I just bought a TAM!

[EvilCapitalist]

I've got a 64GB CF card in mine and it's more than enough space.  While I do miss hearing the HD noises the speed I gain makes up for it and any larger spinner you'd throw in there (say anything larger than 40GB) is going to be quiet to the point that you can't hear them anyway.

 

[EvilCapitalist]

This adapter looks exactly like the one I have in mine (probably from the same factory in China) and it works with no issues.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271583773005

 

[Rick Dangerous]

This adapter looks exactly like the one I have in mine (probably from the same factory in China) and it works with no issues.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271583773005

Thank you, much appreciated.  And I suppose any old brand of Compact Flash will do, or has it been found that some are more reliable and/or work better with Macs?

Sorry for the twenty questions, I adhere to the measure twice cut once mantra.  

 

[Byrd]

Go a branded CF card - Sandisk 30mb/s and above speeds

 

[haplain]

I usually go with this, since it fits in the HD bracket well (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036DDXUM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

 

[Rick Dangerous]

Just came in today!  I noticed it really doesn't like burned CD's haha.  Tried to install some programs from my OS9 Kitchen Sink disk but had errors and "bad media" warnings get in my way.  Also, my floppy drive isn't working, appears to be engaged even though no 3.5 is inserted and won't accept a disk.  Any tips on fixing that or a lost cause?

Installed a few CD rom games, cleaned the TAM and speaker covers, and cleaned up the desktop a bit, but waiting on that RAM and the USB card now..

There was a piece cracked off the bottom front of the Sub, and the left part of the CD door hinge was snapped, but with some patience an super glue it appears 99% like new now.  These things are almost too delicate to be shipped.

Great fun so far, can't believe its sitting on my desk! (yes, moved it out of the kitchen once clean.)

 

[Rick Dangerous]

Whats the proper forum to ask TAM questions? Powermac?

 

[Byrd]

TAM looks great!  The floppy drive comes from a Powerbook 3400 so if gone bad you could replace.  The optical drive is a highly modified Apple CD 600 (4x) drive that can also be sourced as a donor of parts in future - good to have one stored away should you find.

You might have read of the TAM's infamous speaker buzz, does yours do that?  

And yes, PowerMac would be the best place to ask questions - or just keep it going here, to be honest.

 

[Rick Dangerous]

Apparently the TAM does not like video games....lol.  I tried hooking up my NES and SNES to the RF TV in on the TAM and only got black or blue screens.  My systems are very well kept and I even tried adjusting the resolutions to the systems native output.   Wonder what the deal is with that since it should be reading it as a straight coax signal?

 

[EvilCapitalist]

Are you sure it's a US TAM? 

The easiest way I've found to tell whether it was a US TAM, as opposed to a European (UK, France, Germany) or Japanese version is to open the FM Radio application:

- If you can tune to US stations like normal (87.9-107.9MHz, tuning to odd KHz frequencies (ex 90.9, 101.1)) you've got a US TAM

- If you can tune to a lot more stations (87.5-107.9MHz), tuning to odd and even KHz frequencies (ex 95.8, 104.9)) you've got a European TAM

- If you can't tune to most US stations (frequencies limited to ~76-90MHz) you've got a Japanese TAM.

If it turns out you've got a European or Japanese TAM the TV tuner would only accept PAL (for the European ones, unless the French version got a SECAM tuner) or NTSC-J (for the Japanese one) signals so far as I'm aware...which means you'd be out of luck for using the coax input as I don't think in the TAM the video standard was switchable.

 

[Rick Dangerous]

Interesting.  I will check that out.  NTSC-J should still work with US signals.  The consoles were definitely working the NES got a black screen and the SNES blue,  I'll try via S video as well. 

 

[Rick Dangerous]

I also wanted to mention I got a $250 refund from the seller for the floppy drive not working and the few pieces that had chipped off (which I was able to repair to like new with crazy glue.)

So all being told I paid $725 for this TAM, which I don't think is so bad.  

