Tag: broken

Sharp OZ-7000 Wizard

The Sharp OZ-7000, Amongst one of the first electronic organisers and precursor the PDA. Needs repair. Or does it?

What the listing stated:

Not working. I have replaced the two batteries and cannot get it to work. I have not touched the memory battery. See picture for actual item. Case is a bit sticky unfortunately with age.

EBay

First of all, what is it?

The Sharp OZ-7000 Electronic organiser / Calculator

The Sharp Wizard series, introduced by the Sharp Corporation in 1989, was among the first electronic organizers and a precursor to personal digital assistants (PDAs). The debut model, the OZ-7000 (known as the IQ-7000 in Europe), combined organizer functions with an IC Card expansion system, allowing users to install software and memory cards. Over time, Sharp refined the series with larger displays, increased memory, and enhanced features, such as infrared communications port for wireless data transfer, touch-sensitive displays, and clamshell designs.

The out-of-the-box functionality of the OZ-7000/IQ-7000 included a memo pad, a telephone pad, calendar and scheduling with alarms and repeating events, multi-time zone clocks, and a calculator, thus covering all the basic functions found in PDAs since. The keyboard was not QWERTY, although later models, starting with OZ/IQ-8000, changed the orientation of the screen and keyboard layout.

The OZ-7000 was about 6.3 inches (163 mm) tall, 3.7 inches (94 mm) wide closed, 7.25 inches (184 mm) open, and 0.85 inches (21.5 mm) thick closed, making it much larger than later PDAs. It featured a serial port (proprietary connector) to attach to a Windows PC or Macintosh or another OZ-7xxx/OZ-8xxx device, an optional thermal printer port and a cassette tape backup. The OZ-7000/IQ-7000 model featured 32 kilobytes of internal memory and a 96 x 64 dot (8 lines x 16 characters or 4 lines x 12 characters) black and white LCD with controllable contrast but without a back light. A major advertised feature of the model was the IC Cards expansion slot for accessory cards developed by Sharp.

Wikipedia

A bit of a break from the mountain of photographic equipment I have been dealing with lately, I thought I’d take a bit of a detour and have a look at some prehistoric PDA gear, as I have also done in the past, as you will no doubt be aware of, if you have ever read any of my posts on Psion organisers.

From what I can gather, this one is a little beaten up and battle scarred, and quite simply does not work. I’ve paid the princely sum of £8:54GBP after i managed to knock the seller down by a few pounds. I just now have to await its arrival before we can carry out a thorough assessment.

Assessment:

Its here, everything is as it should be apart from the base being a bit loose in one corner where the clip inside has broken, however that’s not an issue and can probably be repaired.

The broken clip

The exterior is a little sticky but again, this is just one of those 1989 rubber enhanced products where the vulcanised rubber coating has started to degrade. A post I previously published shows how I deal with these 80’s degrading rubber issues: Sticky, Rubber camera grips

Front case
Rear case
Both sides of the case are sticky and require cleaning

The unit has three batteries, under the rear shell. These are two CR2032 and one C1616 coin cell, with the C1616 being the units memory battery. These batteries will need to be tested as this unit does not start up, the whole unit is dead. The previous owner has stated that they have changed the two main batteries but not the memory battery, testing them will tell.

The three batteries

Beyond that, all catches, buttons and switches seem to be performing as expected, no cracks or major damage to the external shell, or screen area. Naturally there are signs of usage as you would expect on an item that is now 36 years old, light signs of age related wear and tear, nothing of concern that is detrimental to its operation.

Repair:

I’m leaving the broken clip on the rear shell as it is, it’s not visibly exposing anything of the interior and to be honest needs quite a bit of force to show the gap, it’s not a problem and not necessarily requiring a repair. In normal handling it is not even noticeable, so it will remain as it is.

The main fault, and I apologise in advance, as it was not really a fault, was a misunderstanding of the unit’s operation by the previous owner. When you take the back off and change the batteries, you have to operate a switch so as to not interrupt the backup of the system.

Battery backup switch there is a “B” and a “A” setting

There are two modes and these are explained below. This switch is located inside the battery compartment and is used when replacing the main batteries to prevent data loss.

  • B stands for Backup, a setting used during the battery replacement process. The device relies on a small, separate backup battery (often a C1616 coin cell) to maintain memory while the main batteries are removed, provided the switch is in this position.
  • A stands for Active (or simply the normal operational position), which is the standard setting for everyday use once new batteries have been installed. 

To replace the main batteries safely and avoid losing your data, you must follow a specific procedure that involves setting this switch to “B”, changing the main batteries, and then switching it back to “A” after the new batteries are inserted. 

The issue here was that the batteries had been changed and the switch was put into the correct “Backup” mode. However the previous owner had not placed the switch back into the ”Active” mode when the batteries were changed and the back of the shell was put back in place. Hence the unit would not work as in theory the batteries were locked out of use. On opening the shell up, this was the first thing I looked at, and when the switch was put into the correct position the unit sprung into life once the “On” button was pushed.

When the switch was set, power applied and the unit reset to 1989

When the unit was turned on it then reset to 1989, I was able to change the times and date, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the date range on this unit covered the years 1901-2099. Considering this unit was released 11 years prior to the Y2K bug of 2000, it showed some advanced thinking in the implementation of these units.

Happily updated to the current date and year

One of the issues with this particular unit is that there is no backlight on the display, the display is black and white and the only change that can be made is to the contrast. Back lights eventually arrived with later models. So use of these units was pretty much limited to daylight hours, or whilst under a light source of some kind, that said the display is very good and has a good contrast range.

The unit with an example function card installed
In use in the carpark at work

The last thing I have done is clean with some IPA to remove the years of gunk and I think this was quite successful

The IPA certainly lifted some dirt

After this I have finished off with a nice polish with some car cockpit cleaner. It’s finished this repair off just nicely.

Result:

Here we have a nicely presented, clean and fully working example of a nice little bit of personal computing history.

Has come up lovely
Front fascia
Rear fascia
Looking gorgeous

So. With these older items, it’s sometimes good to just have an awareness of how these old timers operate. Get an instruction manual, study how it works, it can make the difference between selling it as damaged, when in fact there really was nothing really wrong with it. The seller could have sold this for 3 or 4 times the value that I purchased it for, but I’m not worried about that, as far as I’m concerned I got myself a bargain and to be honest, that doesn’t happen that often.

It’s a win win situation as far as I’m concerned, I win as I now have a lovely example of pre PDA technology, and it’s a small win for the environment as another piece of “Waste” has been saved from landfill.

Thanks for passing. Thanks for being there. Always appreciated 🙏

Onkyo TX-NR717

7.2-channel home theatre receiver, Internet-ready

Onkyo TX-NR717

A bit of a different one here, i get into work one day earlier this week, to be told that one of my colleagues in a different area (Nottingham) will be calling with something to discuss. That call occurred today and the discussion was about his home theatre surround sound system that had packed up on him, and would I be willing to look at it for him to see if I could manage a repair. Though it’s something I don’t usually do repairs on, I said why not? I need to look into other areas of repair and as long as it wasn’t urgent and there was no urgency, then I’d certainly look into it for him. It turns out there is no hurry and he will get the item down to me in the next few days.

So I now have a task, that I am really quite excited about. And for obvious reasons I want to do a good job.

Here’s a little bit about this item

With the power to fill large rooms with THX certified sound, this cutting-edge receiver is ready to integrate and distribute entertainment throughout your home. More than a home cinema processor, the TX-NR717 allows you to access music on PC, stream from MP3 tunes, explore online radio, or connect your iPod/iPhone to one of two USB ports. You can distribute any of these various stereo sources to other rooms for house-wide entertainment. With a total of 10 HDMI connections, this receiver converges HD content from all your components – even your smart phone media via a front side MHL/HDMI – and provides easy input selection with InstaPrevue technology. HDMI also enables intuitive GUI with overlaid quick set-up menu. Video upscaling to 4K, Audyssey DSX seven-channel sound expansion, and Audyssey 2EQ room correction are all included. Sound quality is quite simply the best in class, with powerful WRAT amplifier, three-stage inverted Darlington circuitry, and discrete output stage components delivering an otherworldly entertainment experience.

