Hi I'm Kay Koba, let me be the first, thank you for used many Mac parts I designed! the video of the moment your SE/30 was completed... I'm sure everyone was excited by its overwhelming beauty! No matter what anyone says, I think this is the most beautiful computer in the world. It's the culmination of your efforts. Congratulations Colin!
While $1000 isn’t cheap, it’s crazy that we live in a time that anyone can order fully customized, partially populated circuit boards for a reasonable cost, when it used to require massive minimum quantity orders (1000+) or an in-house pcb manufacturing branch.
I agree. I used to work for a company that wire wrapped their motherboards. Wire wrapping is so prone to mistakes and is a slow process usually for hobbyist. I never quite understood why the board they were using had to be made that way.
It's all robots and computers. Give it a few more years and even the parts spools for assembly will be loaded into the pick and place machine by a robot. These factories thrive on automation
And with guys finding ways to do diy IC manufacture, we may soon (hopefully) see a day where any hobbyist can make their own tech from raw silicon disks.
I worked on one of the boards from your group buy. I was totally blown away that you went through the effort to get the proper diodes to everyone especially since it wasn’t your fault. Your care for the community is awesome!
Yes! That was one thing I forgot to mention in my post. Stand up guy took the crappier boards for himself, and kept everyone updated with parts and info. Top Notch performance all around! It pisses me off to see the boards shipped like that. I can't tell you how widespread that problem is . Definitely, should have sent those warped boards back, 🐂💩customer service.
This is the most TDNC possible video, blazing past "so I bought a second one" all the way into reviving a machine by Ship of Theseusing it into a virtually unrelated machine. Incredible work.
As a CRT enthusiast, seeing people manufacturer brand new pcbs for the main board and the yoke board brings me hope that a lot of otherwise junked tvs and monitors will have a second chance at life. Keep up the good work
@@jeevesmcqueeves Scope creep. Just a small mispelling. When u start by ordering a new replacement part and end up with new shells, screens, buttons, etc.
I'm not even halfway through this video and I want to thank you. I'm redoing a classic and had rushed to discard some components since there was a battery leak and I wanted to be as extra safe as possible since it was one of my early attempts on doing serious repair on a vintage computer. I foolishly didn't write down everything, but I'm willing to bet that they used a lot of similar components between the Macintosh models, especially ones that use ADB.
@@ceneblock yep, lots of parts commonality there. The via chips, the adb, snd, swim, BBU is the same as in the SE (the classic is just a cost reduced SE)
Dude, I honestly think the haziness production error with the clear case actually adds to the build. Adds a glassy look, y’know? God damn that thing is a BEUT.
What a stunning build!!! And it's heartening to see that people are stubbornly refusing to let old Macs simply pass into history by re-engineering the new boards and PSU's to keep them going!
But why? Can’t you just run an emulator? Why would anyone need to spend >$1,000, a year of their free time, etc., to recreate a computer that doesn’t accomplish much? I mean, I can somewhat follow recreating a C-64 or Amiga since those seemed to be more specific. But once you get to Mac and PCs era (1984/1981)😢, it became commodity hardware that improved up until the switch to Intel for the 68k side of things. Right?
@@RandallJennings There is something to be said for hardware. I have a couple of 80's synthesisers that have been recreated in software. Sound just as good but nothing like playing the real thing. The tactile experience i would imagine is akin to Colin doing what he's done here. An emulator may well do the self same thing but keeping old machines alive because we can have the full experience
Heh, we'll have to stretch the meaning of preserving a bit there eh, in the end there is like the PCB stiffening bracket left of the original I think - but it's super awesome stuff
I used to repair these and other older Macs for years. The last images I have is a 12 cubic metre skip carting everything away when I closed that particular shop. It contained virtually every model from the 128K up to the G3 iMacs. Including 512K, Plus, SE, SE30, 2cx,2ci, 2fx, 2si, LC, LC2/3/475, Performas, Classics, Power Macs, Powerbooks, MacPortables, you name it, it was probably there. Printers, monitors, motherboards. It makes me shudder what got dumped on that weekend. No one wanted it and I had no room at my new location. Heartbreaking it was... I hope you feel my pain. Anyway, thanks for the video, you've done a wonderful job on prolonging the venerable SE30. I used to run my business on one. PS. still got loads of Nubus video boards, SIMs, and other random smaller parts I didn't want to chuck out. (even a small quantity of SE reset/program buttons somewhere). And a small collection of other Macs that I haven't got around to put on eBay. One day I'll have to catalog everything.
@@OriginalityDaniel depends on things like if the Mac uses voltages the atx standaard didn't use or higher power than the pico PSU can deliver, which might differ per voltage rail. Also, the pico PSU will be flopping around, this one fits perfectly.
Can reload and rebrand this as a kind of Halloween video as after all you got to play Dr. Frankenstein - transplanting the brain into a different body with body parts sourced from hither and yon yielding a most beautiful monster 🤓
I'm not a vintage Mac fan myself but this project is just awesome. The thrill of seeing it come together, especially when you turn it on and it works, puts aside all the money you spent and the trouble you went through. Congratulations!
The ONLY thing I see kinda missing is a clear case for the keyboard that matches the mouse! Other than that, this just looks AMAZING! I had access to an SE when I attended College back in the early 90's. I graduated high school not knowing much about computers, and that Mac was the ONLY computer I could figure out on my own! Great Machine! Thanks for keeping this one alive!
