PowerBook Duo 280

[ururk]

I have a PowerBook Duo 280 (greyscale) with a bunch of accessories... but I can only locate the PowerBook at the moment. The charger, floppy drive, ethernet adapter (memory might be mis-serving me here on this point) are somewhere in the house packed away.

At the moment I just want to see if it still boots (last booted up... 2006?)... is there a modern power brick I can buy that is compatible with it? Trying to search for "power" anything is a bit tricky since that's in the name of the device... The battery isn't leaking, but is there an internal I need to deal with?

Thanks!

 

[Shaddam IV]

Perhaps this? It's made for Germany but I'm sure you'll find similar offers in other countries.

Apple PowerBook Duo 230 kompatibles Netzteil/Ladegerät | eBay

Kompatibles Netzteil/Ladegerät. Das Netzkabel hat einen versiegelten Stecker. Apple PowerBook Duo 230.

www.ebay.de

 

[imactheknife]

I have a PowerBook Duo 280 (greyscale) with a bunch of accessories... but I can only locate the PowerBook at the moment. The charger, floppy drive, ethernet adapter (memory might be mis-serving me here on this point) are somewhere in the house packed away.

At the moment I just want to see if it still boots (last booted up... 2006?)... is there a modern power brick I can buy that is compatible with it? Trying to search for "power" anything is a bit tricky since that's in the name of the device... The battery isn't leaking, but is there an internal I need to deal with?

Thanks!

I use my yoyo from clamshell ibook, works well. Should be easy enough to find those still. Original might or might not work as caps are old.

 

[ururk]

I use my yoyo from clamshell ibook, works well. Should be easy enough to find those still. Original might or might not work as caps are old.

Thanks for the tip - I wondered but never checked the specs. I should be able to locate one at work to test with.

 

[GRudolf94]

Has it been recapped? Duo 280s WILL DIE if C72 has leaked/degraded. U2 (I think) shorts out and the 5V rail is shunted to the 24V of the DC input, killing everything inside.

 

[ururk]

It has not been recapped (nor powered on). I don't object to the idea of taking it apart - should I take it apart and inspect?

 

[ururk]

Or is it once the cap leaks it eats away at the circuit board?

 

[GRudolf94]

It slowly eats away, but the real danger is in plugging it in - you happened to be lucky to not have the power adaptor.
It really is a matter of replacing, not just inspecting - every 280 out there is bad by now.

 

[ururk]

Great. I searched a bit (here, YouTube) - any guides for this I should be aware of? Not so much technique - but rather where the caps are, what suggested replacements are (tantalum, ratings?). I'm in no rush to do this.

 

[GRudolf94]

Can't point ya to any guides, but there's a half dozen under the upper frame, next to the power connector, and the one you should be most concerned about is immediately visible once you lift the keyboard, next to the 2nd transformer you see.

I like Würth's solid polymer caps as replacements, you can replace like for like. MacDat has a cap list, probably.

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

MacDat has a cap list, probably

PowerBook Duo 280c Cap Reference - MacDat

macdat.net

Right here

Don’t have photos yet for this one. I have a strange feeling that someone at some point may have sent one for the logic board that I just forgot about though…

 

[Powerbook27364]

Has it been recapped? Duo 280s WILL DIE if C72 has leaked/degraded. U2 (I think) shorts out and the 5V rail is shunted to the 24V of the DC input, killing everything inside.

Is this true for all of the duos or just 280? Specifically wondering about 2300c and 230.

PowerBook Duo 280c Cap Reference - MacDat

macdat.net

Right here

Don’t have photos yet for this one. I have a strange feeling that someone at some point may have sent one for the logic board that I just forgot about though…

I do have a photo of the board if you would like it. (280c and 280 use the same logic board)

 

[3lectr1cPPC]

You may have already sent one but I don’t remember… you’re welcome to send it again if that wouldn’t take too much of your time.

 

[Powerbook27364]

 

[GRudolf94]

Is this true for all of the duos or just 280? Specifically wondering about 2300c and 230.

I don't have a 2300c so no data there. The same thing probably applies to 210-270 but in less stern fashion (DC-DC design is similar but not the same). I just know it is absolutely critical on 280s and running them for 30s with a bad cap there can be a death sentence. In my case, a recapped 280c had the MOSFET fail _with a good cap_ because it'd already been damaged by the seller futilely testing the machine.

 

[Powerbook27364]

I must have been super lucky. I didn’t know that with my 280 or 230 and ran both for maybe an hour each while testing. I have recapped both but haven’t used the 240 more than maybe a few minutes since. I used the 280 for dozens of hours since and it is still going strong.

The capacitor is in a different spot on the 2300 so hopefully that is alright when I get it.

 

[GRudolf94]

Maybe yours just isn't a fishy mess yet. Who knows how long both of mine spent on a charger before they got whacked onto ebay as "for parts".
I'd eventually like to own a good one, still.

 

[Challenger 1983]

View attachment 68747

Sorry to hijack this thread but does anyone know the specs of the two transformers near the power jack, I need to replace the one closest to the power jack

 

[GRudolf94]

Sorry to hijack this thread but does anyone know the specs of the two transformers near the power jack, I need to replace the one closest to the power jack

They're custom parts. Essentially irreplaceable, short of measuring turn count and rewinding a new transformer over the same core.

 

[Challenger 1983]

They're custom parts. Essentially irreplaceable, short of measuring turn count and rewinding a new transformer over the same core.

Unfortunate, I'll have a look through my parts bin and see if I can find another board