Even though there is really no more re-capping needed (for that see
Part 0 and
Part 1), the Apple IIc still needed some care before being considered ready for use: the keyboard was just too filthy to be used without feeling the sudden urge to scrape away a few layers of skin after use and the floppy drive was still untested.
 |
| Apple IIc keyboard with keycaps removed |
Luckily, the keycaps are easy to remove from the keyboard, so the cleanup didn't take all day. First of all, I unplugged every cap and scrubbed them with an alcohol imbibed cloth. Just below the keycaps is a thin rubber membrane, acting as a spill-protector for the key switches. After almost 30 years, the rubber degraded and become friable, so I decided to take the now useless protection away.
 |
| A close-up of the frayed rubber membrane |
Just beneath the membrane there was ANOTHER one, this one a little thicker and still in good shape. I left this one alone.
 |
| First keyboard rubber membrane removed |
After cleaning the remaining component of the keyboard with a cloth and compressed air, I started putting the keys back in their places.
 |
| Not white... but at least not dirty either! |
Next step: bootstrapping the computer using ADTpro, but I'll keep this for the next time, when I'll try to use the IIc to backup some of my original floppies.
How exactly do you change the 74LS161 for the oscillator? My ROM255 IIc cant transfer at all above 300 baud and not very reliably at 300 baud either.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to replace the 74LS161, because I found out that my IIc (originally a ROM255, now a ROM 4, after I replaced the MAP ROM) works fine at least at 19200bps...
DeleteAs for replacing, from a quick look at the datasheet, it should be a simple replacement:
remove the 74LS161 and place a full can oscillator at its place, matching the pin 1.
Take this with a grain of salt though: I've yet to do it and I'd double check the info first.