Onkyo TX-NR717 – AV network receiver – 7.2 channel – black

Release date: April 2012

Onkyo

I’m looking forward to this project, a little out of my comfort zone, but it’s the best way to learn about how these things work. And I need some exposure to these types of systems and the issues that can occur within them.

Assessment:

This unit has just about reached its teenage years, and if this can’t be repaired then the owner will be looking at his alternatives. However replacement units have also grown in both features and price now, so if this current box of tricks can be given an extended lease of life then everyone is a winner, and one less item gets to go to landfill.

I have downloaded both the instruction manual and the service manual, so I am equipped with a full list of components as well as the official schematic diagrams of the circuitry layout. I’m suitably prepared for this one.

The report from my work colleague is that it was working fine up until a week ago when it would just not switch on. He has replaced the two quick blow fuses that he saw when he opened the unit, however the issue still remains. He hears clicking when he turns the system on, this could be an issue in the standby circuit, however I will have to wait to have the unit in my possession to investigate this any further.

Straight to the point…just how I like it

Just got a message from one of my colleagues at work to say the parcel from Nottingham has been collected. Just love the straight to the point way these guys inform me of any safety issues and concerns they may have 😂

More surprises

And on opening the box, more surprises. Biscuits, they are my downfall, and don’t ask about the Aubergine, we won’t go there, that’s a private joke 🤦‍♂️

A bit dusty

Right, serious head on now and I’ve plugged the unit into the mains and without touching anything at all, all I can hear is a metronomic clicking that appears to be emanating from the power board circuit area. This will be my first port of call.

Repair:

There are two well known issues regarding these units and I am going to look at both of these before getting in any deeper. The first issue is around the relay and its associated 150 Ohm resistor on the main power board, the second issue is around a defective capacitor on the standby board, and eliminating one issue will either highlight, or clear the other. If both issues are addressed with no change to operation, I will have to look in to the issue a little deeper.

Issue one relates to a problem with the relay on the main power board. Most people don’t realise this but pressing the power button on an Onkyo receiver does NOT turn off the power.  The power button merely sends a signal to the MAIN CPU telling it to close a relay (to turn the system on) or open a relay (to turn it off).  When you press the power button on an Onkyo and nothing happens (no clicks, no brief lighting up of the front panel) the root cause is often a blown coil in the main power relay. 

Main relay is the item under the thick coating of white silicone at the top of the picture

Beside the relay to the left is a resistor that should be reading 150 Ohms. This particular one is reading 144 Ohms so is reading a bit lower than expected. This could be sufficiently low enough to allow the relay to fail. So at this point this looks like a possible point of failure. Either way they need to be replaced before we can advance any further.

Silicone removed. The faulty resistor is within the red circle

I need to obtain these parts, the relay will need to be shipped from China, and I need to check my resistor stock to see if I have a suitable replacement resistor. The relay also should have a similar resistance to the resistor beside it, the healthy range for the relay is between 80-200 Ohms.

Both components removed
The components

I have removed both components from the board to test them out of circuit.

The resistor beside the 9v relay is a 150 Ohm rated resistor. This one reads at 144 Ohms and is to the lower end of the rating of +/- 5%, it would probably suffice, but i’m going to replace this one just in case. The only other resistor in this circuit is a 47 Ohm resistor and that reads exactly as it is rated, so there is no issue there. I believe the bone of contention here is that the relay is 9v sitting upon a 12v power rail. This is probably the reason issues have occurred with these units in the past, and looking at a number of forum posts, it is quite acceptable, even recommended to use the higher voltage 12V versions. I’m sticking to the original design on this repair though, I can only presume the 150 Ohm resistor placed just before the relay has something to contribute in controlling the operation of this relay. Maybe that’s a design fault within this model, I just don’t know!

144 Ohms
The resistor I will replace

I have tested the relay using a multimeter and a 9v battery. I have used the battery to short across the power poles where I can hear the relay clicking, but when the relay is on there is no continuity across the other two pins when there should be, this isn’t happening so I suspect this relay is stuck in the open position. The Ohms rating across the pins shows 336 Ohms, so i am lead to believe this could be a problem with the coil inside it, as it shouldn’t really be that high. I understand from what I have read, that a rating between 80-200 Ohms is classed as acceptable, and outside this range could indicate that there is an issue. I’ll just have to wait until the new relay arrives and carry out some tests to see the comparison between the old and the new relays.

336 Ohms is that an issue?

I’ve dismantled the cover from the relay to get a look at the coil. In the little video below you will see the coil switching, however you will also see the contacts meeting but there is no continuity. The contacts have a coating of contamination on them probably from age or arcing, it looks like a carbon deposit, as when they adjoin there is no contact made, no flow or continuity, unless you put light pressure on the contact and then you get the continuity. It is at fault, it shouldn’t be doing this. A clean of the contacts might breathe some life into it, however give it a couple of months and you’d probably have to remove it again, and the contamination isn’t the only issue, don’t forget the relay reading that appears too high. A new relay costs less than £4:50GBP delivered from the other side of the world, so I might just as well go for a new relay. It makes sense.

Inside that failed relay

I’m not going to venture any deeper into this unit yet, not until these components arrive and I can get them back into place. I want to move through this fix confidently and slowly, have a better understanding of what is going on and not leave myself confused with bits and pieces everywhere, clueless to what is occurring. I wouldn’t achieve anything by working like that. Knowledge is king here and I’m here to learn. And I do now have the schematics available to follow.

I’ll have to wait about 2 weeks for the relay to arrive so I’ll just have to put this repair to one side and on hold until then.

Ok the new relay has arrived and the first test I did on it was to take an Ohms reading of the coil side. Now if you have paid attention, you will have seen that the old relay was reading 336 Ohms when it should be somewhere between 80-200 ohms. This new relay is reading 158 Ohms and I feel a lot better about that, it falls right in between the expected spec.

Old relay reading on the left versus new relay on the right

And if you want to see the relay actually working and displaying continuity then have a browse at this video below, the polar opposite to the first video I posted above 👆

The new relay with good continuity

The resistors I ordered have now come through and have been tested, I have a couple of candidates displaying better test results, so we can now look at getting these two components back in place to see what occurs.

I’ve put in place a new resistor, slightly higher value than the previous one coming in at 147.4 Ohms. It falls within the 5% tolerance so should be fine.

147.4 Ohms

The relay has been soldered back in place, really simple just four points to solder and we can now reassemble the power board back into the chassis.

Attach transformer and ac jumpers
Board secured back into chassis

I’ve taken the unit into the garden at my wife’s request, as I have to use some high pressure air to give it a good blast to get rid of some dust and furballs. This has worked well and quite a dust cloud was witnessed across the garden, it’s fair to say it’s a lot cleaner inside than it was.

I’ve now put the case back on and the unit is now sealed from prying eyes and inquisitive fingers. I’ve given the entire case a good polish and I must admit it is looking nice and shiny and very presentable. I just have to hope and pray that it turns on. I see no reason as to why it shouldn’t but you just never know. You can always fix one problem only to be chasing it around the system as it develops into another fault, repairs can sometimes go like that.

Let’s plug it in and see what happens 🤞

Result:

I’ve plugged it in and turned the power on. No bang, only silence, just a single click when the power went on, this is good. When the power is turned off you hear the standby relay do the same, all is as it should be.

Front
Rear
From above

The standby relay has clicked in when turned on at the power socket, and is not repeating that metronomic sound that was there originally. Superb. Now to turn the power button on, on the front panel.

We have a display. Excellent it is working.

Standby
Display
All buttons operational

All buttons are operational, I don’t have the surround sound speakers as they are at the owners house in Nottingham, i also don’t have the remote here that also allows me to do other tasks, however that is not important as the unit is now operational and displaying what it should, and once it goes back into his media wall with all his speakers and other related sound and Av equipment, i am confident beyond doubt that it will be operating just as it did prior to this issue developing.

