Mu0n's Color Classic thread

callanbrown

New Tinkerer
May 10, 2022
22
2
3
Someone told me on twitter that it's probably a LC550 board with enough vram to enable thousands of colors (which I did try out successfully)..
Hey! That's me (74XX/@callanbrown). Sounds like we have near identical machines now. Do you have a rascsi or ethernet card for your machine? I have successfully setup Facebook Messenger on my CCII, going to try Discord next..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mu0n

callanbrown

New Tinkerer
May 10, 2022
22
2
3
Current status:

-pictures of the received box + clear shots of the damage that can be x-referenced to the original auction's shots, sent and claim filed to buyee
-caps ordered for logic and analog boards
-stored away and not powered again until this is done
This is interesting, did you pay for insurance through Buyee? I always select lite plan, no repackage etc... Maybe I've just gotten lucky so far. My CCII arrived undamaged.
 

Mu0n

Active Tinkerer
Oct 29, 2021
603
558
93
Quebec
www.youtube.com
I got the standard plan (which includes insured shipping) and paid for the repackaging. Who knows if I'll get anything for it or if I'll fall in a crack.

I don't have any ethernet capabilities for any of my old school macs. My collection leans on an earlier era than most people in these forums.
I don't have RaSCSI but I'm interested in getting one eventually - having access to running software that came in CDs finally makes this interesting now.
 

callanbrown

New Tinkerer
May 10, 2022
22
2
3
How are you running Messenger on the CC? I have several PDS Ethernet cards if you need one.
Macintosh Garden runs an IRC server that can bridge over Messenger, Discord and one or two other services. It's clunky, but it does work. It requires you to send your credentials over IRC so do it at your own risk.
 

callanbrown

New Tinkerer
May 10, 2022
22
2
3
I got the standard plan (which includes insured shipping) and paid for the repackaging. Who knows if I'll get anything for it or if I'll fall in a crack.

I don't have any ethernet capabilities for any of my old school macs. My collection leans on an earlier era than most people in these forums.
I don't have RaSCSI but I'm interested in getting one eventually - having access to running software that came in CDs finally makes this interesting now.
I'm quite a big proponent of RaSCSI. Besides the base feature of emulating hard drives, you get ethernet emulation (which can be bridged to wired or wireless ethernet from the Pi), external video card emulation (I use an HDMI->VGA converter to use an original monitor), plus the built in ability to directly download a file from the 'net and have it show up as a CD ROM on the mac desktop is just the most convenient thing ever.
 

Mu0n

Active Tinkerer
Oct 29, 2021
603
558
93
Quebec
www.youtube.com
I'm quite a big proponent of RaSCSI. Besides the base feature of emulating hard drives, you get ethernet emulation (which can be bridged to wired or wireless ethernet from the Pi), external video card emulation (I use an HDMI->VGA converter to use an original monitor), plus the built in ability to directly download a file from the 'net and have it show up as a CD ROM on the mac desktop is just the most convenient thing ever.
I'm already using a pi3a for a mt-32 pi, and a pi3b repurposed from a retropie machine connected to my tv to a usb4vc device that can take modern controllers and ship it to a vintage PC's ps2 ports, gameport and serial mouse port. This device will also have another extension board for earliest macs in the future. I need to get another pi somehow first.
 

Mu0n

Active Tinkerer
Oct 29, 2021
603
558
93
Quebec
www.youtube.com
Still waiting on a 1-2 week long decision for a refund claim, but I thought I'd check out if my pieces fit the cracks. I'm missing an important one. I'm considering acetone (I'll just use a nail polish remover) to try to bond those pieces together. I'd love a rundown on if it's a good/bad idea from people who have been down this path.

1653395488848.png

1653395496802.png
 

Mu0n

Active Tinkerer
Oct 29, 2021
603
558
93
Quebec
www.youtube.com
So........

buyee refunded both the machine ($135 CAD) and the shipping ($223) - the part that was paid by paypal appeared immediately, still waiting on the normal delay for the part that was done with my bank account.

