Screenex Spectrum Doctor

Sinclair User

John Lambert

SPECTRUM DOCTOR How often have you wondered if your Spectrum was working correctly? Even if you knew something was wrong would you know how to fix it, let alone what to fix? Although the Screenex Spectrum Doctor is aimed at the professional Spectrum repairer it is an interesting gadget for the inveterate tinkerer. The Doctor plugs into the back of the Spectrum and as soon as power is applied through a socket in the back it runs through a series of tests. Fifteen LEDs on the top show the status of the tests so you don't even have to plug in a TV. Checks are made on the power supply levels, address and data lines and by default the ULA and CPU. It tests for incorrect bytes in both Rom and Ram and in Ram it runs through both the lower 16K and upper 32K. I must admit that I had my doubts as to whether such a (relatively) low-cost unit would be of any use and I am still not convinced. The time it takes to decipher the LED status could possibly be better used learning fault diagnosis. That said, the speed and ease of operation are such that it is a useful addition for the repairer. The £57.43 price, though, rules it out except for serious micro repairers. Screens Microcomputer Distribution, [redacted].