I will be handing it back with the advice that should the issue occur again we look at updating the relays with new 12v versions to replace the current 9v ones. But I doubt the problem will re occur, and this repair should see out the next few years at least and by then this unit will probably be sold, or passed on to someone else when he decides to upgrade his system.

Below is the little video I sent my colleague showing him the unit now working

It’s now working

But for now, it works. I am pleased as punch with this repair as I have stepped out of my normal comfort zone here. I have been extra vigilant, studied many a schematic diagram and learned a lot from this project. I didn’t rush ahead of myself and took this repair one little bit at a time, testing all along the way and addressing each issue in the order that it has arisen. And I’m damned happy with that.

It’s been a learning project for me, and I’m glad I’ve undertaken it. Life is for learning, and I’m living that life.

Many thanks for passing by, as you well know it is always very much appreciated.

Edit:

Today the 29th July I have had a message back from my colleague to say that he now has the unit back in his media wall. And I’m pleased to say it’s working perfectly. He’s very pleased and so am I.

Back in place and working fine

He’s pestering me to bill him, but I’ve told him that I’m only taking one currency and that’s not money or crypto. No, my method of payment will be in Biscuits. I told you I’m a Cookie Monster and this entire repair only cost just £4:17GBP. That’s not a lot of Cookies, but it’s credit in the bank if these guys need any further repairs carrying out. Word of mouth, works wonders.

Sinclair Cambridge Memory Calculator

What the listing stated:

This auction is for a used cased Sinclair Cambridge Memory pocket calculator and original case. The item is in very good cosmetic condition as is the case which still has its instruction sheet. The item is powered with 4 x AAA batteries (not supplied) and does work although 1 of the digits is faulty and does not display (see pictures) plus the number 5 digit is not working. Please refer to the pictures and description provided before bidding.

EBay

It’s faulty…obviously

So it does work, but it doesn’t? This calculator is a model one memory calculator, that dates from around July 1973, ( Actually May 1975 see photos below) and is one of the earliest available mass produced electronic calculators available in the UK at the time. And it was produced in collaboration with a guy called (Sir) Clive Sinclair, who in the following decade would become synonymous with tech development in the UK. It retailed at £29:95GBP, and given the rate of inflation, its cost today in 2025 would be a staggering £463GBP. Wow!

Courtesy of Vintagecalculators.com

I love collecting old calculators, I couldn’t afford one back in the day when they arrived on the scene as I was only a child and probably only on about 20 pence a week pocket money, and savings and investments were not even known to me at this period of my life. The thought of saving that precious 20p a week for the next 150 weeks wouldn’t have even remotely crossed my mind. What no sweeties?

But I can buy them now, so no big issue!

So this one has become available, and I’ve been tracking it for a week or so, there were nine other people watching but I secured it for a total including postage of £14:49GBP, and I’m happy with that, it’s a piece of retro history for a very good price. Even if it remains faulty, or should I say working but not working?

This unit obviously has its problems, the button number 5 doesn’t work and one of the led digits is also not functioning. Hopefully I can get these issues sorted and soon have the calculator back up and working as it should. That would be nice. I’m looking forward to this little project.

Assessment:

It’s arrived and it’s a lot smaller than I anticipated. It has a separate hard protective case, which is a nice touch and a small info sheet on its operation. Cosmetically it’s in a good condition with just minor signs that are age related. There are no gouges or scars so it has been treated well, though it’s not pristine.

Two buttons unresponsive and one LED

Batteries go in ok but, I believe old style AAA batteries were a little wider than those used today and would sit a bit more snuggly in the battery compartment. As you can see there is a little wriggle room here, and springs at both ends need adjusting to help prevent this. I may have to use some spacers so the batteries sit tighter in place.

Gaps between batteries – means movement

The switch is a bit temperamental and can be seen quite plainly from the battery compartment. It looks strangely out of place with no batteries in place.

Switch off
Switch on

It is such a basic design solely relying on tension of a small metal plate to short across the connection points. Should be a simple enough issue to sort.

There is a little battery contamination on one of the battery contacts, again this shouldn’t be too much of an issue and should clean up ok with some IPA.

Some battery contamination

It was originally reported that there was one unresponsive button this being the number “5”, there is also another unresponsive button, the multiplication “X” button. There is also one LED indicator, the 4th one in from the left hand side that is not operating. Add to this the issue with the On/Off switch and the contamination, and the original faults reported in the original sales pitch have now doubled. I just wish people would spend more time going over the issues and then give actual accurate feedback as to what the real faults are, it would make for a far more pleasant buying experience. Rant over.

There doesn’t seem to be a single screw holding the body together, I just hope it isn’t all heat welded.

Let’s try to get inside.

Repair:

Well it cracked open quite nicely with no issues with just a plastic flat prise tool. The main board just sat comfortably in the unit, secure, and not a screw in sight. Strange as time moves on some of the games units I come across have best part of fifty of the little blighters to remove before you get anywhere. sometimes the old way is good.

Bare board
Opposite side of board
Date is May 1975

The dismantling of the keyboard is a little complex and you have to take time and make sure you know how it’s going to go back together, it’s just a bit fiddly. The board is quite straightforward and as soon as I see some of the IC’s it dates the unit perfectly. The chips are dated May 1975, and that is about 18 months younger than what I originally thought, it’s quite informative to get inside and learn occasionally and this is just as good as having a birth certificate presented to you. All good stuff.

I’ve proved that there isn’t a problem with the missing digit on the display as using my multimeter in diode mode I am able to prove that this LED is working fine.

LED working

The picture shows just one part of the display range on this particular digit, I can assure you all other sections of the display are also working.

Regarding the case with the buttons not working. I have checked this out for continuity and both digits go through the same portion of the main IC and there doesn’t appear to be any broken traces. It’s a strange one but I have also found some really poor solder joints that are either cold joints or just poorly soldered from the start, there are a couple of resistors that need re soldering. It may be nothing at all, but it needs attention, a full reflow wouldn’t go amiss or take too much time.

Faulty resistor joint

I’ve reflowed the entire board due to there being a few cold solder joints.

Full reflow completed

On top of this I have taken off two old capacitors and tested them out of circuit, and both were out of their operable range of +/- 10%. As a result of this I have replaced the offending components with comparable new ones.

Old capacitors
New capacitors

Even with all these extra tasks being undertaken there is absolutely no change in the way it operates. Nothing has gotten worse, the faults that were originally there still remain. I have done some research on line and carried out some further tests and checked expected voltages, most are within range except one that appears to be less than its expected value. After testing everything on this board, every component I can only surmise that one of the three chips has failed, I suspect very much that this, the main chip, a CZL550 integrated circuit. Otherwise known as “Calculator on a chip” is the one that is at fault.

A CZL550 chip

To be quite honest these chips are fairly rare and command a price far in excess of what I paid for the original unit, and I don’t really want to do that. I think I’ll wait around to see if I can secure another faulty unit to complete this repair, so in the meantime, and until I can secure such a unit I will put this repair on hold.

Result:

Well, it’s not what I wanted but sometimes you just can’t win with some of these old projects. In no way am I walking away from it, it’s just that the parts are so difficult to get hold of that you really do have to just wait until a sufficiently faulty one comes up for sale. And that could be days, it could be weeks or months. So for now i admit defeat, but it will not be going to trash. It will remain in my ever expanding “To do” box, for me to pick up on at a later date. And when I am in a position to move this project on, I’ll pick it up in a continuation of this post.

Many thanks for passing by. It’s always appreciated.

Bush handheld radio

Here’s what the posting stated:

Grading: FAULTY (USB SOCKET)

EBay

Simple as that. And yes it’s a tiny radio but in excellent condition cosmetically.

Bush handheld

On inspection it’s obvious that the micro USB port is damaged and will need replacing.

