ScuzzBlog: Diaries February 2021
Entry 5th February 2021: Post 1: Amiga 1200 salvage - Out of LUX.
Amiga 1200 salvage - Out of LUX.
Been a pretty disappointing day I have to say. Up until a month
or so I had two broken A1200 computers, Risa and Lux. Then I
discovered this other Amiga 1200 in the loft with a spare case
and keyboard and I thought I would be able to salvage Lux. Sadly
not the case. I knew that to get anywhere I would need to get the
keyboard working. This did not happen. So sad.
I have tried several times to get Lux working. She appears to
generate the same issue no matter which keyboard I use. She will
boot with the caps light on and remain on if I press down on the
key when I boot, but then when she is finally into the Workbench
the keyboard vanishes. It no longer is functioning. Dead.
This computer was sold as broken. She accompanied a tower which
had used some of her parts and sadly she was dead on arrival. She
had once had fitted an internal 3.5" and has the ribbon and the
internal power wiring for the larger drive. I can get the computer
to boot on the external floppy, the mouse is working and all looks
fine on the screen. I have even got the computer working on a 3.5"
hard drive. But no keyboard. One additional problem is that if you
disconnect the LED the floppy drive also stops working.
I sense an issue with the power circuit and I think something at
some time blew the associated power circuit to the 3.5" drive.
Matters not cus without any electrical skills I have no way of
checking what is wrong. best I can do is swap stuff out. Without
the keyboard she is dead in the water.
I tried three keyboards with all the same result. Hopeless. The
same problem occurs no matter what keyboard is used. And so I
have labelled Lux accordingly and put her back in store with Risa.
Just a word on those other Amigas. The first, Risa, powers up with
lights to the floppy and will engage the floppy but I get just a
grey screen and no boot. The caps light blinks so she is technically
alive. Just. The second that I found in the loft was obviously in
the loft cus she was broken. I believe I put her there to stop me
trying to fire her up. One of her capacitors has disintegrated
leaving two metal tangs on the keyboard making it quite dangerous
using her. So she stays dormant. I do have three or four other
Amiga motherboards plus numerous floppy drives but all needing
some kind of electrical skill to repair. I have none.
Fortunately I have over thirty working Amiga 1200s so not a today
problem. You never know maybe one day. I will still sit pondering
the problem tonight and I bet I will again have a 'what if?'
moment. Happens.
Never mind. You can't win every day. There is always tomorrow .......
Time to fire up Lux and play League of Legends... As you do.
Lux The Lady of Luminosity Always something to cheer me up.
Amiga 1200 salvage - Out of LUX.
This won't make a whole heap of sense ..
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