68kMLA Classic Interface
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| AudioVision 14 | |
| Posted by: flynn on 2023-01-29 13:25:55 I've had an AudioVision 14 sat in my loft (along with a heap of other gear) for the past 20 odd years and in a fit of retro have decided to get it down and do something with it. Given it's age I'm really reluctant to just plug it in and see whether it still works (It used to but it's not been powered on for probably a couple of decades). Does anyone have any advice on how I approach this. Are there checks I should do before powering it, should I even attempt that, should I get a specialist to check it out? (I'm a software engineer not an electrical engineer so although I understand that caps go bad and that CRT can electrocute me I not experienced in knowing how to approach this) Thanks in advance for any advice. | |
| Posted by: joshc on 2023-01-31 18:11:33 You could open it up to do a visual inspection first, check there isn't anything obvious that looks bad. But unless you want to do lots of preventative maintenance on it beforehand (replacing capacitors, other components) then I would say let it sit in a warm/dry environment for a bit, and then try it. CRT can electrocute meYes, but if you work safely with it (discharge it if you are planning to do anything inside it) then you should be fine. Some capacitors should be discharged as well. | |
| Posted by: Byrd on 2023-01-31 18:42:26 I'm yet to crack open a dedicated Apple branded CRT to find oozing caps, but they do lose their capacitance over time/conditions/age resulting in display abnormalities which will set you down the path of cap replacement and repair. Some CRTs have held up perfectly well - Apple Trinitron displays are rock solid. Agree to fire it up, see what happens, you won't blow it up but might notice things pretty quickly suggesting the need for repair. | |
| Posted by: flynn on 2023-02-01 01:34:22 Thanks for the advice both of you. That's what I'll do then. I'm finding that the plastic of the case is getting quite brittle in areas of pressure. Where the cable routes into the back and the splines that hold the sliding base to the unit. Both have disintegrated, which means the base is no longer connected. That level of plastic degradation worries me if I had to crack it open for cap replacement. I'm going to need to find a solution to these areas to repair them. (but that's another thread I suspect) I'll let you know how I get on. (In other news I found a PowerBook 520c with accessories in my loft last night, that's a whole other project for the future though) | |
| Posted by: joshc on 2023-02-01 01:56:59 Yep, opening it would = a lot of broken plastic I reckon. Heating the plastic beforehand can relieve some of the stress during diassembly. 520c has weak plastics too I'm afraid. | |
| Posted by: beachycove on 2023-02-01 07:56:02 Just so you know, an AudioVision 14 in working condition is worth a fair sum of money — more than you might imagine if you’ve kept it in the loft for 20 years. Don’t toss it out on a whim. | |
| Posted by: flynn on 2023-02-01 07:58:31 Thanks for the advice. I've no intention of throwing it out. Worst case scenario is that I'd find someone in the community to take care of it if I can't get it working. I even have the special adapter to connect it to my Quadra. | |
| Posted by: LaPorta on 2023-02-01 08:31:22 I recapped my AudioVision about ~2-3 years ago. A lot of caps, but not a bad job. Just make sure that you note which is which and if the cap series is low impedance or other special purpose (switching power supply, for example). Opening the case is a huge pain at first. Follow the Apple Service Source manual exactly or you will break something. My old thread on this is here: https://68kmla.org/bb/index.php?threads/audiovision-14”-restoration.37310/ | |
Posted by: flynn on 2023-02-01 09:30:03...Thanks for the advice and the thread. Well I just tried turning it on and I don't think it's a bad result:  I don't think the Quadra 660av that it's plugged into is very happy though. No chime, small amount of disk activity but not much and doesn't get past this blank screen with the mouse pointer on. | |
| Posted by: joshc on 2023-02-01 09:45:50 Nice. The 660av needs to be recapped, leaky caps on those logicboards. | |
| Posted by: LaPorta on 2023-02-01 09:46:50 My screen had that geometry as well. Just need the yoke collar adjusted. | |
| Posted by: flynn on 2023-02-03 06:26:39 Interesting development. I put the screen on my lap and turned it upside down to clean it with a cloth. Having done that I powered it on the geometry has pretty much fixed itself. It's not quite straight but close enough to live with for the time being. I'm going to call that the "Have you turned it upside down and back over again" geometry fix. 🙂 | |
Posted by: joshc on 2023-02-03 11:02:37Interesting development. I put the screen on my lap and turned it upside down to clean it with a cloth. Having done that I powered it on the geometry has pretty much fixed itself. It's not quite straight but close enough to live with for the time being. I'm going to call that the "Have you turned it upside down and back over again" geometry fix. 🙂Sounds like the yoke collar is loose - there should be a screw to tighten it | |
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