Re: Just bought an Apple II

[Paul G <gavp@gis.net>]

Hey, check brightness settings on monitor.

Rubywand wrote:

> Asu writes ...
> >
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > today, at a garage sale, I found an Apple II. It was 10 dollars only so
> > I bought it. I took it home, plugged it in, one of 2 drives attached to
> > it whirled, but nohting else happened. It came with a monitor which I
> > connected but it showed nothing. It did not come with any disks.
> >
>
>      As already mentioned, _something_ should show on the display monitor.
> After pressing Reset (or Control-Reset) to stop the drive from spinning--
> it's looking for a boot disk-- try diddling the monitor controls (e.g.
> brightness, etc.).
>
>      If you still do not see anything, wait about 20 minutes. Monitors which
> have not been powered ON for a year or so will often have power supply
> capacitors which need to 're-form' in order to have enough voltage to get a
> display.
>
>      Another thing to check is the video output adjustment on the
> motherboard. Mark its position and try turning it left and right. (If nothing
> happens, return it to its original setting. At least you will made sure the
> control wiper is making contact.)
>
>      Naturally, if you can connect a known-good composite monitor (color or
> monochrome)-- or connect the monitor to a known-good Apple II or C-64
> computer-- you would have a more solid indication of where the problem is.
>
>      Your description of startup events does not mention hearing a BEEP. The
> BEEP is an early startup event; so, no BEEP may indicate a bad connection to
> the speaker (or a bad speaker); or, it may indicate that an IC in the circuit
> which outputs sound is loose.
>
>      However the above checks turn out, it's a good idea to unplug
> everything, open the case, and remove as much dust and grime as possible.
> (Keep notes about the location of each plug-in card and where connectors go.)
>
>      A common problem with any old computer is poorly socketed IC's. Chip
> pins acquire gunk and corrosion; and, some tend to gradually ratchet up. The
> result is poor contacts and malfunction.
>
>      Scootch up and re-socket each socketed chip. (A small, thin-bladed
> screwdriver is good for scootching up chips.)  If an IC has
> corrosion-blackened pins, you should probably remove it and clean the pins.
> (Fine-grained sandpaper or a dunk in Tarnex are two ways to clean pins.)
>
> Note: IC's used in the Apple II are not super-delicate; but, they should not
> be removed and handled in a stactic-prone environment.
>
>      Whenever you are about to completely remove an IC, jot down a note or
> draw a pic to indicate its orientation. Marking one end of the IC and its
> socket with whiteout is a good idea, too.
>
>      Any Slot cards should be unplugged, cleaned, and re-plugged. The same
> goes for the power supply connector and drive cables. (Be sure to note drive
> cable orientation and mark connector ends before disconnecting. When
> reconnecting, make sure to line up the contacts correctly.)
>
>      At the least, going through the above refurbishment steps will eliminate
> a common cause of malfunctioning. There's a decent chance you will fix a
> number of problems including some on the verge of cropping up.
>
>
> > I am a long time Mac user but I have never seen an Apple II. I found
> > out about this ng after some internet search. Dutifully I went to the
> > FAQ's but I don't even know where to start.
> >
>
>      Copies of the FAQs on many news.answers sites still use the old "Part
> 1", ... file naming and are not so easy to search. You should find it easy to
> navigate the version at http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs1START.html .
>
>      A good place to start is clicking on "Enter Main Hall". It will be easy
> to find info about your machine, hints on starting, and recommendations for
> software you'll need. At present, the FAQs does not have much information
> relating to troubleshooting old computers picked up at garage sales-- maybe
> it should.
>
> > I would like to know whether it works or not. I assume I need the
> > system disk to begin with. How can i get one?
>
>      Once you get your Apple II working, you can add a Super Serial Card.
> This will make it possible to set up a NULL modem connection with your net
> computer and transfer DOS 3.3 as well as whole disks you can download from
> the net-- i.e., it is possible to 'start from scratch'. An easier start is to
> email some regular poster to this newsgroup and offer to pay mailing and
> materials costs for some startup diskettes.
>
> >
> > Can I post newbie questions here or is there another forum for that?
>  ....
>
>      This is the right place to post Apple II questions; and, by the way,
> there is no requirement to 'read the FAQs' before asking something.
>
> Rubywand