retro-pc_user
Veteran Member
Got a Compaq Portable 1 that has the dual floppy drive configuration and has the following installed internally:
1) RAM expansion + RTC + Serial card (Varta leaked and a few items got corrosion, which can be fixed easily)
2) Quantum Plus HardCard 20 (rubber for the head is bad and needs to be replaced with heat shrink tubing due to the heads sticking, but the platter spins without issues)
3) Western Digital WD8003E BNC/AUI-15 NIC
4) OEM CGA card (works without issues)
5) OEM floppy controller (works)
The issues:
1) HardCard 20 doesn't boot due to the rubber making it stick to the heads (found a video about using heat shrink tubing as the replacement rubber and will use that method and copy the files off of the drive for the memory expansion card and other items)
2) floppy drives need lubrication (got plenty of White Lithium grease and sewing machine oil for the spindle motor shafts and the rails)
3) keyboard doesn't work (got the foam contact pads today, but I need to get a few other items for replacing them easily)
4) the expansion card plastic sliders broke off, but I have spares in my 386 computer that are not required anyway
The system boots up without issues (I removed the HardCard, RAM + RTC + Serial card, and the WD8003E card), which is a good sign that there weren't any blown capacitors or traces.
Stay tuned for the project and here's the YouTube playlist for you to enjoy: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQJASLJp0Dnh83A4onlUO36XrCHrph5y-
1) RAM expansion + RTC + Serial card (Varta leaked and a few items got corrosion, which can be fixed easily)
2) Quantum Plus HardCard 20 (rubber for the head is bad and needs to be replaced with heat shrink tubing due to the heads sticking, but the platter spins without issues)
3) Western Digital WD8003E BNC/AUI-15 NIC
4) OEM CGA card (works without issues)
5) OEM floppy controller (works)
The issues:
1) HardCard 20 doesn't boot due to the rubber making it stick to the heads (found a video about using heat shrink tubing as the replacement rubber and will use that method and copy the files off of the drive for the memory expansion card and other items)
2) floppy drives need lubrication (got plenty of White Lithium grease and sewing machine oil for the spindle motor shafts and the rails)
3) keyboard doesn't work (got the foam contact pads today, but I need to get a few other items for replacing them easily)
4) the expansion card plastic sliders broke off, but I have spares in my 386 computer that are not required anyway
The system boots up without issues (I removed the HardCard, RAM + RTC + Serial card, and the WD8003E card), which is a good sign that there weren't any blown capacitors or traces.
Stay tuned for the project and here's the YouTube playlist for you to enjoy: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQJASLJp0Dnh83A4onlUO36XrCHrph5y-