[rescue] Q about Voyager screen repair; bonus: pictures of T-SPARCstation 2

[Steve Hatle]

I guess I got lucky when I sold my Voyager last year when everything 
still worked!

Steve


------ Original Message ------
>From "Todd Vernon via rescue" <rescue at sunhelp.org>
To "Dan Moisa" <dmoisa at gmail.com>
Cc "Todd Vernon" <todd at toddvernon.com>; "The Rescue List" 
<rescue at sunhelp.org>
Date 5/6/2026 3:43:02 PM
Subject Re: [rescue] Q about Voyager screen repair; bonus: pictures of 
T-SPARCstation 2

>Point me to it.  I looked and looked for one with a parallel output.
>-t
>
>Todd Vernon
>Entrepreneur | Investor
>Email: todd at toddvernon.com
>LinkedIn: toddvernon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddvernon/>
>
>
>On May 6, 2026 at 2:17:12 PM, Dan Moisa <dmoisa at gmail.com> wrote:
>>Before you guys drill more irreversible holes in that aging plastic, 
>>wait up. You can plug into the RGB stream from the connector inside 
>>the screen housing and have a fully enclosed panel that externally 
>>looks OEM. It's all off the shelf components as well, though if more 
>>ppl have this problem a PCB can be easily built.
>>
>>I've also tried resurrecting dead screens by replacing caps, and no 
>>dice. Voyagers on the whole are unreliable though, I've had every 
>>single component fail on me - the regulator, the graphics card, 
>>Ethernet, you name it.
>>
>>Dan
>>
>>On Wed, May 6, 2026, 12:48 Todd Vernon via rescue <rescue at sunhelp.org> 
>>wrote:
>>>Yeah, I replaced the caps.  I ultimately went with the new option as 
>>>you simply never see old voyagers with screens that work.  Went with 
>>>the slightly
>>>Less elegant but more future proof option.
>>>
>>>I was actually surprised the problem wasn’t pixel streaks problem, 
>>>but there way go.
>>>
>>>-t
>>>
>>>
>>>Todd Vernon
>>>Entrepreneur | Investor
>>>Email: todd at toddvernon.com
>>>LinkedIn: toddvernon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddvernon/>
>>>
>>>
>>>On May 6, 2026 at 12:42:05 PM, Andy Piercy <andy.piercy at gmail.com> 
>>>wrote:
>>>>On the Voyager, have you checked the inverter module and its output, 
>>>>as the surface mount caps go bad.
>>>>
>>>>On Wed, 6 May 2026, 15:42 Todd Vernon via rescue, 
>>>><rescue at sunhelp.org> wrote:
>>>>>I tried and failed.  I’n my opinion all the color screens 
>>>>>eventually die.  Here is how I fixed mine with a new screen:
>>>>>
>>>>>https://www.oldsilicon.com/workstations/sparcstation-voyager/
>>>>>
>>>>>If you ever want to get rid of the B/w one let me know.
>>>>>
>>>>>T
>>>>>
>>>>>---
>>>>>Todd Vernon
>>>>>Entrepreneur | Investor
>>>>>Email: todd at toddvernon.com
>>>>>LinkedIn: toddvernon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddvernon/>
>>>>>On May 6, 2026 at 8:36 AM -0600, Walter Belgers via rescue 
>>>>><rescue at sunhelp.org>, wrote:
>>>>>>Hi all,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Continuing the testing of all my systems, I have found that I have 
>>>>>>3 Voyagers, one with bwtwo that works; two with cgsix, both of 
>>>>>>which do not display anything on the screen (but do work on 
>>>>>>external monitors). Does anybody have tips for repair/problem 
>>>>>>finding? Originally I had one that I thought the backlight was 
>>>>>>broken and I tried swapping screens to determine the defect but 
>>>>>>now I have two that are not working.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Meanwhile I have gotten my SSA100 working with the SS1000. I 
>>>>>>printed some hinges (see earlier mail of Steve Hattle) and have 
>>>>>>ordered batteries to replace in the SSA100.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I also powered up the T-SPARCstation 2 (4/75T) again. I got this 
>>>>>>from Whitfield Diffie, whom I got to do the keynote at the 25-year 
>>>>>>anniversary congress of the Dutch UNIX Users Group I was leading 
>>>>>>at the time (2007). It took until 2010 until Joep Vesseur of Sun 
>>>>>>Netherlands could physically fetch it and bring it back to me in 
>>>>>>his hand luggage. I always thought the casing was riveted shut (I 
>>>>>>was expecting this due to it being tempest proof). But now when I 
>>>>>>looked I saw the rivets were actually T8 torx screws (duh)! So 
>>>>>>after 16 years in my posession I finally was able to open it and 
>>>>>>fix the NVRAM. The system works fine but is missing disk trays. It 
>>>>>>uses a 29-pin Hypertronics milspec "KA type" connector for the 
>>>>>>disks. Slim chance of finding trays.. After opening up I now 
>>>>>>understand that the hole in the front has nothing behind it. And 
>>>>>>the weird power cable setup is to route mains to the power switch 
>>>>>>on the front and then back to the normal PSU.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I put some pictures online at 
>>>>>>https://cloud.giga.nl/apps/photos/public/1RpIilmfnAgqfDEiSen1QgGhgRww0gYq
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Walter.
>>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>>rescue list - 
>>>>>>http://sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue_sunhelp.org
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>rescue list - 
>>>>>http://sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue_sunhelp.org
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>rescue list - http://sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue_sunhelp.org
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