-
Macintosh iiFX
A friend just give me today a Macintosh iiFX on unknown working status, just the case with no cables, keyboard or monitor.
The part of the monitor i managed to figure out i need an DB15 to VGA adaptor.
The unit looks good, inside was a bit dusty (cleand it up), it's got a 68030 and a 68882 at 40Mhz (standard) and a nubus GFX card. Power botton is loose, pushing it doesn't do anything, scsi hd is a Maxtor 240mb and there's a Sony 1.44 floppy drive. Psu also looks good (from eyes point of view :), have to open i up to see inside). Ram is fully populated with 30 pin simms, don't know the size. Motherboard looks excelent, no rust or leaking, just some dust.
The question, i've plugged the unit to power and pushed the swith and nothing appens, no hd activiti or floppy. Do i need a keyboard for the computer to start?? (imacs have a start button on keyboard....)
Does this machine is worth the trouble trying to fix it? It looks to be a rare type of 68k mac.
Thanks, JP
-
It sounds like a perfectly respectable specimen of 68k Macintosh. I doubt you need a keyboard to power it on, although it won't be much use without one. Do you get anything when you turn it on? Fans spinning? Power lights?
I'll look up the IIfx in my big book of Mac history tomorrow, see what interesting facts I can find about it. :-)
-
No, no lights , nothing. Probably dead motherboard or dead PSU. I never owned a 68k mac so i don't realy know were to look for problems.
-
-
The display might depend on your monitor. I don't remember the scan rate on those Macs, but the lowendmac link above should tell you.
(Actually, it looks like Mac's LC and above should be able to do 640x480 on a VGA monitor as long as you have one of those mac-vga adapters)
On a lot of the Macs, the "power" button in on the keyboard, so I think it's possible you do need a keyboard to turn it on?
I don't have any of my Macs out now (except the Classic, which doesn't use the keyboard on/off button) or I'd check..
desiv
-
Well after reading alot :readit: it looks like the Mac IIFX needs two AA 3.6v 1/2 batteries in order to boot (and the ones on the machine probably are dead...), so i will trie replacing the batteries and see what appens.
If this works i will be on the looks for an keyboard and mouse (ADB conector) and of corse an DB15 to VGA adapter:coffee:.
-
Also check if that power button is acting as it's supposed to be, reading the continuity with a multimeter while it is disconnected from mains.
-
That i don't understand... :oops:... do what with the multimeter??
The buton is a pressure buton, don't do any click, or it's damaged... don't know.
-
Set the meter on continuity test (that one with a diode symbol).
With the machine unconnected from wall mains, put one probe on each "leg" of the button, then push it. If the multimeter beeps, that's working.
Also check if mentioned button don't have a locking mechanism that may get loose.
-
Now is this on the back of the computer that there is a small button that you press in, rather than a switch? If so, then this model was designed to have the Power button on the ADB keyboard as well. That being said, it should boot fine even if the PRAM battery is dead as both of my macs, the LCIII and the PowerCD 6290 have dead batteries and they boot they just don't keep the time. Anyway back to the power button. If the power button on the back is broken then try the power button on the keyboard. If that doesn't work check the power supply. If the power supply is dead, then I have a website you can go to and see if the gentleman there has any replacements.
Nathan
