Recap guide

Recap the Atari ST, STE and Falcon

The documented ST-family complaint is an aging power supply, with an STE that needed minutes to warm up fixed by a supply swap. UK recapping services also treat the board and PSU electrolytics of the STF, STE and Falcon as age-limited and sell preventive recaps, but they do not publish a failure pattern.

Open the interactive checklist Tick off each capacitor as you replace it. It saves in your browser.

Check first. A recap is not always the answer here, so look at the guides before you order parts.

Where to start

We did not find a clear list of what fails first on this machine, so we are not guessing. Read the guides below, check the board for leaks, and replace what you can see.

Tips, tales and maybes

Found in write-ups and forum threads. These are other people's reports, not tested by us. Check part references and values against your own board.

• Story: STE that needs minutes to warm up (Low confidence). An STE showed a black screen for one to two minutes, then white, and only booted after five to seven minutes, sometimes with four bombs first. A repairer in the thread blamed supply capacitors, and swapping in a known-good PSU fixed it at once. Source
• Tip: What leaking SMD caps look like (Medium confidence). A UK recapping shop explains that surface-mount electrolytics leak very slowly over years, and that dull, greenish-tinged solder or caps dropping off the board are signs. Leakage can also hide under the can. Its list of affected machines includes Atari STFM, STE and Falcon. Source
• Maybe: Preventive recap incl. PSU (Low confidence). The same shop sells recaps for the 520/1040 STFM and STF, STE (including 4160) and Falcon, covering both mainboard and PSU, tested with a diagnostic cartridge. It stresses it is maintenance for working machines and gives no failure statistics. Source
• Maybe: Falcon electrolytics (Low confidence). The Falcon service page replaces every electrolytic on the board and PSU as a preventive step. No symptoms or weak spots are named, so treat this as a reasonable precaution only. Source

Before you start

• Boards changed during production. Check your board number against the guides before you order parts.
• A mains power supply can hold a dangerous charge. If you are not trained to work on one, have a professional do it.

Guides we used

This page and the interactive bench are built from these. They have the photos and the full detail, so please read them and support their authors.

• Atari STe needs to warm up first (Forum) by AtariAge forums. Slow-boot STE traced to the power supply, plus talk of ST PSU capacitor values.
• Recapping FAQ (Amiga, Atari, CPC, Spectrum) (Blog) by Retro Passion. Plain explanation of slow SMD capacitor leakage and how to spot it.

ST board CA300779-001 Rev 5.1 RGB / CA401177 / CA4003290 RGB

Thirty-seven capacitors, including four non-polar 4.7 uF parts. C102 may be 10 uF 35 V on some revisions.

ST board C070243 Rev B

Seven capacitors. Console5 lists one 470 uF part with no reference number and a keyboard-header part labelled KBD.

ST board C070243 Rev C

Nine capacitors. One 470 uF part has no reference number, and the KBD part is axial.

ST board C070243 Rev H

Nine capacitors. Console5 is not sure of the reference for the 470 uF part (C56). The KBD part is axial.

ST board C070523-001 Rev B / C

Thirteen capacitors. The three non-polar parts can be 25 V instead.

ST board C070523-001 Rev D (large 2200 uF at C35)

For Rev D boards that have the large 2200 uF axial or radial capacitor at C35. Console5 also lists a 100 uF 16 V part that was added on top of the board above C41, not on the C41 pads.

ST board C070789-001 Rev C / Rev F

Twenty-two capacitors.

ST board C103225 Rev 1 / Rev 2

Thirteen capacitors.

ST board C103572 Rev 1

Fourteen capacitors.

Mega ST board C100167-001 Rev B / CA2000019

Twelve capacitors.

ST power supply C070091-014 / Model 1103

Console5 does not have reference numbers for this one, so it is by value. Mains power supply: unplug it and let it discharge first.

Astec ASP34 / ASPF34-1 power supply

Console5 says the three 330 uF parts are sometimes 35 V, and its kits include 35 V ones. Mains power supply: unplug it and let it discharge first.

