Thread

Server room Macintosh portable

Server room Macintosh portable Hardware 15 posts Dec 19, 2012 — Jan 7, 2013

#1 Wed, 19 Dec 2012 - 20:18

Rummaging through the server room at my job I found a Macintosh portable, and the accompanying case for it.

Cosmetically this thing is nearly mint. I let it sit on a shelf in my office for some time but yesterday I decided to try and fire it up.

I plugged in the AC adaptor, threw out the old 9v battery and attempted to start it. The SCSI disk would spin up, down, up down, etc...

Read up on the topic and noticed that this machine truly requires a good battery to properly function as in it needs the battery's VA to spin up the SCSI disk and power the floppy. So I found some cells to refurbish the battery:

http://www.alliedelec.com/search/produc ... U=70157706

I haven't pulled the trigger just yet on this project, but I'm thinking it may be possible that, given so little use, this battery might be useable as it is.

Next steps: multimeter!

BUT I did find this battery with nearly the same specs that shouldn't be hard to adapt...

http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=70115574#tab=specs

Pics soon

#2 Wed, 19 Dec 2012 - 21:24

You can also use a 9 to 10 volt power supply rated at 1 amp or better and connect to the leads. Not likely youll lug it around anytime soon so that would make it useable. I got a pwer supply at goodwill for a dollar for mine. Just remember the capacitors on the motherboard and screen are due for replacement.

#3 Wed, 19 Dec 2012 - 23:00

:O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O :O

MAC PORTABLE!!!!!!!!! That is my fourth favorite Mac EVER (behind Cube, 128K, and PowerBook Duos). I came so close to getting one, but the guy was almost 100 miles away and wouldn't ship. Congrats on your find! I thought the Portables wouldn't run without their battery? :?:

#4 Wed, 19 Dec 2012 - 23:17

You can also use a 9 to 10 volt power supply rated at 1 amp or better and connect to the leads.

Interesting, is that to the battery terminals? Mine has the same issues - caps replaced, and might start up for 30 seconds or so, but the dead lead acid battery kills it quickly.

JB

#5 Thu, 20 Dec 2012 - 01:23

Yes to the battery terminals. The 9 to 10 volts at 1 amp is what the battery provides.

#6 Thu, 20 Dec 2012 - 03:37

I thought it was a 6v battery?

#7 Thu, 20 Dec 2012 - 11:11

No sir, nine volt to match the backup normal nine volt battery for sleep.

#8 Thu, 20 Dec 2012 - 17:44

Are you talking about the 9V alkaline backup battery? The main battery in a Portable is a 6V lead acid battery. I thought you were talking about hooking up an external supply to the main battery terminals.

#9 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 - 01:28

The main lead acid and the back up are both supposed to be 9 volts as they are on the same line. The backup battery of course cannot push 1 ampere good sir.

#10 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 - 01:30

Im gonna hold on my statement because the charger is like 7.2 volts i think. Ill double check.

#11 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 - 01:35

6 volt 5 amp battery. hmmm gonna have to get another power supply for this mod I am thinking.

#12 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 - 01:40

I know where I jacked up lowendmac says 9 volt in the comments, twice in a row even though it says use a powerbook 100 power supply. Sorry for my confusion...... :disapprove:

#13 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 - 04:39

main battery : 6 V

backup battery : 9 V

DSC_8683b.jpg.87597230fb56133cc67ff6974fb3f75f.jpg

#14 Mon, 7 Jan 2013 - 03:57

Just as a followup here, my Mac Portable (no backlight) runs just fine without a battery. I use a regulated 9V 3A power supply connected to the rear power adaptor. This is enough to get the original Conner drive up and start the machine. Lower than that and it will flip out. I dug it out of the closet since it was a little wonky and did some work on it, and it still works fine.

http://www.floodgap.com/iv/1759

#15 Mon, 7 Jan 2013 - 06:03

I'm using a PowerBook 100 series adapter without battery and mine is working like a champ.