Opinions on this Macintosh Portable (sorry if wrong section)

[broccoliwithattitude]

Hello guys,

So today I popped open this Macintosh Portable. I named it Kennedy.

It seemed like someone else already popped this one open and, indeed that was the case. The motherboard seems recapped, actually not seems, it has been recapped. The machine was said not to turn on. When arrived it came with a new 9V battery and the old white brick. I didn't even try plugging it in and powering on cause I assumed I needed to recap.

So, there is some corrosion in few points on the back. I have to clean that off. Otherwise what do you think of this? Looks like some solder/flux has been left on or? But surely someone put their hand on this. The boards looks clean and all, corrosion spots aside. SWIM looks ok, hybrid module also. I see no corrosion there.

The only thing that was leaking was the Conner HDD. I'm taking a guess that's dead.

Waiting for the new battery to arrive. Hopefully Kennedy is not a zombie.

 

[LaPorta]

Now, I'm no master at this by any means, but that is a class A crummy job on the caps. I mean, I suppose it will work, but it looks horrible. Do you have the correct power adapter? Which battery do you have coming?

 

[broccoliwithattitude]

Now, I'm no master at this by any means, but that is a class A crummy job on the caps. I mean, I suppose it will work, but it looks horrible. Do you have the correct power adapter? Which battery do you have coming?

It does indeed.
When I opened it I was extremely confused. Also it looks like they managed to accidentally knock off some things and resolder them on but, I don't know if I should remove everything and recap everything again. I am no master as well but..

Also I have to remove that corrosion.

I hope who did this did not kill anything.

It's a Ultracell 6-4.5Ah. I think I'll connect it to the pc with crocodile clips to test it out cause the layout won't fit in the Macintosh. I have the original power adapter.

I have to confess I'm scared. I don't know, maybe I would have preferred it having the old caps.

Also can I ask you what you think about the traces? Some looks scratched. I hope they still work.

 

[LaPorta]

I will show you what I used for a battery, it is basically a direct replacement and works perfectly:

My Portable is up next...

Hey everyone, After completing my Mac II, now I am turning my efforts to my Mac Portable. Over the years it slowly stopped working (bad caps, no doubt), and I am setting out to get it going again. First, I am looking to make a stealth battery...namely, a new lead acid cell in the original's...

68kmla.org

It is regrettable I don't have photos of my cap job, but those should all be surface mount caps. It will work, as long as there are no other issues with traces, etc. TechKnight is really the expert here as far as the Portable is concerned.

 

[broccoliwithattitude]

I will show you what I used for a battery, it is basically a direct replacement and works perfectly:

My Portable is up next...

Hey everyone, After completing my Mac II, now I am turning my efforts to my Mac Portable. Over the years it slowly stopped working (bad caps, no doubt), and I am setting out to get it going again. First, I am looking to make a stealth battery...namely, a new lead acid cell in the original's...

68kmla.org

It is regrettable I don't have photos of my cap job, but those should all be surface mount caps. It will work, as long as there are no other issues with traces, etc. TechKnight is really the expert here as far as the Portable is concerned.

Thank you! I'll follow your battery replacement. Wish me luck with the lil disaster-ed machine!

Also it looks like who did this did something also to the through-board (or what it is called) caps, and that looks horrible as well. those are the spots with corrosion.

I hope it will work. I need it for a project )-:
Guess the only way to find out is to get a new battery..

@techknight what do you think?

 

[broccoliwithattitude]

I think this looks worrying..

 

[LaPorta]

That is 100% someone's soldering iron slipped during that crazy thing they did and slid across the traces. You should run a continuity check between all of those lines to make sure they are not shorting one to another, and then also check from one end to the other on each of them to make sure they are not broken. If they all check out and are fine, then I'd at bare minimum clean it up with IPA and put some electrical tape over it (although there are "correct" ways to cover it, too).

 

[broccoliwithattitude]

That is 100% someone's soldering iron slipped during that crazy thing they did and slid across the traces. You should run a continuity check between all of those lines to make sure they are not shorting one to another, and then also check from one end to the other on each of them to make sure they are not broken. If they all check out and are fine, then I'd at bare minimum clean it up with IPA and put some electrical tape over it (although there are "correct" ways to cover it, too).

that sounds like a true pain in the arse, look at all those traces )-,: time to get the voltimeter out. I don't even have schematics for the portable. Let's hope they work..

 

[ScutBoy]

Agreed - you have a lot of continuity checking to do on this guy. I would never call myself good at soldering, but this is not a finesse job. You will need to tone out a lot of connections just to see if the new caps are making contact to the next component down the trace.

I've done the alligator clip method with the battery while testing - just remember to either put the battery cover back on (you can run the wires out the gaps) or shove a pen cap or something in to actuate the switch that the cover holds down. Also have a good 9V in there, and DON"T try and run the machine on only the A/C adapter. Sorry if you already know this, but better said than sorry

 

[broccoliwithattitude]

Agreed - you have a lot of continuity checking to do on this guy. I would never call myself good at soldering, but this is not a finesse job. You will need to tone out a lot of connections just to see if the new caps are making contact to the next component down the trace.

