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Yep. Been there, done that. 🙁

It could be corrupted RAM or ROMs, but I got a checkboard pattern when my Mac SE had a bad solder connection on the analog board that resulted in the 12V rail only providing ~3V.

For instance, earlier today, I went hunting to find the post from @The House of Moth providing a number of Macintosh service manuals (https://tinkerdifferent.com/threads/power-mac-imac-ibook-and-powerbook-g3-service-manuals.471/). I knew it was somewhere, but it took me a little while to find...

As for grail items, I've got three: Osborne 4 (Vixen) -- A friend of mine had one after passing me his Osborne One. It may have been peak CP/M. Commodore PET -- They look just so darn cool! Quadra 840AV -- The best Quadra, and I used one at work back in the day. Aside from those, I'd also...

With compact Macs, the solder joints for the analog board's connectors are often cracked and need to be reflowed. It's a remarkably easy fix once you know what to look for. I suppose any joint subjected to high heat at significant voltage could be at risk.

So @JDW's video on recapping the Mystic Color Classic piqued my interest in solder tweezers. I have a tremor (primarily in my non-dominant hand), so I'm always looking for ways to make my tinkering more effective. My iron is the Hakko FX-888D, and they make a tweezer attachment. Any tips or...

Once upon a time, I got the bright idea of fixing a PowerBook Duo with a bad display. The computer had been stored in a hot and humid space, and the screen contracted "vinegar syndrome" (so named due to the vinegar-like odor coming from the screen. I decided the thing to do was to peel off...

I did test the caps in mine after removal, and they were still in spec, but on the low end of acceptable. if you’re interested, you can read about my experience at https://retroviator.com/2021/05/29/apple-imac-dv/.

Unless I’m mistaken, @jcm-1 hinted at KansasFest about efforts underway with @MacEffects on just such a project.

Sure, here is the other side. It looks like it would be obvious, given how it is designed to attach to something, but it alluded me.

After opening my iMac DV, I decided to proactively replace all the caps because I wasn’t sure the plastic would survive another attempt at opening the case. I would have replaced the flyback too, if replacements were available. I did replace the decaying speakers though.

I used JB Weld Plastic Bond to try to repair my iMac G3 inner bezel. While I had lots of little pieces left over, I got the main supports put back together. However, as soon as I reattached the CRT, the other screw mounts previously not broken decided to crack. That is such a cursed part in an...

I did leave my shield in place, but the paper was also in good shape so I didn’t see the need to change things. Good to know the grounds look good without it. The PSU still has its shielding, and we don’t really care about electrical hum interfering with RF like we used to, but I’m sure all our...

Yep, that's where I bought mine... now I just need to get back to making my Duo Disk cables.

Great news! I like more storage options. I picked up several DB19 connectors a while back, along with some DB-25 cables, so I could make a couple of Duo Disk cables. Now I have another reason to get that done. I got my DB19s from IEC at...

Confirmed: life is better once you remove the mushy spill guard. Of course, this only applies to those of us with the unfortunate Atlanta Photociruits keyboard. I believe I left the thin and more resilient black cover while removing the gray and degrading spill guard.

Sounds like many of us approach this similarly: Make it a computer you would have been proud to own when new. Clean it, repair it, take life-preserving measures, and stock it with quality software and peripherals of the era. Oh, and retrobrite or paint only when necessary to avoid distracting...

Howdy, @Byte Knight. If you liked early Clancy books, you'll understand Harpoon!

Part of the interest comes from being a Cold War kid. I doubt such a game would be as popular today. It had a “what if” quality to it. I described it as chess with ships, subs, and jets, but there is nothing fanciful about it. It is accurate to the real thing. At the time I was really into it...

What an amazing restoration! Great job and thanks for letting us follow along. 🙂