[jimbobkeler]

I've got one of the colored 333mhz imacs from a while back. Unfortunately it did not come with an IR port. Has anyone heard of retrofitting one with the IR stuff? I seem to remember hearing that it will require soldering a connector onto the motherboard.

[vmarks]

Originally posted by jimbobkeler:
<STRONG>I've got one of the colored 333mhz imacs from a while back. Unfortunately it did not come with an IR port. Has anyone heard of retrofitting one with the IR stuff? I seem to remember hearing that it will require soldering a connector onto the motherboard.</STRONG>

Nope, no soldering on the motherboard.

You'll need the port board that sits behind the hard drive in the iMac mass storage chassis, the small serial cable that goes between the port board and the IR board, and the IR board itself. With these three things and the other appropriate a/v cables, you should be able to make it work, no problems.

If you're willing to trade port boards (also known as the a/v-i/o board) we might be able to work something out for the IR parts you'll need. I have extras of them.

[jimbobkeler]

So what is the downside to this hack? what do I loose other than some bux and time?

[vmarks]

I'm not sure that there is one, other than questionable usefulness. How often do you use IR?

Wait, I'm a fraud! I forgot two things in my earlier post!

1) there is a ribbon cable that goes to a pin header on the motherboard. I imagine you'll have to solder that pin header to the motherboard. This isn't a big deal, the header is available from digi-key, and the cable is among those things I have extra of.

2) you'll have to have a window in the front of the iMac for IR light to pass through. That means altering your left speaker grille slightly, or using the speaker grilles from an earlier iMac.

Did you know that it's also possible to connect a floppy drive to the iMac motherboard? there's a set of solder pads that you'd have to solder a pin header to... but would you really want to?

Victor Marks
lvmarks@mac.com

[jimbobkeler]

I don't actually use it right now, but it has to be more elegant a solution than the palm cradle with 85.5 feet of cord and the usb adapter with an additional 27.3 feet. Only mild exagerations. I hate seeing a spaghetti pile of wires everywhere. Who makes 2 foot long usb cords?

And 1) I thought so, and I was already planning to do the floppy hack. I figure my demi external second hard drive and the floppy can share a demi external case.

2) Have power drill will travel

[vmarks]

Originally posted by jimbobkeler:
<STRONG>I don't actually use it right now, but it has to be more elegant a solution than the palm cradle with 85.5 feet of cord and the usb adapter with an additional 27.3 feet. Only mild exagerations. I hate seeing a spaghetti pile of wires everywhere. Who makes 2 foot long usb cords?

And 1) I thought so, and I was already planning to do the floppy hack. I figure my demi external second hard drive and the floppy can share a demi external case.

2) Have power drill will travel</STRONG>

If you want the parts, I have them, but you have to trade me for the AV/IO board (sits behind the hard drive.)

The rest, I'll let go real cheap. Email me if you want em, and make me an offer.

Victor Marks
lvmarks@mac.com