Tim Nicholls
@woodpunk.bsky.social
Amish rakefighting champion.
Behavioural Scientist.
Convicted hacker.
Former spook.
Privacy compliance nerd.
Wrote a book about arcade games.
Made the arcade machine manuals site arcadeRTFM.com
Sometimes makes movie props for money.
Too many cassettes.
Behavioural Scientist.
Convicted hacker.
Former spook.
Privacy compliance nerd.
Wrote a book about arcade games.
Made the arcade machine manuals site arcadeRTFM.com
Sometimes makes movie props for money.
Too many cassettes.
My next MAME arcade machine build is going to have an LCD marquee with animated versions of the original marquee art.
April 13, 2026 at 2:41 PM
My next MAME arcade machine build is going to have an LCD marquee with animated versions of the original marquee art.
Massively improved arcadeRTFM.com again. Clearer and more accurate DIP switch settings, 6,000+ more board components catalogued, do mystery arcade PCB identification by entering chip numbers. It now has one button downloadable DIP switch crib sheets and each game record has much better formatting.
April 10, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Massively improved arcadeRTFM.com again. Clearer and more accurate DIP switch settings, 6,000+ more board components catalogued, do mystery arcade PCB identification by entering chip numbers. It now has one button downloadable DIP switch crib sheets and each game record has much better formatting.
Massively improved the site again. Much clearer and more accurate DIP switch settings, 6,000+ more board components catalogued, mystery PCB identification by entering chip numbers, one button downloadable DIP switch crib sheets, better formatting, still no ads, tracking or login.
April 10, 2026 at 10:12 PM
Massively improved the site again. Much clearer and more accurate DIP switch settings, 6,000+ more board components catalogued, mystery PCB identification by entering chip numbers, one button downloadable DIP switch crib sheets, better formatting, still no ads, tracking or login.
I did a further update to make the switch positions more readable and also added a button to generate a printable 'crib sheet' version to tape to the inside of the cabinet :-)
April 10, 2026 at 10:05 PM
I did a further update to make the switch positions more readable and also added a button to generate a printable 'crib sheet' version to tape to the inside of the cabinet :-)
Oh you absolute legend! Moon Patrol was the reason I created my book Artcade and also why it features an entire section on the artwork of Larry Day. He actually shared his original artwork for the Moon Patrol cab for the book.
April 10, 2026 at 9:59 PM
Oh you absolute legend! Moon Patrol was the reason I created my book Artcade and also why it features an entire section on the artwork of Larry Day. He actually shared his original artwork for the Moon Patrol cab for the book.
Okay, I've worked out what's wrong, why it's wrong, and fixed it the best way I can with the data available. I've also added an explainer page to try and clarify why things work like they do.
April 10, 2026 at 6:33 AM
Okay, I've worked out what's wrong, why it's wrong, and fixed it the best way I can with the data available. I've also added an explainer page to try and clarify why things work like they do.
If anyone's wondering what the raw data looks like after I ran the PDF scans of the manuals through an AI vision model pipeline to extract the useful info; it's a metric shit tonne of this!
April 9, 2026 at 8:51 PM
If anyone's wondering what the raw data looks like after I ran the PDF scans of the manuals through an AI vision model pipeline to extract the useful info; it's a metric shit tonne of this!
I radically improved arcadeRTFM.com this week. It's now a fully indexed archive of arcade repair/operator manuals plus schematics. It has details for 7,800+ arcade machines and 2,400+ manuals. You can search by game, manufacturer, year or even chip! Share it wherever you think it might be useful.
April 9, 2026 at 5:34 PM
I radically improved arcadeRTFM.com this week. It's now a fully indexed archive of arcade repair/operator manuals plus schematics. It has details for 7,800+ arcade machines and 2,400+ manuals. You can search by game, manufacturer, year or even chip! Share it wherever you think it might be useful.
I've been a fan of Project Hail Mary for years now and I only just worked this out. Nicely done, Andy Weir.
March 20, 2026 at 8:02 PM
I've been a fan of Project Hail Mary for years now and I only just worked this out. Nicely done, Andy Weir.
I have to say that the new three-part special of The Detectorists was a depressing departure from its usual style.
March 6, 2026 at 7:19 AM
I have to say that the new three-part special of The Detectorists was a depressing departure from its usual style.
I'm not, but I probably should be...
February 25, 2026 at 12:49 PM
I'm not, but I probably should be...
New Business Idea Number 315: Corporate training videos.
February 18, 2026 at 7:05 AM
New Business Idea Number 315: Corporate training videos.
Last play of this turntable (brilliant but fiddly, delicate, and just a bit too 'audiophile' for me) before it gets replaced with a chunky Tim-proof Technics.
ACiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiD!
ACiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiD!
February 8, 2026 at 11:52 AM
Last play of this turntable (brilliant but fiddly, delicate, and just a bit too 'audiophile' for me) before it gets replaced with a chunky Tim-proof Technics.
ACiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiD!
ACiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiD!
Still very much at the prototyping stage, but if you were or are an #Atari #retrogaming fan and always wanted one of those crazy expensive 10 game cartridge switching RomScanner devices, watch this space!
