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Wanted: working/refurbished PSU for Compaq portable

JonnyGators

Experienced Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2020
Messages
157
Location
Attleboro, MA
I have 2 compaq portables, both with power supplies with issues. Fixing them is beyond my capabilities. I'm interested in any options to get a working PSU in at least one of these units.

Whether that be having someone service one or both PSUs I've taken out of these, buying a replacement PSU, perhaps some sort of swapping arrangement (a trade of a non-working PSU plus cash for a working PSU)....whatever will work.
 
Have you tried testing the PSUs with a load other than the motherboard? Try hooking up a just a hard drive or two and then powering on. If they spin up you can then check the PSU's voltages.
 
I have thoroughly checked the pins for voltage, and have thoroughly determined the power supply is not providing the required power. Why this disbelief in what I'm saying?
 
Ah, ok. Weird, but makes sense based on what I've seen. I figured anything putting a load on it could impact it and keeping it free of anything would be a more pure test. But, so far I've turned 2 broken portables into 1 working portable. The working PSU made the non-working mobo power on briefly, and then smell bad (no smoke, no obviously blown part, which is a bummer because that would have made it easier to find the problem), but, between 2 machines I have 1 good power supply, 1 good crt and crt circuitry, 1 good mobo, at least 1 good floppy drive, and a noisy as hell HD I haven't tried to use yet but am not expecting to work.

But....given that the parts I've pieced together have not been serviced at all, and it sometimes goes through a few rounds of not powering up when flipping the switch, I'm thinking it's hanging by a thread and needs proper work to restore things, which is beyond my capabilities. I'm willing to pay for recap work. Heck, I have enough parts for 2 working machines in theory if all the problem parts are salvageable, I'm willing to work out a deal that results in 2 working machines, 1 for each party.
 
I have been working on a few of these in the last few weeks.

The power supply is switching, so it will need a load on some of the
outputs or it will shut down.

This is from the Sams PhotoFacts...

power supply.jpg
 
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