Author Topic: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?  (Read 289 times)

Reckoning

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Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« on: July 27, 2015, 09:31:53 AM »


New here, just bought this broken Turbo Express at a garage sale a week ago

wilykat

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Re: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2015, 10:18:10 AM »
Wow that is bad.  The main chip seems OK but you would need to do serious rewiring to get auto firem button I and II, and select/start working.  Does the TE still work without the controller board? If so, it could be worth trying to rebuild the system.  It may be easier to find another Turboexpress for spare part, preferably one that has unrepairable mainboard but has good controller board.

schweaty

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Re: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2015, 10:18:25 AM »
that is a horror show... that thing has been exposed to some serious moisture.  my guess is there isn't much of anything left of those traces under all that corrosion.  i would not take that on as a project, but i'm not the most talented tech on this board by a long shot. 

Reckoning

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Re: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2015, 11:01:42 AM »
Wow that is bad.  The main chip seems OK but you would need to do serious rewiring to get auto firem button I and II, and select/start working.  Does the TE still work without the controller board? If so, it could be worth trying to rebuild the system.  It may be easier to find another Turboexpress for spare part, preferably one that has unrepairable mainboard but has good controller board.

Whatever got on this board, also got on the battery compartment, so the wires there are corroded through.  The other board appears untouched though.  However, I have no soldering experience, so at the moment I don't want to rush it.  I'm going to pick up an ac adapter to see if it powers on with that.
Board


Battery compartment



bozo55

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Re: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2015, 11:08:31 AM »
Only if you send it to thesteve.

Reckoning

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Re: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2015, 01:16:39 PM »
Cleaned it up a bit.  Hopefully it helps.



ProfessorProfessorson

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Re: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2015, 04:42:59 PM »
Forget it, its trashed. Find another dead unit and swap boards or something.

wilykat

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Re: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2015, 05:05:25 PM »
Yep, too much of the traces are gone and while one can rewire for sound, it's very hard to restore button contacts. You're better off asking for a replacement clean controller board from someone who has a Turboexpress (or PC Engine GT) that are for parts.

If someone has the experience and time, maybe build a new PCB board in CAD software like Eagle, and then submit it to a PCB fab to get a new board made, transfer the chip and the ribbon cable, and put in a new cap and parts plus new audio plug and drop it in the TE.  I can't imagine any demand for replacement controller board since normally they don't fail.

The main board seems fine. It seems like the battery leak didn't go up to the main board.  I do suggest not removing the main board, the cable that connects to cart socket is fragile and can break if you shifted the board the wrong way.

SmokeMonster

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Re: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2015, 05:07:42 PM »
It looks beyond bad, but I wonder if some talented masochist might take it on as a project.

Reckoning

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Re: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2015, 05:38:11 PM »
Thank you all.  I assumed it was toasted, but I figured I would ask people who know more than myself on the matter before I spend money when I don't have to.

mario_pic

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Re: Is this board repairable? Or a lost cause?
« Reply #10 on: July 29, 2015, 02:13:53 PM »
Still fixable  I'd  use 2000g wet sanding paper and slowly lap the traces till there clean  then see where u stand  if traces are damaged  repair them good  for the resistive pads I think iv seen a pad repair kit it's liquid  u lay over the copper trace can't remember the name of it tho

Also white vinegar  will eat the rust and corrosion just put board under it for 30 min then wash it afterwards