[TechAssist] Re: GE microwave, GSU0421B- sliced keypad ribbon cable

  • From: Gary McCartney <number63@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 13:31:08 -0500

Well, I'll tell ya. For all the "illegal" things I've done to electronic
equipment, I ought
to be in jail for about 1000 years. In this business if you have to
worry about every little
alteration that is made, you not gonna get any sleep and you'll lose out
on a number of jobs
because of expense to buy original parts. If what you are saying is
true, then I suggest that any time you replace a transistor with an ECG
sub, you are also breaking the law for not installing the original part.
The ECG might not have the same specs as the original and for heavens
sakes could start a fire!!!!

My theory is, that as long as you replace parts with same or better
specs, even if you have to make alterations, you'll be doing you and
your customer a favor. My customers are always very happy when I tell
them that they have saved money or even saved there equipment from the
scrap yard because of alterations I've made. Maybe where you are from
there could be legal problems, but where I'm from, I've never heard of
it.
Tell me how a jumper on a microwave keypad ribbon cable is gonna cause a
safety problem. You might be thinking something like, "well, if the
connection comes loose and shorts out to another conductor causing the
start button to be activated..." well, BS to that. My job would be neat
and that wouldn't have a chance of happening.



Some of the things I've done that you wouldn't approve of are:


-using a 9V motor in a cassette deck instead of a 12V, and installing my
own 7809 voltage regulator to bring the B+ down to 9v to run the motor

-taking the top plate off a bad magnetron and installing it on a
replacement magnetron because the mounting tabs of the plate onf the
replacement were oriented the wrong way.

-jumpering 40 traces on a cracked TV main board instead of buying a new
board

-in a power supply, using two 2200uF capacitors in parallel instead of
one 3900uF.

- when a multiple winding transformer opened in a stereo receiver power
supply, I install three separate transformers in order to make up all
the required voltage outputs

- plastic button array no longer available on a TV set- solution,
install my own bank of push button switches instead

-replace picture tubes with numbers that don't anywhere match the
original

-replace yokes with windings that are different than the original

- replace relays with ones that did not match, sometimes have to drill
new holes in circuit board to make them fit.




Is this enough, or are you having a heart attack by now?


Next time, I might be writing you from jail.



Gary McCartney

McCartney Electronics
7134 Fife Rd, RR 7
Guelph Ontario Canada N1H 6J4
Fax: (519)821-1530
email: number63@xxxxxxxxxxxxx










