Hi everyone, this is a copy of a reply I posted to a previous thread of rokytnji, before I realised it was closed. (I joined up to answer it).



Re: Rocky ll RT686 Laptop

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I have got 2 of these and, like you, the intrigue of the beasts let the costs mount and mount.
One of my specs is 500MHz 256Mb PC100 SDRAM (144 pin) 20Gb running Windows XP Pro and the other is 650 MHz 512Mb PC133 SDRAM 120Gb running Sun Java Desktop 2, Ubuntu 7.10, Xandros 3.02oce, Fedora core 6, 2 Windows XP Pro partitions and Windows 98.
The processor speed makes no difference to the memory speed, and I just wanted to boast about the rest.
I had some PC133 SDRAM knocking about, so I contacted an EXTREMELY helpful lady at Amrel, who advised me that EDO or SDRAM would do. I put my 512 PC133 in one and chips from both laptops (128 PC100) into the other. As far as I know, RAM is backwards compatible, anyway. Theoretically, using too fast a speed is just a waste of resources, but the cost difference is probably insignificant, if not inverse. I believe using a slower speed is possible, but it makes all your RAM, if differing speeds, run at the slowest speed. I am trawling some of this from distant memory, so I may not be correct.
Anyway, to add some memory to your Rocky 2, you will need a nice-fitting screwdriver. You need to take ALL the screws out around the body. Once you carefully disconnect all the plugs and connectors to seperate the top from the bottom half, you will expose an empty RAM slot. Your 128Mb chip will be located under the processor on the bottom of the motherboard. I had no luck accessing it from the flap on the bottom of the laptop. If you take the motherboard out, be aware there is a brass screw under a 'Warranty void......' sticker going straight into the processor heatsink. I nearly trashed mine with a screwdriver/lever before I noticed that one.
Hope this helps. If you need any more info, give me a shout. I have dedicated weeks on end to these things and know them quite well. I wish I had your peripheral hardware. I drew the line at disk caddies. If (IF, IF, IF) I had had a BIOS update (hence running Win 98) beforehand, I could just run everything off USB, and they really would have been a bargain. As it is, they are great things to have. Good luck with yours.




Hope this is some good to someone, somewhere. I, personally, changed both my power inputs to 2.5mm barrel connectors. The first by accident, really.... I broke what I presume is a filter by by poking about in the processor cover and trying to join wires. I ended up doing away with the filter and going straight to the motherboard. We live in a world of regulated power supplies and fuses. I am presuming (and hoping) that Amrel were preparing for everything. The other machine, though, had a different assembly which I was reluctant to mess about with. So I soldered a flying lead to the terminals and bunged it up with sealer to insulate it. If I ever get a proper power supply (or tip, which I have searched high and low for) I reckon I can get it straight again.

Rather than buy a replacement battery (of which I can't find a pattern, a proper matching picture or a reference), I am using a Univeral Battery from www.espow.com. The quality seems okay and it costs less than the real thing. I don't doubt for a minute that it lasts significantly longer, too.

Anyone who thinks I might be able to help is very welcome to give me a shout.

Cheers, Liam

Attachment 1581 Howdy Liam, I'm giving you a quick shout. Can you tell me how many slots for your sticks were in laptop. Also is any of your Rocky ll's RT 686.212 which shows on intitial boot up screen. If so, how were you able to get bios to recognose 512 mb stick? Is the RT 686.212 using the 128mnb sticks or the 512 mb stick? As you can see I'm gonna be full of questions. Going on holiday starting tommorrow for the next 3 weeks so won't be able to respond till getting back unless my wife finishes hookup and configuration of pcmcia wireless card on her Ibm T-23 laptop. Again, WELCOME>

There are 2 memory slots; one on each side of the motherboard. I am using 2 sticks of 256Mb, rather than one 512Mb in mine.
I am afraid your BIOS version is the older one. I, like you, laid out for the disk caddies. I then installed windows 98 on another computer (including loading the entire Windows CD and anthing else I thought I'd need - by copying the driver disks to the hard drive rather than installing programs on the original computer. This way, I had a working DVD drive and PCMCIA network card, and the drivers Windows needed were already on the hard drive).
After swopping the hard drive over, there is the usual hardware detection business, including a few reboots. Then you can update your BIOS to RT686.829 which will open up another world! You can boot from all kinds of drives from there; particularly of note is the USB CDROM and USB hard drive. It make life so much easier! You can format your hard drive and start the whole lot again, with anything you like. And wish you had done it earlier - I did, anyway.
Amrel can supply the BIOS by email attatchment. I never did find it on the internet. Or I have still got a copy if you want me to email it.
Good luck with it all, and have a great holiday.