Roger Holmes wrote:
I've taken my old Lisa 2 home after a few years
disuse and tried it
out. It currently has MacWorks installed on the hard disc and it
booted fine but the screen has a problem, it shows three smudged menu
bars equally spaced down the screen and it also has fairly bright fly
back lines at about 30 degree angles.
I have the official spares kit for it but never went on the training
course as I programmed them, someone else who has now left the
company, repaired them.
Is this likely to be a minor logic fault in the video generation
circuitry, presumably on the I/O board, or there is a small board in
the spares kit which handles the high tension for the screen, is it
more likely to be that?
How do I get at the HT board? Do I have to remove the four screws at
the front of the CRT? It seems unlikely Apple would have made
engineers do that but how else can I get into the HT enclosure?
Unplug all cables
from the back.
Unlock the back panel by twisting the two screw locks, and pull it down.
Next find the two thumb indentations under the Lisa display in the
front, push up and remove the front panel.
Next remove the top of the case.
You'll find the analog card right behind the CRT. It's accessible from
the top.
You can crush a small bit of cardboard - a small crumpled slice of one
of those fall out subscription cards from magazines will work nicely.
Reconnect the power & mouse.
In the front, there's a small power cut off switch around where the
thumb indentation on the front of the case is, jam the bit cardboard in
there. There's another one in the back near where one of the thumb
screw locks is. Doing so will allow you to turn the Lisa on with the
case off and adjust the pots on the analog board.
If you've had the screen modification kit (ROM version will show as
3A/88 or 3A/A8), you may have a transformer between the analog board and
the CRT. Perhaps this is related to the issue.
Problems could be anywhere from the VS ROM on the I/O board, or the
signals from the I/O board going out through the motherboard to the
analogboard, and also in the power supply.
Before you do much else, I'd disconnect the I/O board, and motherboard
and clean out the contacts. Ditto for the power supply. Usual
anti-static precautions apply to the card cage/motherboard.
After you do that, and whatever you've used to clean the contacts is dry
and clean, play with the pots on the analog board (I've had good luck
with DeOxit, other stuff works too, as does a rubber eraser - but
caution there as these can cause static buildup and might scrape the
contacts off if they're worn.)
The pots on the analog board are usually glued down so note their
position before touching them, and be careful not to crack them, or
you'll have yet another part to replace. :-) wiggling them around with
a screw driver gently is best - if you can find a plastic tipped one, so
much the better, or if not shave down a plastic knife into the shape of
a flathead screwdriver so you don't electrocute yourself, or short
something out by accident. (I've personally used metal ones and have
been careful, so YMMV.)
If it's not a 2/10 (if it has an external parallel port on the
motherboard) make sure it no longer has the AA NiCad batteries, if it
does and they've leaked, they could have damaged the I/O board.
Usual warnings about electrocution and causing damage to the Lisa
through shorts apply, but you sound like you know what you're doing so
I'll spare the usual broiler plate babble about the dangers of touching
the wrong items while the machine is powered on and frying yourself, etc.
:)
Have fun.