Broken micro USB
What’s wrong?
Power board

I’ve ordered some replacements USB ports from our friends in China so I’ll have to wait a few weeks before I can progress this project any further.

Micro usb ports

The ports have arrived from China, so let’s look to see if we can repair this unit.

*This project has been on the back burner since May 2024. 13 months later and I’m now on it*

Hello all, time to clear that backlog and what better place to start than here. I do in fact have two of these with the same problem so this is a two for the price of one project.

This should be a simple case of replacing the faulty charging ports that are both micro usb ports. They are small believe me.

Old port removed
New port that has to be fitted

There has to be some preparation before we can get the new port on. Using a soldering iron and flux and a little solder wick, I clean the old board remove the old solder and give a good clean with IPA. I then prime the small connections on the rear of the charge port with a little solder. Now I put the port to the board and tack on the earth points. Then using a rework hot air gun I blast the port at about 350 degrees Celsius and hold the port in place with some tweezers until I see the solder glisten and melt around the port. I take the heat off and let the solder set before moving the tweezers and when it’s cooled a bit I check that it’s setting straight, all connections are good and solid. I then just add a tiny bit more solder to the anchor points for strength.

Whilst this is cooling down I check the status of the battery. It is a 3.7v rated battery and is currently holding a charge of 2.8v. It’s a little low but far from being dead. The second battery shows a similar charge.

Battery level

After the solder work has cooled I use my battery pack connected to a small ammeter to see if the radio and more importantly the battery is demanding any power.

Power cable connected
We have a power demand from the battery.

Well that’s good news, 5v in and the demand from the battery is 0.96 of an amp. The battery is charging. And the fix is as simple as that.

Two perfectly good radios

A little bit of soldering aerial contacts and a couple of other wires back into place and the whole unit clicks back together. Two screws inserted in the rear and time to switch on. Both radios tune in perfectly and the sound is surprisingly good for these little units. I’m keeping one in my work space at home, as I love having some music around me, I’d sooner listen to the radio any day as I hardly watch TV. The other radio will go into my work locker for when I’m working nights or in the workshop.

In my work space, but it won’t be staying here…

Im very happy with this little project, it only took about an hour and I don’t know why I left it so long. Another couple of items saved from the tip, it amazes me that these units probably all suffered with the same problem of inferior parts that failed early on in the radios existence. Kind of scares me just how many did go to landfill.

Two cracking little radios

Well at least these two are going to carry on for a few more years yet. And that’s a positive in my eyes.

Thanks for passing by. 👍

Fujifilm Instax 100 instant film camera

What the listing stated:

Fujifilm Instax 100 Instant Film Camera – Faulty Untested See Lens Shutter

Otherwise clean, 

battery compartment is clean, 

unable to test so selling for spares or repair considering the lens shutter 

EBay

Instax 100 Instant film camera

I’m a tad annoyed at myself here as I had arranged a good price with the seller but because I was too eager I pushed the wrong button and purchased at the original advertised price. The seller must think I am a right plum, and I’d be inclined to agree with him. That said I’ve secured this for a good all in price, and it will be a nice addition to my collection. It’s a 26 year old camera, and i’ve been looking for one of these particular cameras that use the wider format of Instax film for quite a while, but even the damaged ones command hefty prices. I’ve paid an all in price of £28:55GBP here when I should have paid £23:55GBP. Never mind, lesson learned and don’t be so hasty in the future. They can command a good price as can be seen in the photo below:

Some recent sale prices

Here’s some info about this camera:

The Fujifilm Instax 100 was released on May 1st, 1999. It has been replaced by the newer Instax 200, which is very similar except the flash is on one side rather than directly above the lens.

Technical Specifications

  • Type: Instant camera
  • Film: Fujifilm Instant Color Film “instax“
  • Picture Size: 62x99mm (based on the golden ratio, closer to the naked eye)
  • Lens: Move in/out type Fujinon Lens 2 components, 2 elements, 95mm
  • Aperture: f/14
  • Shutter: Programmed electronic shutter 1/64 ~ 1/200
  • Viewfinder: Real image viewfinder 0.45x
  • Focusing: Motor-driven 2-range switching (0.9 to 3m/3m to infinity)
  • Power supply: 4 LR6/AA-size 1.5V alkaline batteries for around 10 film packs.
  • Dimensions: 171.5 x 91.5 x 119.5 mm
  • Weight: 650 gr (without batteries, strap and film pack).

Camera-wiki.org

Now this one is being sold with what looks like only one fault that the seller is concerned with and that being a shutter problem. From experience and as can be seen in this recent post of mine: Another Fujifilm Instax mini 8 I know that this is not a “Lens” issue it is in fact an issue with the iris that protects the lens, and is probably as a result of a small spring being disturbed in that area. It’s quite a simple fix and if it is the only fault then that would be quite some result. However, this is EBay that we are talking about and there could be a number of further faults we haven’t been informed of. Now I will just have to be patient until it arrives, there is no other choice.

Assessment:

It’s a big one. Compared to the other Instax mini cameras this one is very big. It’s probably 1.5 times bigger than your standard SLR. It’s big. And weighty!

It’s clean…ish. And there seems to be a strip of plastic, a gate as such missing from the top of the camera near the exit slot. This wasn’t mentioned and I’m quite annoyed about that. When batteries are put inside it makes all the noises, but the action isn’t smooth in the lens extension range. This probably ties in with the advertised issue of the lens iris operation. I’m thinking I paid well over the odds for this particular camera, I’ve been conned here, lesson learned.

There could well be multiple problems here, and if that missing piece on the top is anything to do with light proofing, then we could have an issue. Anyway we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Initially I’m going to stick with the original fault, so let’s attack that and worry about any other issues if and when they crop up.

Repair:

The more I get into this camera the more I find wrong with it. The main issue of the faulty lens iris is a fiddly one. You prise off the last section of the lens turret and the iris mechanism comes away fairly easy.

Mechanism removed from lens turret
3 tiny springs all disconnected from the mechanism

But then three tiny springs just fall out and this is why the iris didn’t work. Trying to get them in place is a puzzle itself, as no sooner do you have one connected then another drops off. It’s a fine balancing act to get them all back into place. When they are all reconnected it’s a very delicate operation to get them back into place. And even then you have to go to the inside of the camera to ensure that the lever inside that operates the iris, is aligned to the iris mechanism that is being installed back in the lens turret. It’s a fiddly time consuming job.

All springs attached
The lever on the inside that has to be in the correct position when the iris is attached
Iris now working

At this point the rear fascia and associated ribbon cable need to be removed to facilitate this repair. That’s when a piece of broken plastic falls out, it just so happens that one of the posts putting tension on the print rollers has broken. Great. Another problem. I’ve quickly fixed this by using some wire to act as a retention point. Bodge? Yes, but there really is nothing else that can be done here as the plastic case is thin and brittle. I have used some silicone grease to lubricate the cogs and the whole movement is now a lot smoother. It Will work. of that I am confident.

Broken plastic post, spring out.
Wire bodge, spring now back giving tension

Result:

Well it works but it remains one of my most disappointing fixes due to the dishonesty of the seller. I know, if you buy off auctions it’s Caveat Emptor as they say, I preach it enough but this time I was caught off guard. Lesson learned. But I remain disappointed. Multiple faults, sold as just the one when in fact it also had bits missing that were not declared, very misleading in my opinion. Maybe in future I need to look deeply into these purchases before I give any feedback, i need to change my operation as I was truly shafted here.

Polishes up nice

It does everything that it should, the motor and transport system work, the iris now works, shutter is good, and flash operates. I’m confident that the camera is working fine but I haven’t tried any film through it yet as it uses a bigger format film and is quite expensive, and I’m not forking out for any just yet. Maybe when I get another wider format model to look at I will pay out. Just not yet though. When I do get some film through it I will amend this post accordingly.

I’m off to calm down a bit now, thanks for passing by, I really do appreciate it. Have a great day.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 instant camera

What the listing stated:

Fujifilm Fuji instax mini 40 instant camera . Functional, but flash NOT working . 

