COLOR COMPUTER MODIFICATIONS

There are many internal modifications that you can make to the Color Computer.

The list below does not include external additions possible through the cartridge connector or external ports.

CASE

  • There are currently no recreation CoCo cases I am aware of … yet.
    • But, I think there is a recreation project underway
  • There is a long history of repacking CoCos, multipak interfaces, and drives into PC tower cases.
  • Some folks have repainted their cases “Mercedes Grey” to restore the original Color Computer 1 look
  • Others have painted their cases black, various shades of white, and even pink.
  • Some folks use peroxide and/or ultraviolet light (such as sunlight exposure) to reduce “yellowing”

POWER SUPPLY

  • Replace the SALT with a Pepper board by Pedro Pena aka Rocky Hill
  • Bypass the original transformer
  • Add a Power LED
  • Wire power to an internal fan

MOTHERBOARD

  • Pedro Pena aka Rocky Hill has recreated the CoCo 2 and CoCo 3 boards

HEATSINKS

Some people swear by adding heat sinks to the tops of the integrated circuits (aka “chips”).

Online retailers offer small boxes or sets of aluminum heat sinks for small board computers which can stick on to the tops of chips.

MICROPROCESSOR

  • Add a microprocessor socket (I know at least one person with a zero-insertion force socket)
  • Upgrade from a Motorola 6809 to a Hitachi 6309
  • Install a Dual6x09 board from go4retro
  • CoCo 3: Add a Pro-Tector+ or Guardian “DAT” board to access more than 512KB on supporting RAM boards
  • Turbo LED

INTERNAL RAM

  • CoCo 1/2: upgrade from 4, 16, or 32KB to the full 64KB
    • Requires different instructions specific to each revision of board in the CoCo 1 or 2
  • CoCo 3: upgrade from 128KB to 512KB with a Cloud 9 Triad 512 or MDO Boomerang 512
  • CoCo 3: upgrade from 128KB or 512KB to 2048KB with:
    • a Cloud 9 Triad 512-2048K and Pro-Tector+ DAT board
    • or an MDO Boomerang 2M and Guardian DAT board
  • CoCo 3: upgrade from 128KB or 512KB to 8192KB with Zippster's 8MB board

INTERNAL ROM

  • CoCo 1/2: Color BASIC and Extended Color BASIC are tied to SAM version.
  • CoCo 3: Sloopy Malibu's ROM switcher - internal HDB DOS

SAM

  • CoCo 1/2: SAM accelerator to allow correct full high-speed poke operation.
  • SAMX4 - SAM with 256K RAM banking

VIDEO

  • CoCo 1/2: Replace RF out with a composite video out
  • CoCo 1/2: CoCoVGA (optional case modification for button board)
  • CoCo 3: 1986 GIME “Sparklefix”
  • CoCo 3: Replace the 1986 GIME with a 1987 GIME to remove “sparkles”
  • CoCo 3: Replace the 1986 or 1987 GIME with a GIME-X
  • CoCo 3: RGB out to SCART to HDMI using CoComan's Switch-a-roo cable
  • CoCo 3: RGB to Digital Video using a Raspberry Pi and Analog RGB to digital video board

PIAS

  • Add a PIA socket
  • Sloopy Malibu's DriveWirelessly direct serial to WiFi adapter
  • PS/2 to Keyboard adapter (may require a case modification)
  • Serial port to Keyboard adapter (may require a case modification)

KEYBOARD

  • ComputerConect's Keyboard Mylar Replacements
  • Zippster's CoCoMech
  • MrDaves various replacement Keyboards
  • MrDave adapted a 60% PC keyboard to fit into the CoCo (with a Raspberry Pi to handle the CoCo keyboard interface)

WHERE TO GET UPGRADES

In alphabetical order:
AC's 8-Bit Zone (through the CoCo Discord)
Cloud 9 Tech
CoCoMan.biz
ComputerConect
MDO Consulting
MrDave6x09 (through the CoCo Discord)
Pedro Pena (through the CoCo Discord)
Retro Innovations
RetroRewind.ca
Sloopy Malibu (through the CoCo Discord)
The Zippster Zone

SOMEONE / SOMETHING MISSING?

Contact me on the Discord and let me know.

RTS

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