RetroTechCollection

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__NOTOC__{{CategoryHeaderBox
__NOTOC__{{CategoryHeaderBox
| title = Welcome to the RetroTechCollection Wiki
| title = Welcome to the RetroTechCollection Wiki
| subtitle = Yesterday’s Tech, Preserved for Tomorrow
| subtitle = Yesterday's Tech, Preserved for Tomorrow
}}<div style="padding:15px; font-size:110%;">Welcome to the '''RetroTechCollection (RTC) Wiki''', your ultimate resource for preserving, repairing, and celebrating vintage technology. Whether you're restoring an old computer, troubleshooting hardware failures, or searching for service manuals, this wiki serves as a comprehensive guide for enthusiasts and collectors.
}}<div style="padding:15px; font-size:110%;">The '''RetroTechCollection (RTC) Wiki''' is a repair and documentation wiki for vintage computers and games consoles. It has pages on individual machines, maintenance, troubleshooting and capacitor replacement guides, and a library of hosted service manuals, schematics and technical books. It currently has {{NUMBEROFARTICLES}} articles and {{NUMBEROFFILES}} uploaded files.
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== 🎮 Vintage Computing & Gaming Areas ==
== Platforms ==
{{MainPageVintageAreas}}
{{MainPageVintageAreas}}


== 📂 Popular Categories ==
== Guides by type ==
 
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{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
! Category !! Pages !! What it holds
|-
|-
! style="background-color:#4B9CD3; color:white; font-size:120%;" | Category
| [[:Category:Maintenance Guides|Maintenance Guides]] || {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Maintenance Guides|pages}} || Cleaning, inspection and preventive work, machine by machine. The full index is at [[Maintenance Guides]].
! style="background-color:#4B9CD3; color:white; font-size:120%;" | Description
|-
| '''[[:Category:Apple Vintage Computers|🍏 Apple Computers]]''' || Classic Macintosh and Apple II systems.
|-
| '''[[:Category:Apple Troubleshooting Guides|⚡ Apple Troubleshooting Guides]]''' || Fault diagnosis and repair for Apple systems.
|-
| '''[[:Category:Vintage Computers|🖥️ Vintage Computers]]''' || Broad range of retro computing platforms.
|-
|-
| '''[[:Category:Repair Guides|🔧 Repair Guides]]''' || General-purpose repair and restoration guides.
| [[:Category:Troubleshooting Guides|Troubleshooting Guides]] || {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Troubleshooting Guides|pages}} || Symptom-led fault finding for each machine
|-
|-
| '''[[:Category:Service Manuals|📜 Service Manuals]]''' || Downloadable schematics, service data, and OEM docs.
| [[:Category:Capacitor Replacement Guides|Capacitor Replacement Guides]] || {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Capacitor Replacement Guides|pages}} || Capacitor lists and recapping procedures
|-
|-
| '''[[:Category:Sinclair Computers|🕹️ Sinclair Computers]]''' || ZX80, ZX81, Spectrum and related systems.
| [[:Category:Repair Guides|Repair Guides]] || {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Repair Guides|pages}} || Specialist repairs and procedures that apply to many machines
|-
|-
| '''[[:Category:Commodore Systems|💾 Commodore Systems]]''' || C64, VIC-20, PET, and Amiga systems.
| [[:Category:Service Manuals|Service Manuals]] || {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Service Manuals|pages}} || Pages for hosted service manuals and schematics, each saying what the document covers
|-
| '''[[:Category:Atari Systems|🎮 Atari Systems]]''' || 8-bit and 16-bit Atari hardware coverage.
|-
| '''[[:Category:Sega Systems|🌀 Sega Systems]]''' || Repair and modding for Sega consoles.
|-
| '''[[:Category:Nintendo|🎮 Nintendo]]''' || NES, SNES, Game Boy and classic handheld systems.
|-
| '''[[:Category:Vintage Audio Equipment|🎵 Vintage Audio Equipment]]''' || Classic radios, tape decks, and amplifiers.
|-
| '''[[:Category:Vintage Video Equipment|📺 Vintage Video Equipment]]''' || VCRs, monitors, projectors and cameras.
|}
|}


== 🛠️ Troubleshooting & Diagnostics ==
== Guides for every machine ==
Having trouble with your vintage computers, video equipment, or other retro tech? Our troubleshooting guides provide in-depth diagnostics and repair techniques:
These pages apply across platforms. Read the first one before opening anything with a picture tube.
 
* [[CRT Discharge Procedure]]
* [[Capacitor Failure Symptoms]]
* [[Capacitor Failure Symptoms]]
* [[Battery Explosion, Capacitor or Corrosion Damage]]
* [[Battery Refurbishment]]
* [[Floppy Drive Repair]]
* [[Floppy Drive Repair]]
* [[Hard Drive Maintenance and Repair]]
* [[Hard Drive Maintenance and Repair]]
* [[CRT Discharge Procedure]]
* [[Retrobrite]]
* [[Sad Mac Error Codes]]
* [[Recommended Tools]]
* [[Diagnostic Serial Console]]
* [[RetroTechCollection:Safety requirements|Safety requirements]]
For Macintosh faults, see also [[Sad Mac Error Codes]] and the [[Diagnostic Serial Console|Macintosh diagnostic serial console]].
 