DVE DSP-508A / DSP-508AA power supply

Console5 says schematics exist but the schematic parts list differs quite a bit from the production supply. One 100 uF part has no reference number: it sits in shrink wrap near the safety cap at the top of the board. Mains power supply: unplug it and let it discharge first.

FPK-N3 5657-B001-1 power supply

C205 is empty. Mains power supply: unplug it and let it discharge first.

Mitsumi SR97 / 68-4242A power supply (110 to 120 V)

Mains power supply: unplug it and let it discharge first.

Mitsumi SR98 / SR118 / 68-4231A power supply (220 to 240 V)

Mains power supply: unplug it and let it discharge first.

Phihong PSM-5341 power supply (100 to 240 V)

Mains power supply: unplug it and let it discharge first.

Skynet ATR-1886 power supply

Console5 does not have reference numbers for this one, so it is by value and count. Mains power supply: unplug it and let it discharge first.

Floppy disk drive D357 (TDK-T41V)

Console5 lists this by value and count. Thirteen capacitors in all.

Shopping list

226 capacitors in all, grouped by value. Buy a few spares.

• 34 x 100 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 32 x 47 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 23 x 22 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 16 x 4.7 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 10 x 1 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 10 x 100 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 10 x 470 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 8 x 1000 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 8 x 4700 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 7 x 330 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 7 x 2200 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 6 x 4.7 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 6 x 2200 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 5 x 0.47 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 4 x 10 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 4 x 47 µF, 250 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 4 x 470 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 3 x 1000 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 3.3 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 10 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 10 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 47 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 68 µF, 200 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 220 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 220 µF, 200 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 2 x 680 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 2.2 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 4.7 µF, 50 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 10 µF, 400 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 22 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 33 µF, 16 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 47 µF, 400 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 100 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 120 µF, 400 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 120 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 470 µF, 35 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 470 µF, 10 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 1000 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay
• 1 x 2200 µF, 25 V (check your board): Amazon · eBay

Console5 capacitor kits for this machine

Console5 sells ready-made capacitor kits. Kits come in different versions, so match the board number in the kit name to yours and check the listing before you buy.

• Atari 520STE 1040STE Computer Cap Kit Main STE PCB
• Atari 520 1040 ST Computer Cap Kit C070243 Rev B Main PCB
• Atari 520 1040 ST Computer Cap Kit C070243 Rev H Main PCB
• Atari 1040 STF Computer Cap Kit C070523 001 Rev B C Main PCB
• Atari 1040 STF Computer Cap Kit C070523 001 Rev D Main PCB
• Atari 520 1040 ST STFM Computer Cap Kit C070789 001 Main PCB
• Atari 520 1040 ST STFM Computer Cap Kit C103225 C103572 Main PCB
• Atari Mega ST Computer Cap Kit C100167 Main PCB
• Atari 1040 Computer Power Supply Cap Kit Astec ASP34 Versions 1 4
• Atari 1040 Computer Power Supply Cap Kit DVE Dsp 508A Dsp 508AA
• Atari 1040 Computer Power Supply Cap Kit FPK N3 5657 B001 1
• Atari 1040 Computer Power Supply Cap Kit Mitsumi 68 4242A 1040STF
• Atari Mega ST Computer Power Supply Cap Kit Mitsumi SR118
• Atari Mega STE TT030 Power Supply Cap Kit Phihong Psm 5341
• Atari ST Power Supply Cap Kit Skynet ATR 1886 Best Electronics CB101698 120V
• Atari 1040 Internal Floppy Disk Drive Cap Kit D357 TDK T41V

Skip the sourcing

• Ready-made kit: Amazon · eBay
• Already recapped: Amazon · eBay

While you are in there

• Need the machine itself?: Amazon · eBay
• A box of spare capacitors: Amazon · eBay

Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These links only search by name. Disclosure

