IBM 5154 EGA Monitor Repair...Eventually
Added 2024-07-06 14:00:07 +0000 UTCHello!
I recently needed an EGA monitor for a project where I'm trying to get a PCB design package working on an 8088 system. This IBM 5154 was coincidentally just listed on ebay right as I was loosing my mind and giving up on VGA cards, and out of pure desperation, I bought it. I figured I would need to refurb the PSU and it would be back up and running. Well not to spoil it, but that was just the first step in a journey to get it working again.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/9CiqOO9HkHE
Comments
At this point, it's probably worth buying every electrolytic cap you haven't yet replaced and replacing those too.
Lily Finley
2024-07-08 03:54:54 +0000 UTCI was about $300 under what I've seen these sell for on average when they work. With a lot of hours added working on it as well though. One that has been fully recapped would be worth a more though since the work has been done and it should be known good for a lot longer. But I also have a personal "value metric" for things like this in the high end of the vintage computer space, unless it is really cool or interesting I don't go for them because there are a lot of cheaper things that can be more fun. So this brought the fun/value proposition down to something I'm much happier with, I probably wouldn't have got one else wise. Caps are cheap, but it can difficult to really qualify that because in the second batch I did what I mentioned I should do and way over ordered caps. If I hadn't done that I probably could have saved about $30. But now I have more parts on hand for other projects and testing. My overall feeling on this topic in general though is that even if I end up going slightly over cost, I like knowing I brought back one that might have just ended up as spare parts if I hadn't. And now I am *very* familiar with how this thing is made and if it has other issues in the future I feel a lot more comfortable with opening it to work on. So there is value in the repair process beyond what was saved monetarily.
Tech Tangents
2024-07-07 01:15:45 +0000 UTCGreat work! Can you reflect on the cost of parts versus the cost of buying a ‘working’ one?
Michiel Beijen
2024-07-06 17:16:14 +0000 UTC