LISTED REPAIR OR SPARES . NO RETURN . 

THE CAMERA IS TESTED AND WILL,POWER UP AND TAKE A SHOT AND EJECT A SLIDE CORRECTLY. Please watch uploaded video . 

HOWEVER THE CAMERAS FLASH IS NOT WORKING . This is the reason I have listed the cameras as repairs or spares. 

Hopefully someone knows about these cameras and knows whether the flash unit just needs replacing or if it is an electronic fault that needs sorting out can fix it . Otherwise the parts will be useful to someone who repairs these . 

No batteries or film is included . 

The camera body is in very good cosmetic condition. There are only light surface marks in terms of signs of use . . Please see images as they are part of the description. 

The red light to show the camera has powered up lites up when the button is pressed to extend the lens and turns the camera on . 

When you close the lens down it locks securely into place .

The frame counter is working . 

The film compartment is clean and the rear door shut correctly and securely.

Battery compartment is clean and the battery cover locked into place securely.

The camera is powered by to easily available AA batteries ( not included) .

EBay

The Instax mini 40

Now that’s what I call a great descriptive sales pitch. And that’s because the guy is a professional seller of photographic equipment. I’ve seen the video he posted and all the above is true, it really is just a problem around the flash. Maybe it’s an easy fix? I suspect not but either way it will be an interesting project.

Here’s a little info on this camera:

Hitting the market in April 2021, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 takes the updates the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 introduced but wraps them up in a cooler, more retro-styled instant camera body. Instant film fans will probably love it and with its improved design, there’s a chance that those who aren’t instantly drawn to this form of photography may just want to have a play around with the Fujifilm Instax Mini 40, too. It does cost more than the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11, though, so you’ll have to decide if the cooler design is worth an extra £20. 

+ Pros

  • It’s fun
  • Great party camera
  • Easy to use
  • Looks cool

– Cons

  • Film is expensive
  • Viewfinder could be better
  • Powered by AA-batteries

Ephotozine.com

I first of all went in with a cheeky bid of £15:00GBP that the seller originally turned down, so I then put in a high bid of £18:00 and as no one else was wanting it, it actually sold for £16:00, just £1:00 more than I’d originally offered. All in all the cost with the postage was £19:45GBP and I’m really pleased with this. Im surprised though that there are flash issues in a unit that is only just four years old. As you can see in the photo below recent sale prices have been strong and a great deal higher priced than what I have just paid. These are certainly popular little camera’s with the younger generation.

Recent sale prices have been strong

I guess we will just have to await its arrival to assess the flash issue. I’m very confident that I will be able to get this camera up and running again.

Assessment:

Out of all the Instax cameras I have dealt with lately, this has got to be one of the best ones I have had my hands on. This is a mid range instax camera that is more sober in colour aimed at those who enjoy their lomography or better quality instant photography. It certainly looks good, and to be honest I’d rather carry this one around rather than a bright pink one.

Looking nice and sober

As posted in the description above it is in near perfect condition and a quick Look at the flash head shows that the flash bar within the unit is broken.

Flash bar broken
Confirmed broken when removed

Let’s get on with replacing this damaged flash unit.

Repair:

Let’s get it opened up.

Dismantling

People laugh at me when i tell them that playing around inside these units could kill you. I can understand the contempt aimed at me for such a statement, when I’m carrying a bright pink camera that hardly looks dangerous. Just look at the voltage still in the flash capacitor though once I have opened it. Savage.

Residual voltage of 267v still in the flash capacitor

270v would quite easily send you across the room, if you had a heart condition it would probably be game over. I’ve learned my lesson in the past so I ensure I use a capacitor bleed probe before I go anywhere near one of these flash capacitors. The capacitor on this camera is rated at 320v, not to be messed with. Beware. What’s more impressive is that all this energy is supplied from two 1.5v AA batteries. Clever stuff.

I have a donor flash bar in an old spare unit. I have carefully unsoldered its connections and gently removed the very thin glass tube from the donor unit and placed this in the one situated on the new camera.

The donor unit
In place and soldered onto the board of the repaired camera

Carefully, once inserted into the flash reflector, i have soldered it back onto the board. All looking good. However I need to test the flash so I temporarily put the case on, bung in two batteries and turn the camera on. Press the exposure button and the flash fires perfectly. Happy days. I now can confidently reassemble the camera back together, and I’m pleased that when this is done there are no screws left over. All small wins.

I have some film available so there is no better time than the present to give it a try.

Result:

Nice flash – working
Working perfectly

I’ve loved doing this repair, this is a good quality, great condition, and now in perfect working order camera, brought back to life with many more years of use left in it.

But it could have been just chucked in the waste. I’m keeping this one for my collection as it’s a fantastic example acquired at a very good price. Thirty minutes of attention is all it took.

Another one kept from landfill.

Many thanks for passing by. Always appreciated.

Another Fujifilm Instax mini 8

Yes another one. Anyone that reads what I post will realise that these little cameras have really become popular with the youngsters within our family. I recently posted about a family get together: The garden gathering and in this post I stated that a young member of the family liked these cameras so much, that she went out and purchased a damaged one and asked if I could fix it for her. How could I turn down such an offer?

Another Instax mini 8 and that Iris should be closed

And here it is. Needs a little clean and immediately I can see an issue, what I’ve noticed is that the little iris lens protectors that close when the lens is retracted are missing, or not operating and opening properly. Everything else seems to be doing what it should, motor, film transport system etc, however the initial issue reported with this camera was that it’s exposure was sometimes hit and miss, it most definitely all related to the lens issue. A good clean wouldn’t go amiss with some extra attention paid to the light sensor area.

Anyway, enough chat, let’s crack on.

Assessment:

A nice tidy camera, needs a little clean, flash fires, film transport mechanism inside is working and the motor runs. It gives the impression that it is working fine, however….

Here’s a reminder from the young family member who made the purchase, regarding its issues:

I’ve just remembered, I think the advert said something about the photos coming out dark no matter what setting it is on! x

I’d already noticed the little iris mechanism on the front of the lens didn’t open and close when the camera was turned on, so I was going to be looking in this area anyway. But when I looked a little closer and moved the aperture ring on the side of the lens, the relative apertures in the lens were only moving to roughly the half way point, off centre, hence there was no corresponding fully positioned aperture, and in relation to the lighting situation that was presented, they were stuck and blocking the incoming light. In a nutshell there was not a sufficient sized aperture “hole” for any light to get through, resulting in the exposure issue stated above. This needs adjusting. You can see what I mean in the photo below. The lens aperture leaf does not sit central in the lens.

Incorrect aperture settings and positioning in the lens

Apart from the highlighted problems above, i don’t believe there are any other underlying issues. So I’m going to concentrate on the front of the camera solely in the lens turret area.

Let’s get on with the repair.

Repair:

The iris issue is within the lens turret so this will need to be dismantled to access the iris.

Lens top cover removed exposing the iris mechanism below

It was a bit of a head scratcher this one, as I spent a lot of time just staring at the mechanism trying to figure out how it worked. When the iris lids were manually manipulated to the closed position when the turret was retracted all was fine. When the turret was opened up the iris lens did the same, but then if you again retracted the lens the iris remained open exposing the lens. I was thinking it must be missing a spring somewhere and I was about to be proved right.

I found a replacement iris turret in my spares box for instax cameras

I found a replacement iris mount that fits within the lens turret. I had this in a spare box and used this as a reference to compare to the old non operating one. Here is where it was confirmed that there was a spring missing and this is why the iris was not operating.

Spring missing
Spring in place
The old iris mechanism compared to the working one

I replaced the old mechanism with the new one and this was installed back in the camera, this now works fine. I have however found a suitable spring for the old iris so I do now have another spare ready should another be needed in the future.

Iris mechanism installed and now working

The issue with the aperture positioning has been sorted by ensuring that the aperture ring is correctly positioned in relation to the cog mechanism in the lens turret area. It’s a bit like sorting out the timing belt in a car, it just has to be in the right position to achieve the correct aperture settings.

