ME-F faulty print?

Rutger-peer · 06-24-2014, 03:39 PM

Hello everybody.

I acquired an ME-F today and it was up and working. It looks quite battered and so I was doing some cleaning and some minor fixing. As seems to be the problem more often, the battery lid was kind of broken and taped-up. So I took the groundplate off and found out what the problem was, fixed it (as far as possible), though I'd have to make something like a new lid from aluminium or so. I also took off the old foam in the lid since it had gotten sticky and was falling apart. I put in some new foam and after that, the camera wasn't working anymore, meaning that the light meter etc. don't work anymore, just like the battery indicator.

I suspect that a solder-point has stuck to the foam in the lid and has been torn off the print. I don't know for sure though, but the print shows an "empty spot" where I'd expect something should have been.

Can someone tell me or give me a hint as to whether that may be the cause of the malfunction or does anyone else have a clue? A picture is attached, I've circled the "empty spot". I even tried soldering the indicated IC-pin to that spot but it didn't work, meaning I got a solder-connection to the spot and managed to solder a wire to the pin, but it didn't help.

I'm curious whether someone can help me because it seems a very nice camera to add to my collection, which until now only consists of a Zenit 12xp and this one

Best,
Rutger

Attached Images

View Picture EXIF

Rutger-peer · 06-25-2014, 03:52 AM

Or can anyone post a picture of what this is supposed to look like?

**Moe49** · 06-25-2014, 07:12 AM

Looks like there used to be a solder dot there. It could have been just a probe point for post-assembly testing, or there is supposed to be a wire soldered to it (like the blue wire on the next dot).
Is there a loose wire behind the board with the missing solder dot attached to it's end?

Rutger-peer · 06-25-2014, 07:14 AM

Yeah, that's what I thought.

There's no loose wires anywere, that would have made the most sense.

Not a Number · 06-25-2014, 07:28 AM

I would contact Eric Hendrickson. He may have the repair manual and could possibly tell what should be there on the circuit board.

Contact Us

I suppose if you can work out a method of payment and shipping to and from the US Eric may be able to repair the camera.

Rutger-peer · 06-25-2014, 08:32 AM

Thanks for the tip, I contacted Eric. It doesn't seem like a difficult repair though, if I'd only know what should be there/what it should look like.so any tips are welcome!

Rutger-peer · 06-25-2014, 03:50 PM

I connected the pin of the ic, which was supposed to be connected to the missing "dot" to a trace on the other side of the print, which went quite well with a little piece of wire. Sadly, the thing still doesn't work. I measured it, and I do have voltage though...

Don't know. I can't stand it that I broke it somehow while fixing something else, but have been busy with it for 2 evenings now and I can't get it working so I'll put it aside then

. A shame.

**pixelsaurus** · 06-26-2014, 01:04 AM

Originally posted by Rutger-peer

Thanks for the tip, I contacted Eric. It doesn't seem like a difficult repair though, if I'd only know what should be there/what it should look like.so any tips are welcome!

From my MEF, sorry about the glare from the flash.

Not a Number · 06-26-2014, 08:41 AM

Originally posted by Rutger-peer

I connected the pin of the ic, which was supposed to be connected to the missing "dot" to a trace on the other side of the print, which went quite well with a little piece of wire. Sadly, the thing still doesn't work. I measured it, and I do have voltage though...

So you soldered a piece of wire directly to the lead of the chip to the lead coming through the board where the solder dot was? Did you also make the solder dot to around the same size of the original?

Is the solder connection on the chip shorting any of the adjacent connections? Heat can fry electronic components, especially ICs. Did you clip a heat sink to the lead before soldering?

Rutger-peer · 06-26-2014, 04:00 PM

Hey pixelsaurus, that's a great help to me! Seems like nothing was intended to be there in the first place. Good to know

, thanks very very much!

So the problem must be something else.

Not a Number, I made a pinhole at the place the solder dot "should have been" (which apparently is not the case, it was an empty spot on Pixelsaurus' ME-F too) and soldered a little wire from the IC to the other side of the print and attached it to the lead there.

Yes I know heat can fry these components, but it was kind of a lost case to me anyway so I just gave it a try. Did my best to bring in as little heat as possible.

Am completely oblivious as to what could be the problem now though.

hks_kansei · 06-26-2014, 09:12 PM

Call me crazy...

You have checked the battery? it hasn't simply been flattened, or put in backwards?

I know it's stupidly obvious, but sometimes when fussing over things like this you can miss obvious things.

Rutger-peer · 06-27-2014, 01:37 AM

Haha, that's actually a good tip. I probably wouldn't be the first one to make that mistake but I've had those batteries in and out, changed them for new one, reversed them... didn't work either. They give a voltage of 5,58 volts, should be adequate I'd say...

Thanks, I know those things can be easily overlooked, just like figuring why your car doesn't work and in the end there's simply no fuel in it

.

Not a Number · 06-27-2014, 05:46 AM

Originally posted by Rutger-peer

Not a Number, I made a pinhole at the place the solder dot "should have been" (which apparently is not the case, it was an empty spot on Pixelsaurus' ME-F too) and soldered a little wire from the IC to the other side of the print and attached it to the lead there.

Eh? Looks like a blob of tarnished solder there to me.

Applying an emboss filter brings it out more, but there is a definite 3D bump there.

Rutger-peer · 06-27-2014, 08:13 AM

Yeah, you're right, I must have lost my senses after all that soldering into the night

. I meant, it's good that it's confirmed that there's no wire attached to there... but yes, there IS a dot of solder. Don't know.

