting site for us retrobates, any idea who 'Vintagevibe' is? Nice MK14 collection amongst other gems https://www.vintagevibe.co.nz/

6th Apr 2025, 7:33 pm	#2
Realtime Hexode Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Ashford, Kent, UK Posts: 467	Re: Vintagevibe New Zealand According to https://vintagecomputing.nz/ Vintage Vibe is run by Vernon Sawers. Nice to see the graphics version of Moon Lander running on one of his MK14s

6th Apr 2025, 11:03 pm	#3
Phil__G Octode Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: North Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,498	Re: Vintagevibe New Zealand ...and I spy a hex-cs2 loader Looks like a huge collection of retro comps of all types

7th Apr 2025, 7:14 am	#4
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 13,848	Re: Vintagevibe New Zealand The machine in the last image on this page... https://www.vintagevibe.co.nz/uncategorized/sinclair-mk14-replica/ ...also looks like it has a hand-made Ortonview (Karen's PIC based MK14 VDU) attached. RAM (including video RAM) looks like it is being provided by one of Martin L's PROM / RAM substitute PCBs.

7th Apr 2025, 12:31 pm	#5
Phil__G Octode Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: North Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,498	Re: Vintagevibe New Zealand To build an Ortonview with all the updates I'd expect Vernon is here but I cant see any likely candidates in the forum member list...

7th Apr 2025, 2:13 pm	#6
Mark1960 Octode Join Date: Mar 2020 Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,581	Re: Vintagevibe New Zealand Also what might be. PIC14 to the far left of the first MK14 picture. The ortonview looks to be attached to one of Slothie’s issue VIs in blue, but also one of them marked as issue VII.

7th Apr 2025, 2:58 pm	#7
Phil__G Octode Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: North Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,498	Re: Vintagevibe New Zealand I think Ian L called his a VII, essentially a slothie with cherry keys. The PIC14 is one of Philoupat's boards (several years old now but will run the updated PIC14 software) Last edited by Phil__G; 7th Apr 2025 at 3:18 pm.

7th Apr 2025, 4:48 pm	#8
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 13,848	Re: Vintagevibe New Zealand I'm sure a lot of interested people are happy just to lurk and take in anything of interest, maybe it says something for the quality of the information posted here that people can get stuff working just by reading what's here without having to ask any further questions. One of the PCBs in the collection, the 'Issue 0' is a JMP replica which was about the second replica PCB to be made generally available - the excellent visually accurate Czech replicas by Martin L were the first as far as I know. As Phil pointed out the 'Issue VII' is a USA-created 'spin' of Slothie's issue VI which is laid out for actual Cherry key switches and probably has a few other refinements besides. Ian L was kind enough to offer me an issue VI PCB via PM but I have such a strong attachment to my all-black issue VI that I didn't really want it to be surpassed by anything. Then one of Chris Oddy's prototype MK14-Es became available and I couldn't resist the opportunity to own one of those...

10th Apr 2025, 8:33 am	#9
Realtime Hexode Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Ashford, Kent, UK Posts: 467	Re: Vintagevibe New Zealand Mr Sawers has an X page. I don't do Twitter but perhaps others can contact him through the page. Would be interesting to know what he's working on currently. Seems to have had a lot of dealings with S100 systems and boards. Vernon Sawers (@musovern) / X https://twitter.com/musovern/with_replies

18th Apr 2025, 9:44 am	#10
musovern Diode Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Dunedin, New Zealand. Posts: 1	Re: Vintagevibe New Zealand Hi Guys, It's Vernon here. Correct! I was just lurking around when I saw the posts about my webpage VintageVibe. I have not done too much work on my website for a little while. I've been a bit slack on that as I spend more time in the shed with a soldering iron in my hand. I do spend a lot of time reading on this great forum you have here though. There is heap of great information. In fact I don't think I would have got as far as I have on my various projects without the information I have found here. Usually enough to give me the missing clue to solve my problem! I had just been searching on this website for anyone that might have got the M5StickC Plus2 working with the M5StickC Plus Web Server when I came across these posts. As I bought the wrong model, the Plus2 version, I need to convert the code over. https://www.theoddys.com/acorn/acorn_system_computers/mk14/m...oader/m5stickc_plus_web_server.html So, that's what I've been doing this week. As a quick overview of what I've been doing over the years - As a musician and electronics guy I have been into repairing and building old valve Amps from scratch and tube radio gear for many years. I'm also into restoring vintage computers and trainers, calculators and the like. Designing and modifying circuit boards. Then there's the single board computer collection. I also did old music recording gear for a while (remakes of the Urei LA4,LA2,1176 plus the odd mic pre) but I'm not so much doing that these days. I'm always doing something and so many projects have been across my bench.

23rd Apr 2025, 1:57 pm	#11
Realtime Hexode Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Ashford, Kent, UK Posts: 467	Re: Vintagevibe New Zealand Hi Vernon, great to see you on the forums. It's always interesting to see and hear what others are doing with old-tech. I use Ian Murray's (coolsnaz2's) web server and fast loader all the time (but with an ATOM Lite ESP32 module). When developing MK14 SW it makes the whole code-test-modify cycle very fast, not to mention having a library of favorite programs to hand. Do you have any Nat Semi Low Cost Development System (LCDS) modules or SW in your collection? I'm always looking out for new information and evidence of where and how it was used.