== Manuals and documentation ==
Each hosted document has its own page giving its title, part number and date, what it contains and what it leaves out.
* [[Macintosh Repair Resources]]: repair books, Apple service guides and general Macintosh references
* [[:Category:Apple Service Source|Apple Service Source]] ({{PAGESINCATEGORY:Apple Service Source|pages}} pages): Apple's service manuals, machine by machine
* [[:Category:Apple Documentation|Apple Documentation]] ({{PAGESINCATEGORY:Apple Documentation|pages}} pages): Apple's other publications, the LaserWriter service-training manuals and third-party Macintosh books
* [[:Category:Apple Programming Documentation|Apple Programming Documentation]] ({{PAGESINCATEGORY:Apple Programming Documentation|pages}} pages): programming, language and compiler manuals
* [[:Category:Commodore Documentation|Commodore Documentation]] ({{PAGESINCATEGORY:Commodore Documentation|pages}} pages), including [[:Category:Commodore Books|Commodore Books]] ({{PAGESINCATEGORY:Commodore Books|pages}} pages)
* [[:Category:Service Manuals|Service Manuals]]: the top-level category for service manuals and schematics from every manufacturer
 
== Get involved ==
Anyone can improve an existing article or start a new one. Start with [[Help:Getting_Started|Getting started]], [[Help:Editing|Editing]] and [[Help:Contents|Help]], read the [[RetroTechCollection:Policies and guidelines|policies and guidelines]], and use the [[RTC:Article wizard|Article wizard]] to create a page. Discussion happens on the [https://forum.retrotechcollection.com RTC Forum] and the [https://discord.gg/sYgGY778TJ RTC Discord server].
 
If you find the wiki useful, you can support it at [https://buymeacoffee.com/retrotechcollection Buy Me a Coffee].
 
== Other RTC tools ==
=== RetroTechCollector ===
[https://retrotechcollector.com RetroTechCollector] is a collection catalogue and marketplace run by RetroTechCollection. It records consoles, computers, handhelds and games with market values, and lets collectors buy, sell and trade. It is free to use, with some paid features, on the web and as an app for Android and iOS.
[[File:RTC Collector - Dark Mode.png|none|thumb|420x420px|RetroTechCollector]]
[[File:Google Play Store badge EN.svg|frameless|173x173px|link=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.rtccollector.twa|Get RetroTechCollector on Google Play]] [https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/retro-tech-collector/id6762841160 RetroTechCollector on the App Store]
 
=== Floppy Disk Workbench ===
The Floppy Disk Workbench is an open-source (MIT licence) tool for restoring, formatting and recovering floppy disks with a Greaseweazle. The source and downloads are on GitHub at [https://github.com/JYewman/Greaseweazle-Floppy-Disk-Restorer JYewman/Greaseweazle-Floppy-Disk-Restorer].
[[File:Floppy Disk Workbench.png|none|thumb|431x431px|Floppy Disk Workbench]]


== 🖥️ Dedicated Device Pages ==
=== PsionNet ===
Each vintage device has its own wiki page featuring specialized maintenance instructions, repair tutorials, parts lists, documentation, and technical specifications. Explore these dedicated pages to ensure your vintage gear remains in optimal condition. Use the search bar at the top to explore all our documented devices.
PsionNet connects a Psion Series 5mx, Series 7 or netBook to the internet. It is open source (GPL v2); the source and downloads are on GitHub at [https://github.com/JYewman/PsionNet JYewman/PsionNet].
[[File:PsionNet Screenshot.png|none|thumb|PsionNet]]


== 🤝 Get Involved ==
== Install the wiki as an app ==
Your contributions keep this wiki growing! Share your expertise, improve existing articles, or create new content to help preserve retro technology for future generations.
The wiki can be installed as a progressive web app (PWA) on Android, iOS, Windows and macOS.


To begin contributing you'll need an account, visit '''[[Help:Editing]]''', or join the discussion on our community forums at [https://forum.retrotechcollection.com forum.retrotechcollection.com] or our Discord server: https://discord.gg/sYgGY778TJ
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== Service status ==
* Wiki and forum: https://status.retrotechcollection.com
* RetroTechCollector: https://status.rtccollector.com


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To apply to join the RTC Wiki or Forum staff, fill in the [https://form.typeform.com/to/Yflsw44e RTC Staff Member Application Form]. Applications are reviewed and answered within 24 hours.
 
For more about staff roles, see the forum post [https://forum.retrotechcollection.com/threads/rtc-wiki-updates.6/#post-52 RTC Staff Member Applications], or ask on the [https://forum.retrotechcollection.com RTC Forum] or the [https://discord.gg/sYgGY778TJ RTC Discord server].
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