Rhodes Chroma Polaris

--- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, "sacateca2001" <harama@v...> wrote:
>
> hi knob fiddlers,
> my old darling(100102) needs some help,
> the left down press-knob doesn't work ,-(
> (lower function). is there any possibility to remove
> it, change it or even bridge it?
> maybe someone knows any older posts about that issue,
> any quick solution?
>
> regards
> harald
>

Y'know...  Funny you should mention that, because I had that exact
problem.  You may have a bad switch (the membrane), in which case I
think you're pretty much screwed.  But one thing I did, was to take
apart my polaris, remove the plastic ribbon cables (not the
computer-type wire-in-cable cables, but the painted-on jobs that
typically crack), you should have 4.  You probably will also have to
remove the screws on the pc boards in the front panel of the synth,
and all the chrome knobs for the sliders.  Then I bought a Sharpie (r)
silver marker, and carefully repainted the traces on that cable.  I
used Sharpie because they haven't got any real dangerous solvents in
their paint marker.  There is enough aluminum in the sharpie paint to
act as a decent trace repair.  This may be your problem.  If something
goes desperately wrong you can always try acetone and a q-tip to clean
the paint off the ribbon cable, and trim it back using a nice sharp
pair of scissors.  If your membrane switch is out, you might have to
develop a repair of some sort (remembering that membrane switches are
still used).

  ummm...  THat's about all I can think of.

  Let me know if that helps at all.  I'm still a polaris novis, but
I'm really loving mine!

  Christopher
--- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, "sacateca2001" <harama@v...> wrote:
>
> hi knob fiddlers,
> my old darling(100102) needs some help,
> the left down press-knob doesn't work ,-(
> (lower function). is there any possibility to remove
> it, change it or even bridge it?
> maybe someone knows any older posts about that issue,
> any quick solution?
>
> regards
> harald
>

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>
> Y'know... Funny you should mention that, because I had that exact
> problem. You may have a bad switch (the membrane), in which case I
> think you're pretty much screwed. But one thing I did, was to take
> apart my polaris, remove the plastic ribbon cables (not the
> computer-type wire-in-cable cables, but the painted-on jobs that
> typically crack), you should have 4. You probably will also have to
> remove the screws on the pc boards in the front panel of the synth,
> and all the chrome knobs for the sliders. Then I bought a Sharpie (r)
> silver marker, and carefully repainted the traces on that cable. I
> used Sharpie because they haven't got any real dangerous solvents in
> their paint marker. There is enough aluminum in the sharpie paint to
> act as a decent trace repair. This may be your problem. If something
> goes desperately wrong you can always try acetone and a q-tip to clean
> the paint off the ribbon cable, and trim it back using a nice sharp
> pair of scissors. If your membrane switch is out, you might have to
> develop a repair of some sort (remembering that membrane switches are
> still used).
>
> ummm... THat's about all I can think of.
>
> Let me know if that helps at all. I'm still a polaris novis, but
> I'm really loving mine!
>
> Christopher
> --- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, "sacateca2001" <harama@v...>

> >
> > hi knob fiddlers,
> > my old darling(100102) needs some help,
> > the left down press-knob doesn't work ,-(
> > (lower function). is there any possibility to remove
> > it, change it or even bridge it?
> > maybe someone knows any older posts about that issue,
> > any quick solution?
> >
> > regards
> > harald
> >
>

>
> Y'know... Funny you should mention that, because I had that exact
> problem. You may have a bad switch (the membrane), in which case I
> think you're pretty much screwed. But one thing I did, was to take
> apart my polaris, remove the plastic ribbon cables (not the
> computer-type wire-in-cable cables, but the painted-on jobs that
> typically crack), you should have 4. You probably will also have to
> remove the screws on the pc boards in the front panel of the synth,
> and all the chrome knobs for the sliders. Then I bought a Sharpie (r)
> silver marker, and carefully repainted the traces on that cable. I
> used Sharpie because they haven't got any real dangerous solvents in
> their paint marker. There is enough aluminum in the sharpie paint to
> act as a decent trace repair. This may be your problem. If something
> goes desperately wrong you can always try acetone and a q-tip to clean
> the paint off the ribbon cable, and trim it back using a nice sharp
> pair of scissors. If your membrane switch is out, you might have to
> develop a repair of some sort (remembering that membrane switches are
> still used).
>
> ummm... THat's about all I can think of.
>
> Let me know if that helps at all. I'm still a polaris novis, but
> I'm really loving mine!
>
> Christopher
> --- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, "sacateca2001" <harama@v...>

> >
> > hi knob fiddlers,
> > my old darling(100102) needs some help,
> > the left down press-knob doesn't work ,-(
> > (lower function). is there any possibility to remove
> > it, change it or even bridge it?
> > maybe someone knows any older posts about that issue,
> > any quick solution?
> >
> > regards
> > harald
> >
>

--- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, "sacateca2001" <harama@...> wrote:
>
> hi christopher,
> it seems like the cable is ok,
> but i don't know how it looks like under
> the panel..have a look:
> http://home.vrweb.de/~harama/polar/polar.htm
>
> so in case the cable is fine, what else can i do
> to get this "lower function" butt running?
> any suggestions??
> harald
>
>
> --- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, "jenna_pher" <jenna_pher@y...>
> wrote:
> >
> > Y'know... Funny you should mention that, because I had that exact
> > problem. You may have a bad switch (the membrane), in which case I
> > think you're pretty much screwed. But one thing I did, was to take
> > apart my polaris, remove the plastic ribbon cables (not the
> > computer-type wire-in-cable cables, but the painted-on jobs that
> > typically crack), you should have 4. You probably will also have to
> > remove the screws on the pc boards in the front panel of the synth,
> > and all the chrome knobs for the sliders. Then I bought a Sharpie (r)
> > silver marker, and carefully repainted the traces on that cable. I
> > used Sharpie because they haven't got any real dangerous solvents in
> > their paint marker. There is enough aluminum in the sharpie paint to
> > act as a decent trace repair. This may be your problem. If something
> > goes desperately wrong you can always try acetone and a q-tip to clean
> > the paint off the ribbon cable, and trim it back using a nice sharp
> > pair of scissors. If your membrane switch is out, you might have to
> > develop a repair of some sort (remembering that membrane switches are
> > still used).
> >
> > ummm... THat's about all I can think of.
> >
> > Let me know if that helps at all. I'm still a polaris novis, but
> > I'm really loving mine!
> >
> > Christopher
> > --- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, "sacateca2001" <harama@v...>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > hi knob fiddlers,
> > > my old darling(100102) needs some help,
> > > the left down press-knob doesn't work ,-(
> > > (lower function). is there any possibility to remove
> > > it, change it or even bridge it?
> > > maybe someone knows any older posts about that issue,
> > > any quick solution?
> > >
> > > regards
> > > harald
> > >
> >
>

> so replying to my request, looks like no
> one here knows an answer to the named issue,
> it never happend before?
> any repair address in berlin?

--- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, David Clarke <ac151@...> wrote:
>
> > so replying to my request, looks like no
> > one here knows an answer to the named issue,
> > it never happend before?
> > any repair address in berlin?
>
> Harald - the 'switches' on the panel are actually just sandwiches
of plastic
> and conductive layers. These sandwiches are right inside the
overlay on the
> panel. If you want to 'get at' the switch, you'd need to peel it
off the
> panel.
>
> That having been said, there's really not too much to 'see' there.
If
> you're very lucky, it might just be that the button is permanenly
stuck
> down. If so, you might be able to use something 'sticky' to put it
back up.
>
> It would be important to know if this is the _only_ switch which is
> affected, or if others are also affected. If there's more than one
switch
> which is not behaving properly, then it is less likely the membrane
in the
> panel itself and more likely a sick part or a bad connection on one
of the
> plastic connections. (While these connections looked good in the
pictures
> you provided, it would only take a hair-line crack further down the
neck of
> the cable to cause problems).
>
> If the membrane switch is found to be bad, then:
>
> 1) You could keep your eyes open for a replacement Polaris
panel/switch
> (they do come up on Ebay every now and then).
> 2) you could make connections directly to the circuit board
yourself and add
> your own switch (either drilling a hole in the panel where the LF
switch
> location current is - or simply mounting it somewhere else.
>
> David Clarke
>

--- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, David Clarke <ac151@...> wrote:
>
> > so replying to my request, looks like no
> > one here knows an answer to the named issue,
> > it never happend before?
> > any repair address in berlin?
>
> Harald - the 'switches' on the panel are actually just sandwiches of
plastic
> and conductive layers. These sandwiches are right inside the
overlay on the
> panel. If you want to 'get at' the switch, you'd need to peel it
off the
> panel.
>
> That having been said, there's really not too much to 'see' there. If
> you're very lucky, it might just be that the button is permanenly stuck
> down. If so, you might be able to use something 'sticky' to put it
back up.
>
> It would be important to know if this is the _only_ switch which is
> affected, or if others are also affected. If there's more than one
switch
> which is not behaving properly, then it is less likely the membrane
in the
> panel itself and more likely a sick part or a bad connection on one
of the
> plastic connections. (While these connections looked good in the
pictures



> you provided, it would only take a hair-line crack further down the
neck of
> the cable to cause problems).
>
> If the membrane switch is found to be bad, then:
>
> 1) You could keep your eyes open for a replacement Polaris panel/switch
> (they do come up on Ebay every now and then).
> 2) you could make connections directly to the board yourself and add
> your own switch (either drilling a hole in the panel where the LF
switch
> location current is - or simply mounting it somewhere else.
>
> David Clarke
>

--- In chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com, "bkuris" <Bkuris@...> wrote:
>
> To elaborate, having replacd many polaris switches:
> If you do find it is a problem with the actual membrane switch you
> can replace with a small pushbutton switch.
>
> I have successfully used panel mount switches (very cheap, $1 each
> from www.allelectronics.com). You will find that there is very
> little clearance behind the switches as a result I was forced to bend
> the of the switches and remove the IC sockets from the PCBs
> under switches that I wanted to replace.
>
> Before you attempt this repair, review the service manual and look at
> the switch matrix wiring chart.
>
> I'm very good at rework, it took me about 1hr to drill holes and bend
> switch leads and 3hrs to solder the 150 or so wires to replace all of
> the switches in one of my chroma polaris keyboards.
>
> If you just want to to replace one button and locate it where there
> are no clearance issues, it should be a simple fix for you or a local
> technician.
>
> Good luck,
> Ben