Thread
Color Classic Power Issues/Able to Use LC 475 Board?
Hi Everyone,
This is my first post as a member! Glad to be a part of the 68kMLA! A few weeks back I picked up a Color Classic that was sold to me as dead, for all intents and purposes. I have scoured the message boards and tried all of the PRAM tricks, etc. along with everything listed at http://classicmacs.org/2011/09/troubleshooting-a-color-classic-that-wont-power-on/.
I have had limited success with the 24-hour power soak, as at least then I get the machine to show some signs of life - green light on the front and some decent noise (fan, HD spinning up, etc.), but sometimes that is followed by nothing on the screen, and other times I get a gray screen. Have not been able to get past a blank gray screen with no cursor.
It's entirely possible I need the caps replaced on the stock CC board, but wanted to run something else by you guys. I had read somewhere that an LC 475 board would work in the Color Classic, and I have a working LC 475 board, but it seems to me that this board does not match up with the Color Classic's connectors. Any suggestions on this? Thanks!
This is my first post as a member! Glad to be a part of the 68kMLA! A few weeks back I picked up a Color Classic that was sold to me as dead, for all intents and purposes. I have scoured the message boards and tried all of the PRAM tricks, etc. along with everything listed at http://classicmacs.org/2011/09/troubleshooting-a-color-classic-that-wont-power-on/.
I have had limited success with the 24-hour power soak, as at least then I get the machine to show some signs of life - green light on the front and some decent noise (fan, HD spinning up, etc.), but sometimes that is followed by nothing on the screen, and other times I get a gray screen. Have not been able to get past a blank gray screen with no cursor.
It's entirely possible I need the caps replaced on the stock CC board, but wanted to run something else by you guys. I had read somewhere that an LC 475 board would work in the Color Classic, and I have a working LC 475 board, but it seems to me that this board does not match up with the Color Classic's connectors. Any suggestions on this? Thanks!
As far as I know, only a 520, 550, or 575 will work. Anyone know differently? I'd like to know too since my CC needs a new board.
I am a fan of the 520 and 550 in the color classic.
They are the same boards just the 520 is 25mhz and the 550 is 33, both 68030's.
And The most ram one will accept is a 32mb stick, just like the LC-III/+, I have verified this.
Welcome to 68kmla! enjoy!
475 - no this will not work.
575 - yes this will work with some mods, they call installing this board, and making the mod, MYSTIC upgrade.
The 520 and 550 just work, and match up with the rear I/O plate , these boards are just drop in and go upgrades.
They are the same boards just the 520 is 25mhz and the 550 is 33, both 68030's.
And The most ram one will accept is a 32mb stick, just like the LC-III/+, I have verified this.
Welcome to 68kmla! enjoy!
475 - no this will not work.
575 - yes this will work with some mods, they call installing this board, and making the mod, MYSTIC upgrade.
The 520 and 550 just work, and match up with the rear I/O plate , these boards are just drop in and go upgrades.
I agree with uniserver, but will add one thing that 7.6 will not install on a 520 board in a CC due to the video not being 640x480. That is why the 550 board is wanted. Since the 550 board was the board in the color classic II it is supported unlike the 520 and 575 being in a larger monitor system.
oh ok, that is a nifty tidbit macdrone.
- Charles
ps: Swear I have 7.6 on the cc /w 520 i got from you.
I could be wrong.
However if 7.6 is on there.. It wasn't installed, it was copied over from a zip disk.
i do know you sent it to me with 7.5.5 on it.
- Charles
ps: Swear I have 7.6 on the cc /w 520 i got from you.
I could be wrong.
However if 7.6 is on there.. It wasn't installed, it was copied over from a zip disk.
i do know you sent it to me with 7.5.5 on it.
Installer won't get by the video, I put a hard drive in with 7.6 and a VRAM SIMM (and without) and it still wouldn't boot, something about the enabler and video. I even put the 520 and each color classic enablers in there one by one no luck. If you got it to work I'm impressed. I tried for years. I could be to close to the problem. With the four I had 7.5.5 is all I could get going. Installed 7.6 in a 575 and transferred drive and motherboard over and boom bomb error at boot.
yes i do have 7.6.1 on here.
Id totally hook you up if you need me to.
Id totally hook you up if you need me to.
So how did you do it?
Why does the video say 560 x 384?
looks like it gives me the option to chose different video modes?
i have all my OSES on zip disks, The version of 7.6.1 came from a Powerbook 540c.
i just drag and dropped the whole zip onto the hd. easy cheesy.
i have all my OSES on zip disks, The version of 7.6.1 came from a Powerbook 540c.
i just drag and dropped the whole zip onto the hd. easy cheesy.
Do me a favor and try and boot off cd of 7.6 or 7.6.1. I am not sure if I tried both. At the moment I don't have a 520 as I gave it to you and have not received my 550 board ( which of course I know will work ).
I can't the cd-rom you sent me don't work
also i do not possess a 7.6 or 7.6.1 cd.
also i do not possess a 7.6 or 7.6.1 cd.
Did you put a terminator on it? It worked when I sent it, I used it to load stuff onto the color classic, I hate age and shipping sometimes. I'm so tired, and I work tonight talk to you all later.