Springs and levers everywhere, and the “Timing” cog on the right that is in the turret area

This sorted, the last thing to do was to give the viewfinder a little clean. You have to be very careful here as the viewfinder is connected to the camera “ready to shoot” indicating light, and there are very fine wires all around this area. Be just a bit too clumsy here and you’d have a difficult soldering project to also add to the original problems. Anyway, no such issues today, the viewfinder was un clipped and prisms and glass cleaned and reassembled. All looking good.

Viewfinder and lots of little wires

I’m now happy that all the issues have been attended to and I’m just going to reassemble the camera ready for a quick clean. Luckily all the screws that came out went back in with none leftover. Result!

Result:

We now have a nice little unit, all aperture settings are working as they should and the lens iris is operating as it was always supposed to do. The viewfinder has also been cleaned and it’s now a nice clear unobstructed view. It just works.

All cleaned and now working, a lovely little camera

I’m guessing this camera will be coming away with the owner on a family holiday that we are all about to embark on shortly. I’m hoping to run some film through this soon but I am ultra confident it will work as all the issues have now been addressed.

I’ve just got some film and rattled off 4 quick shots, one of them indoors. Exposures are fine so I’m happy this is a perfectly good working camera.

4 quickly produced shots

I’m sure there will be one younger member of the family who will be very happy with her new camera. And may she have many years of capturing good times and fantastic memories. This is what these little cameras are made for after all.

Thanks for passing by, it’s always very much appreciated.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 7+

What the listing stated:

Fujifilm Instax Mini 7+ Instant Film Camera Not Working Spare/Parts. When batteries are inserted into the machine, lots of clicking noises can be heard from the battery compartment. The camera button functions do not work and therefore I am selling this as spares and repairs.

EBay

I enjoyed my last repair on one of these cameras so much that I just had to buy another. You can read about that repair and the issues I encountered here: Instax Mini 8

Nice example. And no battery contamination

Here’s a little about this camera:

With its LED-indicating exposure meter manual exposure controls and automatic flash adjustments the MINI 7+ produces well-lit pocket-sized photographs. Easily shoot in-focus snapshots using the 0.37x real image viewfinder with target spot controls and a 60mm lens with a selfie mirror for in-frame portraits. With a shooting range of 23.6 and beyond the MINI 7+ is ideal for close-up portraits and close environments.

T’internet

I believe this camera was released around 2020 so it’s not that old. This particular unit is also missing the battery cover which is a bit of a pain in the Ass, however cheap replacements are available but not matching the cameras colour. Am I bothered? Of course I’m not, as long as it works I’ll be happy. I could even paint it up, that might be interesting.

This unit has cost me the grand total of £8:69GBP my Mini 8 project cost me £11:45GBP so I’m very happy with this price. The value may rise slightly as I will have to purchase a new battery cover.

Anyway, let’s wait for its arrival.

Assessment:

The camera has arrived and it is in good overall cosmetic condition. A bit of dirt on the back near the film counter, but this should clean off ok. There is a gaping hole where the battery cover should be, a pain yes, but I can always source a new one from somewhere.

Generally clean

The good news is that there is no contamination on the battery contacts, they are absolutely fine. When batteries are inserted the transport runs, but it runs too long, and then a red light shows at the end of it’s movement, and no buttons work, in theory it’s dead at this point.

A little movement of the camera and you can tell that something is rattling around inside, so something has definitely come loose or broken from within.

Let’s get it open and have a look.

Repair:

I’ve sourced a replacement battery cover however it’s in China and I’m probably not going to see it any time soon, maybe not even until next month. I’m not going to order just yet until I know if this unit is repairable. But as soon as I get an inkling that it might be repairable I’ll order it.

The replacement cover. It’s white. My camera is purple. Time to get creative.

Next I’m going to open the camera up to see what the source of the ratting sound is.

These are the items that are rattling inside once I have opened up.

The rattling suspects

One of the items i recognise is the spring that comes from the operating button, the other part is broken off of something, i will have to look through the mechanism of a donor camera i have to see if i can find a part that matches. And I’ve found it. It appears to be a film transport mechanism buried deep in the workings that had broken and become jammed.

Top, the broken piece and below the replacement part
Top the replacement part, and below the found broken part

The part is a right pain in the ass to replace, as it has to be in the absolute perfect position within all the cogs, and there is no reference to how the cogs sit. You have to reassemble most of the camera to test, then open it up again to make fine adjustments.

Capacitor sits underneath this battery housing
The replacement part sits under this cog housing on the top right.

So far I have done this about four times, and I still have to open it and do it again. Once again I’ve managed to twice make contact with the flash charging circuit giving myself a right quick electric wallop.

A nice impression of the two flash test probe points I seem to keep touching

I have learned my lesson though and am now employing capacitor discharge probes every time i remove the batteries, as I say in the website intro pages, don’t do as I do. I’m an idiot. These capacitors maintain about 300v to power the flash, believe me it’s a very quick jolt, but it’s a painful one. You certainly know it has happened, be safe, don’t be like me.

Capacitor discharge probes – use them!

I’m holding back on ordering the battery cover at this moment until I can confirm that the cogs and transport system are working in harmony with each other.

On my sixth attempt at lining up the cogs and transport system I believe I have it set correctly. I’ve compared the transport with another similar camera and it duplicates its workings perfectly. It operates well and there are no fault lights showing. The movement is free and unobstructed. I’m happy that the camera is now repaired so I will now go ahead and order the battery cover. The cover has cost a total of £3:12GBP including postage and that puts the total cost of this project up to £11:81GBP compared to my previous project cost for the Instax 8 of £11:45GBP, so I’m pleased with that, as costs are very similar. Oh, and I best get some more film to test it out as well. It isn’t classed as working in my eyes until I see some photographic proof.

Result:

This is my second repair of a camera in the Instax range and the most challenging to date. It’s been great to work on and as usual I have learned a lot about how these cameras work inside. I’m glad I had an old camera to call on for spares as that has proved invaluable in this case. In the past I think I just would have given up on a full repair and junked the camera as many people seem to do, however these cameras are very repairable, desired by the younger folk, and worth designating some time to as they can be saved. There are a lot of non working examples available out there at a fraction of the cost you’d pay for a new working unit. (Money to be made in my own personal point of view)

The unit has polished up very well and looks lovely.

And it works….

And it works just fine
Pictures as expected

I’m so pleased with this camera, it’s taken a lot of time and head scratching but we got there in the end, and it is as good as new. I’m still awaiting the battery cover, and we have guests coming around today so I’m going to use this for some random photos. Just got to make sure I don’t let the batteries fall out. Once again we’ve saved another unit from landfill and that is the big win here.

Three weeks later the battery cover has arrived from China. Perfect fit.

Camera complete

Many thanks to my lovely missus for allowing me to take photos. Rare because she hates having photos taken.

Thanks for passing by, as always it is very much appreciated.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8

What the listing stated:

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera Teal Blue Spares & Repairs

Please see photos for condition this will be the item you will be receiving.

The camera will not turn on.

Thank you for looking!

EBay

It’s about time I started to get back to repairing some cameras, I have a mountain of them to get through but they can wait a little longer. These little Fuji units are really popular with the younger generation, and in my view anything that gets youngsters interested in, and involved with photography is a good move. We have some youngsters in our clan, and I have this earmarked for one of them if I can get it working. We had some conversations during our family gathering over Easter, and the subject of photography, and this particular member of our family came out. Seeing this auction today, I acted and purchased as this is a perfect little starter unit for her. My total outlay for this unit was £11:45GBP and considering the current costs are around £30-£40GBP for a working example, this is not too bad an initial outlay.

The Instax Mini 8

Here’s some history on these cameras:

Instax is a brand of instant still cameras and instant films marketed by Fujifilm.

