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

[Todd Vernon]

 I would say that it true.  There are two kinds of Color Voyagers.  Those
that are broken, and those about to break 🙂. The machine is solid, the
screen is a nightmare.  Some dude has been trying to sell the same one
“working” but no screen image posted on eBay for over 2-3 years.

-t

Todd Vernon
Entrepreneur | Investor
Email: todd at toddvernon.com
LinkedIn: toddvernon <https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddvernon/>


On May 6, 2026 at 2:59:41 PM, Steve Hatle via rescue <rescue at sunhelp.org>
wrote:

> 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
>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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