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TAM Display is dead

I have a TAM that appears to boot up fine, but I get nothing on the display. Is there any easy way to diagnose whether it is the display itself, video card, etc? 

thanks

 
Hi chiptoe,

There are a few things to try:

1. When the TAM is started up, the green LED should light up and away it goes - have you tried the usual CUDA reset, PRAM reset. ensured RAM is good?  Does it boot to a desktop - or what you think is the desktop - giving it a few minutes to start up, press the power key on the keyboard and see if you get any sounds/press 'R' to restart

2. The backlighting/inverter could have gone on the LCD - try shining a torch down on the LCD while on and see if anything is displayed.

3. The TAM display is the exact same part as from a PowerBook 3400 (and in turn easily obtained), but there exists an analogue to digital converter board between the LCD and TAM motherboard.  I have come across a failed A-D board but it displayed lines and static on the screen after a minute of use.

Good luck

JB

 
1. When the TAM is started up, the green LED should light up and away it goes - have you tried the usual CUDA reset, PRAM reset. ensured RAM is good?  Does it boot to a desktop - or what you think is the desktop - giving it a few minutes to start up, press the power key on the keyboard and see if you get any sounds/press 'R' to restart

Yep - did all the resets, and it appears to boot up to the desktop (I can restart with keyboard, play music with the CD player)

2. The backlighting/inverter could have gone on the LCD - try shining a torch down on the LCD while on and see if anything is displayed.

I tried this and can't see any kind of image. completely dark

3. The TAM display is the exact same part as from a PowerBook 3400 (and in turn easily obtained), but there exists an analogue to digital converter board between the LCD and TAM motherboard.  I have come across a failed A-D board but it displayed lines and static on the screen after a minute of use.

So it sounds like what I describe might be worth trying to replace the display (I found a TAM display for $75 euro so might do this instead of tearing apart a 3400c). Also do you know if this A-D board is part of a new logic board? I haven't been able to find the A-D board, but did find a logic board for sale

 
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