WTB: Any "good" 15" display (FlexView or LED Hydis) and/or LED backlight parts

[TRS-80]

Looking for any of:

* Original FlexView screen

* Xiphmont modded original FlexView (and/or, even just the kit, by itself)

* Boe-Hydis HV150UX2-100 (and/or, required cable for this)

I have come to realize that pickings are getting slim these days. I almost did not even post, as there are a couple others already looking for same. Therefore, I dunno, let me know what you would want in cash and/or trade to loosen your clutches on any of the above.

I am willing to go any route at this point. If I am able to acquire one or more of any of the above parts, I will update this with other specific parts I am still looking for.

These are just for my own personal usage. I realized (perhaps too late) that I did not have enough spares to keep myself in ThinkPads for the foreseeable future. And now I feel as if I am making up for lost time.

[atagunov]

Would you perhaps be interested to read the following "review" from forum member Nakatrana?
If you look closely you will see a reference on where to purchase a new HV150UX1-100 for a good price
Yes it's China and so one month to be delivered.. On the bright side Nakatrana had a good experience with this seller
AFAIK that is the (only?) relatively economical way these days to get a good new screen for 15" 4:3 T60/R60
Yes you won't have LED brightness so won't be able to work outdoors in the sun, but you can still hope to get a new original CCFL lit screen. As an extra bonus you won't have any expenses or labor associated with modding cable - and in fact the inverter too - for HV150UX2-100.

this user on our peer german forum organizes a bulk order for inverter boards and led strips for LED mods every 1.5 years or so. The topic title is something like "[Bulk order 24] LED backlight kit T / R / X / Z series" but I can't find it now on that forum.. These inverters are from china and are inferior to Xiphmont's desing. Xiphmont is not making them any more but I have an archive with schematics/board design somewhere, can send if needed. Unfortunately that won't help you with procuring the LED-s at all. So maybe a german group buy is still better. And you'd need to fit it yourself risking to destroy that nice HV150UX1-100 which should be able to buy relatively cheaply. Those kits don't come cheap btw, something like EUR 45 if I remember correctly.

Otherwise good luck with finding a HV150UX2-100.. Unfortunately I don't know where to get them in reliable quality or at a reasonable price..

[TRS-80]

Thanks, atagunov. Any and all leads at this point are worth following up on.

I order electronics bits from Ali all the time, so no, I don't have any problem waiting for that sort of shipping.[0] I read that review and build thread with great interest. Unfortunately, when following the link to the seller, the page now states (emphasis mine):

Kindly reminder:

Usually the led panel we send will be a compatible model number, it might not exactly the same as model of HV150UX1-100 .
But we can make sure it will fit for the model of HV150UX1-100 100%.

Well, at least they are honest.

I am well aware how nice the Xiphmont mods were/are, being lucky enough to own one myself. He was an extremely detail oriented and knowledgeable person who went to great lengths to engineer, source, assemble and sell an excellent product. However, these have not been available for some time, and so "we take what we can get" nowadays.

In that spirit, I suppose I will investigate the group buy on the German forum, thank you for making me aware of it.

Simultaneously, I would also be interested in at least taking a look at whatever schematics you might have of the original Xiphmont mod. I know he had the boards made at Oshpark, but I could not find anything when searching over there recently. And all his pages by now have gone down (although I just now realized I have not checked archive.org, etc. yet). Of course, you are correct, a big part of it was the LEDs he went to so much trouble to source just the right color. That will be the problem to solve, and I can't help but wonder how the German group goes about deciding how and which LED kits to buy? I will try and contact this person you mentioned and ask them.

[0] In fact usually by the time the item arrives, I almost forgot I ordered it, so it's a bit like a surprise gift for myself!

[atagunov]

You're right about archive.org, these links still work

https://web.archive.org/web/20190302191 ... rter.shtml

These boards can still be purchased from AliExpress so the mod instructions - if anybody wishes to mod - are still applicable
https://web.archive.org/web/20190302181 ... styB.shtml

In fact I believe the inverter boards that people get as part of German group buys might be one of these varieties - though I'm not 100% sure. It does sound like people are happy with what they get however - so the kits must be in the very least useable. Not sure when the next group buy happens - but then if you're like me you're probably not in a big hurry and waiting a year is not a huge problem

It's regrettable that the item on aliexpress only promises compatible displays. There is a chat facility built into AliExpress, so it doesn't hurt asking though. And are there any compatible displays in existence really?

[TRS-80]

In the meantime I also reached out to the guy on the German forums. I don't write a lick of German (likely much to the embarrassment of my forebears) so I had to use Google Translate for everything including the registration form.

He replied to me and said he hasn't got time for that any more. Well, at least he let me know right away. I don't know if someone else has picked up the torch on the group buy or not, but he did not mention anything like that.

I know I told you this in a PM, but I repeat the information here for anyone else following along this saga.

And are there any compatible displays in existence really?

You make a good point. I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask (especially since they seem honest).

[RealBlackStuff]

Looking for any of:
* Boe-Hydis HV150UX2-100 (and/or, required cable for this)

I modify those LED-cables and inverters, see this: https://theboardroom.info/led_mods2.html