Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!aplcen!haven!udel!mmdf From: casebolt%esdc.span@fedex.msfc.nasa.gov Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: RE: A500 hardware problem Message-ID: <7352@nigel.udel.EDU> Date: 4 Jan 90 00:59:43 GMT Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU Lines: 68 From: FEDEX::"amiga-relay-request@louie.udel.edu" 29-DEC-1989 12:27:33.09 To: ESDC$SPAN::CASEBOLT CC: Subj: A500 hardware problem Received: from udel.edu by Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov with INTERNET ; Fri, 29 Dec 89 12:28:22 CST Received: from louie.udel.edu by louie.udel.edu id ai11019; 29 Dec 89 15:50 GMT Received: from USENET by louie.udel.edu id aa10982; 29 Dec 89 10:45 EST Received: from snow-white.ee.udel.edu by louie.udel.edu id ai10904; 29 Dec 89 10:44 EST Received: from louie.udel.edu by snow-white.ee.udel.edu id aj21570; 29 Dec 89 10:42 EST From: Kevin Stocksdale Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: A500 hardware problem Message-ID: <7057@nigel.udel.EDU> Date: 29 Dec 89 15:39:24 GMT To: amiga-relay@udel.edu Sender: amiga-relay-request@udel.edu I have a stock A500 (with an 2002 monitor bought Nov. 1987). Every couple of months a problem arises which can be fixed by re-seating various chips. When I turn the power on I hear the floppy drive click every couple seconds (to determine if a disk is present). The screen which prompts the user to insert the disk a.) does not appear. b.) takes a long time to appear. c.) sometimes appears with corrupted color and vertical lines. When the screen does not appear the machine fails to recognize when I insert a disk. And on occasion the red power LED will flash 11 times then it seems that the CPU gets reset and the process repeats itself (no disk click when this happens). Because of the frequency of occurence it would not be economical to send it out for repair. Besides, I can resolve the problem by pressing on a few chips. Does the 11 flashes of the power LED signify something (diagnostic code)? Does anyone have any suggestions as to which chip may need replacing? ================================================================ Kevin Stocksdale Advanced Computer Communications kes@saturn.acc.com 10220 Old Columbia Rd. 301-290-8100 Columbia Md. 21046 ================================================================ Last week I repaired a friends A500 with the exact same symptoms!! Open the computer (if it is out of warranty) and check around the disk drive where the frame of the drive sits against board... Commodore or who ever left the leads a tad too long (and sharp). On my friends machine, there was a strip of mylar insulating the drive from the board. The leads of the components were sticking thru the mylar and shorting (intermittently) against the drive frame!! Also check the other leads of the components on the main CPU board! Alot of them are too long and are possible sticking thru the mylar and shorting out on the RF (metal) shield! I also touched up a few solder joints..(I don't recommend this unless you have soldered before!!!) Just take a pair of cutters and cut the component leads back a little! This fixed my friends problem and will probably cure your sick A500.. Let me know if this was the problem... Richard Casebolt 205-544-2966