Post B4sOmXBvkPEvsj0vmi by shred@oldbytes.space
(DIR) More posts by shred@oldbytes.space
(DIR) Post #B4sOmTEcST0vbuF1Q8 by shred@oldbytes.space
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It's a long while ago that I posted about #RetroComputer stuff. Time to change that. 😀 I got myself an #Amiga4000 for restauration. And I can tell you this much: there'll be a fair few things to get done.I will post updates in this 🧵 in the next couple of months.(And guess who was so excited that he forgot to take good "before" photos. 🙈)#Amiga #Commodore
(DIR) Post #B4sOmVFkxD6zs0mxTE by shred@oldbytes.space
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The machine came with an Amiga 2000 style keyboard, an 68EC030 board (with FPU), a CyberVision 64 (2MB), a scandoubler, and a A2091 SCSI controller.The good news: The infamous battery has already been removed.The bad news: The previous owner tried their best to to fix the battery mess. But more on that when we get to the mainboard.
(DIR) Post #B4sOmXBvkPEvsj0vmi by shred@oldbytes.space
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What I did in the past couple of days: Cleaning the case, and whitening the front. The result of the whitening is already quite visible. 😀But Shred, what chemicals did you use?Well, none. This is result after putting the front into the March sun for about a week. No chemicals required.For a better result, I have to probably wait for June, when the sun is more intense. The UV level is currently still too low.
(DIR) Post #B4sOmZK9on0cUosWsy by shred@oldbytes.space
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Let's have a look at the keyboard. Actually, it's a classic Amiga 2000 keyboard, not the A4000 one with the modernized look.Pressing the keys felt a bit different to what I am used to. When I opened the case, I found out why. The Amiga keyboards I know use a membrane. This one is different, it has a full-size PCB.But that isn't the only difference.
(DIR) Post #B4sOmbf97izDkUiJsW by shred@oldbytes.space
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Under the keycaps, I found these silicone cups instead of the usual springs. In my opinion, they provide a slightly improved key feel. On the other hand, they are dust magnets.The photo was made after I cleaned up everything. There was a bit of the usual filth, but alltogether, the keyboard is in a good shape.
(DIR) Post #B4sOmgeGaQFnDDLBhY by shred@oldbytes.space
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While I was reassembling the keyboard (and almost finished), I found out that one of the plungers is different. It has a blue base and a different mount at the top, and it's made for the space key.I didn't knew that, so I accidentally put the plunger into the "F6" position, and wondered why the key cap wouldn't stay on.So... Disassembling time again. 😒
(DIR) Post #B4sOmlhHocdks1nAbQ by shred@oldbytes.space
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Finally, the keyboard is nice and clean again now! 😀Tomorrow, we'll have a look at the mainboard.
(DIR) Post #B4sOmqJ0gJBzABTLxQ by shred@oldbytes.space
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Let's have a look at the mainboard. It gave me a lot of mixed emotions.First of all: The seller was totally open about the state of the board. I knew exactly what I was buying here. 👍
(DIR) Post #B4sOmvrE2WX4NkWFU0 by shred@oldbytes.space
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Good: All electrolytic capacitors have already been replaced.Bad: I could not find a manufacturer for the SMD caps. For the two TH caps, it was definitely a cheap brand with a specified lifetime of only 1,000 h. I doubt the SMD ones are much better.I will remove them all again, and use Panasonic Aluminium Organic Polymer ones instead. Lifetime: 10,000 h. 🙂
(DIR) Post #B4sOn0aOSX2V2zgNRQ by shred@oldbytes.space
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The battery was removed. The previous owner also tried to fix the battery damage. Unfortunately it looks like the soldering equipment was insufficient. There are traces of force. Pads, vias and traces ripped from the board. 😭 They tried their best to fix the damage, but (fortunately) gave up at some point before making it worse.It won't be fun to fix that mess. There will be a lot of bodge wire involved.
(DIR) Post #B4sOn5dPgjQSho8MLI by shred@oldbytes.space
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Time to clean up that area. I generously removed all the parts at the top and bottom. Then I cleaned old flux residues.After that I removed the solder mask with a fiberglass pen (wear a respirator and gloves!).In a last step, I used vinegar to neutralize residues of the battery lye, then washed off the vinegar.Well, I guess I'll also have to remove U891 and the other SIMM sockets. That's fine though, as I planned to replace the SIMM sockets with ones that have metal latches.
(DIR) Post #B4sOn97Ik47FVN8lqS by shred@oldbytes.space
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Next steps here? Well, the board is too badly damaged for a simple solution. It is impossible to solder U177 back in place, as almost all of its pads are missing. But I guess I have a much better idea how to fix this. 😀Anyway... Tomorrow I will replace the capacitors at the other parts of the board.
(DIR) Post #B4sOnCXe0ZyE7wULp2 by shred@oldbytes.space
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OK, let the healing begin. 🙂 Near the floppy port, some of the parts around the capacitor looked a bit corroded. No characteristic "fish" smell though. I still decided to replace a few components.
(DIR) Post #B4sOnEo1aeGH9KASdE by shred@oldbytes.space
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Same thing in the audio corner. I cleaned it more generously here. Maybe I should have replaced the resistors and caps as well. Hmm... I will do it next time I work on the board.The next steps will take more time, but I will keep you updated in this thread.