Straight to the point. I think it doesn’t work. 🤷♂️
The original Light Boy
My original Light boy, for the Nintendo Game boy
Ive got a Game boy, I love it. However the biggest issue has always been as soon as it goes dark you’re stuffed. As the screen was never back lit you either had to tape a torch to your head or sit under a bright light. The Nintendo Light Boy went a little way to eliminating the need for the torch by incorporating a light and a magnifier within a unit that connected to the console.
This one doesn’t work though, which is good for this blog. I paid a good price of £14:95GBP considering original ones like this are selling between £40-£90GBP. There are cheaper alternatives, but hey, why?
Shouldn’t be the hardest fix I’ve ever attempted, but it will be a great addition to my Game Boy collection.
Assessment:
The unit has arrived and is in a very good cosmetic condition with only a few slight scuffs and marks that should polish out. Two AA batteries have been put in and switched on and true to the description in the sale, it doesn’t illuminate. Glass lens is in good condition and the screen folds as it should.
Looks tidy, just light not workingSome small marks. Nothing too bad or permanent
Repair:
This is a really simple circuit to be honest. Two batteries, two lights and a switch. That’s about it. The screen pivots and on here there are two teeth that make a contact with two small plates on the main unit when the screen is at 90 degrees to the console. When the switch is on, the lights should illuminate at this angle, and when closed contact will be lost and the lights extinguish.
Teeth on the screen hingeTeeth connection with plate turning on lights.
When I put batteries in there was a very dim intermittent flicker, aha I thought, dirty contacts and they sure were.
I cleaned the switch and the contacts using some IPA and removed a fair amount of old dirt from the contacts. The switch was operated 30 or 40 times to really get to anything that was deep in the switch, and this worked.
A good clean with IPA was all that was needed.
Batteries back in and unit at the correct angle, switch to the on position, and hey presto we have a constant uninterrupted supply of light.
We have light. It’s working.
The little marks and scuffs on the shell were all removed with a little cleaning solution. This item is now in a perfect state of repair and looking right handsome!
Result:
This is undoubtedly the easiest repair I have had yet but I’m not complaining. It always amazes me about the sellers on these platforms. I purchased this as spares and repairs damaged, when there was absolutely nothing wrong with it, well at least it only required a tiny bit of maintenance. They could have done this themselves and easily have charged a price at least three times what I paid for this unit. Fools 😂
All assembledWorking as intendedAll assembled, cleaned and working
Anyway their loss is my gain as they say, I now have a perfectly good item in perfect working order and now looking as good as new. And all it needed was a clean and some TLC.
Sometimes it all goes so well. Today is one of those days.
Thanks for passing by. It is always most appreciated.
This is a nice example of a Tomy ‘Missile Strike’ electro/ mechanical handheld game. It was made circa 1979 and is battery operated. It appears clean for age and works, apart from the missile light not illuminating. Battery terminals very good. This is a nice genuine item that is shown as I found it. NOTE – NO BATTERIES ARE ENCLOSED. Nice example for any collector.
EBay
Missile strike
On first seeing the listing for this item, my thoughts are that it looks quite clean and tidy. The usual state of these units are quite tatty with scratched screens. This looks good, however pictures, especially from EBay can be greatly misleading so I’ll guess I will just have to be patient and wait.
This units only issue seems to be with the LED missile light, so hopefully it will be a quick fix. These units are currently selling between £52-£79GBP as per the picture below. I managed to secure my unit for a total including postage of £24GBP so I think I’ve done well in that aspect. I’m quite happy with this.
Current sale prices on EBay
A little history:
Tomy released Missile strike in 1979 in its international line of electro/mechanical handheld games. Known under different titles in other regions such as Terra-Hit (UK), Missile Strike (UK), and Space Attack (Japan). One of TOMY’s electro-mechanical handheld games, Missile strike is a Space Invaders-like shooter game, the units small motor winds strips of aircraft across the screen, which the player attempts to hit in order to earn points. There is a mechanical wind up timer that controls the action, and the purpose is to score as many hits on aircraft as possible with in the time it takes the winder to stop. The game includes one small, flashing LED light as the exploding missile.
So it’s another game that has reached its 46th year, and for the only issue to be its one light source, I think that’s acceptable. Let’s wait to see what arrives.
Assessment:
On arrival the first thing that hits you is that this is yet another filthy item. I seem to attract these kind of sales, so it will require a deep clean. Cosmetically the game is in good shape with no deep scarring and only minimal fine scratches on the screen lens commensurate with its 46 year old age.
Tidy cosmetically but filthy
It was sold as the missile light not working, this is partially right as it is an intermittent fault, I suspect this is down to dirty contacts.
Filthy, and counter not workingMissile light is intermittent
This game has two bands of film that run across the top of the screen displaying aircraft, the top band is intermittent and needs attention. The score counter will also need attention as it is not turning smoothly, again I suspect this to be as a result of the build up of dirt.
Repair:
First thing to do is dismantle the unit and to get some cleaning done. The small video below shows the issue with the top band aircraft not moving.
Film transport fault
I’ve taken the counter out after removing the case and all exposed buttons and switches.
Dismantling
Off to the kitchen sink. let’s get these items washed.
To be cleaned Getting washedDrying down
Whilst I’m waiting for the washed items to dry I clean the counter mechanism of old dirt and fluff.
