gatesphere Posted May 14, 2018 Report Share Posted May 14, 2018 Hi all, I found an eBay seller in China selling sammichFM and sammichSID kits. Are these legit, or should I avoid them? It doesn't look quite right... a bit fishy. (Not linking here so I don't break any rules, but if Wilba or TK pm me, I can send links.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted May 15, 2018 Report Share Posted May 15, 2018 These are probably fakes/clones, there have not been official kits available for a while now. Many greets, Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antichambre Posted May 15, 2018 Report Share Posted May 15, 2018 It's strange, the board which are shown are the Wilba and Nils version with their name on it ! Strange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted May 15, 2018 Report Share Posted May 15, 2018 Maybe they bought the PCBs in one of the old group buys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goyousalukis Posted May 15, 2018 Report Share Posted May 15, 2018 Yeah, or somehow got a hold of the board files and just made them as-is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye Posted May 16, 2018 Report Share Posted May 16, 2018 ...or the photos were made from the first "legit" PCBs used for cloning... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eptheca Posted September 21, 2018 Report Share Posted September 21, 2018 This looks like one of them. apparently some issues with them ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwestbury Posted January 18, 2020 Report Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) I had been wanting to build a sammichSID for a while, but I couldn't find any PCBs or kits. Finally I found a listing on eBay for a full kit which I've ordered, but now I'm wondering whether it's a bootleg... eBay Listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sammich-SID-synthesizer-un-assemble-DIY-KIT-SwinSID-MOS-6581-8580-SID-Station/153859268349?hash=item23d2ba1efd:g:6EsAAOSwHvpa6w-U In the attached image you'll notice that the label near the SID jumper shows 6580/6582, as opposed to 8580/6582. Perhaps a bad copy? Edited June 27, 2020 by dwestbury Updated Links Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK. Posted January 18, 2020 Report Share Posted January 18, 2020 Unfortunately I can't check this so easily, because I would have to unmount the frontpanel PCB - but I don't think that such a typo would indicate a bootleg. The PCB color looks identical to the original one. Best Regards, Thorsten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwestbury Posted January 18, 2020 Report Share Posted January 18, 2020 Well, I'm building it now.. The kit seems to include all of the required parts. Nicely packed, labeled and separated, etc. Hopefully it will actually work! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antichambre Posted January 18, 2020 Report Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) Copy! circuits are also not exactly the same ;) funny! Edited January 18, 2020 by Antichambre 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwestbury Posted January 20, 2020 Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) Well, I’m done with the build now and I can confirm that all the voltage checks worked out, so the PCBs seem OK... I did have a problem with the 7809 voltage regulator and the LCD screen, but as a newbie, these were most likely my own fault. I used MIOS to upload the v2_044 firmware, although my family has become impatient with me, so I need to break away for now. More testing and hopefully final status tomorrow (expecting a second 6581 in the mail tomorrow as well). Edited March 11, 2020 by dwestbury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwestbury Posted January 22, 2020 Report Share Posted January 22, 2020 (edited) OK, I finished off the last few fiddly bits of the build, so now I can officially say that "It's Done" and more importantly "It Works!" Full N00B disclosure of the areas I struggled with, include: -Soldering ANYTHING with a larger ground connection (example voltage regulators) made a solder blob mess, until I adjusted my iron heat setting to ~750 F. - After much troubleshooting, I realized I had to redo all of the board to board mezzanine connectors between the control surface and base PCBs. I hadn’t made them long enough to to establish good contact. But, honestly everything else was really straight forward and it’s been a very rewarding experience to work on and play with the results. I can’t say enough about the collective efforts hat went into the design, documentation, PIC programming, etc. a real community effort (wow). As I’ve said elsewhere, I’m already working on a big brother MB-6582 project, so I can have multiple instruments playing at once. I know my experience with the sammichSID will come in handy... ...I am left wrestling with an ethical question though... If I did actually buy a set of Chinese knockoff PCBs, is anyone getting cut out of their commission on them (i.e., Wilba, TK, nILS, etc.)