I am looking for an Electron, but all the listings I find seem to be >£100 or "untested" without PSUs. I am UK based. Can anyone tell me the best places to look, e.g. Facebook marketplace, eBay ect and fair prices for electrons depending on condition. I don't mind buying an electron that is a little broken, I have experience with a soldering iron, so I can probably fix it with some guidance if it isn't a ULA issue. Any help is appreciated.

Wondering if there is an emulator that can run Acorn Electron games on windows 11 (or android) without the original hardware? If so, can anyone point me to them.

Can't wait to clean and repair this lovely Acorn Electron / BBC Micro Data Recorder...

I have a real soft spot for anything Acorn branded, so this will have a nice spot in my collection

UPDATED TO V1.2.1 - 01-06-2025

I have been working on an app to load uef files on to original hardware simulating an original tape cassette recorder. Although similar software exists (Playuef etc) I find other apps lack features that I required such as a game browser and the ability to save and reload game progress.

Acorn Game Loader

A comprehensive GUI application for loading Acorn Electron and BBC Micro games onto original hardware with advanced tape control and save state functionality.

Features

Core Functionality

• Game Browser with instant search (supports multi-term filtering)
• Screenshot Viewer (supports JPG, PNG, GIF)
• Manual Viewer (TXT format)
• Supports .uef game files
• New in v1.2.0: Edit Mode with game management tools

Tape Control

• ▶️ Play: Start/Resume game playback
• ⏹️ Stop: Halt playback
• ⏏️ Eject: Completely end playback
• ⏪ Rewind: Move back 1 tape block
• ⏩ Forward: Jump to next tape block
• 🔢 Block Counter: Shows current playback position
• 0️⃣ Counter Reset: Mark reference point (e.g., after loading screens)
• ↪️ Jump: Jumps to block set by Counter Reset

Save States

• 💾 Save Game Progress:
  • Records audio from Electron/BBC Micro's EAR port
  • Auto-detects signal start/stop
• 📂 Load Game Progress:
  • Browse and select saved .wav files
  • Simulates tape loading process
  • Status feedback during operation

Convenience Features

• Remember Last Game: Auto-reopens your last-played game
• Customizable Folders: Set paths for games, images, manuals
• New in v1.2.0: Drag-and-drop support for adding games/images/manuals
• New in v1.2.0: Right-click context menu for game management
• New in v1.2.0: Updated in-app manual with Edit Mode documentation
• New in v1.2.0: About dialog with version/license info

Requirements

• Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
• .NET Framework 8.0
• Python (embedded in distribution)

Installation

1. Download latest release
2. Extract to preferred location
3. Run Acorn Game Loader.exe
4. Optional - Download Assets (Contains screenshots and game manuals/info rename your uef files to match)

Usage Guide

First-Time Setup

1. Open Settings (Menu → Settings)
2. Configure folders for:
   • Games (.uef files)
   • Images (screenshots as .jpg/.png/.gif)
   • Manuals (.txt files)
3. Enable "Remember Last Game" if desired

Playing Games

1. Select game from list (use search to filter)
2. View screenshot and manual
3. Click Play to start or resume playback (after Rewind/Forward/Stop)
4. Use Stop, Rewind, Forward as needed

Edit Mode Features (New in v1.2.0)

1. Enable Edit Mode (Menu → Edit → Editor On)
2. Select the game and right-click for options:
   • Rename: Change game name while keeping all associated files
   • Move: Relocate game to different folder
   • Delete: Remove game (sent to Recycle Bin)
3. Drag and drop files directly onto:
   • Game list (to add .uef files)
   • Image panel (to update screenshots)
   • Manual panel (to update documentation)

Saving Progress

1. In-game, select or type the save command, it will thn say "Press Record Then Return" or something similar.
2. Click SAVE in the Game Saves section (button changes to STOP).
3. Wait for "Waiting for signal..." message.
4. Press RETURN on the Electron/BBC Micro and wait for save to finish.
5. Click STOP to end recording.
6. Application will automatically:
   • Detect the signal
   • Save as timestamped .wav file

Loading Progress

1. In-game, select or type the load command.
2. Click LOAD in Game Saves and choose the desired .wav file.
3. File should begin loading on the Electron/BBC Micro.

