[SPARCbook] Dead 3TX...

[rjh at earthlink.net]

Helena Soderholm <helsod at algonet.se>
Sent by: sparcbook-bounces at sunhelp.org
10/05/2003 12:51 PM
Please respond to "For owners of Tadpole/RDI's SPARCbook series of 
portable Sun-compatible computer systems."

 
        To:     "For owners of Tadpole/RDI's SPARCbook series of portable Sun-compatible 
computer systems." <sparcbook at sunhelp.org>
        cc: 
        Subject:        Re: [SPARCbook] Dead 3TX...

On Sun, 5 Oct 2003 rjh at earthlink.net wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I just found a SPARCbook 3TX at the swap meet. 
> Brought it home, did not have a power supply so 
> plugged it into a 12V battery.
> 
> It booted just fine, thought it was attached to a network
> and kept looking for some site to bind to... No problem.
> 
> I ran it until the battery died, but now the problem; it will
> not restart.
> 
> All it will do now is, at power on, flash the green light 
> 2 seconds, pause 4 seconds, 2 seconds on,  ad nauseam...
> 
> With the battery removed it does not even do this. Also
> if I press the power button while the green led is on, the
> system will beep as if it wants to start.
> 
> I have tried reseating the RAM, removing the drive, to no
> avail.
> 
> One more thing, at power on the green led blinks twice
> in quick succession before falling into the on/off cycle.
> 
> Any thoughts would be appreciated.
> 
> Thank you
> Robert J. Hutchins
> _______________________________________________
> Sparcbook mailing list  -  Sparcbook at sunhelp.org
> http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/sparcbook
> 

Hello Robert!

It sounds as if your 12V hookup might not have worked at all. The laptop
just ran until the battery died. The good news is you seem to have a
somewhat healthy battery. 1 hour on these beast is good and 0.5 h is what 
I get from mine, but it is a 3GX, maybe the XT is better. 

I think the pinout for the connector is in the Sparcbook manual. It should
be possible to download in pdf format from rdi/tadpoles homepage. Radio
Shack sells a universal laptop power supply which is portable and nice. It
has all sorts of different plugs for different laptops. Since the one on
the Sparcbook is not unusual this should work. Just check the power
rating, but I think it should work (but I don't remember exactly so best
check it).

Best regards,
Peter
_______________________________________________
Sparcbook mailing list  -  Sparcbook at sunhelp.org
http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/sparcbook

Peter,

Thank you for the prompt response....
But I perhaps did not explain my situation correctly.
I hooked the computer to an external 12V lead acid
battery through the power connector. 

The unit ran until it drained the external battery. I 
think that the internal battery is actually no good.

So, now, with the external battery fully charged I get
the condition described above.

Thank you
Robert