I'll be posting more about this computer, but I recently acquired the very same computer that was shown here at this site:

https://warker.com/2008/04/23/franklin-cx-computer/

I know it's the same one because I received the actual disks pictured with the hand written labels shown.

I've found there's nothing posted about the boot software and the CP/M disks for this computer, but I managed to recover fully-booting copies of both disks that came with this computer.

As I continue to restore this computer, I will post more detailed pictures and any notes of interest.

Pictures found in the gallery:

https://retroactivity.net/index.php?action=gallery;cat=10

Mac LC power supplies are pretty simple, but they are VERY prone to failure due to aging capacitors.  Here's a picture of a TDK version:



Under both the 1000uF 10V and 270uF 25V capacitors, you find similar evidence of an electrolyte leak:



When I first powered this on (I received 2x TDK power supplies from a lot from EBAY), they showed around 2.5V for the 5V rail and 5.5V for the 12V rail.  The -5V rail was stuck around 3V.  This is the first sign that you probably have bad capacitors.  For now, don't worry too much if you hear a "clicking" of around 1/2 second period since this might just be due to the power supply not under load.  I did this voltage test without the supply being installed in the computer to avoid damage to the main board and associated drives.  Ultimately once you have the capacitors changed and have reasonable voltages, you'll want to make the final voltage measurement while the power supply is plugged into the Mac LC.

Generally you don't have to change the large 180uF 385V capacitor, but it's no big deal if you do.  The ones you definitely want to change are:

1000uF 10V (3)
270uF 25V (2)
270uF 10V (1)
56uF 35V (1)
47uF 25V 1)

Personally, I change everything including the safety X capacitors on the line input.  www.console5.com has a great deal on pre-made capacitor kits.  I do enough of these to buy capacitors in bulk.

Once the capacitors are replaced (make sure you double-check their orientation) do another test On the +5 and +12V lines while the power supply is outside.  They should be relatively close to what you expect.  The -5V line will be off because of a needed load.  If this checks out then you're probably ready to plug it into your Mac.  Once that's done, do one more voltage check with your multimeter while the computer is on to make sure everything is within nominal values.

Congratulations,  now your Mac is ready for another 30 years of service!

So I will be adding to this forum a bit for a few weeks, so don't expect to see things in the same spot as I move things around to find a format of the content that I like.  I know from previous sites this is a long process to find a good layout of the site contents.  Nothing will disappear, but it will be shuffled around.

I've done LOTS of retro restorations, but it seems the worst of the worst has to be the older Macs.  These were released at a time where it seems the electrolytic capacitor manufacturing quality was very poor.  Probably the worst are the surface-mounted electrolytic.

Do yourself a favor before you dust off your old computers from the attic - open them up and see if you have any one of the following issues BEFORE you turn them on.

• Obvious bulging from either the top of the capacitors
• Look at the base of the capacitor to see if there is a liquid between the cap and the board
• Put your nose close to the board where you find a capacitor and sniff (no really).  If you smell something "fishy" then you might have a leaky capacitor

Of the old Macs, I've found probably the worst problems exhibited in the Mac LCx line of computers, especially the little power supplies.  So far I've done 10 restorations, and every one of them required a total re-capping of the little power supplies.

These above steps can be useful for most older computers '90s and earlier, but can be useful for computers both older and newer.  Even an older OG XBOX exhibited leaking capacitors from around the 2003-era.  Those weren't even the notorious "clock" capacitors found to leak as a common fault.

 

Hi Everyone!
Some might know me from my interaction with the Ultima Online community for script automation.  I was the original owner of ScriptUO.  But what most people don't know is that I've been a very large classic computer collector for many years.  Recently I thought it would be nice to share my experiences with the community and give an alternative location for people to post their own experiences.

For me it started with the original Apple 8-bit lines of computers as well as the original Sinclair ZX-81.  As I got older I branched out into other systems, but never really got into the full restoration of computers I'd collect until a few years ago.  Now I do complete restorations including functional refurbishments, diagnostics and physical restoration.  Because of this, I've collected a large collection of computer from Apple, Commodore, Atari and Sinclair.

So hopefully you will enjoy your stay as hopefully this community will grow into a place where everything related to retro computing will be appreciated.

I've started with the systems/manufacturers that I have the most experience with.  Going forward, if there's additional interest in adding other systems/companies then I'd be totally happy expanding the featured forums.

Have a great day!
TM