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ScuzzBlog: Diaries May 2017

Entry 15th May 2017: Post: 4


That was close


Hi

Woke this morning reflecting on the Checkmate and 2.0 ROM on the 500Plus 
and was convinced that not all my 500Plus machines showed the 2.0 ROM 
purple boot screen. I pulled out two and the first requested the 1.3. 
The second machine was in a very poor state with two keys missing off 
the keyboard. Plugged in and this one showed the purple 2.0 ROM screen. 
I recall replacing a motherboard on a 500 with an older board so maybe 
that was what was confusing me.

I decided to replace the keyboard as I had one kicking about and it was 
then that I noticed the seals were not broken on the 500Plus. My heart 
skipped a beat as I realised that that meant a battery inside. I quickly 
broke the seals and opened the computer and yes there was a dark blue, 
very dark blue, battery and it was beginning to leak. Fortunately it 
hadn't spread too far from the location and with only slight greening to 
one or two adjacent chips. What was interesting was the greening to the 
expansion slot pins... copper green.

I gently rocked the old battery backward and forward till it snapped 
off. I then got the old cotton buds out and vinegar and cleaned the 
whole area around the battery. I also removed so many dust balls from 
inside the machine. I then mixed a small amount of bi-carb [ Andrews 
Liver Salts ] and neutralised the acid. Then I dusted cleaned and dried.

I then replaced the keyboard and added a 500K upgrade card to the 
trapdoor slot. As you do.

Let dry for a while and then fired up and working no problem. Phew !! I 
thought I had really seen the last of my batteries. Now I can test if my 
sidecar is working from yesterday and test a few more. One of the GVPs 
has a busted slot which looks like someone tried to ram it into 
something it shouldn't or used a screwdriver on it. I have no way of 
knowing the history of any of the kit. I have another GVP with a faulty 
hard drive so may swap them out and see if I can get one working. Its 
what I do. Always leads to something else.

And so another Amiga is running and ticking away. Happy days. 11.30.. 
breakfast.

That was a PLUS.. Get it ! Talking to myself again. No worries.

scuzz


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Last updated 01/09/2017

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