AH no… i didn't think to put a terminator on it LOL
haha.
i would assume i would need a centronics 50 pin kind.
Get some rest buddy
LOLhaha.
i would assume i would need a centronics 50 pin kind.
Get some rest buddy
I thought I mentioned I didn't have an extra, suggest a cable and put a Zip drive on the end to terminate.
it totally slipped my mind... maybe that is the only problem.
Your a silly goof, you recap motherboards, repair traces, build drive cables and update scsi drive to work in old macs but didn't terminate power on a scsi chain lol.
It's the same kind of scenario where, I used to go into shops for repairs on their Car lifts, bushings gone, Equalizing cables snapped, Composite sliders gone, metal to metal. When all they had to do is spray some grease on the moving parts a couple times a year, oh no, not even auto mechanics can tell there is some binding and lubrication might be needed.
I would say, I'm more aware of scsi voodoo now, back when I first got your machine / cdrom ( last year ), Previously I never had to do much with SCSI before that. ITs hard to identify issues when your not used to messing with external scsi devices with no built in termination
I would say, I'm more aware of scsi voodoo now, back when I first got your machine / cdrom ( last year ), Previously I never had to do much with SCSI before that. ITs hard to identify issues when your not used to messing with external scsi devices with no built in termination
Well thanks to insaneboy and his bag-o-goodies he sent me.
I found a nifty terminator with lights
By the way yeah, the CC will boot from the cd drive now.
It errors at boot because the CD is a 7.5.5 install disk that came with my PM 6100.
So now all i would need is a 7.6 cd.
I found a nifty terminator with lights
By the way yeah, the CC will boot from the cd drive now.
It errors at boot because the CD is a 7.5.5 install disk that came with my PM 6100.
So now all i would need is a 7.6 cd.
Not trying to hijack or anything, but I'd just like to ask this quick question: can a Performa 520 L/B (which runs at 25 MHz) be overclocked to match the speed of the 550 (which is 33 MHz)?
It's probably as simple as changing a crystal oscillator, but I'm not sure.
c
It's probably as simple as changing a crystal oscillator, but I'm not sure.
c
I personally do not know.
if you find out please let me know on that, i would be interested in that mod!
I just acquired a Mac OS 7.6 retail cd. it boots just fine, but when I go to install it, says cannot install to this model.
if you find out please let me know on that, i would be interested in that mod!
I just acquired a Mac OS 7.6 retail cd. it boots just fine, but when I go to install it, says cannot install to this model.
Strange issue, 7.6 cd boots up, but hard drive does not show up. with the color classic. tried changing the ID on the CDROM. still no dice.
However i can boot from the 7.6 cd, plugged into the Macintosh Quadra 700, and it shows me the hard drive.
However i can boot from the 7.6 cd, plugged into the Macintosh Quadra 700, and it shows me the hard drive.
I take back what I said about the 24-hour soak working. I have not been able to replicate it! Have not seen the green light on the front or any HD spin,fan spin, etc. I've already tried reseating the ram and resetting the PRAM. The one time the computer started up, it only got to a gray screen with no cursor.
Question is, if I replace the capacitors (think the current ones are original), will that suddenly solve my power issue? Or are we dealing with two unrelated things here?
Thank you!
-B
Question is, if I replace the capacitors (think the current ones are original), will that suddenly solve my power issue? Or are we dealing with two unrelated things here?
Thank you!
-B
well the color classic is know for needing caps on both the Mainboard and the analogue board as well
A recap will fix a lot of problems related to system/drive power. Before I recapped my CC I had trouble getting it to recognize internal hard drives all of the time.
Do you have a multitester? First thing I would test is that you are getting the rated voltage on each line out of the power supply. If possible, while under load. If that all looks good, your next step is probably a recap. I'd start with the analog board and see if that fixes things up for you.
Another test to see if it's a power issue is to disconnect the power to the internal hard drive and floppy drive, and see if the machine will boot as far as the flashing floppydisk symbol. If that works, then yes, it could be that the PS is not supplying enough power to boot with everything attached. Then power down, hook up the floppy and try to boot from a Disk Tools floppy, or alternatively, leave the floppy detached and try to boot from the HD again. Or, if you have one, boot from an external, self-powered SCSI drive (CD or HD).
Another test to see if it's a power issue is to disconnect the power to the internal hard drive and floppy drive, and see if the machine will boot as far as the flashing floppydisk symbol. If that works, then yes, it could be that the PS is not supplying enough power to boot with everything attached. Then power down, hook up the floppy and try to boot from a Disk Tools floppy, or alternatively, leave the floppy detached and try to boot from the HD again. Or, if you have one, boot from an external, self-powered SCSI drive (CD or HD).
Everyone - thank you for your replies! Much appreciated. I got my hands on a working LC 550 board, popped it in, and voila: the Color Classic fires up like a charm! Has 7.5.3 on it and the screen looks great. Now I just need to find a 32MB RAM stick, as the computer is showing only 20 MB as currently configured. I will also likely be sending the stock CC board Charles' way for a little recap job. Very excited to have a working CC!