PowerBook 5300c / 5300cs Restoration (Lid Fix)

[jmacz]

There were stock inserts although some of mine were missing, not all. Broke off previously and original owner didn’t include them or lost them.

The stock inserts had a larger outer diameter and because of that, there was less plastic surrounding it.

So I just grabbed a pack of standard insert sizes. So the models are using new inserts, not the stock ones.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

So, if I'm understanding right: The holes in the 3D prints are made with smaller inserts in mind than the originals?

 

[jmacz]

So, if I'm understanding right: The holes in the 3D prints are made with smaller inserts in mind than the originals?

Inner diameter is the same (same stock screws can be used), outer diameter is smaller.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Alright. I'll add that clarification to my page.

 

[jmacz]

Let me know if you get any feedback on whether it worked or not. I have used half of the new pieces on a 5300c and 5300cs, and it worked and is holding. But quite possible the models may need some adjustments as more people try them.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

I'll be trying them myself whenever the mounts on my 5300 decide to break. They can't last too much longer! I've had the thing for 2.5 years now and while the base side mount broke on the left, the LCD side mounts shave been fine. I have no clue how they haven't broken yet.

If I get any feedback, I'll be sure to let you know.

 

[jmacz]

Found an issue today with my 5300c. It came with a VST branded internal Zip drive. But the drive seems to have some issues or is not getting along with my 5300c. I have the driver from the VST package on Macintosh Garden installed. The issues:

If I leave the Zip drive out of the laptop and/or use an internal floppy drive instead - system works perfectly.

If the Zip drive is installed in the laptop but there is no zip disk in the drive - during boot, after all the extensions have loaded, and the Finder is about to show up (control strip has popped up already), there's a 30-60 second hang before Finder finally shows up and I see the drive icons. Also after the Finder shows up, I get these weird hangs every once in a while. It will hang for about 5-10 seconds (cursor moves but the rest of the Finder doesn't respond including windows, menus, etc). If I was in the middle of dragging a window, the window gets frozen on the screen until the hang goes away and then everything catches up.

If the Zip drive is installed in the laptop and there is a zip disk in the drive - everything seems to work ok.

The only version of the VST enabled Zip driver I can find is versioned 1.0. I couldn't find any other driver for it. Either something is wrong with the drive or something is wrong with the driver. The standard iomega zip driver doesn't seem to work as with those standard versions, the drive isn't detected (I know because the iomega drive options CDEV says there's no zip drive) and also inserting a zip disk does nothing.

The Zip drive magically started working today (knock on wood). I had not tried it since around the time I posted this... could be the PRAM battery replacement resolved it? Not sure. The stall happened once today when I first tried to use the drive, but after that one time it's been working fine. I don't think it's fixed but I'm hoping it just keeps working.

 

[jmacz]

New rear port cover for the 5300 series. I made some adustments.

 

[jmacz]

Wow, some times the Mac god giveth, some times he taketh away...

Hadn't touched my PowerBook 5300c in a few months and was getting it ready for a buyer. Attempted to turn it on and ... battery's not working. It had been charged when I put it away. Ok, battery must have drained. Turned the PowerBook on via power cord and it powered up. But it's no longer detecting the battery. Took it out, checked the battery, has 10V ... which I think is low? It has twelve 1.2V batteries in it so at full charge it should be higher. Can't charge as the battery is completely not detected by the PowerBook. Then the unit starts crashing and behaving erratically. Which was definitely not the case when I put it away and it was stored inside my den, with climate control. And then to top it off, as I'm trying to figure out what's going on, I see a slight glimmer in the middle of the screen. Look at the screen from a side angle and looks like a small air bubble in the middle of the screen... you can feel it with your finger tip.. possibly delamination of some kind? What the heck? Well, the PowerBook is off the market now. Will have to take a look at some point to figure out what's going on but no motivation right now. Not sure why the screen is weird too. It was perfect when I put it away. Gremlins!

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Post a photo of the screen and test the voltage off your AC Adapter.

 

[jmacz]

The adapter is putting out 24.5V.

