HIARCS Chess Forums

Sargon1972 · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 11:43 am Post subject: Rare Fidelity Phantom

Hello Guys,

Well yesterday i bought a Milton Bradley i thought , i went there and i did see the original box Milton Schachcomputer.
Ok i thought the Computer was standing ready on a table to test it.
I looked hey this is a Fidelity Phantom.... yes.. second thought what the heck!
I know that the Fid. Phantom has a display at the left side
http://www.schach-computer.info/wiki/index.php/Fidelity_Phantom
As u can see in the link

Well look now this link

http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/f2/rare-fidelity-phantom-4643.html

See the pics there .... u see indeed Fidelity Phantom, but at the left side NO display , there is standing 16.45 it looks like a display but it is NOT
So i am very curious , i have personally this idea
Fidelity did bought the parts from the Milton Robot ... so maybe this is a first release of the Fidelity Phantom with no display , later they produced it with display
The control panel looks the same as a MILTON Grand Master... only where they have the 3 buttons where mine have the 16.45 , i know MB did had in the past problems with these 3 buttons
The funny thing is i found on the net a video from a "real" Phantom with display and it plays a game, mine do the same moves as well
So what is yours idea about this one?
I NEVER seen it before by any kind of Fidelity Robot ore Milton
But that it have and is a Fidelity that i am sure

Confused regards,Hans [/url]
_________________
Hello
I am from Netherlands and many years involved with computerchess
It,s a way of life i suppose :p

Kr,Hans

Steve B · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 11:46 am Post subject: Re: Rare Fidelity Phantom

Sargon1972 · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 12:01 pm Post subject:

Hi Steve,

Well it is not defective the computer works 100%
And if u enlarge any pic of the " fake" display u can see this is put in original . It is out 1 piece the lights and so on on the left side where is the fake display
So i think not that anyone can do this himself as a hobby man otherwise u can ore would see something if someone was working there , but no glue ore light scratches is to see
well why would anyone make from a Milton a Fidelity computer? ,so u have have a Fidelity Phantom to do this as well....i think, and then put all this trouble to " create" this one. I think not

And there is no Display ore what so ever under it as well.
I am pretty sure this is a kind of prototype ore what so ever
Remember the CXG Steve also that one , was never seen before
So someone who has it was creative there also Wink

Discussion open regards,Hans
_________________
Hello
I am from Netherlands and many years involved with computerchess
It,s a way of life i suppose :p

Kr,Hans

Steve B · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 12:06 pm Post subject:

Sargon1972 · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 12:21 pm Post subject:

Hi Steve

"
I guess anything is possible
I have very little information regarding prototypes and computers never actually released or sale
I can say with 100% certainty that there were no Fidelity Phantoms(either Regular,Chesster or Chesster Eyeball) released for sale without a display "

Hihi First u say anything is possible, the u confirm u have little info about prototypes and then u say u are 100% sure about the sell of the Phantom
U make mine brain go round and around mine head ,ore it was inside?

Well i know when i asked the owner if he was the first owner he told me now the second, i have contacted him, so maybe he can lead me to the first owner.
Then maybe he can clear things Confused

what i hope of course

But this 25 years after release the Fid Phantom ,and now we have a strange Phantom Duck in the middle Shocked

I am pretty sure this is a production Fidelity itself .
But even after 25 years the electronic chess computers they surprise us every time ,even now a day
Surprised

Well i did send mail to Master Database Hein Veldhuis let see what he knows

But how u see it ore not this is a very unique chess computer

Trouble Phantom regards,Hans
_________________
Hello
I am from Netherlands and many years involved with computerchess
It,s a way of life i suppose :p

Kr,Hans

Steve B · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 12:30 pm Post subject:

Mike Watters · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:54 pm Post subject:

Hi All

As Hans says our hobby is still coming up with plenty of surprises.

For what it is worth Hans (which isn't much) I would go for the 'Prototype' explanation.

Not that it is in the same league of oddities but I have an otherwise standard Phantom 6100 which has the Eyeball colour scheme of white/green/black rather than the standard light brown and black. I am giving up chasing variations of Fidelity models, there are just too many of them.

Is there anyone out there crazy enough to stick a rejigged MB panel in a Phantom. Well... yes but I still think it's a prototype.

All the best
Mike

Sargon1972 · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:59 pm Post subject:

Hi Mike,

Yes i am fully with u, but i will open it and make pics ,so i am damn sure what it is Laughing

Investigations Regards,Hans
_________________
Hello
I am from Netherlands and many years involved with computerchess
It,s a way of life i suppose :p

Kr,Hans

Steve B · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 4:06 pm Post subject:

Stray Black Cat · Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 9:48 pm Post subject:

You need to open the back. Single screw and disc will rotate clockwise to line tabs with holes. This allows you to see the board. Do not touch the circuit. They are CMOS and can be destroyed by static. Read the large chips and the crystal (oval metal can). Internet data says the Milton Bradley used a 6502A with 16K rom and 2K ram. The crystal at about 2 Mhz. This accepted Mark Taylors program. Fidelity used a 6502 processor with 64K rom and 8K ram. The crystal at about 5 Mhz. This accepted the Spracklen program. Look up chip markings to confirm ID. The Main board will also have the name of the real maker. Careful when returning the single screw as the plastic is thin. Snug not tight. Again, Contact with the board can static damage CMOS electronics.
I saw one of these on another site and it had a Milton label under the Phantom label. The display is actually a plastic sheet over electronics held in place by a couple of plastic retainers. Easy to swap with another art print. I suspect the 3 Milton buttons are under the plastic "display". All that is really needed is someone to print the plastic, the artwork is simple. Why would someone make this? Consider the sell value of the Common Milton elo rated about 1350 to the less Common Phantom elo rated 1850+. The mechanics are the same but play strength is what counts. If it turns out not to be a Fidelity then expect these to start appearing on Ebay. Good luck, hope it turns out to be a concept unit.

Stray Black Cat · Posted: Sun May 11, 2014 1:21 am Post subject:

Just found this on the forum:
Berger gave a link to computers he has repaired, One is a Milton and he shows pictures of the main board.
https://sites.google.com/site/proyectosdeberger/reparaciones/ajedrez

Also, I am currently servicing my Chesster Phantom 6124 and I have pictures of the main board. The lower board is the Fidelity 6100. Ignore the upper board, it's the Chesster upgrade.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0ByQNdG5k7HUkaEFDRUdYdmItWW8&usp=sharing

These should help in identification.

pr1uk · Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 3:09 pm Post subject:

Rare Fidelity Phantom,

indeed i cannot find another one the same so it is rare for sure nice find

Fernando · Posted: Wed May 14, 2014 5:13 pm Post subject:

Steve B · Posted: Wed May 14, 2014 6:21 pm Post subject:

spacious_mind · Posted: Wed May 14, 2014 6:47 pm Post subject:

I don't know what to say. I would have thought that if it was a Prototype that you would have something different than a serial number stuck on the back of the computer.

Perhaps someone had a broken display and managed to fix it to play without the use of the display. Then creatively stuck that label on it.

In the production world that I worked in, in the past, Prototype's don't often have a production serial number stuck to it. (Can't ever remember seeing that).

But then again chess computer manufacturers were not always normal Razz

Regards
Nick
_________________
Nick