Repair of old PowerBook motherboard

#1

Thanks to Joel and Edwin for the desoldering and reflow this evening. With a little bit of encouragement, this mid-90s machine is running again! :raised_hands:

:construction: Please remember to clean the magic vacuum desoldering gun after use, everyone. Use some wire to clean the nozzle while it’s still hot.

If anyone has suggestions for further repairing/replacing/cleaning the plug/socket please let me know.

Future project: connecting this laptop to a QuickTake, one of the first consumer digital cameras, to create a retro-tech photo booth. Ready for EMF 2024?

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Hi, I'm Martin
#2

Nicee!! So wait, is the power fixed? Or not quite?

Quicktake sounds interesting!? I remember one of those circa 1995… will certainly produce retro pics!!

Cheers,
Andy

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#3

The power connection is still a little temperamental. It doesn’t require constant pressure anymore to make a connection but it still requires a bit of luck to get the machine to boot. One thing that’s not helping is the computer has no battery, so the power management system needs to be reset (with some incantation involving Cmd+Ctrl+P+R and holding down a reset button for 20 seconds) if unplugged. It’s possible we could re-build a replacement battery but the one I have is hazardous waste.

#4

Hey!
Old world 68000 powerbook! sweet!

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