About Smiggy

Retro computing tinkerer, electronics repair enthusiast, and hardware bench-note keeper from Rainhill, UK

About Smiggy

📍 Rainhill, Merseyside, United Kingdom

Hello! I'm Martin "Smiggy" Smith, and this is my corner of the internet. I live in Rainhill, a village in Merseyside, United Kingdom — famous for the Rainhill Trials of 1829 where Stephenson's Rocket proved the future of rail travel. These days, Rainhill is a quieter place, but Smiggy keeps busy!

My workshop is home to oscilloscopes, soldering stations, logic analysers, and a growing collection of vintage hardware. This website is where I share everything I learn at the bench — from board-level repair techniques and IC references to retro hardware restoration guides. When the iron cools down, I'm watching classic horror films or writing about conventions and concerts.

The Hardware Passion

What drives the workshop in Rainhill, UK

💻 Retro Computing & Hardware

Smiggy has been fascinated by vintage computers since childhood. Growing up in the UK during the 8-bit era, machines like the ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, and Commodore 64 were formative experiences. Today, Smiggy's Rainhill workshop houses a growing collection of restored vintage hardware.

Current collection highlights include multiple Commodore 64s, a BBC Master 128, an Amiga 500, several ZX Spectrums, and an Apple IIe. Every machine gets a full restoration — from recapping power supplies to retrobright-ing yellowed cases. The Retro Tech & Hardware section documents these builds and breakdowns.

🔌 Electronics Repair & Diagnostics

What started as fixing broken retro computers evolved into a broader passion for component-level electronics repair. Smiggy's workshop is equipped with oscilloscopes, multimeters, a hot air rework station, and more soldering irons than any one person needs.

The Repair & Bench Notes section captures diagnostic flowcharts, recapping logs, and trace repair documentation from real bench sessions. Smiggy believes in the right to repair — if it's broken, it can probably be fixed!

🔧 Free Bench Tools

Too much repair knowledge is scattered across dying forums or buried in inaccessible datasheets. Smiggy's Bench Tools are free, browser-based utilities built for technicians and hobbyists — resistor/capacitor calculators, IC pinout finders, connector references, RF protocol lookups, and diagnostic flowcharts. No sign-ups, no installs.

Professional Repair Services

Smiggy's professional remote control repair businesses

🔨 Remote Fixer & Remote Shop

Beyond the retro workbench, Smiggy runs two professional repair businesses. Remote Fixer is a UK-wide remote control repair service with over 20 years of experience — no fix, no fee, with a 12-month guarantee on all repairs from just £24. Remote Shop supplies pre-programmed replacement clone remotes for discontinued handsets, all IR-tested before dispatch.

The same diagnostic approach and attention to detail that goes into vintage hardware restoration applies to every professional repair — methodical fault-finding, quality components, and thorough testing.

Off the Bench

When the soldering iron cools down

🎥 Classic Horror

When the soldering iron cools down, Smiggy settles in for a classic horror film. From the Universal Monsters of the 1930s to the slasher boom of the 1980s, Smiggy's taste in horror spans decades of cinema history. Favourites include Alien, The Thing, Halloween, and the entire Universal Monsters catalogue.

🎶 Conventions, Expos & Concerts

Smiggy regularly attends retro computing events, electronics fairs, horror conventions, and live music gigs. Write-ups from these trips — along with general thoughts and personal updates — live in the Off the Bench section.

The Mission

Building a free reference hub for everyone

🌐 A Free Repair & Retro Reference Platform

Smiggy's World is more than just a personal blog — the aim is to build a completely free reference hub for anyone who needs help with electronics repairs, retro machine restoration, and vintage hardware troubleshooting. Whether you're trying to fix a broken Commodore 64, diagnose a faulty CRT monitor, recap an old console, or identify a mystery component on a circuit board — Smiggy wants to help, and it won't cost you a penny.

Beyond the tools and guides, Smiggy's World runs two community programmes: the Rehoming Bench, which gives away refurbished retro tech for free; and the Donations programme, which accepts unwanted vintage hardware to be repaired and passed on. Keep retro tech alive, help people fix things, and make sure nothing ends up in landfill when it could be on someone's desk instead.

What You'll Find on Smiggy's World

Tools, references, and resources — all free, all built by Smiggy

💻 Retro Tech & Hardware

System breakdowns, IC guides, chassis builds, and vintage hardware restorations. The C64 Machine Hub and Amiga Machine Hub are dedicated references for board revisions, IC pinouts, recapping, and diagnostics.

Browse Retro Tech →

🔌 Repair & Bench Notes

Diagnostic flowcharts, recapping logs, trace notes, and component-level repair guides. Filter articles by chip, board revision, or fault symptom to find exactly what you need.

Browse Repair Notes →

🔧 Bench & Diagnostics Tools

Free, browser-based electronics workbench tools built for repair technicians, hobbyists, and tinkerers. Includes resistor/capacitor calculators, IC pinout finders, connector references, RF protocol lookups, and hardware diagnostics flowcharts. No installs, no accounts.

Open the Bench Tools →

📦 Rehoming Bench & Donations

The Rehoming Bench gives away refurbished retro tech for free. The Donations programme accepts unwanted vintage hardware in any condition. Items are never resold — everything is refurbished and passed on to enthusiasts, schools, and makers.

Browse the Rehoming Bench →

Fun Facts About Smiggy

☕

Tea Powered

Smiggy runs on mint tea. At least 6 cups a day fuel the retro computing and electronics repair sessions in Rainhill.

💾

First Computer

Smiggy's first computer was a Commodore 64. Loading games from cassette tape taught patience that serves well in electronics repair.

🎃

Halloween Every Day

Smiggy doesn't wait for October. Classic horror movie marathons happen year-round in the Smiggy household in Rainhill, UK.

Theme Palette

Default Dark
High-contrast dark
Amber Terminal
Monochrome amber
Matrix CRT
Phosphor green
Workbench Light
Clean light mode

Audio & Display

Relay Click Sounds Web Audio API — soft mechanical clicks
CRT Scanline & Flicker Pure CSS overlay effect

System Info

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Keyboard Shortcuts Press Esc to close this panel. Use the header moon/sun icon to cycle themes.