Hello!
Is anyone local to Bishop’s Stortford and surrounding areas (Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, North London) that could refurbish a Microvitec Cub 853 and possibly a Ferguson MC01 TV/monitor, please? I have a Cub 653 as well that was seen working before being sent to me, but a local engineer told me upon examination that the PCB was fine, with a few new parts fitted beforehand, but that the CRT was dead, possibly damaged in transit. He could not fix it but suggested keeping it in case I find a working CRT, so I found the 853.
The 853’s status is unknown. The Ferguson has had a full service and works great except for buzzing on the sound (speaker and headphones). I have the service manual for it, where the same local engineer who looked at the 653 Cub told me this issue is mentioned in the service manual I gave him. If I recall, he said he may have to do a bit more if the issue returns – as there’s more that can be done and as said is a known issue in the manual – which it did straight away. Unfortunately, he’s since moved away, though keeps in contact. This was a few months ago. There wasn’t enough time to get it resolved before he moved, sadly, and there are no apparent suggestions of local engineers he’s aware of who could do the work.
I’ve asked around but can’t find anyone local to help, including local repair cafés, one of which is where the engineer who looked at the above was from. They were very helpful and fixed a turntable for me! Due to disability and chronic illness (housebound), I’m very limited in terms of what I can do about this. I’ll be able to get a relative to take them somewhere, perhaps 40 or so miles away maximum. Posting them is not an option for me, as we have had awful problems with deliveries over the past two years or so (lost, damaged, etc.). In any case, many won’t take CRTs, though these were sent via Royal Mail parcels, who don’t seem to exclude CRTs, whereas Parcelforce do, at least for damage.
But I really do not wish to post these. The Ferguson is quite a rare thing, too, and it works brilliantly with everything – BBC, Electron, Amiga, LaserDisc! It’s not high-res of course, but it’s a real joy to use and always fills the entire CRT with an image.
I’m finishing off my vintage computer and consumer electronics collections, and I just need to get these done. HDMI adapters, including ones fitted internally, are fantastic. However, one has gone wrong, and I cannot fix it despite receiving help, requiring the whole computer to be sent for inspection, which again risks further damage. In fact, the HDMI output was working perfectly until I sent the computer off for a different repair, but now the HDMI doesn’t. One of my HDMI TVs refuses to work when plugged into one particular HDMI-modded computer! Flat panel TVs, even via RGB, don’t always work that well, and some colours can be impossible to read on some of them. Being partially sighted doesn’t help, but they’re lovely on the Ferguson MC01 – an absolute joy with my BBC via TTL or my Amiga via analogue RGB! It automatically detects TTL and analogue RGB. Imagine what my BBC will look like on a Cub…![:D]( "Very Happy")
Acorn repairers I’ve asked no longer work on Cubs, and that would require posting anyway.
I would be incredibly grateful for any help, as this is a really fun and accessbile hobby that I’ve enjoyed since I was at primary school in the 1980s, and I will admit I’m quite downbeat because I cannot finish it off and use them without issue.
Thank you!![:)]( "Smile")
Is anyone local to Bishop’s Stortford and surrounding areas (Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, North London) that could refurbish a Microvitec Cub 853 and possibly a Ferguson MC01 TV/monitor, please? I have a Cub 653 as well that was seen working before being sent to me, but a local engineer told me upon examination that the PCB was fine, with a few new parts fitted beforehand, but that the CRT was dead, possibly damaged in transit. He could not fix it but suggested keeping it in case I find a working CRT, so I found the 853.
The 853’s status is unknown. The Ferguson has had a full service and works great except for buzzing on the sound (speaker and headphones). I have the service manual for it, where the same local engineer who looked at the 653 Cub told me this issue is mentioned in the service manual I gave him. If I recall, he said he may have to do a bit more if the issue returns – as there’s more that can be done and as said is a known issue in the manual – which it did straight away. Unfortunately, he’s since moved away, though keeps in contact. This was a few months ago. There wasn’t enough time to get it resolved before he moved, sadly, and there are no apparent suggestions of local engineers he’s aware of who could do the work.
I’ve asked around but can’t find anyone local to help, including local repair cafés, one of which is where the engineer who looked at the above was from. They were very helpful and fixed a turntable for me! Due to disability and chronic illness (housebound), I’m very limited in terms of what I can do about this. I’ll be able to get a relative to take them somewhere, perhaps 40 or so miles away maximum. Posting them is not an option for me, as we have had awful problems with deliveries over the past two years or so (lost, damaged, etc.). In any case, many won’t take CRTs, though these were sent via Royal Mail parcels, who don’t seem to exclude CRTs, whereas Parcelforce do, at least for damage.
But I really do not wish to post these. The Ferguson is quite a rare thing, too, and it works brilliantly with everything – BBC, Electron, Amiga, LaserDisc! It’s not high-res of course, but it’s a real joy to use and always fills the entire CRT with an image.
I’m finishing off my vintage computer and consumer electronics collections, and I just need to get these done. HDMI adapters, including ones fitted internally, are fantastic. However, one has gone wrong, and I cannot fix it despite receiving help, requiring the whole computer to be sent for inspection, which again risks further damage. In fact, the HDMI output was working perfectly until I sent the computer off for a different repair, but now the HDMI doesn’t. One of my HDMI TVs refuses to work when plugged into one particular HDMI-modded computer! Flat panel TVs, even via RGB, don’t always work that well, and some colours can be impossible to read on some of them. Being partially sighted doesn’t help, but they’re lovely on the Ferguson MC01 – an absolute joy with my BBC via TTL or my Amiga via analogue RGB! It automatically detects TTL and analogue RGB. Imagine what my BBC will look like on a Cub…
Acorn repairers I’ve asked no longer work on Cubs, and that would require posting anyway.
I would be incredibly grateful for any help, as this is a really fun and accessbile hobby that I’ve enjoyed since I was at primary school in the 1980s, and I will admit I’m quite downbeat because I cannot finish it off and use them without issue.
Thank you!
Statistics: Posted by parabrick — Sun Jun 15, 2025 1:47 am