I like the naming scheme of the sections in this video, my favorites are: "wax on, wax off", "change of plans', "just Look at this thing", special place in my heart holds "some nifty accessories" and last but not least: "(RE)loading the new PCB" they are all great and I just can't select my favorite
And this is why companies should be required by law to open source all their hardware schematics and software source code after they are no longer in production a certain number of years and/or no longer supported. What a treat it is to watch the process of rebuilding a Mac SE. Thank you for the sharing the video! :)
Great job and amazing results! It kind of goes beyond the whole "Ship of Theseus" philosophical issue that most restorations create. I'd be interested to see if someday all the parts could be available or replaceable so a completely new SE/30 could be built at home.
I love these recreation projects, one because they are just impressive works and a lot of fun, but two because these boards and parts are becoming increasingly rare (and what's left of them tend to be neglected and damaged by now).
Masterwork of Macintosh projects. It's a one-of-a-kind, near-perfect rebuild, repair, refurbish (literally) and remake of a computer that defined an era of computer history. Your narration and camerawork are very impressive and highlight the information you convey flawlessly. You deserve a damn trophy for the video alone, not just working on the Mac.
I'm a wannabe nerd. I will never be close to doing the things that were done in this video. You and the generous builder community that backed you in this project were top notch. I have a basic understanding of what was done here, but found the extra steps that you took kept me glued to the video. I don't know how many times, I rolled it back to catch the names of the people or communities that reached out, when you hit a wall. I'm am a recent sub, but so far this was your best content video yet. Congrats and hope it gets the hits it deserves!
Nice work! I am one of the Amiga motherboard recreators and did the Amiga 4000 replica boards. Its a lot of fun and seeing a final machine with all new parts boot for the first time is a very satisfying feeling!
The moment you showed that hazy case my first thought was: I wonder how well my headlamp polishing kit would work on that. Good to see you went in a similar direction!
That plast x stuff works good. If you use it with a motorized polisher it'll clear up old headlights quite well, as long as they aren't so messed up that they need serious wet sanding first.
Oh this post is so crazy. I mean the sheer amount of time took not only to fix and assemble but also film. In every step you had to stop, change camera angle, zoom, lights, do the voice over, add the sick music and post edit the whole thing through a year of soldering. This video is on another level.
Not gonna lie, the music was SPOT ON! I had to find the tracks for myself. 1 was Fresh Pastries by Lofive. The ending one was 1983 by Ben Elson. New Retro Wave is fantastic!
Be careful with the Baby Face power supply. Several people are reporting excessive ripple when connected to SE/30's with a lot of attachments (expansion cards, CPU upgrade cards etc.). 5V rail dropping to 4.5V, apparently a 2nd revision is in the works.
@@OriginalityDaniel PicoPSU is great but I didn't think they made one for the SE-30 unless I'm thinking of a Mac Plus or Classic or another compact mac... but yeah I'd say that's a better option if you're using a lot of expansion cards, as long as it doesn't have the same issue @2dfx was describing
For some odd reason, with the black logic board and red analog board, I kept thinking "blackjack". It also seems like it's been almost 21 months since this whole project started. Seems fitting to maybe refer to this as "Project Blackjack"? You and everyone else involved definitely scored your 21 points with video and the project as a whole, Colin! Well done!
I used to own a Mac SE/30 and it was great for .. writing. I primarily watched this video because I also have what is now classified as a "classic car" from 1994, and I have started to experience capacitor problems. They leak and replacement parts are very expensive. I was considering replacing just the capacitors but the board doesn't look right and my best option is likely to buy a used replacement that currently works and replace all the capacitors on that with new ones. You'd think these old cars would die from rust or worn mechanical parts, but it is the electronics that will leave them bricked.
No more drive activity noise? Install a relay module to make noise! Old fan makes noise? Swap it out for a quieter Noctua fan! Haha, but seriously cool project. Hope the machine ends up in a museum someday :)
What an awesome video Colin! I've been subbed for nearly 10 years now and to see how far you've come with your knowledge and scope of these electronic projects is so cool. Your videos have always been my little gateway into the world of vintage computers. Something I haven't really dipped my toes in, but is very adjacent to my own hobbies that I can't help but be so enamored with it all. This video was a great way for my perspective to take a step back and see how far the entire hobby has come. You almost take for granted how passionate the people making this stuff really are. And the final result is insanely cool looking! This Mac will not only be a wonderful representation of how far you've come with your skills in this field, but also as a video producer as well. This video is incredibly well put together. The way the go through every step of this year long process, is impressive to say the very least. The shot composition is good, the lighting is always excellent, especially with all of the close-up shots to clearly see all of the computers internals. (I can't imagine those being easy). It's well organized and easy to follow. Just top-notch stuff! I feel the scope of this video has topped many of your others. I know this was a lot of gushing lol but I love to see passionate youtubers continue to do what they love and keep finding ways for their content to be more fulfilling for, not only themselves, but people watching as well! :)
This is just brilliant. The SE/30 was one of the first vintage Macs I collected back in the early 2000s (for a mere $25), and was the last to be sold off 15 years later (for $450!) when time, space and interest were in short supply. As I much as I miss it, I’m kinda glad I sold it on when I did: it was starting to show issues with the video display and no doubt would have required a full recapping by now. It is absolutely amazing to see all the third party home brew projects available to support rebuilding the systems today. Back then it was mostly just the mad scientists from the Japanese Colour Classic clubs who were hacking them. Things have come a loooooong way!
I can personally verify that working with SE/30 CRTs can be painful. I used to run a computer lab at a University that had these decades ago, and when working on one I touched the wrong (not discharged, apparently) thing and got the shocked out of me. It was a remarkably uncomfortable experience...
I have one, but it refuses to turn on due to a possible defect with one of the chips that I think controls the power. Used to use it often before that to play DOS games.
That’s amazing that you were able to mostly build a Macintosh classic motherboard from scratch! If there’s a way to reproduce new Macintosh classic computers with modern components and LCD, that would be Mac homebrewers’ dream come true!
