Synth-DIY Yahoo! Groups Archives

installing the new switch panels

2012-03-12 by steven

it was pretty easy to do--- the hardest part was cleaning off the old goo---i used a sharp putty knife and laquer thinner. the instructions were real good.
I had to replace 3 of the ribbon wire connectors because previous attempts at repair screwed them up or broke them so with that extra soldering it took me about 2 hours--- [i suppose i could have been faster. ]
then i did the 4x memory expansion while i was at it---- (i had the memory chips waiting for this moment.

Damn the thing looks SO NEW now.
ive been dreaming of this moment for years despite having found another unit that worked.
[now im wondering if i should go do my other functional Polaris as 'insurance' }

gotta hand it to Paul--- he saved the Polaris from extinction.

RE: [chromapolaris] installing the new switch panels

2012-03-12 by Paul D. DeRocco

> From: steven
>
> it was pretty easy to do--- the hardest part was cleaning off
> the old goo---i used a sharp putty knife and laquer thinner.
> the instructions were real good.
> I had to replace 3 of the ribbon wire connectors because
> previous attempts at repair screwed them up or broke them so
> with that extra soldering it took me about 2 hours--- [i
> suppose i could have been faster. ] then i did the 4x memory
> expansion while i was at it---- (i had the memory chips
> waiting for this moment.
>
> Damn the thing looks SO NEW now.
> ive been dreaming of this moment for years despite having
> found another unit that worked. [now im wondering if i should
> go do my other functional Polaris as 'insurance' }
>
> gotta hand it to Paul--- he saved the Polaris from extinction.

Glad it went well. As to your other unit, you can wait if you like. If I
come close to running out of replacement membrane switches, I'll order up
some more, so they should always be available.

--

Ciao, Paul D. DeRocco
Paul mailto:pderocco@...

installing the new switch panels

2012-03-12 by Paul Kavicky

it was pretty easy to do--- the hardest part was cleaning off the old goo---i used a sharp putty knife and laquer thinner. the instructions were real good.
I had to replace 3 of the ribbon wire connectors because previous attempts at repair screwed them up or broke them so with that extra soldering it took me about 2 hours--- [i suppose i could have been faster. ]
then i did the 4x memory expansion while i was at it---- (i had the memory chips waiting for this moment.

One of the issues I have remaining is the integrity of the ribbon wire connectors on mine is questionable. With such a nice panel now I want to get everything sort of perfect really. Any good suggestions for locating replacement connectors that are a match for the 4 in the Chroma Polaris?

Now I wonder if I should be looking at memory chip or other changes while I'm having at it.

My last remaining issues are that while I had gotten a replacement LED for one that wasn't lighting up, it turns out that the LED was fine and the problem lies elsewhere in the Chroma Polaris. Really a shame since before I had left to do some touring this was working 100%. Just sitting there over time some things have failed. Boo.

So the LED in the Sweep area doesn't light, but the controls seem to work. The membrane switch functions and the slider seems to work.

One other snag, the assignable control isn't working. All of the switches and LEDs work, but the slider no longer has any affect.

So, more repair in my future. First, getting new ribbon wire connectors and then tackling things one issue at a time. (I'd like to see what I can do without sending this to a repair shop.

cheers,

Paul Kavicky
Paper Street Audio Company
www.paperstreetaudio.com

RE: [chromapolaris] installing the new switch panels

2012-03-12 by Paul D. DeRocco

> From: Paul Kavicky
>
> One of the issues I have remaining is the integrity of the
> ribbon wire connectors on mine is questionable. With such a
> nice panel now I want to get everything sort of perfect
> really. Any good suggestions for locating replacement
> connectors that are a match for the 4 in the Chroma Polaris?

They're in the Trio-mate series from Tyco Electronics. The part numbers are:

5-pin 5-520314-5 or 5-487508-4
7-pin 5-520314-7 or 5-520353-7
10-pin 6-520314-0 or 6-176982-0

I don't know who's got them in stock, though. In a pinch, if you can find
larger ones, you can cut off the extra pins, and visually align the tails
when you plug them in.

