ScuzzBlog: Diaries August 2019 Entry 26th August 2019: Post 01: Texas TI-99/4A Face Off. Texas TI-99/4A Face Off. My goodness did I underestimate this little challenge. Some weeks back when I was looking for the C64C Hollywood box I came across this banged up TI-99/4A wedged between some boxes. Whether because of something I had done or always been like it, the front face plate was lifted. So badly that it was at risk of further damage as the unit was moved and shelved again. So I left the dusty little machine out on top of a monitor and then forgot all about it. So today I recovered the computer and set too addressing the issue of the lifting face plate. Mainly the issue was to the left just above the keyboard and I could see the metal tangs protruding out of their receiving holes and not making any purchase to hold the plate down tight. I kinda thought this would be a simple task. How wrong was I. The Texas TI-99/4A has power converter inside the computer on a separate board and uses a double shielding top and bottom to the main board. The sequence by which you remove the motherboard is important cus from the get-go bits of plastic fall on the floor and keyboard connectors become detached with no idea how I was going to reconnect. The shielding is complicated further by having the cartridge slot and the side expansion port. Both had again removable parts and it was important to remember what went where. Took me a good while to take apart. The main shielding has two large clamps either side which just add to the collection of removed parts lying on the workbench. When I consider how easy a Spectrum is to take apart, this computer really isn't anything like as easy to work on. Even the front switch leaves you scratching your head as to how the thing is put back together. I discovered that none of the tangs or metal clips holding the front face plate had been twisted to lock in place. I began to think that maybe the act had been deliberate to give additional ventilation to the computer. The tangs were not even attempting to retain the plate so that in itself appeared somewhat odd. The unit is incredibly well made albeit the outer case feels flimsy with the thin metal fascia. I am convinced that the cartridge slot had been intended to go a different way as there is a plastic cover plate inside the computer the shape of a cartridge. I think the key- board is probably one of the most robust and well made that I have seen for a computer of the period. There was no evidence of distress from internal components and in some way the inner surface was bright and new. One oddity was the way the shielding had discoloured and on the surface were engrained clear fingerprints of the previous owner. These are not my prints. Anyway I managed to fasten the fascia face plate back tight and wasn't left with any spare parts or plastic bits or screws. She went back together with little problem. I did muck up the power slide and also wasn't happy with the power connector cables. So I had to take it all apart and start over. I was glad I made the changes. I did watch a video regarding this computer and the guy was cleaning the silver with toothpaste. Not sure about that. Sadly the silver metal has been scratched during its lifetime. I wasn't able to test the computer as it requires a quite special power connector. So lets assume she is fine. For anyone taking one of these apart I would take pictures all the way through. And for goodness sake put something down on the worktop to protect the silver face work. Nice computer... really nice for 1981. TI-99/4A made by Texas Instruments in the USA 1981 Uses TI BASIC running on a TI TMS 9900 at 3.3MHz RAM is 16KB with expansion up to 52 KB. Colours were limited to 16 and sound had 3 channels. The PSU is the pig being the special TI external feed. Texas TI-99/4A Face Off.

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Last updated 26th August 2019

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