The crashes might be the memory module. Every few boot ups, I'm getting an out of memory exception before it reaches the Finder. Perhaps the module got unseated or it's going bad.

For the screen blemish, it's really hard to see it via a picture -- this is the best attempt so far:



Center of the picture. Disregard the dark circle in the middle of the screen -- it's finger caused smudge marks from me feeling the raised bump. The issue is the raised line. It's about 2mm wide and about an inch long. Definitely wasn't there when I put it away as I had inspected all of it carefully since I had made the decision to sell it. There's no physical damage on the outside. It just looks raised up. And this screen was no where near a heat source (heater, even a heat gun, soldering iron, blow dryer, nothing like it). Pixels underneath it look fine. It's just an exterior imperfection at this point.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Yes, try reseating and then if that doesn’t work removing the memory module.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that screen is just beginning to develop vinegar syndrome.

 

[jmacz]

Yeah that’s what I was afraid of. Won’t be selling this then. Looks like another project for the future.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

If you end up needing a new motherboard, I have a spare (100MHz). The DC jack is loose but probably repairable, and definitely replaceable with the same mod you did previously. Last I tried it in 2022, it booted. It came from an "AA" unit, meaning it was not a launch 5300 (which are terribly unreliable).

 

[jmacz]

I think I have another motherboard already, and another screen too albeit a passive matrix one. I have another memory module too.

Need to get through my video cards, another SE, an Apple IIe finally , before I can get back to looking at this.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

I've got too many pending projects too... I need to recap my new 5300 power board, the second 1400c (and then sell that one), my 68k powerbook inverter boards, the LCD in my Samsung SENS 800, recap the LTE 4/75CX...

 

[jmacz]

I've got too many pending projects too... I need to recap my new 5300 power board, the second 1400c (and then sell that one), my 68k powerbook inverter boards, the LCD in my Samsung SENS 800, recap the LTE 4/75CX...

Oh, you never recapped your inverter boards?

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

Some but not all. I’ve done the 100, 150, 5300 but that might have only been a partial one, the 1400c/166, and the 3400c. Havent done any of the rest of my 100 series or either of my 500 series.

 

[jmacz]

Well, the crashing was indeed due to the memory module being not fully seated. So scratch that off the list. Phew.

I'm bummed about the screen but it was bound to happen I guess. At least it's still minor and I can make use of it. But definitely cannot sell it now.

Now for the battery... not sure what to think about it at this point. I did open up the pack and made an interesting observation. There are 12 cells, each was a 1.2V NIMH cell. I measured each one and 8 of them are at 1.2V. BUT, 2 of them are entirely drained. 2 of them are almost fully drained. Why would it have drained in such an unbalanced way? Well, then I noticed the wiring... I had mimicked what the stock battery had... which is all the cells are wired in series... but there's one additional wire connected to the positive end of the 9th cell that connects to the EMM board. This effectively means 4 cells (9, 10, 11, and 12) are providing power to the EMM board (approx 4.8V). I believe this is how the stock battery was wired. What this also means is that over the couple of months that my laptop was not plugged in or used, the EMM board was draining these 4 cells. At least that's the only way I can explain why these four, the ones that were also connected to the EMM board are drained.

@3lectr1cPPC not sure if your 5300 series batteries are opened up still or not, but can you confirm the stock one had the wire coming off the 9th cell (ie. 4 of the cells are providing power to the EMM)?

If so, hmm, was it supposed to drain like this? or was the EMM supposed to stop draining using some signal and that's not working quite right? Or maybe this is a pure coincidence and it just so happens that those four cells were in bad shape to begin with?

Going to see if I can revive the 4, but two of them are fully drained to near zero.. so not sure. I thought these NIMHs get dicey after they go below a certain minimum voltage.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

@3lectr1cPPC not sure if your 5300 series batteries are opened up still or not, but can you confirm the stock one had the wire coming off the 9th cell (ie. 4 of the cells are providing power to the EMM)?

I don't actually have any 5300 batteries anymore. Both my mind were toasted and I threw them out, I never got either open all the way.

This video might be of help.