bjwil1991 wrote on 2021-08-01, 22:40:

I was doing some reflowing on the GUS Max 2.1 card since it would lock up at the detection using the DOS setup program or when I enable it in Windows 95C's device manager. I reflowed the following to see if the issue would get fixed:
[...]
Apparently, the ICS1614 GF1 chip is done for and the card isn't detected any longer (throws an error saying the HW address is in use, the CD drive isn't detected, and so on).

The GF1 is almost certainly fried. I had the same symptoms on my original GUS board and replacing the GF1 fixed it. Here's a thread I made about the issue: Bringing a Gravis Ultrasound back from the dead

Not a retro hardware, but a device helping fixing it ... I recently fried my multi-function tester TC-1 by plugging a charged cap into it 🙁

polpo wrote on 2022-01-07, 17:10:

bjwil1991 wrote on 2021-08-01, 22:40:

I was doing some reflowing on the GUS Max 2.1 card since it would lock up at the detection using the DOS setup program or when I enable it in Windows 95C's device manager. I reflowed the following to see if the issue would get fixed:
[...]
Apparently, the ICS1614 GF1 chip is done for and the card isn't detected any longer (throws an error saying the HW address is in use, the CD drive isn't detected, and so on).

The GF1 is almost certainly fried. I had the same symptoms on my original GUS board and replacing the GF1 fixed it. Here's a thread I made about the issue: Bringing a Gravis Ultrasound back from the dead

I have a GUS ACE anyway that'll get tested this Saturday (work schedule is cray). Wish someone in the USA sold the ICS GF1 chips for a good price so I can install the GUS Max 2.1 in another system.

Anyone still discussing this?
Lately I was watching some videos on repairing an IBM P70 portable computer. I had wanted one since they first came out, and eventually many years later I found one being thrown out.
Trying to do some work/upgrades on it, I eventually broke the SIMM slots (the typical thing that breaks on these, having plastic catches). I don't even remember where I got rid of it, and I wish I had held on to it anyway, because now I'd be able to get it fixed.
Probably broke some others over the years as well, just can't remember which.

Tried to install some memory in my "new" Proliant ML530, but tried it the wrong way.
Corrected the error after it did not boot up.
Now the system refuses to POST.
Even the originally installed single 128MB stick does not work anymore.

A year ago I had a glass of wine and tipped over one of those compaq armada laptops with a k6-2+ in it. The screen is busted.

Joakim wrote on 2024-10-01, 20:10:

A year ago I had a glass of wine and tipped over one of those compaq armada laptops with a k6-2+ in it. The screen is busted.

Retro computing and alcohol: diluted ethyl, NO; pure isopropyl, YES. 😉

Joakim wrote on 2024-10-01, 20:10:

A year ago I had a glass of wine and tipped over one of those compaq armada laptops with a k6-2+ in it. The screen is busted.

Look at the bright side, you actually defeated an armada. 😉

I dub thee Sir Francis Drake 🤣

Do near misses count?

Let me recount a tale of my ineptitude circa 2 days ago.

I was recently replacing some caps and resistors on my amiga 1200 since apparently commodore got the values wrong on rev 1A motherboards , the result would be distorted and incorrect sounding music being played.

So here's the thing , I hadn't removed smd ceramic caps in a while , and forgot the technique of flooding both sides of the cap with solder and pushing it off, what I did instead in my infinite wisdom was to wick off one side of the cap , then hold it with tweezers and as I heated up the remaining soldered side and pulled it with the tweezers,
but my hand slipped and I made a gash across some traces with the tweezers pointy end, said traces go from the keyboard connector to the keyboard controller chip , I wish I could say I'd been drinking prior to this taking place but no I just had a brain fart.

After taking a close up picture I saw that some copper was exposed , thusly I panicked and decided to multi out all the traces that the scratch went across.

Luckily I found a picture of an unpopulated pcb online so that made it easier to find where the traces went.

Thankfully nothing was broken but I decided to put a drop of nail polish to seal off the exposed tracks.

Did the keyboard test and all seems fine. And yes I then remembered the proper method and finished the replacement job.

I nearly thought I ruined the A1200 though,which was bloody scary, wouldn't have enjoyed having to fix that mistake , thats for sure!

TLDR : dropped some tweezers and nearly murdered an amiga.

I forgot to tighten the cooler on my 940 motherboard after taken it out of storage (i loosen it to prevent the board being wrapped by the mounting pressure) and when i let it run for a while, the computer suddenly shut off and no longer power up again.
checking the cpu1 show that cpu power rail had been shorted, remove the cpu fool me into thinking that the short is gone and when i powered the board, two cap near cpu1 socket gone up in smoke in a very fashion event (look like when the cpu cooked itself, it also cause those two cap to became shorted i thinks?)
the cpu1 is gone but the cpu2 is somehow still working.
the board is still unknown until i found the replacement cap for the cpu

Note to self, put up note to self in workshop to put note to self on masking tape and stick it over power buttons of any machines that need important recommissioning procedures.

i burned a geforce 256 with too much overclocking and voltage, one month after release 😉

and in the past i hit a pentium pro with a hammer until complete destruction. i didnt like it not booting after tried for 12h 😀 a not tested desktop i bought 5 years ago. but i removed the pentium pro 200 gold cpu before hitting.

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-10-02, 13:06:

I dub thee Sir Francis Drake 🤣

🤣 thanks guys it really feels better now.