[attach id=243015 size="medium"]The Microwriter has been restored to working order.[/attach]
When I first started the hobby of collecting vintage computers, I soon realised that to preserve these machines, information must be gathered, before troubleshooting the inside and cleaning process.
At the time, back in 1996, internet was still limited, and for additional information, I had to contact the respective companies or ex-workers directly through normal mail. After some time, I managed to collect a good number of documentation, which helped me in the restoration process of these machines.
The most complicated but not difficult part of this operation is troubleshooting faults that are stopping the machine to fully operate. Some machines can give you the impression that they are fully operational, only to discover later, that it is not the case.
The device I will use to describe the restoration process is the Microwriter, considered to be the first PDA in the beginning of the 1980s, one of the simple devices ever built. This article was written with The Microwriter and transferred to PC later using RS232, and is proof that vintage computing can be fun.
Although it’s not essential, a good knowledge of electronics will help you to troubleshoot faster and understand better how components are interacting. Vintage computers are no different from today’s computers; they are just a smaller scale of today’s computer with less memory and power. Usually technicians use a troubleshooting guide to find faults in these machines, but after some practice you will notice that the symptoms are just common between different models and types. The reward in all this is that while troubleshooting, one understands the concepts of computing, which is a simple and effective way of learning how computers work.
The good thing about the Microwriter is its internal chips are all on sockets, making it possible to replace and test each individual chip. Before you start working, you need to clean the motherboard from dust as this is the enemy for the chips inside, due to static. Use a synthetic antistatic brush to remove all the dust and carefully examine the board for cracks or any damages.
As it’s a very old machine, the memory and CPU are very difficult to find, but online auctions come to the rescue in finding obsolete components. In auctions be prepared for high prices. In this case I was getting garbage when I switched on the machine so I knew the fault must be either in the memory or logic chips. Eventually one of the logic chips was the culprit, which I found from my local supplier.
The final part is the case cosmetics and any moving parts such as tape, keyboard, mice and drives. The procedure is the same as the motherboard. Remove dust and grease all moving parts. The case and keyboard will also need cleaning and if you have a case with a light colour then most probably you have the yellowing effect.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the plastic was sprayed with a transparent fire retardant chemical to protect the case from catching fire. After some years, this chemical will start to yellow. In the beginning there was no solution for this, but enthusiasts tried some chemical solutions to restore the colour, and after a lot of experiments they managed to reverse it and code-named it “retr0bright”. While examining the formula of “Retr0bright” I noticed that if I use a peroxide cream used by most hair stylists I might get the same result. After some experimentation, I managed to get the same result by using 40 per cent peroxide cream and UV light. With the help of the UV light, the peroxide reacts on the spray coating reversing the process.
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Maurizio Banavage probably has Malta’s largest private collection of vintage personal computers.