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#129419 - 06/12/2002 09:21 gradual dimming of vfd
gogee2000
new poster

Registered: 21/09/2000
Posts: 40
hi all,

i thought i saw a posting on this before, and i did check the faq, but couldn't find anything. my display has gotten progressivly dimmer over the past few months. this is not the eratic dim problem that others have experienced. i sent my player in a year or 2 ago for this same problem only when i noticed it was difficult to see the display even at night. now that i'm noticing the problem again, i'd like to make the repair myself. even after i recieved my player after the first repair, i still had to do a quick resolder of a cold joint not 3 months afterwards. it's been great for the past year. is there documentation of what i need to check as far as voltages and signals to diagnose a dim display?

thanks

greg

MKII 20+20 Blue/PolFace

ps. yes, my dimmer setting is at 100% ;-)


Edited by gogee2000 (06/12/2002 09:22)

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#129420 - 06/12/2002 10:22 Re: gradual dimming of vfd [Re: gogee2000]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31594
Loc: Seattle, WA
is there documentation of what i need to check as far as voltages and signals to diagnose a dim display?

There is documentation of one possible failure point here, though I find it odd that you've have the same problem a second time after having had it repaired once already.

I recommend talking to support about it before turning on the soldering iron.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#129421 - 06/12/2002 12:18 Re: gradual dimming of vfd [Re: gogee2000]
tonyc
carpal tunnel

Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
I was gonna say that it could be due to cold weather but then I saw you live in Florida, so you have no such problems.
_________________________
- Tony C
my empeg stuff

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#129422 - 06/12/2002 12:51 Re: gradual dimming of vfd [Re: tonyc]
rtundo
addict

Registered: 27/02/2001
Posts: 569
Loc: Albany, NY
It's funny you should mention the cold weather problem. If my empeg gets cold my screen does not come on at full brightness until I reboot a few times, play with the dimmer controls for quite awhile or the unit warms up. Is this a fixable problem short of always taking the unit into a warm place?

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#129423 - 06/12/2002 12:55 Re: gradual dimming of vfd [Re: rtundo]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31594
Loc: Seattle, WA
Is this a fixable problem short of always taking the unit into a warm place?

It might be this problem....
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#129424 - 06/12/2002 13:15 Re: gradual dimming of vfd [Re: rtundo]
tonyc
carpal tunnel

Registered: 27/06/1999
Posts: 7058
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
I dunno about the capacitor thing tfabris linked to, but my player shows up pretty dim if I leave it in the cold, so in typical "don't do that" fashion, I just don't leave it out in the cold anymore.
_________________________
- Tony C
my empeg stuff

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#129425 - 08/12/2002 02:39 Re: gradual dimming of vfd [Re: tfabris]
rtundo
addict

Registered: 27/02/2001
Posts: 569
Loc: Albany, NY
Since it only happens when it is cold, I guess its a balance of risking something happening during shipment for the "fix" (which David is more than willing to do) versus just bringing it inside when it's cold. I think it's easier (and safer) to do the second especially since adding the capacitor may/may not cure this specific problem.

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