The Sinclair QL Forum

Just trying to get this old 486 working (be a nice PC for the QXLII card) and after having removed the Ni-Cd battery and cleaning up the corrosion etc, fitting a CR2032 (with diode), re-seating all the socketed chips, cleaning further.... I have found that the VGA card it came with doesn't output any video (also checked it in a known working machine). The CPU and other chips get warm, voltages are correct, keyboard lights flash on power on so perhaps it's not a lost cause. So I don't suppose anyone has a VGA ISA card that I could borrow just to see if it works at all before going further? I'll pay postage both ways of course. I'm in Germany, so within Germany would be most convenient.

If you don't find a source in Germany, I do have an ISA card and LCD which go together and provide VGA output I believe, plus 640x480 LCD panel and backlight driver.

It's been in a box for years - but it's a prototyping board - to validate the design of a very old laptop I believe.

I will dig it out of the box when I get chance and post a picture.

Some pictures:

And a couple more...

The card has capability to drive both VGA output and LCD.

Tested some time ago (probably about 18 years to be honest), but everything was working then.

LCD still has it's protective plastic sheet on it!

Tech docs included too.

That looks great Pr0f. I probably only need the VGA card. How much is postage to Germany? I assume you don't want it back (also happy to purchase the card or all of it).

I'll find out how much postage is, it's been sat in storage for so long, better it goes to someone who can use it. I haven't had an ISA motherboard for ages, so will probably never use it. I would just need the postage covered

Pr0f wrote:I'll find out how much postage is, it's been sat in storage for so long, better it goes to someone who can use it. I haven't had an ISA motherboard for ages, so will probably never use it. I would just need the postage covered

Excellent, great, thanks very much. Until now I hadn't had an ISA m/b for ages either! I have another Pentium 100 DOS PC that is made up entirely of spare parts, but that has a couple of PCI slots.

It's 1.4Kg, but I will wrap it in some more bubble wrap and this will add a 200-300 grams.

Looks like international track and send will be about £10.20 - all being well I can get this into the post tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest.

Pr0f wrote:It's 1.4Kg, but I will wrap it in some more bubble wrap and this will add a 200-300 grams.

Looks like international track and send will be about £10.20 - all being well I can get this into the post tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest.

Sounds good to me. Be interesting how customs deals with it, after all it is genuinely a 'gift'. Be fine.