I’ve slightly greased the counter with silicon grease and it’s behaving well and doing what it should. This will go back in place when we do the final reassembly.
The issue with the film movement was a strange one. There was no way to tension the two capstans that the film roll over and there were no teeth missing off the capstans. One capstan pulls whilst the other pushes, all I’ve done is swap these around and the issue has disappeared. About as simple a fix as you can get.
Just swapped the capstans around
I’ve put a little before and after video here that shows the effect of swapping the capstans around.
How swapping capstans worked
The issue with the intermittent light was easy as expected. This is the only electrical piece on this game and it was down to contaminated battery contacts that just needed a bit of a clean with my grinding pen and a wipe over with IPA.
Final little touch was just to accentuate some of the old lettering by the timer. This was just with a white paint pen.
Before and after
Now we can reassemble and test again.
Result:
The game has been reassembled and tested and is now working fine. All intermittent issues have gone and it has now been polished and now looks superb.
I’ve attached this small video that shows the game working as it should, with no film slipping and lights and counter now working.
Working perfectly
It’s really pleased me this repair, as it’s another one of those mainly mechanical games. Dirt featured big time, and age issues have been overcome and the game given a new lease of life. Another one for my personal collection, it will go on now for many more years to come.
The best outcome that was possible, we have another superb seventies product that has been saved from the scrap heap.
To build a usable, basic issue, medium format camera (Bronica SQ/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.
First purchase:
The first purchase has been made and it is for a 6×6 120 roll film back unit with dark slide. I think I’ve paid quite a good price for this item. This is the back piece that fits on the rear of the camera. Here is what the listing stated:
ZENZA BRONICA SQ 6X6 120 ROLL FILM BACK WITH DARK SLIDE Signs of wear, untested. Uk Buyers Only Please
EBay
First purchase, the film back.
And the total paid including all postage is £20:94GBP. Let’s now start the running total in the Psion II LZ.
Running total
All I can really check at the moment is cosmetic condition and this looks a little beat up, however I don’t really care how it looks externally, as long as it’s light tight, that is all that matters and I won’t even be able to check that until later on in the build. Cosmetically I will attend to it, if I feel so inclined at the end of the project, for now it’s ability to be light tight will be my major concern.
Assessment:
The unit has arrived and yes it has seen use, but not in a few years I suspect. The old smell hit me the second the package was opened, it’s kind of a reminiscent pong from the past, however I’ve got to see beyond this.
The light slide seems fine, however the surrounding frame has been bashed and a small bit of frame has gone missing. There is also a screw missing and I suspect the area that is missing the screw may well have been glued down. there are some slight rust spots on the exterior framework, however everything inside appears to be fine apart from some light seals that will probably need replacing. The rollers inside are grubby so a good overall clean is in order.
Annoyingly the ASA markings on the dial atop of the roll holder are missing. I will make something basic up to remedy this issue. Again it’s an exterior issue and I’m not too fussed at the moment.
Yes there is some work required, but there is no rush. And thankfully I don’t see anything that really scares me about it. I won’t really know how it stands mechanically until I find a suitable body to attach it to. I have that to look forward to in a future post.
Repairs:
The ASA dial. Simple solution here, until one becomes available sometime in the distant future, is to use some very small dymo labels I have printed. I will cut these down to size and put them in place where they should be on the dial. Quick and temporary solution a’la Frankenstein. No need to over manufacture things, this will do fine.
Size 9 dymo labelsHow it should lookHow mine currently looksAfter I’ve added some ASA numbers- temporarily
The old asa wheel has been cleaned to remove the original glue, and temporary stickers have now been applied. This completes this fix for the ASA dial, for now.
Two items to make one good unit
Edit: I’ve managed to obtain a damaged roll back for a grand total of £5:76GBP, absolute bargain and it also has a working ASA dial. So I’m hoping I’ll be able to use this donor to help in the repair of this item. I’ve used a combination of parts from this and the earlier roll back and I’m happy I have a good working unit. We now have a proper ASA dial off of the spare unit transplanted onto the old unit.
Front frame:
I’m taking this off to give the whole area underneath it a good clean. There are some film guides under this frame that are contaminated and that could cause a scratch on the film, I’m going to clean this whole area under the frame and will then reassemble. The cartridge slide is in a good condition and has just required a polish. Apparently this front frame is prone to breaking and the screw holes splitting, as it gets quite brittle. This has happened to this unit, and I’ve found a guy that 3D print’s replacement front frames and I have ordered one of these to ensure that the whole frame is secure and light tight, as currently one corner can be lifted and this could cause a fogging issue. At a cost include postage of £12:75GBP it’s a small price to pay seeing the only way to get one nowadays is by purchasing a donor unit at cost far exceeding what I have paid here.
The new frame, will be blackThe old frame with broken corner and damaged screw holesDamaged area of frame in situ on the roll back
There are a couple of screws missing of which I have plenty of spares so these will be simply replaced. I’m happy now that this portion of the camera is in a good condition and will soon be ready to be put to use.
Before AfterDirty seals Damaged frameworkRemoval of the frame presented years of debris and filth that needed cleaning as well as a requirement for some replacement parts
There was a lot of contamination under the plate when it was removed, I was quite amazed just how bad it was. This has since been cleaned prior to the new frame and seals being put back into place. When everything is re assembled there will be another clean, I will also be using compressed air to finally clear any remaining debris from the roll back. Edit: the 3D printed frame has arrived and to be totally truthful it’s not much good. The part where the slide goes in is not usable and I’m not confident this will be as light tight as first thought.