January 26, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Still very much at the prototyping stage, but if you were or are an #Atari #retrogaming fan and always wanted one of those crazy expensive 10 game cartridge switching RomScanner devices, watch this space!
I bet these guys have some strong opinions.
January 24, 2026 at 1:16 PM
I bet these guys have some strong opinions.
If any world leader would like my Cycling Proficiency badge, just let me know (assuming awards are all just vibes based now)
Terms and conditions apply*
*Badge holders must not arbitrarily claim sovereign territory as their own.
Terms and conditions apply*
*Badge holders must not arbitrarily claim sovereign territory as their own.
January 18, 2026 at 8:32 PM
If any world leader would like my Cycling Proficiency badge, just let me know (assuming awards are all just vibes based now)
Terms and conditions apply*
*Badge holders must not arbitrarily claim sovereign territory as their own.
Terms and conditions apply*
*Badge holders must not arbitrarily claim sovereign territory as their own.
This is the old Cannon #cinema in Hinckley. It closed in 1993. The two pink dots are where my friend Gareth and I sat when we saw Star Wars (and it was just called Star Wars back then!) in 1978. We were eight years old and got dropped off by my dad because he wasn't interested in "that space crap" 😂
January 18, 2026 at 10:05 AM
This is the old Cannon #cinema in Hinckley. It closed in 1993. The two pink dots are where my friend Gareth and I sat when we saw Star Wars (and it was just called Star Wars back then!) in 1978. We were eight years old and got dropped off by my dad because he wasn't interested in "that space crap" 😂
I built a #TV station! Well, sort of. I built a UHF transmitter connected to a little hardware media player and it all fits in a cheap plastic case with a power bank in it and 'broadcasts' a folder of MP4s to my old analogue CRT televisions.
January 12, 2026 at 11:07 AM
I built a #TV station! Well, sort of. I built a UHF transmitter connected to a little hardware media player and it all fits in a cheap plastic case with a power bank in it and 'broadcasts' a folder of MP4s to my old analogue CRT televisions.
Bit of an unsung hero these Sony CDit II tapes. They're the later ones in slide cases and they look like they're nothing special but the tape stock in these is phenomenally good for the price, especially used. I've tested them in a Revox B215, a Yamaha KX-10, and a NAD 613 and they rock! #cassette
January 7, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Bit of an unsung hero these Sony CDit II tapes. They're the later ones in slide cases and they look like they're nothing special but the tape stock in these is phenomenally good for the price, especially used. I've tested them in a Revox B215, a Yamaha KX-10, and a NAD 613 and they rock! #cassette
Very relatable Neil. I unearthed a stack of old 90s Netscape dev team T-shirts while loftmining for Christmas decorations this year and got walloped by nostalgia. I also unearthed a rare unreleased game from Netscape*
*okay, technically an unreleased merch sample, but it's still a game!
*okay, technically an unreleased merch sample, but it's still a game!
January 5, 2026 at 9:23 AM
Very relatable Neil. I unearthed a stack of old 90s Netscape dev team T-shirts while loftmining for Christmas decorations this year and got walloped by nostalgia. I also unearthed a rare unreleased game from Netscape*
*okay, technically an unreleased merch sample, but it's still a game!
*okay, technically an unreleased merch sample, but it's still a game!
Every time I come across a Woolworths price sticker on an old #cassette it makes me somehow simultaneously really happy and really sad. I took #Woolworths for granted because it had been there since I was born and always would be. Until it wasn't :-(
January 1, 2026 at 6:36 PM
Every time I come across a Woolworths price sticker on an old #cassette it makes me somehow simultaneously really happy and really sad. I took #Woolworths for granted because it had been there since I was born and always would be. Until it wasn't :-(
Okay, it's possible that I have too many blank cassettes. I just found this case of Maxell UR tucked behind a boombox on a shelf in my office. I don't even remember putting them there or where they came from. #cassette addiction: it's a thing!
December 18, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Okay, it's possible that I have too many blank cassettes. I just found this case of Maxell UR tucked behind a boombox on a shelf in my office. I don't even remember putting them there or where they came from. #cassette addiction: it's a thing!
Couldn't find suitable new #cassette storage racks in the UK and we didn't get the Napa ones back in the day, so they're few and far between on the used market. Solution: Improve the design and make 'em myself. Very happy with the way these came out.
December 9, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Couldn't find suitable new #cassette storage racks in the UK and we didn't get the Napa ones back in the day, so they're few and far between on the used market. Solution: Improve the design and make 'em myself. Very happy with the way these came out.
I don't really buy cassette machinery any more, unless something comes along that's on my short list of 'one day' items. The Sony Walkman WM-D6C was on that list for a long time and I thought I'd missed my chance with the crazy prices they go for.
Then I spotted one in a local auction :-)
Then I spotted one in a local auction :-)
December 7, 2025 at 7:45 PM
I don't really buy cassette machinery any more, unless something comes along that's on my short list of 'one day' items. The Sony Walkman WM-D6C was on that list for a long time and I thought I'd missed my chance with the crazy prices they go for.
Then I spotted one in a local auction :-)
Then I spotted one in a local auction :-)