We are happy to announce we will be at this VCF MidWest. We will be offering on site services and selling various products. We will also have personal items we’re selling.

We hope to see you there!

Our store is now officially up and running. You can find it at https://store.amigaofrochester.com – we have upgrades for your Amiga and Macintosh.

IIFX 1

This Macintosh IIFX “Reloaded” build, fresh from Bolle, initially presented a daunting challenge: It powered on, the fan spun, but beyond that, it was unresponsive – no chime, no video, no signs of life. While not completely dead, it was certainly in a coma. But as any seasoned tech knows, the silence (or in this case, the fan noise) is just the beginning of the story.

My diagnostic journey started with the fundamentals. I verified the RESET and HALT signals, confirming they were correctly transitioning low on reset and returning high. Next, I employed ZigZagJoe’s invaluable ROM diagnostic card. Unfortunately, the card was halting almost immediately after attempting to boot, indicating a deeper issue than a simple ROM problem.

With the ROM ruled out, I shifted my focus to clock signals. A thorough check revealed all expected clocks were present at their designated test points. This led me to suspect a potential problem with the OVERLAY signal, crucial for directing the CPU to the correct ROM location.

While probing for the VIA clock, I made a critical discovery. I was referencing the chip’s part number, not its board designation, and consequently, I was looking in the wrong place! I was missing the VIACLK signal entirely. A closer inspection of the board revealed a critical error: UD13 and UE13 were swapped. Correcting this oversight brought a glimmer of hope – the system now attempted to power on (the fan was already spinning), although it still wouldn’t chime.

I installed some SIMMs and connected my BlueSCSI. The system finally chimed! However, the NMI (Non-Maskable Interrupt) button behaved erratically. Pressing it resulted in no “death chime” unless it was pressed immediately after reset. This pointed towards a potential memory or interrupt controller issue.

At this point, I reached out to the board’s creator, Bolle, for guidance. He graciously pointed me to a crucial detail I had missed: jumper J103, which enables the SRAM, was not bridged. Bridging J103 proved to be the missing link. The IIFX finally chimed to life!

With a functioning system, I turned my attention to the remaining issue: the non-functional NuBus slots. SCSI was working flawlessly, but NuBus remained stubbornly silent. I verified the presence of the NuBus clock signal, which was indeed present. Despite having the correct clock, the NuBus cards were not recognized.

In a moment of desperation, I resorted to a technique familiar to many hardware troubleshooters: targeted reflow. I decided to reflow several TI chips, including two TI G(P?)ALs (Generic Programmable Array Logic). And, to my surprise, this seemingly random act proved to be the solution! After reflowing those two GALs, I powered on the system, and… video! The NuBus slots were now working.

While I still have some final testing to complete, this marathon troubleshooting session has hopefully reached its end. This experience highlights the importance of meticulous signal tracing, double-checking component placement, and sometimes, a little bit of luck. Thanks to Bolle’s expertise and a systematic approach, this Macintosh IIFX has been resurrected from its near-death experience!

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be at VCF SoCal 2025 (https://www.vcfsocal.com/)! This is the ultimate event for retro computing fans, and I’ll be bringing a ton of exciting Amiga and retro tech goodies. Here’s what you can expect to find at my booth:

• A1200.net Black Keycaps: Sleek and stylish replacements for your Amiga 1200 keyboard.
• A1200.net Asahi Cases: Sleek and stylish replacement cases for your Amiga 1200.
• Amiga 600 Upgrades: FastRAM and ChipRAM upgrades to supercharge your A600.
• PiStorm Variants: Including PiStorm for Amiga 600, PiStorm32, and Amiga 500 options.
• Individual Computers’ Indivision Solutions: Indivision AGA MK3 for Amiga 1200, Indivision ECS for Amiga 500/600, and Indivision AGA MK2 for Amiga 4000/CD32.
• BlueSCSI v2 with WiFi: Internal, external, and PowerBook variants for seamless SCSI storage solutions with modern convenience.

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your classic Amiga, explore PiStorm possibilities, or add a BlueSCSI to your retro setup, I’ve got you covered. Stop by to chat about retro tech, check out the gear, and find the perfect additions for your collection.

I can’t wait to meet fellow enthusiasts and celebrate the golden age of computing together. See you at VCF SoCal 2025! ??️

#VCFSoCal #Amiga #RetroComputing #PiStorm #Indivision #BlueSCSI #AmigaUpgrades

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll now be offering A1200.net cases and black Amiga 1200 keycaps! ? Whether you’re restoring a classic Amiga 1200 or building a sleek, modern retro-inspired setup, these high-quality cases and keycaps are the perfect way to elevate your project.

✨ What’s Available:

• A1200.net Cases: Durable, stylish, and designed to fit your Amiga 1200 perfectly.
• Black Amiga 1200 Keycaps: Sleek, modern, and perfect for a bold, minimalist look while staying true to the retro vibe.

These products are ideal for collectors, modders, and anyone who loves the iconic Amiga 1200. Stay tuned for more details, including pricing and availability!

Let’s keep the retro spirit alive with a fresh twist! ??️

Exciting news for Commodore Amiga enthusiasts! We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our new store! Where you can find premium upgrades tailored specifically for the iconic Commodore Amiga.

Our curated collection includes:

• Accelerated Processors: Turbocharge your Amiga’s processing power and enjoy lightning-fast performance.
• Advanced Graphics Cards: Immerse yourself in stunning visuals and elevate your gaming and multimedia experiences.
• Expanded Storage Options: Store more games, applications, and media with ease, thanks to our selection of storage upgrades.

You can find the new store at https://store.amigaofrochester.com

We recently had a pretty great piece come in for restoration. A TAM, a twentieth anniversary Macintosh. We did a full restoration, minus its power supply (owners preference).

What was done

• Replaced two headers on Bose board to eliminate buzzing
• Crimped new connectors for speaker
• Recapped Bose board
• Recapped logic board with polymer and polymer tantalum capacitors with appropriate derating
• Recapped power distribution board with polymer and polymer tantalum capacitors with appropriate derating

Owner’s write up https://www.mac27.net/tam-restoration

Owner’s write up on disassembly https://www.mac27.net/tam-disassembly

A customer sent us his LC II to get fully restored. We removed all components in the affected area and cleaned everything thoroughly. We then replaced the components after cleaning them. One recapped the logic board was ultrasonic cleaned.

Along with the logic board they sent their Apple IIe card. It was in fairly good shape beyond some light corrosion which we remedied.

A friend had a PlayStation 4 slim he needed a new HDMI port installed. Here are some photos of the work.

If you need your HDMI port replaced, feel free to reach out!