Recapping a Macintosh SE/30 and a IIsi logic boards and the IIsi power supply

Many vintage (15+ years) electronic boards (PCBs) are at a higher risk of having its non-solid electrolytic capacitors leaking by now. Such leaking occurs regardless of whether the component is actually being used/energized (although storage conditions may further contribute to the component degradation). The leakage happens due to natural aging of the component sealing and/or internal corrosion within the capacitor. The consequence of such leakages can be catastrophic not only for the capacitor itself, but for the electronic board as a whole. Here is why...

The most commonly used capacitor (aka caps) in computer logic boards and power supplies are the non-solid electrolytic capacitors, which use a liquid or gel as electrolyte. The problem is that the electrolyte liquid/gel used in these caps are conductive and corrosive and both these characteristics do not go well if spilled over your PCB. Therefore, when these capacitors leak, they can cause:

1) The PCB to malfunction by creating electric contact (short circuits) between components that were intended to be connected. Depending on the short circuits created by the conductive liquid, it could completely burn components and even create holes in the PCB, potentially damaging the board beyond repair. 

2) In addition to shortening components, the corrosive nature of the electrolyte will (with time) corrode the copper traces on the PCB as well as the components terminals to a certain extent. The electrolyte will also cover the solder joints creating a crusty layer that shields the solder joint from heat, requiring you to add more heat to be able to remove components (by desoldering).

Macintosh IIsi Power Supply with leaky capacitors

Exploration into the Retr0bright world...

Hello everyone! I would like to share my experience restoring old computers to its original (or close to) beige/grey colour. 

If you are reading this post, chances are that you know what retrobright (or retr0bright) is. In any case, here is a short explanation: ABS plastics were largely  used in computers and game consoles in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Plastic manufacturers mixed bromine within the ABS formula to give these plastics fire retardant properties. With time, these ABS plastics turn yellow due to a chemical reaction between the bromine and UV light (radiated plenty by the Sun and also fluorescent lights among other sources).

The state of my vintage Apple keyboard prior to the process

Rescuing a Macintosh SE

I got this Macintosh SE SuperDrive (or FDHD) as part of a complete package, with keyboard, mouse, the original Apple manuals (including the stickers), an Apple StyleWritter II printer, a 1200 bps modem and even some early 90s software. 

The seller tried to power it on and sent me this photo of what he got on the screen: 

Strange wavy pattern with a faint checkered board in the back

I researched for such pattern to get hints on what could be going on and heard it could be: 

My first Macintosh SE/30!

The Macintosh SE/30 is considered by many the holy grail of the Classic Macs. It is the fastest and most expandable of the classics 9" B&W form factor Macintoshes. It can accept up to a whopping 128Mb of RAM (!!!), what is impressive for a machine that was released back in Jan/1989.

Rebuilding an iBook G3 Clamshell battery

As the Clamshell and retro laptops in general get older, it gets harder and harder to find batteries for them. That's understandable as the demand is also negligible and most older laptops end up on a landfill or at a electronics recycling facility unfortunately. Luckily for us, retro computer enthusiasts and collectors alike, it is possible to rebuild some older laptop batteries with standard new cell you can still buy today.

The iBook G3 Clamshell is a classic Apple laptop from the late 90s and early 2000s (it was sold from 1999 to 2001 to exact). It has the now "iconic" colour shell that matched the iMac G3 CRTs of that era. For their unique design and relatively low duration run (it had less than a 2 years run), it is also getting harder to find and thus its price has increased. 

More details about the iBook G3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBook

An indigo iBook G3 clamshell and it's unique holder 

Pixlas power supply mod on a Mac Pro 4,1/5,1

Once again, let's talk about a very important mod/upgrade you can do to your classic Mac Pro (cMP): the Pixlas mod. The Pixlas mod will allow you to install a more power GPU into the Mac Pro that it was designed for, by drawing more current directly from the power supply of the cMP as opposed to using power connectors available on the motherboard. 

If you try to install a powerful GPU

Before proceeding, some key links you should read before jumping in:

- The House of Moth - Pixlas Mod tutorial (excellent and detailed instructions provided by Jay)

- MacRumours Pixlas discussion

- MacProUpgrade facebook community

Adding a new Bluetooth 4.2 and AC Wifi card to a cMP (Mac Pro 4,1/5,1)

My cMP 5,1 (2012) now has AC WiFi, BT 4.2, Handoff, Continuity, AirDrop and Apple Watch unlock all working after terminal command activation. Thanks to support and hints found in the MacProUpgrade community on facebook.

I followed this very detailed tutorial:

https://www.crystalidea.com/blog/classic-mac-pro-wifi-bluetooth-upgrade

It is recommended that you read this thread on macrumors for more details and hints about the mod:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/802-11ac-bt-4-0-and-continuity-handoff-are-working-on-mac-pro-2010-keep-updating.1748061/page-48

Links to the parts I used:

• AC Wifi and Bluetooth 4.2 card BCM943602CDPAX_1
• Mini PCI-E to Wireless Card Adapter 
• IPX Antenna Extension 1.13 connector RF - 35cm long
• JST Connector 4 pins
• Generic heat shrink tubes
• Soldering iron

Pentax K70 DSLR (K50/K30) - Dark photos fix - Solenoid replacement

Unfortunately, due to a failed cost savings attempt on Pentax' side the solenoid manufacturer Shinmei moving its production from Japan to China, a different (cheaper?) aperture solenoid was used on their K30, K50 and later a slightly? improved version on the K70 model cameras. 
There are basically 2 versions of the now famous culprit solenoid used in the Pentax K series: the most recent has a plastic (PET) body of green color and it is made in China. The former/older solenoid used in their older cameras such as the K10, K20, K100 uses a higher quality white teflon (PTFE) body solenoid that was made in Japan.

Keeping the Technics SA-GX910 (or SA-GX710) running cool - Fan mod with speed control

In today's post, I would like to share a mod that I just did to my old-time favourite Technics receiver: the Technics SA-GX910. Before going into deeper into this mod, here is a little history on these receivers and why they are (still) one of my favourite receiver. 

THE TECHNICS SA-GX SERIES FROM EARLY 90s

This receiver is a top-of-the-line from Technics from the early 90's (1991 to be exact). Many agree that is not only a great sounding receiver, but also a great looking one. With it's graphic equalizer and many MANY buttons, you can fully customize the sound to your liking without the need of going in out of menus like in today's received. Plus, you can monitor all the settings in the gorgeous VFG display. 

The lower end model SA-GX505 (also a great sounding receiver!)

Adding voice to the original DOS versions of Monkey Island 1 and 2

Hello everyone! 

Being a big fan of the LucasFilm (then LucasArts) point and click games from the late 80s / early 90s, I wanted to try playing these games in one of my vintage computers.

I recently installed the latest PowerPC version (v2.1.2) of ScummVM on my PowerBook G4 12" and it ran great! It was fun to re-visit a few LucasArts games of my childhood running well on the vintage, small form factor, and sturdy aluminum Apple laptop from 2004. I feel the trackpad in this PowerBook is very responsive and a perfect fit for a point-and-click adventure game.

I've played a bit of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (The Graphic Adventure), of course I wanted to try the the Special Editions released in 2009 and 2010 of Monkey Island 1 and 2. I needed to try the original DOS versions of The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: Le Chuck's Revenge to see them running on the PowerPC / MacOS.