I'm trying to make a 300zx clock run on a battery. I was all confident but I cant make it work.

 

 

I thought the clock was a serviceable item. So I assume the battery has insufficient current???

 

I have been using crocodile clips and short lengths of wire to try and get it to do something but there are no signs of life at all.

 

Any ideas? And does anyone know which wires are which. I thought black was earth, blue was live and the others are to dim it.

 

Help please.

Don't bother with replacing resistors or anything else. Assuming you have not fried it by connecting the supply backwards, all you need to do is resolder all the crappy joints, especially the links that connect the two sides of the board as they are not through plated. The downside of this is that the ones that normally fail are under the display, so you have to unsolder one side and lift the display to do it properly.

 

Also, those gas discharge displays use quite a lot of current, so I suspect running of batteries may not be practical.

So I went to Maplin and bought some 180 Ohm resistors and some jewelers' monacle things. I have 20:20 vision but this is a bloody eye test.

 

Stand by for the hardest photo I have EVER taken. Including ones taken hanging beneath a Sea King over the sea using this phone... with gloves on.

 

 

Now same settings on the multimeyemultimer

 

The ones on the PCB should be 180 too. But they're not. I'll tell you what they are though. Bloody well attached to the board!!!!!!!!!!

 

Oh my God. I'm well into rage strength and can't get them off.

 

I reverted to a technique I call "Alcatrazing it" This has got me out of a few pickles. I first did it cutting through a brake line bracket on a fiat panda. For many boring reasons, the only way was with a snapped 4 inch bit of metal saw blade, jagging into my palm but alowing me 5mm fore and aft to saw. It works. Like slowly cutting your jail bars with a hard bit of corned beef it works.

 

So having nibbled at this resistor for an hour I am not through it yet!!!!

Soldering iron heating up, taking James Blunt's second album off the CD player and putting The Feeling's first album on. Strong coffee.

 

I'm going back at it.

 

Motovation please lads

Soldering iron heating up, taking James Blunt's second album off the CD player and putting The Feeling's first album on. Strong coffee.

 

I'm going back at it.

 

Motovation please lads

 

Poor clock!

I was less and less gentle and ate an entire bag of baileys truffles but still failed.

 

It looks like a battlefield but that is because I started plan B.

 

Cut the thing out of the circuit and go over its head. See second image.

 

I had that thing as hot as the sun and the entire board like a cup of tea and couldn't get it to budge. I am a competent man and I do not know how anyone has ever removed one of those.

 

I'm going to do it with a Dremmel next wekeend.

I do not know how anyone has ever removed one of those.

 

Surface mounted components can be tricky to remove (as you have found out). However, one of these (or similar)

makes the job much easier.

 

 

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/desoldering-guns-pumps/4794197/

Surface mounted components can be tricky to remove (as you have found out). However, one of these (or similar)

makes the job much easier.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110220[/ATTACH]

 

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/desoldering-guns-pumps/4794197/

 

This soldering gun would make it very easy to remove components from any board.

 

This soldering gun would make it very easy to remove components from any board.

 

 

Just remind me to keep clear of any avionics you might have worked on!

Just remind me to keep clear of any avionics you might have worked on!

 

“What’s that Captain, you can’t align your IRUs? No problem, I’ll take a look”...

 

OK, well you probably didn't need to replace that resistor but you certainly do now. Also, you should be aware that a component measured in-situ will not give the same values as when isolated. Are you familiar with the rules for adding resistances when in serial or parallel? 90 ohms is feasible, so it may not have been busted.

OK, well you probably didn't need to replace that resistor but you certainly do now. Also, you should be aware that a component measured in-situ will not give the same values as when isolated. Are you familiar with the rules for adding resistances when in serial or parallel? 90 ohms is feasible, so it may not have been busted.

 

Hello Andy, yeah, I realised that on the drive back to Shawbury just now.

 

It's all sort of fun, it doesn't matter If I destroy it, it's still a nice ornament externally. I am learning a few things along the way.

 

I would on a serious note, like to know more about electronics. I have a decent if shallow knowledge of electricity, physics and electronics. But it is fairly shallow. Except random military bits like RADAR, thermal cameras and the like. If any of you guys know more, I'd love to learn.

 

What do you think was wrong with that clock circuit? Before I went at it that is. And to be honest, I think that resistor is still functioning as well as it did 3 days ago!

If i had working clock i would post it to you for free :)

Hello Andy, yeah, I realised that on the drive back to Shawbury just now.

 

It's all sort of fun, it doesn't matter If I destroy it, it's still a nice ornament externally. I am learning a few things along the way.

 

I would on a serious note, like to know more about electronics. I have a decent if shallow knowledge of electricity, physics and electronics. But it is fairly shallow. Except random military bits like RADAR, thermal cameras and the like. If any of you guys know more, I'd love to learn.

 

What do you think was wrong with that clock circuit? Before I went at it that is. And to be honest, I think that resistor is still functioning as well as it did 3 days ago!

 

Well I know a little bit about electrical theory (basically O' Level Physics), I have a bit of practical experience of fixing broken stuff and I have fixed dozens of clocks for people.

Radar & thermal imaging sounds much more interesting though! :)

 

Incidentally, I have already told you what is probably wrong, certainly with every clock I ever fixed (with the exception of where people had previously butchered restistors) and it is just a fiddly soldering job.

Edited January 8, 20187 yr by AndyP