Mac Portable problems (was Re: Mac Portable batt charger) - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

21 Aug 1998

--- Uncle Roger wrote:
At 08:41 PM 8/20/98 EDT, you wrote:
...
 --- Tony Duell wrote:
Do you have a working battery in the machine? IIRC, the PSU can't supply 
enough current on it's own to get the machine and hard disk started up. 
When the hard disk tries to spin up, the PSU shuts down, etc. Giving you 
exactly what you're seeing 
That is true.  Took me a while to figure that out.

...
 Really? I'm charging a pair of batteries overnight.
Tomorrow I'll see if 
anything works with a charged battery. I thought that with the 9-volt 
backup and the power adapter, that was enough juice -- Uncle Roger, is 
that what you were saying earlier? 
Yes, that seems to work, provided you take the cover for the main battery
off.  Also, the 9v has to be pretty new.  
--- end of quote ---

Yeah, I pulled the main battery cover and it was definitely drawing on the backup 9V, but
maybe it's too low. That dual-battery thing scared the bejesus out of me the first
time I tinkered with a Portable -- I'm staring at the power adapter, unplugged, with
the main battery in my hand, and the bloody machine's still humming and chiming,
seemingly getting power from _nowhere_. I thought there was a ghost. ;)

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

-- MB