That is super cool!!! I had an SE/30.... arguably when they were still useful, even a LISA! (Wish I had it today, I could retire...) But I was never a collector of computers. I saw and still see them as a work appliance. I "collect" through other people's videos. That's good enough for me.
And of course Dosfox has now managed to bother folks into getting the PALs for the Mac Plus reversed, and patched his way around requiring the IWM floppy controller chip, to build a pure, new parts only Mac Plus. And this after building a more-or-less new parts only Lisa!
Sorry - that could sound a smidge dismissive. Suffice that it is awesome that you could build out a whole new SE/30 from near new, and that the frontier of what is possible is still moving very actively forward.
You can make a non-polarized capacitor from 2 polarized capacitors that are connected in series but in opposite orientation (positive to positive or negative to negative). The resulting series capacitance will be half the value of each capacitor (assuming they are equal) and the voltage rating will be the same as the rating of each capacitor (again assuming they are identical), not double the voltage. It is standard practice even in industry to make them this way when they are not available anymore. So for example if you need a non-polarized capacitor rated for 100uF/10V you can connect back to back two capacitors each rated 200uF/10V.
I'm over here making a MiSTer thinking I am cool and you build an old Mac from scratch. Gee, thanks, lol. Awesome build! It amazes me how many boutique parts there are for these old computers!
Same thing here, I built an Omega MSX 2+ last year. Also took almost a year (between waiting for parts and tools), but I gained lots of experience with soldering, 3D printing and diagnostics, some new tools for the collection, and made some new friends in the process. A huge win!
21:53 - the real zero ohm resistors that we used to use back in the 1980s actually had a (usually tan / brown colored) cylindrical body just like a carbon composition resistor, with a single black band to indicate the value was zero ohms. The body was important because sometimes a double sided board would not have a solder mask on the top surface, and if the zero ohm had a trace running beneath it the body served as insulation.
And if the zero-ohm didn't have a trace running beneath it, it probably could have just been a trace, so I'd assume most of them had traces under them.
@@BrooksMoses - on a double sided board, that would usually be the case. On a single sided board, there would still be a trace under it, but not on the top side of the board ;)
Did I just spend half an hour watching a project video on something I didn’t think I actually cared about? Yes, yes I did. Did I come away super impressed and glad to have watched it? Also yes. Thanks for giving us a look at a year in the life, Colin. Even when I think I don’t care about a project you take on, I’m super impressed with the results, and this ending shot may be the best build I’ve ever seen you do. Appreciate this share!
If I had unlimited time and money, this is exactly the kind of project I would spend time on. Great video, great project, great execution. Very, very cool!
22:55 - I wonder why they opted for a close copy of the original rather than updating it to make user assembly a bit easier... but then again I dont know the whole context of things here since im not personally into vintage computers i just enjoy watching such on youtube.
I have very less knowledge of old computers and its community. But surely I can say that this video puts a big impact on me. I always try to push myself more into electronics and programming and surly your video helps me. I love your build. Thank you for sharing your journey for this build. Sending lots of love from India 🇮🇳
Wonder if we'll ever be able to do stuff like this for the PowerPC era machines... I'd do awful, awful things for the opportunity to basically just transplant the guts of a late model iBook/PowerBook G4 into my iBook Clamshell, lol.
I love how this channel has barely changed. Ever since late elementary school I've been watching your vids because I always wanted to do stuff with tech. Now I'm 21 and I'm developing my own game while watching your vids in the background. Oh how time has passed.
Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the kind of reason why I love the retro computing community. Beautiful machine at the end of it all as well. Great video work too. Absolutely, you should feel proud of this one.
I bought a IIGS in 87 and loved it. When the SE came out I picked one up as soon as they hit the PX and became a Mac fan. You revived a lot of memories with this rebuild and all i can think is "where the hell were all these parts back in the day??!!"
@@volvo09 Except that he told them, in the form of the "customer reference" section being "R15, R16, R18" so presumably anybody responsible for printing the label, putting the label on the bag, putting the part in the labeled bag, or double-checking the work could have known... But yeah, I'm pretty sure he wrote that
The fun that you had with this project is infectious! Don't get me wrong, I know you're passionate about all your projects but this one, well, this one we can tell you're smiling in all the voice overs. Super green and well done, ya mad lad. As a long time viewer, your work is much appreciated.
Fantastic job Colin. Thanks for taking all the time and effort to bring us along with you on your journey. I used one of these at work when new and it is amazing to see another reborn today.
Forgive me purists, but I think it would be a good idea to replace a good part of these components with a single FPGA, from now on it will be increasingly difficult and expensive to keep it working, finding some of these parts has become a greater challenge every year, in addition to the high budget involved.
I'd think there are some FPGA projects that have most of the required IO and gates to do this already, you'd have to make a custom carrier and find someone with god-tier FPGA skills for it though. Not insurmountable difficulties, but someone with skills needs to donate a shedload of time to it.
Back in the day, a friend ran a 5 year old SE 30 and I ran a Classic. I was always blown away by how much more the SE 30 could do, although mine could run The Sims for my daughters, the only time the "dirty thirty" couldn't beat the "crappic." An original SE was also the the first Mac I ever experienced. I'd been a BBC B+ user up to that moment, suddenly, my 1985 "wasn't 1984." Now I'm running an original M1 Macbook Air (fully optioned to the max for 2020) and can't imagine why I'd ever need a Mac Pro. coming up to 4 years on, this thing is still killer! The magic of restoring old macs (and beefing them up) is proof of what Steve Jobs said about Apple after his return - Macs are like luxury car classics, PCs are just the cheap cars ordinary people drive.
Honestly, this looks like a blast to build. I wish I could afford a second computer as an old school toy, especially one like this, but the prices have me unable to afford it.
