Retro Tech and Movie Blog

Just for fun, I thought I’d share with you a brief tour of my retro Commodore C128 workstation and all of the components that go into this setup that I enjoy using so much. Some of it is new(er), but most of it is well over 30 years old, yet still functional.

1 - Benq FP531 LCD monitor

I just don’t have the space for my 1902a CRT monitor, so I’m using this very nice and compact LCD monitor for both the C128 and the Asus EeeBox PC below it.

2 - Composite to VGA video converter

I need this to covert the s-video signal coming from the C128’s VIC-II chip, as well as the RGBI signal from the VDC graphics chip. I can easily switch between both modes with a quick click of it’s selector button.

3 - Asus EeeBox “Net top” PC

Not only do I use the EeeBox to do my multi-media video processing, but I also use it as a file server for the Retroswitch Flyer.

4 - 1530 C2N Datasette

I never owned a datasette for my Commodore computer until the early 2000s. Here, in North America, the floppy disk was pretty much the data storage medium of choice, after the C64 hit the market. I don’t use it all that often, but it’s nice to have the option.

5 - Dual 1541-II Floppy Disk Drives

My trusty old 1541s. I had a “long board” 1541 through high-school and my first year of college. But, after I was given my C128 in my second year, I also got a 1541-II. I never got around to adding a second drive until the early 2000s. I could never afford a 1571 or 1581, but having dual 1541s was a real improvement. My original 1541 stayed at home with the C64, for my younger brother to continue to enjoy while I was at school.

6 - Retroswitch Flyer

This is a very handy modern day peripheral for the Commodore. It’s a fully configurable virtual floppy disk drive (emulator), which can also connect to the Internet, or local server, to download and upload disk images and PRG program files to run on your Commodore PC. I use it all of the time to move files and disks between my modern day netbook and C128. Having a vast library of D64 disk images at my figer-tips (stored on the EeeBox) is very convenient.

7 - Commodore 128

My favorite PC of all time. I don’t think I need to say more about it here. The keys have lost much of their luster, but she’s still fully functional.

8 - 1351 Mouse

I typically use the mouse when working on GEOS, but there’s a few games out there that do use the mouse as an input device. So, I keep it handy in case I need it. Still works pretty good, too!

9 - Star Micronics Gemini II Dot Matrix Printer

I’m so glad I got this thing printing again. The new ribbon I was able to source is working perfectly and I’m enjoying the ability to print from my C128 once again.

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So, that’s my Commodore C128 setup at the moment. Not in this photo are my dual The Boss joysticks or my boxes of floppy disks that I use with the system. I’m very glad that, for the time being, these components are still operation and can be enjoyed after all of these years. They’re well worn, but they’ve brought a lot of joy. I hope I can continue to use them for a very long time. They keep me connected to a lot of very fond memories and I still find them to be very useful to this day.

Thanks for joining me on this little virtual tour!
[tag]commodore[/tag]