Macintosh Plus video gave out

[sega dude]

Well, my Macintosh Plus decided it was no longer going to work. When I turn it on I get a grey screen with diagonal lines. See the pic below. I've had this happen before, but lightly tapping it on the left side made the video come back. Now, not matter how hard I hit it, it won't come back. It flickers but won't come completely back. I got it to come back once after I kept hitting it, but after I turned it off and back on again, it was back to the same thing. If you were following this thread, you know what computer I'm talking about. Please help, I'm really bummed out about this :'(



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[Macdrone]

Bad solder joints on the power connector on the analog board if it comes back with beating. I wouldn't turn it on much more with repair to it as it will scorch the PCB.

 

[uniserver]

if its that bad, what ever solder joint is loose will show its self, just reflow the solder joint on the A/B

 

[sega dude]

How do I reflow the solder joint? Do I just hold the iron over it?

EDIT: How long should I leave it unplugged to insure everything is discharged?

 

[Macdrone]

Dont need to discharge that part, at least I didnt. I would resolder but add some more solder. Whats there is going to suck up into the joint and youll want to make sure it covers the whole pad evenly on the board. I would reflow them all as some cracks you wont see on the power line connections to the board, its only a few.

 

[mcdermd]

Even better is to remove the old solder with a vacuum sucker then replace it with fresh stuff.

 

[sega dude]

I have no soldering skill whatsoever. I don't think this should be my first soldering job...

 

[uniserver]

I think you can do this...

Ya can't really mess it up.

 

[tomlee59]

I have no soldering skill whatsoever. I don't think this should be my first soldering job...

If you're worried, then practice first. If you're like most people, you've got some junk electronics lying about. Practice on them. There are many online tutorials on how to solder, so you can learn the basics first that way.

Once you've built up some confidence, go for it. Use fresh solder (don't simply "reflow" what's there), but don't go overboard. If you've done a good job, the joint will be smooth and shiny. If it looks coarse and grainy, you didn't use enough heat, or moved something before the joint cooled. Reheat and try again. Avoid blobbing so much that you cause a short circuit with nearby joints.

It's not hard. Just work carefully and you (and your Mac) will be fine.

 

[sega dude]

What exactly on the Macintosh Plus do I need to solder? Could I get a picture of what needs soldering?

 

[Macdrone]

Just do a search macintosh plus power solder and it should come up. It's a known issue by the forums. Kinda went to far rehashing this I'm thinking someone is gonna say soon.

 

[tomlee59]

What exactly on the Macintosh Plus do I need to solder? Could I get a picture of what needs soldering?

The repair guide has information you might find useful. See the stickie.

 

[James1095]

Tapping fixing it is a sure sign of bad joints. Often the fault will be visible to the naked eye as a crack all the way around the pin. It will often arc a bit when the connection opens up, and eventually this burns away more solder and it gets bad enough that tapping it won't fix it. Not only that, but intermittent connections can and do blow other parts, so I always advise to stop using equipment immediately to prevent further damage.

Know anyone nearby who has any soldering experience? Is there a local hackerspace or similar geeky meeting place? Failing that, look on youtube for soldering tutorials, and as has been suggested, practice on something that's already junk.

Unplug the machine and give it a few minutes for everything to discharge, it doesn't normally take very long. You'll need rosin core solder and a soldering iron. Look for the standard tin/lead stuff if you can find it, the lead-free solder is harder to work with and tends to make lousy joints. Hold the iron to the joint until the existing solder starts to melt, then feed in a bit of fresh solder, let it flow for a couple seconds and then take the iron off it. You should end up with a nice silver colored joint that is slightly concave. If you have a bulging ball of solder, you've applied too much.

 

[sega dude]

I've had it unplugged since Saturday, I'm giving it plenty of time to discharge. When I open it (I still need to get the screwdriver), where should I look for cracked joints?