Step by step

1. Photograph both sides of the board before you touch anything. Zoom in on every capacitor. The photo is your map when you are three hours in.
2. Unplug it, take out the batteries and let it sit. Old power supplies and CRT parts can hold a charge. If your machine has a tube, leave the tube and its board to a professional.
3. Open it up and keep the screws sorted. A muffin tin or an egg carton works. Different screws go in different holes, and the holes never forgive you.
4. Look for leaks. Clean any sticky residue off with isopropyl alcohol and a soft brush. A leaked capacitor leaves brown crust and can eat copper traces. Look at the traces under it, not only the part itself.
5. Mark the polarity of every capacitor on the photo before it comes off. On an electrolytic, the stripe marks the negative leg. The board usually shows a half-shaded circle or a bar for the same spot.
6. Remove the old capacitors one at a time. Surface mount: add fresh solder to both ends and rock the part off, or use flux and a low-melt alloy. Through-hole: heat one leg at a time and clear the hole with wick or a pump.
7. Clean the pads and check for lifted pads or damaged traces. Clean flux off with isopropyl. A bad pad needs a jumper wire, not hope.
8. Fit and solder the new capacitor, matching polarity. Same capacity, same or higher voltage, and it has to physically fit. Work from the smallest parts up.
9. Clean the flux off and look at every joint. A good joint is shiny and shaped like a tiny volcano. A dull blob or a ball is a cold joint: reflow it.
10. With a multimeter, check for shorts across the power rails before you power it on. Use the continuity or resistance setting. A reading near zero means stop and look for a solder bridge.
11. Power it up and test everything: video, sound, controls, the lot. If something is wrong, check polarity first. It is the most common mistake and the easiest fix.

Tools

• Temperature-controlled soldering station. Steady heat so you do not cook pads. Most recaps are done between 320 and 350 C. Top: Hakko FX-951 · Mid: Hakko FX-888D · Budget: Pinecil
• Good solder. Rosin-core 63/37 flows and looks right. It is cheap and it matters. Kester 44 63/37
• Flux. Flux is what makes old joints let go and new joints flow. MG Chemicals flux pen · Chip Quik flux syringe
• Low-melt alloy (for surface mount). Melts old solder on both ends of a surface mount part at once, so it lifts off cleanly. Chip Quik SMD1
• Desoldering tool. Clears the old solder out of through-hole pads. Top: Hakko FR-301 · Mid: Engineer SS-02 pump · Budget: Solder wick
• Fine tweezers. For holding small surface mount parts exactly where you want them. ESD-safe tweezers
• Board holder. A third hand for the board, so both of yours are free. PanaVise circuit board holder
• Magnification. You cannot fix what you cannot see. Surface mount parts are tiny. Top: Stereo microscope · Mid: Head visor · Budget: Lighted magnifier
• Multimeter. Continuity, shorts and rail voltages. The one test that saves boards. Top: Fluke 117 · Mid: Fluke 101 · Budget: AstroAI
• ESR and capacitor tester. Checks old capacitors and your new ones before they go in. Top: Peak Atlas ESR70 · Budget: LCR-T7
• Isopropyl alcohol (99%) and a brush. For cleaning leaked goo and flux. Use the high-percentage kind. MG Chemicals 99.9% isopropyl
• Brass tip cleaner. A clean tip transfers heat. A dirty one does not. Hakko 599B
• Fume extractor. Pulls the smoke away from your face. Hakko FA-400 · Budget: Small bench fan
• Precision screwdrivers. Most old gear uses a mix of Phillips, Torx and security bits. iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit
• Kapton tape. Heat-proof tape to protect parts that sit close to the one you are changing. Kapton tape

Safety

• Good airflow, or a fume fan. Solder smoke is not for breathing.
• Safety glasses on. Solder spits and clipped legs fly.
• Iron in its stand when you are not holding it. Know where the cord is.
• Touch bare metal first, or use a wrist strap. Static kills old chips.
• No tube, no mains power supply. Leave those to a professional.
• Wash your hands after, especially if you used leaded solder.

Values are shown as published in the guides above, and boards changed during production. Check the board in front of you. A recap involves hot tools and, on some machines, dangerous voltages. You do it at your own risk.

More

• All recap guides
• The interactive Recap Bench
• Fix a dead vintage computer
• Atari 520ST on the timeline
• Atari 1040ST on the timeline
• Atari STE on the timeline
• Atari Falcon030 on the timeline