HSWAD@xxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> All the things you are attempting to do are illegal. Purchase a proper new
> part or give it back to your customer.  If you jury rig and it fails you are
> liable. 45 years experience here. Hollis
> 
>                  In a message dated 2/7/02 11:49:23 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> number63@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> 
> << Subj:     [TechAssist] Re: GE microwave, GSU0421B- sliced keypad ribbon
> cable
>  Date:  2/7/02 11:49:23 AM Eastern Standard Time
>  From:  number63@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Gary McCartney)
>  Sender:    techassist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>  Reply-to:  techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>  To:    techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> 
>  Ya, I think I am pretty well screwed on this one. The conductors are not
>  copper. They are some type of painted -on substance. I also can't dig
>  them out of the plastic. I've tried scraping and grinding and slicing,
>  but can't reveal the conductor. I haven't ripped the keypad away from
>  the plastic frame but I'm fairly sure that the ribbon cable and keypad
>  are all one piece.
> 
>  Thanks for the reply.
> 
> 
>  If anyone has some microwave keypads laying around that you are willing
>  to part with
> 
>  , I have posted a picture at:
> 
>  http://www.number63.ca/microwave.jpg
> 
> 
>  I do not anticipate at this point that there is any problem with the
>  control panel.
> 
> 
> 
>  Gary McCartney
> 
>  McCartney Electronics
>  7134 Fife Rd, RR 7
>  Guelph Ontario Canada N1H 6J4
>  Fax: (519)821-1530
>  email: number63@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  J Silverman wrote:
>  >
>  > If you can expose enough of the traces and if they are copper you may be
>  > able to solder a jumper wire across the break. I have done this on
> camcorder
>  > ribbon cables where there was lots of $ at stake. Sometimes the copper is
> so
>  > thin and narrow it just falls apart in the soldering. I dont believe that a
>  > paint will work as there is no way to support the ribbon cable. Sometimes I
>  > just remove the ribbon cable and replace the whole thing with wires. If the
>  > buttons and ribbon cable are one piece that wont work for you.
>  > Jerry Silverman
>  > Greentron Inc
>  > 4 Newland Ave
>  > Greenville SC 29609
>  > 864 232 3889
>  > Fax 271 2080
>  > mailto:greentron@xxxxxxx
>  > ----- Original Message -----
>  > From: "Gary McCartney" <number63@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>  > To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>  > Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 9:14 PM
>  > Subject: [TechAssist] Re: GE microwave, GSU0421B- sliced keypad ribbon
> cable
>  >
>  > >
>  > > Ken, many of the US 1-800 numbers will work from here. There are some,
>  > > however that don't.
>  > > I have heard that there is an intermediate number that can be called and
>  > > the charge is from the caller to the US border only. Not sure if it
>  > > works or not.
>  > >
>  > > This microwave is just a small one so the customer is not likely gonna
>  > > want it fixed if I have to order a keypad, so either I have to bridge
>  > > the trace in the flexible cable or forget it. I am experimenting with
>  > > grinding the plastic with my dremel. May or may not work. Then if I get
>  > > the trace bare, I'll get some of that rear window defogger repair
>  > > compound. I haven't had any luck with the rubber keypad repair kits for
>  > > remotes.
>  > >
>  > > Ya, the customer must have got his tools against the flex cable and
>  > > split it open because he sure did a winning job at re-installing the
>  > > interlock switch. Looked like something Red Green would attempt....duct
>  > > tape.
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > Gary McCartney
>  > >
>  > > McCartney Electronics
>  > > 7134 Fife Rd, RR 7
>  > > Guelph Ontario Canada N1H 6J4
>  > > Fax: (519)821-1530
>  > > email: number63@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > gulftech@xxxxxxxx wrote:
>  > > >
>  > > > Gary,
>  > > >
>  > > > Have never had any luck trying to fix a keypad.  What a dork your
>  > > > customer is!!!  The keypad peels off of the front panel.  Clean the
>  > > > residue well before applying the new one, or it will not be smooth.
> Try
>  > > > Global--see below.
>  > > >
>  > > > Ken,
>  > > >
>  > > > I have worked on microwaves for 10 years.  That's the first time I ever
>  > > > heard a magnetron referred to as a tube.  Call Global Micro-Parts,
>  > > > 1-800-325-8488.  Please start a new post with a new topic.  BTW, you'll
>  > > > need a number of the magnetron.
>  > > >
>  > > > Gary--  Please don't laugh.  This is a serious question.  Do U.S. 800
>  > > > numbers work in Canada?
>  > > >
>  > > > Ken Smith
>  > > > Gulf Technical Services
>  > > > 3034 Gulf Breeze Parkway
>  > > > Gulf Breeze, FL  32563
>  > > > 850-934-8324 (Voice) 850-932-0819 (Fax)
>  > > >
>  > > > On Wed, 6 Feb 2002 03:48:39 -0800 "Ken Dinckan" <kdinckan@xxxxxxx>
>  > > > writes:
>  > > > >
>  > > > > Hi Gary
>  > > > > you can probably try that conductive material they use for the worn
>  > > > > remote
>  > > > > control buttons.. I never tried but it might work just to give you
>  > > > > idea..
>  > > > > See if it is helps
>  > > > > I just had one Emerson Microwave and Tube is gone and called Fox
>  > > > > they want $97.80 plus shipping. This Emerson has bad repitation for
>  > > > > me. So
>  > > > > do you have any used tubes laying around??
>  > > > >
>  > > > > Ken Dinckan
>  > > > > ALL Tv&Appliance Service
>  > > > > 2747 Roosevelt Street # B
>  > > > > Carlsbad CA, 92008
>  > > > > tel: (760)434-1131
>  > > > > fax: (760)434-8856
>  > > > > email to : kdinckan@xxxxxxx
>  > > > > ----- Original Message -----
>  > > > > From: "Gary McCartney" <number63@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>  > > > > To: <techassist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>  > > > > Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 3:33 PM
>  > > > > Subject: [TechAssist] GE microwave, GSU0421B- sliced keypad ribbon
>  > > > > cable
>  > > > >
>  > > > >
>  > > > > >
>  > > > > > I have this microwave oven which the customer attempted to repair
>  > > > > > himself. He had duct tape wound around the primary interlock
>  > > > > switch and
>  > > > > > the switch was busted. After I replaced the switch and checked all
>  > > > > the
>  > > > > > interlock switches, I plugged the oven in and wasn't able to
>  > > > > control the
>  > > > > > keypad except for the defrost and clear buttons. Then I noticed
>  > > > > that 3
>  > > > > > traces in the flexable ribbon cable from the keypad to the control
>  > > > > panel
>  > > > > > were sliced. Does anyone have a way of repairing this, other than
>  > > > > > ordering a new keypad? The traces are sandwiched in plastic and
>  > > > > they are
>  > > > > > made of that nasty un-solderable conductive material. I tried to
>  > > > > scrape
>  > > > > > the plastic down to the traces but was not successful. Can the
>  > > > > keypad be
>  > > > > > removed from the plastic front panel which it seems to be
>  > > > > permanently
>  > > > > > part of?
>  > > > > >
>  > > > > > Thanks for any help.
>  > > > > > --
>  > > > > >
>  > > > > >
>  > > > > >
>  > > > > > Gary McCartney
>  > > > > >
>  > > > > > McCartney Electronics
>  > > > > > 7134 Fife Rd, RR 7
>  > > > > > Guelph Ontario Canada N1H 6J4
>  > > > > > Fax: (519)821-1530
>  > > > > > email: number63@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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-- 



Gary McCartney

McCartney Electronics
7134 Fife Rd, RR 7
Guelph Ontario Canada N1H 6J4
Fax: (519)821-1530
email: number63@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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