> My last remaining issues are that while I had gotten a
> replacement LED for one that wasn't lighting up, it turns out
> that the LED was fine and the problem lies elsewhere in the
> Chroma Polaris. Really a shame since before I had left to do
> some touring this was working 100%. Just sitting there over
> time some things have failed. Boo.

The only other thing I can imagine it being is Z6, the 74LS164 shift
register that drives it. Digikey's got 'em.

> One other snag, the assignable control isn't working. All of
> the switches and LEDs work, but the slider no longer has any affect.

The only thing I've seen go wrong with sliders is if something falls on them
and bends the stamped metal frame to the point where the slider element
becomes loose and no longer makes reliable contact. Does it feel like the
handle is more wobbly than the others? It might be possible to remove the
slider carefully, pinch the metal tabs that hold the thing together, and get
it to work again.

--

Ciao, Paul D. DeRocco
Paul mailto:pderocco@...

Re: [chromapolaris] installing the new switch panels

2012-03-13 by James

Furure electronics has the 10 position in stock

http://www.futureelectronics.com/WebsiteLanding.aspx

Online components has the 5 position in stock

http://www.onlinecomponents.com/

Use the first number Paul listed below.

I have minimum quantities of both and will let everybody know how the feet line up on the pcb. These were ordered last week. I have not sourced the 7 position connector but most of us desolder j8a and j8b anyway to fix these things.

James

From: Paul D. DeRocco <pderocco@...>
To: chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 7:42 PM
Subject: RE: [chromapolaris] installing the new switch panels

> From: Paul Kavicky
>
> One of the issues I have remaining is the integrity of the
> ribbon wire connectors on mine is questionable. With such a
> nice panel now I want to get everything sort of perfect
> really. Any good suggestions for locating replacement
> connectors that are a match for the 4 in the Chroma Polaris?

They're in the Trio-mate series from Tyco Electronics. The part numbers are:

5-pin 5-520314-5 or 5-487508-4
7-pin 5-520314-7 or 5-520353-7
10-pin 6-520314-0 or 6-176982-0

I don't know who's got them in stock, though. In a pinch, if you can find
larger ones, you can cut off the extra pins, and visually align the tails
when you plug them in.

> My last remaining issues are that while I had gotten a
> replacement LED for one that wasn't lighting up, it turns out
> that the LED was fine and the problem lies elsewhere in the
> Chroma Polaris. Really a shame since before I had left to do
> some touring this was working 100%. Just sitting there over
> time some things have failed. Boo.

The only other thing I can imagine it being is Z6, the 74LS164 shift
register that drives it. Digikey's got 'em.

> One other snag, the assignable control isn't working. All of
> the switches and LEDs work, but the slider no longer has any affect.

The only thing I've seen go wrong with sliders is if something falls on them
and bends the stamped metal frame to the point where the slider element
becomes loose and no longer makes reliable contact. Does it feel like the
handle is more wobbly than the others? It might be possible to remove the
slider carefully, pinch the metal tabs that hold the thing together, and get
it to work again.

--

Ciao, Paul D. DeRocco
Paul mailto:pderocco@...

Re: installing the new switch panels

2012-03-13 by Paul Kavicky

Ok, I've ordered the other parts I need here and next week I too will know how that improves my situation.

Thanks for the info so far. I'm going to get this Chroma Polaris 100% again for certain.

On Mar 13, 2012, at 7:29 AM, chromapolaris@yahoogroups.com wrote:

Posted by: "James" fl_799@... FL_799Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:49 pm (PDT)

Furure electronics has the 10 position in stock

http://www.futureel ectronics. com/WebsiteLandi ng.aspx

Online components has the 5 position in stock

http://www.onlineco mponents. com/

Use the first number Paul listed below.

I have minimum quantities of both and will let everybody know how the feet line up on the pcb. These were ordered last week. I have not sourced the 7 position connector but most of us desolder j8a and j8b anyway to fix these things.

cheers,

Paul Kavicky
Paper Street Audio Company
www.paperstreetaudio.com