God... this was the most beautiful thing. A Macintosh SE/30 practically brand new from top to bottom. Colin, you have absolutely out done yourself in an incredible way! Thank you, and the community at large, for showing this beautiful piece of computing history love beyond measure!
I don't think anyone rebuilds crt's anymore... I believe that is one (hopefully temporary) lost to time industry. I know color CRT TV tubes can't be rebuilt anymore. I assume black and white is also in the same space since you can't get new electron guns anymore, and they are the part that wears out when the screen goes dark.
I don’t know anything about the vintage community and I’ve never seen one of your videos, but this build was fantastic. You did a wonderful job and all of the hard work that you put in really shows. It’s amazing to see what the modern community can do when you aren’t being sued into oblivion.
I have no interest in retro macs specifically, but I love seeing someone take something old like this and make it like new again. Watching you fall down the rabbit hole in this video was a joy.
There were multiple points during the video where I was teasing you out-loud for your overboard choices, but I cannot argue with the result - that thing is beautiful! LOVE the black motherboard with gold traces especially! Awesome.
Is there a board that ditches the CRT all together and makes it possible to put in a modern LCD ? I am staying away from these Macs for the sole reason that I despise CRT tubes.
“The end is finally in sight” 13 minutes into a 32 minute video lol. For real though, this was a fascinating watch, thank you for taking on this task and documenting it. What an interesting saga.
Thank you so much for, first of all, doing this project at and thus showing that's possible. And secondly, turning your video on this into an astonishing and hope-giving demonstration of just how effective and capable these communities of aftermarket component creators have become.
Wow that is awesome! I do wonder how the case would look if you'd decided to do the reverse and go frosted glass look on it, but in any case it's so awesome that people are keeping these old computers alive!
I did the same thing. Ordered 5 new Bolle PCBs and transplanted parts. Nice to see others doing this too. One of my 2 donor boards did have a 68030 socket, so Apple apparently made some boards that way.
I’ve been out of the field for 13 years now. Not an authority or anything but as a certified journeyman and ex bench tech, you’ve got some skills. Some of the things you know can only be learned through experience.
I love the production values on your videos. Great that you give a big-up to TechKnight too, learnt so much technical stuff from his UA-cam videos. Follow TechKnight people.
This is by far one of my favourite restoration with modernization projects out there. Such a gorgeous and incredible job! The video is also incredibly well done. Congratulations! Its wonderful you've shared with us all this experience and results.
Hi I'm Kay Koba, let me be the first, thank you for used many Mac parts I designed! the video of the moment your SE/30 was completed... I'm sure everyone was excited by its overwhelming beauty! No matter what anyone says, I think this is the most beautiful computer in the world. It's the culmination of your efforts. Congratulations Colin!
Thank you for your service. This piece of history is preserved thanks to people like you and the channel owner. VERY SATISFIED WATCH
great work
Keep doing what you do
The stuff you make looks sick Kay! Thanks for being awesome.
Kay Koba LEGEND STATUS!
While $1000 isn’t cheap, it’s crazy that we live in a time that anyone can order fully customized, partially populated circuit boards for a reasonable cost, when it used to require massive minimum quantity orders (1000+) or an in-house pcb manufacturing branch.
I agree. I used to work for a company that wire wrapped their motherboards. Wire wrapping is so prone to mistakes and is a slow process usually for hobbyist. I never quite understood why the board they were using had to be made that way.
It's all robots and computers. Give it a few more years and even the parts spools for assembly will be loaded into the pick and place machine by a robot.
These factories thrive on automation
cheaper than original retail price for them
And with guys finding ways to do diy IC manufacture, we may soon (hopefully) see a day where any hobbyist can make their own tech from raw silicon disks.
@@jacobusburger there's a guy who made an entire CPU
I worked on one of the boards from your group buy. I was totally blown away that you went through the effort to get the proper diodes to everyone especially since it wasn’t your fault. Your care for the community is awesome!
Yes! That was one thing I forgot to mention in my post. Stand up guy took the crappier boards for himself, and kept everyone updated with parts and info. Top Notch performance all around! It pisses me off to see the boards shipped like that. I can't tell you how widespread that problem is . Definitely, should have sent those warped boards back, 🐂💩customer service.
Ubisoft should hire him.........could learn something.
Wow! Talk about a third party *customer* stepping in for the warranty that wasn't honored by the manufacturer!
Respect!
@@gaterunner64 sounds like an awsome guy
Holy crap!!! What an absolutely gorgeous job. You didn't even mention the reproduction mouse, but I noticed.
I don't think I would have spotted it if not for this comment. SO COOL.
clear case deserves a clear mouse housing. I wonder if a matching keyboard is next...
Completionists would demand clear cables too 😁
Came to the comments for the same thing. It looks awesome.
This is the most TDNC possible video, blazing past "so I bought a second one" all the way into reviving a machine by Ship of Theseusing it into a virtually unrelated machine. Incredible work.
yeah, the extent of what he did does definitely not compute.
"Ship of Theseusing it"
Love this 😂
As a CRT enthusiast, seeing people manufacturer brand new pcbs for the main board and the yoke board brings me hope that a lot of otherwise junked tvs and monitors will have a second chance at life. Keep up the good work
This video is basically colin falling into scope creep after building a SE/30 Mothetboard
scop... creep?
Scope creep. When the scope or scale of a project just keeps getting bigger and bigger. @@jeevesmcqueeves
@@jeevesmcqueeves Scope creep. Just a small mispelling. When u start by ordering a new replacement part and end up with new shells, screens, buttons, etc.
Feature creep and scope creep 🤣
we love to shave a few yaks, don't we?
