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 180 screen dying, how to fix?
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zed_zero
Starting Member


Australia
8 Posts
Posted - 01 Sep 2003 :  05:16:58
G'day,

The screen on my wife's PB180 (greyscale, active) seems to be dying. Pixels in the corners of the screen stop working as the computer warms up over half an hour or so. The result is a shrouding effect where a viewable circular section of screen real estate remains in the middle, tapering off to the darkened corners.

Is there a solution to this problem, such as a screen swap? Where could such parts be tracked down? I live on the Gold Coast in Australia. Finally, can such a modification be performed at home by someone with severely limited electronic skills (experience only extends to opening computers and replacing parts).

Thanks.

maclover5
LC Doctor/Hot Rodder


Australia
5830 Posts
Posted - 01 Sep 2003 :  06:25:01
Sounds like its time for a new display panel. You'll need to find another one. Make sure its from a 180 (not a 180c), or else it won't fit. I believe the 170 screen might fit but i'm not sure. Either way, i hope you get it sorted out!

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tomlee59
Starting Member


USA
46 Posts
Posted - 01 Sep 2003 :  10:56:31
Sorry to say that your display can't be repaired. The consensus is that this problem is caused by imperfect seals that allow moisture to seep into the display (liquid crystals are poisoned by water). This problem has been reported with displays up to at least the 5xx generation of powerbooks.

Don't try to replace with a 170's display, by the way; they're totally different (one is grayscale, the other isn't). Maybe a 160's display might work, but I would feel nervous about trying it without being certain.

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maclover5
LC Doctor/Hot Rodder


Australia
5830 Posts
Posted - 01 Sep 2003 :  16:42:58
Interesting, i thought that LCDs were like CRTs: where if one can display black and white, it can display grayscale. About the 160, i'm not sure, but i think it uses a passive matrix LCD. Either way, i hope you fix it!

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zed_zero
Starting Member


Australia
8 Posts
Posted - 02 Sep 2003 :  05:38:03
When we speak of replacing the screen does that mean simply exchanging the whole swinging assembly or are we talking about somehow exchanging the actual screen itself?


@maclover5:
I see you're in Australia. Any idea where I could find a replacement screen?

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maclover5
LC Doctor/Hot Rodder


Australia
5830 Posts
Posted - 04 Sep 2003 :  06:35:27
You can do either, depending on what you can get. Some suppliers may sell the entire kit, including casing and all, while others just sell the display panel itself. As for getting one, try contacting the guys at Microseconds. I believe they're pretty good with old Mac stuff.

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Flash
Full Member


Australia
637 Posts
Posted - 04 Sep 2003 :  18:49:23
I have a PowerBook 520 (greyscale) that you can use if the LCD is compatible 9;)]

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maclover5
LC Doctor/Hot Rodder


Australia
5830 Posts
Posted - 05 Sep 2003 :  16:33:22
Nope, the 520 display ain't compatible.

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zed_zero
Starting Member


Australia
8 Posts
Posted - 05 Sep 2003 :  19:25:12
Sounds like the only way to be sure on the compatibility issue is to simply get another 180 screen, right?

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maclover5
LC Doctor/Hot Rodder


Australia
5830 Posts
Posted - 05 Sep 2003 :  23:52:43
Yep!

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ElBaroni
Starting Member


Australia
14 Posts
Posted - 26 Nov 2003 :  04:23:21
oohooh! You could get one from Sun Remarketing for like $US400!

http://www2.sunrem.com/sun02.w?pt=661-0745&catcode=15340

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I just discovered that my new PB180 has the same problem too. Are we sure the 170 screen won't work? What if the 180 was set to black and white before the surgery

cheers

My 128k broke, my 512k had beer poured in the top of it, and my 512ke blew up. I'm resorting to an SE/30. To go along with my PB170, LC, LC II, LC 575, IIci (A/UX). And so on and so forth.Go to Top of Page

pbcollector
Starting Member


USA
25 Posts
Posted - 26 Nov 2003 :  10:39:21
I'm pretty sure the PB170 LCD won't work with the 180. The internal display cable and connector is different enough already, not to mention differences in the video signals and circuitry.

For about the same cost as replacing just the LCD, you might be able to find another working PB180 or PB165, and just migrate the parts (memory, hard disk, modem) to make it close to your original one.

FYI: 180, 180c, 165c, 165 has the same motherboard. 160 is the same, but runs at 25 MHz. Unfortunately, everything else is different including the daughterboard that contains the CPU and video chip.

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ElBaroni
Starting Member


Australia
14 Posts
Posted - 27 Nov 2003 :  01:49:47
Did people replace the inverter board as well as the screen? The 140, 145, 170 tech manual says that each screen has its own one of these. Worth trying while I've got butchered 170 + 180 lying next to each other?

My 128k broke, my 512k had beer poured in the top of it, and my 512ke blew up. I'm resorting to an SE/30. To go along with my PB170, LC, LC II, LC 575, IIci (A/UX). And so on and so forth.Go to Top of Page

ElBaroni
Starting Member


Australia
14 Posts
Posted - 27 Nov 2003 :  02:10:16
…continued

the back of the LCD panels seems to be the same, bar a difference in model number from HLR-1014 to HLR 1021.

Curiouser and curioser...how the hell do you spell that?

My 128k broke, my 512k had beer poured in the top of it, and my 512ke blew up. I'm resorting to an SE/30. To go along with my PB170, LC, LC II, LC 575, IIci (A/UX). And so on and so forth.Go to Top of Page

   

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