? ...or are the volumes they're selling on eBay likely to be so low that it’s not really a big concern? Thanks again everyone... Cheers! Edited March 24, 2020 by dwestbury 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Dandy Posted June 25, 2020 Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 Hi Dwestbury, Thank you for sharing! I have 10 original SID's laying around here and I love to play with them in a nice synth After I have found out that I "missed the boat" for ordering the orignal sammichSID kit, your info is very value for me I have a question I have multible versions of the SID, I have 8 X 6581 and two 8580R5 Can I place them all without problems in the Hong Kong sammichSID? I have to following SID's: 6581 CBM 6581 CBM 6581R3 4885 6581R3 4885 6581 CBM 4184 6581 6581 R3 0686 6581R4 8580R5 8580R5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noise-Generator Posted June 25, 2020 Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 No, just 2 of them ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Dandy Posted June 25, 2020 Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 :-) or buy 5 Hong Kong Clone's :-) and use them all.... what I mean is whether the jumper system works properly on this hong kong clone, from 9 to 12V, and how exactly it works. I am a bit insecure and afraid that I will mess it up 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noise-Generator Posted June 25, 2020 Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 (edited) Ok, this is a question. You have 1 7809 v regulator and 1 7812 (12v for 6581) by using the jumper you choose. You always should measure your voltage after soldering your pcb (and test the jumper), so than you are save. However, I recommend using a SwinSID if you are a Beginner or want to be on the really save side and protect your SIDs as long as you are in the soldering/building/testing progress. And care about the advice I gave you about 6581, they are old, they are rare. It's better to use just 2 or 1 instead of them all because they are old and rare and they are kind of fragile now. Edited June 25, 2020 by Noise-Generator 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Dandy Posted June 25, 2020 Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 Thank you very much for your advise and don't worry I will take good care of them, and follow your advise and start with SwinSID first, I order just one Hong Kong SID clone, to try. Hoping that maybe later I can order real sammichSID kit when there will be a new batch? another question: does a copper of aluminium cooling block on those old SID's be a solution to keep them cool and therefore longer life span? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noise-Generator Posted June 25, 2020 Report Share Posted June 25, 2020 I say yes because those cooling blocks are not very expensive and a lot of C64 User - use them. It's better than nothing but will not protect them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Dandy Posted July 2, 2020 Report Share Posted July 2, 2020 (edited) I received my sammichSID from Hong Kong yesterday, It's looking very good, nice metal case, and even jumpers I will carefully open it tomorrow and post the pictures, I ordered the black one with blue LED's , I'm very happy! Edited July 3, 2020 by Audio Dandy update info 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Dandy Posted July 3, 2020 Report Share Posted July 3, 2020 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Dandy Posted July 3, 2020 Report Share Posted July 3, 2020 I will place these two "real" SID's inside.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Dandy Posted July 3, 2020 Report Share Posted July 3, 2020 Exciting moment...replaced the SwinSID with two original SID's... and it worked! nothing "fake" anymore...great little synth ! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwestbury Posted July 4, 2020 Report Share Posted July 4, 2020 @Audio Dandy Congratulations! Please enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Dandy Posted August 1, 2020 Report Share Posted August 1, 2020 (edited) You can really trust this seller, he not only supplies sammichSID kits of very high quality, he also delivers them quickly and he is also very customer friendly. (for example: if you specify when ordering what type of SIDs you have at home, he will configure for you your sammichSID kit so, that you can place your SID's in it without any problems - like "plug-and-play") For novice MIDIbox Newbies like myself, it's really nice that there are sellers like this exist, and given the positive reactions he already has, and also through my personal experience with him I can advise you that you shoudn't have to worry in this case, I would order one soon as possible before he doesn't have them anymore .... Edited August 1, 2020 by Audio Dandy type error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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