In the latest episode of Retro4U, Neil takes on an Amiga 500 Plus repair that’s seen better days. This once-beloved computer arrives at his workshop showing all the telltale signs of age—grime, missing joystick pins, and, of course, the dreaded leaking Varta battery. Before powering it up, Neil carefully opens the machine to inspect the internal damage caused by battery corrosion, walking viewers through every cautious step of the process.
Assessing the Damage
Inside, the situation isn’t catastrophic, but it’s certainly a challenge. Rust creeps around the Gary chip socket, and the joystick ports are in rough shape. Neil documents how he carefully removes the corroded battery, cleans up the board, and prepares to replace damaged components. He explains the risk of leaving these old batteries in place and the importance of proper inspection before applying power.
Bringing It Back to Life
After cleaning the affected areas with vinegar and reworking several broken traces, Neil installs a brand-new socket for the Gary chip and replaces the joystick ports. The board is reassembled and powered up with fingers crossed. The result? Success. The Amiga boots to the familiar disk icon, and the joystick ports spring back to life. Only the keyboard membrane remains faulty, but that’s a simple part to replace in a future follow-up.
More Amiga Projects Ahead
With the Amiga 500 Plus repair complete, Neil wraps up with gratitude to PCBWay, who sponsored the episode and supplied high-quality custom boards for restoration work. He hints at another upcoming Amiga build that promises to be “uber cool,” teasing more retro hardware adventures to come. Fans are encouraged to subscribe, drop a comment, and join the Retro4U Discord to follow along.
