Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!

@nathaniellockhart

Lover of old stuff, primarily ancient tech and old movies. Things like the Commodore 64, reel to reel tape players, and silent film. I talk about all that stuff on my podcast, the Memory Machine. He/him www.memorymachinepod.com

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Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 2d

C64 Joystick Switcher Board - $5 Assembled - $30 9 left

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 2d

Netronics ELF II replica, Hyperboard, and ASCII keyboard - $35 3 sets left

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 2d

Minimal 64x4 (TTL computer) - $20 4 left

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 2d

Galaksija replica - $20 4 left

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 2d

ZX81 replica and tact switch keyboard - $20 2 sets left

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 2d

MSX-1 replica and keyboard - $20 3 sets left

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 2d

It's time for a late summer, PCB garage sale! Aka - I ordered too many of these things and would like to recoup some costs. First up: KIM-1 replica with RIOT adapter board and keypad - $35 3 sets left

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 13d

Had the privilege this week to present at the Save the Games symposium at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, NY! I met so many wonderful people, reconnected with many others, and saw some brilliant presentations. (Photos courtesy of @playhistory.bsky.social and @ftb1979.bsky.social )

A photo of me beginning my presentation. I'm standing at a glass podium. To my left is the slide presentation (with wood paneling background!)

My demonstration setup. To the left are the circuit boards, the middle has the screen, and the left has a book and printed schematics. The screen displays a good guy square on the bottom, and a row of bad guy squares on top that descend slowly. The goal is to eliminate them all before they reach the bottom.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 17d

Hmmm....

A Bombs Away arcade machine, made by Meadows in 1976. The machine is squat and wide, with faux woodgrain sides and kickplates. A single button is on the control panel, and the bezel has comic-book-styled illustrations of WWII era sea battles.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 19d

With apologies to Action Retro, totally normal things are happening in the Lockhart Electronics workshop

A Sharp Twin Famicom connected to a boom box CRT. The screen is 5in in size, black and white, and is displaying the title screen for SMB2 (jp). The setup is on my somewhat messy workbench.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 28d

Anyone interested in some new controllers for old consoles/computers? Here's what I have in a final-ish design so far: TRS-80 Color Computer, Atari 7800, Atari 2600 (with built in paddle!), and ColecoVision.

My TRS-80 CoCo joystick. The case is 3D printed. A thumbstick is on the left, and two 3D printed buttons are on the right.

My Atari 7800 controller design. The layout is similar to an NES, with D-pad and two action buttons. A switch is located on the top to swap button 1 and 2.

My controller design for the Atari 2600. The layout is similar to an NES controller, with a d-pad and two action buttons. A knob is located to the upper left of the d-pad for paddle controller. A switch is on the right should of the controller to switch function between joystick and paddle.

A pile of my ColecoVision controllers. Again, these feature an NES controller layout, but a 12 button keypad sits in the middle, providing full Coleco keypad functionality. Two shoulder buttons act as the extra Super Action Controller buttons.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· 29d

FINALLY getting back to my board revision of the diy 70s video game Stormtrooper Attack. It's been a while since I've worked on these projects, but it feels just like riding a bike. It's actually back to a playable state, which it hasn't been in since 2021!

My messy workbench, with a ring light illuminating the circuit boards that contain the game and the video generator. The larger board to the left is the game logic, and the smaller board to the right generates the video. The book containing the circuit is open on the bench, turned sideways to properly view the schematic.

My Commodore 1702 monitor displaying the game. It's very rudimentary. A row of eight squares at the top are the 'stormtroopers', and a small square on the bottom of the screen represents your player. The stormtroopers slowly move down the screen toward the player. The goal is to eliminate them all before they get to the bottom.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Jul 14

This lil travel CRT lives again!

A small travel CRT television with radio. A 5 in black and white screen is to the left, and dials are on the right. A handle protrudes from the bottom of the set.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Jun 19

Look at how beautiful it is...

Side view of the arcade cabinet of 1974's Ramtek DeLuxe Baseball. Cabinet has woodgrain veneer, an orange control panel, and large, chrome buttons.