You should keep the bus diagnostic thingy, it would look rad with the transparent case.
The blinky lights must go nuts when the computer is running
@@volvo09 And they can overload the chips that drive the bus.
@@watchmakerful ah, that's no good. So just for diagnostic use.
@@volvo09 there's a reason it's a diagnostic bus
@doursen if it's just an inline led it shouldn't make a difference should it? Or is there an interpreter on the board?
I'm not even halfway through this video and I want to thank you.
I'm redoing a classic and had rushed to discard some components since there was a battery leak and I wanted to be as extra safe as possible since it was one of my early attempts on doing serious repair on a vintage computer.
I foolishly didn't write down everything, but I'm willing to bet that they used a lot of similar components between the Macintosh models, especially ones that use ADB.
@@ceneblock yep, lots of parts commonality there. The via chips, the adb, snd, swim, BBU is the same as in the SE (the classic is just a cost reduced SE)
Dude, I honestly think the haziness production error with the clear case actually adds to the build. Adds a glassy look, y’know?
God damn that thing is a BEUT.
What a stunning build!!! And it's heartening to see that people are stubbornly refusing to let old Macs simply pass into history by re-engineering the new boards and PSU's to keep them going!
There was an impressive amount of boards recreated
But why?
Can’t you just run an emulator? Why would anyone need to spend >$1,000, a year of their free time, etc., to recreate a computer that doesn’t accomplish much?
I mean, I can somewhat follow recreating a C-64 or Amiga since those seemed to be more specific. But once you get to Mac and PCs era (1984/1981)😢, it became commodity hardware that improved up until the switch to Intel for the 68k side of things. Right?
@@RandallJennings There is something to be said for hardware. I have a couple of 80's synthesisers that have been recreated in software. Sound just as good but nothing like playing the real thing. The tactile experience i would imagine is akin to Colin doing what he's done here. An emulator may well do the self same thing but keeping old machines alive because we can have the full experience
Thanks for going above and beyond in this rebuild, lots of channels just click bait "custom" with doing nothing but rehousing the boards.
Let’s count how many SE/30s TechKnight has taken part in saving. Mine, that’s one. Yours, that’s two…
I was part of this group buy as well, so he gets credit for mine too!
Name checks out
Techknight is one of my best friends. He is awsome
@@theranterboy7884 He’s legendary!
28:20 AC-DC screaming "High Voltage" just entered my head. I love that these projects are preserving history.
Heh, we'll have to stretch the meaning of preserving a bit there eh, in the end there is like the PCB stiffening bracket left of the original I think - but it's super awesome stuff
Incredibly clean deeds,
Done very expensively.
"Labor of love" doesn't even scratch the surface of how much work went into this. Wow.
I used to repair these and other older Macs for years. The last images I have is a 12 cubic metre skip carting everything away when I closed that particular shop. It contained virtually every model from the 128K up to the G3 iMacs. Including 512K, Plus, SE, SE30, 2cx,2ci, 2fx, 2si, LC, LC2/3/475, Performas, Classics, Power Macs, Powerbooks, MacPortables, you name it, it was probably there. Printers, monitors, motherboards. It makes me shudder what got dumped on that weekend. No one wanted it and I had no room at my new location. Heartbreaking it was...
I hope you feel my pain.
Anyway, thanks for the video, you've done a wonderful job on prolonging the venerable SE30. I used to run my business on one.
PS. still got loads of Nubus video boards, SIMs, and other random smaller parts I didn't want to chuck out. (even a small quantity of SE reset/program buttons somewhere). And a small collection of other Macs that I haven't got around to put on eBay. One day I'll have to catalog everything.
Holy crap, you put in a lot of work on this video. One of your best. Thanks for this!
You can't fault them for the power supply cost. Those meanwell integrated power modules are not exactly cheap. And it has three of them.
Pretty neat modules though, just a module you design into your board and bam, you have a DC voltage rail.
@@volvo09 yes, I looked into them before for a project, drop in and done.
would the PicoPSU by dekuNukem be a better option?
@@OriginalityDaniel depends on things like if the Mac uses voltages the atx standaard didn't use or higher power than the pico PSU can deliver, which might differ per voltage rail.
Also, the pico PSU will be flopping around, this one fits perfectly.
This was a lot of fun to work on...frustrating at times with the diagnostics, but fun overall!
Can reload and rebrand this as a kind of Halloween video as after all you got to play Dr. Frankenstein - transplanting the brain into a different body with body parts sourced from hither and yon yielding a most beautiful monster 🤓
Good gravy, Colin. This was a tour de force!
I always wanted to refurbish my old SE30 since a few years now. You just gave me so many ideas Colin! Thanks for that.. another excellent video!
I'm not a vintage Mac fan myself but this project is just awesome. The thrill of seeing it come together, especially when you turn it on and it works, puts aside all the money you spent and the trouble you went through. Congratulations!
The ONLY thing I see kinda missing is a clear case for the keyboard that matches the mouse! Other than that, this just looks AMAZING! I had access to an SE when I attended College back in the early 90's. I graduated high school not knowing much about computers, and that Mac was the ONLY computer I could figure out on my own! Great Machine! Thanks for keeping this one alive!
This is so over the top, every five minutes you dropped another level up to this project, absolutely incredible. Fantastic video as always!
I like the naming scheme of the sections in this video, my favorites are: "wax on, wax off", "change of plans', "just Look at this thing", special place in my heart holds "some nifty accessories" and last but not least: "(RE)loading the new PCB" they are all great and I just can't select my favorite
And this is why companies should be required by law to open source all their hardware schematics and software source code after they are no longer in production a certain number of years and/or no longer supported.
