New Build ZX Spectrum - Power

Time to install the parts needed to provide power to the Spectrum. The original was strange in the respect it used what is called centre negative power. The majority of power supplies then, and indeed now use centre positive, which means you can’t just put any old power supply on the Spectrum, you need to make sure it’s centre negative, usually shown by this sign on the power supply:

The power supplies we are using we got from You Make Robots https://www.youmakerobots.com/sinclair/49-zx-spectrum-compatible-power-supply.html

On the actual board we are going to be replacing the old Switching Regulator with a TRACOPOWER 5v, this modern replacement will run much more efficiently than the original used in the Spectrum and actually allows us to lose the heatsink due to hardly any heat being given out.

Solder the power jack into the PCB using the three holes shown below. You will have to use a decent amount of solder for this.

Then solder in the Traco and the coil. With the coil make sure that the three pins are to the right of the board as you look at it, the underside should look like this: