Almost Unused Compaq SLT/286!

[compaqportableplus]

As some of you may know, the Compaq SLTs are some of my favorite vintage systems. I check eBay daily for Compaq SLTs, and stuff like this is the reason why. I saw this nice early production SLT/286 (made in the 46th week of 1988) come up and could tell it was in incredible condition, so I bought it, but it ended up being in even better condition than I initially thought!

Here's some pics.





I think the pic of the bottom of the carry case and the unit itself should say a lot about the condition of this laptop. Usually the bottom side of things takes on the most wear and tear, but here they look as if they were unused. The rubber feet aren't even discolored.

The AC adapter is the original one to the laptop, not a replacement, as it was made in the same week the laptop itself was, yet it STILL has the extremely fragile clip on the connector to the laptop. These always broke off under normal use, but this one is still present and not cracked. It still makes that nice "click" when you plug it in like it's supposed to.

Another cool thing I discovered about this laptop, is that it's still essentially an unmolested base model. It has the base 20MB hard drive, no RAM expansion and no coprocessor. The only option it has is the modem. I have elected to leave the laptop as-is and will not be doing any upgrades. It's just an amazing time capsule and I want to preserve it.

This machine needed the usual repairs with the hard drive and Dallas clock chip, which is a process I've been through many times at this point!

Looks like I can only add up to 10 photos per post, so I will have to split this up into two posts...

 

[compaqportableplus]

Here we go with part 2.

Here's a pic of the original Conner CP-3021 20MB hard drive. This is not the updated CP-3021i, but the original with no "i." Not a very common drive these days.



This drive had the usual melted gasket, so I cleaned that up and resealed it with silicon like I always do. It works perfectly and sounds amazing! Nothing else sounds like these drives.

And here's a pic of the motherboard right after I finished the Dallas mod.



Such a quality board. Insanely reliable too.

And finally, here is a pic of the laptop all ressembled and working.



I did some looking on the hard drive, and it appears this machine was last used in December of 1990! There really isn't much at all on the hard drive. It also still has the original DOS directory created in December of 1988! I have never found a machine this old that still had its original DOS install. Usually, they were rebuilt at least once. Microsoft Word and Excel are also installed.

Another thing I noticed is that the LCD backlight on this laptop is noticeably brighter than all of my other SLTs! More proof that this is a very low hours unit.

The floppy drive is also very quiet and smooth sounding, more so than my others. So, this is likely what they sounded like when new.

This machine is one of the "blank handle" units as I like to call them. The earliest SLT/286s were made with no Compaq logo on the handle. They were only made this way for about six or seven weeks before they started putting that reflective Compaq logo label on the handle.

So, there you have it. Probably the nicest condition vintage computer I have ever owned, and certainly THE nicest SLT I have ever owned or even seen for that matter. You just don't see vintage laptops in this condition very often.

And by the way, I have NINE Compaq SLTs total now! Six SLT/286s and three SLT 386s/20s, one of which is a prototype.

 

[CloudInMyHead]

Hi, I just got my SLT powered on today. Had it for 3 weeks or so but just now acquired a power supply. The floppy drive doesn't seem to want to read my DOS disk which is a 720K floppy.
Questions:
1. Do you know of a floppy unit that can replace this one? Any 720 or 1.4 3.5" drive?
2. If I can't get the floppy to work, any CF-card board recommendations?
3. Have u replaced the ni-cad cells? Any ide how/where the battery case opens at?
I'll post photos of mine but it's pretty shabby compared to yours.

 

[compaqportableplus]

Hi, I just got my SLT powered on today. Had it for 3 weeks or so but just now acquired a power supply. The floppy drive doesn't seem to want to read my DOS disk which is a 720K floppy.
Questions:
1. Do you know of a floppy unit that can replace this one? Any 720 or 1.4 3.5" drive?
2. If I can't get the floppy to work, any CF-card board recommendations?
3. Have u replaced the ni-cad cells? Any ide how/where the battery case opens at?
I'll post photos of mine but it's pretty shabby compared to yours.

Weird that your floppy doesn’t work. Have you tried cleaning the heads? The floppy drives have always been reliable in mine. I unfortunately am not aware of an alternative replacement, and finding one that will line up with the front opening will likely be impossible. I would try and source an original replacement.

I have never used a CF to IDE adapter so I can’t help there, although many other people have so I’m sure someone else could be of more help.

I actually have rebuilt two batteries so far. The Compaq OEM batteries are VERY hard to open. You should be able to see the seam all the way around the top, that’s where they come apart. I used a razor blade and a flathead screwdriver to carefully open the case. Take your time and be very patient, because you can destroy the battery case if you aren’t careful.