The first camera and accompanying film, the Instax Mini 10 and Instax Mini film, were released on November 10, 1998. The “Wide” film and first accompanying camera were released the following year. The Instax Square film and accompanying camera were released in 2017.

The formats of Instax film give an image size of 46 mm × 62 mm (1.8 in × 2.4 in) for the Mini, 99 mm× 62 mm (3.9 in × 2.4 in) for the Wide and 62 mm× 62 mm (2.4 in × 2.4 in) for the Square. The Instax colour film is available in Mini, Wide, and Square formats and the black and white Instax Monochrome is available in Mini and Wide formats.

Wikipedia

For anyone that was around in the 70s, these cameras are an extension of and an advancement of the then Polaroid instant photography system. Nearly every household back then had access to Polaroid cameras. If you look back at any photo album or collection from that time, you will invariably find some Polaroid photos stored within that collection.

Here is a typically over enthusiastic review produced by a very pleasant chap when it came out about 8 years ago. Sums up in a few minutes just what it can do, and just how easy it is to use.

A very enthusiastic review

This unit looks to be in quite a nice condition but as always we will never truly know until it has arrived and can be assessed, never forget, this is EBay that we are purchasing from 😂

Battery compartment…suspicious!

Something looks suspicious in the battery compartment. There seems to be contacts missing, they might be fine I just don’t know. They just don’t look right to me. There may well be some minor signs of corrosion as well. Who knows, I’ll just have to wait until the unit arrives. So let’s just be patient until then.

Come on Mr.Postman!

Assessment:

I’ve downloaded the instructions and they consist of just half of one sheet of A4. To be honest they are about as basic as are needed I guess, but in technical quality they are about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike! And those contacts I mentioned above, look just as they were from the factory. What a strange design.

On arrival the camera appears to be in a really good cosmetic condition, there is even an old film cartridge still inside that I suspect is well fogged by now. However this will be of use if I can get it working, as it will prove if the film transport works.

The battery connectors are exactly as they were when the unit was assembled, so my earlier suspicions have come to nothing. However there are small indications of battery leakage on the outside that are always concerning, because they can always hide a greater issue occurring inside the camera. When batteries are put in place the unit is totally dead, just as advertised.

Cosmetically tidy
Batteries – no power
Contacts show evidence of light contamination
light contamination in evidence

So no more to it, I have to open the unit up and see what I can find inside. Before doing that though I have connected a bench power supply to the contacts and there was still no draw on the power at all. It is definitely dead.

Repair:

On opening. Oh my word. What the heck is that? I have never seen contamination around a battery terminal like that before, the battery contacts have been totally consumed.

Under that crystallised mess is what is left of a battery terminal, and that thing that looks like a biscuit on the left is the main motor. Totally crusted up

I could hear some rattling around inside the case and thought something had worked itself loose. No. It was what looked like broken glass, but it wasn’t, it was crystals of contamination, this camera has more stalagmites than Wookey Hole! The motor was badly contaminated and every part of the working mechanism had signs of this contamination, it was everywhere.

Contamination crystals
Motor contamination

First things first, the issue with the power supply is purely at the point of that big mass of battery contamination on the battery terminal, there is no continuity here and this needs removing and attending to.

What was under that crust of contamination
All cleaned and ground down ready for re soldering

Using a combination of alcohol to break down the contamination, and a grinding pen, the offending crust was eventually removed. It had eaten through the wire at the battery terminal and was being held in place by the mass of crust that has built up around it. I was able to cut back the wire and re solder the terminal to make it good. There was contamination everywhere and this all had to be removed, if left in place it would cause more problems in the future. It had to be eliminated completely.

Contamination everywhere, what a mess

I removed the motor, and used a contact cleaner to free up its motion, I constantly turned it back and forth for about 15 minutes and I could gradually feel it freeing up. A wire had broken off from the led light on the viewfinder, this was soldered back into place and we were now ready to test. I put the batteries in and flipped the switch. I could hear the flash capacitor charging and all lights came on, I switched the unit off and began preparing to re assemble the unit, not before accidentally touching the flash circuit and taking a quick 300v shock in the hand. It’s a big capacitor as all flash units usually are. I’m an idiot, it was a school boy error. And I had a capacitor discharge unit sitting right beside me. Fool!

Ok. I’ve stopped cursing myself and the reassembly continues, and I manage to complete this with no further issues.

It seems to be working.

I’ve loaded in that old cartridge it came with and can confirm that it was all fogged film. However it has proved that the film transport system and flash are working as you can see in the video above. I’m now going to have to source some fresh film for a true test. Before that I’m going to open up the unit again and give it a good blast with compressed air and a final check to make sure I’ve got all of that contamination. It’s just the OCD coming out in me.

That said, the flash has now ceased working even though I can hear the capacitor charging up. I suspect the flash bulb has failed, so I need to get back inside anyway. Oh well, here we go again!

Like the idiot I am, I realise I have not been using sufficiently powerful batteries and the flash capacitor and flash unit are both in fine working order. I’m just going to make a small adjustment on the shutter opening switch though, and also the power contacts connected to the lens internal focus ring.

I’ve removed an unnecessary small spring from the aperture ring on the left, and I found some more of the crystal type of contamination on the circuit board near to the flash capacitor.

I’ve removed an unnecessary spring that was on the aperture ring, it was causing the aperture ring to sit in an opposing position to the light indicator on the side. The two of them have to match to ensure the correct exposure. The spring was pulling down on the ring, and moving it to a lower position on the indicator. Thus causing an exposure issue. I’ve removed it, it is not needed and is now working better. I have also cleaned the circuit board as I found another small patch of crystallised contamination. It’s now cleaner than when it departed the factory.

The lens aperture ring, and indicator

And here we have a picture where I’ve captured the flash unit working.

Flash captured working

Now all back fully assembled I’m confident that the camera unit is in as good a condition as it could be. Fully serviced, clean and operational just as it should be. The next real test will be when I get some film inside of it to carry out some realtime tests. I’m hoping I’ll have the film within the next day or two.

Result:

I dont know why but I really love this little camera. I’ve enjoyed the challenge, the issues thrown up by it, and have gained immense satisfaction in getting it back into a working order. I don’t know if it’s the size or just the pure simplicity of having a picture to hand that is fully developed in about 15mins. The excitement of watching a picture form in front of your very eyes and even the fun factor is incredible. It’s what is needed in photography today, a step back to the 70s world of Polaroid, it’s true that back then they really knew they were on to something big, but I bet they didn’t think that it would now be having such a resurgence with the younger generation 50 years later. Instant memories preserved right in front of your eyes. The Japanese photographic industry, are so up there with modern photographic trends and demands. If only some of the now defunct big players such as Kodak who I used to work for, had gleaned such future insight, things may have been very different.

This unit as was stated earlier, is promised to a younger member of the family and that is where it will be going. I think I’m probably going to buy another damaged one to fix for myself, because I just love these little packages of fun and instant memories.

My film arrives within the next 24hrs and I’m really looking forward to getting some pictures taken.

Now all polished and cleaned and looking splendid.

Sparkling, clean and pristine (Inside and Out)

The film is here and I’ve put in new batteries and tested the unit prior to putting the film in. Anyway, film installed let’s take the first picture that will remove the cover off the film cartridge within.

Cartridge in
Film cover out

Now to find some subjects without wasting too much film. Picture one was of another Instax camera i am working on, bit close to be honest but there is at least an image, the camera is working. Second one is in the corner of the kitchen this comes out well. Third one is of the feral cat “Tabs” who owns our garden. She wasn’t too happy that I’d disturbed her sleep but that said it was a good photo.

First three trial photos

Overall I’m exceptionally pleased with the results. Closer examinations shows some repeating white spots up the right side of the photos, no big deal but this probably points to some contamination on the film roller. I can’t clean this now without fogging the remaining film, so I’m happy to leave this until this cartridge has been used. I’m happy that this is the only minor issue after all the other problems this camera had.

Working perfectly and looking great

Been a great little project that I have thoroughly enjoyed working on. These little units are great fun and the little lady that is going to get this camera is going to have a great time with it.

