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  1. RetroViator

    Dell System 310/325

    I did more research on the motherboard, and realized that I won't be restoring the System 310 to its original condition because I have the motherboard for its big sibling, the Dell System 325. The 310 is a 20MHz 386DX and the 325 runs at 25MHz. When released, the System 325 was Dell's flagship...
  2. RetroViator

    Dell System 310/325

    Righting a Wrong My company was cleaning out an old telecom closet when they decided to get rid of the "door stop" they had been using to prop open the door when working in the tight space. It was a Dell System 310, or so it seemed. The IT guys knew of my interest in old computers, and I was...
  3. RetroViator

    Mac IIsi Repairathon

    Wrapping Up The parts for two additional updated (version 1.4) Power Up IIusi kits arrived, and I assembled and tested them today. Based on my last experience, I tested the transistors to verify they had the correct leg orientation, and both kit-provided transistors did this time. One...
  4. RetroViator

    Maclock to Mac Plus Conversion kits

    I’m also interested in a kit when you are ready. Thank you for sharing your fun and impressive work with others.
  5. RetroViator

    Mac IIsi Repairathon

    Hero+ System Earlier (here), I built up the Echo board and outfitted it as my "hero" model with my best accessories. However, when @Byte Knight shared that his IIsi came with a DayStar accelerator, I realized that the Golf system I acquired from a nice retired couple in 2020 came with a DayStar...
  6. RetroViator

    Mac IIsi Repairathon

    I built the second of the updated Power Up IIusi kits I ordered after the JST V connectors arrived, so I could transfer the mains plug I had modified in the earlier Power Up IIusi design. I also needed to remove the Mac IIsi wiring connector. It was fiddly, but I got it done. The 5V...
  7. RetroViator

    Mac IIsi Repairathon

    PSU Redux I received the washers so I could button up the Power Up IIusi replacement PSUs, but something was bothering me. CayMac Vintage had updated the design significantly from the open source version I built, and the new design is better in many ways. First, you don't have to tweak the...
  8. RetroViator

    Presentation Design Software targeting Compact Macs

    What a creative idea. This is something the early Macs would have embraced, had presentation software been dominate in the office like it is now. I see you list “copy paste properties.” Does that mean you can bring in material from MacWrite, MacDraw, MacPaint etc.?
  9. RetroViator

    Hey

    Welcome. It’s good to see folks interested in the wide range of Macs. I was a 68k guy that returned in the G4/G5 era. That was an exciting time from a design and software standpoint, but a bit limiting from a hardware perspective.
  10. RetroViator

    InventoryDifferent - Managing your vintage device collection

    Like some others, I’ve been dabbling with Airtables, but I love the idea of something purpose built for our hobby. I’ll check this out. Thanks!
  11. RetroViator

    [Discussion] Use of AI/LLM in the retro community

    I’ve experimented with using AI as a “thinking partner” when I get stuck on a repair project. I’m not trained in electronics. What I’ve learned has come from reading a few books, scanning forums, and watching YouTube. By now, I have a decent idea where to go when I hit a road block, but let’s...
  12. RetroViator

    68kmla MIA

    Good thread on what it takes to maintain a solid forum. I appreciate the spirit of this place and the professional yet friendly attitude I find throughout. I’m not a frequent poster, as I’m only able to dip in from time to time, but I look forward to seeing TD continue to deepen its bench with...
  13. RetroViator

    Who Am I... The Power PC Performas

    Jumping in to say that the Compact Mac section gets a lot of postings, and the others are have less interaction. So I wonder if focusing on Compact 68k, then Other 68k, then PowerPC, and Intel is good enough. Just food for thought.
  14. RetroViator

    Quadra 660AV tinkering

    This is a great level of detail that will help others. Personally, I’ve not had the discipline to document my knee jerk reactions, back and forth testing, and head scratching approach to my repair work. Keeping a lab book is a good idea. I would like to come up with a way to conveniently...
  15. RetroViator

    Mac IIsi Repairathon

    PSUpalooza This weekend I finally put together four additional Power-Up-IIusi replacement power supplies. This was pretty uneventful, as I figured out the nuisances with my earlier single PSU build. This time, I built each PSU up in an assembly line, simlar to my floppy restoration. I started...
  16. RetroViator

    Mac IIsi Repairathon

    You just reminded me that Golf, the horribly battery-bombed IIsi I got from a nice retired couple who were downsizing, came with a DayStar 601 Processor Card. This jumped the lowly 20MHz 68030 IIsi to a 80MHz PowerMac. I had planned on putting this 601 Processor Card in one of my IIci (a...
  17. RetroViator

    Mac IIsi Repairathon

    Hero System I pulled together the best of my working components and assembled a hero unit. I went with the Echo logic board because it looks clean and doesn't have any bodges. I put in four 2MB RAM SIMMs, to get the system up to 9MB. Then, I selected a clean non-yellowed case, picked a good...
  18. RetroViator

    Mac IIsi Repairathon

    Software Slows Things Down I've reached the point in this project where I need to get the software squared away. As usual, this slows things down. I don't want to give the wrong impression — this is so much better than it used to be, thanks to the great work of so many in our community. The...
  19. RetroViator

    Official Tinker Different Poll: Board Size Reduction

    I suspect he means “In Real Life.” As in, not an online thing.
  20. RetroViator

    Opening an oscillator can to determine cause of failure

    The more I read about the Macintosh II, the more it seems like an engineering experiment. It is amazing how well they iterated and improved by the time the IIci came along.