My RAM and USB card get in today, looking forward to playing around some more

 

[Rick Dangerous]

This recommended USB adapter doesn't appear to fit in my PCI slot.  Should I mod the case with a dremel to make it fit on the left side there? Thanks

 

[Macdrone]

you need the pci angle adapter from a 6400 or 6500, or even a 6360 should work, as mentioned on the first page.

Its one of the cards mentioned like the comm slot riser card for a comm slot modem, or pci riser and 2 pic cards, one being ethernet and one being the usb card.

 

[Rick Dangerous]

Okay thanks will take a look! 

 

[Rick Dangerous]

Having trouble finding the following:

-pci angle adapter from a 6400 or 6500, or even a 6360

-3.5 Floppy drive from powerbook 3400

Anyone have any ideas where I might locate these parts?

128 RAM is now installed, TAM is running like a top!  Have been playing some games on it but as soon as I get the USB working it will be much easier to get software on there. 

 

[EvilCapitalist]

Finding a PCI riser isn't quite as easy as scavenging one from a Performa 6360 or 6400/6500.  Supposedly you can use a two slot riser from a 6400/6500 with the TAM but the only mention of that I could find was from 2002 and listed a bunch of problems the guy ran into which may or may not have been caused by using something the system wasn't designed for / wasn't expecting.  Not to mention, you'd have to leave the back cover off the machine if you wanted to use the riser since it's taller than the stock single slot riser.

That leads to the single slot riser from the 6360.  It won't work either because it's both too short and not offset.  If you look at this auction you can see how there's no offset and how much shorter it is than the one that originally came with the TAM.

The floppy drive is a little easier.  As far as I know, the 3400 used the same floppy drive as the 190 and the 5300, so this drive should work.  I'm not 100% certain of that since I've never taken my TAM completely apart but I figure someone else here should be able to confirm that the 190/5300/3400 floppy drives are all interchangeable.

 

[Gorgonops]

For what it's worth, here's an eBay listing for the 6400/6500 two-slot riser, $6.20 BIN. It does sound like a pretty sketchy proposition trying to use this without any sort of support structure to enclose the cards in.

(Also, well... I've never owned a TAM, or a 6400/500, but comparing pictures of the TAM's innards to the picture of the riser board I think I can see why the forum post EvilC linked to mentions a physical interference problem. Without removing the hard drive/fan bracket you're not going to be able to use the lower slot on it. If you're converting to CompactFlash maybe you could cobble together some way to run without it, although you'll need to get the fan anchored somehow.)

Honestly, since you don't have the back I wonder if the safer way to go is just leave the PCI slot alone and settle for adding a Comm Slot ethernet directly into that slot... assuming that will fit without a riser to lay *it* flat.

 

[aplmak]

I had looked into these at one point... I actually had bought a few years ago.. never ended up using them... Perhaps this is a soution?? Then your not restricted to slot location...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/32-Bit-Flexible-PCI-Riser-Card-Extender-Flex-Extension-Ribbon-Cable-Perfect-/351320876790?epid=1139248215&hash=item51cc5b26f6:g:TrAAAOSwqu9U517Q

Or to buy from the US:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PCI-Riser-Card-Extender-Flexible-Extension-Cable-Ribbon-/351680465361?epid=1479284721&hash=item51e1ca09d1:g:ewgAAOSwxvxW60ZO

 

[Gorgonops]

I know this is probably a question I could answer with some Googling, but regarding the idea of using a "generic" PCI riser/extension cable: is the slot on the 6400/6500 board a "normal" according-to-Hoyle PCI slot, or does it *need* an Apple riser to work properly? (IE, can you plug a PCI card straight into it and have it work? So far as I know all systems that used that board used a riser.)

Just curious because that link about using the two-slot riser in the TAM notes that the Apple riser doesn't have a PCI-PCI bridge chip, it just magically shows up as two slots. It makes me wonder if it's wired a little off-standard and a simple straight-through cable won't cut it.