ScuzzBlog: Diaries August 2023
Entry 10th August 2023: Post 1: Acorn Electron - Nice face. Shame about the pins.
Acorn Electron - Nice face. Shame about the pins.
Sometimes you just have to accept it really isn't worth the time,
money and trouble trying to replace faulty kit. The Electron is
a computer that on the face of it looks the part, albeit needing
The Plus 1 expansion to make it usable. This machine is such a
joy to look at and for the most part stands the test of time. In
normal circumstances I would recommend any BBC BASIC enthusiast
go buy an Acorn Electron, but sadly this computer has a real bad
problem.
The machine was a failure in the day. Acorn tried to take on the
Sinclair brand head on and failed. Production was delayed due to
hardware issues and they not only missed the holiday sales period
but anticipated selling way more than they did at a time the market
was in melt down. They finished with warehouses full of unwanted
stock.
The problem today with the Electron is the same as it was at launch,
the ticking time bomb that is the ULA. At its launch the ULA accounted
for over 25 percent of all returns. They changed the soldered status
to a socket to ease replacement problems, but today that is causing
a real issue. You take that thing apart and as with my computer the
pins just fracture and fall off.
No matter how many Ebay auctions say the Electron is working there
is no guarantee that at any time after you get it the ULA will fail.
This is not an easy thing to replace and or repair. It is for this
reason that I have never bothered trying to replace mine. The thing
just one day up and stopped working. She be dead.
The second one shown here with The Plus 1 has a faulty caps lock
and space bar and nothing I can do can make them work. I could try
swapping out the keys but in truth I'm as likely to get the ULA
drop out and so I have given up with the Electron. I have two
others in boxes that may or may not be alive. We will never know.
I have BBC Master and B units working and they do me fine.
It is sad to say that most computers beyond the 30 year mark need
to be considered as museum pieces and just held as glass cased
trophies of your home computer passion. There comes a time when
your beloved ancient bit of computer history is working and you
just pull the plug for the last time. She will forever be a working
memory. It seriously breaks your heart having kit that is broken.
It takes away the joy of showing it off. I have for some time now
stopped using loads of my old computers and simply have them in
store as something to look at.
Everything has a sell by date, even me, and it takes a lot of will
power and determination to fight against time. A repaired weakness
in anything can simply place strain on another tired part. Many
things wear at different rates but the fatigue of daily use can be
taking its toll on more than you know. So just cus you replaced all
the capacitors doesn't mean that you have a perfectly running new
computer.
I am very glad to have enjoyed my era of mucking around with old
computers, and I will continue to do so. Some ask why I bought so
many, and really the reason was to protect me from loss. I just
could not imagine a time I wouldn't want to be using my Amiga. It's
a nonsense notion that you can defy life's certainties by buying
more time. We are all steadily and slowly moving toward the void
back from whence we came, and nothing makes me reflect on this fact
more than holding a wonderful bit of kit that looks great from the
outside but is broken inside. That is so sad.
I place the Electron reluctantly back on its shelf and resist all
those auctions I have saved on my desktop. I give others the time
and opportunity to maybe breath a little life into them. For me I
accept that this is one challenge that it destined to failure and
and don't want to face that sadness again.
Poor little Electron. Doomed from birth.
Acorn Electron - Nice face. Shame about the pins.
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Last updated 10th August 2023
Chandraise Kingdom
Keep the Faith
scuzzscink 2023