ArmorAlley
Well-known member
At the request of @BadGoldEagle, here are some pictures of my newly acquired Workgroup Server 9150/120.
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Workgroup Server 9150/120
- Thread starter ArmorAlley
- Start date
cheesestraws
Well-known member
Oh, very nice. Well found. Glad to see it works! 
slomacuser
Well-known member
very good, congrats!
ArmorAlley
Well-known member
This is the reward for diligently checking the auction site every day.
Now, I am in two minds as to what to do next. It is not uncommon for me to open up a machine, see what is inside, add in more memory, cards etc. only to find that the machine won't start up anymore. I've had 3x beige PM G3s die that way.
I have a poor PM 8100 whose plastics didn't withstand the upgrade process. It has a full complement of RAM, a 400MHz Sonnet G3 PDS card (with AV/HPV adapter) and I have an ATTO SE-IV, a Radius Thunder/Pro and an Asanté 10/100 network card I'd love to put into it. I'm also saving up for some v6 SCSI2SDs for it too.
It works now and is noisy. Do I upgrade it or do I leave it as it is?
One final question, does anyone know if pre-emptive recapping this thing is a good idea? I have already taken the PRAM battery out.
Now, I am in two minds as to what to do next. It is not uncommon for me to open up a machine, see what is inside, add in more memory, cards etc. only to find that the machine won't start up anymore. I've had 3x beige PM G3s die that way.
I have a poor PM 8100 whose plastics didn't withstand the upgrade process. It has a full complement of RAM, a 400MHz Sonnet G3 PDS card (with AV/HPV adapter) and I have an ATTO SE-IV, a Radius Thunder/Pro and an Asanté 10/100 network card I'd love to put into it. I'm also saving up for some v6 SCSI2SDs for it too.
It works now and is noisy. Do I upgrade it or do I leave it as it is?
One final question, does anyone know if pre-emptive recapping this thing is a good idea? I have already taken the PRAM battery out.
Pre-emptive recap definitely. That thing is 26 years old so the caps are probably at the end of or nearing the end of their useful life now, might've leaked a bit already underneath them.
I'd go for the upgrade route personally, as long as upgrades can be reversed or changed if you ever want to sell it.
I'd go for the upgrade route personally, as long as upgrades can be reversed or changed if you ever want to sell it.
cheesestraws
Well-known member
As far as plastics go, I believe this is made of the same stuff as the Q950 (though I don't have one and so can't speak from experience). If that's so, they're decently robust; I open and close my 950 all the time to play with various cards and the only trouble I've had so far is a sticky spring on the latch mechanism.
Recapping - yeah, I think these machines are probably at that point now, unfortunately...
In case you are unaware: the 900/950/9150 PSUs are a bit fragile, they have some kind of design flaw which combined with the lack of hard power switch tends to make them die when they're being plugged/unplugged. The way around this is to use a switched extension lead and only turn power on at the extension when both ends of the power cable are in place. (The dying seems to be correlated to arcing/improperly made connections: @BadGoldEagle can tell you more than I can)
Recapping - yeah, I think these machines are probably at that point now, unfortunately...
In case you are unaware: the 900/950/9150 PSUs are a bit fragile, they have some kind of design flaw which combined with the lack of hard power switch tends to make them die when they're being plugged/unplugged. The way around this is to use a switched extension lead and only turn power on at the extension when both ends of the power cable are in place. (The dying seems to be correlated to arcing/improperly made connections: @BadGoldEagle can tell you more than I can)
ArmorAlley
Well-known member
This is what I was afraid of. I have had a Q950 before and they are loud. I gave it to @BadGoldEagle when he came down to show me how to solder and recap. I've done nothing about it since though. I only found out too late that he had been looking for a WGS 9150. I have been following his adventures with the rebuilt PSU (QuadrATX?) and it is impressive. I am all too aware about how fragile they are, which was part of the reason I asked about opening it up to upgrade it.
beachycove
Well-known member
Noise and the Q950/AWS9150: swap a smaller fan in and the machine becomes quiet. The large OEM fan is designed to cool a machine that is stuffed with cards and drives, so as long as the machine is not maxed out, I surmise, a smaller fan should be fine.
I have run a Q950 for years like this, without issue. I have just attached the fan to the OEM fan grill with bolts and wingnuts and taken power from a hard drive molex connection (there being plenty to spare), having first removed the large OEM fan to make space.
As to the 9150 plastics, I have a 9150 as well with brittle plastics in some areas. The Nubus carrier thingies on the door completely shattered, for instance, on removal — the upshot being many tiny pieces from the one plastic moulding, and nothing salvageable. Other parts of the side door in particular seem to be made of the same stuff, so be gentle in there.
I have run a Q950 for years like this, without issue. I have just attached the fan to the OEM fan grill with bolts and wingnuts and taken power from a hard drive molex connection (there being plenty to spare), having first removed the large OEM fan to make space.
