BBC Micro Pickup: Disk Drives and a Rediffusion VDU

The bat signal went up on Facebook: a BBC Micro Model B in loft condition, with accessories, for £95, just up the road in Farnborough. I’m meant to be downsizing, but sometimes it’s just got to be done. It turned out to be the biggest, dirtiest BBC I’ve ever got my hands on, with a dual floppy drive unit, an unusual Rediffusion monitor and a box full of software and manuals. Was it a good deal? This video was supported by PCBWay; thanks to Elaine Hu and the team.

What was in the haul?

The BBC itself, a Rediffusion monitor, a dual disk drive unit in a vintage Marks and Spencer bag, a colour light pen, a spare keyboard and a box of software and books. For £95, it’s probably worth it for spares alone.

BBC Micro Model B pickup haul with Rediffusion monitor, disk drives and software laid out on the bench — The full £95 haul

Inside the BBC Micro

Despite the dirt, it doesn’t smell musty, so I think it’s just surface dust. It’s an issue 3 board, and the disc controller is fitted in IC78 along with the supporting chips, so it’s ready for floppy drives. The ROM sockets are bristling with software I’ve yet to identify, someone has done a crazy mod to the speaker to get an audio output (now come unstuck), and the old mains plug lacks the half sleeved live and neutral pins it would need today. Mark at Retro Clinic tells me this one doesn’t need the usual power supply recap. No postcode engraved on the lid, unlike many school machines.

Inside the dirty BBC Micro Model B showing the issue 3 motherboard and populated ROM sockets — An issue 3 board with the disc controller fitted

The unusual Rediffusion VDU

I first took it for a TV, but it’s a dedicated computer monitor, and Rediffusion is better known for distributing TV over cable. Desiccant sachets dated 1995 and 1996 show it was carefully packed away no earlier than that. Round the back there’s a five pin DIN audio input with a level control, a BNC connector, an earth nut, a separate colour control (so it must be a colour unit), and one more input I can’t identify. I don’t have a BNC lead yet, so testing it is for another day.

Rear connections of the Rediffusion computer monitor including BNC, DIN audio input and colour control — The odd collection of connections on the Rediffusion monitor

Does it power on?

Lid on (screws are optional for BBC owners) and connected to an LCD, it fired up to that reassuring BBC start screen. But the keyboard doesn’t work reliably: wiggling the ribbon cable brings it in and out, so that’s one to come back to. Later power ons also came up in a different screen mode, which might be a ROM not quite seated. I genuinely don’t know yet.

The BBC Micro from the pickup booting to its start screen on an LCD monitor — It lives, but the keyboard is intermittent

Disk drives, light pen and software

The dual 5.25 inch drive unit is very hobbyist: inventive soldering on the back, a hand etched PCB with what I assume is drive select logic, a loose wire flapping about, and a disk still inside. I’d like to keep it original and get it working rather than turn it into a Gotek housing. The spare keyboard (missing its space bar) might explain the keyboard fault. The software box has Mini Office 2, View, Wordwise and the Acorn DFS guide, Acornsoft’s Revs with its manual and window sticker, light pen software and instructions, the Advanced User Guide, a pack of mostly unused DS HD floppies and plenty of handwritten notes from the previous owner.

It’s all dry, just grotty, which is what matters. If you can identify any of the ROMs or disks, let me know in the comments on the video.

Another BBC arrival: a BBC B with an MMC interface. And when a BBC power supply does need attention: fixing a BBC Micro PSU after the capacitors explode.