What a treat it is to watch the process of rebuilding a Mac SE. Thank you for the sharing the video! :)
Great job and amazing results! It kind of goes beyond the whole "Ship of Theseus" philosophical issue that most restorations create. I'd be interested to see if someday all the parts could be available or replaceable so a completely new SE/30 could be built at home.
Your creation deserve to be in a live gallery for techies like us to appreciate your work.
I love these recreation projects, one because they are just impressive works and a lot of fun, but two because these boards and parts are becoming increasingly rare (and what's left of them tend to be neglected and damaged by now).
Masterwork of Macintosh projects. It's a one-of-a-kind, near-perfect rebuild, repair, refurbish (literally) and remake of a computer that defined an era of computer history.
Your narration and camerawork are very impressive and highlight the information you convey flawlessly. You deserve a damn trophy for the video alone, not just working on the Mac.
I'm a wannabe nerd. I will never be close to doing the things that were done in this video. You and the generous builder community that backed you in this project were top notch. I have a basic understanding of what was done here, but found the extra steps that you took kept me glued to the video. I don't know how many times, I rolled it back to catch the names of the people or communities that reached out, when you hit a wall. I'm am a recent sub, but so far this was your best content video yet. Congrats and hope it gets the hits it deserves!
Nice work! I am one of the Amiga motherboard recreators and did the Amiga 4000 replica boards. Its a lot of fun and seeing a final machine with all new parts boot for the first time is a very satisfying feeling!
The moment you showed that hazy case my first thought was: I wonder how well my headlamp polishing kit would work on that. Good to see you went in a similar direction!
That plast x stuff works good. If you use it with a motorized polisher it'll clear up old headlights quite well, as long as they aren't so messed up that they need serious wet sanding first.
Oh this post is so crazy. I mean the sheer amount of time took not only to fix and assemble but also film. In every step you had to stop, change camera angle, zoom, lights, do the voice over, add the sick music and post edit the whole thing through a year of soldering. This video is on another level.
This is some visual and audio asmr for computer assembly stuff and project making stuff, great work
Not gonna lie, the music was SPOT ON! I had to find the tracks for myself. 1 was Fresh Pastries by Lofive. The ending one was 1983 by Ben Elson. New Retro Wave is fantastic!
Be careful with the Baby Face power supply. Several people are reporting excessive ripple when connected to SE/30's with a lot of attachments (expansion cards, CPU upgrade cards etc.). 5V rail dropping to 4.5V, apparently a 2nd revision is in the works.
would the PicoPSU by dekuNukem be a better option if you have tons of upgrades?
where did you see this? I may be seeing something similar
I wouldn't leave the cover / shielding of the power supply either
@@JonSchwenn JDW has a great UA-cam video also covering the same issue
@@OriginalityDaniel PicoPSU is great but I didn't think they made one for the SE-30 unless I'm thinking of a Mac Plus or Classic or another compact mac... but yeah I'd say that's a better option if you're using a lot of expansion cards, as long as it doesn't have the same issue @2dfx was describing
For some odd reason, with the black logic board and red analog board, I kept thinking "blackjack". It also seems like it's been almost 21 months since this whole project started. Seems fitting to maybe refer to this as "Project Blackjack"?
You and everyone else involved definitely scored your 21 points with video and the project as a whole, Colin! Well done!
Awesome build and the end result pays for itself. That's some sarah-n-tuned level of dedication that was applied
Sarah is the GOAT
This is one cool modern retro pc. I love it.
I used to own a Mac SE/30 and it was great for .. writing. I primarily watched this video because I also have what is now classified as a "classic car" from 1994, and I have started to experience capacitor problems. They leak and replacement parts are very expensive. I was considering replacing just the capacitors but the board doesn't look right and my best option is likely to buy a used replacement that currently works and replace all the capacitors on that with new ones. You'd think these old cars would die from rust or worn mechanical parts, but it is the electronics that will leave them bricked.
This was cool! I love how the case turned out after the polish. I think it looks better than being fully clear. Well done!
same; the hazier glow makes it more dreamy
No more drive activity noise? Install a relay module to make noise!
Old fan makes noise? Swap it out for a quieter Noctua fan!
Haha, but seriously cool project. Hope the machine ends up in a museum someday :)
What an awesome video Colin! I've been subbed for nearly 10 years now and to see how far you've come with your knowledge and scope of these electronic projects is so cool. Your videos have always been my little gateway into the world of vintage computers. Something I haven't really dipped my toes in, but is very adjacent to my own hobbies that I can't help but be so enamored with it all. This video was a great way for my perspective to take a step back and see how far the entire hobby has come. You almost take for granted how passionate the people making this stuff really are.
And the final result is insanely cool looking! This Mac will not only be a wonderful representation of how far you've come with your skills in this field, but also as a video producer as well. This video is incredibly well put together. The way the go through every step of this year long process, is impressive to say the very least. The shot composition is good, the lighting is always excellent, especially with all of the close-up shots to clearly see all of the computers internals. (I can't imagine those being easy). It's well organized and easy to follow. Just top-notch stuff! I feel the scope of this video has topped many of your others.
I know this was a lot of gushing lol but I love to see passionate youtubers continue to do what they love and keep finding ways for their content to be more fulfilling for, not only themselves, but people watching as well! :)
This is just brilliant. The SE/30 was one of the first vintage Macs I collected back in the early 2000s (for a mere $25), and was the last to be sold off 15 years later (for $450!) when time, space and interest were in short supply. As I much as I miss it, I’m kinda glad I sold it on when I did: it was starting to show issues with the video display and no doubt would have required a full recapping by now. It is absolutely amazing to see all the third party home brew projects available to support rebuilding the systems today. Back then it was mostly just the mad scientists from the Japanese Colour Classic clubs who were hacking them. Things have come a loooooong way!
