Using my Apple II+ for the first time in awhile...

[khannonnd]

So I was just generally curious about something:

Yesterday I tried turning on my Apple II+ for the first time in months (because of a move into a new house, most of my collection has been in a dormant, hibernating state).  Now, it wasn't a very pleasant experience, mostly because I plugged the Floppy Emu backwards into the Disk ][ controller card, causing the Floppy Emu to flame out.  Literally.

So, panicked, I shut everything off, plugged in the Disk ][ and tried to ensure I didn't fry the Apple II.  It would turn on, but only to a bunch of random figures on the screen, with reset not working.  After turning it off and turning it back on a few seconds later, I could get it to the Apple ][ screen (and reset worked just fine), but the disk drive either would not spin up or, if it did spin up, would not load a disk.

I tried my spare Disk ][ controller card, tried both in different slots, and tried the second Disk ][ drive I had (and all combinations of the above).  The result was the same.

After about 10 minutes, just when I was about to give up, it worked.  It loaded the APTest program fine and passed the various memory tests.  Curious, I then tried the different disk drives, in different slots, and using a different controller card.  They *all* worked.

I am trying to figure out what would have caused the initial 10 minute "non-work-athon."  Do Apple II's sometime need some time to remember what it is and what it should be doing after it hasn't been used in awhile?  Did the Floppy Emu disaster somehow trigger something in the system that took a few minutes to subside?

Thanks for the info -- I hadn't seen this before with this system so it was very unusual (and slightly stressful) for me!

 

[Carboy7]

The floppy emu literally caught on fire???

I need pictures...

 

[khannonnd]

It actually doesn't look bad.  It didn't burst into flames by any means, but it definitely lit up a bit.

1 second after I turned the machine on, there were four orange "lights" I noticed under the screen (on the board) which then became 4 distinct little flames for about a second.  The screen then turned on bright for about half a second.  Then it all just went out and light wisps of acrid smelling smoke came wafting out. 

RIP little EMU. 

What kills me is that (1) the manual and (2) Steve himself warned that using the Emu with the Disk ][ controller card is risky because of how easy it is to put it in backwards.  I used it dozens of times without issue (because I was careful) but one time of carelessness was enough   I take this as a sign that I need (1) a 5.25 disk controller card and (2) a new model B Emu.  Silver linings!

 

[khannonnd]

Attached is a picture of the Emu.  It looks like there is only one chip that burned -- I guess the "four" lights I saw was an optical illusion created by the acrylic case.

Still trying to figure out why my Apple II+ had amnesia for like 10-15 minutes after this incident only to work perfectly after!

 

[Dog Cow]

After about 10 minutes, just when I was about to give up, it worked.  It loaded the APTest program fine and passed the various memory tests.  Curious, I then tried the different disk drives, in different slots, and using a different controller card.  They *all* worked.

I am trying to figure out what would have caused the initial 10 minute "non-work-athon."  Do Apple II's sometime need some time to remember what it is and what it should be doing after it hasn't been used in awhile? 

I don't have any explanation but I've been in the same situation-- more than once-- where I was sure that I'd blown the Apple II or the card... and 20 or 30 minutes later, it's all fine.

But I never blew up a chip like what you show in your photo... 

 

[ScutBoy]

Still trying to figure out why my Apple II+ had amnesia for like 10-15 minutes after this incident only to work perfectly after!

Count your blessings and move on