Title: Commodore 64 questions Post by: bombatomba on January 11, 2014, 04:22:16 PM Hello all! I've recently been looking at Commodore 64 equipment, kind of coming up with a good price point and coming to terms with the myriad of options that this system offers (both official and unofficial). At this point I am still a little overwhelmed. However, before I progress I wanted to sound off and see if this system is truly worth it (for the games as much as for the collecting). I've always been interested in the C64, but have always been a little dubious about getting one (I had a friend go through four bad purchases on ebay alone). Now my curiosity is piqued and I can't help myself looking. However, there are a few additional questions have that I was hoping some of you could answer:
1. C64 or C64c? 2. Will I have problems hooking this thing into my CRT television using an old switcher (similar to what you use for an Atari VCS or O^2)? 3. Will I need to get a joystick? 4. Can I just use tape player to mimic the Data Set? 5. It seems that many of the best games are on floppy. How bad of a fail rate to the 1541 disc drives have? Has anyone bought one from ebay before? 6. Finally, eBay's prices are wildly different, which makes it hard to do a fair market value. What would be a competitive price for a loose C64 with the wires? C64c? Thanks everyone for your time and help. Title: Re: Commodore 64 questions Post by: Shadow Kisuragi on January 11, 2014, 06:10:29 PM I've basically been given mine, and both are C64c. However, I can answer your 2nd question...
The C64 has a special cable, and requires an older connection type. I specifically picked up a Commodore 64 monitor (found one locally at a thrift shop), but you'll likely need an older TV/monitor with the hookups. The wire has Chroma, Luma, and Audio - if the monitor will support that (or a converter will), you're good. I've got an extra monitor here that's a Goldstar brand, but I think that'd be too expensive to ship. Title: Re: Commodore 64 questions Post by: den68 on January 11, 2014, 06:41:04 PM You can use Atari 2600 joysticks with the C64.
Title: Re: Commodore 64 questions Post by: Shadow Kisuragi on January 11, 2014, 07:09:33 PM That's right - I have a huge box of Atari joysticks with my C64.
Title: Re: Commodore 64 questions Post by: Duke.Togo on January 11, 2014, 09:18:22 PM 1. C128 ;)
2. You can still buy a cable that will do composite + mono out. 3. Atari, as mentioned. 4. No, the Data Set has a special cord to interface with the machine. 5. The best games are on floppy IMHO. I'm not sure what the failure rate is on the 1541 vs 1541c vs 1541-II, so I would just make sure you can return a unit if it is defective. 6. No clue, bought mine locally cheap. Title: Re: Commodore 64 questions Post by: slackur on January 11, 2014, 10:32:14 PM Hello all! I've recently been looking at Commodore 64 equipment, kind of coming up with a good price point and coming to terms with the myriad of options that this system offers (both official and unofficial). At this point I am still a little overwhelmed. However, before I progress I wanted to sound off and see if this system is truly worth it (for the games as much as for the collecting). I've always been interested in the C64, but have always been a little dubious about getting one (I had a friend go through four bad purchases on ebay alone). Now my curiosity is piqued and I can't help myself looking. However, there are a few additional questions have that I was hoping some of you could answer: 1. C64 or C64c? 2. Will I have problems hooking this thing into my CRT television using an old switcher (similar to what you use for an Atari VCS or O^2)? 3. Will I need to get a joystick? 4. Can I just use tape player to mimic the Data Set? 5. It seems that many of the best games are on floppy. How bad of a fail rate to the 1541 disc drives have? Has anyone bought one from ebay before? 6. Finally, eBay's prices are wildly different, which makes it hard to do a fair market value. What would be a competitive price for a loose C64 with the wires? C64c? Thanks everyone for your time and help. Yay! Old school C64 gamer here, I'd love to help. 1. Agreed, if you can find it the 128 is better in most ways (though IMHO not as aesthetically pleasing ;) ) but there are a handful of incompatibilities. The original beige C64 is still my preference, if you can track one down with all of the original cables. 2. You will need the specialized video output cable and old RF switchbox equivalent to play on a CRT. One advantage the 128 has is a direct A/V out for better picture quality. 3. As stated, any a26 type joystick works. I often use Master System/Genesis controllers for mine. ;) 4. Personal preference, but I avoid the magnetic media. I have the tape and disc drives as well as hundreds of floppies, but even under the best of circumstances they are extremely slow and will spontaneously and permanently stop working on occasion (due to the inherent and natural degradation of the magnetic storage format.) 5. Ugh. Stay far, far away from these beasts if you can. I've owned half a dozen and they are notoriously problematic for mechanical failure, overheating, and alignment issues. If you can, track down a 1541-II or 1571. Harder to find and more expensive, but worth the effort if you are into floppy discs. 6. When I see them in the wild they are often cheap, and I've gotten a few for under twenty bucks, or even a few loose ones for free (If I still have any, I'll send them your way, but I think I gave away all the working ones.) If the machine works, is in good shape, and has all the cables, you should find it for $20/$30, at least that's in my area. Haven't seen them in awhile though... 7. There are a ton of hacks for the C64, and one I'm toying with is to slap the entire library onto a more modern hard drive and buy an interface so I have everything I could want sans magnetic media issues. I only began considering this once I realized just how hard it is to track down carts for the C64, and how few of my favorites ever even made it to carts. Hope that helps! I'll keep an eye out as I go through my boxes o stuff and see what I have left for C64. It's such an excellence machine, and was responsible for getting me into video games. Title: Re: Commodore 64 questions Post by: bombatomba on January 12, 2014, 01:04:31 AM Wow, I did not expect so many answers so soon (and on a weekend). Lots of stuff to chew on. Unlike last time I got C64 fever I'm still interested in tracking one down even after seeing the caveats, though I've decided this time to avoid looking through eBay for the hardware (at least for the system and disk drive). Once things slow down a bit at work (or I get a new job) I'm going to start hitting the thrifts. I've not seen a C64 in a thrift since the great Livonia Thrift Store closed their doors, but then I've not really been hitting the thrifts as hard as I could be.
Thanks for your help, everyone! Title: Re: Commodore 64 questions Post by: Cobra on January 12, 2014, 09:27:04 PM Love my C64 and still have it today.
I think most of your questions have already been answered though. What I really loved is I used the same RF & Controls between all four growing up, the Atari 2600, Master System, Mega Drive, and C64. Not that it's a common thing, but in a few rare cases like with Ghostbusters, the game was also available as a cartridge. Alway get the cartridge in those cases, same great game without any loading. Title: Re: Commodore 64 questions Post by: bombatomba on January 18, 2014, 09:09:54 AM Okay, C64 community, I have another question. I've been reading quite a bit lately about C64 video output as well as the theory and the limitations of "old" C64 systems versus "new" C64 systems (specifically how some have 5-pin video outputs and some have 8-pin outputs). My question is will the breadbox model with the gray function keys always have a 8-pin video output?
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