E III Keyboard major cleaning

[tron23]

Hello everybody in the great E forum,
,here is the story, I just got this E III keyboard here in Athens, probably one of the few around here.
The instruments was purchased new from the guy I got it kept inside a smoky studio all it's life, unused in most cases gathering dust and smoke.
It has the usual problems I have been reading. Please let me explain the situation:

1. Main out works for some time when I power the thing up, then it is lost most of times. I have powered the thing up with main out not working in some cases. It is mostly a come and go thing....

2. Sometimes on power up the machine wont boot and all the leds light up ..freeeze

3. I really need to replace the internal drive .. any news/ updates on the cf thing .. any other options rather than the expensive acard?

4. Please explain how I can clean the machine inside. Any recommendations on ribbon cleaning? Is there a proper way to do this?

Best to all,
Angelo

P.S. The machine is now shinny on the outside it has taken a complete bath pictures to follow soon!!
   

[dr.c]

Damn !

I was in Greece to fix a studio belonging to Anton HASELBEK, at Politia !
Also, the ones from Vangelis and Moukouri, in this damn studio wich has all the walls made out of mirrors ! Incredible ...

Well, you should be VERY CAREFULL with this, do not touch the machine unless you are skilled in electronics and you know what you are doing.


I already wrote ahere about five times : to fix the stereo out problem, PIN 8 of IC3 on the JACKBOARD must be set to +5V. You can solder a yellow wire from there till the connector on the backplane, to a yellow wire.

NEVER MAKE SEVERAL MODS IN ONE TIME.

First, CHANGE THIS, and when it works, its valid for a day, make the other mod (cleaning).
This becaus if you do several mods at a time, if it doesn't work, its gonna be a hell to know where the problem comes from.

So, make this wire mod, be sure its well done, validate it, and the, after one day or two, tell me, and I will give you another trick.

You can, still, make everything at once if you really want, but if it doesn't work, don't comme to me, just DIE !
 

[tron23]

Dr.C, you have been to some poor people's studios around, it seems .. when is the next time you fly over here?   

Now to the EIII,

the main out mod is completed and validated for a whole week, the machine runs fine without the audio drop outs. This was great help.

The random crashes continue to happen once in a while about 1 out of 5 times the machine is turned on.
How can this get eliminated? Does this has to do with the ribbon cables? Cleaning would help at all? Or this has more to do with the power supply?

Best from Athens

[dr.c]

If you are not skilled in electronics, forget it.
I think your memory simms sockets need to be cleaned.

Remember one thing : IF IT WORKS, DON'T FIX IT !

I would love to come around. Anton wanted to take me to a Bavarian restaurant, wich I tought was ridiculous. I took him to the night market where there are incredible restaurants, in Plaka I think, you know wich place I mean ?
He didn't even know it existed... When we got there, ther was a paralysed man in his wheelchair, knife between the theeth, trying to chase a travestite... my goodness 

[tron23]

Dr.C, things have become more wild lately in the city centre areas you describe. I live next to monastiraki area which is very close.
Still you can walk around though .. 
to the eIII ...
My electronics skill level is pretty basic, cleaning the occasional juno keyboard, contacts to my six track, replacing a battery and soldering the little wire you mentioned... I have also helped my tech guy figure out problems in more sofisticated systems like the prophet 5 rev2. I am not that good at soldering though, I leave the hard work for him.
I think I will be able to clean the sockets. With some extra care techies usually do not have time for..
Any advice on chemicals would be welcome. I do not want to destroy anything. I will become depressed if the eIII pass away, even though I have it for less than 3 weeks. The sound is so magical.

[dr.c]

The memory SIMMS are on the top board (Microcontroller board).
BE absolutely carefull to replace the flat cable wich goes to the front pane exactly the way it was, passing thru the rack vent to go to the board, and not at the ouside of the rack, otherways, when you close the machine, the bale gets pinched between the rack edge and the front panel PCB and the tails of the componenets on the front panel PCB makes holes into the flat cable and destroys everything.
Make a picture at each step when you disassemble the machine, and then, compare when you re-assemble.
Use plain contact product for electronics. Be carefull : the SIMM sockets are a shit, plastic, and the edges may break when you bend them.

[tron23]

Dr. C, I will make an attempt on this and let you know how it goes! In the meanwhile I am tracking the acard adapter. Best, angelo