Re: Troubleshooting on an Apple II

["Silicon Sam" <SiliconSam@gmail.com>]

  The //e motherboard has both, the speaker and power LED.  The speaker
LED faces the back.  Reason for that was when the motherboards were in
test, they would have hundreds of them in a rack, with the backs of the
motherboard facing out.  When you power up the motherboard without a
keyboard, it would go into a test mode, and the speaker would make a
noise, turning on the light in the process.

  If in the rack you notice a board with the LED off, you can safely
assume that board failed the test or has locked up.  Once the test
failed or locked up, the noise would stop, the LED would go off.

  Yes, ][+ did not have an LED, only the keyboard light.  And if memory
serves correctly, one of the symptoms of a non-functioning Apple ///
was simply a burnt out keyboard lamp.  Strange, but true.

  I always cleaned the chip legs with an ink eraser.  Used to you could
buy a combination ink and pencil eraser (half pink and half white).
Block shaped with tapered ends.  The tapered ends gave it a nice sharp
profile to get in the nooks and crannies of a chip.

  If I got real lazy, I'd pull off all the silver tarnished chips and
soak them in some Tarn-X for a few minutes.  Rinse, blow dry and
reinsert.

Raymond