Follow along as I repair and upgrade my 1978 Commodore PET 2001-16N computer, continuing the restoration journey after rescuing the machine from a local estate sale. This vintage Commodore PET system was experiencing several keyboard issues including sticking keys, unreliable key presses, and intermittent keyboard response common on aging CBM hardware from the late 1970s.
In this video, I troubleshoot and repair the Commodore PET keyboard while also performing several important hardware upgrades designed to improve both functionality and usability on this classic all-in-one computer system. Featured throughout the repair process are keyboard restoration work, troubleshooting failing keys, and improving the reliability of the original Commodore PET keyboard assembly.
Beyond the keyboard repairs, I also upgrade the system memory from 16 KB RAM to 32 KB RAM and replace the original Commodore BASIC 2.0 ROMs with Commodore BASIC 4.0 using the Commodore PET ROM/RAM upgrade kit from TFW8b.com. These upgrades significantly improve the capabilities of the PET 2001 system while preserving the original vintage hardware experience.
The video serves as a continuation of the earlier Commodore PET 2001-16N rescue and restoration project where the machine was cleaned, tested, and brought back into working condition after sitting unused for many years.
There is plenty here for anyone interested in Commodore PET computers, CBM systems, vintage keyboard repair, Commodore BASIC programming, RAM and ROM upgrades, retro computing restoration, and preserving early personal computers from the 1970s. The Commodore PET 2001 remains one of the most iconic and historically important machines from the dawn of home computing.