#74682 - 25/02/2002 09:59
Dimmer fix movie
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
|
David has created a movie to demonstrate how the capacitor is applied to the display board to fix the fluctuating dimmer problem. A 10nF capacitor is used.
The QuickTime movie can be found at:
http://www.empeg.com/DimmerFix.mov
WE ARE NOT SUGGESTING THAT THIS IS A SIMPLE USER FIX
If you suffer from this problem and are not electronics expert, please contact [email protected] and we will arrange to fix your player for you.
Rob
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74683 - 25/02/2002 11:06
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: rob]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
|
Here I am struggling for hours with surface-mount components, and David can do it in about six seconds. What a show off!
Added to the FAQ, thanks.
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74684 - 25/02/2002 12:57
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: tfabris]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/08/2000
Posts: 3826
Loc: SLC, UT, USA
|
Yeah! Holy crap that was fast. Okay, i have a new benchmark to which i must achieve before i attempt the LED mods... *cracks knuckles*
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74685 - 25/02/2002 15:00
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: rob]
|
member
Registered: 31/12/2001
Posts: 121
|
any chance we could get this in another file format (avi, mpeg, ie anything other than apple's quicktime )
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74686 - 25/02/2002 15:43
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: spider]
|
addict
Registered: 05/05/2000
Posts: 623
Loc: Cambridge
|
I've just encoded an MPEG-1 version of the file and sent it to Rob, but it'll be tomorrow before he can upload it to the server.
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74687 - 25/02/2002 22:14
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: rob]
|
member
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 107
|
sweet.
Not too difficult. The longest part is taking the box apart.
My empeg's dimmer is now fully operational.
Engage!
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74688 - 25/02/2002 22:27
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: lothar]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
|
Stupid electronics question. Are capacitors polarized? Does it matter which direction that thing is soldered into place?
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74689 - 25/02/2002 22:43
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: tfabris]
|
member
Registered: 19/12/1999
Posts: 117
|
It would depend on the type of capacitor. Some are, some aren't.
My guess is that the one in the video isn't polarized.
Edited by xavyer (25/02/2002 22:44)
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74690 - 25/02/2002 22:45
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: tfabris]
|
old hand
Registered: 31/12/2001
Posts: 1109
Loc: Petaluma, CA
|
tony thre are no stupid questions.. and from my understand i dont belive so.. ive never really paid attention to it.. and everything ive done seem to work.. as long as the wires all conect to the right circut
_________________________
----
Justin Larsen
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74691 - 25/02/2002 22:50
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: tfabris]
|
old hand
Registered: 28/12/2001
Posts: 868
Loc: Los Angeles
|
Only if it is electrolytic (the bigger cylinder looking ones).
And if it is make damn sure they are hooked up correctly, they can sure explode nicely.
_________________________
Ninti - MK IIa 60GB Smoke, 30GB, 10GB
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74692 - 25/02/2002 23:35
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: ninti]
|
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 08/02/2002
Posts: 3411
|
Only if it is electrolytic (the bigger cylinder looking ones).
...or tantalum (tend to be yellow-brownish-inverted-teardrop shape.)
Whoever gets a patent on a capacitor technology that is cheap to make, good stability, low inductance, unpolarized and can create large capacitances ( ie 500 microFarads) stands to make A Lot Of Money (tm). Electrolytic/tantalum capacitors are awful in many ways, but are still used because they are cheap and can create large capacitances.
Speaking of bangs, it's an interesting experiment to blow up a *small* electrolytic by reverse connecting it. I'd advise carrying out the experiment in a wooden box though, set up so you can shut the box before applying power. And you might want to ensure adequate ventilation too...
_________________________
Mk2a 60GB Blue. Serial 030102962
sig.mp3: File Format not Valid.
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74693 - 26/02/2002 05:14
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: genixia]
|
pooh-bah
Registered: 09/08/2000
Posts: 2091
Loc: Edinburgh, Scotland
|
<offtopic> I remember Physics class at school. We got to zap things by prodding a fully charged .5 Farad capacitor at them, and then when that got boring, hooked it up to an 8000 Volt supply and stood behind the safety glass.
Heee heee hee - that started my lifelong fascination with mindless stupidity and explosions
</offtopic>
_________________________
Rory MkIIa, blue lit buttons, memory upgrade, 1Tb in Subaru Forester STi MkII, 240Gb in Mark Lord dock MkII, 80Gb SSD in dock
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74694 - 26/02/2002 12:07
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: David]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
|
The MPEG version is at:
http://www.empeg.com/DimmerFix.mpg
NB The capacitor is not polarised in this case.
Rob
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74695 - 26/02/2002 12:42
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: rob]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
|
What are the symptoms you would see to indicate the need for this fix. The dimmer in my Mk2a is freaky in the sense that the VFDs luminance sometime doesn't correspond to the dimmer value. My Mk2 has no such problem.
Yes, I read the FAQ entry:
In reply to:
If, when setting your dimmer, the display seems to flicker erratically and select random levels of brightness, this is a known problem with some players.
however, my display doesn't flicker. Here is an example of what it does (my dimmer is set at 100% and 60% with lights on)
I get in the car and boot Empeg. Display is dim (not 100%). Turn lights on and display is brighter (should be dimmer). Turn off lights and display is now proper 100%. Turn on lights and display will now be proper 60%. After the initial wrong values following boot, turning lights on and off now result in proper luminance nearly everytime.