All that effort into making the board only to find out they used a wrong part.... what a punch to the stomach.
I can personally verify that working with SE/30 CRTs can be painful. I used to run a computer lab at a University that had these decades ago, and when working on one I touched the wrong (not discharged, apparently) thing and got the shocked out of me. It was a remarkably uncomfortable experience...
Done the same with HP nc6000 business notebooks. All parts were new available on eBay, even cases.
I love those laptops!
I have one, but it refuses to turn on due to a possible defect with one of the chips that I think controls the power.
Used to use it often before that to play DOS games.
That’s amazing that you were able to mostly build a Macintosh classic motherboard from scratch! If there’s a way to reproduce new Macintosh classic computers with modern components and LCD, that would be Mac homebrewers’ dream come true!
Beautiful work! I think the foggy-ness of the case really adds nice charcter!
Yeah, I don't think it would look right if it was crystal clear
That is super cool!!! I had an SE/30.... arguably when they were still useful, even a LISA! (Wish I had it today, I could retire...) But I was never a collector of computers. I saw and still see them as a work appliance. I "collect" through other people's videos. That's good enough for me.
And of course Dosfox has now managed to bother folks into getting the PALs for the Mac Plus reversed, and patched his way around requiring the IWM floppy controller chip, to build a pure, new parts only Mac Plus. And this after building a more-or-less new parts only Lisa!
Sorry - that could sound a smidge dismissive. Suffice that it is awesome that you could build out a whole new SE/30 from near new, and that the frontier of what is possible is still moving very actively forward.
You can make a non-polarized capacitor from 2 polarized capacitors that are connected in series but in opposite orientation (positive to positive or negative to negative). The resulting series capacitance will be half the value of each capacitor (assuming they are equal) and the voltage rating will be the same as the rating of each capacitor (again assuming they are identical), not double the voltage. It is standard practice even in industry to make them this way when they are not available anymore. So for example if you need a non-polarized capacitor rated for 100uF/10V you can connect back to back two capacitors each rated 200uF/10V.
My God man. Amazing work and no ads
I'm over here making a MiSTer thinking I am cool and you build an old Mac from scratch. Gee, thanks, lol.
Awesome build! It amazes me how many boutique parts there are for these old computers!
@ActionRetro I think the gauntlet has been thrown down for the Curse Mac.
Same thing here, I built an Omega MSX 2+ last year. Also took almost a year (between waiting for parts and tools), but I gained lots of experience with soldering, 3D printing and diagnostics, some new tools for the collection, and made some new friends in the process. A huge win!
Given that, inflation adjusted, a SE/30 would have been $10,000 in modern money, you got that computer cheap!
And what about the Lisa?
@@olsmokey About $48,000
14:30 there's some kind of charm in having to even do the same bodge as the original, what a project
31:52 "It's becoming clear..." Heh. Like the case. 🤣
21:53 - the real zero ohm resistors that we used to use back in the 1980s actually had a (usually tan / brown colored) cylindrical body just like a carbon composition resistor, with a single black band to indicate the value was zero ohms.
The body was important because sometimes a double sided board would not have a solder mask on the top surface, and if the zero ohm had a trace running beneath it the body served as insulation.
And if the zero-ohm didn't have a trace running beneath it, it probably could have just been a trace, so I'd assume most of them had traces under them.
@@BrooksMoses - on a double sided board, that would usually be the case. On a single sided board, there would still be a trace under it, but not on the top side of the board ;)
This was a fun watch.
Did I just spend half an hour watching a project video on something I didn’t think I actually cared about? Yes, yes I did. Did I come away super impressed and glad to have watched it? Also yes.
Thanks for giving us a look at a year in the life, Colin. Even when I think I don’t care about a project you take on, I’m super impressed with the results, and this ending shot may be the best build I’ve ever seen you do. Appreciate this share!
You didn't just fall down a rabbit hole, you fell into a bloody transwarp conduit. you ended up on the otherside of the universe.
If I had unlimited time and money, this is exactly the kind of project I would spend time on. Great video, great project, great execution. Very, very cool!
22:55 - I wonder why they opted for a close copy of the original rather than updating it to make user assembly a bit easier... but then again I dont know the whole context of things here since im not personally into vintage computers i just enjoy watching such on youtube.
I have very less knowledge of old computers and its community. But surely I can say that this video puts a big impact on me. I always try to push myself more into electronics and programming and surly your video helps me.
I love your build. Thank you for sharing your journey for this build. Sending lots of love from India 🇮🇳
Wonder if we'll ever be able to do stuff like this for the PowerPC era machines... I'd do awful, awful things for the opportunity to basically just transplant the guts of a late model iBook/PowerBook G4 into my iBook Clamshell, lol.
same
You could even make your own G4 cube, or even better, a PowerTrashcan.
I love how this channel has barely changed. Ever since late elementary school I've been watching your vids because I always wanted to do stuff with tech. Now I'm 21 and I'm developing my own game while watching your vids in the background. Oh how time has passed.
Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the kind of reason why I love the retro computing community. Beautiful machine at the end of it all as well. Great video work too. Absolutely, you should feel proud of this one.
I bought a IIGS in 87 and loved it. When the SE came out I picked one up as soon as they hit the PX and became a Mac fan. You revived a lot of memories with this rebuild and all i can think is "where the hell were all these parts back in the day??!!"
21:24 "ORDER MORE DUMBASS" they got no chill 🤣🤣🤣🤣
right dude could have sent him an email before writing the snarky message.
He wrote that...
@@justandardprocedure yeah, he wrote that. The parts supplier doesn't know how much you need.