Good front frame from the donor spare unit
However the spare unit I purchased has a good front frame that just needed a tiny bit of adjustment to work, I’m now confident the roll unit will work as it should.
Light seals:
To be honest there are only two immediate areas of concern that I can see. All other light seals seem to be sufficient. I already have plenty of light seals material from where I fix other cameras so this should be simple enough to replace.
New and old light seals replaced
There were only two pieces that needed replacing, these were both on the roll film back. All other light seals were fine.
Rust spots:
These are purely external and there are no issues inside the cartridge. However I may just give them a very fine rub down and a quick spray with a black gloss to just make them look better. Then again I may not, and then I’ll attend to the cosmetics once I have completed the project. Edit: I’ve decided to leave this for the moment and will attend to this sometime in the future as it is not affecting anything at this stage.
Film cartridge:
Again this has just been cleaned and some contamination has been removed from all rollers and guides within. I have adjusted the back plate pressure pad for the film and also given this a good clean to remove any contaminants. I’m happy the internal cartridge is in a good condition and only requires a light clean. This cartridge is superior to the one I have obtained as a spare so this will be the one i work with. I have replaced all the exterior screws to replace the original ones as they were all a little crusty and contaminated.
New screws. I will touch the heads up with black dye
The whole roll section has been cleaned with tack cloths and compressed air to ensure all contaminants have been removed.
I’m going to store the whole roll film back, in a sealed plastic bag with some Silica gel packs to try and remedy the mustiness that I mentioned at the beginning of this post, though I must admit after all the cleaning and replacement of parts, the issue has reduced immensely. Some exposure to sunlight on a window seal usually helps immensely. That’s where it’s sitting for the moment. It’ll go in the bag with some silica gel, during the more inclement weather.
Outcome:
This part has been the most demanding part of this project so far. I’ve looked into the possibility of using 3D made parts, but I must admit defeat here. The items are about 80% ok, there are holes missing that should be there and as it’s a two piece fix you are then introducing glues, and potentially increasing the chances of light accessing the one area you want dark. Maybe in time they may perfect it. I was exceptionally lucky to obtain a spares unit for literally one pence. Yes one whole pence. It cost £5:75 to post making a total of £5:76GBP, but in many aspects some of its parts were far superior to what I already had. I am happy that this part of the build is now complete.
All good to go. Please keep an eye on the other blog posts that are coming regarding this project.
Can’t get to turn on unfortunately. No battery cover. Any questions please ask
EBay
Dirty unit No battery cover
I know, there is no battery cover, however I have already sourced a seller of one if needed. This item looks quite dirty so a good soak might be the order of the day to get started. I’ll wait for its arrival before I jump to order any other bits for it.
Now as I’ve said in the past these units fall into that crazy price category on the selling platforms as the “New Antiques” of today. For an item that was low cost, somewhere between £25-40GBP when it came on the market, they can certainly command a wide range of crazy prices, here is an example of price ranges from today:
The massive range in prices for these units
This one I purchased today only came up for sale about 3 hrs ago and I thought it would have been snapped up by now, it hadn’t so I didn’t hang around any longer and purchased it for a total of £16:38GBP including its delivery. I’m not going to get too smug yet, as for all I know I may have just purchased an empty shell. Let’s wait until it arrives.
Here’s a little history of this unit:
Grandstand “Invader from Space” is a tabletop LED game dating back 45 years to 1980. Four ‘AA’ batteries power the unit or, alternatively, the Grandstand 5.5V@300mA power adapter (or an equivalent power pack) sold separately. The game, licensed to Grandstand, is a copy of Epoch’s “Invader from Space”
The company initially behind the “Grandstand” label was Adam Imports Ltd., (from 1980 Adam Leisure Group Ltd. and by 1983 Adam Leisure Group PLC) founded in 1973 by Chris Rycroft and Les Kenyon of Harrogate, UK. The company initially started as a mail order company and was the single largest supplier of calculators in the UK by 1974. By August 1978, George Bassett had acquired a 75% holding in the capital of Adam Imports for £750,000 cash, plus 60p in the pound of profits before tax in excess of £500,000 for year to December 31, 1978. Adam Imports was re-acquired from George Bassett by Chris Rycroft in 1980. It chiefly imported electronic products from other manufacturers such as VTech, Epoch, Tomy & Entex, selling them in the UK re-branded under the Grandstand name.
Wikipedia and others
So that’s the history
There is a good link to a similar repair on YouTube from a guy I follow named Stez Stix Fix, it’s very much worth a look and he has a great if not sometimes crazy way of diagnosing and repairing items. A cool guy though.
The Grandstand invaders from space game
Anyway back to my own purchase.
Assessment:
I must admit the unit doesn’t look as dirty as in the original pictures. The battery cover is missing and there is a crack in the side and a deep scar at the bottom, this won’t be too much of an issue if I can weld it all back together. I will still give it a good soak to clean it all up though. I’ve put four batteries in place, and the unit is definitely dead. There are no loose wires, voltages are getting around the board according to the multimeter and nothing is getting hot. There appears to be no short circuits, and then I notice this, capacitor CO7, slight bulge on top and what looks like leakage from the bottom. We have a candidate as to why this unit is not working.
CO7 looking unhealthy to me, you can see the component to the left that looks like it’s covered in a fur ball. The result of the old capacitor “coughing”
I’ll whip this out and see what we have but I suspect this old capacitor has failed and is causing an issue, heres hoping I have a suitable replacement.
Repair:
This little beast is a 330uf 10v electrolytic capacitor. I have none available so have had to purchase a pack of ten. These should be here in the next few days. There are three other old electrolytic capacitors that I will also change whilst I’m in there, as these are all likely to fail at some point soon. These components are now all around 45 years old, it’s a wise move to change them out.
One very dead capacitor removed.
I’ve ordered a 3D printed battery cover to replace the one that is missing. This should be here in a couple of weeks.
Whilst waiting I have cleaned the inside and outside of the casing as best I can. I still have a piece of broken surround to repair, however this is just a simple glue and a little bit of support job.
Case inside and out cleaned
Broken surround repaired
The surround that was broken has been repaired and secured with some nylon soaked in a superglue compound inside the casing. It’s rock solid. Outside the break is hardly noticeable. The break is secure and much stronger now.
New capacitor here
I’ve replaced all the offending capacitors and the unit remains dead. I’ve reflowed most of the board as there were some dry solder joints. I’ve also rewired the bridge from the control panel to the main board as one of the wires here had broken.
Bridge required resoldering
After using the multimeter to check some traces and components it’s now pointing to this component (a power transistor D882) being the cause of this catastrophic breakdown as its readings are all over the place. I suspect this item has overheated, the capacitor has blown and then it’s just died itself. I’m probably wrong, but I know what I mean. Probably just a catastrophic chain of events that all contributed to the units demise.
D882 transistor – power regulator
And as usual I have none available so will have to send for some new ones. The new components have arrived and the new power transistor has taken its place on the board. Now reassembled I place some new batteries in and the unit comes to life. It was the power transistor at fault, I should have really checked here first after seeing that damaged capacitor at the beginning.
All old components removed and replaced in this unit
Not to worry though as it’s had a good overhaul and has been totally recapped as a precaution. I’ve used some conformal coating on a few tracks that had some copper exposed after a good clean, to ensure they don’t deteriorate any further.
It has life
The unit is looking really good and these items were traditionally very loud and this certainly is. It’s working well just as it should do and I’m exceptionally happy with this repair. I’m still awaiting the battery cover that I have had 3D printed and this should be here in the next week to complete the fix.
No scoreHere we go3D printed cover arrived. Minor adjustments needed but in all a good purchase
So with that I will bring this build to a conclusion. It has been a fun project, I’ve learned a number of things about this circuit board and gained valuable knowledge.
But best of all we have rescued another item and saved it from landfill.
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.
This may be a strange situation where Pt:2 and Pt:3 of this project gets published before Pt:1, quite simply Pt:1, the film back. needs a fair bit of work still doing to it.
Third purchase:
And the third purchase is for an SQ body. This appears to be well used, but appears to be in a working condition. Here’s what the listing stated:
Zenza Bronica SQ Body Only / Medium Format 6×6 Camera
Condition:
Used but still in good usable condition with usual signs of use – see photos for details please. Fully tested and in perfect working order. Supplied with: Camera body as pictured.
EBay
Now I’m happy with this purchase as well. Not quite the SQ-A I wanted but to be honest the only difference is mirror lock up and metering that I don’t really need so I can live with that, we all managed prior to the metering being done for us, I’m sure we will all survive now . (Oh how we have been pandered over the years)
The Bronica SQ body I have purchased
I’ve paid the grand total if £73:75GBP for this body including the postage. There are some bits I will require to complete the body, namely a focus screen and waist level finder that could be a bit pricey, and a winder for the body. Now, the winders are pathetically expensive at around £60 for a bit of plastic. I know a guy who 3D prints a good alternative for a fraction of the price. And that will be the route that I take.
So over to my trusty old Psion II LZ for the running total for these first three items.
Current running total
So the total for these three items comes in at a total of £150:94GBP, and in Bronica terms this is extremely reasonable!
Assessment:
The parcel has arrived and yet again I’m really happy with this purchase. Very well packaged, a very faint age related mustiness that I guess should only be expected on an item that is now 45 years old. It seems to work just fine. I have connected the lens and that seems to be working ok, I just need to verify the shutter speeds are all correct. There is no battery in the base and this needs replacing as this is what controls the shutter speeds. Without the battery the mechanical shutter works, but only at a speed of 1/500 of a second. (Edit: the battery has arrived and after testing i can confirm that all speeds are operating as expected). The film back fits fine but I still have some work to do on that before I can say that this part is working ok. Overall I’m satisfied with what I have for the price I have paid.
No batteryNo winder A selection of covers for the sides, top and bottom are required
Repairs:
Not so much repairs but additions that are required, such as a crank winder arm and a focus screen, a new battery and a selection of covers to protect the central unit in transport. All horrendously over priced and i will deal with these items in Pt:4 of this project.
Outcome:
Current situation, looking good, smelling old. Not me, the camera 😂
We are almost there. The lens is fine, the main body is fine and just needs some final testing. The film cartridge is the item that needs the most attention and this will hopefully be finished when I have the new front plate that is being 3D printed. The next instalment will be just a tidy up with all the little bits I need to complete the build. These small pieces in Bronica terms are so bloody expensive, or should I say extortionate, can be obtained at a fraction of the cost elsewhere, you just need to shop around, if you are happy to have a non named spare part as a stand in. I’m happy with that as these parts have absolutely no effect on how the camera performs, and what we want to achieve at the end of this project, that being a well exposed two rolls of negatives that will produce a number of well presented photographs.
