http://blog.romheat.net/tags/restoration/Recent content in Restoration on cseguraHugoen-usSun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_1_first_look_inside/Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_1_first_look_inside/<h2 id="a-restoration-that-took-more-than-a-year">A restoration that took more than a year</h2> <p>I bought this NorthStar Advantage on Wallapop in 2024. The seller told me that the keyboard had a fault. But at power-on, the computer still displayed a message on the screen. As always trust in the seller’s words, was an act of faith.</p> <p>Indeed, buying vintage computers is always a bit of a gamble but be prepared for surprises when dealing with vintage hardware.</p>http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_part_2/Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_part_2/<h2 id="looking-more-closely-at-the-drives">Looking more closely at the drives</h2> <p>This continues <a href="http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_1_first_look_inside/">NorthStar Advantage Restoration Part 1</a>, with a closer look at the drive hardware and how floppy disks mark sectors.</p> <p>Many computers from the late 1970s and early 1980s used 5¼-inch floppy drives. The Tandon TM100-2A is one example. These drives can become difficult to use as they age. Their radial alignment—the position of the read/write head across the disk’s tracks—can shift. If it moves far enough, the drive may not read or write disks reliably.</p>http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_part_3/Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_part_3/<p>This continues <a href="http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_part_2/">NorthStar Advantage Restoration Part 2</a>. This time, I focus on replacing the keyboard’s foam pads.</p> <p>I had to wait three months for the replacement foam-and-foil pads to arrive. The first package was lost in transit, so I had to reorder them, which added to the delay.</p> <p>Once they were in hand, I could proceed with the restoration work on the keyboard.</p> <h2 id="the-replacement-pads">The replacement pads</h2> <p>There are not many places that sell these specific foam-and-foil pads, so finding a reliable source is important.</p>http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_part_4/Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_part_4/<p>This continues <a href="http://blog.romheat.net/posts/2026/26_10_25_northstar_advantage_restoration_part_3/">NorthStar Advantage Restoration Part 3</a>. This time, I am making 5¼-inch drive cases and fitting Gotek replacements.</p> <h2 id="making-a-case-for-the-drive-bays">Making a case for the drive bays</h2> <p>The NorthStar Advantage has two drive bays, and I want to use them with a Gotek floppy-drive emulator. A Gotek is a device that can stand in for a floppy disk drive. It uses a USB flash drive to provide disk images instead of physical floppy disks using a USB stick.</p>