File Naming Convention

All supporting files must match game filename exactly:

• Game: GameName.uef
• Image: GameName.jpg/png/gif
• Manual: GameName.txt

Technical Details

• Save system works with standard audio cables
• Optimized for 44.1kHz mono WAV files

Troubleshooting

• No sound during playback? Check audio cable connections
• Save/Load not working? Ensure:
  • Adequate volume during save
  • Minimal background noise
  • Correct WAV format (44.1kHz mono)
• Game missing from list? Verify:
  • Correct folder location
  • Proper file extension (.uef)
  • File integrity
• Edit Mode features not appearing? Ensure:
  • Edit Mode is enabled (Menu → Edit → Editor On)
  • You're right-clicking on a game in the list

Download the latest release from github repo Here or from my website Here which also contains additional resources for the app.

Full instructions are included in the app and can be accessed via Help.

If you have any suggestions for new features or encounter any bugs feel free to let me know.

Nyimski.

Well, that's a bit ingenuous. One of my Elks is in apparently perfect health, one is working except for (annoyingly) the caps lock/func key. Two are dead. I do have two working Plus 1's to go with the two working Elks. I might be able to make a Plus 3 work to go with one of them, though I'll need a new power supply.

I've got all these because me and a pal got quite fond of them back in the 80's - I'd had to sell my first Beeb due to a 'cash flow problem'. When he moved on to the IBM world he passed his Elk's on to me , hence me having several.

I later got a Beeb B+ and then a Master 128., so the Elk's got neglected. Now my only working Beeb is the B+ that I bought way back.

I'm currently preparing to move house so when I dug out the Elks - which had not been stored in exactly ideal conditions - I decided to se what worked and what didn't before chucking them out.

If anyone has a magic cure for non-working keys that doesn't include soldering I'd be very glad to hear it.

Hey all I am now the proud owner of an Electron and wanted to load via the cassette port the game microgo1. Sadly I do not find a UEF file, only ssd. Doing the trick with BeebEm and converting every disk file to Tape sadly doesnt work Does someone have the UEF file at hand? Greetings

It had a top-down view and you'd walk through various rooms trying to find a key. Once you had the key you'd have to make your way back to a locked door and escape to the next level. I think there were things to shoot too. I seem to remember it having quite a fluorescent colour scheme, lots of pink and green.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Hope someone can help, had one of the years ago and 2 games stick out but i cannot place the names. One was a ninja game, you moved diagonally on a map with puzzles to solve. The other was a helicopter game, 2d, had obstacles to fly through, and awful buzzy noises.

Sorry for the poor description but was a long long time ago. Hoping someone may know.

Cheers in advance.

I was helping a neighbour clear out their basement and we found a sealed, never used Acorn Electron. Pretty amazing given this is 40 years old.

I am curious how rare this is? Has anyone else come across one in this condition. Honestly I have no idea why it’s never been used. I’m also wondering if there’s a museum or collector that might be suitable for this.

In case anyone is interested in owning it, I’ve listed it on eBay (UK). Should be easy enough to find

Here’s my full walkthrough of this ace game!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6irMgAkVP2c&feature=youtu.be

Found my old Electron.... on which I spent much of my childhood :). Also found the PSU, which when plugged in and turned on, does appear to elicit a click (cassette motor?), but no subsequent 'ding'. Is this an easily identified fault? I'll be opening her up the moment I have time, but in anticipation.....

https://youtu.be/GPTo3SxjnHM?si=UGBJ3n-XQV6z-u2T

https://youtu.be/ETPAYbKdu3o?si=xxDVVmvI5C9mJuF6

I've been a mod for quite a few of the retrogaming (and other adjacent) subs here for a long time -- even if kind of dormant recently. I love these topics, and how our digital "ancestors" solved hard problems, and how we've build a continuum of interest with their work. I started and even took over a few dormant subs and worked with /u/zadocpaet to help build a broad community here, even appealing to niche systems.

The mod teams are doing a great job, especially /u/Derf_Jagged. I feel like now is a good time to step down. I'm going to continue to lurk, and be a regular user and I wish the subs, the mods, and the users the best!

Hi everyone.

Does anyone know a replacement for the RL1 relay, which controls the cassette motor?

I have no power supply and not sure if any of my screens would work.

No idea if it works or not.

Any idea of its value?