Macintosh SE/30 SONY Power Supply (PSU) Recapping Walkthrough

[@SteveRieck-Music]

Got my CR-44 recapped and calibrated at 5.3v. Thank you JDW and Mouser! could not have done it without you.

[@JDW-]

That's wonderful to hear, Steve! Thanks for making time to let me know your success!

[@80lab38]

The Mouser baskets for this and the analog board saved me a ton of work. Those customer numbers were especially helpful and made recapping a breeze! Thank you so much for that!

[@1BitFeverDreams]

These videos are gems and I'll be recapping my 2 Sony PSs from my se and se/30 in a few weeks.

[@cooperschwartz318]

This guy needs more than 7k subscribers his videos are too well made

[@JDW-]

Thank you for your very kind words!

[@cooperschwartz318]

@@JDW- yeah no problem! I just recapped my AppleColor RGB monitor with no instruction or capacitor lists and I haven’t tested it yet becuause digikey forgot half my order

[@JDW-]

Forgot half your order? Or half your order was backordered? I use Mouser myself, so I can’t speak much about did Digikey problems.

[@cooperschwartz318]

@@JDW- I ordered everything, I double triple checked, one of the capacitors was wrong and I was missing 2 for the apple iigs motherboard

[@JDW-]

Wow! I’m terribly sorry to hear that. Out of all of the years I have used Mouser, the only one problem I had was a package was lost in the mail by FedEx one time. Other than that, there have been no issues.

[@timlosito]

Just came from watching the entire hour and 18 minutes of the analog board recap video so I could watch this vid in its entirely as well. Was not disappointed. Just subscribed!

[@JDW-]

Thank you, Tim. The average view duration on this video is surprisingly only 8 minutes, and while I fully understand my videos are long, there's a lot to miss if one only watches 8 minutes. So take comfort in knowing you are well equipped to perform the recap flawlessly! As for future videos, I'm experimenting with various 60mm fans now in order to find the quietest fan that moves the most amount of air, relative to the volume of air moved by stock fans. I also hope to make a video about some exotic upgrades like the Micron Xceed Grayscale board and 50MHz Daystar socketed accelerator, both of which I just happen to own. So there's more to come! Best wishes!

[@ph2869]

I really appreciate that your videos are at the level of detail you would need to do these things yourself. I am a fan of the other well-watched retro computer channels, but they are more like entertainment- sometimes not enough detail to do it yourself, or in some cases the host usually doesn't bother to do anything hard. There's a place for those but, again, I'm glad to have found your videos which are bursting with specificity! : )

[@JDW-]

Thank you for your kind words, Patrick. I am no Harrison Ford, so I try to stick to the facts and make videos to simply be as helpful as possible rather than provide 3 to 10 minutes of pure entertainment. I certainly appreciate the fact there are folks out there such as yourself who find that informative and useful. Thanks!

[@santospoland]

Excellent video, everything required was covered in this video. An exceptional walk through. 5 stars!

[@JDW-]

Thank you for your kind words, Alex!

[@joethezombie]

Nice JDW! I really love your videos on the SE/30 and how complete they are. Comparing the voltages with the Seasonic was quite informative. Thanks!

[@JDW-]

Thank you for your kind words, Joe!

[@JDW-]

Check out this detailed Mac SE restoration by Austin Altmann (Feb. 2021): www.austinaltmann.com/musings.html

[@santospoland]

Just a short comment: At 21:31 you begin scraping the solder mask to expose the copper underneath to allow for a better contact surface for the solder but perhaps scraping should be done before you attach the new capacitor just to make scraping easier to perform. Great video by the way!

[@JDW-]

You have an amazing eye for detail, Alex. I hold that in high regard! Yes, it would have been easier and better. I simply wanted to show the feet sticking through in the video. I wish you the very best in your own recapping project!

[@santospoland]

@@JDW- Thank you for the comments and encouragement. I am actually back to your video because I plan to perform this on the Sony and I think you have an SE/30 analog board video which I intend to use as a reference. Thank you for all the time you take to put these together and the links, all of it is invaluable! People like you who devote so much time and knowledge are remarkably valuable for the community.

[@jmunozar]

Hi James! -- thanks for sharing this video -- I am in the process of recapping my PSU and this has been quite quite helpful. Out of curiosity -- what's the name of the game of that helicopter moving at the end of the video? . Its def not stunt copter

[@JDW-]

Best wishes on your recapping adventure! You can download that extremely fun helicopter game (Armor Alley) here: macintoshgarden.org/games/armor-alley

[@pocketscience911]

@JDW the link for the Apple S’pore PSU cap list seems to not work, or the destination at 68kmla no longer exists. Do you happen to have that list still? I figured out why one of my SE/30’s won’t power up… rubbish voltage coming out of the PSU, along with brown goop.

