Dec-Talk problem

Dec-Talk problem

[Bryan Smart]

Didn't know exactly where to ask about this.  Most everyone on this list
uses Dec-Talks, so thought someone would have a suggestion.

The serial cable connector on my DT has some kind of a short.  It has
steadily become worse over the last couple of months.  As the unit is out
of warranty, I had a techy at a local repair place take a look (they're DEC
certified).  Anyway, the guy couldn't find any broken traces, loose
wires/connections, or anything like that.  The problem is still there,
however.  I had a replacement cable made up, but no luck with that, either.

Is this a common problem?  Any suggestions? 

I'm sure Digital would fix it, but I'm just not sure that I'm ready to pay
that much :].  I have no idea how much they'll charge, but don't expect it
to be affordable.

Bryan

BTW: The techy didn't seem to think too much of the DT Express's design.  I
already knew things like how the cut-outs on the carry pouch don't quite
line up with the connectors on the DT, but he thought that many of the
mounting brackets inside the housing, the way the components are attached
to the internal circuit board, and other construction concerns were rather
lacking for a nearly $1,000 piece of equipment.

--
Bryan Smart
Email: bsmart@pobox.com

Re: Dec-Talk problem

[L. C. Robinson]

On Wed, 14 Jan 1998, Bryan Smart wrote:

> Didn't know exactly where to ask about this.  Most everyone on this list
> uses Dec-Talks, so thought someone would have a suggestion.
> 
> The serial cable connector on my DT has some kind of a short.  It has
> steadily become worse over the last couple of months.  As the unit is out
> of warranty, I had a techy at a local repair place take a look (they're DEC
> certified).  Anyway, the guy couldn't find any broken traces, loose
> wires/connections, or anything like that.  The problem is still there,
> however.  I had a replacement cable made up, but no luck with that, either.
> 
> Is this a common problem?  Any suggestions? 

Broken PC runs right where a jack (as opposed to a plug or cable)
connects to the PC board on ANY electronic device, is indeed a very
common problem.  Unfortunately, they are often very hard to see, just
being a hairline crack, and may only be detected by an ohm meter, and
even this is very tricky and difficult when the problem is intermitten
(the worst kind, to diagnose).

> I'm sure Digital would fix it,

Yea, maybe just replace the whole circuit board, and charge you
for it.

> but I'm just not sure that I'm ready to pay that much :].  I have no
> idea how much they'll charge, but don't expect it to be affordable.

Sometimes you can just call vendors and describe a common problem,
and they will point you right at the solution (tell you how to fix
it).  Call the biggest parts supplier in your area, and explain
your problem, and ask if they have an 800 support number for DEC.
It's worth a call or two.

This sounds like a fairly generic type of problem.  Some people just
aren't very good at finding out about this sort of thing.  I would
ask around to find out who is good at tracking down such
things.  If it really is the kind of problem you have described,
any general electronics repairman could find it, without specific
knowledge about your unit, if he is good at tracking down this
sort of thing.  Be sure to demonstrate the problem for the guy
that will actually work on the unit (make it happen in his presence).
Go to someone else if the management doesn't encourage this.

> BTW: The techy didn't seem to think too much of the DT Express's design.  I
> already knew things like how the cut-outs on the carry pouch don't quite
> line up with the connectors on the DT, but he thought that many of the
> mounting brackets inside the housing, the way the components are attached
> to the internal circuit board, and other construction concerns were rather
> lacking for a nearly $1,000 piece of equipment.

And poor design is the usually the reason jacks break loose from 
circuit boards.  In the worse case, you could have someone rewire
the jack with flexible wire, so as to bypass (parallel) the PC
board runs.  That way, stress on the jack could never break
the runs again, and no one would have to actually find the break,
assuming, again, this is really the cause.  We had a bad keyboard
on one of our terminals, and had to wait till it got bad enough
to malfunction when we were working on it, in order to find it.
Turned out to be a hairline crack in the circuit run, next to one
of the keys.  We just bypassed the trace with a separate wire.
The worse your problem is, the easier it will be to find the cause.
If it's not too annoying, you might consider waiting till it 
becomes more obvious.

By the way, you will probably get more respect from the techys if you
refer to a break as an "open" rather than a "short", which is an
unwanted connection, not that it is really a big thing.  

L. C. Robinson
reply to infynity@cyberhighway.net (a family account)

Re: Dec-Talk problem

[Max G. Swanson]

If you have an internal slot available, it might be to your advantege to
sell the DT Express via one of the lists such as Blindad, being totally open
of course re its history.

