MacEffects Clear Case REVIEW, for SE & SE/30

[JDW]

It's @JDW's thread, so I'm sure he'll chime in soon without you needing to wade through the video just for that answer. []

Well, it is summer time now, so a wade through my videos might turn out to be quite cool and refreshing.    

I'm not sure which PSU and caps you gentlemen are speaking of regarding hot glue, but if you wade through my videos, you will see me selectively use hot glue.  It's more important on the analog board than on something like the HD20SC SONY PSU because the big caps on the analog board are shooting out to the side, so there is much more pressure put on those two legs, and that is compounded by the fact you have a 60mm fan pounding those caps with microvibrations while the Mac is on.  A tiny dab of hot glue will lessen the stress.  The key point here is, you don't want something to cause the caps to leak over time because they are fluid filled.

I put Mouser Carts in the text description under all my recapping videos on YouTube.  You must watch the videos on YouTube to see that text description.  On a desktop computer, you must click SHOW MORE to expand it.  And yes, you can even find it on mobile too, but again, you must be watching on YouTube to see that text.  If you've never read through my text descriptions before you are in for a treat because I often pack them full of useful info, sometimes all the way to the 5000 character limit.  I even include Amazon links to useful tools you might not have.

Why offer people a Mouser Cart instead of a link to Console5?  Honestly, I wish Console5 would publish detailed specifications of all the capacitors they use so I could just link to them instead of spending hours making my Mouser Carts.  But the fact is, you really don't know what brand caps you will get with Console5 until they arrive, nor do you know the part numbers even when they arrive.  All the caps I choose are Nichicon or Panasonic or similar trusted brand names.  I also choose capacitors with ESR in mind and the Hour rating in mind too -- most I pick are 5000 to 10000 hour caps.  It pretty much goes without saying I choose only 105°C or higher rated caps.  And yes, all that really does matter.  You don't need an EE degree to pick good caps, but it helps, and I happen to have one.  So I am not taking random guesses about the caps I select for others to use.  I also pick caps in light of Larry Pina's recommendations as well.

Bear in mind that Mouser has no affiliate program so I get no kick backs at all for making the Mouser Carts.  It's also high maintenance for me too because when Mouser suddenly runs dry of stock, I get no notifications at all, and I only find out when a viewer tells me, then I need to visit Mouser and find a suitable replacement cap, then update the Mouser Cart.  It's really a lot of work for me, but I do it because I'd love it if somebody did that for me.  I'm a firm believer in "what goes around comes around."  Maybe someday some good things will happen to me.  That's really my biggest motivation for making videos that help others.  Helping others never gets old.  I really enjoy doing it.  Getting paid for doing it would be nice, but I'm not even close to being able to quite my day job for YouTube.  I wish I could since my day job is only paying my rent these days.  The economic situation here in Japan stinks.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Wading through just about anything to get just a little bit of something hidden therein ain't relaxing. I like to leisurely watch your videos, maybe with a cold glass of lemonade in hand. They're much appreciated by all here I think and thanks much! :approve:

 

[aeberbach]

I really appreciate the Mouser carts. They ship all over the world, they have a huge range and if your first filter term is "in stock" you get no nasty surprises when a part is something you need quickly. Second, if an EE already went to the trouble of making a cart it's saving me a lot of time - thanks again.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

@JDW forgot to say I feel your pain over your situation in Japan. Been there, but over here, it's a tough thing to get through. Helping others is indeed its own reward, but I hope the good karma you've sent into the world wings back your way soon.

I was closing up tabs just now and found one you might like: https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/42039/what-is-this-solid-white-glue

If that potting gunk is silastic silicon, check out the removal method at the bottom of the page. []  

 

[techknight]

Another member removed the exterior Aquadag on the CRT leaving it very shiny and silver. Apparently there were no ill effects. I think he used Isopropyl alcohol with rag to remove.  I’ve not tried that but the result did look stunning. 

DONT EVER DO THIS! the Aquadag coating is highly important. its there to form a capacitor at the CRT, and filter the high voltage coming off the flyback. Without that, you need a high voltage filter capacitor. Also, this creates a very strong arcing scenario. 

 

[IlikeTech]

You know, if you think about it, the manufacturer put it on for a reason, and there was probably a good one.

 

[techknight]

Yea, it forms the other "plate" of the capacitor. The glass tube itself being the dielectric. 

 

[aeberbach]

@techknight for a clean appearance then would it be OK to use a shielding paint to make the back of the tube uniform? For guitar use there is a conductive paint for shielding inside pickup cavities. (or the original aquadag of course).

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Not crazy about setting up the inside of the clear case with chrome, metallic flake paint, colored powder coat on the chassis etc. Sounds like a Hot Rodded Ford coupe  .  .  .

.  .  .  or worse, a PC Gamer's rig.

 

[aeberbach]

Tastefully neat goes a long way though. I have an Amiga 1200 with the A1200.net clear case - sanding and painting the metal shielding a flat black was a big improvement. I think my Mac's frame would look great in a flat black too, not the scratched-up gray it is now.

 

[techknight]

@techknight for a clean appearance then would it be OK to use a shielding paint to make the back of the tube uniform? For guitar use there is a conductive paint for shielding inside pickup cavities. (or the original aquadag of course).

it has to be conductive, and grounded. Also it has to be applied properly, almost identically to that of what the original Dag coating had. 

Also Guitars =/= 10 to 12KV of energy. 

 

[erichelgeson]

Great content as always @JDW - Thanks for the mention at the end! I though how could a case review be a 1 hour video, watched it, and didn't realize an hour had gone by

While I do think the clear case looks nice, I think it's "not for me" - I like the look of an original retro-brighted case.

If you haven't, consider a donation to his channel! Making in depth videos like this is time consuming I'm sure.

 

[Torbar]

@maceffects Are the Rev A cases still available at all?  JDW mentioned it in the video, but I don't see them on the site so I'm assuming they're all sold out?

 

[krishnadraws]

JDW does some of the most thorough reviews on compact Macs that I've come across on Youtube. I really enjoy his videos and come away with learning many new things. Were it not for his PSU and analog board recapping videos (which I have watched multiple times), I would not have had the confidence to perform those tasks on my Mac SE FDHD. 

 

[maceffects]

@Torbar I still have some more.  If you are looking for one please send me a PM. 

@krishnadraws & @erichelgeson You are right he does great work.  His videos have helped me many times.  That is why I thought I should send him something to thank him for his great work.  Fortunately, he turned it into an amazingly helpful video that will show others the install process too.  And don't worry I have some original beige systems as well.  Everyone has their own look they want.  I'm always discovering what cool mods people do. 

 

[Crutch]

@JDW thanks for sharing yet another terrific video.  I am about halfway through and the details you include is always fascinating.  I always learn something new from your videos, for example I had never thought about the different types of first-gen ADB mice even though I have certainly noticed the different mouse ball colors over the years!  You also have a great and friendly presentation style, not to mention the professional editing.

One observation, I am surprised you recommend prying apart the case with bits of metal.  I am a big proponent of the no-pry case opening technique described nicely by @Dog Cow here:  https://macgui.com/news/article.php?t=479   In my experience it works 100% of the time on both original Macs and SE/30s and means no metal ever has to touch any part of your case except the screws!  It may be worth sharing with your YourTube viewers.