The usefulness of a Commodore 64 Powersaver
I mentioned it before in another article:
Yesterday I got a Commodore C64 c from the attic, nicely vacuum packed like most of my collection and what is ALWAYS the first thing you do when you connect an old C64 with power supply if you don't have a Powersaver (yet)? Yes indeed, measure the output voltages.
The old C64 power supplies are known for causing problems with bunches (failure or slowly releasing more and more voltage are the most common problems).
(After 35 years or so 🙂, I don't think anyone at Commodore would have dreamed that the Commodore 64 would still have such a large fan base nearly 40 years after its launch.)
Commodore 64 Powersaver tresholds
The Commodore 64 can only handle a limited voltage of 4.9 - 5.2 volts, the more above the maximum value, the faster the components will give up.
4.9-5.1 volts : Excellent condition
5.1-5.2 volts : a little too high, measure the voltage more often
5.2-5.5 volts : on the way to failure, your c64 will break faster if you keep using it for a long time
5.5-6.0 volts : Your commodore is in serious danger if you use this power supply.
6.0 and higher : At this voltage your C64 will fail very quickly, usually the memory chips are the first to fail
Source : c64-wiki.com
The Commodore 64 Powersaver ensures that your Commodore 64 cannot be damaged by the slowly deviating voltages that the old power supplies of the Commodore 64 produce.
The Commodore 64 Powersaver interface comes complete with cables, you simply plug it in between the power supply and the C64 and then the Power Protector is immediately active.
What it does :
The Commodore 64 Powersaver interface continuously monitors the voltage supplied to the Commodore 64 :
As long as everything is going well you will see nothing on the C64 power Protector but a green LED that lights up, as confirmation that everything is okay.
When the voltage reaches the (configurable) threshold of 5.3 / 5.45 volts, the Commodore 64 PowerSaver will do its job, the green LED (everything okay) will go out, and the red LED (Houston, we've got a problem) will light up, and the buzzer will start to sound. to work.
The power to the Commodore 64 is immediately switched off by the powersaver interface and thus the risk of damage is almost nil.
Because of the buzzer, you don't have to keep the powersaver interface constantly in view, because you will hear that something is not right.
If your C64 doesn't start up and the Powersaver's buzzer goes off, then you instantly know why the C64 won't start.
It should be clear that the power supply may not be used after the C64 Power Protector reports it as faulty.
Repairing is in many cases an impossible task as Commodore in their wisdom has chosen to pour their power supplies in Epoxy Resin making it a big lump.
Even the mosquito in Jurrassic Park was preserved as a result 🙂
Price of the Commodore 64 Powersaver is 25 Euro
