The Studer A727 I got last week apparently had a spent electroluminescent backlight.
I was a bit suspicious, since even old EL panels give off a tiny bit of light. This one did nought.
It was getting its 110V at 650Hz, but still as dark as the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole.
Disassembly showed that some expert repairer had got to it. They had tried to replace the elecroluminescent panel (with a real Studer part), but suceeded in breaking its pins off in the process, inside the panel where they connect to the actual electrodes.
Now here comes the tragic part: they also accomplished breaking the seal on the liquid crystal glass, so the crystal itself has shrunk and pulled away from the display periphery. :facepalm:
Remaking the electrode connections has restored light - and since this EL panel has never been illuminated it should have its whole life ahead of it - I hope.
But the damaged liquid crystal is impossible to do anything about. Hopefully I can find a replacement, but they seem rare.
No critical information is being lost from view, but it doesn't look so pretty.
Success:
Look also how they crunched through the PVC insulation on the display wires when the pinched them in the chassis.
I was a bit suspicious, since even old EL panels give off a tiny bit of light. This one did nought.
It was getting its 110V at 650Hz, but still as dark as the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole.
Disassembly showed that some expert repairer had got to it. They had tried to replace the elecroluminescent panel (with a real Studer part), but suceeded in breaking its pins off in the process, inside the panel where they connect to the actual electrodes.
Now here comes the tragic part: they also accomplished breaking the seal on the liquid crystal glass, so the crystal itself has shrunk and pulled away from the display periphery. :facepalm:
Remaking the electrode connections has restored light - and since this EL panel has never been illuminated it should have its whole life ahead of it - I hope.
But the damaged liquid crystal is impossible to do anything about. Hopefully I can find a replacement, but they seem rare.
No critical information is being lost from view, but it doesn't look so pretty.
Success:
Look also how they crunched through the PVC insulation on the display wires when the pinched them in the chassis.