Another one of mass manufacturings victims, revived, and repaired and now facing a much longer and rosier future. Another one successfully kept from landfill. A winner in every sense of the word.

Many thanks for passing by, as always it is very much appreciated.

Bronica SQ-A / The Frankenstein project Pt:4

To find out what I am trying to accomplish with this project please refer to my initial post: Bronica SQ-A Medium format camera

Task:

To build a usable, basic issue, medium format camera (Bronica SQ-A) from damaged items and spare parts, for as little outlay as possible and shoot one black and white, and one colour roll of film as proof of its successful completion.

Getting started:

Building a camera from damaged parts is no easy task when the name happens to be a high end brand and any parts that are available, are being snapped up by others to service their own stock or to break up for sellable parts. I’m going to keep a running total to try and build this as cheaply as possible, and to keep track of this total I’m going to use my trusty Psion Organiser II LZ from 1989 to keep a tally.

How the project currently looks.

Fourth purchases:

Now we have the bulk of the camera, we just need those annoying little bits to finish off. I’m calling them annoying, because if I was just to pay out for the 5 or 6 little finishing touches I need they would cost more than the total amount I have paid so far for the camera itself. I would be paying a premium for items that will in the end have no effect on the result I require to complete this project, that being two properly exposed rolls of film.

So here we go.

Battery:

Probably the cheapest item you will buy for this camera. The camera requires a single 6v alkaline battery and is quite important. Without it the mechanical shutter still works but at only 1/500 second. To obtain all the other available shutter speeds you need the battery to work the system electronically. This has cost me only £3:50GBP. After testing I can confirm that the battery works fine and all shutter speeds are as expected. Perfect.

Winding handle/Crank:

For some reason sellers always remove the crank prior to selling. That’s because the original Bronica crank is currently being sold at between £70-£80GBP and it really isn’t worth it. Everyone is after a quick buck and some people are willing to pay it. I’m not however, and my handle here is a special strength 3D printed version that I have paid the grand total of £11:20GBP for. It will need a couple of small “O” rings just to pad the handle on the spindle as it’s a tiny bit narrower than the original over priced one. It’s more than capable for the job in hand though, looks absolutely fine and has saved me around £65:00GBP of money.

The focussing glass:

This is another item that the sellers withold for individual sale. I wonder why? Yes a standard focussing glass is going to set you back anything up to £150:00GBP and again it’s not worth it. However my one is a “damaged” one in that it has handling and pen marks on it. It looks as if some has sadistically drawn their own frame on the glass, the fool! I’m hoping this will clean up a bit but as long as I can see the focussed image I’m not all that fussed. I only paid £11:75GBP for this so yet again a further saving of around £140:00. See, savings can be made, if you are happy to make the trade for a lower quality item.

Camera aperture covers:

Not really essential at this point, but to be honest you need to protect the fragile equipment you now have so it is really worth investing. I’m not purchasing these just yet, that’s a later purchase, I have a lens cover and hood cover now, so that is all I really need to start the real testing.

Waist level viewfinder:

Now this is a real bone of contention for me. Individually it is probably the most overpriced single item you could buy. It’s basically just a flip up hood that acts as a cover for the focussing glass, that affords a bit of light protection, as has been common on old twin lens cameras over the last century. But because the sellers again sell these as “additional items” they control the price and at an average of £150:00GBP (Recent eBay sales data) again the consumer is being ripped off. I’m currently monitoring some damaged ones for repair on the sale sites.

And as of the 4th May 2025 I am now the proud owner of one of these items. I’ve paid a total including postage of £39:75GBP and that’s a very fair price. I’ve been searching the sale sites for quite a time before coming across this one. There is one caveat though, it has some slight damage, but that’s what this site is all about and it ties in nicely with the Frankenstein aspect of this post.

Assessment:

I’m going to be very brief with the assessment, as you will see this project is made from a selection of parts that at time of purchase all had their own faults. Each part that has required repair has been highlighted in the relevant posts associated with this series. Links to those posts can be found in the link supplied in the first paragraph of this post. There are five parts in total. I’m generally pleased that the parts I have obtained have combined to make a very nice “Frankenstein” camera from a brand of camera that is becoming increasingly expensive as an “Antiquity”. Not that it was ever a cheap option for a camera in the first instance. Let’s move on to cover some repairs that have occurred for some of the pieces covered in this particular post.

Repairs:

The focussing glass as you will see above was in quite a poor state on its arrival. This one had some scars and it looks as if someone has used pen to draw their own frame in the glass, to be quite fair it was in quite a state, but it was purchased for a really low price and i believe it can be made to look a lot better. Listen to anyone who is,”in the know” and you will always be told to not handle these screens. A load of tosh, I’ve been handling these ground plane glass screens for years and sometimes you just need to get hands on and this is one of those cases. Yes, if it’s in a pristine condition then cotton gloves would be the order of the day, but this example bypassed pristine conditions many years ago.

Before: How the glass was received with scratches and ingrained ink

I started off with a good clean using IPA and cotton buds, I used about six cotton buds in this process using a new one every time the cotton was overrun with dirt.

Dirt from the IPA clean

Once the IPA clean had been done I then soaked the glass in a detergent solution and then again used cotton buds to get the solution into the scratched areas of the glass.

Detergent bath

I’ve finished the clean with a rinse of hot water to remove all the solutions, and left the glass to dry on some paper roll. A light polish with a lint free cloth finishes the job.

After: all ink and dirt removed, only deep scratch remains but does not cause any issue with use

And this is how it all looks in the camera.

All looking fine in position in the camera

I’m extremely happy with the outcome with the glass, it does its job and works really well. With no distractions on the screen apart from a couple of scratches this item has been transformed. Just a little TLC and patience was all that was required.

The Winding handle crank doesn’t really have any issues, it just needs some aesthetic teasing. This crank was 3D printed for the ETRS version of the camera and as such the actual base of the crank shaft is slightly slimmer than that of the SQ model here. It works fine. I’m just being a bit of an OCD freak and want it to look better.

Before and after. “O” rings in place in the winder

Not a problem though as I only have to pack out about 4mm of space and I have just the thing to use. Two perfectly fitting minuscule “O”rings. Job done, let’s move on.

The Waist level viewfinder has one particular issue in that the folding action is slightly affected by an issue with the spring. Again it is fully usable and does not cause any issues operating wise, it is purely an aesthetic issue that I will get around to sorting once the camera has been tested.

Age related wear and tear
The spring “issue”
My waist level finder just showing signs of age

This is one of those parts that has signs of age with small signs of wear and tear, however that adds to it’s character and shows it was once a very much loved item that saw some good usage.

I think, we are now ready to get the entire unit assembled and ready for the testing phase of this build.

Total Outlay:

So just how much has this little project actually cost? Over to my trusty Psion Organiser 2 LZ for a final update.

Running total of £236.16 GBP

So the total cost of this project is £236.16GBP and I’m very pleased with that considering that sales for fully working similar cameras command prices similar to those seen in the picture below.

Recent sale prices

So taking this evidence into consideration, the route I have taken of building from damaged stock has saved me between £100-£350GBP. And as it is now a fully operational camera, I could probably command a price that would make a quite nice profit. But I’m not selling. This stays in my collection.

Outcome:

I want to take some pictures with both colour and Black and white film, to prove this camera is capable of this function considering it was constructed with broken or discarded parts.

Now complete, I have restored a beautiful piece of camera history

I will post some sample photos of the tests, and will also produce a couple of galleries to link to within this site. First I will try my luck with the Black and white film, as I have one here currently, though out of date it should suffice as it has been kept refrigerated during my ownership. I also have the chemicals and ability to develop film at home, so this should not be an altogether time consuming process.

This has been a satisfying build making a working piece of camera history entirely with damaged and alternative parts logged throughout all of these posts.

Look out for part 5 of this project that will cover the final testing and the results gained from these tests. Hopefully we will have some good photos and will then be able to wrap this project up.