Front view of the same cabinet. The bezel surrounding the screen depicts a baseball stadium. Looking closely at the monitor reveals the burned-in images of the player characters.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Jun 19

I've crossed the threshold - I cannot be saved from my fate of collecting arcade cabs

A 1974 video arcade game (Ramtek Deluxe Baseball) sitting on a pallet with straps. Game has a mustard yellow bezel, and wood veneer.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Jun 1

I just had to make a games disk for this Kaypro before I got it back to the client

A Kaypro 2x running a game of Star Trek. The display is a 5 in CRT with green phosphor. Two floppy disk drives are to the right of the screen, embedded in the case. The large, sheet metal-cased keyboard is folded down in front of it.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· May 28

After doing this repair, I feel like writing down some musings

The front of a Kaypro 2x - a "luggable" computer from the early 80s. The screen is green phosphor, and is blinking a cursor. At the top of the screen, it says "KAYPRO 63K CP/M Version 2.36". There are two 5.25 floppy disk drives next to the five inch picture tube.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· May 21

Testing a Sony 3D Playstation television the only way I know how

A flat-screen Sony 3D TV sitting on top of a dual DVD/VHS machine. On the screen is a scene from Ghost of Frankenstein where Ygor the hunchback (played by Bela Lugosi) peers over the shoulder of Dr Frankenstein.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Apr 30

I'll bet this will make for a fine soup

The main board of a Crown D150A amplifier (circa 1971). It's still connected to the beefy metal chassis, and is just *caked* in dust.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Apr 30

It was really fun to design this controller with Nate Ehlers, and I'm very grateful to his kids for testing the ruggedness of the 3D printed parts 😅

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Apr 27

The Midwest Gaming Classic this year was SO MUCH fun. I spent so much time talking to so many cool people, that I hardly took any pictures!

Jamie Fenton being interviewed by Paul Drury of the Ted Dabney Experience Podcast

A selfie of me while my wife kicks my ass at Jurassic Park Pinball

Me talking at a panel about 70s arcade games. To the left is Kate Willaert who speaheaded the discussion, and to the left is Ethan Johnson. Not pictured is Alex Smith. Credit to Nick Guida for the photo, who titled this photo "Nate Baptizing Ethan".

Stained glass window inside one of the buildings of the old Pabst brewing facilities. It depicts a king holding a glass of beer, while a child stands before him, having symbols of health and prosperity bestowed upon them.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Apr 18

Managed to fix this joystick gimbal from a 50 year old Pong clone through the power of 3D printing.

The underside of the joystick gimbal, with broken plastic arms meant to turn the potentiometers.

The underside of the same joystick gimbal, now with new 3D printed arms that I designed!

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Mar 25

My god... it works. My hare-brained Intellivision controller actually functions on the first prototype.

An Intellivision controller I designed and built, with a circle of thin tact switches on the left for all 16 directions, the 12 pad keypad is in the middle, and the three action buttons are to the right. A series of switches are under the action buttons.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Mar 16

Behold, a pile of completed, tested ColecoVision controllers. Next batches will be out much quicker - this really allowed me to see ways that construction and production could be streamlined. Can't wait to get these into people's hands!

A pile of completed ColecoVision controllers of my design sitting on my workbench.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Mar 12

Ran out of silicon button pads earlier than I thought I would for the ColecoVision controllers im building. So while I wait for parts, I thought I'd rig up this little prototype for another console with maligned controllers... can you guess?

A prototype controller with an analog thumbstick, two action buttons, and a 15-key keypad. The PCB is hand etched.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Mar 3

That sure is a pile of seven assembled ColecoVision keypads

A pile of colecovision 12-key keypads I assembled, consisting of 12 6mm tact switches, arranged in a 3x4 configuration. They've yet to be placed in the main controller shell.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Mar 1

Why spend $10 on an ATX breakout board when you can instead spend 10 hours with spare parts to make your own?

An ATX breakout device that provides screw terminal access to the voltages of a 24 pin ATX power supply. It's encased in a small box that I designed and 3D printed, and the screw terminals are on top, with the voltages labeled.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Feb 27

Need some cash while I develop products/get through some repairs/raise my children, so I'm making and selling some GOOD ColecoVision controllers! I have enough right now to make 10 of em, and they're $40 a piece. First come, first serve - DM me if you want one!

A 3D printed ColecoVision controller that I custom designed. Layout similar to an NES controller, but with the full 12 button keypad in the middle. Small shoulder buttons are wired to the two extra Super Action Controller buttons.

A closer look at the shoulder buttons, which are wired to the two extra Super Action Controller Buttons.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Jan 30

Client wanted his 2600 heavy sixer moded, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything destructive to it. Luckily, the hole for the RF cable is *perfect* for fitting in a little dongle to accommodate the RCA sockets. Oh, and I etched my own PCB, cause I can't pass up an opportunity to do that.

Back of an Atari 2600 "heavy sixer" model, with a small dongle box sticking out of the back with RCA sockets.

A hand-drawn, home etched PCB for a small video amplifier circuit

The populated video amplifier PCB installed on the inside of an Atari 2600, sitting on the switch board below the switches on the right side.

Nathaniel Lockhart @ Save the Games!@nathaniellockhart· Jan 12

Also, I'd like it to be known that I was MAGfest Super Pac-Man champion for the weekend