The Strange case of a Victor HC-95(a) 512KB!

Hero (575)

03-06-2022, 20:54

I got this HC-95(a), boxed almost complete even stickers sheet, warranty stub, manuals, original sample disk, missing only the AV cable but I got the RGB one instead (which is nice). I had to recondition the PSU as it wasn't working. When replacing caps I noticed the RAM slots fully loaded, mapper board and two 256Kb cards:

and to my pleasant surprise, the computer indeed has 512KB mapper on slot 0.2:

I don't think anyone would scavenge two HC-95(v) for the sake of one HC-95(a) what makes me thing this was factory or dealer requested ???

the floppies seem busted which is bad... but the rest is ok. Ah btw it has a v9938 I checked the vdp ID.

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By foody

Champion (497)

04-06-2022, 06:13

I don't know how it happened...but that computer managed to turn what look like a nice entertainment console with build in keyboard into a full fledge professional, hardcore, serious, business computer that you run in companies and not for gaming. O_O. Amazing!!

I also have admit...that is one heck of a serious and sexy keyboard I have ever seeing in my life. And the way the cartridge portue that way, it feels like this is a more of a server machine than an actual MSX computer.

By sdsnatcher73

Enlighted (4317)

04-06-2022, 06:56

@foody: Yeah these are real professional machines. Having just 1 regular MSX slot and 2 proprietary slots is a dead giveaway . National FS-5000/5500 are in a similar league (they do have 2 normal slots but also 3 proprietary ones). Mitsubishi’s ML-G30 / Hitachi’s MB-H70 has 3 standard slots inside the case.

@retrocanada76: nice machine. I am getting a HC-90 (still on the boat). I wonder how sales of these machines and their extensions was organized back in the day. Would the just send you (and tgat was probably a business user in broadcasting industry) a board with RAM or would a service engineer come by and install it for you… probably the latter.

By gdx

Enlighted (6440)

04-06-2022, 09:25

HC-90/HC-95 is not fundamentally different from the other MSX2. It just has an extra turbo mode. Most MSXs which had a separate keyboard were intended for more or less semi-pro market. About RAM, i think it was sold separately and/or this MSX2 was customizable when purchased. The reason given by Sdsnatcher73 is also plausible.

HC-90/HC-95 looks a little too dull but it's a great MSX2. The only thing I don't like much is the RAM not locating in a 3-x slot. If I had one I'd try to swap the RAM slot with the Disk-ROM slot.

By retrocanada76

Hero (575)

04-06-2022, 12:12

anyone has the pinout for the floppy ? my floppies don't work and there is plenty of space for a gotek

By retrocanada76

Hero (575)

04-06-2022, 12:14

don't forget the hc-95 has also a superimposer and digitizer

By gdx

Enlighted (6440)

04-06-2022, 13:59

Yes, a superimposer and digitizer in NTSC but this is not a feature that makes this MSX2 fundamentally different from others. By cons I forgot to mention the rear floppy drive connector. I think it's the only one to have one despite there being two locations inside. Can we really connect 4 drives to this computer? The dip-switches of the Victor drives of the time seem to confirm it.

By sdsnatcher73

Enlighted (4317)

04-06-2022, 14:51

Mitsubishi ML-G30 (and as such so does the Hitachi MB-H70) has external floppy unit even if it already has 2 internal drives.

By Jipe

Paragon (1625)

04-06-2022, 15:18

inside the board of the ML-G30 the name of the external floppy connector is CON-FDD5
the connector for internal floppies is named CON-FDD3.5

By sdsnatcher73

Enlighted (4317)

04-06-2022, 17:29

Hmm, so the idea was to use external 5.25“ floppy drives? Either way I think an external 3.5“ drive will work just the same (given it has DS2 or DS3 jumpers set.

Or possibly external DS0 is routed as DS2 to floppy controller? Worth a try, I have to find my ML-30FD…

By retrocanada76

Hero (575)

04-06-2022, 19:33

err which read floppy connector is that ? Mine only has rs-232, keyboar, cassette, printer, RGB, av in, av ou, and rf out.