Wow. Ok.
 

appleg33k85

New Tinkerer
Nov 13, 2021
23
12
3
I've used gorilla glue before that is meant for plastics and its worked well. You could use some type of plastic filler and then spray paint the computer a nice shade of beige to get it mostly back to stock looking or I've considered doing a vinyl wrap just to mix things up.
 

Mu0n

Active Tinkerer
Oct 29, 2021
603
558
93
Quebec
www.youtube.com
Current status:

-Recapped logic board
-Does not boot anymore (black screen, no chime, no screen power, I didn't wait a full 24h period plugged in though)
-Recapping analog board (specific caps at first as per https://recapamac.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/mac_cc_analog_recap.jpg) in progress

And then there's these diodes near the short and stubby 3300 uF CF9 which are DL21 and DL22. They look suspicious. In circuit, they test shorted but I'm thinking of desoldering them and testing them out of circuit....

What do you guys think?

1654776697839.jpeg
 

Kai Robinson

TinkerDifferent Board President 2023
Staff member
Founder
Sep 2, 2021
1,153
1
1,162
113
42
Worthing, UK
Ooof. They look properly crispy - i recommend replacing those just as a matter of course.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eric

Mu0n

Active Tinkerer
Oct 29, 2021
603
558
93
Quebec
www.youtube.com
I put the diode back, replaced these notorious caps:

1654788925875.png


and put it back together (no, I didn't forget the ground cable by the screen) and I get back the same behavior as before this recap push:

-Flick the switch on, hear a brief, soft, high pitch sound
-Soft power button does nothing
-Back to the waiting game?
 

Mu0n

Active Tinkerer
Oct 29, 2021
603
558
93
Quebec
www.youtube.com
State A: the state as I received the machine initially (plugged: logic, back of the case, hard disk, floppy) Flick the power switch on, press soft power on the keyboard - get a brief led flash, then nothing.

State B: worked for a few days, but required plugged in prep HOURS (plugged: logic, back of the case, external scsi drive) Powers on normally, emits a very high frequency noise but otherwise works.

State C: this week before and after recapping the logic and analog boards (plugged: logic, back of the case) No LED flash, just a very soft power up sound in the CRT circuitry presumably, black screen no matter what I do.

State D: latest attempt (logic out, back case with fan in, hard disk out). I got a power up of the fan for a second, then power down, then power up, then down. After a minute or so, it can stabilize itself to normal operation. Turning it off and on again does not repeat that struggle.
 

Mu0n

Active Tinkerer
Oct 29, 2021
603
558
93
Quebec
www.youtube.com
I'm going back to inspecting the analog board.

Here are the edge connectors on the AB side, the large ones seem fine:
1654952347588.png



The small ones are looking like this mostly (80% of them):
1654952388046.png



The end near towards the transformers are a little bent towards the bottom and one pin is slightly crusty:
1654952449973.png


Is it possible that these don't make great contact?

Also, I'd like to be able to test output voltages from these transformers, but I want to know FOR SURE what I'm doing before I poke around to check voltages:
1654952688634.png


underside - what pins do what?
1654952807279.png
 

Mu0n

Active Tinkerer
Oct 29, 2021
603
558
93
Quebec
www.youtube.com
So I was able to spend some time today on the analog board:

Replaced DL21 and DL22 with these: 1300mW, 5%, Small Signal Zener Diode
Replaced both optocouplers CNY75GB with these CNY75B

Noticed the sad state of the pins for the edge connector:
1655410464797.png


so I solder wicked all of that out;

1655410519026.png


unfortunately, pin 33's pad was a casualty, but performing several tests, it appeared it was not connected:

1655410534634.png


1655410559868.png




NO CHANGE, I'm still getting state D, but the power seems to go a bit higher and more regularly before it comes back down, as can be heard from the fan.


Things left to do:

-replace large caps that are normally ok, outside of the usual culprits list
-retouch the pins of the neck board
-continuity checks on the logic board's edge connector
-.........insert your brilliant ideas here...........
 
Last edited: