thatguy

I'd like a single kit. Could you add me to the list, please?

I ended up using one of these to desolder the SID:

Update: the SID turned out to be fine :)

I'm very interested as well! Wilba, if you're reading this, I bought a sammichSID kit a while back. I went by "thatguy" back then as well, so you should be able to find my contact info.

Apparently there were two motherboard designs. Looks like the old one, used in all brown breadbin models, had the SIDs soldered to the motherboard. See http://ilesj.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/how-to-identify-c64-and-sid-model/ for more details.

What's the best way to remove a 6581 from the motherboard? I've read about using a heat gun, but I'd hate to damage anything.

Thanks. Turns out the brown one is broken. I only get the blue screen and the border, no "BASIC" text, but I guess the SID chip might still be OK.

I see. Well, I hope it's the audio circuit then. I was planning on using this chip in my (still unassembled) sammichSID. Unfortunately, I don't have a fully working 8580 at the moment, but I'll have to buy one at some point since I need two for the sammichSID, obviously. I plan on running the SID benchmark before buying, so that I know I'll be getting a fully working SID. I do have a brown C64 with a 6581, however, but I don't have the power supply for the brown C64. Is it safe to use the power supply from the newer C64 to power the old one? Don't worry, I don't plan on using two mismatched SIDs in my sammichSID.

I have a Commodore 64C (new motherboard). The SID chip is an 8580, made in 1988. I have tried running the Plogue SID benchmark (http://ploguechipsounds.blogspot.dk/2010/05/one-page-basic-sid-benchmark.html) and my chip doesn't really sound like any of the reference audio files. I have to really crank the volume to even hear the sweeps and there's a low-pitched tone during the pitch sweeps. The filter sweeps are very faint. I tried loading up International Karate. I can hear the music in the background, but it's very quiet. The sound effects (punches, etc.), however, seem to be at normal volume. What does this tell you about my chip?