As to the 9150 plastics, I have a 9150 as well with brittle plastics in some areas. The Nubus carrier thingies on the door completely shattered, for instance, on removal — the upshot being many tiny pieces from the one plastic moulding, and nothing salvageable. Other parts of the side door in particular seem to be made of the same stuff, so be gentle in there.
I've had trouble with the clips/holders at the bottom of the side panel being fragile. Extra care when removing the side door is important.
Re: fans. I haven't looked at the 9150 in a long time, but generally, larger fans deliver more air flow than smaller fans for the same noise level.
Rather than a smaller fan, it might be better to replace the large noisy fan with a large quiet fan of the same size. Or put a speed control on the existing fan.
Re: fans. I haven't looked at the 9150 in a long time, but generally, larger fans deliver more air flow than smaller fans for the same noise level.
Rather than a smaller fan, it might be better to replace the large noisy fan with a large quiet fan of the same size. Or put a speed control on the existing fan.
Re: dying machines. You do have a proper antistatic setup, don't you? If not, get one - they're not expensive, and nicer ones double as small parts holders.
Something to watch out for, though: "wireless esd wrist straps" just don't work. The wire is required to dissipate the static charges to ground, and without that it's just giving a false sense of security while doing nothing at all.
Something to watch out for, though: "wireless esd wrist straps" just don't work. The wire is required to dissipate the static charges to ground, and without that it's just giving a false sense of security while doing nothing at all.
ArmorAlley
Well-known member
I don't have one and thinking back about what I've written that may be the cause. I do take care to touch the PSU with my fingers when I open up a machine in order to discharge any body static, but after that, I take no extra precautions. I usually work barefoot, I have a hardwood floor and no jacket on. I wear natural fibres as a rule too. Still, I may very well be the last strain on these old Macs.
olePigeon
Well-known member
@ArmorAlley I think we need to put together a thread in the Hacks forum that lists all the vintage Mac models, which fans they have (PSUs, case fans, etc.), and the modern silent equivalent. I'd like to keep my IIfx on, but it sounds like a jet plane taking off.
BadGoldEagle
Well-known member
Great pictures and thanks for the plug!
I love how the floppy drive is hanging there in mid air. Really looks like an afterthought but that’s what makes it great!
I personally would leave it as is. Recapping is highly hazardous, there’s about $60 worth of caps and it won’t fix the PSU’s other flaws. The original fan, although extremely noisy, is meant to be that way. Raw CFM won’t cut it, the static pressure needs to be high enough to pull air through (the intake options are somewhat limited). An industrial Noctua might do the job, but it won’t be silent either. Two fans in series (like in the PMG5/Mac Pro) would have been a better option IMO.
I love how the floppy drive is hanging there in mid air. Really looks like an afterthought but that’s what makes it great!
I personally would leave it as is. Recapping is highly hazardous, there’s about $60 worth of caps and it won’t fix the PSU’s other flaws. The original fan, although extremely noisy, is meant to be that way. Raw CFM won’t cut it, the static pressure needs to be high enough to pull air through (the intake options are somewhat limited). An industrial Noctua might do the job, but it won’t be silent either. Two fans in series (like in the PMG5/Mac Pro) would have been a better option IMO.
ArmorAlley
Well-known member
I would love that. I would love to make all of my macs quieter and cooler.
Anytime! You have done great work with the QuadrATX. It makes me wish I had studied engineering.
Pity. I would love to upgrade it but I don't want another dead machine. I can live with the fan noise though.
BadGoldEagle
Well-known member
About studying engineering... I only learned two things (saves you tens of thousands of bucks/euros/francs):
#1 That you have to learn everything yourself. The grades are only useful to get the appropriate internship in order to find the proper job afterwards.
#2 CAD. The one thing that is useless today in my sector. Sure, it was useful 20 years ago, but nowadays, try to find a job in the automotive industry as a junior CAD designer. Good luck! (that said, it helps a bit with side projects, but again, there's plenty of tutorials on YT to learn CAD at home)
I didn't mean that you couldn't upgrade it, I would just leave the PSU alone. What are your plans for it? It already has Fast-SCSI, right? So a SCSI2SD v6 might be in order? What can you install in the PDS slot apart from that HPV card and a couple of accelerators?
Another question: Does anybody know why Apple was so keen on putting stickers backwards? Is that a server thing?
Unknown_K
Well-known member
Engineering is just applied science. You need have a pretty large background in quite a few areas to understand what is going on and to use that to get things done in your field.
CAD isn't useless. Its just that other then using it in some design work most of the grunt CAD work is done by detailers who know nothing about engineering and who just update prints and that's all they do. We live in a world where everything is done in 3D CAD and mostly from pre made parts we order and those parts are in venders parts libraries so you don't even have to make them.
ArmorAlley
Well-known member
Be vigilant, perhaps obsessively so. I have lots of rules set up to alert me to these things on many international eBay sites and on the local uction sites.
Save and have a slush fund ready for it does become available. Be ready when an opportunity presents itself within your price range and locality.
I was lucky with this one because others hadn't seen it and these chances are becoming rarer, but they still out there.
That being said, I did post it up here for all to see. I didn't keep it secret.
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