03-01-2024, 11:19 AM
Hi Kangarused, Welcome to the forum.
Just a quick note, the blue plug that you have put into the monitor's DC out connection should not be connected when you are using the
disk drive attached to the keyboard. Normally in this system the disk drive supplies power to the keyboard via the 50 way flat cable that gets
plugged into the back of the Microbee keyboard. If you supply power to the keyboard via the DIN lead (the one with the blue DC plug, video
connector and 2 cassette interface connectors) there is a possibility of components overheating / failing.
If you want to check the operation of the keyboard on it's own, you can connect it to the monitor with the connections as you have pictured,
and assuming the monitor is outputting 12v into the blue plug, you should get text at the top of the screen ' Microbee Disk Monitor ... '
Things to check if this doesn't work :
A) To power on the monitor, rotate the power knob clockwise (it should just click into place)
B) Do you get any glow on the screen if you wind the brightness and contrast controls are fully clockwise ?
C) Are you getting power out of the monitor to the Microbee keyboard via the DIN cable?
This can be checked if you have a multimeter by removing the top back case of the keyboard (2 screws in the
base of the case hold the top rear case). With the top removed, the DIN lead plugged into the monitor and
keyboard, with the monitor turned on, check for approx +12v around the main filter capacitor on the right
hand side of the main board.
D) if there is no power getting to the keyboard, there is a fuse in the monitor that will need replacing for the DC power output.
E) If you get power o.k., try unplugging the coreboard (the top board which has the main system memory on it) from the
baseboard (with the power off) and plugging it back in - repeat this a few times and then see if you get the
Microbee Disk Monitor message again.
Start with that and see how you go.
Once you have the Disk Monitor message up, we can proceed with other testing from there.
Just a quick note, the blue plug that you have put into the monitor's DC out connection should not be connected when you are using the
disk drive attached to the keyboard. Normally in this system the disk drive supplies power to the keyboard via the 50 way flat cable that gets
plugged into the back of the Microbee keyboard. If you supply power to the keyboard via the DIN lead (the one with the blue DC plug, video
connector and 2 cassette interface connectors) there is a possibility of components overheating / failing.
If you want to check the operation of the keyboard on it's own, you can connect it to the monitor with the connections as you have pictured,
and assuming the monitor is outputting 12v into the blue plug, you should get text at the top of the screen ' Microbee Disk Monitor ... '
Things to check if this doesn't work :
A) To power on the monitor, rotate the power knob clockwise (it should just click into place)
B) Do you get any glow on the screen if you wind the brightness and contrast controls are fully clockwise ?
C) Are you getting power out of the monitor to the Microbee keyboard via the DIN cable?
This can be checked if you have a multimeter by removing the top back case of the keyboard (2 screws in the
base of the case hold the top rear case). With the top removed, the DIN lead plugged into the monitor and
keyboard, with the monitor turned on, check for approx +12v around the main filter capacitor on the right
hand side of the main board.
D) if there is no power getting to the keyboard, there is a fuse in the monitor that will need replacing for the DC power output.
E) If you get power o.k., try unplugging the coreboard (the top board which has the main system memory on it) from the
baseboard (with the power off) and plugging it back in - repeat this a few times and then see if you get the
Microbee Disk Monitor message again.
Start with that and see how you go.
Once you have the Disk Monitor message up, we can proceed with other testing from there.