Vintage Simmons Drums (UK) Users Group

awesome thanks!  the mem expansion carts are the same for SDS 6  and SDS7 right?

z

 
NEW ALLIANCE EAST!!!!

--------------------------------------


New Alliance East - Mastering

New Alliance East - Facebook

X :::: B :::: S





On Thursday, October 10, 2013 3:29 AM, "warlandr63@..." <warlandr63@...> wrote:
 
  
All members who have have contacted me and provided there postage have had their
requested carts sent as of today. I tried to post an update a couple of times over
the past few days but I kept getting messages from yahoo saying my email address is bouncing. I'd try to select the option to unbounce the address and then got error messages that the option was unavailable. Had to contact yahoo to sort it out.
This new "improved" group setup is quite frankly crap. I've basically given up with a couple of other groups I'm in as they have become unworkable.
I'm even considering dumping all my groups which would be a shame as I enjoy the
sharing of my interests with other like minded people.
I understand that it would be a right pain in the rear end but would it be worth considering opening up a "sister" group with lets say google groups? I'd be happy to help moderate etc if this was an option.

So if people haven't received their darts within the next 10 - 20 days (depending on where you are) please let me know and I'll do what I can to fix the problem. People from the first mail out have contacted me and reported they have got their carts ok.

Cheers

Richard

I just want to say thanks - I received my card yesterday, it is a quality item, very professional work, well done. My SDS7 salutes you.

Cheers, vout

--- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, <warlandr63@...> wrote:

>
> All members who have have contacted me and provided there postage have had their
> requested carts sent as of today. I tried to post an update a couple of times over
> the past few days but I kept getting messages from yahoo saying my email address is bouncing. I'd try to select the option to unbounce the address and then got error messages that the option was unavailable. Had to contact yahoo to sort it out.
> This new "improved" group setup is quite frankly crap. I've basically given up with a couple of other groups I'm in as they have become unworkable.
> I'm even considering dumping all my groups which would be a shame as I enjoy the
> sharing of my interests with other like minded people.
> I understand that it would be a right pain in the rear end but would it be worth considering opening up a "sister" group with lets say google groups? I'd be happy to help moderate etc if this was an option.
> 
> So if people haven't received their darts within the next 10 - 20 days (depending on where you are) please let me know and I'll do what I can to fix the problem. People from the first mail out have contacted me and reported they have got their carts ok.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Richard
>

me too!  haven't seen mine yet.

looking forward!

THANKS!


z

 
NEW ALLIANCE EAST!!!!

--------------------------------------


New Alliance East - Mastering

New Alliance East - Facebook

X :::: B :::: S





On Friday, October 18, 2013 3:14 AM, "music@..." <music@...> wrote:
 
  
 Still waiting for mine... hope they arrive soon!!!




---In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, <simmons_drums@yahoogroups.com> wrote:


I just want to say thanks - I received my card yesterday, it is a quality item, very professional work, well done. My SDS7 salutes you.

Cheers, vout


--- In Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com, <warlandr63@...> wrote:

>>
>> All members who have have contacted me and provided there postage have had their
>> requested carts sent as of today. I tried to post an update a couple of times over
>> the past few days but I kept getting messages from yahoo saying my email address is bouncing. I'd try to select the option to unbounce the address and then got error messages that the option was unavailable. Had to contact yahoo to sort it out.
>> This new "improved" group setup is quite frankly crap. I've basically given up with a couple of other groups I'm in as they have become unworkable.
>> I'm even considering dumping all my groups which would be a shame as I enjoy the
>> sharing of my interests with other like minded people.
>> I understand that it would be a right pain in the rear end but would it be worth considering opening up a "sister" group with lets say google groups? I'd be happy to help moderate etc if this was an option.
>> 
>> So if people haven't received their darts within the next 10 - 20 days (depending on where you are) please let me know and I'll do what I can to fix the problem. People from the first mail out have contacted me and reported they have got their carts ok.
>> 
>> Cheers
>> 
>> Richard
>>

As far as I am aware from an email I received Alan now has these.