I've done the alligator clip method with the battery while testing - just remember to either put the battery cover back on (you can run the wires out the gaps) or shove a pen cap or something in to actuate the switch that the cover holds down. Also have a good 9V in there, and DON"T try and run the machine on only the A/C adapter. Sorry if you already know this, but better said than sorry

Hello (-: no worries, I appreciate every help that is given!

The person who did this was surely not an expert. I am neither but I would rather have it done than this. Don't really mind the quality of the caps soldering, those can eventually be removed and recapped. it's their slipping the soldering iron all the time and scratching the board that worries me. they knocked out components, ruined traces and now I have to check all those connections.... (-':

This surely was a surprise. I already got mad at the seller for other things but this was unexpected. Not the good kind surprise.

I have the original A/C adapter and the poor thing came with a new 9V battery. The problem is that at this point who knows what has been done to this guy. Powerbook A/C adapter? Soldering torture? Black magic?

I'll get myself some WD40 for that corrosion, cleaning the board and try powering it up. If it doesn't, it will short from the tears I'll shed on it.

wish me luck!

 

[ScutBoy]

Think of how good you'll feel when you get it running, though! We're all here to help!

 

[broccoliwithattitude]

Think of how good you'll feel when you get it running, though! We're all here to help!

Thanks the battery is on its way as well as new IPA. let's hope it will work! I'll update once tested hopefully with a booted Mac! already prepared a scsi2sd in the meanwhile..

 

[at0z]

That’s the problem, just like classic cars, of not knowing the history or provenance. As you noted the giveaway can be missing feet/covers. I’d rather have something untouched and more work than someone’s half arsed hatchet job. But you are where you are. I’d be tempted to redo all the capping to your standards and see what shakes out. The drive is likely dead or dyin so get the cable adapter and a scst2sd.

but it is quite a rush when you get it booted after a rescue mission

 

[broccoliwithattitude]

That’s the problem, just like classic cars, of not knowing the history or provenance. As you noted the giveaway can be missing feet/covers. I’d rather have something untouched and more work than someone’s half arsed hatchet job. But you are where you are. I’d be tempted to redo all the capping to your standards and see what shakes out. The drive is likely dead or dyin so get the cable adapter and a scst2sd.

but it is quite a rush when you get it booted after a rescue mission

The biggest giveaway is the botched motherboard. Those caps look horrible. The exterior of the machine is not great either, that is what made me really mad with the seller, but that's another story. I have bought a new battery (amazon is taking its time) and IPA, I'll clean what I can off, attach the battery and see how it goes. If it turns on, I'll probably have to recap. If it does not, either me or the card will be obliterated (-:

’d rather have something untouched and more work than someone’s half arsed hatchet job.

that's for sure... finger crossed they did not damage it too far.

let's hope the rescue mission will be successful!

 

[desertrout]

Got my fingers crossed for you as well... that is one nasty bit of work, but it could still function. I'd be tempted to baseline it and do a proper job from scratch, but sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone.

A note on the Conner - it might not be lost. Carefully open it up to see if any of the gasket ended up on the platter. If not, a careful cleaning may be all that's required to salvage it.

 

[broccoliwithattitude]

Got my fingers crossed for you as well... that is one nasty bit of work, but it could still function. I'd be tempted to baseline it and do a proper job from scratch, but sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone.

A note on the Conner - it might not be lost. Carefully open it up to see if any of the gasket ended up on the platter. If not, a careful cleaning may be all that's required to salvage it.

I swear the more I look at it, the more I find things. The battery has not arrived yet (Belgium has not an official amazon, so I have to order from Germany and takes time).

(I miss the old 68kmla clown Macintosh compact emoji cause that is how I fell right now)

Like what is this? It is NOT supposed to connect like this.


Also, I asked the seller what the heck happened to this computer. They said they bought it form France from a guy that said that it works but needs the battery changed. The seller changed the 9V backup battery only and said it didn't work. I hope the France guy meant the 6V battery.

For now I can just wait amazon to deliver..

ok! I'll try opening the Conner and see but the thing did leak all over the place. luckily the Floppy drive seems alright but the casing underneath got corroded by Conner fluids.

Thank you guys for the support!

 

[LaPorta]

The HD is likely toast; you're probably better off with a SCSI2SD. However, I'd try just removing the HD for now and try getting it going from a floppy or something. Just getting it to work at all before getting fancy.

 

[broccoliwithattitude]

The HD is likely toast; you're probably better off with a SCSI2SD. However, I'd try just removing the HD for now and try getting it going from a floppy or something. Just getting it to work at all before getting fancy.

that's my plan. I have some system 7 floppies around. still waiting for the battery.

 

[ScutBoy]

Like what is this? It is NOT supposed to connect like this.
View attachment 35903

Well, maybe? It depends on what the schematic says, and if there was a blown trace between the cap and the other component, maybe it's OK.

 

[broccoliwithattitude]

Well, maybe? It depends on what the schematic says, and if there was a blown trace between the cap and the other component, maybe it's OK.

the problem is that I cannot find any schematic and I'm becoming lunatic on this, but maybe it's OK and actually the motherboard is working. next week I shall receive the battery, let's hope!