Cathode Ray Dude - CRD | Repairing Apple IIc RAM (Also The Stuff I Broke) @CathodeRayDude | Uploaded January 2020 | Updated October 2024, 1 week ago.
This is a basic documentary video of me locating and replacing a failed RAM chip in an Apple IIc, in which I make a number of gruesome mistakes but ultimately am triumphant.
I recommend not attempting this kind of project unless you're experienced at soldering, have removed ICs before, and have watched a bunch of videos about repairing 80s computers, because there are plenty of pitfalls; these machines are very fragile.
I turned the camera off for the trace repair process because I was frustrated and needed to concentrate, but it's about like you'd expect - I stripped a tiny piece of wire, bent it, dropped it into the holes, then pressed the new socket in so it traps the wire ends in the through-holes. The only detail that isn't visible is that the other end of the lower bodge wire had no available hole to drop into, so I had to wrap it around the appropriate leg of the neighboring IC.
I *did* run a RAM test with the lower trace missing (it took me four tries to get the trace repair right) and the result was *RAM ZP 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0.
To check your IIc ROM version:
- Boot up with no disk
- Type "print peek(64447)"
- Any response other than 255 means you have the RAM test feature.
Links (not affiliated, just wanted to save you a goog):
- Engineer SS-02 solder pump: amazon.com/Engineer-SS-02-Solder-Sucker/dp/B002MJMXD4
- Apple Floppy Emu: bigmessowires.com/floppy-emu
Support my channel:
patreon.com/cathoderaydude
ko-fi.com/cathoderaydude
This is a basic documentary video of me locating and replacing a failed RAM chip in an Apple IIc, in which I make a number of gruesome mistakes but ultimately am triumphant.
I recommend not attempting this kind of project unless you're experienced at soldering, have removed ICs before, and have watched a bunch of videos about repairing 80s computers, because there are plenty of pitfalls; these machines are very fragile.
I turned the camera off for the trace repair process because I was frustrated and needed to concentrate, but it's about like you'd expect - I stripped a tiny piece of wire, bent it, dropped it into the holes, then pressed the new socket in so it traps the wire ends in the through-holes. The only detail that isn't visible is that the other end of the lower bodge wire had no available hole to drop into, so I had to wrap it around the appropriate leg of the neighboring IC.
I *did* run a RAM test with the lower trace missing (it took me four tries to get the trace repair right) and the result was *RAM ZP 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0.
To check your IIc ROM version:
- Boot up with no disk
- Type "print peek(64447)"
- Any response other than 255 means you have the RAM test feature.
Links (not affiliated, just wanted to save you a goog):
- Engineer SS-02 solder pump: amazon.com/Engineer-SS-02-Solder-Sucker/dp/B002MJMXD4
- Apple Floppy Emu: bigmessowires.com/floppy-emu
Support my channel:
patreon.com/cathoderaydude
ko-fi.com/cathoderaydude