Then get one of the PC-2 boards.  I'm afraid that some day soon DEC may stop
making the hardware synths and just expect everyone to use the S/W version,
which poses a special problem for non-Windows users.

--So long, and thanks for all the fish!  It ain't original but it's from...
     Max S., maxswn@citilink.com or maxswn@softcon.com.  Jazzbo on IRC.

Re: Dec-Talk problem

[James R. Van Zandt]

Bryan Smart <bsmart@pobox.com> writes:
>The serial cable connector on my DT has some kind of a short.

I suggest you have the jack for the power module checked too.  It also
tends to develop an intermittent connection.  Could that account for
your symptoms?  (Say, if your battery is in really poor shape?)

                                    - Jim Van Zandt

Re: Dec-Talk problem

[Bryan Smart]

I don't think that there is a battery problem.  I might just see if the
guys can order another jack, but, knowing Digital, they'll probably charge
me $80 or something similar for a plastic connector...grrrrr.

Bryan


At 11:42 AM 1/16/98 -0500, you wrote:
>I suggest you have the jack for the power module checked too.  It also
>tends to develop an intermittent connection.  Could that account for
>your symptoms?  (Say, if your battery is in really poor shape?)
>
>                                    - Jim Van Zandt
>
>---
>Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
>Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
>Blinux web page at http://leb.net/blinux
>To unsubscribe send mail to blinux-list-request@redhat.com
>with subject line: unsubscribe
>
>
--
Bryan R. Smart
E-Mail: bsmart@pobox.com

Re: Dec-Talk problem

[Bryan Smart]

Nah, must keep the external.  I need to hall it over to the Comp Sci
department at school to use their machines, and have/will again use it on a
laptop.

Bryan

At 12:24 PM 1/15/98 -0600, you wrote:
>If you have an internal slot available, it might be to your advantege to
>sell the DT Express via one of the lists such as Blindad, being totally open
>of course re its history.
>
>Then get one of the PC-2 boards.  I'm afraid that some day soon DEC may stop
>making the hardware synths and just expect everyone to use the S/W version,
>which poses a special problem for non-Windows users.
>
>--So long, and thanks for all the fish!  It ain't original but it's from...
>     Max S., maxswn@citilink.com or maxswn@softcon.com.  Jazzbo on IRC.
>
>---
>Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
>Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
>Blinux web page at http://leb.net/blinux
>To unsubscribe send mail to blinux-list-request@redhat.com
>with subject line: unsubscribe
>
>
--
Bryan R. Smart
E-Mail: bsmart@pobox.com

Re: Dec-Talk problem

[Nicolas Pitre]

On Sun, 18 Jan 1998, Bryan Smart wrote:

> I don't think that there is a battery problem.  I might just see if the
> guys can order another jack, but, knowing Digital, they'll probably charge
> me $80 or something similar for a plastic connector...grrrrr.

Normally when the DECtalk Express is turned on with a suitable volume
level, it beeps and says some status about the bateries.  If it doesn't,
it certainly is a problem with the power jack or power supply.  Otherwise,
it might be the serial cable.

Re: Dec-Talk problem

[Max G. Swanson]

My God, DEC sounds worse than Telesensory.  They tried to charge me $150 for
a custom pack of four nicad 'D' batteries for the VersaBraille II.
On Sun, 18 Jan 1998, Bryan Smart wrote:

> I don't think that there is a battery problem.  I might just see if the
> guys can order another jack, but, knowing Digital, they'll probably charge
> me $80 or something similar for a plastic connector...grrrrr.
> 
> Bryan
> 
> 
> At 11:42 AM 1/16/98 -0500, you wrote:
> >I suggest you have the jack for the power module checked too.  It also
> >tends to develop an intermittent connection.  Could that account for
> >your symptoms?  (Say, if your battery is in really poor shape?)
> >
> >                                    - Jim Van Zandt
> >
> >---
> >Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
> >Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
> >Blinux web page at http://leb.net/blinux
> >To unsubscribe send mail to blinux-list-request@redhat.com
> >with subject line: unsubscribe
> >
> >
> --
> Bryan R. Smart
> E-Mail: bsmart@pobox.com
> 
> ---
> Send your message for blinux-list to blinux-list@redhat.com
> Blinux software archive at ftp://leb.net/pub/blinux
> Blinux web page at http://leb.net/blinux
> To unsubscribe send mail to blinux-list-request@redhat.com
> with subject line: unsubscribe
> 
> 

To take control, parts of you must become one with the one controlled.
Logs of J.D. Flora.   Max S., maxswn@citilink.com--KA0IZH; Jazzbo on IRC