What I'm trying to say is that once the player is set to a value, regardless of wether it displays the proper luminance, it will not flicker. But, it is often the wrong luminance.
I will perform this mod no problem. I just want to know if I would be correcting the right issue. Thanks.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli 80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74697 - 26/02/2002 13:53
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: tfabris]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
|
No. You just confirmed that I have some soldering to do.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli 80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74698 - 26/02/2002 17:22
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: rob]
|
enthusiast
Registered: 28/01/2002
Posts: 265
Loc: MI, USA
|
when i play this movie I don't get any sound and it's really short. could you fix this for me? thanks
_________________________
guardian__J MKIIa 20g Smoke
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74699 - 26/02/2002 18:17
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: guardian__J]
|
member
Registered: 05/09/2000
Posts: 174
Loc: Irvine, CA USA
|
When I play the movie, I still can't solder that well.
Can you fix this for me?
_________________________
_____________
James Mancini
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74700 - 26/02/2002 21:28
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: robricc]
|
member
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 107
|
you guys are just a bunch of babies in here.
it's really not that bad. Like I said, the toughest part was removing the four screws hold the fascia, removing the buttons, removing the lens, bending the tabs that hold the cover on, sliding the cover out, removing the 4 screws that hold the hard drive assembly in place, removing the hard drive assembly, unplugging the ide cable from the mainboard, removing the 4 screws that hold the display assembly on, removing the display ribbon cable from the mainboard, and taking the display assembly out of the case.
The soldering part was really not that bad - especially if you have a set of nice long tweezers handy. A good bright light, a fan, one or two beers later, and viola! I won't say that I was even close to the 7 second wonder, but I bet it took me no more than a minute to get it soldered.
So quit your whining! If you don't have the dexterity for the soldering pen, then email carsupport!
regards,
lothar
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74701 - 26/02/2002 23:01
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: lothar]
|
stranger
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 26
|
What could be more simple?
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74702 - 27/02/2002 00:18
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: lothar]
|
pooh-bah
Registered: 02/06/2000
Posts: 1996
Loc: Gothenburg, Sweden
|
bending the tabs that hold the cover on
Sounds more brutal than necessary; there's a way to do it where you just "lift" it a little with a screwdriver, no deformation at all. There's even a video of how to do it, linked under Step one of the Drive Upgrade FAQ
/Michael
_________________________
/Michael
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74703 - 27/02/2002 07:48
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: lothar]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
|
you guys are just a bunch of babies in here.
I hardly think I was whining. My issue is that these display boards are extremely rare. If I screw it up, I am in deep doo-doo. If you can tell by my updated sig, i simply took the drives out of the faulty Mk2a and transplanted them into my trusty Mk2 for a quick fix. Incidentally, this action fixed 3 problems with my Mk2a. Faulty dimmer, faulty drive cable, and rattling like a mofo in the car. Looks like I'll be using my Mk2 'till it's stolen or busted.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli 80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74704 - 27/02/2002 08:11
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: robricc]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
|
Rob, what, if not the drives, was the source of the rattle?
_________________________
Brad B.
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74705 - 27/02/2002 08:54
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: guardian__J]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
|
when i play this movie I don't get any sound and it's really short. could you fix this for me?
Would you like me to make the fix more complicated and noisey?
Rob
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74706 - 27/02/2002 09:00
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: SE_Sport_Driver]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
|
Rob, what, if not the drives, was the source of the rattle?
It was the bottom of the RioCar rattling against the bottom of the sled on one side. Perhaps my sled is installed slightly crooked (looks straight to me) but it only rattled on the left side. My sled is for my Mk2, so maybe there is a slight difference in sled designs or the Mk2a is slightly thinner than Mk2. I was going to try an fix it by putting that tape that feels sort-of like fabric over the bumps in the sled.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli 80GB 16MB MK2 090000736
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74707 - 27/02/2002 09:13
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: mtempsch]
|
member
Registered: 21/01/2002
Posts: 107
|
yes... perhaps gently "pry" the tabs with a flathead screwdriver sounds more politically correct. at the root of it though, you are really just bending the steel.
If you couldn't gather, the tone of my previous post was somewhat harsh and condescending <with a light dabbing of kidding around of course> - so some of the steps could have read as such.
I was merely trying to stir up some conversation about the experience that other brave souls are having with this fix.
regards,
lothar
p.s. LOL rob on the noisy and more complicated.
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74708 - 27/02/2002 09:15
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: robricc]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 05/01/2001
Posts: 4903
Loc: Detroit, MI USA
|
Rob, that's weird! Wow! My RioCar fits much tighter (almost too tight) into my Mk2 sled. Oh well, glad you found a fix! (kinda)
_________________________
Brad B.
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74709 - 27/02/2002 10:21
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: rob]
|
enthusiast
Registered: 28/01/2002
Posts: 265
Loc: MI, USA
|
yeah, I think that would make it more believable...
I watched video a few times and it looks like it's been edited...I think it's a fake...just like the Zapruder film
_________________________
guardian__J MKIIa 20g Smoke
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74710 - 27/02/2002 10:47
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: guardian__J]
|
carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
|
ROFL!
So this refutes the "Lone Solderer Theory"?
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#74711 - 27/02/2002 10:58
Re: Dimmer fix movie
[Re: guardian__J]
|
addict
Registered: 05/05/2000
Posts: 623
Loc: Cambridge
|
There is a crossfade in there so you aren't sat there watching a lifeless display board while I try and pick up the cap with a pir of tweezers.
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|