Yes indeed..... they have arrived and they are magnificent !!!!

Well done Richard. Simply perfect !!!!

Alan

COOL!
 
NEW ALLIANCE EAST!!!!

--------------------------------------


New Alliance East - Mastering

New Alliance East - Facebook

X :::: B :::: S





On Friday, October 18, 2013 11:10 AM, "warlandr63@bigpond.com" <warlandr63@...> wrote:
 
  
Yes the carts "should" work with SDS6 and 7 - or thats what it says on the box. lol
I haven't tested it on the 6 as mine is getting a once over - ie. It's in bits getting glammed up.
The original info I have says that the same cart works with both units.



---In simmons_drums@yahoogroups.com, <newallianceeast@...> wrote:


awesome thanks!  the mem expansion carts are the same for SDS 6  and SDS7 right?

z

 
NEW ALLIANCE EAST!!!!

--------------------------------------


New Alliance East - Mastering

New Alliance East - Facebook

X :::: B :::: S





On Thursday, October 10, 2013 3:29 AM, "warlandr63@..." <warlandr63@...> wrote:
 
  
All members who have have contacted me and provided there postage have had their
requested carts sent as of today. I tried to post an update a couple of times over
the past few days but I kept getting messages from yahoo saying my email address is bouncing. I'd try to select the option to unbounce the address and then got error messages that the option was unavailable. Had to contact yahoo to sort it out.
This new "improved" group setup is quite frankly crap. I've basically given up with a couple of other groups I'm in as they have become unworkable.
I'm even considering dumping all my groups which would be a shame as I enjoy the
sharing of my interests with other like minded people.
I understand that it would be a right pain in the rear end but would it be worth considering opening up a "sister" group with lets say google groups? I'd be happy to
 help moderate etc if this was an option.

So if people haven't received their darts within the next 10 - 20 days (depending on where you are) please let me know and I'll do what I can to fix the problem. People from the first mail out have contacted me and reported they have got their carts ok.

Cheers

Richard

My carts arrived this morning (YAY!) and they look beautiful! But I'm
getting "CF" (check fail) when trying to use them. Is there anybody in the
Chicago area on this group who has an SDS7 so I can verify that the carts
are working in their unit? Or who has a cart and would let me try it in my
SDS7 to see if it works? I'm not convinced that the problem is with the
carts... Since I have two of Richard's carts here, which worked before he
sent them out, and neither are working in my SDS7, my first thought is
that the problem is with my SDS7...

hopefully,
- Scott

just got mine.  haven't tried them yet!

z
 
NEW ALLIANCE EAST!!!!

--------------------------------------


New Alliance East - Mastering

New Alliance East - Facebook

X :::: B :::: S





On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 12:21 PM, Scott Gibbons <scott@...> wrote:
 
  
My carts arrived this morning (YAY!) and they look beautiful! But I'm
getting "CF" (check fail) when trying to use them. Is there anybody in the
Chicago area on this group who has an SDS7 so I can verify that the carts
are working in their unit? Or who has a cart and would let me try it in my
SDS7 to see if it works? I'm not convinced that the problem is with the
carts... Since I have two of Richard's carts here, which worked before he
sent them out, and neither are working in my SDS7, my first thought is
that the problem is with my SDS7...

hopefully,
- Scott

If recieved both mine and they work perfectly in my SDS6. Haven´t checked in my SDS7 yet as I´ve removed the+5V to the cartridge port when I replaced the original power supply ;)

WT

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Nick Zampiello 
  To: Simmons_Drums@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 9:35 PM
  Subject: Re: [Simmons Drums] Re: Simmons carts update





  just got mine.  haven't tried them yet!


  z

  NEW ALLIANCE EAST!!!!

