jdcurry
Well-known member
Had been looking for an SE (specifically an SE/30 but no dice) on and off for a while but nothing but high-priced eBay items were really popping up for me. Checked my local Craigslist and apparently someone was selling two units for $200. One is functional, and the other one displays the black and white bars. The bag, mouse & keyboard cost an extra $100. I almost said no thanks, (and maybe a bit overpriced) but I had some cash squared away from selling a used car many months ago, so I figured what the heck.
They're both quite yellowed, one has some numbers scratched onto it (bummer!) with some minor rust spots around the floppy drives and ports. I don't think the previous owner stored them in decent controlled environments (apparently they came from his barn) Nothing that can't be cleaned up or retro-brightened, I think...
One seems to have a modem of some kind. Looks like a bnc connector/serial port? He also mentioned one (or both) units had RAM upgrades at some point. I have yet to open them up and see for myself. I pre-purchased the BMOW ROM Initiatior (which I read will NOT work with an SE) so... I may need to return it or see if someone on here wants it.
What options do I have for replacing hard drives with an SE? And what options do I have for permanently installing a ROM disk? (I do have a BMOW disk emulator which I think works with a standard SE so I don't believe I need to purchase a scsi2sd adapter) I know there are big differences between the SE and SE/30 but I'm trying to keep an upbeat attitude despite thinking I was getting two SE/30s. (To be fair it was listed properly on Craigslist so no fault on the seller's part)
The biggest challenge will be replacing the caps since my soldering skills are not good and I need practice before attempting to work on these. I've read in some places the SE has fewer issues with cap leakage than the SE/30 but I want to play it safe and I don't have definitive proof of that claim. I haven't found what caps should be replaced on an SE board... but I have found kits for the SE/30 -- which I don't believe will help me. If someone can link me to what caps I should get for SE boards, would greatly appreciate it.
Considering what these go for on eBay (whether functional or not) I think this was a good deal overall. And I should be able to play some of the old classic games I grew up with, even considering the limitations of the SE compared to the SE/30.
Here are some pictures for your enjoyment:
They're both quite yellowed, one has some numbers scratched onto it (bummer!) with some minor rust spots around the floppy drives and ports. I don't think the previous owner stored them in decent controlled environments (apparently they came from his barn) Nothing that can't be cleaned up or retro-brightened, I think...
One seems to have a modem of some kind. Looks like a bnc connector/serial port? He also mentioned one (or both) units had RAM upgrades at some point. I have yet to open them up and see for myself. I pre-purchased the BMOW ROM Initiatior (which I read will NOT work with an SE) so... I may need to return it or see if someone on here wants it.
What options do I have for replacing hard drives with an SE? And what options do I have for permanently installing a ROM disk? (I do have a BMOW disk emulator which I think works with a standard SE so I don't believe I need to purchase a scsi2sd adapter) I know there are big differences between the SE and SE/30 but I'm trying to keep an upbeat attitude despite thinking I was getting two SE/30s. (To be fair it was listed properly on Craigslist so no fault on the seller's part)
The biggest challenge will be replacing the caps since my soldering skills are not good and I need practice before attempting to work on these. I've read in some places the SE has fewer issues with cap leakage than the SE/30 but I want to play it safe and I don't have definitive proof of that claim. I haven't found what caps should be replaced on an SE board... but I have found kits for the SE/30 -- which I don't believe will help me. If someone can link me to what caps I should get for SE boards, would greatly appreciate it.
Considering what these go for on eBay (whether functional or not) I think this was a good deal overall. And I should be able to play some of the old classic games I grew up with, even considering the limitations of the SE compared to the SE/30.
Here are some pictures for your enjoyment: