Hello from Melbourne!

Post here first, tell us about yourself, your interests, your country...
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80sWIZZKID
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Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2017 10:32 am

Hello from Melbourne!

Post by 80sWIZZKID » Fri Feb 10, 2017 3:29 pm

Hi Everyone,

I've been checking out the Creativemu site very irregularly over the years, and initially sent a few photocopies of DSW game instructions to Luca when he started gathering anything & everything CreatiVision. And I'm starting to get back into it as it was a big part of my childhood.

My introduction to CV came via my parents who had a week or 10 days in Hong Kong in Jan 1982 (during Aussie school holidays). My brother (8yo) and I (9yo) had asked them to please return with an Atari 2600, and were initially very upset (crying!) when they returned with something different - a CV console, with Basic, Sonic Invaders, Crazy Chicky and Tennis. They told us the games and graphics were far better than the Atari 'blocks', and that Dick Smith would soon be selling them too.

I don't recall unpacking the CV and trying it at home, however I do remember my dad having to take the CV and our old Rank Arena colour TV (circa 1976, which I still have) to the local television repairman (Senko in Keilor Rd Niddrie) to either have the aerial/signal plug on the back of TV modified or to tune the TV correctly to CH1.

I remember dad then collecting the CV and TV from the shop saying that it was fixed and 'Senko' had been playing our games in his shop. Needless to say we were once again very upset after getting it home and not being able to get a picture or decent sound. After a house call Senko advised us to put the aerial plug all the way in(!), and voila that was the beginning!

Subsequently the 1980's are filled with great memories of our CV - trying out Basic programs and battling against my brother. Whoever had the blue player in Tennis always won because at a certain spot their service return was unhittable! Sitting down with a neighbour programming in songs like 'The Entertainer' for an afternoon because they had the piano music for it. Trying to write a cricket game with graphics, giving up on the graphics and programming scorecards with randomised scores trying to appear similar to how they did on Ch9 TV coverage. Watching friend's chickens get so easily eaten by foxes. Blocking my brother outside a tunnel so he too gets eaten by a fox (and vice versa). Getting the 'Big One' on Sonic Invader between full lines of small invaders. Letting the invaders eat the city all the way down to the horizon and shooting them at the very last second. Bliss!! :)

Occasionally we'd head over to the Dick Smith Coburg store. Plenty of wares to look at, and some purchases if we were lucky. Then Dick Smith opened up in North Essendon near the Grand Hotel and we hit that shop every Thursday afternoon after school whilst mum was in Boundy's Supermarket. I do recall buying up cartridges and tapes on sale when the DSW was being runout (mostly at Coburg I think), and being told that Funvision cartridges would fit if I took the RHS panel off (I also remember thinking 'How stupid, no way!' lol).

Then in 1991 or 1992 I saw an advert in the Trading Post selling a complete DSW system with lots of games and peripherals too, way out on the other side of town in Belgrave. I recall catching the train out there with a bag in a backpack, walking up & down hills and returning heavily laden with another DSW and lots of accessories (I think all for $50 or $100). This included heaps of games, a boxed I/O interface, moving keyboard, a Toyo printer/plotter and another cassette module. I eventually attached the second cassette module to the left of the one that was already on the CV, effectively making a cool looking double cassette deck. However i recall only being able to wire up the second deck to ff and rwd. :)

Unfortunately these consoles no longer work (power supply and failed fixes), however I did manage to obtain another console which works for about 10mins then the display changes colours and goes diagonally fuzzy. Hoping one day to repair and get all three consoles working - especially the original CV which has huge sentimental value.

It's really great to see Luca (and everyone here) keeping CV alive!
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MADrigal
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Re: Hello from Melbourne!

Post by MADrigal » Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:56 pm

Thank you so much for sharing your memories, my friend! :)

You were indeed one of the very first conributors of our project (then evolved into a community of crazy fans) and I am very grateful to you.

I did not buy a CreatiVision until 2001. My memories of old are very similar to yours, but on a Commodore 64 which I was given at the age of 10 (1983) and used on a daily basis along the following 11 years (and I still own it).

Welcome to the forum - hope you enjoy your stay here. Dont miss to read the discussions on the development of new software and hardware, including games and the CSL module.

Some diagrams for repairing hardware are also available.
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Scouter3d
Posts: 646
Joined: Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:02 am
Location: Wien
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Re: Hello from Melbourne!

Post by Scouter3d » Sat Feb 11, 2017 7:00 am

Welcome to the forum!

I have done quite a few repairs on CreatiVisions (i even repaired a PSU), if the shipping from Australia to Austria would not be that high, you could send me your defect CV´s and i would repair them... But if you need any help in troubleshooting => feel free to knock on my virtual door ;0)

TOM:0)
80sWIZZKID
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2017 10:32 am

Re: Hello from Melbourne!

Post by 80sWIZZKID » Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:42 pm

Thanks for the welcomes!
Very informative & knowledgable discussions too!
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Mobsie
Posts: 708
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:38 am
Location: Weinheim, Germany

Re: Hello from Melbourne!

Post by Mobsie » Sat Feb 11, 2017 8:35 pm

Welcome to the forum and for sharing your memories.

Best Regard,
Mobsie
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