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Powerbook 145b Revival

Hello 68kmla community,

4-5 years ago I was given an ancient powerbook 145b by a relative but it did not have the powercord. I've recently purchased a power cord and started fiddling around with it some.

The system had the checkerboard markings on half of the screen and the blinking floppy icon on the working segment. I wound up finding another powerbook 145 and between a mixing of the two I have one that boots up from floppies just fine.

My only remaining issue (aside from not being very well versed in the world of mac) is trying to get the hard drive to work. One system came with an 80MB drive that doesn't spin at all, the other had a 40MB which spins up and doesn't sound bad (no clicking or grinding) but when I use the disk utility programs (patched versions were tried too) they don't detect the hard drive. I used some scsi probing program and it also did not detect anything.

While I would probably just say the drive's controller is shot or something like that I was wondering if I could get a second opinion on the matter. I've tried both hard drive cables and it behaves the same on both. I'd like to try to get the system up and running to learn some classic apple computing but am not sure if I want to spend $50 on a 240MB hard drive (there may or may not be other stores that I have missed which would carry parts for these oldies in stock).

 
That sucks. :(

and with the PB with the checkerboard screen, try taking out the installed RAM card (if there is one).

the SCSI hard drives are also not too difficult to find if you're lucky. I found a lot of three of them once for about $10 with no bidders.

 
Well I wound up using the top half of that checkboarding system with the bottom half of the other one. The second system's LCD was very blueish and non functional. I tried using the PB Ram from the first system in the second one already and it didn't affect anything (both were 2MB sticks).

I guess I'll try again to find a hard drive. Should I look for an apple branded one or is just use the patched Apple HD SC setup and a non apple branded drive going to work fine?

 
Well I wound up using the top half of that checkboarding system with the bottom half of the other one. The second system's LCD was very blueish and non functional. I tried using the PB Ram from the first system in the second one already and it didn't affect anything (both were 2MB sticks).
I guess I'll try again to find a hard drive. Should I look for an apple branded one or is just use the patched Apple HD SC setup and a non apple branded drive going to work fine?
Any type is fine; just use patched HD SC Setup for a non apple branded one.

I probably would have sold you a spare, but I need them too myself.

There was actually somebody selling a box of PowerBook parts which included two 500 MB PB SCSI hard drives for $3 + shipping from Australia. (tom7447 I believe)

 
I found and looked at that Box of Powerbook stuff post... a lot of items, but only the hard drives would be used and the rest would get thrown out most likely, the shipping if calculated right was also $42...

I might as well just buy the 240MB drive I found at an online store with a 90 day warranty for $49 + $15 shipping.

 
I might as well just buy the 240MB drive I found at an online store with a 90 day warranty for $49 + $15 shipping.
Don't. Even a parts system with a drive is a much better deal.

Even if you use the hard drives only anyways, that is still a good deal (500 MB PB SCSI HDs are not that easy to find)

 
Well I found a 165 on ebay for $15.. no cord or battery but I can just use the ones I have, maybe its hard drive will be working. I guess I'll cannibalize the 145's and combine anything that's needed to make the 165 work.

When I have the inevitable leftover parts should I offer them up in the trading post? It would probably be like a power cord, ram, and a daughter board or two. I guess the casing too although some parts are cracked.

 
When I look at that page I tried adding the 500MB hard drives to my cart but can't get it to give me a price, can you tell me what they say for you?

 
You put in a price that you want them to sell to you in the box at checkout (the price is for each unit)

They will email you if they agree.

 
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