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I have a Master 128 that I am hoping to revisit now that I have retired. It hasn't been used for about 25 years so I was wondering what would be the likelyhood of it working. I am not a computer/electronics expert, but was once a very keen user of the BBC micro and BBC Basic. I have a large collection of educational software on 5.25" floppy discs. Are there any safety and/or other concerns I should be aware of before trying to use the kit?

Stuart Duke
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  • This is a very important question to ask; I don't think it's been asked for the BBC Micro before. Thanks for asking it! – wizzwizz4 Mar 28 '18 at 16:11
  • It would be bad beahviour purely to redirect; however I'd suggest that somebody on http://stardot.org.uk/forums/ would be likely to know the definitive answer if nobody here does, and that if they do then it would certainly be proper to reproduce that answer here. – Tommy Mar 28 '18 at 17:14
  • Hasn't that question been asked already? maybe not for the BBC, but there isn't realy a difference beteen an Apple II, A C64 or an BBC for this issue. Not marking it as duplicate right now, but I'm inclined to support it. – Raffzahn Mar 28 '18 at 17:45
  • As with any old computer, it would be wise to inspect the innards for bulging or leaking components. It's not uncommon to have electrolytic capacitors go bad over time, which may have such symptoms. – mgkrebbs Mar 28 '18 at 20:53
  • This question provides a sufficiently generic answer, I think: Precautions when powering on old computer – Brian H Mar 28 '18 at 21:15
  • There is a very detailed answer to this question in the Acorn Computer and BBC Micro Enthusiasts Facebook Group. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to do a copy and paste job on it. It is a public group. – Mick Mar 29 '18 at 11:27
  • A key detail specific to BBC Micros is the need to replace the X2 line filtering capacitors in the power supply. These degrade over time, and are liable to explode and release a pungent smoke when they fail. They don't damage the machine, but it's an unpleasant experience. As suggested by @Tommy, stardot.org.uk is a good place to get more advice. – Kaz Jan 07 '19 at 07:27

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