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SE/30 No boot + checkerboard type video output

Phipli

Well-known member
To help you search for information, you should be aware you have an SE/30 there, not an SE. They have similar names, but the main boards are a completely different machine architecturally. Extremely different.

Screen looks like the video chips aren't working properly. Possibly low voltage or trace damage.

The searching the forum for similar repairs would be a good starting point.
 

Phipli

Well-known member
But that board is pretty rough. This repair is going to be harder than your IIci.

I recommend sending it for repair with a professional.
 

ExplorerZ

Well-known member
To help you search for information, you should be aware you have an SE/30 there, not an SE. They have similar names, but the main boards are a completely different machine architecturally. Extremely different.

Screen looks like the video chips aren't working properly. Possibly low voltage or trace damage.

The searching the forum for similar repairs would be a good starting point.
Sorry, had some bad wording. Put the motherboard of the SE/30 inside my working SE to test it with a working analog board and power supply.
 

ExplorerZ

Well-known member
Got some fresh solder and set my iron to 400c and reheated some chips. Reseated the vram. This is the new output on the screen.IMG_0053.jpegimage.jpgimage.jpgreheated the row of 7 chips in the 3rd photo and the cluster of 6 chips in the 2nd
 

joshc

Well-known member
Beginner at this and looking for some advice.
The best advice I can give is, get something else that's easier to work on, after you've practiced your soldering skills and got the necessary equipment. You can't repair a board like this with just a soldering iron. You will likely need a hot air station and a desoldering gun (a proper one).

reheated some chips
The board isn't clean enough for this yet, I can see lots of residue...something, around all the pins.

1699948891632.png

How has this been cleaned? Vinegar, a soap scrub, IPA is probably the minimum I would do.

The ROM SIMM socket will likely need replacing - look at the pins, they are corroded. It's not easy to replace the socket without a vacuum pump desoldering gun - and cheap ones tend to be not very good.

1699948962950.png

Look at how crusty, corroded and damaged the pins on these chips are:

1699949063866.png

You need a hot air station and you would need to learn how to use it, in order to pull these chips off and replace them.

The other obvious thing that needs doing is all the capacitors need replacing.

Even after the repair work that I've highlighted, then you're left with all those damaged traces in the battery area - that will be pretty hard to fix without a lot of bodge wires, and even then, it may not work afterwards.

You could use this board to work on, but personally I would recommend you learn/practice with something else first. This is speaking as someone who was in your position 20 years ago, I acquired a IIci and I tried to recap it and bodged it, and actually made it worse, because I didn't practice or spend the time to learn how to solder properly. If I could give my 20 year younger self some advice, it would be to practice, practice, practice on something other than that IIci !
 
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ExplorerZ

Well-known member
The best advice I can give is, get something else that's easier to work on, after you've practiced your soldering skills and got the necessary equipment. You can't repair a board like this with just a soldering iron. You will likely need a hot air station and a desoldering gun (a proper one).


The board isn't clean enough for this yet, I can see lots of residue...something, around all the pins.

View attachment 65164

How has this been cleaned? Vinegar, a soap scrub, IPA is probably the minimum I would do.

The ROM SIMM socket will likely need replacing - look at the pins, they are corroded. It's not easy to replace the socket without a vacuum pump desoldering gun - and cheap ones tend to be not very good.

View attachment 65165

Look at how crusty, corroded and damaged the pins on these chips are:

View attachment 65166

You need a hot air station and you would need to learn how to use it, in order to pull these chips off and replace them.

The other obvious thing that needs doing is all the capacitors need replacing.

Even after the repair work that I've highlighted, then you're left with all those damaged traces in the battery area - that will be pretty hard to fix without a lot of bodge wires, and even then, it may not work afterwards.

You could use this board to work on, but personally I would recommend you learn/practice with something else first. This is speaking as someone who was in your position 20 years ago, I acquired a IIci and I tried to recap it and bodged it, and actually made it worse, because I didn't practice or spend the time to learn how to solder properly. If I could give my 20 year younger self some advice, it would be to practice, practice, practice on something other than that IIci !
Yeah, the board is damaged pretty bad. I might just see if i can pay someone to help out with it. Even if i purchased the needed tools, i wouldn't know how to use them. Thank you for your advice, and il keep practicing.
EDIT: soaked the board in vinegar for 2 hours and then a hour of IPA. for 20 minutes i scrubbed it with a toothbrush while it was in the IPA.
 

imactheknife

Well-known member
The best advice I can give is, get something else that's easier to work on, after you've practiced your soldering skills and got the necessary equipment. You can't repair a board like this with just a soldering iron. You will likely need a hot air station and a desoldering gun (a proper one).


The board isn't clean enough for this yet, I can see lots of residue...something, around all the pins.

View attachment 65164

How has this been cleaned? Vinegar, a soap scrub, IPA is probably the minimum I would do.

The ROM SIMM socket will likely need replacing - look at the pins, they are corroded. It's not easy to replace the socket without a vacuum pump desoldering gun - and cheap ones tend to be not very good.

View attachment 65165

Look at how crusty, corroded and damaged the pins on these chips are:

View attachment 65166

You need a hot air station and you would need to learn how to use it, in order to pull these chips off and replace them.

The other obvious thing that needs doing is all the capacitors need replacing.

Even after the repair work that I've highlighted, then you're left with all those damaged traces in the battery area - that will be pretty hard to fix without a lot of bodge wires, and even then, it may not work afterwards.

You could use this board to work on, but personally I would recommend you learn/practice with something else first. This is speaking as someone who was in your position 20 years ago, I acquired a IIci and I tried to recap it and bodged it, and actually made it worse, because I didn't practice or spend the time to learn how to solder properly. If I could give my 20 year younger self some advice, it would be to practice, practice, practice on something other than that IIci !
i agree!. I have to admit my first real attempt at soldering was an se and an se/30 and I butchered them both. If i still had them now i could possibly fix them but ended up selling a whole lot of stuff when i moved cross country years back. Still makes me feel ill lol..

But yeah, once you have soldering down pat, you should look into a hot air station. I absolutely love these.
 
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