All good to go. Please keep an eye on the other blog posts that are coming regarding this project.
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.
This may be a strange situation where Pt:2 and Pt:3 of this project gets published before Pt:1, quite simply Pt:1 needs a fair bit of work still doing to it.
Second purchase:
The lens. Probably the most important purchase of this project. Looking for a “cheap” lens is normally not the thing to do when exploring lenses as you do really get what you pay for. You want good clarity? You need a good lens. However this lens came on offer and what sold it to me was that there were no scratches and fungus in the lens, and that was music to my ears. It is a duplicate of a lens the owner already has and was surplus to his requirements. He has also supplied recent proof of photos taken on this lens and i believe he has sold me a little diamond to be honest. Everything about it seems good. There is nothing really to do to it, so no maintenance apart from maybe a light external clean and that will be it until everything else comes together.
Here is what the listing stated:
This is the S version of the 80mm lens and although there’s a slight difference in the lens design on the PS version, I’ve compared the two and couldn’t see any real difference other than a slightly more modern colour rendering. The T mode is also working without issue. This lens has been my main user lens and has never let me down. Glass is clear of fungus, haze and scratches. Aperture and shutter blades are snappy and clear of any oil. Shutter speeds are accurate and the lens produces just delightful images and is massively underrated. I’ve included several shots taken recently with this lens mounted on an SQ-A as per the examples. Focusing is smooth, apertures have a nice smooth click and the lens focuses just fine all the way through the range. I will include the origin box as well as the front and rear lens cap with the lens
EBay
Lens and box Front of lens no fungusRear of lens no fungusTwo pictures shot on the sellers SQ-A with this lens (pics: pooface76)
I’ve paid the total cost including postage of £56:25GBP and I think that this is an absolute bargain for what I am getting. It’s an 80mm f2:8 Zenzanon-S lens in its box with two end caps. I’m really pleased with this purchase and there is not a lot else I can say.
So here we have the scores after two purchases, the 120 roll film back and this lens. Over to my old mate the Psion II LZ for the running total.
Running total
So the total for two items currently sits at a comfy total of £77:19GBP so far, with an average per item price of £38:60GBP. And in Bronica terms that is quite reasonable!
Assessment:
The lens has arrived and to be honest it has surpassed anything I could ask for, for the price I have paid. For this project it is in perfect condition with nothing required regarding any repairs. It’s good to go.
Boxed Original insertsBoth end caps
And out of the box the lens is lovely and clear. Just a few bits of dust but that is nothing at all.
Original end capNice and clear No fungus
Repairs:
None: I know this is boring on a repair front, but for this project it is the perfect result.
Outcome:
All good to go. Please keep an eye on the other blog posts that are coming regarding this project.
This will be post No:1 of a series, where I attempt to buy parts of a damaged camera system to repair, reassemble and get back into working order.
I have chosen this particular camera as it was one that featured prominently in my career when leaving school and starting in the Photographic world. I’m going to buy this camera in bits, as it is modular. I’m going to try and buy parts that are for spares and repair for me to fix, to see if I can get a half decent working example. So expect a bit of a Frankenstein project here.
Bronica SQ-A
Just like my post on the Canon A1 that I previously published, this was another loan camera in my early years of photography back in the 80s. When money was sparse, colleagues usually allowed the loan of their equipment under certain conditions, one of those being,”Don’t break it”. I used this camera when I did my first studio session when a friend of a friend was setting up a business selling Teddy bears. She wanted good quality portrait photos of her work and this camera enabled me to do that. This was the first medium format camera I had ever used, and for that reason alone it will always sit as my favourite. Many people favour later models and other equipment, but this is my personal favourite. It has its flaws as some do, however this camera was significant in me learning a profession, as well as it triggering many treasured memories for me personally.
Now I want one of my own. 41 years after I first used one. But I don’t want to pay a premium price for it. In fact i wish to pay as little as possible, and that’s where it’s going to be difficult.
You can read more about the camera here: Bronica SQ-A
Requirements
As this is modular camera unit, I will need these parts to form the most basic camera, no bells and whistles as they say, just the basic version:
Lens – obviously
Main body – got to be the SQ family
Viewfinder – a few to choose from
Film back – I’m after the standard 120 roll film back
I’m looking at this being a medium term project so these items will be purchased over a currently undefined period of time, I’m hoping to buy items that require attention so I can keep the costs down, something that needs attention and repair would suit, as I can create a post regarding its repair. Individual spare parts do command some high prices so I’ll look at maybe purchasing some beat up stock that I can use as spares. I’ll keep a running total of the spend, I know I could buy a working complete unit for around £6-800GBP second hand, but that’s damned expensive in my eyes, I believe it was only £400Gbp (Minus lens) back in the mid 80s. I want to prove that a good usable unit can be built with just a little attention at a much lower and more realistic price. On the cheap if you like, as good quality photography does not need to be expensive. It might not look pretty, but it will be practical, and it will work. Most working cameras look beaten up. Most of the ones I used whilst working for a photo agency were total wrecks but took great photographs. I want to run a roll of colour and one of Black and white through it to prove i have made a working practical camera. It’s probably going to be a lengthy project, it’s going to be hellishly tough, but one I’m very much looking forward to.
From now on it will be known as….
The Frankenstein project.
And more posts will appear as the parts start to arrive and are assessed. Each part will have its own post dedicated to its purpose and repair, and a final post where it will be finally assembled and tested.
Thanks for passing by, please be sure to check back as this exciting project comes together, using the links below:
It fires up and turns on, then get a black screen. Every time I press a key on the keyboard it makes a beeping sound, so it is registering something.
EBay
From a distance, and in my opinion, the fault could be a simple one such as adjusting the contrast by using the Psion key and either of the <> keys. This was often an issue when first turning on the Psion II, you had to turn the contrast wheel. However it could be a terminal one requiring a donor unit. In layman’s terms it could be knackered, (to coin a phrase). But hey, what do I know 🤦♂️
Psion 3a – Faulty
Fingers crossed 🤞 as usual.
I have a what looks like a nice tidy little unit here obtained for a very reasonable price £17:69Gbp including postage. These units retailed between £179-£249 when they first appeared back in 1993. However, there is only the one picture in the advert so the rear, sides and hinges could be wrecked. “Caveat emptor” as they say. It does have a problem that will need some investigation. It runs off of two AA batteries and a CR1620 coin battery as a backup, and these will be the first items to be changed, I’ll also check the voltage of that coin battery and replace that if necessary. This is an early version with 256KB of internal Ram. 3a versions from 1995 either had 1Mb or 2Mb of ram. You can also use an external power supply if required, but the batteries in these units have an excellent long life span, so external power is rarely necessary. I’m looking forward to this project. I’ll make a more detailed analysis when the unit arrives shortly.
The Psion Series 3 range of personal digital assistants were made by Psion PLC. The four main variants are the Psion Series 3 (1991), the Psion Series 3a (1993), the Psion Series 3c (1996), and the Psion Series 3mx (1998), all sized 165 by 85 by 22 millimetres (6.50 in × 3.35 in × 0.87 in). Further, a Psion Series 3a variant with factory installed software for the Russian language was called a Psion Series 3aR, and Acorn Computers sold renamed versions of the Psion Series 3 and 3a marketed as the Acorn Pocket Book and Acorn Pocket Book II.
Wikipedia
A little history:
This particular unit dates from 1993 and was the next in the series of Psion organisers that succeeded the extremely successful Series 2 models. It was a massive step forward in design as the whole PDA market was kicking in big time in the early to mid nineties. More info regarding the series 3 organisers can be found here: Psion series 3
And the strange fact for today is this:
Manufacture of Psion 3s was discontinued in 1998 shortly after the launch of the Psion Series5 (a Psion Series 4 does not exist, due to Psion’s concern of Tetraphobia in their Asian markets)
Wikipedia
What is Tetraphobia?
The fear of the number four: Tetraphobia is mainly suffered in China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, because the word for the number four is similar to the word for death in their languages. Tetraphobia results in many people avoiding referring to 4 in phone numbers and so on.
Cambridge dictionary
There you go, question answered and that was why there was no Psion 4.
Onwards…
What has arrived, and what’s the diagnosis?
The unit has arrived and despite my suspicions it is in an excellent cosmetic condition. Just some very light signs of usage, needs a light clean, all hinges are in place and solid. Everything is as it was all those years ago and all the warranty labels are in place, this unit has never been opened.
Front goodRear goodPower adapter port goodOutput port good Drive A goodDrive B goodNo back up battery in place
I placed the new AA batteries in and it came up with the black screen as the seller had stated. Using the contrast adjustment at this stage had no effect but the buttons were sounding so something was happening. Whilst looking in the memory card doors I could see one glaring issue, there was no backup CR1620 battery, so I dropped one in place . When I started the unit up again the screen went from black to clear, over a few seconds and then I operated the contrast buttons, and hey presto it worked. Watch this little video to see what happens.
We have life
I can only surmise that not having the correct batteries in for god knows how long, and then livening up the circuitry must just be like giving Frankenstein a fresh transfusion of blood. “It’s alive!” Well, that’s all I can think it would be.
I’ve run every function on the unit and it all works fine apart from the voice recorder function that seems to have a lot of feedback on the recording. I suspect this might be as I’m using the already full internal memory. It’s not a real problem, I’m just going to have to read up on it, as I could be doing it all wrong. (I have since done a hard reset and deleted old files from the system and this has cured the feedback issue, the voice recorder works fine). However it would still probably work better using an additional drive in the unit, and not the low internal memory.
OffMenu screen Data screenAgenda screenYearly agendaWorld time Sheet tab
Just as you could on the Psion II you can write your own programs using OPL language. And it is a lot easier on this unit as you have a full Qwerty keyboard and a much bigger display. There are more applications on this unit than the series II, including word, spreadsheets, DTMF dialler, calculator and others that can be purchased as plug in additions.
I’m really happy with this, if the seller would have just taken a little time to run the unit and have some patience he’d have realised there really is nothing wrong with this unit. Big negative for him, big bonus for me. He could have charged more than double the price for this item, or more, considering current prices on the selling platforms.
Another strange thing i have noticed is that when I’ve left it overnight and started it up the following day it takes a minute or so for the screen icons to appear, just like putting on an old valve radio. So it maybe that a repair is necessary, I’ll have to ask around and see if any else has had this issue.
Valve powered Psion3A
Edit: A few days later and I’ve looked into this a little more. For some unknown reason, probably my rank stupidity, I’ve checked the coin battery and I’ve installed a CR2032 instead of the required CR1620 and have tonight corrected this and installed the CR1620 coin battery. I don’t know if, or why this would have an effect, but after putting the correct battery in place the unit started up in a couple of seconds even after sitting unused for at least a couple of days, instead of the usual 2 minutes as per the video. I can only think it must be something more related to the capacity rather than the size, unless for some reason the contacts were not sitting true. (There is a slight difference of 4mm in width) I remain puzzled as I thought the battery was just for backup purposes, maybe it does perform more as a computer CMOS battery does, but I’m pleased it’s now operating as it should. I can now stop monitoring the sale sites for units to use as spares.
Sometimes your suspicions pay off, and on this occasion I was spot on. EBay untested items can swing either way and most of the time the sellers use it as an easy get out for not accepting any responsibility. But this time I win, and that makes me happy as I have a very good item for my retro collection.
Most EPROMS made around this time in the 1980s had memory that could be formatted by using a method of exposing them to high levels of Ultraviolet light for between 10-30 minutes. The Psion Datapaks required about 30 minutes of “exposure” in one of these units to format the drive.
The unit I have purchased a Mk1 formatter
By high levels of light, i mean UV light around the wavelength at or close to 253.7nm. A UV light you may have in your home or in the form of a torch operates at somewhere around 395nm, a considerably safer wavelength of operation than what is needed to format these EPROMS.
The UV light spectrum. As you can see the wavelength we need to format the Datapak at 253nm falls into the dangerous UVC Shortwave spectrum. The standard house hold UV light or torch falls into the much safer UVA Longwave category at around 395nm. Picture courtesy of The Hepacart blog.
This unit was purchased after I had spoken to the seller, a nice chap that specialised in old diy tools and computer peripherals, but wasn’t quite sure what this unit did or how it operated. He had stated that the red light was working, but nothing else. My concern here was that the UV light inside was broken, and these tubes i believe are known as low pressure mercury discharge tubes, and finding them in this size is pretty difficult to say the least. The UV tube in this unit could potentially be 40yrs old as this is a Mk1 unit circa 1984. I just don’t know if its tube has ever been replaced at all in its lifetime. Have a read of this post by Dave Curran who had similar issues sourcing a light supply for one of these units, it resulted in him having to make a hybrid concoction combining one of these units and a cheap Chinese import – Eprom eraser/upgrade
I asked the seller, John, if the Ultraviolet light inside was operational and I have supplied a screen shot of his reply:
The reply to my question
When I received John’s reply I jumped in with an offer and this was accepted. He had been so helpful. I’m now awaiting the unit, but I’m now a lot more confident that the unit, and most importantly the UV light is currently operational. However it’s probably going to be subjected to some pretty rough conditions on its delivery journey, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed for now.
This formatter is a series one version that came out around the same time as Psions Mk1 organiser first appeared on the scene, circa 1984. It was used right through to when the MK2 organisers were released sometime between the years 1986/89.
Mk1 version (My unit) MK2 versionThe two available Psion branded formatters
This unit will be cleaned, opened up, checked for electrical and mechanical stability, its safety features will be confirmed and it will then be reassembled and PAT tested prior to use. Once this is done i will attempt my first format of a Psion Datapak whilst the unit is in my possession. However we have a little way to go just yet, before we can consider carrying out that task. The seller was very prompt at getting the unit out to me as it has arrived less than 24hrs later.
Dirty Filthy
The general condition on first inspection is that it looks good, but it’s very dirty and has a slight musky dampness to it. I have given the plug and the cable and case a good clean with a bit of degreaser and this has cleaned well. I’ve done this just so getting inside is a slightly more pleasant experience without my hands getting covered in gunk. The unit looks a lot bigger in the pictures. It only measures 19cm L, 10cm W and 7cm H, so in theory it’s relatively small.
Before I do go inside I have first checked the plug, it currently is carrying a 13amp fuse that is way to large for this unit. It only requires a 3amp fuse so I have replaced this. I haven’t used the Pat tester yet I’m just using the multimeter, and I’m a bit concerned as there is no continuity between the earth pin and the unit case. Time to get inside.
Inside the unitWait! No connection to the earth wire.There was a potentially dangerous earthing problem
Inside looks tidy but I then become aware of a problem immediately. The earth wire from the mains cable is just sitting there in mid air connected to nothing. No wonder there was no continuity. I have now connected this back in place where it should be and I now get a good earth continuity throughput the casing. All other connections checked and tightened accordingly. This proves that the Pat test would have failed miserably. This was a potentially dangerous situation, that’s why it’s best to carry out these checks on any old powered units you get from a third party. Trust no one.
Next I need to check that the safety switch that turns off the UV light when the drawer is opened is operating. Again I use the multimeter to probe the switch and this seems to be ok. A good listen to the action confirms that it is clicking in and out. A quick clean inside and then the internal checks are complete.
The safety switch clicking in and out
There is no real way to test for actual operation until the safety case is back in place, that’s the safest way. Case on and another quick clean and the unit is looking good .
BeforeAfterLooking nice and clean
At this point I’ve carried out the Pat test before plugging it into the mains and the results have come back good and it’s a pass, the earth is good. I’m now confident about plugging the unit into the mains.
Door closed light is on inside Door open, light offThe safety switch confirmed as working
Everything seems fine I now just need to place a Datapak inside to see if the format process works. Also it’s a good time to check if the 30 minute timer is working. No time like the present, so I’ve found a suitable candidate and what better way to do the 30 minute countdown than with a Psion organiser I just happen to have hanging around. Here goes 🤞
The unit has been on about 15 minutes and all seems fine, the unit is not overheating and there is nothing occurring that shouldn’t be occurring. Fingers still tightly crossed. 🤞 The Psion timer duly sounded at the 30 minute mark, the unit turned itself off about 2 minutes later.
It continued about another 2 minutes after the timer finished
So 32 minutes seems to be the actual time under the lamp. Not too bad considering its age. The unit was only slightly warm to the touch after this time. I’ve left the Datapak to allow it to get to room temperature before testing it .
Success the system is sizing
Here we go, and it’s fantastic news as the format has worked. When plugged in it has informed me it is going through the sizing process that occurs on these organisers when you put in a newly formatted pack.
BeforeAfter
And when you go to check the info you can see the previously stored old data has now been deleted.
I now have a very useful, safe and working item of equipment. A very slight mustiness remains but that is only to be expected with an item that is 40 years old that you have had no input into how it is stored. I’ll probably store this in a sealable bag with some silica gel sachets to try and draw that mustiness out. I’m really pleased with this project and now have a very handy piece of kit to boot.
As I said earlier, make sure you always check thoroughly any items electrical such as this, coming from a third party. It’s your life, preserve it, safety first and trust no one. It’s a good mantra in this aspect or restoration.
Another item saved from landfill 👍
Thanks for taking the time to follow this project.
I recently purchased this camera and wrote about it in a previous blog entry Werra 1
I’ve commenced taking the Werra to pieces. The winder was not working and the shutter was not firing. Before starting this work I’ve viewed this page at Everything Vintage where they have recently carried out a full strip down of the Werra and you can view the page HERE, it’s all great advice.
Getting below the top plate was relatively easy exposing the mechanics from 58 years ago, I don’t think it’s ever been opened in all this time. I always love to see the ingenuity that went into these old cameras in years gone by.
Werra 1 stripdown
The internals look dirty in the photo but to be truthful I don’t think the lighting is doing it any justice, yep there is a fine oxidation coating but it’s at a very acceptable level considering its age. When I get to the point of dismantling as much as I can, I will start to clean and lubricate these pieces. But at the moment my goal is getting to the shutter.
Werra winding system – shutter not working
In the video above I’ve managed to get the shutter cocking using the lens ring, however the shutter actuator does work intermittently, but there is no movement of the shutter (Or is there…)
The only reason I ask the question above is that after reading the “Everything Vintage” link in the first paragraph it appears there is a second shutter that closes the light path to the film back when you wind on. When you are ready to expose the film this shutter opens and then there is a second shutter that controls the exposure. if you watch the small video above I think it is this shutter you can hear when I wind the camera on. Hopefully this one is working, I just need to get the one on the rear working, and for this I need to remove the lens from the housing. To do this I need a tool I don’t currently have but have now ordered. More to follow when the lens ring removal tool arrives.
Lens ring spanner
The lens ring spanner has arrived, the ring is being right stubborn at the moment and Im struggling to release it from its 58 years of rigidity. I’m tired as well and don’t want to cause any damage to the shutter so I’ll come back to this later.
18 hrs later, I’m rested and have another go at releasing that lens ring, this time I’m successful and I manage to release it. Sometimes it’s better to sleep on a problem and approach it with fresh eyes rather than continuing whilst tired and prone to making mistakes.
Werra Lens ring removed
With the lens off the body, the shutter cassette can now be removed. It amazes me just how intricate this cassette is and the workmanship that must have gone into it. I’d estimate at least 10 small cogs and a number of tiny springs with levers and pivot points, amazing really considering it’s about 60 years old. It’s amazing how modern technology has advanced.
Werra lens breakdownWerra shutter moduleWerra lens – another shutter on the rear
It takes some time getting into the shutter cassette as there are springs and things flying off everywhere, you really do have to photograph everything you do just to be able to check what goes where and how.
Inside mechanism – where is that spring from?Complexity of the shutter mechanism
The shutter itself is rather clean apart from some fingerprints on the shutter leaves that must have been from years ago. I have cleaned this down with IPA and then used some finely ground carbon (pencil lead) as a dry lubricant and this has got the shutter moving just fine.
Werra shutter after being lubricated with carbon
I’m now starting to reassemble the lens and shutter as I’m happy that there is nothing else restricting the shutter and it is now moving quite freely. I will clean the camera as I progress and put some watch lubricant on the mechanics that are external to the lens and shutter assembly.
Werra 1 rearWerra 1 baseWerra 1 topWerra 1 front
Well it’s all been reassembled and is now back in one piece. It looks good, the shutter works fine and I’ve now vacuum packed it to go back into storage. I won’t be firing up a roll of film on it yet as I don’t have the time to did so at the moment. I’ll probably save that until the summertime when the weather is more favourable. I’ve really enjoyed this restoration even though at times it was very frustrating. This rebuild has taught me patience, or at least that I need to have more patience and just take my time. Intricate jobs on such old equipment need a clear head and a lot of concentration. I’ve learned my lesson and will endeavour to remedy that situation in my future dealings with such equipment.
Foxes Den 
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