I was thinking, since the ME-Super doesn't have that print in the inderneath (looked up other pictures on the internet of the insides of ME's), it must be for the special autofocusing function of the ME-F. So, it seems less likely that the problem with the LEDs is caused by a problem in that underside print right? Of course, everything is connected to everything so it might be, but doesn't seem so logical to me.

Anyway, I'm taking the camera apart now to see whether something else has coincidentally broken down at the same time or so. Wouldn't know what to do else...

06-26-2014, 01:04 AM	#8
pixelsaurus Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Te Kuiti, NZ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 986	Originally posted by Rutger-peer Thanks for the tip, I contacted Eric. It doesn't seem like a difficult repair though, if I'd only know what should be there/what it should look like.so any tips are welcome! From my MEF, sorry about the glare from the flash. Attached Images

06-27-2014, 05:46 AM	#13
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Originally posted by Rutger-peer Not a Number, I made a pinhole at the place the solder dot "should have been" (which apparently is not the case, it was an empty spot on Pixelsaurus' ME-F too) and soldered a little wire from the IC to the other side of the print and attached it to the lead there. Eh? Looks like a blob of tarnished solder there to me. Applying an emboss filter brings it out more, but there is a definite 3D bump there. Last edited by Not a Number; 06-27-2014 at 06:14 AM.

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06-25-2014, 03:52 AM	#2
Rutger-peer New Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 11 Original Poster	Or can anyone post a picture of what this is supposed to look like?

06-25-2014, 07:12 AM	#3
Moe49 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz Mtns. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 874	Looks like there used to be a solder dot there. It could have been just a probe point for post-assembly testing, or there is supposed to be a wire soldered to it (like the blue wire on the next dot). Is there a loose wire behind the board with the missing solder dot attached to it's end?

06-25-2014, 07:14 AM	#4
Rutger-peer New Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 11 Original Poster	Yeah, that's what I thought. There's no loose wires anywere, that would have made the most sense.

06-25-2014, 07:28 AM	#5
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	I would contact Eric Hendrickson. He may have the repair manual and could possibly tell what should be there on the circuit board. Contact Us I suppose if you can work out a method of payment and shipping to and from the US Eric may be able to repair the camera.

06-25-2014, 08:32 AM	#6
Rutger-peer New Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 11 Original Poster	Thanks for the tip, I contacted Eric. It doesn't seem like a difficult repair though, if I'd only know what should be there/what it should look like.so any tips are welcome!

06-25-2014, 03:50 PM	#7
Rutger-peer New Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 11 Original Poster	I connected the pin of the ic, which was supposed to be connected to the missing "dot" to a trace on the other side of the print, which went quite well with a little piece of wire. Sadly, the thing still doesn't work. I measured it, and I do have voltage though... Don't know. I can't stand it that I broke it somehow while fixing something else, but have been busy with it for 2 evenings now and I can't get it working so I'll put it aside then . A shame.

06-26-2014, 08:41 AM	#9
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Originally posted by Rutger-peer I connected the pin of the ic, which was supposed to be connected to the missing "dot" to a trace on the other side of the print, which went quite well with a little piece of wire. Sadly, the thing still doesn't work. I measured it, and I do have voltage though... So you soldered a piece of wire directly to the lead of the chip to the lead coming through the board where the solder dot was? Did you also make the solder dot to around the same size of the original? Is the solder connection on the chip shorting any of the adjacent connections? Heat can fry electronic components, especially ICs. Did you clip a heat sink to the lead before soldering?

06-26-2014, 04:00 PM	#10
Rutger-peer New Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 11 Original Poster	Hey pixelsaurus, that's a great help to me! Seems like nothing was intended to be there in the first place. Good to know , thanks very very much! So the problem must be something else. Not a Number, I made a pinhole at the place the solder dot "should have been" (which apparently is not the case, it was an empty spot on Pixelsaurus' ME-F too) and soldered a little wire from the IC to the other side of the print and attached it to the lead there. Yes I know heat can fry these components, but it was kind of a lost case to me anyway so I just gave it a try. Did my best to bring in as little heat as possible. Am completely oblivious as to what could be the problem now though.

06-26-2014, 09:12 PM	#11
hks_kansei Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 834	Call me crazy... You have checked the battery? it hasn't simply been flattened, or put in backwards? I know it's stupidly obvious, but sometimes when fussing over things like this you can miss obvious things.

06-27-2014, 01:37 AM	#12
Rutger-peer New Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 11 Original Poster	Haha, that's actually a good tip. I probably wouldn't be the first one to make that mistake but I've had those batteries in and out, changed them for new one, reversed them... didn't work either. They give a voltage of 5,58 volts, should be adequate I'd say... Thanks, I know those things can be easily overlooked, just like figuring why your car doesn't work and in the end there's simply no fuel in it .

06-27-2014, 08:13 AM	#14
Rutger-peer New Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 11 Original Poster	Yeah, you're right, I must have lost my senses after all that soldering into the night . I meant, it's good that it's confirmed that there's no wire attached to there... but yes, there IS a dot of solder. Don't know. I was thinking, since the ME-Super doesn't have that print in the inderneath (looked up other pictures on the internet of the insides of ME's), it must be for the special autofocusing function of the ME-F. So, it seems less likely that the problem with the LEDs is caused by a problem in that underside print right? Of course, everything is connected to everything so it might be, but doesn't seem so logical to me. Anyway, I'm taking the camera apart now to see whether something else has coincidentally broken down at the same time or so. Wouldn't know what to do else...