Ben's ZX Spectrum Mod Part 3 Episode -- Episode 147

I occasionally buy a broken Sinclair spectrum off Ebay and rebuild it.
Kits would be cool but the trouble is that original Speccys use a chip called a ULA (uncommitted logic array), these were made by Ferranti and aren't in production anymore. The ULA is a vital part of the machine which provides the graphical display and also handles inputs from keyboard and the i/o expansion port.

There are ways to replicate a ULA and schematics exist:
http://www.zxdesign.info/schematics.shtml

I'd be happier getting a broken Speccy and replacing faulty memory chips than trying to replicate the ULA.

I agree about the Spectrum rainbow, however the colour shouldn't be too much of an issue, the ZX80 which came before the Spectrum came in a white case and the Spectrum +2 came in grey.

This is just exceptional. Like many people in the UK, I grew up programming the spectrum (first the 48k, then the 128+2 and finally the 128+3). What I would really love is for element14 to produce this project as a kit. In the UK, there would be a huge market for this - there is a lot of pent up demand amongst engineers and enthusiasts for kit computers. PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE produce this as a kit, or even a parts list that I could submit to the element14 website to get all the parts in one go without hunting around for everything. Very very nice.

As I have. I've never so eagerly waited for a project's conclusion as I have for this one.

Beautifully executed, both the electronics and the case (even made me forget about the lacking rainbow).

Ben has indeed the skills of an engineer, reverse-engineering these custom electronics from 30 years ago is not a task for the faint of heart. Kudos to Ben as he has proven yet again to be at the same skill level as Jeri Ellsworth, the woman who created the C64-In-A-Joystick. With the data learned from the hardware changes required to shrink this project, it's only a small jump to sketching it into ASIC form.

As I'm sure many of you folks are, I am drooling over that lovely Speccy. If it was for sale, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to afford it.

Just watched all 3 parts ... that is so cool!!! And it brings back tons of memories of sitting in front of the TV programming my ZX Spectrum. It was the very first computer I owned (age 12) and I've been programming ever since. Is it for sale?

Noooo.... The case should be black and feature the rainbow. Anything else is basically a crime.