[@JDW-]

The 68kMLA experienced several months of data loss at the end of June 2021, and the thread I linked to was a victim of that. Thanks to your having kindly alerted me to the problem though, I have just changed the URL to a different thread which also provides the cap list for the S'pore PSU (see page 2 of that thread as well): bit.ly/3yfTXiM

[@pocketscience911]

@@JDW- Wonderful - thanks. I've cross-referenced that with my actual board and confirmed it's correct. I've documented the physical aspects as well. I'll start a thread on TD.

[@n3rd193]

@JDW Hi. I have just finish to recap a Sony PSU from a Mac SE. I have used the instructions of your video and your mouser list. The PSU is working perfectly on the 5v rail. I have set it to 5.3v. However, I am really worried about the 12v rails. The first one (red cable) measures 9.5v. The second one (yellow cable) measures 10v. The -12v rail is even worst : -7.3. Is it simply a regulation problem due to the fact I am testing the PSU without any charge. Or a component is defective. In this case, can you give me somme advice ? Thank for your great job and your really interresting videos.

[@JDW-]

I assume those are your post-recap voltage measurements. What did you measure before your recap? In other words, was there any improvement post-recap? If there was improvement in the 5V line voltage but not the 12V or -12V lines, then regulator components are suspect.

[@n3rd193]

​@@JDW- Yes, this is post-recap voltage measurements. Unfortunately, I have not maked voltage measurements before recapping the PSU. So, I can not compare these voltage values with the initial ones. However, I can tell you that this PSU is coming from a working Mac SE FDHD but with hard drive problem (it was not recognized by the Mac). Is there a way to test the regulator components ?

[@JDW-]

Below is a link to the Sony PSU schematic. I’ve not had time to do circuit analysis of it to say what your problem could be, but the first step is to trace the 12V and -12V outputs back to their driver circuitry and then check that area on your PSU. Look for burned components and test resistor values with a meter. It’s probably a bad resistor or transistor or maybe the switching regulator IC. Your hard drive is t recognized because of the low voltage on the 12V line. Fixing that should result in the Mac seeing your drive. But be sure to test the 12V with no loads attached to see if the voltage is low. If it drops only when a load is attached, it could be a short somewhere or even a cable problem. bit.ly/2CoFEgJ

[@n3rd193]

​@@JDW- Ok, many thanks for your answers and your advices.

[@n3rd193]

I have just finished the reassembly of my Macintosh SE FDHD. It is now fully fonctional including the hard drive. Actually, my PSU had not any problem nor dysfunction. This PSU really need to be in real conditions to properly regulate the voltages. It can not regalute the 12v line without any load attached. I had to set the 5v line to about 5.55v on the PSU with no load attached. With this setting, the voltage values are correct on both 5v and 12v lines when the Mac is running. I have also recapped the analog board of this Mac thanks to your other video. By the way, do you think that a recapping of the logic board of this Macintosh SE FDHD can be usefull in the future ? Thank you again for your advices and your videos.

[@BestSpatula]

After recapping my CR-44, I accidentally shorted some of the output rails together while measuring voltage. The SE/30 restarted and seemed fine after rebooting. But now it won't power on. I removed the PSU from the mac entirely and noticed the PSU chassis is +13.7V in reference to the ground pin on the molex connector. The 3112V with its heatsink fastened to the chassis seems responsible for this, but the datasheet seems to say the backside of the 3112V case is input, not ground. Am I way past recovering this and should I go the seasonic route? Thoughts? Thanks for your excellent work. Your content is the best on this topic I've been able to find.

[@JDW-]

Thank you for your kind words. I'm very sorry to hear about that accidental short circuit! You are correct about the middle pin of SI-3112V being the Input and that Input pin also being the metal back side of that component, as per this datasheet: bit.ly/34uWx4H The issue though is that the gray heatsink pad that goes behind that part insulates that pin-2 input from shorting against the Earth-grounded metal chassis (the Earth-ground prong on a 3-pin AC power plug). Also note that the metal clip which holds the SI-3112V tightly against the chassis never comes in contact with the back (metal) side of SI-3112V. That component is a rather precarious situation, to be sure, but that was SONY's only recourse for a good heatsinking of various parts of the power supply. Suffice it to say, you should never replace those gray heat-pads with thermal paste! The pads insulate and prevent a short to Earth-ground. I must say I didn't realize this point until I read your post, otherwise I would have put it in my video. If you put your volt-meter's RED probe on the chassis and the BLACK probe on ground and see a positive 13.7V, which seems to be what you are saying, then I suspect that either pin-2 (metal back side of SI-3112V) is shorted against the chassis metal (which is very bad) or the SI-3112V is damaged and needs to be replaced. Can you please investigate this and let me know? It could be that you are using the gray pad correctly and there is no short to Earth-ground, which means that part is just bad. I suspect it is bad because the datasheet says that part regulates its output voltage to between 11.8v to 12.2v. If damaged, it's a problem because that kind of part is no longer made. All similar 2-pin 2A or 3A voltage regulators on Mouser have pin-2 as GROUND or something other than the "input." Also, the parts on Mouser can only handle up to 26V on the input, whereas the SI-3112V allows up to 30V. So if that part is bad, you would need to salvage one from another SONY power supply, or go the SEASONIC route.