  --------------------------------------


  New Alliance East - Mastering


  New Alliance East - Facebook


  X :::: B :::: S







  On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 12:21 PM, Scott Gibbons <scott@red-noise.com> wrote:

    
  My carts arrived this morning (YAY!) and they look beautiful! But I'm
  getting "CF" (check fail) when trying to use them. Is there anybody in the
  Chicago area on this group who has an SDS7 so I can verify that the carts
  are working in their unit? Or who has a cart and would let me try it in my
  SDS7 to see if it works? I'm not convinced that the problem is with the
  carts... Since I have two of Richard's carts here, which worked before he
  sent them out, and neither are working in my SDS7, my first thought is
  that the problem is with my SDS7...

  hopefully,
  - Scott

I located the source of the CF error I was getting with the Memory Cart,
and it was in fact my "trusty" old SDS7... She's just full of personality
quirks! :-/

Here's hoping that Richard has time & energy to follow through with some
of his other SDS7 ideas in the near future!


all my best,
- Scott

It's good to hear Scott. As I've said to others having problems I was getting a bit worried when a few popped up with issues. I am sure the problems are associated with individual SDS7's, their age and condition. Can you provide any info on what you found to be your issue? It would be helpful in guiding others trying to get theirs working.

I have no doubt my CF errors are my SDS7,  just have not had time to find it,  so a heads up on your fix would be welcome.


Adam Cal
www.toyland.com.au
adamcal@...

Hard to say exactly what the problem / solution was with mine, but here's
what I did:

First, the "Display & Switch Board" (programming panel) on mine was
incredibly flakey, so I replaced it with a working one.

While the unit was open, I checked all of the cabling and PCB connections.
Nothing was loose, but I did wiggle them all to make sure they were all
seated properly. 

Finally (and this may have been what did the trick) I sprayed some Deoxit
onto the DIN pins where you plug in the Memory Cartridge, and then wiped
each pin with a cotton swab.

Then I plugged it in, powered it up, and everything was working perfectly!

Unfortunately, then I decided to reassemble the case and put it back into
the rack. After doing that, it wouldn't work. I get power (voice card
lights are on) but the display is blank and the lights are wonky. So I
opened it up and re-checked everything, and even tried it with my old
Display & Switch Board, but no dice. So I handed it off to a local tech
who's brilliant with vintage gear... *SIGH*

Anyway, I noticed I was getting some crud off the pins when I was cleaning
them off; I would suggest to anyone having problems to make sure the pins
are all straight and clean. Many years ago I had a Kawai voice ROM that
was missing one of it's pins, and I had to solder some wire in place to
get it to work in my R-100. It may seem obvious, but do a visual
inspection to verify that all the pins are there - they can snap off or
get bent...


all my best,
- Scott

Thanks for the info Scott. I would suggest that when you screwed the case together again, the CPU or memory PCB has "warped" a bit. I have found that if either of these cards is not 90 degrees to the back plain pcb, expect problems. The contacts in the card slots don't make good contact with the CPU and memory card fingers.

The components and design of the cpu card in the SDS7 is really old school. It has "somewhat" less processing power than a Sinclair spectrum, probably similar to a Commodore Vic20. Once booted up, all the processor is doing is monitoring the panel buttons, displaying it's current function and sending the control voltages and setting signals to the voice cards. That's it!! nothing really more. If you look at the CPU and memory design in the schematics of the SDS7, 90% of what you see is now contained in a single chip with modern micro controller designs. Some of you may have heard of PIC's, AVR's, Arduino's etc. ALL of these could be used to do what the SDS7 cpu is doing plus way more.

The vast majority of non booting, memory loss etc problems people have with the SDS7 is because of the original hardware design. By today's standards it is seriously lacking. I have said it many times that most of the issues are due to poor connections somewhere in the system. Oxide on contacts, weak connection pressure in PCB sockets (due to miss alignment or general age and wear and tear), poorly routed ribbon cables picking up electrical noise. I have never liked the fact that the cartridge socket pins are so exposed at the rear of the SDS6,7 The pins should be protected from both physical AND electrical damage. One dirty, broken, bent or poorly aligned pin in the socket will cause cartridge save failure.

Richard