@@volvo09 Except that he told them, in the form of the "customer reference" section being "R15, R16, R18" so presumably anybody responsible for printing the label, putting the label on the bag, putting the part in the labeled bag, or double-checking the work could have known... But yeah, I'm pretty sure he wrote that
The fun that you had with this project is infectious! Don't get me wrong, I know you're passionate about all your projects but this one, well, this one we can tell you're smiling in all the voice overs.
Super green and well done, ya mad lad. As a long time viewer, your work is much appreciated.
Now your mac is prison-ready.
LMCO
Fantastic job Colin. Thanks for taking all the time and effort to bring us along with you on your journey. I used one of these at work when new and it is amazing to see another reborn today.
Forgive me purists, but I think it would be a good idea to replace a good part of these components with a single FPGA, from now on it will be increasingly difficult and expensive to keep it working, finding some of these parts has become a greater challenge every year, in addition to the high budget involved.
I would love to see old macs implemented in FPGA that actually integrated somehow with the old hardware.
It would be nice to see how far this could go, and evolve with modern replacement parts....
I'd think there are some FPGA projects that have most of the required IO and gates to do this already, you'd have to make a custom carrier and find someone with god-tier FPGA skills for it though. Not insurmountable difficulties, but someone with skills needs to donate a shedload of time to it.
Look at the MiSTer project. They have a Macintosh Plus load.
Back in the day, a friend ran a 5 year old SE 30 and I ran a Classic. I was always blown away by how much more the SE 30 could do, although mine could run The Sims for my daughters, the only time the "dirty thirty" couldn't beat the "crappic." An original SE was also the the first Mac I ever experienced. I'd been a BBC B+ user up to that moment, suddenly, my 1985 "wasn't 1984." Now I'm running an original M1 Macbook Air (fully optioned to the max for 2020) and can't imagine why I'd ever need a Mac Pro. coming up to 4 years on, this thing is still killer! The magic of restoring old macs (and beefing them up) is proof of what Steve Jobs said about Apple after his return - Macs are like luxury car classics, PCs are just the cheap cars ordinary people drive.
What a journey, incredible job!
Honestly, this looks like a blast to build. I wish I could afford a second computer as an old school toy, especially one like this, but the prices have me unable to afford it.
With the parts from Satanic Mac Club, does that make it a "Hell" of a machine? LOLOL I'm sorry i couldn't resist.😆😈
God... this was the most beautiful thing. A Macintosh SE/30 practically brand new from top to bottom. Colin, you have absolutely out done yourself in an incredible way! Thank you, and the community at large, for showing this beautiful piece of computing history love beyond measure!
If only picture tube Rebuilders were still common you would have a completely new system.
It's a badass looking machine man, well done.
I don't think anyone rebuilds crt's anymore... I believe that is one (hopefully temporary) lost to time industry.
I know color CRT TV tubes can't be rebuilt anymore. I assume black and white is also in the same space since you can't get new electron guns anymore, and they are the part that wears out when the screen goes dark.
This is the kind of rabbit hole I wish I could afford! thanks for showing us the amazing process!
Great job Colin, Satanic Mac approves!
not gonna lie sm but an all red se/30 showcasing your part would be a perfect fit for the nickname "The Beast"
I don’t know anything about the vintage community and I’ve never seen one of your videos, but this build was fantastic. You did a wonderful job and all of the hard work that you put in really shows. It’s amazing to see what the modern community can do when you aren’t being sued into oblivion.
I thInk Marvin Gaye said it best : Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby !!
I agree, the beauty of vintage Macs is getting the system back to it's original condition
@@cyberdog. You are correct Sir !!!
I have no interest in retro macs specifically, but I love seeing someone take something old like this and make it like new again. Watching you fall down the rabbit hole in this video was a joy.
This is art.
yes
There were multiple points during the video where I was teasing you out-loud for your overboard choices, but I cannot argue with the result - that thing is beautiful! LOVE the black motherboard with gold traces especially! Awesome.
Is there a board that ditches the CRT all together and makes it possible to put in a modern LCD ? I am staying away from these Macs for the sole reason that I despise CRT tubes.
“The end is finally in sight” 13 minutes into a 32 minute video lol. For real though, this was a fascinating watch, thank you for taking on this task and documenting it. What an interesting saga.
While the SMC parts look cool, in their place I wouldn't name them like that to avoid alienating a big chunk of the customers in this niche.
You think "a big chunk" of the people into retro Macs are evangelicals without a sense of humour?
Holy crap. This is insanely impressive. Shout out to you and everyone involved, what an accomplishment to crowdsource like 80% of an ancient machine!
Thank you so much for, first of all, doing this project at and thus showing that's possible. And secondly, turning your video on this into an astonishing and hope-giving demonstration of just how effective and capable these communities of aftermarket component creators have become.
This is the most beautifull project on your channel. I am glad you went down the rabbit hole. Thanks for sharing, I have enjoyed this video so much!
Wow that is awesome! I do wonder how the case would look if you'd decided to do the reverse and go frosted glass look on it, but in any case it's so awesome that people are keeping these old computers alive!
I did the same thing. Ordered 5 new Bolle PCBs and transplanted parts. Nice to see others doing this too. One of my 2 donor boards did have a 68030 socket, so Apple apparently made some boards that way.
I’ve been out of the field for 13 years now. Not an authority or anything but as a certified journeyman and ex bench tech, you’ve got some skills. Some of the things you know can only be learned through experience.
I love the production values on your videos. Great that you give a big-up to TechKnight too, learnt so much technical stuff from his UA-cam videos. Follow TechKnight people.
This is by far one of my favourite restoration with modernization projects out there. Such a gorgeous and incredible job! The video is also incredibly well done.
Congratulations! Its wonderful you've shared with us all this experience and results.
I don't know half the stuff going on here, but it's so entertaining watching smart people at work.