[@BestSpatula]

@@JDW- your comments were extremely helpful. I didn't have a gray pad between that 3112V and the chassis. Apparently it fell on the floor before I was aware of it even existing. I found the pad and reassembled everything correctly. No more 12V on the chassis. The SE/30 powers on now. And I was worried I ruined this computer. Thank you so much, my Mac is saved! ❤

[@JDW-]

@@BestSpatula I am very glad to hear the pad solved your voltage problem! If you are not seeing any problems with the display or booting or hard drive or floppy drive (internal or external), then it's clear that accidental +12V on the chassis (ground) did not damage anything. Best wishes!

[@benhur767]

I'm getting ready to recap my PSU using your excellent video as a guide. I'm having trouble finding the right tool to adjust the potentiometer. You have a plus-shaped plastic tool, do you know where I can find one?

[@JDW-]

I posted the following links under my Color Classic CRT adjustment video, which are plastic tools that can be safely used in a variety of situations where there are potentiometers to twist... • 8pc CRT Adjustment Tool kit (Amazon USA): amzn.to/3FGA32P • 9pc CRT Adjustment Tool kit (Amazon USA): amzn.to/3vg8ZBB (The above are Amazon USA affiliate links.)

[@benhur767]

Thank you! @@JDW- 😃

[@cannfoddr]

C162 and C265 from your list are showing as backordered at mouser UK - any suggestions for alternatives?

[@JDW-]

I just replaced those 2 caps in the Cart: bit.ly/2CNvLFU​ Thanks for letting me know!

[@Dawstering]

Hey, I know this doesn't really relate to the power supply but what would you recommend for recapping the axial on the motherboard, Branchus Creations mouser brings me to electrolytic, but I don't mind paying the premium for tantalums

[@JDW-]

My video refers to the Macintosh SE/30, so I must must assume that is the motherboard you are talking about recapping. Because of the large capacitance of the two axial capacitors on the SE/30 motherboard, you can only recap those with fluid-filled electrolytics, unfortunately. I put Mouser links to replacement capacitors for those two Axial and the other capacitors too in the text description under my other video below. You might want to watch that video too, as I discuss the pitfalls of choosing the wrong voltage rating for replacement Tantalum capacitors when recapping the SE/30 motherboard. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIGukp1vYparf9U

[@Dawstering]

@@JDW- Thank you very much :)

[@megaimg]

I am working on MAC SE/30...Already recap the PSU, Main board and working on the analog board...I finish but I have a mismatch... I have a rev C...On the schematics you the 100uf at 16v but your board and the one I have in my hand have the 100uf at 25v...so I replace them with the schematics but afraid now to test it...your input!

[@JDW-]

What circuit board are you asking about? And do you know the capacitor number as marked on the circuit board?

[@megaimg]

@@JDW- So I tested the Analog Board, is working with the 16v 100uf cap...Still going to replace them with the 25v...so the schematics where right!

[@JDW-]

@@megaimg Thank you for clarifying that your question was about the SE & SE/30 "Analog Board." C2, C7, C22 & C25 are all 100uF, which I recommend replacing with radial lead 25V capacitors. My video on recapping the Analog Board is available at the following URL, and in the text description I have a full Mouser cart and lots of helpful information: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKPCgmeYfK6Sp7s

[@megaimg]

@@JDW- Thanks, I will!

[@DavidAmmerlaan]

I didn’t think this was necessary. Are the caps prone to leaking?

[@JDW-]

All fluid filled electrolytic capacitors are prone to leaking after a certain amount of time. We’re talking about 30 years here, so it’s really no surprise. If you watch my video, you’ll see that even the largest capacitor on the Sony power supply showed signs of leaking. That power supply could not put out enough power to sustain even a stock SE/30 until I recapped it, thereby proving the capacitors were the lone problem. This applies to anything with electrolytic capacitors in them, not just the Sony power supply. Be sure to read the extensive text description under my video above for additional details.

[@kssfury2]

I have a se fdhd with sony supply. Its was not turning on anymore. And then after few months in storage it turns on. Then shuts off right in the midddle of boot. Sony not great either.

[@JDW-]

I'm sorry to hear that. Your use of the word "either" indicates you may think after watching my video that I think SONY PSUs are flawless. That is not the case. Bad caps will prevent any power supply from working, regardless of brand. I merely was saying I have more confidence in the solid state parts (not the fluid filled caps) of the SONY branded PSU versus the other models. Even so, recapping the other models will get them too back in working condition. So basically, you would need to click "SHOW MORE" under my video to expand the text description, and there you will find a Mouser cart of all the replacement capacitors you will need. If you want something more powerful and with an internal fan too, my video about replacement PSUs might be a worthwhile watch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/npqxaKCGbs6ErqM