Mac IIcx video problems

Replacing the battery means the Mac can remember its parameters at last. But what it already has in there is garbage! you need to do a reset to get it back to factory defaults, which it will remeber with its new battery:

Power off.
Hold down four keys:
Command Option P R
Keep holding the keys until you have heard the startup chimes four times, then release.
Should draw the screen and start up normally...

... unless you have a non-Mac display and are using a non-Mac adapter. In that case, I will need to dust off some old papers to get the proper settings for you.

It takes quite a long time to start up and multiple chime. You hold them down at startup (as your fingers grow numb). If you got three chimes, you are have done the PRAM Reset.

I do not know whether the Radius Two-Page display can do any other resolution other than two-page, which is intended for a 21 inch Black-and White monitor probably at about 75Hz. It may not be capable of multiple resolutions. It may not be capable of running the display you have connected.

Check Google groups Low End Mac for older Mac stuff.

Where are you located (it's kind of useful to give a general idea in your profile since sometimes suggestions people have for assistance may vary according to where you are located)? I have a IIci I haven't started in 15 years. I recall about 5+ years ago I had an inordinate number of video cards I dumped in it I had taken out of IIcx-s and IIci-s. I was just thinking yesterday I have 5 old Macs (3 of them G3s) sitting in the basement and it's probably time to retire some. I'm not sure I even have a monitor that will work with a Mac II anymore. I got rid of my portrait one and another one of that vintage last December and just realized that my ca. 1998 vintage 17" VGA might be too modern for it.

blarrer,

How close are you to Spokane, Washington? There are a number of individuals in the area with Mac collections. The high res card would be your best bet. Radius cards have to be configured (dummed down) for low res monitors and are often monitor specific. I still use that monitor on a Quadra 700.

Jim

Is the monitor good? Too bad you aren't further east.

I dug into my IIci in the basement. Maybe somebody can tell me what I have (and if they might work with a VGA through an adapter, or if I should just think of tossing the whole IIci). I don't remember if I actually used these cards with this computer or just fit them into it so I could close the top when I stuck it in a box.

#1
NuBus card that has a video out. The card is long, 30 cm. It's labeled copyright 1989/90 Apple Computer Macintosh Display card. FCC ID: BCGM0121 It has two chips coming out at a 45 degree angle near the back of the card. It looks like these could be removed (maybe more VRAM?).

#2
Asante Technologies Copyright 1991 MC3NB(ST-NIC-V) Rev. B1 NuBus card with video out port and what looks like an ethernet port.

It has two chips coming out at a 45 degree angle

Those are SIMM sockets, designed to hold the SIMMs at 45 degrees to allow taller modules to be used without encroaching into the space of the adjacent NuBus card.

Limnos,

The CX needed a video card, the CI had on-board video. A video card in a IIci meant that someone was using dual monitors or they needed to drive a larger monitor at greater color depth than the board would support. Did you buy the computer new or second hand? At $7,000 or $8,000 you would probably remember what you had originally. BTW, keep the box for a while longer and hold on to the history. We are working on creating a computer museum in the Inland NW so kids can appreciate history first hand. This site will take you down memory lane:

http://oldcomputers.net/macintosh.html

You asked if that card would work with an adapter. Probably not but give it a shot. Here is what you do. Connect an Apple monitor to the primary video circuit on-board. That will save a lot of rebooting while you test the VGA monitor with adapter on the NUBUS card. There will be a fair amount of trial and error. Why am I not optimistic? Because most monitors today are mult-sync. The card may not see what it wants. On the other hand, the monitor may see what it needs and light right up. Old monitors, however, were very picky about what card they were connected to.

As for the Asante card, they were a network card company. The video out port was probably just an RCA connector for another purpose. We might come across a similar card as we sort through things. More on that later.

Jim

A video card in a IIci meant that someone was using dual monitors

Yes, that was me. Portrait B&W and 13" color.

or they needed to drive a larger monitor at greater color depth than the board would support.

Yes, that was me with a newer (1993?) multisynch monitor.

Did you buy the computer new or second hand?

Me able to afford a new computer???? It has been my long-honored tradition to never pay more than $200 for a computer (and be largely relegated to the quite, backwater fora on Apple Discussions). Actually all my Mac IIs were free university hand-me-downs. By the time I was ready to upgrade not even the inventory department wanted to know of their existence. 🙂

You asked if that card would work with an adapter. Probably not but give it a shot. Here is what you do. Connect an Apple monitor to the primary video circuit on-board.

Alas, 6 months ago I got rid of both the portrait B&W and the color monitor dating ca. 1993. All I have now are two 17" CRT VGA. I no longer had the job with the deskspace for dual monitors, and I literally had not plugged in either of the two in 6 years. However, I was tripping over them daily on trips to the basement.

I suspect the 1991 card may be more likely to work. I still have several VGA to Apple 15 (15 is it? - I haven't counted in years) pin connectors.

As for the Asante card, they were a network card company. The video out port was probably just an RCA connector for another purpose. We might come across a similar card as we sort through things.

There's a good picture of my card at: [http://cgi.ebay.com/Asante-MacCon-NuBUS-Ethernet-Card-Mac-/260689819971?pt=LH DefaultDomain0&hash=item3cb252f943]

Another site lists this as: "(1) Asante Technologies MC3NB (ST-NIC-V) (rear panel RJ-45 and 2 row DB-15 connectors)"

It's been years since I used these so I can't remember the context. I took in poor, homeless, no longer loved Macs in the department and got quite a collection of parts.

BTW, keep the box for a while longer and hold on to the history.

Oh, that IIci is a beaut. 040 Daystar processor upgrade, maxed at 64MB RAM, 320MB hard drive...

Oh, I don't want to threadjack here, BTW. Hopefully the OP is finding this helpful. 🙂

Hmm yeah you are too far north and west!

You could try www.ehmac.ca as well as it's more of a Canadian based site and there are fellows from Alberta on there, just don't let them ride you about saving old gear as some of them are rather opinionated...

Re the DB 15 on those ethernet cards, that's not for a monitor but for an adaptor that allowed other types of network hookups. Along the lines of apple's AAUI ports....